Sunset Thunder

Shannyn Leah

The Caliendo Resort: : A Small-Town Beach Romance Book 1 · Shannyn Leah

About this ebook

 Violet Caliendo escorts couples into the illusion of “happily ever after” as wedding coordinator at Willow Valley’s five-star Caliendo Resort. But Violet doesn’t believe in love or “happily ever after” anymore. She’s guarded herself from love so deeply since her divorce that some even call her the “Ice Queen.” When she has to plan her ex-husband’s wedding, even her Ice Queen persona takes a hit.
With her emotions in high gear, she takes out her frustrations by having sex with her ex’s best man, Ryder Carlex. Ryder is a playboy type and Violet figures it’s a simple one-time fling. But Ryder actually is attracted to Violet in a way he’s never known before. Neither of them ever imagines that the sparks between them will ignite a fire hotter than anything they’ve ever encountered – slowly breaking down both their walls. 

Will Violet be able to let go of her past and embrace a possible future with Ryder? Will Ryder let Violet into his own deep, dark secrets? Or will their trust issues forever doom them both from achieving their own “happily ever after”?

This book can be read as a stand alone, but for more enjoyment read them in the order of the series, as all the characters appear in future books. 

Read the full BY THE LAKE SERIES: 

MCADAMS SISTERS 
BOOK 1: Lakeshore Secrets 
BOOK 2: Lakeshore Legend 
BOOK 3: Lakeshore Love 
BOOK 4: Lakeshore Candy
BOOK 5: Lakeshore Lyrics

THE CALIENDO RESORT:
BOOK 1: Sunset Thunder
BOOK 2: Sunset Rivalry
BOOK 3: Sunset Sale
BOOK 4: Sunset Flare
BOOK 5: Sunset Shelter

Ratings and reviews

Three and a half stars. I found this book by turns irritating and charming, hence the mixed rating. Violet Caliendo is a wedding planner at her family's five star resort. However, today's couple are trying her patience because it's none other than her ex-husband Joel Benson and his fiancee Missy, who just happened to have been a maid at the Caliendo resort. Just to add to the general joy of the day, Joel's best man and best friend Ryder Caldex, renowned playboy, is joining the select gathering and Violet's large family are all hovering, desperate to see if she is okay. When tension and frustration lead to hot sex in the hotel restroom with Ryder Violet is horrified and yet strangely attracted to the no-good, womanising, braggart. Soon afterwards Violet's two children are supposed to be spending a day sailing with Ryder and Joel, but Joel bails at the last minute. Violet and her children end up spending the day with Ryder who turns out to be a lot sweeter than Violet believed. But as the romance grows the pressures from family, friends and ex-husbands causes Violet and Ryder to rethink their romance. This is supposed to be the first in a series, I don't know whether there was a preceding series because there seemed to be a lot of references to other romances and dark deeds by Violet's late father which appear to have happened previously. I liked Ryder and Violet and her children together, that was a charming romance. Violet's mother and siblings were frankly confusing and I have no idea why they behaved the way they did or why Izzy seemed to have an inability to behave like an adult. The entire family appeared to be totally dysfunctional with children going missing, the mother not curbing the father's excesses, etc. However, I was surprised at the number of typos in a book which was released two or three years ago. Also, the way in which both Ryder and Violet behaved like teenagers (angst, angst, angst, leaping to conclusions, holding onto absurd beliefs etc) was tiresome. And then the ridiculous plot to explain all that happened between Violet and Joel just raised more questions than it answered for me. Also, and this is a personal gripe, when an author offers me an ARC of their book I don't expect it to have been published in 2015 AND free on Amazon. An ARC is an Advanced Reader Copy not a two years after the event copy.

A loveless marriage and a divorce can make anyone an “Ice Queen” been there done that so I could really relate to Violet when things go south it makes one very cold until the right person comes along. For some that may never happen and for others it just takes someone to break through the ice. I can’t think of anything worse than being at your ex’s wedding but Violet sure has topped it since her job is to plan wedding and she is hired to plan her ex’s, can life get any worse. Something must give and it looks like it will be Violet with all that penned up angry, hurt, the best revenge is to have a one night stand with the best man. If it could only be that easy…what a mess! When Ryder and Violet come together it is like an explosion they really know how to ignite a fire. Could this be something that really started years ago or is this new it really doesn’t matter once Violet gets her hands on Ryder it is one wild passionate ride. There are exes and secrets that stand in the way, once wants more and one could lose a lot. What a wild ride that keeps you on your toes. I really liked the plot, the twists and turns, the characters are great, there are even a few laughs along the way. The author knows how to get right to the heart with such emotions that makes you feel for the characters. They become real and family with a story you don’t want to end. It was easy to let my mind go with the flow painting the scenes the author created. It is well written the words flow easy and the passion is hot. It is another win for this author who knows how to draw her reads in hooking them and laying the playing field with true emotions that gets you right in the heart.

As the event coordinator at her family’s resort, Violet is overseeing the details of her ex-husband’s wedding. When the stress of it as well as the interference from her family become too much, she stalks Ryder in order to have a quickie. He’s a playboy through and through and she knows it will be a one and done deal. Ryder is seeing an entirely different side of the Ice Queen than her ex-husband has described. While one minute she’s ice cold, the next she’s teeming with passion. Who is the real Violet Caliendo? This was an enjoyable read with lots of fun, and sometimes deep, secondary characters. The steam level is nice with a fade to black and the dynamics between the hero and heroine keep you on your toes. I loved watching this couple fall in love in spite of all the negativity they had been fed about each other. The ending was wrapped up very nicely following the acknowledgment of a few secrets that had set everyone up to take their own individual journeys.

About the author

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Contemporary romance author Shannyn Leah loves olives, lip gloss and reading (and writing) romance novels. Her love of words started at an early age and soon grew until, during her teenage years, she’d started writing her own novels. When her mom pushed to finally publish some of the stories, she quickly amassed two complete romance series (By The Lake and Caliendo Resort series) and, in 2016, released her first Fantasy Romance entitled The Gatekeepers (Part One of the Winters Rising series).
When she's not writing contemporary romance books into the early hours of the morning, Shannyn can be found antiquing with her two favorite people, her momma and sister, in their picturesque London, Ontario hometown.

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