Sunset Bay

In her first foray into women's fiction, Susan Mallery proves that she's got the writing skills to give us great stories no matter the genre. Already a skillful romance writer, Mallery's women's fiction novel explores a dysfunctional family with warmth and humor and still delivers the all important HEA. It doesn't get better than this.

I loved this book from the first word to the last. Travis is truly a hero to fall in love with. The relationships are real and wrought with emotion. I really liked that family problems weren't sugarcoated, everyone didn't just miraculously reform. Megan faced real issues and some got solved and some didn't. That's life. I felt immersed in the story, surrounded by characters that were heart-achingly real. Sunset Bay was a wonderful read. I hope the author will revisit these characters in the future.

"What if you got another chance at the life that got away?" I can personally attest that Sunset Bay by New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery is a book for all women of all ages. It's also Susan's debut into women's fiction and I hope she continues on this path. I can only say I was personally blown away and cried my heart out! While reading this incredible story I was forced to take a personal look at myself and ask the question some of us are afraid to ask concerning my dreams. Have I accomplished them or some where along the way, were they lost? We all make personal choices for love, for family and for friends and sometimes along the way we loose a part of ourselves. Books like this exceptional story remind us, give us a wake up call and hopefully we can learn from stories like this and grow because of them. The character Megan Greene in Sunset Bay was difficult for me to read because of the family dynamics......her spoiled sister, her doting father and her very selfish and verbally abusive mother. As usual, Susan Mallery interjects humour into her storyline but makes this so believable you want to stand up and yell at them all while laughing and crying at the same time. But it was Megan's courage I adored and in the end the decisions she made on a personal level. Megan's first love was Travis, the high school bad boy who also came from a physically abusive family. Travis is so passionate and honourable and for me sort of a knight in shining armour. He is also dark and edgy and at times afraid of his feelings for Megan. Their history is well let's say sweet and yet in the end very emotional; it's a love story about second chances. All of the characters in Sunset Bay are unique, from Megan's immediate family, to her special friends, Travis, and her cheating doctor fiancé. When a secret is revealed which eventually rips her family apart you will certainly be shocked. If you believe in dreams coming true and second chances then I encourage you to read Mallery's Sunset Bay because I sincerely believe this book will win many awards, it's that special.

What a wonderful story! Megan and Travis make it so! Ms Mallery has done it again! Megan & Travis's story made me cry and laugh while reading. Megan's parents are hard to live with, her mother is beautiful and doesn't want anyone to forget it and has decided that Leanne, Megan's younger sister is her spitting image and Megan is so NOT beautiful--she pits the girls against each other. Megan's father is her crutch through dealing with her mother of course he has ignored Leanne while doing this. What lousy parents! As a teenager Travis pays attention to Megan but he has big problems too. His parents are a pair of incompetent parents too! Travis ends up in jail and doesn't contact Megan. After 18 months and Megan's high school graduation she runs into Travis at a beach party--he doesn't want anything to do with her as he feels he doesn't have anything to offer her. He can't resist though and they date again but being 21 and 19 changes the tables so they go to Las Vegas for their adult weekend she even has fake ID. They have a wonderful time and just know they are in love! Upon returning home Megan's father confronts them with his knowing they have been together for the weekend and makes Megan choose between her family or Travis. They are young and neither understands how the other thinks. They both have dreams of a life with jobs they want and each other too. Well here it is 10 years later and she's in Las Vegas w/friends instead of getting married that day. The fiancee has done something unspeakable and she broke it off within a couple of weeks of the wedding and Travis is in Las Vegas on his way home after all those years of living in Texas--they run into each other and have a good reunion. Back in L.A. they get together and try to work things out again, even though he still feels as though she's too good for him and they haven't really lived the lives of their dreams--can they go for it?? They both want their dreams but........what a great book! I love it!

When Megan Greene was younger, all she wanted to be was a designer. Able to design and sew garments worthy of runways, Megan's dreams slowly faded over time. Now she is an accountant with a fiancé and a great relationship with her father. Her sister and mother don't cross her mind very much; their relationship with Megan was strained years ago. Megan was never pretty enough for her mother and while her sister never rubbed her nose in the fact that Megan was not loved as much as she, their sisterly bond was strained almost beyond help. When Megan's safe, ie, boring, life unexpectedly falls apart, she returns to her hometown to confront the past. And her past includes Travis, the boyfriend she was never fully able to stop caring about. Megan and Travis deserve their happy ever after. Despite the fact that years separated them, they still loved each other. Despite the face that seemingly every single person was against their love, they found the time to learn to trust again. Turmoil, gut wrenching heart ache, blatant lies - all of these made each character that much stronger. Throw in humor and sensual love scenes and I was in reader heaven. Susan Mallery delivers with Sunset Bay. I laughed and got tearful. I smiled and got angry. I loved every single word of this enigmatic and skillfully written romance! Talia Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed