Review: Sleeping ’til Sunrise (Mangrove Stories #5) Audiobook by Mary Calmes

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.

Narrator: Greg Tremblay
Listening Length: 2 hours and 12 minutes

I like to claim that I’m immune to the Calmes crack, but I’m really not.

Fire Chief Essien Dodd is raising his daughter in the small town of Mangrove. He’s generally well-liked around town, but he can’t seem to settle in any long-term relationship. It probably doesn’t help that most of his attention is focused on the town doctor, who tends to avoid Essien. Rourke Hammond focuses on his work, and tries to ignore his attraction to Essien. He would love to give in to Essien, but doesn’t want to burden him with his medical issues.

The narration was excellent. I’ve listened to audiobooks by Greg Tremblay before, so I knew I’d be in for a treat. Each character’s voice was distinct, and I could clearly imagine the small town of Mangrove and the people who live there. Often when I listen to audiobooks I have to concentrate so that I don’t get distracted, but in this case I was fully immersed in the story.

Essien and Rourke’s romance was exactly the kind of quick and sweet fairytale that I expect and enjoy from Mary Calmes. We’ve got the crush, the pining, and then the quick hop from acquaintances to forever-and-ever. Essien needs someone to end his isolation, and Rourke needs to be taken care of. So they’re a perfect match, of course. It’s classic Calmes.

Plus, there are some very steamy scenes, which is never a bad thing.

Considering that in the past couple of years Mary Calmes hasn’t usually hit the mark for me, I was surprised by how much I liked ‘Sleeping ‘til Sunrise’. The book is much more tightly written than most of Mary’s recent releases, without the odd side-stories that so often distract from the main plot. In any case, I was all on board for the fluff and feels.

I did have a few questions left at the end, and wouldn’t have minded an extra chapter or two, or an epilogue. Even so, the HEA is solid.

Overall, I really liked ‘Sleeping ‘til Sunrise’. The audiobook was great, and the story itself has everything this author is popular for: the fluff, the hot sex, and the I-can’t-live-without-you need that the main characters have for each other. It can be read fine as a stand-alone. Recommended!

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