Customer Reviews

Sunset Bay

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Susan Mallery's latest book, Sunset Bay, left a lot to be desired. If the ending hadn't been so HEA I wouldn't even say it was a romance. The beginning starts out in a flashback where we meet Megan, Travis, Leanne, the parents, and Allegra.

I felt very disconnected from Travis (being a "white knight" doesn't automatically account for believability, especially as he's 29...grow up), and while Megan had emotional overload going on, I just couldn't see the love. Her constant perfect life overload got old fast. Allegra wasn't really needed for the story acting more of a sidekick that could justify someone pleading with Megan to give a relationship with Leanne a shot than a lifelong best friend. The parents are nightmares wallowing in selfishness and completely one dimensional.

The one character I actually liked was Leanne, the snotty beloved brat from the flashback. But at present day, she's a struggling actress making poor decisions, who suddenly is sympathetic. Leanne's first scene as an adult was awful, and IMO didn't justify anything other than a pathetic rant to her future love interest. And Leanne's "romance" with was unbelievable, rushed and ridiculous. Adding to the confusion is that in the 10 year flashback Leanne is 13, but in the present an adult at 25. WTH?

After the great Marcelli trilogy (I don't count Marcelli Princess as that was a huge pile of crap) to this...what a come down. I've loved Mallery's stories since the mid 90's, and in these last few years the quality has drastically nosedived. This was more a depressing chick lit that a romance. Instead of buying this book, go out and find a copy of Prince Charming, MD which is very similar to this book (without all the drama) but better.

"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.

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

I picked this book up late one night, and was surprised that I didn't put it down until completed. Not that it was a perfect story, but I did find that at the end of each chapter I needed to continue just to see what happened next.
Although it did seem to me that the ending was rushed, after spending so much time setting up the story, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick,fun read.

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 have been one of Susan's fans for a while and will continue to do so. This is a good read but not one of her best. Abusive behavior in many forms appear in this book explaining much.The main charcters are likeable and you want to rout for them all the way. You want to shake some sense into the ex fiance,(who just will not listen) and at times both mothers. I also felt the book ended abruptly. An enjoyable read for a rainy afternoon.

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 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 <G> 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!

This book was a very fast read and a cute story. I discovered Susan Mallery a little over a year ago and since then she has quickly become one of my favorite writers. This story while still fun and romantic just wasn't quite what I have come to expect from her. This book would be a great beach read for a lazy summer day.

Sunset Bay is a thorougly enjoyable and beautifully written novel. I loved it! Mallery has once again skillfully balanced an absorbing romance with heartfelt emotion, vibrant characters, and her own personal brand of dry, witty humor. This is the kind of book one struggles against putting down because each page is as riveting as the last and it's so difficult to stop reading! Don't miss it.