Cover Image: My Way To You

My Way To You

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Member Reviews

ARC received via Netgalley/Montlake for an honest review

I have been reading Catherine Bybee books for many years now, and I can remember a few years back, her stories/posts on social media about the fires and then the rains that hit her property.

This is also a reminder to me of what so many are going through here in Australia at the moment.

As I was reading My Way To You, I was remembering some of those stories. I remember thinking at the time everything was happening to her, how strong Ms Bybee was.

That strength carried through to Parker in this story. Sometimes she came across as a woman twice her age. Sometimes it felt a little OTT, then again the situation was OTT.

I adore Colin right from the get go. He could have been a pompous ar$e and treat Parker like she knows nothing, but he doesn't.

The relationship between Parker and Colin is sweet and tender and... easy. No stupid arguments, no miscommunications, it just... was.

This is book one in the series, and I look forward to seeing where it takes us next.

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Sometimes you read a book that reminds you how good people are. It allows you to believe in love and hope and kindness. It seems Catherine Bybee knows how to write those books. Her newest book My Way To You is one such book. While the book highlights the difficulties in Southern California with both the wildfires and then the mudslides and floods, the focus is on Parker Sinclair and Colin Hudson.

Parker Sinclair’s parents died suddenly and she is left with raising her siblings and trying to keep things together. She is struggling, but holding her own, until the fires came and then the knowledge that the rains would soon come. Parker had some understanding of what would happen next and was concerned.

Colin Hudson was the supervisor in charge of making some safety changes - huge changes to the drainage system in the valley. They need to stage from Parker’s land and have been challenged to make things safer for the area. Colin works with Parker to help things move forward, but finds himself being drawn to her more and more.

I enjoy strong female characters and enjoyed Parker, even when she was being ‘too’ independent. I loved Colin’s patience and attention. The Hudson family was awesome as well. I liked how the weather was another character, just unreliable. I leave Catherine Bybee’s books feeling better about the world. I love the feelings she manages to put into each book. My Way to You by Catherine Bybee was an awesome read.

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Catherine Bybee is, for me, consistently an author that I can't wait for her next book to come out. This book, the first in her new series (Yay!) reiterates just why I feel that way.

We are introduced to the Sinclair family in My Way to You. Parker Sinclair, the oldest of the 3 children, has been holding her family together after her parents died unexpectedly. She has been taking care of the family home and the land it sits on, all while trying to keep her younger sister, Mallory, and brother, Austin, on the straight and narrow and holding down a job. Each of these alone is can be a full time job but she seems to manage all three in a day's time. A raging wildfire threatens to destroy all in it's path, including their home, and Parker and her family find themselves fleeing to safety and not knowing what will be left for them when they return. By some miracle their home was spared but the destruction from the wildfire brings a new set of worries for her.

Colin Hudson, a supervisor for the LA County Public Works Department, has his work cut out for him trying to deal with the aftermath of the fire. He knows what will come next...mudslides. His job is to try to control the amount of damage that will bring. Unfortunately for the Sinclair Family, this means he needs access to their property.

What follows next is a story that weaves both fact and fiction together. Catherine was able to highlight the details from her experience with a devastating wildfire and embed them into this story of perseverance, romance, and family. We are also introduced to the other characters that will carry this series, hopefully for several books to come.

It's another "must read" if you ask me!

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This was a powerful and emotional story. I FELT everything Parker was going through. And as a long-time follower of Catherine Bybee, she had to deal with a fire surrounding her home and major flooding afterwards. I saw her videos she posted during this time, so she poured her story into Parker's. (If you haven't seen her videos, search her facebook page) Like Catherine, Parker is a strong, independent woman and does whatever needs to be done because she can't wait on anyone else. She's had a rough hand in life and she's making the best of things. I adored her and admired her strength. Because of the potential flooding, Parker meets Colin and neither one was looking for anyone. I enjoyed watching their relationship develop and felt the pull between them. But Parker has A LOT going on! This was a great love story. I couldn't pull myself away from their world and was sad when it was over. Looking forward to the next book in the series!

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Parker is the oldest sibling and when her parents are killed in an auto accident it is up to her to keep their family together. She drops out of college to raise her younger brother and sister and is struggling to keep their finances afloat when they and their neighborhood are facing a wildfire. They manage to safe their home but when winter comes with a threat of mudslides, it's more than she can handle. When Colin arrives to evaluate the best way to save their neighborhood from the possible mudslides they work together to save her home and their neighborhood. This is a awe inspiring story. I could definitely tell that the author had some experience with wildfires and mudslides. This was well told and I was anxious for Parker and her family as they worked tirelessly to save their home. But it's not all about wildfires and mudslides...When Collin crushes on Parker you'll pull for much more than the family home.

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**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher**

I have been excited by this new series from Catherine Bybee since I heard about it and it was definitely worth the wait! Bybee is one of my go-to authors and this is a powerful start to the Creek Canyon series!

Parker Sinclair is doing her best to hold it all together. She's been raising her brother and sister since the untimely death of their parents and managing the family home and land. When a wildfire sweeps through the land causing major damage and in turn increasing the possibility of destruction from mudslides and floods, things get a whole lot worse before there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Colin Hudson is the guy every girl dreams of. He was raised to treat a woman right, he's hard working and he's always the first to offer assistance. As a public works supervisor, he's assigned to the project at Parker's house and he and his crew are tasked with doing what they can to save her property and that of her neighbors.

While supervising the project, Colin and Parker are in one another's orbits and it's clear pretty quickly that feelings are forming on both sides. While Parker may be a self-proclaimed "hot mess", Colin is all about it and loves that about her. Will the stress of the situation pull these two apart or have them growing closer?

I did not want to put this book down once I started. I needed to know what happened to everyone involved. Not only were Colin and Parker strong and wonderful characters, the supporting characters were fantastic as well. I'm certain that the rest of the books in this series are going to be as awesome as this one was!

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My Way To You was a very emotional read, I was unware that this story hit so close to the writers home. The main character, Parker faced loss of family and was scared to also lose the family home, due to the wild fires and other property on the family land. Parker had to grow up very fast at an early age to take on the Mother role to her siblings. Parker was a very strong female. This book was a very enjoyable read, intense, humor, love. Parker found love and the strength of a very caring man and thrived; also her siblings grew and strived as well.

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My Way to You is the first book in the new Creek Canyon series. This is a contemporary romance and it's my first book by this author.

I really enjoyed this book. But truthfully it was not what I was expecting. This book was so much more emotional than I was anticipating. I love books that make me smile and cry in the same story. And this one did!

The story takes place in 2016 in Creek Canyon, California (Southern California).

This book has both a male and female POV. The female is Parker (24). The male narrator is Colin (33). She works at the local elementary school. He works for the LA County Public Works Department.

Both are 3rd person POVs. However they are written so well that you almost don't even notice. Very often I cannot connect to characters when they are written in the third person. But I did not have that problem at all in this book.

The book starts out with a prologue set two years before the rest of the book. It was emotional and moving and it really sets the tone for the rest of the story.

The first chapters also deal with some scary stuff. I love books that make me feel. But I was definitely caught off guard (in a good way) by how much was happening in the first chapters.

The beginning of this book was very strong. I was definitely invested in these characters. The romance was a very slow burn. I liked this story a lot.

Much of the book is focused on the house and the weather. These things were super interesting. But I think that I would have liked a bit more to happen.

The romance was very strong. I was expecting the book to be super sexy (which it wasn't). But I wish that the words used in the sex scenes had been less graphic. The romance was so sweet. The story was charming. To me these scenes (only 2 or 3) did not go with the tone of the rest of the book.

I really liked some of the supporting characters. I adored Colin's mom (I loved her so much). I also really liked Erin (who became a friend to Parker) and could not wait to find out more about her secrets.

The story was sweet, but also serious. I really liked both narrators so much. And I cannot wait to get Erin's story in book two. I was also very interested to see how much of what happened is based on true events in the author's life.

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OHMIGOSH. I loved this book! I'm a fan of Catherine Bybee. This book was emotional and at times intense. I didn't realize prior to reading that this was her "story" and that she had, in fact, lived through the fires and flooding as told in this story. I'm anxiously awaiting book 2! I would give this one higher than 5 stars if I could!

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Of all the books Catherine Bybee has written, My Way to You is the most real on so many levels and my absolute favorite. I loved this book because it not only has romance but it addresses real life struggles, not the least of which is going forward after great loss. It also does an excellent job of bringing to life the terrors, uncertainties and worries that come with a massive wildfire and its aftermath. The description of the fire as it approaches is absolutely perfect. 

The main character, Parker Sinclair, goes from an unfocused 24 year old college senior to an adult with the words, “There’s been an accident.” The book picks up two years later with Parker the legal guardian of her two siblings, Mallory, 20, and Austin, 17, which forces her to put her own life aside to deal with the very real issues that are part of being a caregiver and head-of-household. Life again turns on a dime when the wildfire sweeps through their area, causing much damage to their property and surrounding areas. I won’t give too much away except to say that Parker, who has already had to deal with so much, is forced to deal with even more, including the very real threat of flooding. Parker’s strength and ability to continue putting one foot in front of the other in the face of great stress and adversity makes her an admirable main character. 

Colin Hudson is the head supervisor with the LA County Works Department which will be responsible to mitigate the threat of flood damage in the area. Since the department needs the use of Parker’s property, Colin goes out to survey conditions and meet the property owner. Colin is immediately impressed by Parker. She notices that he is TDH—tall, dark and handsome. This is the book’s setup. 

Besides the two very likable main characters, there are several secondary characters that I enjoyed, including Austin whose teenage snark was dead-on. I also loved Colin’s mother, who helps Parker not only with financial planning but, more importantly, teaching her that it is okay to accept help and support from others. 

This book is a five star read and well worth seeking out. It is the first in what will be a trilogy and I look forward to reading the next two books as they become available. 

I was given a free copy of this book by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions stated are solely my own.

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My Way To You is the spectacular beginning of a new book series by Catherine Bybee, Creek Canyon, Book 1. My Way To You is a women’s fiction novel about college age, Parker Sinclair. A devastating wildfire wreaks ruin upon her family’s land. And the passing of their parents, has left Parker to take on the responsibility of raising her younger siblings.

My Way To You is a fascinating novel highlighting the inner strength of a young woman who leaves college in order to raise her younger siblings and manage her parents’ property. This is also the captivating story of a young woman’s inner strength, in the face of seemingly unsurmountable obstacles, to accomplish more than she ever dreamed. To paraphrase from the publisher’s description: “The last thing Parker needs is a mudslide destroying everything she has worked so hard to maintain.”

Parker has her work set out for her. As the reader, we are gripped by Parker’s admirable determination to succeed. But soon we are dismayed Parker’s obstinacy might be her undoing, as she is steadfast in her ways. Colin Hudson, the public works supervisor, tries diligently to lend a hand to Parker. Yet, she is distrustful and doesn’t make it easy for Parker to help her.

My Way To You is an absorbing story of a young woman’s determination to succeed. However, the story of Parker also brings something important to the forefront. There are times when accepting help from others, may be the wrong thing to do. However, sometimes it is the only right thing to do. And knowing the difference is essential, if not crucial.

I highly recommend My Way to You as a fabulous women’s fiction novel. I am greatly looking forward to the next book in this series.

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This is a deeply personal gut wrenching story. Having had personally known families who have survived through the ca wildfires, the backdrop to the story is scary, heartbreaking and very real. The love that comes from this tragedy is inspiring. This isn’t just a love story of one couple. It’s a love story of a families. Of hope. Of becoming one another’s own hero’s. Kudos to you Catherine for writing this- and letting ppl like me who has seen this from afar on the tv news, the ability to experience it through your eyes.

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Parker Sinclaire’s life has not been easy the last few years. After her parents untimely death, at twenty one, she had to quit college and help raise her young brother and sister. Holding on to a crappy job, as a teacher’s assistant, Parker is barely making ends meet at the family home. Living in the mountains of California, fires and mudslides, are a yearly occurrence. Parker is so tired fighting Mother Nature after a fire nearly destroys their home, that she dreams of the day when her siblings are on their own and she can sell their property. With winter approaching and a forecast of rain, that can only mean mudslides.

Colin Hudson is determined to build a damm and a funnel in the mountains to protect the homes below from future mudslides. Now he needs permission from the owner to have access to the property in order to get this done. What he wasn’t expecting is the beautiful and young home owner that greeted him. One she agreed, Colin looked forward to seeing her daily as he organized the project. The one thing he can honestly say about Parker, of course she’s beautiful, but extremely stubborn and always refusing help. Instead trying to do everything on her own. He’s rapidly falling for her, but can he get thru her armor, so they can have a future together.

Loved this book. The constant battle that California goes thru yearly is detailed in this book, that is written magnificently. Great reading!

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This is a Netgalley ARC review. All opinions are solely my own.

My Way to You by Catherine Bybee just set my world on fire (pun intended.) This is the first book of her new series, Creek Canyon. This book made me fall in love with the Sinclair family. Parker Sinclair has to do things we all hope we would be strong enough as a sibling to do. This book will make you feel all the feelings. It is sweet and hot, happy and sad, and funny and heart-warming.

Catherine Bybee knows how to write strong female characters. She writes men who want to be good men for strong women. They are all perfectly imperfect. She sets the stage for at least two more strong women to get follow-up books in this series.

I really loved this book because of the slow build-up between the main characters. She knows that not all relationships just fall into bed immediately. I really appreciate this approach. Parker speaking about Colin, "he executed a good-night kiss as if her were born to it." That's the kind of romance I want in my real life.

I love that Catherine Bybee added a very personal note at the end of the book. It makes everything in her book that much more intense.

I CANNOT wait to read the rest of this series.

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This book had a very different “feel” to it than Catherine Bybee’s other books. I loved Parker and Colin and the other characters (who hopefully will get their own books). I enjoyed the story but I had a hard time visualizing quite a bit of it since (fires, flooding, mudslides). I felt like the author must have had some first hand experience dealing with these issues and after reading the “notes from the author” I was correct.

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4 Stormy Stars!

Parker was 24 when her parents were killed and she was left to raise her younger sister and brother. Two years later they are living in the family home when a wildfire burns all around their house. The only reason their house didn’t burn was all the preparations that Parker took. But winter is coming soon and the winters in California mean rain ... and that spells disaster for the valley they live in. Colin is the new supervisor for the Public Works Department and is assigned the task of damage control, so that when the floods invaded the valley they would do minimal damage. Neither Parker or Colin expected the air to charge between them. All Colin wanted to do was protect Parker, but she was so used to doing everything herself that she had a hard time letting Colin in.

I felt like I was right there with Parker and Colin fighting to save her home from the rain, mud, boulders and flash floods. Even though there was some romance and steam in this book, it took second seat to the drama of the natural disasters. The characters were well thought out and hopefully they’ll all get their own story. Next up is Erin and Matt’s story and I can’t wait.

I received an early copy courtesy of Montlake Romance through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

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My Way to You is a wonderful new series from Catherine Bybee. The book starts out with a family going through a terrible tragedy followed by some huge obstacles to endure and overcome. They make it through stronger and happy. I’ve never considered what a family goes through after wildfires and mudslides but I now have a very good understanding and totally feel for them.

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Absolutely riveting depiction of the devastation endured by first wild fire and then extreme floods. There is also a well crafted human story filled with both love and heartache. I could not put this book down until I got near the end, then I paused for a bit not wanting it to end.
Knowing this is a work of fiction based on real life events the author endured make this an amazing story. Read it, well worth your time.

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Fabulous start to this new series! Parker has been taking care of her siblings and their house since her parents tragically died in an accident. Wildfires ravaged the area, but spared their home. Faced with the potential of mudslides if rain comes, the county comes in to help prevent that. Enter Colin - immediately fascinated with the feisty homeowner.

Knowing the fire and mud aspect of this story is based on Bybee’s real life experiences gives me a great amount of respect for both her and the power of Mother Nature. The romance was great as always and I loved the family aspect - Parker’s relationship with her siblings, Colin’s closeness with his family and how the two weave together. The book read for me like a favorite Nora Roberts saga - a sweeping and epic saga that sucks you in! The biggest and best difference being we will get to see more of these characters as the series continues. Fingers crossed Erin and Matt are next!

Thanks to both the publisher for a review copy from NetGalley and the author for a signed copy I won through a contest. I’m a lucky girl!

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What a great new series!! I enjoyed reading this book so much and hated to put it down each night just to sleep. The relationship between Parker and Colin was fantastic! I loved Parker! For such a young age, she was such a spitfire!! Totally independent and didn’t need any help from anyone. Then along comes Colin who wants to help her and do it all but finds out quickly she can handle things herself, especially when she walks out with a shotgun over her shoulder and tells his men exactly how things are going to be. Not only was the romance so great but I thoroughly enjoyed what the story was about. Being a “northern from Ohio”, you read all about the fires and mudslides in California but you have no idea what is really going on or who all is involved in cleaning up the messes. To me, this was a real eye-opener. The destruction these things do to people’s properties is unbelievable. Reading your “Note from the Author” broke my heart to know that you went through this. I am so glad you survived this horrible ordeal. And the “Acknowledgments” of all the people who came together to help out in this disaster was amazing and they deserve a big “thank you”. I not only loved Parker and Colin but I also enjoyed reading about Colin’s and Parker’s families and how the bond between all of them grew. I can’t wait for the next book in this series so I can read about Matt and Erin. Thank you Catherine Bybee for such a great book!!

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