Sweet Nothings

Kendrick/Coulter/Harrigan Series, Book 3

De: Catherine Anderson

Narrado por: Suzanne Toren

Discover why listeners and critics have called the Coulter family novels "romantic through and through"(Publishers Weekly) with this poignant contemporary romance from New York Times best-selling author Catherine Anderson.

Molly Wells is keeping a lot of secrets, such as why she's stolen her ex-husband's expensive stallion and driven him hundreds of miles to the ranch of horse whisperer Jake Coulter and why she's arrived with no job, no money, and an all-consuming fear. Molly may be willing to risk everything to save the stallion, but it's herself she really needs to save....

By making a place for Molly on his ranch, Jake suspects that he may be harboring a thief. But there's something about this courageous, yet vulnerable, woman that tugs on his heartstrings. He yearns to shower her with the greatest gifts he has to give - his home, his heart, and his life to share. But until she's strong enough to accept them, all he can offer is the patience to win her slowly, the strength to fight her enemies, and the promise to love her forever....

©2002 Adeline Catherine Anderson (P)2018 Tantor

I don’t care for the narrator

I almost didn’t listen to the book when I saw it was narrated by Suzanne Toren. Her female voices are too high pitched and fake and the men are too gravelly. I don’t enjoy her narrations. Good book. Typical of the writer though. Every main female character in her books are called “Maggie mine” “Molly mine” “Bethany mine”. Too interchangeable.

Family ties

I love all of her books, the family connections , and the fact that they never give up.

Jake and Molly

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

'Sweet Nothings' by Catherine Anderson, Kendrick/Coulter/Harrigan series book 3. Audible Premium Plus borrow. Dual POV. Narrator Suzanne Toren read well. Listed as 15 hours 47 minutes. I listened for 6 hours 18 minutes at speed 2.50. Quite a few unexpected funny moments. Content warnings: horse abuse; horse theft/rescue; h father is murdered by her husband; h college best friend committed su¡c¡de; arson; and memories of a horse accident that left H sister a paraplegic.

Date: April 2001.
Location: Portland, OR; Crystal Falls, OR.

Molly Sterling Coulter (29?; aka Molly Sterling Wells/Molly "Houston") is described as "pleasingly plump," 5'3", with brown eyes and curly (what I assume is) auburn hair. When Molly was 5, her mother died of ovarian cancer. Soon after Marshall Sterling, Molly's father, married Claudia. Since Claudia couldn't have children, she adopted Molly. Molly's mechanically inclined, an only child, and a Catholic. She dropped out of college when she was 17 after she found Sarah, her best friend, dead of an apparent su¡c¡de (sl¡t wrists). Molly eventually earned her broker's license and went to work as a stockbroker at Sterling and Wells Investment Firm. Molly married Rodney Wells when she was 18 years old. Jared Wells, Rodney's father, is Marshall's best friend and business partner. She inherited $4 million from Marshall, eleven months ago after she found him dead in his office (gunshot wound to the head). She was committed and declared legally incompetent by Rodney with the help of Dr Claudia Sterling after Rodney drugged and gaslit her. Jared married Claudia, so Molly thinks they could both be involved in Rodney's scheme. Once Molly convinces her therapist she's not crazy, he helps her divorce Rodney and get out of the mental facility. She steals Sonora Sunset, Rodney's $65,000 racehorse/a black stallion, after his trainer told her Rodney brutally wh¡pped Sunset. Molly drove Sunset from Portland to Crystal Falls, seeking help from the supposed Horse Whisperer, Jake Coulter. Sunset was so "damaged," Rodney threatened to k¡ll him to get Molly to sign some financial paperwork he wouldn't allow her to read. Jake Coulter (32) is the oldest of six (4 younger brothers and a younger sister), has blue eyes and a cleft chin, went to college for agriculture and animal husbandry, and just bought his family's former ranch, the Lazy J. He agrees to help Sunset if Molly works as the cook/housekeeper for the ranch. Molly agrees to stay, but it's not an easy transition for Jake or Molly. Jake knew she stole the horse and made the deal with her without consulting Hank, his brother and business partner. Molly has suffered extreme trauma because of Rodney's machinations and suffers self-doubt, low self-esteem, and several fits of rage. Jake slowly earns Molly's trust and helps both her and Sunset heal. Rodney sets their stable on fire, slashes all of the tires of the vehicles and equipment on the ranch, and then comes to retrieve Molly with the Sheriff Dexter, Jared, and Claudia. Jake steps in and lies, saying she was with him, so it couldn't have been her. As they're leaving, Rodney threatens to return with a court order to return Molly to his custody. Jake offers to run to Reno to marry her, so she'll be safe from Rodney. Molly eventually tells Jake her entire story and that she believes Rodney k¡lled her father. They get married by the justice of the peace and return to the ranch to be greeted by most of his family. After much thought, they decided to search Sterling and Wells, and once there, they found evidence of Rodney's misdeeds. In retaliation, Rodney returns to the Lazy J and releases all of Jake's horses. Once Jake and Hank leave to round up their horses, Rodney forces Molly to pour diesel throughout the house. Rodney set the house on fire and then forced Molly to sign paperwork so he could access the offshore accounts he set up in her name. During Molly's attempt to stall Rodney, he confesses all of his evil deeds to her. He leads her into Sunset's arena, knocks her out with a rock, and tries to get Sunset to trample her. Jake and Hank see the blaze, return, and save Molly. The epilogue is 7 months later, Molly's pregnant (it's a boy), Rodney's been sentenced and is in jail, and her family is restored. JP

Other characters: Sam Banks (Molly's therapist); Keith Sandusky (Sunset's trainer at Shamrock Green; disappeared); Harv and Mary (Jake's parents); Hank (29; Jake's brother; went to college for agriculture and animal husbandry); Zeke (Jake's brother; MBA); ? and ? (Jake's twin brothers; vets); Bethany (Jake's sister; paraplegic after a horse accident; wealthy husband: Ryan Kendrick; just had Sly, her first son, April 2001-"last week"); Rafe and Maggie Kendrick (Ryan's brother and sister-in-law; son Jaimie, daughter Amanda); Heidi (Maggie's sister); Levi Trump (green eyes; Lazy J hand; truck named Mandy); Benny (36; Lazy J hand); Dano (20; red head; Lazy J hand); Shorty (Lazy J hand; has a dog named Bart); Nate (Lazy J hand); Tex (Lazy J hand).

Other animals: White Star (Jake's mare; just had a foal); Pedro (Jake's childhood dog/best friend 1976-1983).

2 out of 5 on my spice scale.

1st listen 11-01-23.

If you liked this story you'll definitely like 'The Horse Whisperer' by Nicholas Evans.

This is a must read , or listen to

From the very beginning you will be hooked , didn’t want to stop listening , this story will cover all the emotions

Predictable but enough to keep my interest

Although the narrator’s male voice was a little contrived it was tolerable and she was consistent. As much as I have listened to enough of these books it still annoys me that the women always seem to take the wrong option when one has to make a choice but I guess that has to be to keep the story going. Even in a work of fiction there are only so many ways to continue the drama. I enjoy following the various family sagas too.

Glad I found this one!

I'm a long time Catherine Anderson fan, and thought I had read this entire series years ago...I guess I missed this one! The narrator was a bit annoying to hear at times, but the story is Catherine Anderson at her best! Although if I had the physical book instead of listening to the audiobook, the sociopathic ex-husband would have had me sending the book flying! No fear though, love wins in the end!

If you’re a hopeless romantic like myself I highlyrecommend this book. Loved it! :-) I read this book elsewhere with

This book was amazing! It had me on pins and needles the whole time. I’m so glad that Molly found love. This book was filled with happiness, romance and suspense. One of the best reads in a long time.

Great story and great characters!

Didn't think I could listen to this long of a book but it was interesting all the way through.

Needed different narrator

Struggled to finish this mostly because narrator's imitation of male voices, especially Jake's voice was really challenging to listen to, made my skin crawl. This is one story I probably should have read myself rather than listen to..

Mediocre

If you’re looking for a mediocre romance that involves a cowboy, this book is for you. It’s not very imaginative and at some points the heroine seemed pretty ridiculous to me, but it’s not awful. It’s a perfectly decent thing to listen to if you want to pass the time. I’d recommend only listening to it if you have the romance package - don’t use a credit for this one.