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California Romance #1
California Sunset
Divorced mother Annie Gerhard meets rugged new bookstore owner John Johnson at the worst possible time in her life. Her high tech company is threatening to lay her off if she doesn't move from California to New Jersey and her 15-year-old son David is causing trouble. The recession has hit Silicon Valley hard and there are no jobs for a middle manager, even if she hates what she does. And this is no time for romance, no matter how good the man looks in his jeans.
John has escaped Montana memories of a deceased wife and betraying girlfriend by buying an independent bookstore in California. He's got bigger problems than falling for a spunky woman with control issues. Keeping a bookstore afloat in a recession and finding a home where he can stable his horse are all he can handle right now.
Unless . . .
John and Annie must both face their pasts in order to greet the future. Can they risk it?
John has escaped Montana memories of a deceased wife and betraying girlfriend by buying an independent bookstore in California. He's got bigger problems than falling for a spunky woman with control issues. Keeping a bookstore afloat in a recession and finding a home where he can stable his horse are all he can handle right now.
Unless . . .
John and Annie must both face their pasts in order to greet the future. Can they risk it?
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2012
20 people are currently reading
382 people want to read
About the author
Casey Dawes
95 books121 followersCasey Dawes writes non-steamy contemporary romance and inspirational women’s fiction with romantic elements.
She and her husband are traveling the US in a small trailer with the cat who owns them. When not writing or editing, she is exploring national parks, haunting independent bookstores, and lurking in spinning and yarn stores trying not to get caught fondling the fiber!
Claim your free collection of short stories! Go to her website, www.CaseyDawes.com, to discover how.
She and her husband are traveling the US in a small trailer with the cat who owns them. When not writing or editing, she is exploring national parks, haunting independent bookstores, and lurking in spinning and yarn stores trying not to get caught fondling the fiber!
Claim your free collection of short stories! Go to her website, www.CaseyDawes.com, to discover how.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 19, 2012
From the opening paragraph, the real life drama of California Sunset, a contemporary romance by Casey Dawes draws you in. Spirited, yet deeply conflicted, Annie Gerhard, must leave her beloved Santa Cruz for New Jersey or lose her job. And as a single mother, she can’t afford mistakes. Her son, David, angry at her decision to go, gets arrested. Her ex-husband threatens to take David away and the once straight forward life she loves starts crumbling around her. Throw in a gorgeous Montana cowboy turned bookstore owner who’s not shy about his interest in Annie and her confusion quickly becomes a life crisis. Can Annie move beyond her self-doubt and troubled past to rediscover herself and the possibilities offered by love? Quick witted, smooth dialogue, woven through elegantly written descriptions of California life; the food, the wine and the ocean, keeps California Sunset entertaining and the characters as real as your best friends.
August 24, 2012
California SunsetŠwhat a beautiful book. Beautiful in the way it pulls at your heart making you feel what you didn't know you could. Casey Dawes may be a debut author with this story, but she won't remain new for long. Her work will soon fill our shelves with stories of strong women, endearing friends and men who make us glad to be women. The heroine of California Sunset, Annie is so strong and caring. She is the perfect match for her tough and sensitive hero. More importantly, the issues that Dawes brings to the forefront are the issues of every woman. Every one should read this book, take it to heart and work for change. I can't wait for the next story! I give this five stars. I'd give it more if I could.
June 22, 2024
This is the third book I have read by Casey Dawes, and I have to say it is my favorite so far. It is a sweet romance, but more so, it is about a woman dealing with trauma from her past. I thought it was a well written book with warm, positive feelings.
November 18, 2017
Interesting
Good story line ....life has away with your life and influences you and the decisions we make in our lives
Good story line ....life has away with your life and influences you and the decisions we make in our lives
April 14, 2019
Enjoyed this story. Found myself relating to parenting issues of raising a teen-ager. Nice relaxing way to spend my evenings.
November 30, 2019
I wasn’t sure when I first started reading this book, but then I got into it and loved it 😀
July 17, 2024
I really liked the book. But some parts are hard to read. Be prepared for real life, but learn from this story. It's someone's truth.
July 25, 2024
Kind of fun reading a book with a setting that I know well. Issues of abusive men, single mother trying to make career decisions, and teenage son problems were balanced with a kind male main character, books, music, a horse, and appreciation for gardens and the sea. The characters' dilemas seemed long and drawn out.
February 26, 2017
Tugged at my heart
Brilliant handling of long buried issues in life. Touched me deeply and reminded me that everyone has something they struggle to deal with in the dark no matter what kind of front they show in the daylight. Great story of real love and acceptance helping to overcome guilt and pain.
Brilliant handling of long buried issues in life. Touched me deeply and reminded me that everyone has something they struggle to deal with in the dark no matter what kind of front they show in the daylight. Great story of real love and acceptance helping to overcome guilt and pain.
March 13, 2013
California Sunset is a quiet, lovely book. Although billed as a romance, it's really more women's fiction with strong romantic elements. There is a sweet romance between Annie and John, a Montana cowboy and bookworm who has bought an independent bookstore near Santa Cruz as a change of pace after his wife dies. However, the real story is about how Annie comes to terms with her past, her present and her future. Annie is a single mom, tech industry project manager living on the CA central coast, near Santa Cruz and working in Silicon Valley. Her ex is an alcoholic who can barely support himself, so when she's faced with the choice of relocating to NJ to save her job, or accepting a layoff, she immediately concludes that she has to take the transfer in order to keep her medical benefits and provide financial stability for herself and her son. Since her son is 15 and a soccer player on his high school team, needless to say, he has no desire to move across the country. Right in the middle of all this, she meets John. He is immediately attracted to her and pursues her (very sweetly) even though she repeatedly warns him off due to her imminent job transfer. Her heart, as well as her family and friends, all want her to stay in CA, but her practical mind tells her that moving is the only choice.
The book was well-written and edited. The dialog flowed nicely, and as a resident of CA myself, I thought that the descriptions of the central coast were perfect. It was refreshing to read a story about an ordinary worker in Silicon Valley. Her struggles with the high cost of living, commuting "over the hill" from Santa Cruz to San Jose, her use of a life coach and a body worker (massage therapist), and just the general tenor of life out on the west coast all rang true to me. I would recommend the book without hesitation.
The book was well-written and edited. The dialog flowed nicely, and as a resident of CA myself, I thought that the descriptions of the central coast were perfect. It was refreshing to read a story about an ordinary worker in Silicon Valley. Her struggles with the high cost of living, commuting "over the hill" from Santa Cruz to San Jose, her use of a life coach and a body worker (massage therapist), and just the general tenor of life out on the west coast all rang true to me. I would recommend the book without hesitation.
June 23, 2015
The premise of this book sounded so interesting when I first read it that I went ahead and purchased the rest of the series as they came on sale, thinking I would really enjoy the book and the series in general. Sadly, this is one book that I wish I had read before purchasing the series.
The book had a very disjointed feel, and I couldn't really connect to the characters at all. Now, it dealt with a lot of really heavy issues in it, but Annie was so closed off from her emotions that it made it really difficult for me as a reader to care about her situation. She came across as if all she cared about was money, and Joe seemed more focused on his bottom line with the store as well as getting laid with Annie than actually forming a relationship with her. He kept pushing her boundaries, even after she told him more than once that she wasn't interested in a relationship. The situation with the ex and her son was stereotypical and even seemed like it was just repeating what other books had done. The secondary characters were uninspired and repetitive, and in reading the synopses for each subsequent book, seemed to be somewhat idiotic as well.
All in all, it was a quick read, but one that left me depressed and somewhat angry at the end of it. Its addressing of the issues and how it can affect someone saved it from a one star rating, but I'm going to be deleting this book and the rest of the series from my Kindle. This is one book I'm not going to give a positive recommendation to if asked about it!
The book had a very disjointed feel, and I couldn't really connect to the characters at all. Now, it dealt with a lot of really heavy issues in it, but Annie was so closed off from her emotions that it made it really difficult for me as a reader to care about her situation. She came across as if all she cared about was money, and Joe seemed more focused on his bottom line with the store as well as getting laid with Annie than actually forming a relationship with her. He kept pushing her boundaries, even after she told him more than once that she wasn't interested in a relationship. The situation with the ex and her son was stereotypical and even seemed like it was just repeating what other books had done. The secondary characters were uninspired and repetitive, and in reading the synopses for each subsequent book, seemed to be somewhat idiotic as well.
All in all, it was a quick read, but one that left me depressed and somewhat angry at the end of it. Its addressing of the issues and how it can affect someone saved it from a one star rating, but I'm going to be deleting this book and the rest of the series from my Kindle. This is one book I'm not going to give a positive recommendation to if asked about it!
September 25, 2012
**My FULL REVIEW here!**
Annie is the typical single mom; extremely hard working and self-sacrificing. Her one and only priority is a good life for her son. This is put in jeopardy when Annie is told she is to be laid off or transferred....to the other side of the country....to New Jersey. Annie knows no one and nothing in Jersey, but feels she has to take this job in order to be able to provide for her son.
John needs a change, needs to get away from the daily reminders of his late wife. When he sees the perfect opportunity in buying a bookstore in California, he takes it. He is solely focused on getting his little bookstore back in the black. No time for anything else, that is until he sees Annie in the bookstore.
I really enjoyed this book. While it was a tad predictable, it was also a very easy, enjoyable read. You don't have to be a "single" mom to relate to Annie. Other than the cover, my only reservation with California Sunset is how introspective John is. Perhaps it is a GOOD quality for a man to have, I just don't find it very realistic. I did like his character, other than all the introspection; he knew exactly what he wanted, and went for it.
Annie is the typical single mom; extremely hard working and self-sacrificing. Her one and only priority is a good life for her son. This is put in jeopardy when Annie is told she is to be laid off or transferred....to the other side of the country....to New Jersey. Annie knows no one and nothing in Jersey, but feels she has to take this job in order to be able to provide for her son.
John needs a change, needs to get away from the daily reminders of his late wife. When he sees the perfect opportunity in buying a bookstore in California, he takes it. He is solely focused on getting his little bookstore back in the black. No time for anything else, that is until he sees Annie in the bookstore.
I really enjoyed this book. While it was a tad predictable, it was also a very easy, enjoyable read. You don't have to be a "single" mom to relate to Annie. Other than the cover, my only reservation with California Sunset is how introspective John is. Perhaps it is a GOOD quality for a man to have, I just don't find it very realistic. I did like his character, other than all the introspection; he knew exactly what he wanted, and went for it.
November 13, 2013
Annie Gerhard will be laid off if she won't move from California to New Jersey. Her 15-y.o. son David is in trouble. Her ex isn't any better now than he was when they were married. It's not the time to meet a guy who wants to spend time with her.
But new bookstore owner John Johnson wants just that. He's left Montana and his memories of a deceased wife behind to run an independent bookstore in the California town where Annie lives. He's determined to push through Annie's barriers but he has baggage of his own.
Author Casey Dawes has created two sympathetic people who deserve to be happy but who can't quite find their ways there. She gives them room to find out how, with the help of a life coach for Annie, they can.
A delightful and well-written read.
But new bookstore owner John Johnson wants just that. He's left Montana and his memories of a deceased wife behind to run an independent bookstore in the California town where Annie lives. He's determined to push through Annie's barriers but he has baggage of his own.
Author Casey Dawes has created two sympathetic people who deserve to be happy but who can't quite find their ways there. She gives them room to find out how, with the help of a life coach for Annie, they can.
A delightful and well-written read.
Read
July 15, 2012Well I started to read it and got to chapter 2, then had to put it down for other priorities........u know how that goes..............
Picked it back up 2 days ago and never put it down except to go get something to drink. I sat on the front porch with a cool breeze.....what a PERFECT summer day!! It drew me in and kept my attention, it was an easy read and a wonderful escape for several hours. I had forgotten how wonderful it was to read something lite and easy. The descriptions were all there and I could easily picture the book store, going over the mountain to work, and the boardwalk.
"A job well DONE!!!"
Picked it back up 2 days ago and never put it down except to go get something to drink. I sat on the front porch with a cool breeze.....what a PERFECT summer day!! It drew me in and kept my attention, it was an easy read and a wonderful escape for several hours. I had forgotten how wonderful it was to read something lite and easy. The descriptions were all there and I could easily picture the book store, going over the mountain to work, and the boardwalk.
"A job well DONE!!!"
August 13, 2012
From beginning to end this was a wonderful story of romance and conflict. Ms Dawes paints such a vivid picture with her words that one feels they would know these folks if you met them on the street. Annie, John and their families could be our next door neighbors. My definition of a sexy man has been rewritten. Now it is a Montana cowboy who wears snug fitting jeans and owns a book store.
I hated to see this story come to an end and I am eagerly looking forward to Ms Dawes next book.
I hated to see this story come to an end and I am eagerly looking forward to Ms Dawes next book.
September 5, 2012
Generally I'm not a fan of the Romance Genera but this was so current and dealt with today's issues without the simplistic, Handsome man on white horse sweeps helpless maiden away from all her troubles, ending that I found myself really enjoying it. It makes a nice relaxing read and has very good character developement.
March 18, 2019
Since I wrote it, I've read it many times by now! I still feel good at the end, which is the point, isn't it?
Read
August 7, 2012awesome book- can't wait for the next one!!!California Sunset
August 23, 2012
A love story to Santa Cruz. Heartfelt and warm!
January 28, 2013
Really enjoyed this book!
November 14, 2013
Read my review on Romancing-the-Book.com by clicking on the link below:
http://romancing-the-book.com/2013/11...
http://romancing-the-book.com/2013/11...
November 3, 2016
Sounds so interesting, I want to win this book!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2012
This book is simply wonderful. It pushes the reader to see and feel things long hidden.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews