When Africa is the setting of a story, but also many secrets

Synopsis

RNA – ROMANTIC NOVELISTS ASSOCIATION – FINALIST for the Joan Hessayon Award!

Sometimes the greatest discoveries are those of the heart.

Journalist Kate Harper arrives in Africa to write about poaching just as an orphaned rhino calf is being airlifted to safety. Reeling from the loss of both her parents in a car accident, she is immediately drawn to the calf and the man who rescued it.

Ex-soldier Ryan Brown has dedicated his life to protecting wildlife. When a rhino is killed on his watch, he’s forced to acknowledge there is an informer in his team and he won’t stop until he finds out who it is.

Kate and Ryan are soon thrown into the shady world of wildlife crime and as the investigation intensifies, so too does the chemistry between them.

But Kate’s secret reason for her visit to South Africa and Ryan’s troubled army past threaten to tear them apart. As they close in on the poaching syndicate, Kate makes a shocking discovery and finds herself torn between blood ties and new beginnings.

Will Kate and Ryan put the past to rest and find a future together in the beautiful African bush?

Secrets at Sunset is a gripping tale of love, betrayal and the fight to protect what matters most.

‘Adventure and Romance under African skies’– Janice Horton, Contemporary Romantic Fiction Author

‘A thought-provoking, poignant romantic suspense set in beautiful South Africa.’
– Susan Buchanan, Contemporary Women’s fiction and Romantic Comedy Author

My review

After losing her parents, Kate Harper grabs the opportunity to go to Africa to write an article about poaching. The fact that her best friend is running a wildlife sanctuary, for sure comes in handy to get the job. But that is not only the only reason Kate needs to go to Africa, because she has made a shocking discovery about herself that she needs to get to the bottom of it. Upon her arrival though, she sees how a baby rhino calf is being airlifted to safety. And the man that helped the poor calf, Ryan Brown, has dedicated his life to save animals from the brutality of men. Both Kate and Ryan are searching for the truth and the criminals that are hunting on animals. And the more time they are spending together, not only the more dangerous their quest is, but the more the mutual attraction starts too hard to ignore. However, with Kate not being completely honest about her reasons for being in Africa, and Ryan’s past in the army and the betrayal he has faced previously, is Africa the place where they find all the answers and perhaps even a future together?

I have to admit, the only time I saw the amazing creatures that rhinos are, are when I recently went to a zoo, and yes, even awarded as the best zoo of Europe. But I have never seen these creatures in their natural habitat, let not even talk about seeing them in Africa.

Yet it for sure sounds majestic, not only visiting Africa, but also seeing all these feral animals in their natural habitat!

But rather early in this book, we are also confronted with ugliness… Ugliness of people, their selfishness, thirst for money…

Just like Kate, I was shocked reading how a rhino has been brutally murdered and how its calf is still fighting for its own precious life… And while perhaps I didn’t connect with the calf like Kate did (although my heart broke for it), I could understand why Kate did exactly that.

I am still counting my blessings that I still have both my parents, and I dread the day I will lose them. But losing both your parents at the same time, by an accident, without being able to say a last goodbye to them… I could comprehend Kate’s feeling of loss, grief, and loneliness.

Unfortunately, that is not all, as Kate also discovers a secret that her lovely parents have been keeping, involving herself…

And her going to Africa, with the “excuse”  of the article she has to write, gives her not only the opportunity to visit her best friend, but do some personal digging too.

Upon her arrival in Africa, the first person she meets, is Ryan. And what a first encounter that was. In the middle of the save – the – rhino – action, Kate and Ryan meet. And I liked it somehow how Ryan is only focussed on the calf, showing that his priority at that moment is saving a life, and nothing else.

I have to say, liking Ryan from the start wasn’t easy. I could see his care and passion for the animals, but he also keeps his distance from people. And yes, he can be a grump sometimes too.

But the more I got to know Ryan, the more I understood where he was coming from. Having been in the army is no joke, and what he has been through there, is just terrible. I can only try to imagine how difficult it can be to move on from that, and have a ‘normal’ life.

On top of that, he has also been burnt by love, as he put his trust in someone, who ended up betraying not only him, but also his friends and loved ones…

So can you blame the guy’s wariness? I don’t think so…

There may be some kind of matchmaking in the process, as Kate and Ryan are somehow finding themselves spending more time together, with Ryan explaining the works and how important it is to protect the animals. But at the same time, under the African sun, Kate starts to see Ryan more for the man he truly is, and not the angry, closed man she believed him to be.

Beside the romance taking off, with several ups and downs, misunderstandings and wariness between Kate and Ryan, there are of course several mysteries that need to be solved. Not only about the poachers, and how entwined that illegal matter is, but also Kate’s search for personal answers.

Mysteries and secrets that are risky, dangerous even. And seeing how Ryan is becoming protective of Kate, shows again his care. And even when Kate does things on her own, infuriating Ryan furthermore, the anger is obviously because of a kind of fear, and again the want to protect Kate.

Kate and Ryan are going through a lot in this book, not only because of their quests, but also and more important on an emotional level. It is always easy to say you have to let people in. But when your heart is broken, how can you just do that? And with there being a lot of unsaid things between Kate and Ryan, I could understand the lack of trust from both sides. The lack of trust, and not being ready to be completely open and honest. Although for the readers, it was bit frustrating to read how Ryan and Kate keep on clashing! 😊

This book took me truly on an African journey, making me wonder about its beauty, but also shiver about the ugliness of people. But the author showed me, on a more important level, that even the most hurt and pained people can fall in love, not just with a place, but with each other too. And it may be a real rollercoaster to go through, with courage, determination, growing trust, ups and downs, love may be a scary feeling, but worth fighting for!