Baby Love

Amazon.com
Setting: Contemporary Idaho and Oregon
Sensuality Rating: 6

Bestselling author Catherine Anderson captivates readers with her tale of a desperate young mother, her newborn son, and the rundown drifter who rescues them one bitterly cold night. Little does Rafe Kendrick suspect that his long-frozen heart will crack wide open when he offers the warmth of his coat to a desperate runaway and her hungry baby. Maggie Stanley has little reason to trust any man, much less Rafe, the drunken cowboy she meets hitching a ride in a boxcar. But when he puts his own life in danger to protect Maggie and her baby, Jaimie, from the lowlifes sharing their railroad car, she's forced to place her battered body and equally battered heart into Rafe's hands for safekeeping. Bound together by circumstance, the two zealously guard their secrets until love permits Rafe to let go of the tragic deaths of his wife and child that sent him running from his former life as a successful rancher. And Rafe's gentle and loving care of Jaimie allows Maggie to see that here is finally a man willing and able to protect her from the harsh realities around every corner. Full of gut-wrenching emotion and plenty of human drama, Catherine Anderson's Baby Love shouldn't be missed. --Alison Trinkle


From Publishers Weekly
Anderson's newest contemporary romance (after Simply Love) begins with a rescue: vagabond Rafe Kendrick prevents Maggie Stanley from being raped by boxcar bums. Saving Maggie and her baby gives Rafe's life meaning again, and he decides he'll do anything to keep them from harm's way. In order to protect Maggie from her ne'er-do-well stepfather, Lonnie, Rafe contacts his family, who hasn't heard from him since he abandoned his profitable ranch after an accident that killed his wife and children. Although she distrusts his motives, Maggie returns with Rafe to his Oregon ranch and they marry. As Maggie heals in body and spirit, their love becomes mutual. While the premise is riveting, the Cinderella-like aspects of the story are overdone, and Maggie's stepfather's drive to do evil is almost cartoonish. Rafe is not only a successful rancherAhe's got $50 million in the bank. Equally unrealistic is the premise that Rafe can stop drinking without suffering any symptoms of withdrawal. However, Anderson is a strong storyteller, and the book should appeal to fans of the genre despite its clich?s. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Elizabeth Lowell
"An amazing talent"



"An amazing talent"


Publishers Weekly
"A major voice in the romance genre."


Book Description
Out of the Empty Ruins of YesterdayPenniless, desperate and determined, Maggie Stanley grabs her small baby and runs into the snowy Idaho night, fleeing a dangerous, hurtful life. Now in her loneliest, blackest hour, a handsome, down-and-out stranger's compassion shines forth like a torch in the darkness, offering her the warmth and comfort she has always longed for but has never known. But though tenderness lives buried deep in Rafe Kendrick's heart-and though Maggie sees a soul wounded like her own in the depths of his startlingly beautiful eyes-she knows she must never, ever trust any man again.

Toward an Undreamed-of Tomorrow Rafe, however, is more that he seems-an enigmatic man of secrets who could give Maggie the moon and stars, had he not solemnly vowed to spend the rest of his life alone. But sometimes, without warning, love can transform a cold, pitiless world into paradise. And a man who has lost nearly everything, a woman who has forgotten how to dream, and the helpless child who needs them both can truly become that most wondrous of creations: a family.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

About the Author

Catherine Anderson lives with her "wonderful" husband, Sid, and her beloved Rottweilers, Sampson, Onja, and Sassy, in a secluded mountaintop chalet that is surrounded by towering fir trees and overlooks the Umpqua Valley and Callahan Mountains of central Oregon. The entire west side of their house is glass, and in the evening, their loft bedroom is softly illuminated by the gorgeous sunsets and the city lights of Sutherlin, a quaint little town that was founded well over a century ago. It is, according to her, the perfect setting for a historical romance writer, for everywhere she looks there is something to inspire her.

Catherine is the award-winning author of fourteen published works including Annie's Song and Keegan's Lady from Avon Books.

SYNOPSIS

Penniless, desperate and determined, Maggie Stanley grabs her small baby and runs into the snowy Idaho night, fleeing a dangerous, hurtful life. Now in her loneliest, blackest hour, a handsome, down-and-out stranger's compassion shines forth like a torch in the darkness, offering her the warmth and comfort she has always longed for but has never known. But though tenderness lives buried deep in Rafe Kendrick's heart—and though Maggie sees a soul wounded like her own in the depths of his startlingly beautiful eyes—she knows she must never, ever trust any man again.

Rafe, however, is more than he seems—an enigmatic man of secrets who could give Maggie the moon and stars, had he not solemnly vowed to spend the rest of his life alone. But sometimes, without warning, love can transform a cold, pitiless world into paradise. And a man who has lost nearly everything, a woman who has forgotten how to dream, and the helpless child who needs them both can truly become that most wondrous of creations: a family.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Anderson's newest contemporary romance (after Simply Love) begins with a rescue: vagabond Rafe Kendrick prevents Maggie Stanley from being raped by boxcar bums. Saving Maggie and her baby gives Rafe's life meaning again, and he decides he'll do anything to keep them from harm's way. In order to protect Maggie from her ne'er-do-well stepfather, Lonnie, Rafe contacts his family, who hasn't heard from him since he abandoned his profitable ranch after an accident that killed his wife and children. Although she distrusts his motives, Maggie returns with Rafe to his Oregon ranch and they marry. As Maggie heals in body and spirit, their love becomes mutual. While the premise is riveting, the Cinderella-like aspects of the story are overdone, and Maggie's stepfather's drive to do evil is almost cartoonish. Rafe is not only a successful rancher—he's got $50 million in the bank. Equally unrealistic is the premise that Rafe can stop drinking without suffering any symptoms of withdrawal. However, Anderson is a strong storyteller, and the book should appeal to fans of the genre despite its cliches. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

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