LynneC’s review of Sunset Seduction by Charlene Sands
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Desire 4 Jun 13
Just what I needed—a pleasant, well-written romance between two people I could understand and like, but who aren’t perfect. This book isn’t going to set the world on fire, but it’s well worth picking up.
Sunset Seduction concerns the owner of the Sunset Ranch, Lucas Slade, and his childhood friend, Audrey Faith Thomas. Audrey has loved Lucas for going on ten years, and the night he invites her into his, or rather her, bed, she can’t resist taking him up on his offer. But when she shows up at his ranch a short time later, it becomes obvious that Lucas doesn’t remember their night of passion.
Sounds like an amnesia story? I wondered about the initial setup, but by the end of the first chapter, Sands had sold it to me. For a start, Lucas has been dinged up. He’s got a concussion and a broken arm from dealing with a temperamental horse on his ranch. Second, he does remember the night, but he doesn’t recognise the woman as Audrey. While this sounds unlikely, it turns out to be just this side of believable. Audrey leaves before he wakes up, and he recalls seeing a blonde woman earlier that evening who he quite fancies. Plus, Audrey wasn’t supposed to be there, so he wasn’t expecting her.
The story progresses at a reasonable pace, and revelations come as and when they should. The story is punctuated by their greater understanding of each other and themselves. Mainly Luke’s. His big self-revelation near the end is good, and believable too, although his sudden epiphany is slightly hard to swallow.
Audrey gets a job at Luke’s ranch as a wrangler. She’s gone to veterinarian school, so it’s highly probable that she’d get a job like that, particularly since at first Lucas thinks that’s why she’s come, and he’s lifelong friends with her brother. She has to deal with the recalcitrant horse that hurt Lucas at the start of the story, trying to accustom him to humans and quiet him down. Sounds like a job someone I know has, only her job is to accustom kittens to humans (that’s right, she has a job petting kittens!) But complications arise, and it proves more difficult as time goes by.
I like that Audrey has a sense of self-dignity and self-worth, so although she loves Lucas, she knows she’s worth more than the occasional pity fuck or even a friendship marriage. She knows she can handle a life without him, if need be, and she doesn’t kowtow and do everything he wants. Conversely, Luke wouldn’t ask her. He’s a decent man. Although he’s had his share of occasional affairs, he’s not a man-slut or anywhere near it. I like both characters and that goes a long way towards my enjoyment of the story.
Then there’s Texas. Oh yes, this English girl is totally in love with Texas. Having the good fortune to have two wonderful friends who live there, Kathryn Falk and Desiree Holt, and now even more friends, thanks to them and spending time there, I can say that Texas is one place I’d love to spend more time in. Mind you, I am seeing it at its best, with good company and beautiful surroundings. Still, this story reminds me of the place that it is and how much I have to learn about it. A place where men wear Resistols as a matter of course, not because it’s dressing up, and they talk funny. Plus the welcome is like nowhere else. I love the juxtaposition of culture and country values, and that’s in evidence here as well.
Texas, the horse, and Audrey’s cat are all secondary characters in this book, without overwhelming the leads. I really enjoyed it, and if you, like me, love Texas and the people who live there, you can do a lot worse than spending a few hours with this book.
Grade: B
Summary:
The night she’ll never forget…is a night he can’t rememberAudrey Thomas can’t forget the night of passion she shared with Lucas Slade, the man she’s loved for years. But it seems the sexy, superrich rancher has no clue who warmed his bed!
The mystery seductress at his Lake Tahoe retreat was Audrey? His best friend’s off-limits kid sister? Now she’s back at Sunset Ranch…and having his baby! Honor bound to do the right thing, Lucas never reckons she’ll say I won’t to his proposal—or that she’ll settle for nothing less than all this cowboy has to give.
Read an excerpt.
