Safely tucked away on my keeper shelf are two books that, to this day, remain my all time favorite western romances. One is my guilty little pleasure- A heart So Wild by Johanna Lindsey- and the other is Another Dawn by Sandra Brown.A sequel to Sunset Embrace featuring Ross & Lydia Coleman, Another Dawn picks up the tale, years later, with the marriage of their only daughter.Everyone has come to the Coleman ranch for the marriage of Banner Coleman to local boy Grady Sheldon. Including Jake Langston, the much beloved friend of all the Coleman's. Jake, "Bubba" to Ross and Lydia, keeps his distance from the family because he shares a history with them that no one wants to talk about- much less Jake himself (Sunset Embrace). But he finds himself intricately intertwined with them once more when Banner's fiance's infidelities come to light- at the altar!To salve her wounded pride, Banner decides she won't be cheated of her wedding night, so she goes to the one man as lonely as she- Jake Langston. When she approaches him he thinks she's crazy but he can't help but notice the woman she's become seemingly overnight. In the end, he takes what she's offering and it changes their relationship forever.Imagine their surprise when, the very next day, Ross offers Jake a job as foreman on the ranch he's is giving to Banner. When his signing on becomes the caveat to owning the ranch, she reluctantly agrees because- more than anything- she wants to get on with her life.Their time together on the ranch crackles with sexual tension as neither of them can forget that passion filled night, though Jake tries to with all his might. When Jake almost loses her one stormy night, he decides he's tired of fighting what his heart's known all along- they were meant to be together.Another Dawn has so much going for it that I don't know where to begin. Sexy, tortured hero, feisty intelligent heroine and all kinds of heart wrenching situations that keep you on the edge your seat. Full of longing and heated glances, this is romance that goes straight for the gut. Even as I reread it recently, I felt like I was taken on a journey, though I knew exactly where they were going.Be warned: The ending will break your heart- even as it breaks the biggest rule in romance. But that's what makes this novel a cut above the rest. (It certainly would have been less moving without it!)This is the kind of book that made me fall in love with reading and I still can't recommend Another Dawn any more highly then I always have.5 out of 5.(If you can, read Sunset Embrace first- but it's perfectly fine as a stand alone!)
There were both positives and negatives about this book that struck me rather forcefully. Let's start with the positives.There is absolutely no denying that Sandra Brown is a top-notch word-smith. Her characterisations were flawless, even the minor characters felt very, very real. The plot was well-thought-out, with each revelation being left open to the light at just the right moment to keep the plot-line moving nicely. The settings were well-portrayed but not over-detailed.So, the negatives..... Let's start with the characters. For a start, I found it extremely difficult to take a woman named Banner seriously. (My apologies to any who are actually named this.) Also, I could NOT get over the age-gap between her and Jake. I may be a prude; but I consider an EIGHTEEN YEAR age gap a little too much. Here I shall make no apologies. If you are the sort of person who believes that age is just a number then I shall respond with the fact that so is the number of years that paedophiles are jailed for. Since each character was described by the other as an adult, I may have been able to ignore it. However, Ms. Brown kept harping back to the fact, which I found more than mildly creepy.I was also annoyed by how Banner was put across as this tough, in-it-to-win-it, self-dependant woman who was something as a role-model. As a woman barely older than Banner, I found her actions despicable; and though I genuinely liked her, I also found her a little pitiable. I certainly did not envy her. In conclusion this is what I like to call a, 'sick-day book.' Something ridiculously romantic, with little-enough of a plot-line that you don't have to exert too much brain-power on it. It's enjoyable, full stop.
What do You think about Another Dawn (1991)?
I hate the ending! hate it hate it hate it! If you have loved Lydia and Ross's story in Sunset Embrace you will feel sad about the ending. It is not fair that they only had 20 years together. Why should the past hunt Ross till the very end.I love the ending of Priscilla. I hate that woman.As for Jake; how could he fool himself in love with Lydia for 20 years. That is just stupid.As for the writing; I hate how Banner refers to her mother and father by their first name. Who the hell does that? I t
—Books reader
So as I was wandering through the library, I glanced at the Sandra Brown books. "Another Dawn" caught my eye. I had tried to read it once before, but 19th century cowboys just aren't my thing, so I returned it unread. But I was feeling adventuresome and wanted to stray from my norm, so I checked it out and vowed to read it from start to finish.Um...Hmm...Can't say I liked it all that much, but it kept me turning the pages more out of frustration than anything. Unmarried women were either virgins or whores and boys/men were randy, frequented whorehouses and didn't care who they screwed as long as their brides were pure and innocent.Anyway, the main story revolves around virginal 18-year-old Banner Coleman, whose husband-to-be was shot at the altar by the father of the girl he knocked up, and 36-year-old Jake Langston, a self-proclaimed saddle tramp and shiftless cowboy that farmers hide their daughters from. Stinging from being humiliated by her groom, Banner seduces Jake (who has been in love with Banner's mother since he was 16 years old) on her wedding night. (Talk about your ick factor!) Afterward they are embarrassed, feel guilty and go their separate ways. But -- surprise, surprise -- circumstances bring them back together to work closely at the same ranch. They end up falling in love with each other but the suddenly noble Jake feels he's undeserving of a good woman's love and tries (ultimately unsuccessfully) to keep his distance from Banner. Sexual tension, misunderstandings, indecision, verbal sparring and just plain stupidity on both their parts makes for a maddening yet page-turning read.
—Xenos
I didn't read this one because didn't she (view spoiler)[kill off the hero from the first one at the end of this one? (hide spoiler)]
—Pamela(AllHoney)
