Red Sun

by Raven St. Pierre

Solei soon realizes her stay just outside the nearby reservation will be nothing at all like she expected. The moment her path crosses that of two brothers from the local tribe, she finds herself amidst an intense love triangle that threatens the bonds of friendship and brotherhood. When left to decide between what her heart wants versus what her heart needs, will Solei make the right decision?

Genres: Interracial Romance, Romance, Cultural, Contemporary

444 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 8, 2013

About the author

Raven is the author of several interracial and African-American romances, including her debut series, "Free Falling" books 1 - 3, "Red Sun", and "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob". Since early on, she has found writing to be her creative outlet of choice, although she did not complete her first full-length novel until 2009. She has a Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, but currently works from home, mostly writing, but also building her own Virtual Assistant business. If you're interested in learning more about Raven's upcoming works, there are a number of ways to find her and to stay in touch!

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/7f_Pb

BLOG: http://youaresowrite.wordpress.com/

EMAIL: raven.stpierre@gmail.com

PERSONAL FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/raven.s.pier...

FACEBOOK 'LIKE' PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRavenS...

PINTEREST: http://www.pinterest.com/ravenstpierre/

TWITTER: @RavenStPierre

Reviews

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new adult love story. Normally I would avoid such fare, but when I downloaded the sample and began reading I was immediately engrossed. This book is just so good that I bought it before I finished the sample. Ms St. Pierre weaves such a good coming of age romance that I threw out my preconceived notions and buckled my safety belt for the ride.

The good:
The story revolves around Solei, a young aa woman who is still suffering the effects of a family tragedy, I love /loathe this heroine at first, she was self-centered and immature, but aren't we all at her age? I actually found myself loving more and loathing less the more I read. Ms. St. Pierre has a special talent that is missing in many new adult romances; allowing her heroine to grow without her seeming to make decisions beyond her years.

My vision of Solei, actress Keke Palmer

One of the reasons that I don't enjoy young adult or new adult is that the characters are to insightful, wise, or have the ability (in my opinion) to make decisions that are beyond their years because the people who write them are older and write from an aged point of view. Or, the character doesn't actually grow, but the characters around them just accept their annoying behavior because the heroine is just so "special."

But in R.S. you read Solei making poor decisions, we know why she makes them because she tells us and then we watch through her eyes as she deals with the consequences of her immaturity. By the end of the novel you can tell a difference in the character from where she began, its quite beautiful.

The Men:

Elan
Élan- The older brother. Every fantasy I've ever had involves a guy like this, the "hot boy" that shows this one girl his softer side. He's wildly romantic, sexy, and bold. If only I wasn't married, and almost forty, and he was REAL. Bow-chica-wow-wow.

But I digress.

Jolon- the strong silent type with long dark hair and muscular body. Dang this woman can

Jolon
write, because, Uhm yeah, I imagined myself brushing his long raven locks, the act being so erotic. Damn

I wanted her to end up with both brothers, kinky, yes, but a girl can dream! In the end Solei had to choose and break my heart and the heart of the other guy. Read it to find out who she chose, you won't be disappointed.

Fav character:
Ruthanne- I smiled whenever she showed up in a scene.

Fav line- I have two:
"The rain seemed to be the catalyst- the spark that lit the flame between us. Something about it made him irresistible to me and it seemed to have the same affect on him" pg. 323

"Every time he touched me some pale new I lost my breath- apparently my feet were no exception to the rule. Any uncharted area on my body seemed to short circuit when his skin came in contact with mine." pg. 189

The bad:

I want more of Jolon and Elan; Solei can come to, but no offense Kaya, Elan is mine!

Overall:

I smiled a lot as I read this book. A lot.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok so once again Raven has me completely enamored with one of her books and the characters within.

The story starts off with Solei, a spoiled selfish and completely unmotivated girl who is living with her father, stepmother, and step sister in Chicago, none of whom, she seemingly gets along with.... or so it seems. After an incident that induces a fight between her father and stepmother, they decide to give each other space: Dad is moving a few hours away for a job in East Jesus Nowhere for the next 6 months, and Solei is coming with him (much against her will).

To say that Solei is less than enthused about her new living (And now working) arrangement is an understatement. There is nothing to do and no one to see.... that is until she spots the gorgeous Native American boy from the reservation going for a swim...... completely devoid of clothing. Through some unfortunate mishaps, they spot one another and Solei hitails it out of there before they can officially meet, determined to not think of him... until he walks into her new job at the local flower shop. While she is surprised to see her swimmer from across the counter (His name is Jolon) she is even more surprised that he is being a complete jerk to her! She is now determined more than ever to forget he exsists but the more she tries to ignore him, that harder it is. Until she meets his brother Elan, the seemingly complete and refreshingly opposite of Jolon. Solei soon finds she is attracted to BOTH brothers for different reasons: Ealan being the sweet, endearing, gentlemenly type that Solei can have fun with while Jolon remains strong, silent, and brooding, a kindered spirit to Solei after suffering tradgedy like she has. When Ealan expresses interest in Solei as more than just casual aquaintences she finds that while she enjoys being with him, she cant quite get Jolon out of her mind... creating a twisted little triangle that she cant seem to break free of. Pair this with the fact that Solei is experiencing some major emotional gorwing pains in every other aspect of her life, including how she and her father understand one another and you have the makings of a great book that I seriously enjoyed reading.

And now... for Le SPOILERS... Dont read on if you dont that the ending ruined. You have been warned!

Solei- OMG you came across as a spoiled, whiney, selfish brat those first few chapters! I agreed with your father... that you were being too hard on your step mother. That is until I saw her for what she was. Being only slightly tolerant of someone is NOT the same as genuinely accepting someone. Then, like your father, I felt bad for having written you off as I did. We are going to have to work on your aim girl cause your step mother needed her clock cleaned! Im glad you matured to the person you became towards the end of the book.... a complete 360 from who you were. I liked watching you fumble through your feelings like an 18 year old and not an all wise 18 year old who thinks like a 30 year old.

Jolon... OMG how can you be that hot? Like... really? I need answers sir! I understand that you're hurt with the death of your fiance, but thats no reason to push EVERY girl you possibly meet away. You saw Solei first? Why PUSH HER into your brothers arms and then be mad that you did so? I know you think you're betraying your first love, but dont you think that if she were here that she would want you to be happy? Dont be afraid to go for what and who you want... had you done so in the first place Im sure none of the other crap you went through would have happened.

Ealan... I liked you so much, but I didnt like you for Solei. And that whole "Sleep with your ex until your gf puts out" thing really bothered me. I had been mentally yelling at Solei to do the right thing on your behalf, JUST to learn that you werent doing right either. I hope you and Kaya hit it off cause you both seem to be looking for the same thing.

Kaya.... That was such a bitch move at the birthday dinner. I understand you were hurt and mad, but can you honestly say that YOU wouldnt have done the EXACT same thing as Solei, ESPECIALLY when it comes to two great guys like Elan and Jolon? I hope you and Solei work through your issues... because you NEED friends to keep you grounded

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book

[Anino · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a awesomely captivating Multicultural romance written by a promising author, who definitely has the gift for writing creatively.

Although it wasn't totally pitch perfect, I loved it.

Looking forward to buying more books by this talented author.

Giving this one: 4 solid stars

[P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good coming of age love story. I felt bad for Solei she was really depressed after losing her mom and twin. Dealing with her step mom, step sister and Dad is a wonder that she didn't try to off herself. Than at other times she really got on my nerves with the whoa is me attitude. Her emotional turmoil between the brothers was another whole type of Crazy. Elan knew Jolon was interested in Solei and went after her anyway. Both Jolon and Solei should have acknowledged what they truly felt and spoke up. Kaya shouldn't have divulged what she knew they way she did. The place was not the right venue for said truths. A messy set of circumstances all around

[katrina sanders · Rating 2 out of 5]

What is this?

This story was very disappointing.I didn't like how the main character,Solei acted as though there wasn't anything wrong in what she was doing with the two brothers.Being eighteen is young,but that doesn't justify how she handled the situation.What's with the eyes rolling all the time?Also the brother wasn't any better than she was.I know this story was supposed to be about two people finding love,but why even put the other brother in the mix and tell him that she wants to be with him.Didn't care for this story at all.This author writes very good stories,but this is not one.

[B · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked all of the Gravity books and thought I would read this because St. Pierre's writing style was good. But I didn't care for this one. Playing with people's feelings is not cool especially when applied to brothers. I thought there would be more cultural differences or references to the brothers being Native American, but there really weren't any. I didn't like Soleli at all....I couldn't relate to her . I guess my form of grieving is so different that being a brat is not an option. And a father who's that weak and brain washed by a new wife.... I just didn't care for this book.

[Kim C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love story that came together so naturally and beautifully. Two lonely broken people carring around unfilled hearts. Only to meet by chance. A noticeable electricty between the two that can't be ignored, but they do. No matter how hard neither could stop the yearning. The wanting of lifes pleasure with the other.

Red Sun is a nice coming of age novel of two people not sure how to love and be loved in return letting someone in.

[--karen Green-berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a heartwarming story about loss, losing one's self, perseverance , finding one's purpose in life and eventually finding love. This is my first book from this author and I loved how she told Solei's story from her lowest point through all her trials and tribulations and eventually to the point when it all comes together for her. You can't help but fall in love with these characters.

[Katara Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red Sun was one of the first books I read from Raven St Pierre. As with all her other books, she grabs her reader attention and won't let it go to the end because of all the surprises adds in. The main character in this book goes through the hardships of a teenager that isn't treated well to an unstoppable woman. Thank you for pulling me into your world Raven St. Pierre!!

[Anino]

Now that I've actually seen some reviews for her other book, I think that I'll go ahead and buy this one... It looks very "tasty.."

[CJLuvsBooks! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red Sun is the second book I read by Raven St. Pierre, and so far, it’s my favorite. It’s a beautiful coming of age story that deals with family, first love, secrets, betrayal, and forgiveness.

Our heroine Solei is a flawed character. She made choices that made me shake my head a little, but it didn’t cause me to dislike her. Afterall she is 18, — and without giving you spoilers — went through a terrible experience and is still, in my opinion, healing from that.

In most love triangles that I read I always find myself liking one guy over the other, but I genuinely liked both brothers and wanted them to have their HEA! With or without Solei….

There are two tasteful love scenes in the book. They were written beautifully, and in my opinion, romantic and realistic. I believe most young women have experienced the same thoughts and feelings Solei did.

I really enjoyed reading Red Sun, and I do hope that there will be a sequel focusing on Elan.

[Helen Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished reading Red Sun 3/26/15. First of all, I loved the fact that this interracial romance was about a BWNAM rather than the usual BWWM and it wasn't all about how much money he had. Although, a story with a rich native American sounds like it might not be such a bad idea. But I digress. I enjoyed Red Sun and the way the lives of the characters were so different than the usual boy meets girl sex all over the place type of story. I admit though, I was kind of expecting a few more than the 2 scenes that you gave us. Overall this was a pretty good read.

[Krista Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story line

This book has complex characters. Real life stories lines and a goood plot. One of my top 5 books this year. Well written and hard to put down.

[Ivory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kinda mad that it took me so long to finish this book but I knew I had to put it down and come back to it later. Solei irked my soul a little. I had to keep reminding myself that she's still young, but still. Some of the stuff she did and the way she thought was just a No for me. Her selfishness and cowardliness was a big part of the issue. Of all the characters, I loved Ruthann and Jolon. I found myself backtracking to Ravens pintrest to linger on her Red Sun storyboard because he vision of Jolon is such a sexy man!

[Shay Spivey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of the Free Falling Series and have read them all. This book did NOT disappoint. This author speaks my language and writes beautifully. This AMBW romance had my heart racing.... and in a rush to turn the pages.

EXCITING

[Natashia · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I love when I'm surprised by a book. Once I got past the annoying teenage drama and got to the good part...well it was great. The chemistry is great as well as the real life relationships. This author is slowly becoming a favorite.

[Lost_withinbooks (Amy) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Am currently reading this book and wondering if I should even continue.
So far I CNT stand Solei and if I don't like the mean character then am at a lost.

I tried to find the strength to finish read...but i cnt

[Natashia]

Surprise

Surprisingly great read! Solei was a confused young lady in all aspects of her life and did a lot of growing and falling in love on the way. Loved her and Jolon!!!

[Ebony Gipson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very engaging!

This book had me laughing so hard when she met the first brother. I like the chemistry between them the most. The later drama that occurred became extremely heavy but was done very well. Raven St. Pierre has a way of bringing the setting, plot, and characters to life, which is very enjoyable and admirable. It's not a talent every published author has. I normally don't read drama stories like this one, so I was very surprised when it kept my attention. This author definitely has a knack for storytelling. The only reason I'm not giving this five stars is because Solei has made my blood run hot too many times for me to empathize or even sympathize with her. Although she does mature later on, her situation was 100% her fault and completely preventable. But the author did a great job on making Solei believable.

[Asha Oz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story got me so frustrated after the 10th chapter. I admit that I can relate to the protagonist as a new adult myself and her growth into maturity is inspiring but her foolish and childish way of handling this love affair was a huge turn-off. Both of the brothers have faults and are quite immature as well. Other than the whole love affair It was an amazing experience and story.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solei is a girl who has lost her closest family, mom and twin sister, and been forced to live with her dad, along with the wicked evil step mother. She soon moves away to a new home very close to a Reservation where she is caught up in a love triangle with two brothers, Élan and Jolon. I'm sure you can guess that things get pretty ugly along the way, but there are some good moments for the characters too. It's not all depressing.

Please note, that for me, the pros outweighed the cons in this book. I shall explain at the bottom.

Um... This book. Hm. I loved the storyline. I loved Solei's dilemma and even loved most of the characters. AND I Loooveddd the sexy bits. Very sexy. However... As I was reading, I found the writing style very...unprofessional. In my head I would correct a sentence to make it sound better just so that I could enjoy the story a bit more. There were moments where the story switched from past tense to present an then back again. Not great. There were also times where the book would be predictable, which I don't enjoy about a story. And the ending was a bit typical/cliche.

Some characters confused me too.
Take Solei's friend, Kaya, for example. When we were first introduced to her she seemed like a lovely character who everyone would get along with and be a good friend to our main character. That was before the author decided to throw her into the love triangle mix up and she turned into a complete b***h. Not a great idea.

Then there was Élan, who was always great until it seemed the author wanted the reader to sympathise more with Solei by making Élan look bad. I didn't know what to think of him. Good guy, bad guy... I don't know.

Quite a confusing piece of writing, with many errors and many tweaks needed. I feel that the storyline was great so the author should have written it more carefully. Also should have planned it out more, from how the personalities and roles of some characters kept changing. Just my opinion.

While I have some issues with the book, the story engrossed me and I read it within a very short period of time. The storyline was great and if, like me, you can get over some writing and amateur's errors, you will enjoy this book.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soooo.... this is more of a 3.5 for me. The story was engrossing but there was a lot of it. I mean that it could have been tightened up considerably. This is the second Raven St. Pierre book that I've read and do really enjoy her writing style. This one, however, needed some tweaks. The love triangle struck me as odd. First Elan was this good guy and then he's not. And this is a minor pet peeve that did not affect my scoring but I hated the names - Elan, Jolon, Kaya, Solei - not sure why I didn't like them. Perhaps the first three are meant to be Native American. Also lots of odd tense usage. I think with a really good edit this can be an awesome book. The author is quite the storyteller and so you can ignore some of more awkward sentence structure. The author just released a new one which I've one clicked and am desperately waiting for the release of Free Falling #2.

[Bev Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story, it made me cry, laugh, get angry and emotional...

At first, I really thought I do not like this character Solei, I thought she was rude and lazy then as I kept on reading the story I found that I started to really like her, she just needed love and understanding from her father. When she met Jolon and fell over in the forest I actually laughed out loud. This is a beautiful story about love,friendship and grief and growth. Raven is one of my favourite authors and she hasn't disappointed me with this book - I'd actually read a sequel to this story if it was ever written! Well worth reading!!

[LadyO · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I disliked the heroine, I still liked the book. There were so many chaos they could've been avoided yet they kept them going. I was hoping the author won't add another selfish trait to the heroine's character considering the book has the same love triangle plot like her Gravity book which has one of the most selfish heroines I've read in books, boy was I wrong. The girl wasn't any better. I despised her, gah!

[AmiNickris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I need to rant....

I'm not done yet...it took me a while to even decide to read this book..but right now I'm so crapping irritated I don't know what to do with myself ... This is one childish selfish..just bad decision making chic and I'm so annoyed with everything about her right now I could scream!! !!!! Ok..I'm gonna go and finish and hopefully come back and edit this post once I'm done ,hopefully she will have redeemed herself by the end....Tbc....

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lame ending

First of all, Jo needed to grovel a little bit. He constantly dismissed her without so much as a word! That last time took the cake! But she just jumps in his arms! I was rooting for Elan for a minute, but he discussed me in the end. If you love somebody, you wait for them sexually. But he used it as an excuse. It was a good story, but could have been better.

[Ashley Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a book that can make me second guess my own morals. I personally strictly believe in monogamy but this book had me rooting for BOTH guys! I was sad when the book ended - I selfishly want so much more! This book made me want to pick up and move so I could live it. Can't wait to read it again!

[I Heart Romance Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

🩷🩷🩷

I love this book so much. I've read it so many times, and I fall in love with it all over again each time. Highly recommend.

[evergreencrime · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Realistic, nice pace and interesting. It is very relatable. No slow boring moments. I liked it.