Shadows At Sunset

If there's one thing I like, it's to be surprised at how good a novel is. This was my second Anne Stuart book and I was not disappointed. Besides being intrigued by the story, I was amazed at the sex scenes. Good gosh! I haven't read sex scenes that good since Donna Boyd. And even better, the characters weren't shacking up at every possible opportunity. In reading this book, you find yourself really getting to know the characters. Rachel-Ann's story, in particular, has a very ethereal, haunting quality. This was a great book!

Anne Stuart never fails to deliver anything less than pure satisfaction in her books. She's been one of my favorite authors for years and I always wait eagerly for her next book to be released. SHADOWS AND SUNSET was fabulous! I read it on the beach in nearly one sitting. I love her moody-broody heroes who never turn out to be quite as wicked as they think they are. The underlying theme of her books is always redemption and nobody does it better. At the end of this book, you truly believed that Jilly and Coltrane could create a happy and passionate life together. SHADOWS drips with delicious atmosphere and the secondary love story is just as compelling as the primary one.

Picture a crumbling mansion that was once the home of a movie star who killed herself then her lover whose spirits now roam the mansion. Take three people: one strong sister who protects the home and family, one brother who is dealing with sexual issues while craving his father's approval, and the sister that fights alcohol, drug, and sex addition who is too weak to protect herself. Into this mixture, add one rich and powerful father who doesn't give a damn about anything except money and his right hand man who oozes evil and sex appeal if you can believe that combination. When you put all this together, you have Shadows at Sunset by Anne Stuart. This book fascinated me. Ms. Stuart did a wonderful job creating characters that you either hate or love. Jilly is the strong sister who will do anything to protect her brother and sister; yet enables them to stay weak without realizing what she is doing. Coltrane is the right hand man who protects the father. He is one sexy dude. Coltrane is the essential bad boy who oozes sex appeal and evil. He is determined to destroy Jilly's father no matter who he hurts in the process. After all, a man without a soul can do anything. What Coltrane doesn't plan on is the sexual attraction he develops for Jilly after he connives a way to move into the mansion. The big question is whether revenge is all he needs to make his life complete.I wasn't sure what to expect when I bought Shadows at Sunset. What I got was a fascinating book with wonderful complex characters. Coltrane is that one bad boy that every woman wants to change but knows she'll get burnt if she tries. This book definitely goes on my keeper shelf and will be read over and over!

This latest Stuart suspense is less dark than some of her others, but fans will not be disappointed since she creates Jackson Meyer, a character who manages to make Mommie Dearest look wholesome. You won't get predictable characters or a tired plot from this author.Jilly Meyer, self-proclaimed co-dependent, is the mother hen who fusses over her two dysfunctional siblings, Dean and Rachel-Ann. But where was the chance for normalcy in a family whose father Jackson Meyer, corporate king-pin, is an evil, conniving, amoral snake? Paternal devotion means something very twisted to Jackson. The three siblings live together in the decrepit Hollywood mansion that has become their emotional refuge. Called La Casa de Sombras, the House of Shadows, the rotting mansion hides not only the family's secrets but also the identity of at least one murderer. Jackson lays siege to the mansion with the help of his henchman Coltrane. But why? Does he mean to possess the house or its inhabitants? Inevitably, Coltrane and Jilly meet to do battle for the house and for so much more. Can she save herself and her sister from Coltrane who pursues them both? Jilly becomes more vulnerable to the handsome Coltrane even as she watches his growing interest in her sister. Will Jilly eventually fall prey to Coltrane or will she save him from the destructive path he has chosen? You'll enjoy the twists and turns, as well as the revelations that occur. And watching all these events enfold are the mansion's ghosts. Whose destruction do they plan?After you finish this book, try Stuart's other romantic suspense novels: NIGHTFALL, MOONRISE, RITUAL SINS, and SHADOW LOVER.

Enthralling is one of the adjectives Publishers' Weekly (Fall 2000) uses to describe this romantic suspense. And yes, it is that, and more....LaCasa de Sombras (House of Shadows) in Los Angelos, is the only real home Jilly Meyer has ever known. She lives there with her adopted sister Rachel-Ann, and her younger brother, Dean. She is compelled to protect both the house and her siblings from their villianous father, Jackson Meyer. Coltrane is Jackson's lawyer, the keeper of Jackson's secrets, and a man with an agenda. As he contrives to move into the House of Shadows, he contrives to seduce Jilly. Enigmatic and handsome, a man with a revenge-laden plan, he will be suprised himself, by secrets within the old mansion.Besides the Meyer siblings and Coltrane, the house is inhabited by a pair of ghosts, Brenda and Ted, actress and director, victims of a murder-suicide pact, years ago.But, the focus of the novel is Jilly and Coltrane. Jilly is strong but needy, Coltrane is harsh but giving. Their love scenes graduate from warm, to sexy, to hot. Add to their story, a secondary romance for Rachel-Ann, that may bring tears to your eyes. And, the otherworldly romance between Ted and Brenda, adds a touch of laughter (and maybe a few tears, too).Secrets and truths, love and hate, revenge and redemption, collide in this fast-paced novel. As I finished it, I couldn't forget about Coltrane and Jilly and Rachel-Ann...So, I picked the book up, and read it again. Something I've never done before.