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From USA TODAY bestselling author Tia Louise, a Bright Lights novella intended to be read between Under the Lights and Under the Stars.

Strangers on a train; names on a list.

It's a simple job.
In and out, instant karma.
Then he appears to derail everything.

He's the boy I haven't seen in five years.
He's the boy who wanted to be my hero, who I thought died fighting the demons.

Only he didn't die.
He survived, and now he's a man.
Worse, he's a cop.

He's gorgeous and strong, and the best sex I've ever had.
He's my dream come true...

But this train has left the station, and there's no turning back.
Payback arrives at sundown.

(A CONTEMPORARY ROMANTIC SUSPENSE NOVELLA. A slightly different version of "Sundown" originally appeared in THE VAULT anthology.)

91 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 17, 2017

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About the author

Tia Louise

59 books6,773 followers
Tia Louise is the USA Today best-selling, award-winning author of spicy-sweet military romance, small town romance, single parent romance, and romantic suspense novels.

✔️KEEP UP with all the latest SALES and NEW RELEASES by getting her weekly Newsletter (+ 3 FREE Bonus stories!) here: https://geni.us/TLMnews

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5 stars
71 (34%)
4 stars
67 (33%)
3 stars
49 (24%)
2 stars
12 (5%)
1 star
4 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
Profile Image for Carol [Goodreads Addict].
2,597 reviews25.1k followers
January 22, 2018
Sundown is book #0.5 in the Bright Lights Duet by Tia Louise. This novella needs to be read in between the other two books. It takes place five years after the ending of Under The Lights.

It’s been five years since Mark, now Detective Mark Fitzhugh, has seen Lara. But she has always been in his head, in his dreams, and in his heart. Mark is on his annual journey from British Columbia to Juneau and back on the White Pass-Yukon Route. It’s the winter and the weather is bad and there is hardly anyone on the train. Then SHE walks into the dining car. He can’t believe it’s her, after all these years.

passenger train winter

Lara, now going by Lia Hale, and Molly, who is now eighteen, walk into the dining car when she sees him. He’s alive! She had always thought him dead, had grieved him. But he was still always there in her heart, in her memories. But she can’t let on that she knows him. She and Molly have a reason for this trip.

Lara and Mark have a few hours together and they once again experience the joy their bodies remember together. But that joy is short lived.

sundown tia louise

This is a very short interlude that joins the two books of this duet. It leaves me crazy with excitement to continue the story in book two, Under the Stars. This series leaves me breathless and I can’t wait to see how this all turns out.

“She held me and called me by my name as I dreamed of another life. A life where I was more than her hero. A life where I saved her from the demons. We will have that life. I’m going to find her, and this time, we’ll finish it for good.”

“You’ll always be my girl.”


Profile Image for Michelle.
1,539 reviews163 followers
January 3, 2018
*ARC provided by the author for an honest review*

So good.

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Mark and Lara are becoming one of my favourite characters from a Tia Louise series. They are so hot together even after the time they have spent apart. There time together hasnt been easy and still isnt. There are so many things goin against them but the chemistry between them never dies.

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It's 5 years since they have seen each other. Once they set eyes on each other's there is shock. They never thought they would see each other again after everything. There is so much that needs to be said and stories that need to be told. But time is never in there favour.

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This book is a novella that's was part of The Vault Anthology. It's also a novella from The Bright Lights duet. This is set after the first book Under The Light. Which is a brilliant book. Like I said the characters are just brilliant. There sexual chemistry is crazy hot. The story is so good I just can't get enough of it once I start. This book as just made me want the next book so bad. I m a huge fan of this author for years and I have to say her work just keeps getting better. I would highly recommend this.

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Profile Image for Tia Louise.
Author 59 books6,773 followers
October 17, 2017
I think you're going to love this novella... It's a little different. A little bit of a brain teaser... But hold onto your panties, because it's sizzling hot and tempting~
Profile Image for Carvanz.
2,177 reviews799 followers
February 19, 2018
So this was a very interesting little read that takes place between Under the Lights and Under the Stars. It’s been five years since Mark and Lara were separated in the most tragic of ways. Now they are reunited in the most unlikely of places. This had a bit of an Agatha Christie feel to it as we are introduced to several characters previously unknown, all traveling on a train in the Yukon/Alaska wilderness. A blizzard is being predicted and everyone is gathered in the dining car. Definitely a who-done-it atmosphere.

Mark and Lara are drawn together for a night of passion and although they share a bit about where they went or what happened during that dramatic time so long ago, neither goes into much detail leaving the reader questioning what exactly is taking place on this isolated train.

The ending was definitely a bit of a shocker and I’ve got to admit I’m curious as heck to find out what, how, why. On to the next!

Dual POV
Safe – very short read so any info regarding celibacy is unknown; no ow/om drama here
No apparent triggers
Profile Image for MJLovestoRead.
2,030 reviews51 followers
October 10, 2017
I read this as part of the upcoming The Vault anthology and was I blown away!

A new to me author, Sundown by Tia Louise was an adventure I only come across once in a great while. A bit of a mystery as Larissa and her 'sister' Molly board a train in the snowy wilderness to exact revenge when they were poor and abused in the French Quarter. And when Larissa meets the eyes of Mark Fitzhugh after what seems like a lifetime apart, her plan just got a bit muddied. I love the adrenaline-fueled rush felt as a very colorful cast of characters adds to the plan hatched by both Molly and Larissa. It's like riding on the Orient Express and these two very carefully find their mark and don't stop until they get what they are after. Mark being thrown into the mix adds a bittersweet romance that neither were prepared for. Their unexpected trysts were wildly sexy and held deep-seeded emotion from years before. With a conclusion that has me craving so much more, I look forward to the next part of the story that is sure to be as intricately appealing as the first.
A huge 5 stars!
Profile Image for Cindy.
891 reviews23 followers
October 17, 2017
Tia Louise is a new to me author. But I was not letdown by her novella, Sundown.

Sundown had it all a hint of mystery, intrigue, murder! A tale that grabbed ahold of me from start to finish.

We meet Larissa and Mark a few years prior. He wants a second chance to save the woman he didn't get to then. He becomes a detective. Watching Mark and Larissa come together years later was beautiful. Their connection is SIZZLING! I love how Tia gave us such beautifully, flawed characters. Ones you can relate to and root for. I LOVED this story!! I can't wait to see where this story goes next!!

*I voluntarily read an arc of The Vault. This is my honest review of Sundown*
6,507 reviews30 followers
October 9, 2017
Great characters and plot. A must read. I volunteered to read an advance copy for an honest review.
Profile Image for Veronica LaRoche.
4,327 reviews58 followers
October 12, 2017
This story is very intriguing. It’s about revenge and second chance at love. Mark a sexy detective who has never forgot about Larissa meets by chance again and there reunion is hot & sexy but short lived. Mark will do anything to find Larissa and when he does he will get a surprise he never expected.

I voluntarily reviewed this Advanced Reader Copy of this book
Profile Image for Pam.
361 reviews29 followers
January 8, 2018
This novella packs a punch. We pick up 5 years after Mark and Lara’s separation and their amazing chemistry is alive and well. Mark has acquired his dream of becoming a detective. But what life has given Lara is unknown.

What we do know is there is a train, some intrigue and a terrible crime! I have to know what happened!

5+
Profile Image for Amber.
1,222 reviews33 followers
January 2, 2018
Sundown is a decadent and teasing glimpse into the past and the future at once. It will light you on fire and delight your senses as you become a piece of a chessmasters board. A seemingly innocent and chance meeting will turn your world upside down as a twisted and complex plot slowly unravels.

This novella is a mouth-watering tease of a prelude to book 2 in the under the light series. Nothing compares to the writing of Tia Louise, and this is no exception. You will be left waiting and wondering, but the journey will steal the very breath from your lungs Tia style.
Profile Image for Suzanne Radcliffe.
335 reviews7 followers
October 6, 2017
Sundown is a great novella in The Vault Anthology Volume 1 and is about Mark & Larissa.

I found it an intriguing story of revenge and second chances.

It's also an introduction to a new duet from what has to be my favorite author in the romance genre. I can't think of one book or story of Tia's that I haven't loved.

I'm really looking forward to reading more about this couple and their story!
Profile Image for Lisa.
2,290 reviews72 followers
January 22, 2018
Sundown by Tia Louise bridges the gap between the two books in the Bright Lights Duet . This is essentially the detailed story of when Lara and Mark run into each other after five years apart. He thought she was lost to him. She thought he was dead. They each have their own agendas for being on the train but their love for each other just cannot keep them apart. A nice little teaser that helped ease the wait until book two came out. Enjoy!
Profile Image for Karin Gesell.
1,588 reviews35 followers
October 9, 2017
There's intrigue here, you could tell right from the beginning. And there's such heat, and history, and love love love. Oh, and some some hot sexiness. I loved this. I loved their wounded souls and I loved their fight. Mark & Larissa won me over
Profile Image for Clare Fuentes.
233 reviews16 followers
October 23, 2017
This novella was filled with a lot information, yet you were keep on the edge after every page. I love the detective feel of the book but sex was still a part of the story.
Profile Image for Lauren.
1,378 reviews25 followers
January 26, 2018
She sure knows how to make you continue! Gotta know more
Profile Image for Kaitlynn.
124 reviews6 followers
January 27, 2018
I loved this book!!! It was my first book I ever read by Tia Louise and I must say she is amazing and I can't wait to get the bright lights duet to read!!!!! This book is a must read y'all!!!!!!💕💕💕💕💕
Profile Image for Heather Merriman.
687 reviews26 followers
January 2, 2018
Finished Under the Lights today and was excited to read this to get a mini-reunion between Lara and Mark! And oh, what a sexy, hot reunion it is! I can’t wait to to read the conclusion in Under the Stars to see Mark go after the life he’s been dreaming of! So good!! I originally bought The Vault which include Sundown but this story has since been revised by the Author. I received a revised copy and voluntarily left my honest review.
Profile Image for Donna Purcell Zappone.
581 reviews6 followers
March 18, 2018
This is a very quick novella in the Vault Anthology.
It's full of OMG sexiness.
Romance.
Second chances.
Mystery that left you on the edge of your seat right from page one.
Profile Image for Kim BookJunkie ~ Editor & Proofreader.
2,011 reviews56 followers
April 28, 2018
5 years after Mark is dragged away and presumed dead, he and Lara, “coincidentally” encounter one another a sleeper train in Alaska. Although their reunion was sexy as he||, I was disappointed by how lacking their communication was. I have so many questions that are still unanswered and assume the characters would too after being separated for 5 years! The other issue I had with this book is that it had a historical vibe at times (historical romance is one of my least favorite genres). The characters Mark and Lara met on the train were regal and pretentious with names like Aleister, Baron Esterhaus, Ustinov and Fragonard. These characters and there pompous names might have been appropriate if the train was traveling through Europe but they were in Alaska! Even the description of the train made the context feel dated, the stateroom containing, “...plush Persian rugs and thick velvet curtains...”. Unexpectedly, this book is not just a romance as during the last 5%, it becomes a crime/mystery. With yet another cliffhanger, I guess I’ll have to go onto the next book to find out how things finally work out for this couple!
Profile Image for LisaMarie .
469 reviews1 follower
January 6, 2018
So much story packed into a small package!
I'm reading a little backwards here because I've already read Under the Lights, the first book in Tia Louises' new duet. The duet is Lara and Mark's more in depth story.
I love this couple! They have so much history together that is only touched up in in this story. Their HEAT and attraction to one another is timeless and consuming.
Sundown has intrigue, suspense, firey sex scenes, A seance and a murder...all taking place in a train speeding through a white tundra!
Are you curious yet? You should be! (Winks)
Profile Image for Erin Remen.
973 reviews21 followers
February 19, 2018
Revenge is sweet

A great way to bring two people together again and hopefully set the scene for what's to come in the conclusion of Mark and Lara's story. Fantastic short story that has me reaching for the next book as I leave this review behind.
Profile Image for Les Chroniques Aléatoires.
1,615 reviews17 followers
January 21, 2018
Quand j’ai apprit que l’ellipse de 5 ans entre les deux tomes de la duologie Bright Lights était expliquée était disponible dans l’anthologie The Vault, j’étais ravie et je me suis dépêchée de la lire puisque j’avais le recueil en question en ma possession. Résultat, j’ai été assez surprise sur certains puisque la version que j’ai, est différente de la finale publiée en 2018 et qui s’intègre à la série.

Certaines actions et points de chronologies sont totalement différentes de ce qu’il se passe dans Under the Lights et cela peut déstabiliser. C’est surtout notable dans le prologue qui est un flashback de la fin du premier tome mais du point de vue de Mark, et qui ne concorde pas du tout avec la description de Lara. C’est aussi le cas avec le dernier chapitre qui ne correspond pas à la chronologie des évènements qui se produisent dans la série en soit.

Mais mettant cela de côté, Sundown est une très bonne nouvelle qui touche plus au romantic suspens qu’à la Dark Romance, bien que certains détails laisse entrevoir ce genre, notamment avec Molly (qui a un rôle différent dans la vie de Mark et Lara). L’histoire ici me rappelle un peu Le Crime de l’Orient Express d’Agatha Christie avec un policier dans un train sans arrêt et un crime qui va avoir lieu.

Marc s’est endurcit en 5 années, son rêve d’entrer dans les forces de police s’est réalisée et c’est devenu un homme sûr de lui, puissant et de confiance. Lara elle a souffert pendant leur séparation, vivant en enfer, même après avoir quitté la Nouvelle Orléans. Ils sont pris des chemins totalement opposés pour au final se retrouver dans un même endroit, comme si le destin continuait à se jouer d’eux.

Cette nouvelle peut-être lu indépendamment mais je ne vous cacherais pas qu’elle vous donnera envie d’en connaitre davantage sur Mark et Lara, si ce n’est pas pour savoir comment les choses se passent entre eux dans l’avenir, pour découvrir comment ils se sont rencontrer !
October 17, 2017
This is one the gems contained in the new anthology THE VAULT. I sure hope this is the preview of a new series by this author. It is interesting and enigmatic as it lulls you in to the mystery of seeking revenge. Justice must be extracted at any cost.

Larissa meets Mark by sheer fate on their train ride on the White Pass-Yukon Route. The five years that have passed since they knew each other melt away as the old feelings rush forward. The seduction is on, but her ultimate goal cannot be postponed. Not even for him.

This is a great treat of a story. I hope our author writes more about these characters in the future.

I am voluntarily reviewing this book. Thank you to the author for sharing a copy with me.
Profile Image for Linda Rea.
2,180 reviews15 followers
October 7, 2017
When Mark is traveling on a train in the winter that almost no one travels he meets his usual people the Baron included but he didn't expect to see a young girl Molly and his Lara. When he was younger he was just a servant in the theater and he tried to save Lara but he was beaten and left for dead in Alaska but he is a detective now. Just when he realizes Lara and he can reconnect she disappears with Molly leaving a dead Baron but why did they kill the man? You get answers to some questions but not all so the fact that I am satisfied for now I will be looking for the continuation of this story.
Profile Image for Jennifer Guffey.
1,113 reviews41 followers
January 20, 2018
Hot & intriguing

This novella was first released in The Vault anthology. And while it could be read separately, it will certainly intrigue you into wanting to know the story of these characters. So, read Under the Lights first and then jump back for this one!

The beginning starts out 5 years after Under The Lights. There is mystery & intrigue & hotness!! Mark & Lara are reunited (but only for a short time, thus the mystery!) and it is hot, hot, hot. Molly is a young 18 year old woman with a shroud of mystery encircling her life.

I’m excited for the final book in Mark & Lara’s duet and for Molly’s book coming in March!
Profile Image for Carly.
785 reviews3 followers
February 24, 2018
This book really needs to be read in between book 1 and book 2 of this series. I would have probably enjoyed it a little bit more if I read book 1 Under the Lights. This book takes place 5 years after the end of Under the Lights. There is a reunion between Mark and Larisa on a train between Canada and Alaska. Things are complicated because Mark is now a police detective and Larisa and her friend Molly are out for revenge.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews

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