Catherine Sheering has found the man of her dreams in rising political star Wes Bickhart. The problem is, Wes Bickhart has a past, in the form of Meredith Kelly, the woman he almost married and who remains an important part of his life. Catherine has her own reasons for questioning Wes’s continued friendship with Meredith: as a person on the autism spectrum, Catherine has misread signals before. And though she desperately loves him, part of her wonders if she should retreat to her quiet life rather than risk being hurt again.
After years of personal struggles of her own, Meredith Kelly thought her life was finally perfect, with a wonderful, adoring husband and a growing family. But when her dying father, a famously irascible journalist and political kingmaker, requests her help drafting his memoir, she is brought face to face with their difficult relationship and with their family’s haunted past. As his demands become more troubling, her life grows more chaotic—and the one person who can help her is her politically ambitious ex, Wes Bickhart.
Now both women are put to the test as they balance their seemingly idyllic lives with their mutual uncertainty about where Wes’s heart really lies.
Easily read as a standalone novel or as an extension of Amanda Gale’s Meredith series, Catherine and the Wind is a tale of human frailty and fear, of growth and redemption, of the bonds between women—and of the sacrifices we make for the people we love most.
Paperback Edition: 437 Pages
Expected publication: January 10th 2018 by Brenda & Cobena Books
Genre: Women’s Fiction
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My Rating 5/5 Stars
I’ve been anticipating the release of a Meredith Series sequel for a while and I must say, Author Amanda Gale has outdone herself with Catherine and the Wind. It was wonderful to be reacquainted with beloved characters and follow along on Catherine’s emotional journey like I did with Meredith’s. What I really enjoyed was how Catherine and Meredith’s lives intertwined, Wes Bickhart the link connecting them.
Catherine, like Meredith, is a rich and colorful character. She’s neurodiverse, on the autism spectrum, with personality and behavior traits that I found incredibly intriguing. She struggles in social situations, often fluttering her eyelashes when she’s nervous, and she sometimes misreads signals, causing her to doubt her best judgement. Her Asperger’s made her all the more charming. I loved how she compared colors to her emotions. Her vintage dresses and old fashioned ideals were quirky and fun. I enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes.
This story is broken in three parts. Part one features Catherine’s pov, part two features Meredith’s, and part three is told between them both. I loved how this was organized and was pleased with the way it wrapped up.
While Catherine and the Wind tackles heavy issues, it also uplifts, inspires, and is even sometimes humorous (like when Meredith’s needy father calls at the most inopportune moment possible). Despite this novel being lengthy, I breezed through it. There was literally never a dull moment. From several major life events between the families of both women, losses, and even reunions, Catherine and the Wind isn’t short on anything.
“She knew he loved her. But did he love another woman more? Was he settling for her because his first choice was out of reach, telling himself he was happy but wishing she were somebody else?”
Highly recommended to fans of Amanda Gale’s Meredith series, but can absolutely be enjoyed as a standalone.
Amanda Gale taught high school English before she began writing romance and women’s fiction. She is a lover of history and an incurable night owl. She lives outside Philadelphia, where she enjoys taking her three young boys to the art museum and hiking on the Wissahickon trail.
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