Sunset Thunder by Shannyn Leah

This is an out and out romance, it makes no bones about that and nor should it – it lays itself bare and welcomes you in with open arms… believe me when I say that this is one book you are going to love being enveloped by.

From almost the first page the book had me hook, line and sinker and I refused to put it down, there are occasions when determination is a blessing!

As a wedding planner Violet Caliendo has a job that she loves, she gets to bring every brides dream wedding to fruition, but arranging fabulous nuptials for her ex-husband and his new bride , well that was one that I was sure that might have had more than a few reservations about.

I don’t say that because Joel was the one that got away, not at all, she was well rid of him and why anyone was willingly tying the knot with him baffled me. But as things start to take shape she begins to realise that she might just have bitten off more than she can chew – holding onto her professionalism in these circumstances is not going to be an easy task.

She needs a few minutes to compose herself and in a bid to find a few moments away from them all she goes in search of some solitude…what she gets is something much more interesting, or should I say someone because her seclusion isn’t quite as complete as she had hoped when she happens upon the ridiculously handsome best man Ryder.

Let’s just say that what goes on between the two of them in that restroom can only be described as explosive…they connect straight away but it’s never going to happen again, or is it?

Ryder may be as sexy as sin but there is more to this man than he is willing to show. His public persona lead me to believe that he was a love them and leave them type, little did I know that Ryder had the burden of family secrets to deal with.

But that was right up until Violet… his life after their restroom tryst just might never be the same again.

I loved Violet, her determination and strength, she could have withered and relented when her ass of an ex approached her to plan his wedding to the very woman that he had cheated on her with but refusing to give him the satisfaction of being able to rub salt into the emotional wounds that he had already inflicted on her, she stood tall and fronted him out. It was an ego trip for him trying to make her feel uncomfortable but kudos to her for facing her demon head on!

I don’t think I would have been able to such a grown-up – I might have kicked them out, hoping all the time that door might have hit them on the butt on the way out!

Every story is enhanced when you get a character that you can really hate and I had that in this tale, I loathed Joel! Both Ryder and Violet had been victims of his spiteful vitriol, he seemed to enjoy the element of ridicule and gossip. He told Ryder some nasty perceptions about Violet and made sure that Ryder wasn’t left out of the party when he spread equally nasty stories about him to Violet. But could these falsehood stand in their way now that they have finally lit a flame between them?

As expected they both have skeletons in the closets and histories that mean that being together is never going to be an easy task but over and above that they have the one they need to make it all fall into place, they have…chemistry.

This book was funny and romantic. It was impossible not to love the pair of them, they were so engaging that their story was impossible to put down.