An ARe Cafe top pick.

At seventeen years old, Kennedy first laid eyes on twenty-two year old Liam and decided he was the man for her. Liam knew being with Kennedy was wrong but feels powerless to resist the connection they share. Their love suffers its greatest test when Liam is declared MIA during a SEAL mission. Kennedy clings to the hope he’s still alive but after five years and no word, she remarries, hoping to give her and Liam’s daughter some stability. The life she pieced together shatters when a broken but very much alive, Liam returns home. Elation and sorrow become her constant companion as she tries to reestablish the life she had with Liam while dismantling the new one she created. Liam is devastated that Kennedy moved on and married his arch enemy. Despite the turmoil, Liam is not giving up on Kennedy, and Kennedy refuses to ever again let go of the man she gave her heart so many years ago. Unfortunately their personal problems are not the worst of it because powerful people in the military want to use Liam to further their cause and Kennedy could lose Liam for good this time.

Before Sunrise by Sienna Mynx is a riveting contemporary, interracial romance. Mynx pulls the reader into every novel by creating a world that is very believable and engaging. The characters are well developed and multi-faceted. They evolve and become more lifelike as the story progresses. In Before Sunrise the plot unfolds over several years and Mynx does a great job of depicting the growth each character experiences throughout. Kennedy begins as a self absorbed teenager who takes what she wants from life without thinking of repercussions. As the story gets more involved, she matures into a beautiful and capable woman who realizes that actions do result in consequences that affect more than just her happiness. When she defied her parents to marry Liam, she destroyed the bond she had with her mother. When she marries Liam’s nemesis, she nearly destroys the bond of trust she has with Liam and it is only because their love defies all reason and boundaries that they are able to make it despite her actions.

Liam was and still remains an alpha male through and through but after nearly losing his life and family he realizes nothing is more important than his family. He’s always loved Kennedy but he also loves being a SEAL. The story begins with a touching and romantic scene as Liam leaves for a SEAL mission. As always, his departure creates urgency to their lovemaking but there’s also the promise they make that they’ll see each other again “before sunrise.” Five years pass before either sees each other. During this time Liam is captured and tortured to within an inch of his life. It is a miracle he is found and rescued. The world has changed drastically in the time Liam is gone. His teammates have moved on to higher ranking positions and one in particular who always had a thing for him, believes she can finally have him now that his wife has remarried someone else. Several other key characters round out the book and again, each one is fleshed out and blended into the plot, making it very cohesive. The primary story is about Liam and Kennedy but the other subplots taking place makes for one very engaging and entertaining story. One couple worth mentioning in particular, Eric and Harper, reminiscent of Liam and Kenney, also engage in a forbidden love.

Passion abounds in the novel and Kennedy and Liam have their own special brand of loving. Once again, Mynx shows how good writing is done with a moving and memorable story.

~ Susan for AReCafe ( )