Wow, what an adventure! Sporting the best narration I have listened to so far this year, this memorable wagon trail story, will no doubt be one of my top historical romance listens of the year! Ellen Archer has won a spot on my top narrators list! I just wish she would take on more romance assignments (as it appears that only approximately 10, of the over 80 titles I found, are romances). This was also my first experience with Sandra Brown, and I am now eagerly looking forward to experiencing more of her vast backlist! After this audiobook, I'm sure there is a treasure chest of hidden gems out there that I must soon explore!Lydia Bryant has had a tough childhood. It wasn't always bad, but after her father's death, her mother was forced to take on odd jobs until she married her terrible step-father, who abused her mother by treating her like a slave. As if that wasn't bad enough, her older step-brother sexually abused her on a regular basis, and the horrible life they lived branded them the hillbilly outcasts of their community. When her mother finally passes away, Lydia runs away, but she is already with child. Along the way, dirty and alone, she has a still birth, and would have likely died, had it not been for the generosity and kindheartedness of the Langston family, who finds her, nurses her back to life and brings her along on their Texas-bound wagon train promising her a new life.Ross Coleman, another member of the wagon train, experiences his own heart-breaking loss when his wife dies delivering their son, Lee. Devastated and left caring for a premature infant, he is at a loss as to what to do next. Fortunately, Ma Langston comes to the rescue, and matches Lydia up with Ross, so that she may serve as Lee's wet nurse. While at first, Ross is incensed at the idea of some common girl, who he can only imagine was a whore, breastfeeding his son and sharing his wagon. When it becomes clear, that she may be Lee's only chance at survival, he allows her to stay, but makes sure she is aware of how little he thinks of the likes of her. To her credit, and as a testament her strength, Lydia does what it takes to help the baby survive, and eventually as they spend more and more time together Ross starts warming up to her. Before long, there is definitely a shared passion between Ross and Lydia, though Ross hates himself for it. As circumstances continue to draw them together, they both get to know one another and the shared passion begins to blur with deeper feelings. Danger, however, stalks both of them, as well as, secrets surrounding their pasts which threatens their future together. Will this couple make it to the end of their wagon train journey together?Ellen Archer does an amazing job of bringing this large cast of characters to life. The voices she produces for each are so unique and different that, not only does it make it extremely easy for the listener to distinguish among them, without need for dialogue tags; but, in fact, she makes it nearly impossible to believe that the same narrator could possibly create such disparate sounding people. From the children to the adults, and from the men to the women, her characterizations are all spot-on, and sound so incredibly genuine that you can almost glean the characters' personalities from the intonation in her voice. Moreover, her ability to express emotions is also off-the-charts. From the suspense filled scenes, to the romantic ones and even the ones that are full of despair, Ms. Archer appropriately paces her delivery to highlight the particular tone, adding an extra element of intensity. Her delivery was so masterful, that it almost sounds like it comes from the soundtrack of a movie. I really enjoyed Ms. Archer's depiction of Lydia. So feminine, soft-spoken and even, justly giving deference to her early upbringing, refined; and yet, Ms. Archer also gives free rein to her strength when she fights for the things she believes in. Ross' performance, in turn, evolves throughout the book, just as the listener is provided with additional insight into Ross' true self. So cleverly performed and amazing to listen to! I also knew exactly who was a villain or friend, notwithstanding the particular words being used, just from her depiction thereof. Again, I was so delighted with this incredible, multifaceted performance that it is nearly impossible to describe all the ways in which it excelled. My only reservation with this book, and in all fairness it is a sign of the time when it was first published (the 1980s), is that there are some rather antiquated views included. Not only does it contain a "bodice ripper" scene between the hero and heroine, but the hero, and some of the other characters, at times express outdated views about rape. If these depictions would preclude your ability to sympathize with the hero, or believe in a HEA, then this may not be the right audiobook for you. Perhaps my favorite part of this story is the underlying message that you should never judge a person by a stereotype. It also highlights a vital lesson: those that are the first to judge are, nearly always, covering-up or reacting to their own insecurities.All in all, this is an amazing story which is made even better by Ms. Archer's one-of-a-kind narration! Source: I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review.Title: Sunset EmbraceAuthor: Sandra BrownNarrator: Ellen ArcherUnabridged Length: 13h, 40mPublished by Blackstone Audio, June 2014Genre: Historical American RomanceNarration: A+Book Content: B+Steam Factor: For your burning ears only!Violence: Domestic Violence (including rape between the hero and heroine, child sexual abuse and verbal abuse and a description of a stillbirth); Fighting
I first read Sunset Embrace by Sandra Brown in 2009 and this romance lodged itself permanently in my heart and my favorites shelf for eons to come. Lately my hankering for a fix of romance that features a dangerous hero whose undeniable passion towards a woman that seems to be the least likely match for him literally brings him down to his knees had me re-reading this oldie but goodie and finished it off loving it as much as I did it back in 2009.20 year old Lydia Bryant is found on the verge of death after delivering her stillborn child in the woods, craving the oblivion of death more than her next breathe. Her savior comes in the form of two teenage boys from a nearby travelling caravan, whose mother Ma Langston nurses Lydia back to health. 32 year old Ross Coleman is a man who has a dangerous past. Married to Victoria, a lady from genteel society who is carrying his child, Ross is forever grateful to the woman who shares his life because Victoria accepted him into the elite circle of which Ross doesn't feel he is worthy of. The bastard child of a whore, Ross is handsome and dangerous, a heady package that is liable to make any woman with even half her ovaries intact swoon.When Victoria dies in child labor giving Ross his son Lee who refuses to be fed from any other source and is on the verge of death himself, Ross is forced to take in Lydia to take care of Lee, a woman who raises his hackles because he thinks Lydia to be a woman who is no better off than his own mother. But even from the first moment when eyes of green clashes with that of amber, there is no turning back for either of these two whose undeniable attraction towards one another could practically be cut through with a knife.It is an interesting passage that Lydia and Ross takes towards happily ever after, each guarding the secrets of their past with a vengeance. Lydia who refuses to bow down to any man after the constant abuse she has suffered in the past and Ross who vows that he would always honor the memory of his genteel and beautiful wife Victoria finds themselves in a battle of wills that is no match for the hunger that each inspire in the other.There is none who can weave strong sexual tension like Sandra Brown can and this is evident in each and every single encounter between Lydia and Ross in Sunset Embrace. More effective than even the most explicit erotica, Sunset Embrace evokes all sorts of emotion, providing an angsty read that I loved to the maximum.Ross Coleman is a hero that feminists may not like. But I love him as he is, his broody character and the way he tries to deny his burgeoning feelings towards Lydia the woman towards whom he is drawn towards like a moth flame. Lydia doesn't fare off any better with her undeniable need for a man who seems to despise her, but in reality despises himself for his weakness when it comes to Lydia.In the heady passion that swirls between them, Lydia and Ross both discover a love that is unlike any other, a fragile trust that forges between them that breaks into silvery shards when their pasts come calling. It is love of the truest kind that sees them through, delivering a happily ever after that I rooted for right from the very beginning. For me, it is the sensations that the heady desire between Ross and Lydia invoked deep within me that turned out to be the best part of the book.Recommended for those who love the American Western romance genre, and for those who can take a hero who has the ability to make you swoon and gnash your teeth in equal measure, the type of heroes that authors refuse to write anymore because they aren't well received by the ultra feminists who complain when heroes don't fit into the ultra sensitive mold cast by them. For me, I need my fix of the bad-ass heroes every now and then. Wish authors would write heroes like Ross Coleman more often. *sigh* Rating=5+/5 A different version of my review can be found on MBR's Realm of Romance P.S. I just had to write down this review after re-reading to share my thoughts on one of the most wonderful American Western historicals out there.
What do You think about Sunset Embrace (1990)?
Ok I know most of you loved Ross, but he was an idiot and a big jerk and not a hero in my opinion. He was not even close to being worthy of Lydia the heroine in this story. I think I kept reading this story only because I was hoping she would get a happy ending for herself. She deserved it but did she get it? The author tried to lead us there. I thought she would probably be better off with another man that could respect her. Ross craved the sex with her but did he really respect her and love her? At the end I wasn't sold on it thats for sure.
—Jan
4.5 stars... What a pleasant surprise Sunset Embrace was. I wasn't expecting this book to evoke such deep emotions in me from the beginning.We meet Lydia in the woods writhing in pain as she is birthing a child that she doesn't want and was made with violence and hate. She is taken in by a beautiful family that takes wonderful care of her and she also finds herself needed by Ross who just lost his wife during childbirth. Lydia has milk to feel baby Lee and this is where the story takes off. This is my first novel by Sandra Brown I found her writing to be so realistic and honest. Her description of nursing, pregnancy and motherhood was refreshing. I gave me flashback to nursing my own children.I cannot wait to read the next book in the Coleman Family Series.
—Leea
This book was so not what I was expecting. I was in the mood for a good historical, to be transported to another time and place - which is what a good historical does. I also must admit a guilty love for the sequal to this book, Another Dawn. But, wow, Sunset Embrace doesn't even come close.At first, it was just typical so-awful-that-it's-awesome romance hilarity. Some of the euphemisms that Brown rocks out for sex organs are truly hilarious, and I will never understand why they can't just call a penis a penis. But then we get a straight up RAPE scene between the "hero" and the heroine. Seriously? That's supposed to be romantic? And it's all supposed to be okay because Ross feels bad about it the next day? No. Just, no. I know that things like that happened even more frequently back then, and I would have been fine with it in this book if it had been dealt with seriously. But to just dismiss it like that, and try to pass Lydia's emotional damage off as nothing of any consequence, along with holding Ross up as some great protector...again, I say no.I only gave this two stars because Sandra Brown CAN write. There is a reason her books are so popular. She creates characters with dimension and can craft fantastic suspense and emotional conflict when she really wants to. I just wasn't a fan of the characters that she presented here...Lydia is an abused, psychologically damaged victim who goes from one master to another, and Ross Coleman is a domineering asshole with the emotional maturity of a preteen bully. Another Dawn is a VASTLY better version of this universe.
—Melissa E.
