Rating: 
Summary: Sensual and suspenseful
Review: A heroine to root for, an unscrupulous but gorgeous hero, and a shadowy, legendary house all come together to make this book a delicious blend of romance and mystery. The cast of edgy characters fit perfectly in the decadent-yet-decaying setting. This is one of those "aaaah" books--pure satisfaction.
Rating:
Summary: A hauntingly beautiful story - about real people
Review: Anne Stuart has written a book that is so good, it's fabulous.
Where should I start? I don't like "bad boy" books, this *is* a bad boy book. I don't like ghosts in my stories, this book has ghosts. What can I say, except that I loved this book, it's so well written, so exceptionally, so sweetly done, that I forgot - what was it I don't like?
Anne Stuart has a different writing style from what I'm used to, a least in this book. This is a book that is written in a terse writing style, with the assumption that less is better. Most writers do tend to take more than a page or two to get to the point, some writers actually can make an entire book about a few days by s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g out the story to such an extent that it takes us pages and pages just to get through a single idea. Anne Stuart writes in exactly the opposite way - she writes as shortly and concisely as possible. I think that that's harder to do, but I happen to particularly enjoy that writing style more, and I also think that an author that can do this style is a much better writer.
So for those reviewers who complained that the story went to fast - no, you just have to read more slowly. If you skip a paragraph, you might lose the whole thread of the story. I'm one of those "fast readers" that likes to skip - sometimes writers go on and on about something, and I'm two pages ahead, and I didn't lose a thing about the plot. You can't do that here.
Generally, when I finish a book, I can usually give you some idea of the author's strengths and weaknesses - good at characterization, for instance, or this book has good dialogue, or this writer writes well, or she is good at plotting . . . But when I put down "Shadows at Sunset" my mind was a total blank. I couldn't even begin to analyze it, this is a writer who really knows what she is doing, and I can't even begin to figure out her techniques, they were way over my head. So I don't know how she did it, all I can say is that I was mesmerized from beginning to end.
Anne Stuart simply has the gift, there is no other way of putting it. To say that she's the best writer I have ever read, period - that's a very broad statement, and I would be hesitant to say that, but if there would be *one* best writer, period, in any genre, I think that I would nominate Anne Stuart. She's that good.
She is also a romance writer - even though she has brought in so many elements that would normally detract from a romance line, this author does not lose track of the bottom line - that we are looking for a very happy ending, and, believe it or not, this book delivers!
Anne Stuart has the gift - she has the gift of words, she has the gift of writing about *real* people, and especially, she has the gift to suck you into her book in a way that almost no other writer can.
I am so impressed with this author that I will probably buy *anything* she wrote, sight unseen, and I'm rationing them. There's no point in gobbling them up all at once, is there?
Rating:
Summary: The Goddess Reigns Yet Again!
Review: Anne Stuart is not known as The Goddess for nothing. Shadows at Sunset is another masterpiece from the Goddess' pen. I am not going to go into the plot - other readers have already done that and I can add nothing to it. But this is definitely a TEN star book from the Goddess. It has humour, romance and suspense combined to make one terrific read. Guaranteed once you pick this book up you will not put it back down until you have read the last word.
Rating: 
Summary: Dark - Dangerous desire!!
Review: Anne Stuart is one of my favorite authors. She is known for writing romance that is dark and dangerous. Shadows at Sunset certainly does not disappoint! The story centers on Jilly Meyer who at thirty, is desperately trying to keep her family from falling apart. Her adoptive sister, Rachel-Ann, has always been on a self destructive path. For most of her life, she has been in and out of rehab unable to live with her pain. Her brother, Dean, is so desperate for his father's love and approval, he willingly allows himself to be victimized. Clearly, Jilly thinks she is the stronger one and will battle any injustice to keep them all safe. All of them reside in a house on Sunset Boulevard called Casa de Sombras, the house of shadows. A huge mansion that is infamous for a murder-suicide of a 1950's movie star and her lover. Despite its tragic, chilling past, Jilly loves the house even though it is falling down in disrepair. Her father, Jackson Dean Meyer, owner of a multi-million dollar company, Meyer Enterprises, wants the house razed but Jilly constantly opposses him. He is utterly ruthless, ready to use any means necessary to get what he wants. He has a kindred spirit in his right hand man, Z.R. Coltrane. Or does he? Everyone is not as they seem . . . Coltrane has his own deadly purpose in seeking out Jilly. He is fully prepared to use her in his quest for revenge. He plans to seduce and then callously, coldly leave her but Jilly is not what he was expecting. She senses his ruthlessness, his willingness to use her but against her common sense and her fear, she is attracted to him. As he is to her. She tries to resist his blatant seduction until one fateful night when she gives in to the longings of her heart. Throw in the famous ghosts from the 1950's who still inhabit the mansion along with deadly secrets from the past and you have an awesome read. Shadows at Sunset is another exceptional read from Anne Stuart. One you should not miss!!
Rating:
Summary: Pure satisfaction!
Review: Anne Stuart never fails to deliver anything less than pure satisfaction in her books. She's been one of my favorite authors for years and I always wait eagerly for her next book to be released. SHADOWS AND SUNSET was fabulous! I read it on the beach in nearly one sitting. I love her moody-broody heroes who never turn out to be quite as wicked as they think they are. The underlying theme of her books is always redemption and nobody does it better. At the end of this book, you truly believed that Jilly and Coltrane could create a happy and passionate life together. SHADOWS drips with delicious atmosphere and the secondary love story is just as compelling as the primary one.
Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful and romantic
Review: Contains usual Stuart elements: wacko family, tough heroine with strong protective streak, gorgeous but conniving hero and it all comes together in a different and gripping read that is fast paced and totally satisfying.
Rating:
Summary: "Enthralling"
Review: Enthralling is one of the adjectives Publishers' Weekly (Fall 2000) uses to describe this romantic suspense. And yes, it is that, and more....LaCasa de Sombras (House of Shadows) in Los Angelos, is the only real home Jilly Meyer has ever known. She lives there with her adopted sister Rachel-Ann, and her younger brother, Dean. She is compelled to protect both the house and her siblings from their villianous father, Jackson Meyer. Coltrane is Jackson's lawyer, the keeper of Jackson's secrets, and a man with an agenda. As he contrives to move into the House of Shadows, he contrives to seduce Jilly. Enigmatic and handsome, a man with a revenge-laden plan, he will be suprised himself, by secrets within the old mansion. Besides the Meyer siblings and Coltrane, the house is inhabited by a pair of ghosts, Brenda and Ted, actress and director, victims of a murder-suicide pact, years ago. But, the focus of the novel is Jilly and Coltrane. Jilly is strong but needy, Coltrane is harsh but giving. Their love scenes graduate from warm, to sexy, to hot. Add to their story, a secondary romance for Rachel-Ann, that may bring tears to your eyes. And, the otherworldly romance between Ted and Brenda, adds a touch of laughter (and maybe a few tears, too). Secrets and truths, love and hate, revenge and redemption, collide in this fast-paced novel. As I finished it, I couldn't forget about Coltrane and Jilly and Rachel-Ann...So, I picked the book up, and read it again. Something I've never done before.
Rating:
Summary: Could not put it down!
Review: Ever since this book came out I've been dancing back and forth. I would put it on my list to buy and then when I would read the back cover I would take it off the list. I would read the reviews from Amazon and put it on the list and then take it off again. Finally, I just bought it and found I could not put it down once I started reading. It was very good - compelling. I kept reading just to find out more about Coltrane and what he was up to and how he was going to achieve his end. This was the first Anne Stuart book I have read and as soon as I get done writing this, I am going to work at finding her other books. I would highly recommend this book. If you are put off by the mention of ghosts, don't be. They really didn't play that important of a part - they were far in the background of the story. If you are looking for a book with a sexy/dangerious hero and a story to completely absorb you don't miss Shadows at Sunset.
Rating:
Summary: Revenge is not always sweet
Review: His name is Coltrane and he is a man filled with hate and contempt for the man who killed his mother. He plots and plans to destroy the man through his children. Nothing is too vile for him to do; even seducing the man's daughters, Jilly and Rachel-Ann. It would be so easy for him except that Jilly is more than he bargained for. As this story of lies and mystery unravel in an old Hollywood mansion, who will survive when the truth comes out and who will be destroyed. A book you can't put down until the very last page.
Rating:
Summary: Up-all-night reading from a can't-put-down author
Review: I bought this book based on the glowing reviews I read here at Amazon. I'm afraid I have to disagree with the 4 and 5 star reviews. "Shadows at Sunset" is the first Anne Stuart book I've read. While this book was entertaining, had some interesting characters, and a bit of suspense - it was a little too "light" to be considered a 5 star read. The whole story takes place over the matter of a week and I'm supposed to believe that Jilly and Coltrane fell in love? Aside from a night of great sex, they barely knew each other! I also found the "ghost" angle to be pretty cheesy. This book could have been better had the author taken more time (and pages) to developing her characters and the story more thoroughly. There's the basis for a really good book here, but the light, "speed through the writing" approach doesn't work for me.
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