Review: Sleeping ’til Sunrise by Mary Calmes

Title: Sleeping ‘til Sunrise (A Mangrove Story)

Author: Mary Calmes

Pages/Word Count: 79 Pages

At a Glance: Mary Calmes is the queen of banter and this book is no exception, it just doesn’t get any better.

Reviewed By: Carrie

Blurb: Everyone in Mangrove, Florida, knows Fire Chief Essien Dodd is a saint. He took care of his ex-wife until she died, is raising his teenage daughter alone, and is the kind of man who pulls kittens from trees. All in all, the man’s a catch. But Roark Hammond has sworn off getting involved with a man who’s been hurt before because he can’t guarantee he won’t hurt his prospective love again. If only he could get Essien out of his mind long enough to focus on anyone, or anything, else.

Strong emotions are in play. Essien is lonely but determined to focus on Ivy; Ivy wants her father to have a new life so much that, to his horror, she’s trying to find him a man; and Roark is so scared of the present and past, he won’t allow himself to commit. To have any chance of sleeping ’til sunrise and greeting each new day together, Essien and Roark will have to rethink how they’re living their lives and focus on what’s most important.

Review: Sleeping ‘til Sunrise is the fifth Mangrove Story, and I think one of the best. I was really looking forward to this book in the series, having met the main characters already in other books. This book really does tackle serious issues but it does so with such a matter of fact tone of voice, along with a healthy dose of humor, that as a reader you are invited to look past the issues themselves and see the men for the outstanding characters they are. Mary Calmes always seems to write about men who have an overwhelming attraction to each other, and from the first kiss onward, they each have a bone deep certainty that they were meant for one another.

Fire Chief Essien Dodd is described by his daughter as a knight in shining armor. He is just so intimidatingly good. Ess divorced his wife when he couldn’t deny his sexuality any longer, but never left hers or their daughter’s lives. He moves back in when his ex-wife is diagnosed with incurable cancer, and holds her hand as she dies. Looking for a new start, he ends up in Mangrove, Florida with his daughter, and begins to find some peace. He has sworn off men for a while, focusing instead on his snarky, wise-beyond-her-years daughter, and his career.

Pediatrician Roark Hammond is determined to stay away from the magnetic fire chief. He knows what Essien has been through, and with his recent diagnosis, he knows it would not be fair to ask the man to go through the same hell twice. But sometimes the laws of attraction are just too strong, and finally, Roark is drawn into the man’s orbit one too many times to deny the chemistry between them. Dealing with his family, his illness, and his medical practice overwhelms Roark, and Essien is just the man to pick up the pieces.

Mary Calmes is the queen of banter and this book is no exception, it just doesn’t get any better. Buy the book, buy all the Mangrove stories. They stand alone, but if you want the entire flavor of Mangrove, Florida, read the series. It’s a heartwarming little town filled with some interesting and diverse men, and will leave you with a smile.

TNA_Signature_Carrie