Product Description

Susan Sterling wanted nothing more than to escape her life... and her marriage. The family's secluded cabin in Kings Canyon National Park seemed the only place for her to find peace. But it took Shawn Weber coming into her life for her to find the courage to make changes. The budding friendship between the two women strengthens into an intense emotional bond, a bond that soon eclipses friendship.

Despite pressure from her family to reconcile with her husband, Susan can't deny the feelings that Shawn stirs in her. Susan finds she's willing to forsake her entire family for a chance at love with Shawn.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #60700 in Books
• Published on: 2005-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 184 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781594930119
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From the Inside Flap
"Shawn, I don’t want you to leave." "I can’t stay, Susan. If I stay . . ." "I want you," Susan whispered. "I can’t fight this anymore. I don’t want to fight this." Shawn didn’t answer. There was no need to. She pulled Susan into her arms, their bodies pressing together intimately. Neither cared who was watching. Susan pulled away first, her lips barely avoiding Shawn’s. "Don’t go. Please?" "I’m scared," Shawn admitted. "You’re scared? I’m the one fumbling around in the dark here." "I don’t want . . . I don’t want to lose what we’ve got, Susan. I’ve never had anybody . . . a friend . . . like you. If we stop this now, if we forget about what happened . . ." "Don’t you dare." Her voice was but a whisper. "Don’t you dare come into my life, make me feel like this about you, make me want you . . . and then say forget about it. Don’t you dare do that to me." "I didn’t want this, Susan. I wanted a friend," Shawn insisted. "You’ve got a friend." Susan gripped Shawn’s arms tightly, her blue eyes penetrating. "But when I close my eyes at night, it’s you I see, you I want. I imagine your hands on me. I imagine touching you that way," she whispered. "Don’t do this to me." Shawn’s voice was ragged, husky with desire. "I never thought I’d be begging another woman to make love to me," Susan murmured. She finally let go of Shawn’s arms. "Run from this, then," she told her. "I’m the one that should be running, you know. I should be scared shitless, but all I can think about is being with you."

Shawn shook her head, fighting with herself for what she wanted to say, what she wanted to do. Susan had no idea what she was asking. She had no idea how much her life would change. But Shawn knew. And she also knew that Susan would hate her eventually. Everything in her life would change and it would be all Shawn’s fault. There would be no going back. But those eyes. Shawn looked into them and she very nearly gave in. To hell with it, she wanted to say. Just take what she’s offering you. You want it, you know that. You’ve wanted it for so long now. The war raged within her, until Susan finally turned away. "Goodbye, Shawn. Come up when you’re ready to talk." Shawn could barely take a breath, but she slammed the truck door with finality. It was best this way. They were friends. That was enough

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
"Shawn, I don’t want you to leave."

"I can’t stay, Susan. If I stay . . ."

"I want you," Susan whispered. "I can’t fight this anymore. I don’t want to fight this."

Shawn didn’t answer. There was no need to. She pulled Susan into her arms, their bodies pressing together intimately. Neither cared who was watching. Susan pulled away first, her lips barely avoiding Shawn’s.

"Don’t go. Please?"

"I’m scared," Shawn admitted.

"You’re scared? I’m the one fumbling around in the dark here."

"I don’t want . . . I don’t want to lose what we’ve got, Susan. I’ve never had anybody . . . a friend . . . like you. If we stop this now, if we forget about what happened . . ."

"Don’t you dare." Her voice was but a whisper. "Don’t you dare come into my life, make me feel like this about you, make me want you . . . and then say forget about it. Don’t you dare do that to me."

"I didn’t want this, Susan. I wanted a friend," Shawn insisted.

"You’ve got a friend." Susan gripped Shawn’s arms tightly, her blue eyes penetrating. "But when I close my eyes at night, it’s you I see, you I want. I imagine your hands on me. I imagine touching you that way," she whispered.

"Don’t do this to me." Shawn’s voice was ragged, husky with desire.

"I never thought I’d be begging another woman to make love to me," Susan murmured. She finally let go of Shawn’s arms. "Run from this, then," she told her. "I’m the one that should be running, you know. I should be scared shitless, but all I can think about is being with you."

Shawn shook her head, fighting with herself for what she wanted to say, what she wanted to do. Susan had no idea what she was asking. She had no idea how much her life would change. But Shawn knew. And she also knew that Susan would hate her eventually. Everything in her life would change and it would be all Shawn’s fault. There would be no going back.

But those eyes. Shawn looked into them and she very nearly gave in. To hell with it, she wanted to say. Just take what she’s offering you. You want it, you know that. You’ve wanted it for so long now. The war raged within her, until Susan finally turned away.

"Goodbye, Shawn. Come up when you’re ready to talk." Shawn could barely take a breath, but she slammed the truck door with finality. It was best this way. They were friends. That was enough

Customer Reviews

WOW!
If you liked Gulf Breeze and the "banter" between the characters, you'll love Dawn of Change. Once again, this author puts you in the same room as her characters, making you feel as if you're eavesdropping, wondering if you should make a quick exit before they catch you! The ease at which Hill moves the story from friendship to romance is so subtle, you, like the characters, will be surprised when it smacks you in the face! There is also a delicious character to hate, Aunt Ruth! She'll have you gritting your teeth, (a la Alexis Carrington from the old Dynasty series), and wishing someone would smack her already! The setting for this story is the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, which adds to the simple, relaxed format. It wasn't until I read it for the second time that I realized the entire book takes place on weekends over one summer. Added bonus: Alex the dog is too cute for words!

Heart -stopping romance
Gerri Hill has delivered a heart pounding, tension-filled romance that will leave you breathless through the last page. Dawn of Change is a story of discovery- a different kind of coming out story where damaged hearts take a chance again and first loves are realized.

Susan, the "perfect" wife and mother, escapes to the mountains after she finds her husband of 20 years in bed with a much younger woman. There she literally runs into Shawn while hiking. Susan invites Shawn to dinner on the spur of the moment because she is lonely. They strike up a friendship that includes regular dinners with conversations, sharing their pasts. Every weekend that Shawn camps in the mountains, she spends time with Susan. By the end of the summer, they have become best friends. But without telling each other, they both begin to have more than friendly feelings towards the other. Shawn does not want to become involved with a straight woman on the rebound. Susan is questioning whether her feelings are real.

While I find most lesbian/straight romances in novels suspect, Dawn of Change is believable. Hill develops their friendship throughout most of the book. Through the characters' visits with each other and their family encounters at Susan's cabin, Hill illustrates beautifully their individual emotional struggles with their current situations and their pasts. As Susan and Shawn get to know one another so does the reader. This process occurs over several months, not just a week or two.

Hill builds her characters gradually, making their relationship realistic and natural. Susan and Shawn as friends support each other's choices, and that gives each woman more confidence to make independent decisions. Hill creates believable histories that flow well with the storyline.

With Dawn of Change the secrets are shed, the souls are bared, and the hearts slowly open. The reader will find it difficult to stop reading until the very last word.

Nothing to write home about
I'm new to reading lesbian romances, so I've been trying to catch up on lost time by reading lots of them. I bought this story because it seems like the author is very popular. Perhaps she has written better books. I found this one very predictable and rather trite.
I think the story had plenty of potential, with Susan discovering herself after a long marriage, and Shawn trying not to get involved with a straight woman who might break her heart. But the characters seemed superficial to me and I found their romance didn't hold my interest.
The writing is pleasant and well polished but it feels stale and unoriginal. Overall, I thought this book was a nice romance but it's only mediocre compared to some that I've read recently.