Easy flow and a good, quick listen.

Any additional comments?

Fire Chief Essien Dodd moved to Mangrove, Florida with his daughter, Ivy, from Detroit (with a short sting in Miami in between) in order to put big cities and a too-rapid pace of life behind him for a while. Essien has dealt with a lot and is looking for some peace. After moving to Mangrove he sees, and falls for, Pediatrician Roark Hammond.

Roark has deep feelings for Essien, but doesn't want to act on them for a very good reason. I really, really don't want to give anything away here. I know - mind boggling for me the Queen of the Spoilers to say that...but, nope, no spoilers from me this time. I don't want to ruin it.

This short novella is a classic kind of Calmes with great dialogue, delicious heat and sexy times, and a breakneck romantic pace. Sure, there are some points I could niggle over, but I don't wanna. It all just works for me. I felt like it flowed really smoothly and I enjoyed the whole thing.

And not that it's a surprise, but once again, Greg Tremblay does a wonderful job with the narration.

Recommended!

What can I say? Calmes is my crack and I'm willingly addicted.

3 people found this helpful

Greg and Mary - winning combo!

We met Essien through his daughter in Mike and Hutch’s story. He’s a widower who does no wrong and believes he’s going to be alone until his daughter grows and is gone. Ivy, his daughter, believes in love and wants that for him. She sets him up on some terrible dates and hopes for a connection with her pediatrican, Roark.

Roark has cancer. We find that out early on. It’s not making him sick but it might one day. Roark figures that since Essien’s wife died from cancer, he’d be avoiding Roark like the plague. And at first, Essien is hesitant – more so for Ivy than himself. But… everyone convinces him that love is worth the risk and we get our delightful HEA.

**

Lordy – Essien is hot and the way he manhandles Roark and just lays everything out about their relationship – hot! The way Takeo calls Aaron Sutter and gets Roark’s family to back down – hot! The way Mike and Hutch keep teasing Essien – hot! The way Dwyer looks at Takeo – hot!

Essien and Roark are a sweet couple and it was great seeing all the guys again. I love love love love Aaron so extra bonus points for him being in the story again!

I think the concerns Roark has are valid and I do wish we’d learned more about that issue, but I was glad Essien had decided that either way it didn’t matter so long as they were together.

Audio

Greg is my hero. I’ll listen to (most) anything he narrates. He is just so GOOD at the emotion and the telling of the story. In addition, his voice is so easy to listen to.

Superb job – as always.

Overall 4.5 of 5 stars.

1 person found this helpful

Love this series, so much fun to listen to.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would. While there was some heavy content, it was still fun and light hearted and narrated splendidly.

What other book might you compare Sleeping 'til Sunrise to and why?

Any other book in the Mangrove series, they are all short, sexy and so much fun!

Which character – as performed by Greg Tremblay – was your favorite?

Roark I think, I loved how hard he tried to fight the pull the Essien, and how Tremblay managed to put that strain into his voice.

If you could take any character from Sleeping 'til Sunrise out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Ivy! I think she'd be a blast!

Any additional comments?

Essien Dodd stood by his ex-wife when she fell ill with cancer, living up to his vows, even after the promise had been rendered null and void. He took the job as Fire Chief in Mangrove hoping to start a new life for himself and his daughter, away from the city and the reminders of the mother Ivy misses. Essien and Ivy quickly made friends and were brought into the "family" circle that is the warm, welcome and loving atmosphere of the small town. Es vowed to remain single and devote all his attention to his daughter until she goes off to college. There is one person in particular that is making that vow very hard to keep, town doctor Roark Hammond.

Roark has sworn off relationships as well, be for a far deeper reason. He's loved the towns gorgeous Fire Chief from afar for a while, but refuses to put anymore pain on the mans plate. Too bad that Ivy, Essien's fourteen year old daughter turned match maker for her lonely daddy, didn't get the memo.

Lord love a duck, the sexual tension between these two was palpable. The scene at the coffee shop, yow-za! I could feel the chemistry between these two through my ear buds, Tremblay truly brought these characters to life in my mind. I could completely understand why both men hesitated, they each had valid reasons. It doesn't take them long to realize that the heart wants, what the heart wants, and neither of them are strong enough to resist the pull. As usual, Tremblay does an amazing job at bringing the various characters to life while bringing all the voices he has given characters in the previous books over into this story.

While this story is a little heavier than the previous books in the series, there is still that light hearted air and slightly comical approach to the situation. I can't recommend this series, Author or Narrator enough.

1 person found this helpful

This combo can do no wrong!!!!!

Anything these two touch is gold. PURE GOLD. Magic!!! What a gift! Mary and Greg! Great shortie!!!! Recommended!

1 person found this helpful

Happy ending to the series

I was so glad to finally see the Chief happily partnered in this book. I really liked the insight into the doctor's past and reasons for his behavior that were hinted at in previous books. Although this could be read as a stand alone story, I would recommend reading the others first to have more insight into the other characters in the book. I would love to visit Mangrove. These folks are as interesting to me as the denizens of the Sordid Lives series.

Mangrove stories continue - thank you

I love this Mangrove series. Over the long weekend, I have listened to each of the stories. I love these shorter stories that Mary Calmes writes. Sleeping 'til Sunrise has all the feels. The characters are well developed and the story is stellar. Love has no color or gender.
Greg Tremblay brings a greater dimension to the tapestry of the story. I can't give it enough stars.

too short..... but oh so sweet!

What did you like best about Sleeping 'til Sunrise? What did you like least?

Even though well written with interesting characters. This listen left me wanting more.....and not in a good way.

Would you recommend Sleeping 'til Sunrise to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes, for what it is (a 2 hour blurb). If you don't want to invest too much of yourself in a listen then this is an excellent distraction. But if you want more, don't stop here.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Narration was very good

What would have made this romance irresistible?

More depth and character development.

Great story!

If you could sum up Sleeping 'til Sunrise in three words, what would they be?

Magnificent short story!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ivy was adorable and happy. Loved her.

Which character – as performed by Greg Tremblay – was your favorite?

Essien... Well. It's a bit hard to choose one. He does a fantastic job on each character.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Absolutely. The part where Roark is telling Essien why they couldn't be together. Broke my heart!

Any additional comments?

Can I just say...I wish we could go back and have Greg Tremblay read all of Mary Calmes books!! Her shorts are thorough without being overly detailed. Just enough information to be enough, not too much to get bogged down with. Every detail necessary so there are no dry spots in her stories. A fantastic story. I've finished all the Mangrove series and adore them all. She made a great choice in Greg Tremblay! His characters stay true and the life he gives them is incredible. He makes a good story into an out of this world story!
i could listen to that man read the dictionary!
Thanks for some very enjoyable hours, Ms. Calmes and Mr. Tremblay. What a pair up!

fabulous!

I loved loved loved this book! The Mangrove Seires is a go to for me and this is no different!

Greg hit it out of the park once again!

Loved it!

While I miss Rory and the Marshall, I am glad that Mary was able to weave together various series based on the first novel which has me in tears and then laughter throughout the entire "A Matter of Time" series. Those familiar with the books know Aaron Sutter, who is mentioned throughout the Mangrove novellas. Mary is a genius at knitting and weaving together this collection. I invite anyone who is interested in LOVE to start with the A Matter of Time and progress forward. The first series is a tad darker, in tone but no less entertaining than this brighter series, however there is a little bit of darkness in this series too. I love her character development and how unpredictable she can be from what I was expecting. She's a BRILLIANT novelist and all of her catalog is available from Kindle and Audible has most if not all. Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed.

Brian Dulaney