Line #7 Creator/CatherineAnderson


1	Catherine Anderson (born 22 December 1948) is a romance author, specializing in both the contemporary and historical categories. She's most known for the Kendrick/Coulter/Harrigan saga and the Comanche series, but has done many stand-alone stories as well.
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3	!!Tropes associated with this author's works include:
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5	%%* AbusiveParents: Poor Mandy Pajeck, Caitlin O'Shannessy, Maggie Stanley and Nancy Hoffman.
6	%%* AllAbusersAreMale
7	%%* AngstComa: Rebecca Morgan nearly ''dies'' from one near the end of ''Cherish''.
8	%%* AttemptedRape: Way too much of this.
9	* AuthorAppeal: You can tell Catherine is a country girl at heart by her settings, her taste in romantic heroes and her focus on animals.
10	* AuthorFilibuster: A more benign variant; when Catherine drags her plot to a screeching halt to InfoDump, it's usually about some form of animal care, and she most definitely [[ShownTheirWork does do the research]]. In fact, some of her novels give readers important but little-known information about dealing with dogs and horses -- in ''Silver Thaw'', she takes the time to point out that onions and garlic are toxic to dogs, which isn't common knowledge.
11	%%* BabiesEverAfter: At least half of her epilogues feature the heroine pregnant or the couple as parents.
12	%%* BadassPreacher: Esa Paxton aims to become one.
13	%%* BeautyEqualsGoodness
14	%%** BeautyIsBad: If the heroine's love rival is pretty, she's inevitably a Bad Person (Liz, Belinda, Hazel).
15	* BlessedWithSuck: Poor Loni [=McEwan=] in ''Morning Light''. She's a clairvoyant whose powers are stronger than both her mother's and grandmother's, but all they've ever done is bring her heartache and make her feel isolated.
16	* BlitheSpirit: Laura Townsend to the Crystal Falls veterinary clinic. She decorates for the holidays, brings in snacks for everyone and truly loves tending to the animals in the kennel. Isaiah constantly finds himself marveling at how much her very presence has made things brighter and warmer.
17	* BreakTheCutie: A lot of her heroines, but most notably Molly Sterling, Rebecca Morgan, Maggie Stanley and Rachel Hollister.
18	%%* ButWeUsedACondom: At least Carly Adams thinks Hank Coulter did in ''Blue Skies'', anyway.
19	* CartwrightCurse: A variation. In ''Perfect Timing'', it's revealed that thanks to an old curse placed on the Harrigan family line by a jilted druid the first wife of every Harrigan male will die young from a blood-related mishap or sickness. It's dogged the family for generations and the only way to end it is for Quincy to marry Ceara O’Ceallaigh.
20	* ChildByRape: Maggie Stanley's son, Jaimie in ''Baby Love'', Meredith's daughter Sammy in ''Forever After'', Annie's child in ''Annie's Song'' and Daphne O'Keefe in ''Lucky Penny''. Eden Paxton is this for her mother Dory. Fortunately the children are loved in spite of the dark means of their conceptions.
21	* CollateralAngst: Works both ways, too. If something bad happens or has happened to the heroine the hero will wail and gnash his teeth over it, while anything that happens to the hero and/or his family sends the heroine into a whirlwind of tears and self-blame.
22	* CreepyCrawlyTorture: In ''Forever After'', knowing his wife Meredith [[SpidersAreScary is an arachnophobe]], Dan would punish her by putting spiders in her clothes and bedding, and would have them crawl over her skin while he raped her.
23	* CuteKitten: Several in ''Lucky Penny''.
24	* DamselInDistress: Way too many of Catherine's heroines fall under this, but Rebecca Morgan in ''Cherish'' is ''the'' quintessential example.
25	* DeconfirmedBachelor: The majority of the heroes, just before the heroine crosses their path for the first time.
26	* DistressBall: Poor Sam Harrigan can hold her own in a fight, but during the climax of ''Sun Kissed'', her JerkAss ex-husband corners her and despite her best efforts she still ends up needing to be rescued by Tucker.
27	* DoctorsOrders: Dr. Marie Stevenson in ''Perfect Timing'' has no patience for anyone who gets between her and her patient, and makes that lack of patience abundantly clear. In the end, this [[spoiler:saves Ceara's life, as well as her baby's]].
28	%%* DoesNotLikeMen: A lot of Catherine's heroines have major trust issues with men at first...
29	%%* DomesticAbuse: ...because of this. Poor, ''poor'' Molly Sterling, Sam Harrigan, Rainie Hall, and Amanda Banning!
30	* DontYouDarePityMe: A lot of the heroines are pathological about proving how strong and independent they are after the trauma they've suffered, but most notably Laura and Bethany. Laura even refuses to take the kennel keeper job unless Isaiah is hiring her based on her qualifications.
31	* EvilRedhead: Well, she's not exactly ''evil'', but ''Always In My Heart'''s narrative makes it quite clear that Liz is ''not'' a nice person.
32	* FalseRapeAccusation: When Chloe tries to report Bobby's assault of her, the higher-ups refuse to believe her because they think she's pulling this.
33	%%* FieryRedhead: Eden Paxton and Brianna O'Keefe.
34	%%* FingerPokeOfDoom: How Marvin's poking of Ellie is seen in ''Always In My Heart''.
35	%%* FishOutOfTemporalWater: Ceara O’Ceallaigh, and how.
36	* FluffyTamer: Mandy Pajeck gets Zach Harrigan's attention right quick when she manages to handle the violent stallion Tornado, which no one, not even Zach, a professional horse trainer, has been able to do. It turns out that [[spoiler:Tornado was abused by his former owners, and takes to Mandy because he somehow senses that she went through the same thing]].
37	%%* FoodPorn
38	* FriendToAllLivingThings: Laura Townsend in ''My Sunshine'', Ben Longtree in ''Only By Your Touch''.
39	* {{Gaslighting}}: Rodney does this to Molly in order to make her and everyone else think she's gone crazy.
40	%%* GoldDigger: Of ''both'' genders, too!
41	* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: Even if it's a rape pregnancy. [[spoiler: Ben's ex-wife trying to abort his baby played a catalyst in his accidental murder of her lover.]]
42	* GuiltyPleasure: Sure, all her novels are ridden with Mary Sues, Gary Stus, Undyingly Unrealistic Devotion And Love Everlasting and Unrealistically Perfect Sex, but if you take them as the fantastical escapism they are, they actually are quite charming.
43	%%* HeroicBSOD: A lot of the heroines are prone to these, but especially Rebecca Morgan.
44	* ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe:
45	** Molly spends 2/3 of her story unable to believe Jake could seriously find someone as "fat and ugly" as her attractive, it takes TheirFirstTime to convince her.
46	** Laura isn't ''as'' pathological about this as Molly, but Isaiah still has to spend some time convincing her that she ''is'' his ideal woman and her brain damage is ''not'' a problem for him.
47	%%* IHaveYouNowMyPretty: Used in ''Cherish''.
48	* ImAManICantHelpIt: Tucker Grant gets into an argument with Ellie about this when she claims it's bullshit. Isaiah Coulter also falls victim to an erection from Belinda's unwanted advances in ''My Sunshine'', which leads her to pull a FalseRapeAccusation on him when Val catches them. Luckily, Val doesn't buy it.
49	%%* TheIngenue: Rebecca Morgan.
50	* InspirationallyDisadvantaged: Laura Townsend in ''My Sunshine'', and Bethany Coulter in ''Phantom Waltz''. Averted with Luke Pajeck in ''Here to Stay'' until his character development.
51	* InstantBirthJustAddLabor: Played for drama with poor Ceara and Quincy's daughter. Ceara doesn't just go into early labor, she delivers the baby ''in the truck on the way to the hospital''. [[spoiler: Thankfully, both manage to survive thanks to their shared magic.]]
52	* ItsAllMyFault: Every member of the Grant family feels this about the death of oldest son Sammy in ''Always In My Heart''. Molly and Laura also frequently apologize for things that weren't their fault, and Rebecca spends a good chunk of her story weeping and wailing about how all the tragic things surrounding her are because God hates her.
53	* KarmaHoudini: The ending of ''Only By Your Touch'' never explains whether Bobby Lee gets punished or not.
54	* KindheartedSimpleton: Subverted with Laura Townsend, who only appears this way because of her language difficulties, which impact her ability to do math and use complex words but otherwise have no effect on her intelligence. Isaiah points out rather sharply to his brother Tucker (also a veterinarian) that "she's probably smarter than you are!" when Tucker makes the (wrong) assumption that Laura won't understand enough about veterinary medicine to be married to a veterinarian. Given that Laura was, prior to her accident, an environmental scientist, Isaiah's point is doubly valid.
55	%%* KindlyVet: Isaiah Coulter (''My Sunshine'') and his twin brother Tucker (''Sun Kissed'').
56	%%* LetsDuet: Natalie and Zeke in ''Bright Eyes'', since Natalie's a singer.
57	* LifetimeMovieOfTheWeek: Poor Molly, really. Ditto Rainie. David also seems to treat Brianna's story like this in ''Lucky Penny'', much to Brianna's ire. ''Only By Your Touch'' reeks of this, right down to the stalker and the sickly child.
58	* LivingEmotionalCrutch: Luke and Mandy unknowingly treat each other this way for years until Zach Harrigan knocks some sense into both of them.
59	%%* LoveAtFirstSight
60	* LoveMartyr: Molly Sterling would do ''anything'' to please her slimy former husband, until she realized how dangerous he was.
61	%%* ManipulativeBastard: Molly's ex-husband Rodney in ''Sweet Nothings''.
62	%%* MaritalRapeLicense: Brianna fears David will try to exercise this with her.
63	%%* MarriageBeforeRomance: ''Blue Skies'', ''Baby Love'', ''Walking On Air'', ''Annie's Song'', ''Lucky Penny'' and ''Perfect Timing''.
64	* MaybeEverAfter: ''Here to Stay'' doesn't explicitly say whether Luke Pajeck and Laurie Patterson actually do get married -- it only notes that they had been dating "hot and heavy" and that Frank Harrigan had reassured Mandy that just because they're young doesn't mean their relationship won't last. Given that this is an Anderson novel, however, the probability is quite heavily in favor of it working out.
65	* MorningSickness: Carly Coulter suffers an agonizing case of this in ''Blue Skies'', and only brussel sprouts, sauerkraut and chocolate milk can soothe her.
66	* MurderersAreRapists: The Sebastian Gang in ''Early Dawn'' always gang rape a woman before they kill her, unless they plan to sell her.
67	%%* NatureAbhorsAVirgin: Most of Catherine's virgin heroines are embarrassed about their status.
68	* NoAccountingForTaste: How ''do'' these heroines end up married to such sleazeballs (or in the case of ''Seventh Heaven's'' Joe Lakota an abusive shrew) anyway?
69	%%* ObviouslyEvil: Maggie's stepfather in ''Baby Love'', Rodney Wells in ''Sweet Nothings'', Peter Danning in ''Star Bright'', Bobby Lee Shuck in ''Only By Your Touch''.
70	* OneTrueLove: Parker Harrigan discusses this with Rainie, telling her that as far as Harrigan men are concerned, there's one woman for them and that's it.
71	%%* OurAngelsAreDifferent: The angels who give Gabriel Valance his second chance at life in ''Walking On Air''.
72	%%* PluckyGirl: It can't be said that these ladies don't at least ''try'' to keep going in spite of all the shit life's thrown at them. Especially Eden Paxton, Laura Townsend, and Samantha Harrigan.
73	* PoliceAreUseless: Jack Pine's law enforcement in ''Only By Your Touch'', big time. In Catherine's other books it often seems to be going this way at first when the heroines are unable or afraid to press charges due to their abusers being so powerful and influential, but they ultimately subvert it in the end.
74	%%* PreciousPuppies: The baby rottweilers in ''My Sunshine'', as well as Hapless the mutt. Rowdy in ''Only By Your Touch''.
75	* RaisedByDudes: Samantha Harrigan, due to her mother's DeathByChildbirth.
76	* RapeAsDrama: Way too much: Annie Trimble, Marilee Nelson, Moira O'Keefe, Caitlin O'Shannessy, and Maggie Stanley all suffer this. Eden Paxton only escapes this because the bandits want to sell her.
77	* RealMenWearPink: Tucker Coulter lives in a white cottage with a picket fence and elegant, feminine furnishings and if his brothers have a problem with it they can go fuck themselves. (Subverted in ''Sun Kissed'' when he realizes such dainty furnishings don't suit him as well as he thought, though).
78	%%* RedHerring: Jeb Pritchard and his boys in ''Summer Breeze''.
79	%%* RescueRomance: Anderson's bread and butter.
80	%%* SecondLove: Eden for Matthew, it's even discussed several times via narrative
81	* ShownTheirWork: Anderson goes to great lengths to get the details of things like veterinary medicine, horse training, and general horse care right.
82	* SlapSlapKiss: Ellie and Tucker in ''Always In My Heart''. Loni and Clint start out this way in ''Morning Light'', and Natalie's own parents have this going on in ''Bright Eyes''. But Brianna and David in ''Lucky Penny'' take the trophy for this one.
83	%%* SmugSnake: Rodney again.
84	* SurgeonsCanDoAutopsiesIfTheyWant: As an ob-gyn, Dr. Stevenson has no business [[spoiler:presiding over the care of a critically ill newborn]] -- that's an entirely different specialty.[[note]]To Anderson's credit, Stevenson openly acknowledges that Stormy's care is out of her remit ''and'' only goes for it because a storm delays the actual neonatologist on call.[[/note]] But having her do both not only cuts down on the number of characters important to the plot, it lets her kick some serious medical ass. ''Because'' she kicks so much ass, nobody cares.
85	* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Eden Paxton was trained how to handle herself by her brothers. However, due to the society she was living in, she wasn't allowed to carry her guns on her. As a result, she gets kidnapped and is overpowered in a fight against her captors.
86	* ThereAreNoTherapists: Averted. Mandy Pajeck in ''Here to Stay'' starts going to therapy to help her [[spoiler:get over her fear of marriage]]. It's really rather refreshing to see a ''romance novel'' admit that ThePowerOfLove can't cure everything, and sometimes professional help is the best answer. Also averted in ''Always In My Heart'', when the Grant family finally realize they need to deal with the loss of oldest son Sammy in a better way than they have.
87	%%* ThirdActMisunderstanding: Oh boy... Averted in ''Star Bright'' and ''Sun Kissed'', though, where the climax is something else.
88	%%* TimeTravelRomance: Quincy Harrigan and Ceara O’Ceallaigh.
89	%%* TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth: Ellie and Tucker's oldest son Sammy is implied to have been this in ''Always In My Heart''.
90	%%* TheVamp: Liz in ''Always In My Heart'', Belinda in ''My Sunshine''.
91	* TheVerse: Anderson's Kendrick/Coulter/Harrigan and "Mystic Creek" series are set in the same 'verse, as the protagonist of ''Silver Thaw'', the first Mystic Creek novel, knows (and contacts) a Harrigan to help him out of a tight spot.
92	* WeightWoe: Molly is constantly fretting about her figure and weight in ''Sweet Nothings''. It doesn't help that her ex-husband constantly compared her to a cow. To Anderson's credit, this is solved not by weight loss, but by Molly actually accepting her body.
93	* WifeBasherBasher: Matthew Coulter. Ever since the rape and murder of his wife, he will ''not'' stand by and let anything bad happen to a woman.
94	%%* WomanScorned: Isaiah's co-worker Belinda Baxter in ''My Sunshine'', Hazel Wright in ''Lucky Penny''.
95	* WoundedGazelleGambit: Belinda tries to have sex with an uninterested Isaiah, but when they get caught by another vet at the clinic she claims he was trying to rape her. Luckily for Isaiah it doesn't work.
96	%%* WrongGuyFirst: Played for drama with 90% of Anderson's heroines.

Context Creator / CatherineAnderson