• Sultry Sunset

  • Mangrove Stories
  • By: Mary Calmes
  • Narrated by: Greg Tremblay
  • Length: 1 hr and 57 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (298 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Sultry Sunset  By  cover art

Sultry Sunset

By: Mary Calmes
Narrated by: Greg Tremblay
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $6.95

Buy for $6.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove - he's got friends in his new neighbors, he's the owner of the town grocery, and he's building a community center - but he's still unlucky at love. Every man he's attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.

When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he's been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what's going on with his best friend's heart.

©2015 Mary Calmes (P)2015 Dreamspinner Press

What listeners say about Sultry Sunset

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    175
  • 4 Stars
    93
  • 3 Stars
    22
  • 2 Stars
    8
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    217
  • 4 Stars
    49
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    159
  • 4 Stars
    89
  • 3 Stars
    29
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Greg Tremblay is fantastic!!

Any additional comments?

I feel like this was more a set up for future novellas than it was a fully realized novella itself. Hutch and Mike don't even realize they're supposed to be together until more than three quarters through, which I wouldn't mind except the sexy times lacked the heat M.C. usually brings to the party.

Still, I didn't dislike it and will continue with the series, mostly because it's Mary Calmes.

Greg Tremblay, once again of course, delivers a fantastic performance, so it's worth getting just for that.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Sultry indeed!

What did you love best about Sultry Sunset?

Greg Tremblay's narration

What did you like best about this story?

Getting little tidbits with characters I love in the series and finding new favorites.

Which scene was your favorite?

I think the chase between Hutch and the good doctor after the cranky town council bitch got Hutch riled up was hysterical!

Who was the most memorable character of Sultry Sunset and why?

Hutch, he was so unknowingly sexy and sometimes infuriating.

Any additional comments?

The men of Mangrove continue to grow and pair up. Fans of this series of short stories will remember Hutch Crowley, the owner of the town grocery, from the last story and that ill-fated date. In Sultry Sunset, Hutch is still single and still in love with his best friend, but damned if he’ll tell Mike because he’s convinced Mike is straight. While Hutch works on the community center and has run-ins with cranky old bags and confused doctors, Mike is busy bedding every available woman in town in an attempt to convince himself he is not, in fact, in love with his best friend.

The thing is, anyone other than these two with two working eyes can see the way they are with each other. Subtle touches and smiles, the fact that they eat dinner together every night, and then when Hutch lands in jail, Mike is quick to come bail him out. And with that release comes a release of an entirely different nature.

I absolutely love this little series of serials set in Mangrove, a quaint little beach town full of lovely gay men in search of that someone special. The community is a family of sorts with crazy old Betties, squabbling siblings and nosey neighbors to add a ton of humor to the stories. Greg Tremblay continues to carry the torch as narrator and let me tell you, he’s amazing. Though the core of the story is Hutch and Mike, there were several various secondary characters and Tremblay made sure the listener could hear a distinctly different tone for each and every character.

I’m anxious to see who gets the next story… the single dad that is trying to prove he is a good father, just because he is gay doesn’t make him unfit to care for his daughter. Or the previously closeted attorney that divorced his wife and moved to Mangrove so he could finally, truly live his life. OH, what if they wind up together? That would be some entertaining reading I must say.

Such a great series and each story is super short, like a naughty little snack. I think each installment could stand on its own, but they are so much more fun when you listen in order and can follow along with certain characters. Definitely a must listen though, Calmes is such a masterful writer and Tremblay really brings her crazy characters to life.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Nice story; great narration

This is another great narration from Greg Trembly. Unfortunately, even though I am a Mary Calmes fan, I tend to get these short reads of hers only if there is a narrator like Mr. Trembly. He can take what is a so, so story and bring it to the next level. He really makes that "interrupted dialogue" that is ever present in her stories, somewhat believable. This is a friends to lovers story that is part of her Mangrove Stories shorts. It is an good short comfort listen, but the story is only partially about the MCs and partly about introducing future couples, I think. There are a lot of people in this story, which is OK because I think she is building the Mangrove community. Too short to be worth a credit.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Just OK

Mmm, not Calmes' best. The story wasn't very interesting and the characters were pretty blah (though the little girl was good). Thank you Greg Tremblay for getting me through this one, you could read me the dictionary and I'd love it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

I'd love to live in Mangrove.

SULTRY SUNSET is the third of 5 Mangrove Stories and centres around Hutch and Mike - two likeable men who are friends skirting shyly around each other, fearful for their own reasons of becoming romantically involved. Hutch struggles with his self worth and Mike, a widower, is resisting his fluid sexuality (he resists in a way I didn’t like - but that's just me). We know their journey will lead them to each other. Look out for a lovely, moving homage by Mike to his deceased spouse as his sexual confusion clears. I thought that was loving and sweet.

Although all 5 Mangrove Stories are standalones, I recommend the stories be listened to in order if you can. They flow better this way and are delightful romances, including this one which is essential reading as part of this series.

I also recommend the Audible version for all 5 stories because Greg Tremblay is narration perfection. I have already re-listened to many of the stories in this series because they are wonderful entertainment and Greg Tremblay enhances the romantic experience.

My only complaint is that whether Audible or Kindle/Amazon, each book in the series is pricy for its length. On the flipside, as I am listening to them again and again, they’ve turned out to be a sound investment.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story

I love this Mangrove series. Over the long weekend, I have listened to each of the stories. I love these shorter stories that Mary Calmes writes. Sultry Sunset has all the feels. The characters are well developed and the story is stellar. Greg Tremblay brings a greater dimension to the tapestry of the story. I can't give it enough stars.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Short, sweet little novella

Any additional comments?

It was way too short and needed more development of Mike's "I'm gay for Hutch" realization. I really had to suspend my belief for that particular coming out. But otherwise a very sweet, typical Calmes.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

hot sexy story

cute little story great narrator. is about time Mike and Hutch realize that they're in love with each other

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

More wonderful storytelling from Greg and Mary

If you’ve been reading the series (which you should, but don’t have to), you know Hutch is our grocer, and so far he’s been “interested” in every gay man the town has to offer, but has failed to find “the one”.

We find out that for the last two years he’s had a best friend, Mike “Don’t call me Michael”, living in his guest house and taking up most of his free time.

As you can predict, there is more to them than friendship, despite the fact that up til now Mike has always been straight.

**

I compare these Mangrove stories to cotton candy – one of my all time favorite foods – because they are wonderful, light, sweet and just a touch unsatisfying. Because they are so short, we don’t get a lot of lead-time to develop the tension between our MCs. Sure, Mary always gives us wonderful characters and an amazingly sweet love scene or two, but I really miss her ability to create that heat and draw out the sexual neediness between her characters that she’s just so great at.

I still love these stories, don’t get me wrong – but boy I wish they were longer.

In this case the secondary characters of Ivy and Essien almost – almost! – steal the show, but Mike and Hutch are terribly sweet together and I love them as a couple.

The mangrove series is fun because the small town and the recurrence of previous characters feels like coming home and I eagerly await the next installment.


Audio

Greg Tremblay – one of my favorite narrators – did another amazing job with this. I just love how he voiced the secondary characters including the young girl! I love listening to his telling of these stories because he makes you feel like you are part of the action. Definitely adds to the overall enjoyment of the story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

LUV LUV LUV this sweet shortie!

Mary Calmes can do no wrong for me and Greg Tremblay is the ABSOLUTE best narrator!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!