Catherine Anderson: My Sunshine

My Sunshine: A-
Kendrick/ Coulter series #6

Laura Townsend & Isaiah Coulter

Veterinarian Isaiah Coulter agrees to hire Laura Townsend as a kennel keeper at his clinic despite her speech impediment, the result of brain damage she sustained after a diving accident five years earlier. With her sparkling personality and love of animals, Laura is the perfect addition to Isaiah's clinic. But when errors are committed on Laura's shift, naturally she's blamed, and she begins to suspect that someone is framing her in the hope of getting her fired. Isaiah remains her stalwart defender as attraction sparks between them, developing into a romance that is both sweet and sensual. While the identity of the individual framing Laura will come as no surprise to the savvy reader, the uniqueness of the relationship between the successful veterinarian and the woman whose handicaps are overshadowed by her ability to love more than compensates.

This was a story that was more than the regular romance, as usual, and it was a great read.

Laura Townsend was an environmental scientist who, after an accident, is unable to speak properly due to the damage in the language area of her brain. After being brilliant, she is reduced to having to work miscellaneous jobs for money and eventually takes on the job as a kennel keeper (unglamorous work such as cleaning kennels, feeding the puppies, etc). Isaiah notices her, is attracted, but is intrigued by her sunny disposition and her ability to make him see what life is like when one is appreciating it.

More than anything else, I loved Laura. I was so drawn to her because of her strength; I cannot imagine having to live with a speech impediment that affects your life on so many different levels and the way that Laura fought to support herself, refusing help from her family and friends, is a trait that I find amazingly admirable.

I also loved Isaiah and his determination to stick with Laura despite her “he’s-too-good-for-me-and-deserves-better” syndrome. He is hunky, as are all the Coulters apparently, and he is courts her well.

They work well together – she pays attention to the miniscule details and feeds him. He has the money and has the ability to bring fulfillment in Laura’s life.

There were some aspects of the story I wasn’t too terribly fond of; I love animals, but probably not to the extent that Laura did, so I didn’t particularly care for the fact that she was so tender with them. However, the reason that she cared so much for them was apparent and completely understandable since she, herself, experienced the feeling of abandonment from her acquaintances after her head injury. Isaiah is also a vet, which makes their love for animals a large aspect of the story…

I also didn’t like her love for shopping. Call me a dork, but she reminded me of a typical consumer – buying little, useless nitnacks for her home. It was something that Isaiah loved since she was able to transform a place into a home, but to me, all I am able to envision is clutter. Everywhere. (The shopping-for-Christmas scene had me cringing. Shopping for forty/ fifty people? Are you freaking kidding me? That would suck…and he’d be poor by the end of the Holiday seasons.)

There was also a slight “suspense” tint to the story, which brought more substance, but not too much more. The romance is the most important element, something that Ms. Anderson brought wonderfully.