Riley in the Morning: A Novel

by Sandra Brown

One of romance’s best-loved authors, Sandra Brown creates love stories whose “larger-than-life heroes and heroines make you believe all the warm, wonderful, wild things in life” ( Rendezvous ). Now the New York Times bestselling author delivers a poignant, funny, and irresistibly sensual novel about one night in the life of a man and a woman that will change their future forever.

Television producer Brin Cassidy was throwing the biggest dinner party of her life. And with everything in utter chaos, who should show up unannounced on her doorstep but her handsome estranged husband, Jon Riley.

Brin had not only worked with the popular star of Riley in the Morning, she had fallen in love with and married him. She knew she owed Riley an explanation for why she walked out. But did he have to come on this of all nights?

Temperamental, charismatic, and devastatingly blue-eyed, Riley was a man who knew what he wanted, and he wasn’t leaving until he got it. But the sensuous and strong-willed beauty he still called his wife was every bit his match.

From dusk until dawn the two will experience a second honeymoon of passion, seduction, and deep revelation that will determine if there is any future for Riley in the morning.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Harlequin, Adult, Romantic Suspense

240 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE(2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.

In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Reviews

[Mo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Think I need to avoid some of her older books.

[Christian · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting combination of a second-chance romance that started out as a whirlwind romance between two high-powered professionals, both with egos the size of Jupiter. I liked the flashback sequences, with the tough and confident heroine standing up to the egotistical hero, the push and pull personality-wise, and eventually their falling in love with each other - although it seemed more physical than emotional at the time. I wouldn't be surprised if that somehow contributed to their marriage breaking down.

Then we find out why the heroine left. Professional jealousy combined with low self esteem that led to bedroom inadequacy? Yikes. I can understand the feeling of being overlooked and underappreciated, but when you're living with a famous celebrity, isn't that somewhat expected? I feel like the whole situation could have been avoided if the heroine wasn't so petty and jealous of her husband's fame and actually TALKED to him. Or at least bring in a therapist or marriage counselor first, instead of just running off without saying a word. I ended up feeling sorry for the husband even though he started out awful.

In the end, I'm not sure if I like these characters very much. They're fun to psychoanalyze, though, and the story is a nice, quick read.

[Darcy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is another rare book that I made it to the end and didn't like it. Part of the reason why I didn't care for this one was the narrator, she tried to do that sexy breathless voice that is just bad!! I would have given it up, but I wanted to know what the reason was Brin left Riley and we weren't told until the last disc, and at that point I figured I might as well finish this one. This is one of the author's older books so there were cliche's abound and some things that did make me laugh, like the reference to not missing Dallas on tv.

Overall this was a very predictable story, with blah characters that just isn't worth your time.

[Anca.T · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book ( among other books) as a gift.It was so dumb.....what a waste of time. Very short, plot almost inexistent, childish characters.

[Ahmed Ismail · Rating 2 out of 5]

"𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙, 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚."

Television producer Brin Cassidy was throwing a big party, but her hairy-chested estranged husband, Jon Riley decided to show up unannounced. Brin worked and fell in love with Riley, the popular star of Riley in the Morning, a hit TV show. They got married and after fifteen months, Brin leaves her husband with no explanation whatsoever. Riley went after her, seven months after her unexplained abandonment, hell-bent on knowing why she'd left him. So, they spend the after-party night chasing their own tails.
This book was published in 1985 and it doesn't reflect its time at all. Here are my thoughts in points:
1) The twenty-first-century Sandra Brown is way better than her pre-2000 self. She used to strictly write romance back then, but now her romantic thrillers are out of this world. I'm glad the first book I read by her was her 2001 Envy.
2) I don't know why most of her last century male protagonists are hairy-chested and the females are virgins in their 20s and sometimes 30s.
3) The reason why Brin left her beloved husband was so dumb I wanted to advise Riley never to think of that woman ever again.
4) This is an easy, fast read. I'm glad it is.
5) This book doesn't reflect Sandra Brown's exquisite talent as a writer. The woman is a brilliant writer with stories that leave you utterly speechless. This is the kind of book one may write when working on a deadline while having no clue what to write.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Supposedly a romance, but I don't see anything romantic about sexual harassment and domestic violence and intimidation.

[Grace Vogel · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an okay book.

[M.E. Aster · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book years ago at a garage sale and although I’m a fan of some of Sandra Brown’s works…I can’t recommend this one.

The characters in the story are hard to like. Riley doesn’t know how to take no for an answer and he also seems to have an anger problem. And Brin can’t communicate to save her life and she runs instead of facing her problems head on.

The only reason I finished this book was because I was curious to the actual reason Brin left Riley but the reveal wasn’t worth the wait. I honestly debated on DNFing the book multiple times and although it was a short read I wish I had listened to my instincts.

[Kiersten · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars for Sterwart. Loved you
2 stars for Dim Whit Whitney. Love her
2 stars for the coppery nipples

Jon Riley was totally a green flag. Love him

I laughed a lot. I laughed so I hard I cried. Great book. 2/5 stars. Do recomend for a fun quick read if you've got humor like me.

P.S.
The ending have me


Really? Really had to say those words?

[Judy Churchill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t like this nearly as much as I’ve liked the others. It was okay but not outstanding. Still, Sandra Brown is the consummate story teller. I can hardly wait to start the next story.

[Rhonda B · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first word that comes to mind is FLUFF. This is one of those books that is so predictable the reader could probably write it yourself. But, it was an easy read and allowed me to dream live through the characters.

[Lawona · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5stars
At first I wasn't liking the book. Wasnt to thrilled with some of the book. However the ending was the best part. Even though I knew it was going to happen early on in the book.

[Mackenzie McClellan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short read. Good, but not great.

[Cecelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book at a used book sale - at a Labor Day Festival in my town. I LOVE Sandra Brown's books but this one wasn't as good as her later books. I finished it, and I was sort of interested in seeing what happened. I guess, for me, I just wanted to know why she (the female main character) left her husband. I really wanted to know why and I don't find out until the end! The pattern of the book, the way it's written, is okay. It's a light read to keep you occupied on a lazy afternoon.

[S.J. Tyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short novel (I read the whole book in one evening), and I actually liked it better than some of the other "older" titles I've read from popular romance fiction authors. This one has the wit and casual banter that I enjoyed when I first started reading Sandra Brown's books way back when. The humor was the thing that I enjoyed the most about her books, and it was the reason that I read more of her titles after that. It's not a particularly deep storyline, but it's sweet little story about a married but separated couple and their road to discussing what went wrong in their marriage and why the wife (Brin) left her husband (Jon). I like that the story was told in present day and flashbacks interspersed, and the buildup to finding out why the two separated makes you want to keep reading to the end. Just a short, simple, and sweet story.

Synopsis:
When Brin Cassidy left her husband, Jon Riley, star of the hit TV show Riley in the Morning, she thought that would be the end. But the unpredictable Riley appears at Brin's door as she is preparing for an important dinner party, demanding to know why she left him. Brin knows he won't leave without an answer -- but is she ready to face him?

[Ifnur Hikmah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kapan terakhir kali baca Harlequin? Sempat ada masanya buku-buku Harlequin jadi escape place karena ceritanya yang ringan dan ujung-ujungnya giggling sendiri.

Untuk tema hot cover, langsung bongkar koleksi Harlequin yang masih tersedia. Salah satunya Riley in The Morning.
Ceritanya padat banget, cuma dalam kurun 12 jam. Jon Riley, host acara Riley in The Morning, datang ke rumah istrinya yang udah tujuh bulan pergi dari rumah. Dulu, Riley dan Brin tim yang kompak. Brin ini produser untuk acara Riley in The Morning yang sukses bikin acara itu meledak.
Kedatangan Riley jelas mengganggu, karena Brin lagi dalam tahap galau untuk nerima kerjaan bonafid di LA tapi harus cerai dari Riley atau stay di San Fransisco dan perbaiki pernikahannya. Di sisi lain, Riley mendesaknya dengan pertanyaan: ‘why’d you left me?’. Brin be like: ‘After seven months, why you have to come tonight?’
Jadilah sepanjang malam itu Riley mencari tahu jawaban sementara Brin harus bikin keputusan. Kita diajak flashback ke masa-masa mereka kenalan, benci-benci cinta, shotgun wedding, dan gongnya ada di penyebab Brin ninggalin Riley.
Ketika baca, kok rasanya jadul ya? Vibe-nya jadul, detail yang ditampilin jadul, teknologi juga. Setelah dicek, ternyata pertama terbit tahun 1985 meski diterjemahin pertama kali 2008. Quite shock, tapi justru ini yang bikin enjoy bacanya. Seems like we were trapped in Twilight Zone with Brin.
One thing for sure, Sandra Brown quite visioner ya kalau dilihat dari konflik yang disajikan. Semua tebakan gue salah, dan ketika gong itu kebuka, surprise karena konfliknya relate sama kehidupan sekarang. Ketika seorang istri merasa kehilangan siapa dirinya dan jadi bayang-bayang suaminya yang memang egonya segede gaban. How they deal with it? Pastinya simple karena ceritanya gak bikin mikir hehe.
Beberapa jokes yang seksis dan sikap chauvinis Riley meski katanya cuma bercanda bikin enggak nyaman. Di masa itu mungkin masih ditolerir, tapi sekarang quite problematic.
Tiga jam aja baca buku ini
#harlequin #sandrabrown #chicklit #bookreview #reviewbuku #noveldewasa
#revelrebelreadingchallenge

[Janet Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another of Sandra Brown's early romance novels, but not her best effort. While it is well written and has great characters, for me, it falls flat in some aspects.
Yes, all Brown's novels end with the male and female protagonists living happily ever after. This one, however, has a blip in the middle of their lives.
Brin Cassidy is a smart and savvy woman who knows what she wants and how to get it.
John Riley is a sexy television personality who hosts a morning talk show. He is also difficult to deal with...enter Brin. She whips him into shape and saves the show.
But the book begins seven months after this, taking less than 24 hours to resolve an issue that, perhaps, should never have happened. The book is fleshed out with their backstory in a series of flashbacks.
This vehicle works well to fill in the gaps. The only problem is that, after fifteen months of marriage, Brin had run away and left Riley. She provided no explanation.
Now we, the readers, are at that point, seven months later. Why did she leave? If it IS true love, why didn't she talk to Riley about whatever problem assaulted their marriage? Why did he let her be gone all that time without asking what went wrong?
These are excellent personalities, who deserve to be seen as intelligent enough to talk it out. That is where the story faltered for me. During the one day they finally came face to face with one another, their problem was quickly resolved with conversation. Love rules again.

[Chrisangel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had potential, bur sure didn't live up to it. It does, however, reinforce the fact that lack of communication is what destroys relationships and for two people in the communications business, they sure didn't know much about it. Physical attraction was the only thing holding these two together, I never got the feeling that they were really in love.

Brin came across as especially annoying. She's a grown woman, successful television producer, but emotionally is more of a high school girl on the yearbook staff. She's another person playing the victim card, feeling neglected and overshadowed by her TV star husband. Well, DUH! If you get involved with a celebrity, you should be aware from the start that their career is going to take up a lot of their time, and you may have to take a back seat more than once. If you're not the type who can live with that, then you shouldn't get involved in the first place. No sympathy from me.

And no wish for a HEA either. Like Rhett in GWTW, I was hoping Riley would tell her he didn't give a damn, and walk out for good.

[Bona Caballero · Rating 2 out of 5]

Otra novelita genérica de las publicadas por Sandra Brown en los años ochenta. Esta era la Loveswept n.º 115 y salió en noviembre de 1985.
Tópico harlequinero: matrimonio en crisis. La productora Brin Cassidy lleva siete meses sin hablarse con su marido, la estrella Jon Riley… hasta que él reaparece en un momento no muy oportuno.
Me resultó muy interesante la estructura del libro. Va desde el anochecer, cuando Riley llega a casa de su mujer, hasta el amanecer del día siguiente, y te cuenta con flashbacks lo que ocurrió entre ellos en el pasado.
Quitando eso, es una novela bastante prescindible. No es de las que yo aconsejaría traducir.
Crítica más amplia, en mi blog.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brin Cassidy is a television producer who brought "Riley in the Morning" to being the number one rated morning talk show. Jon Riley is the arrogant host of the show. Somehow, their relationship takes on a romantic side to the point of marriage, but eventually, they separate because Brin feels underappreciated. Honestly, Jon does come across as dense. About seven months after they separate, Jon turns up on the porch where Brin is house sitting for a while. She's hosting a surprise birthday party for her new boss. This night could determine the destiny for Jon and Cassidy's marriage. For me, it was an okay story. I like Sandra Brown, and I think she offers depth to her characters.

[Nicola Hebron · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a very poor book by a great author, I’ll give her a little credit because it is one from early in her truly impressive career but still a poor book. The jumping around between the past and the present annoyed me as it all seemed very jumbled and you could easily get mixed up. The character of Brit was very annoying and her reasoning for leaving her husband was just truly pathetic, for something that was built up over the whole book I was seriously disappointed. Riley was the most stereotypical character ever for a romance book, everything he did I could predict and he was seriously conceited. Like i said at the beginning a very disappointing read.

[Donna Schwartz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed with the way this novel was constructed. To some extent it was interesting in the beginning when the author did flashbacks to show the two main characters, Brin and Jon, first met.
After a while, though, I felt like I was experiencing whiplash as the back and forth of the story progressed.
They seem madly in love and then it takes till the end of the book before the truth about why Brin left Jon finally comes out. Needless to say for a professional, she didn't do a very good job at letting him know where he went wrong.
Guess I basically didn't feel much sympathy for either of them.

[Deborah D · Rating 2 out of 5]

Must have been one of Sandra Browns very first books. I found it very cat and mouse with the main character and her husband, it wasnt til the very end you found out why she left him, then it was such a petty thing, it made me feel stupid for completing the book, but I never like to stop reading any book! I definitely would not recommend this book to anyone, Sandra Brown is one of my favorite authors, but had I read this book first I know I would not have read another by this author! So glad I found this at a garage sale for a quarter!!😜

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

The h knows the reason she left H was juvenile. She admits to her mistakes. The H is like an adolescent adult but cute with it and has the ego of a star. Despite or rather because of their self admitted character flaws and how they are with each other, the story really worked very well. Its admittedly not a typical romance story but Riley and Brin really were very relatable and best of all flawed in the best way we know we are. Kudos for writing something so light hearted yet realistic story.

[L Cherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I enjoy Sandra Brown’s short romance stories. I thought this was good and well written. The story wasn’t amazing or really deep but the situation seemed like it could happen in any relationship with certain insecurities. I connected with the characters so to me it was just a good story.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

An estranged husband and wife getting back together is a little easier to read about than Ms. Brown's usual pushy male putting the moves on an innocent woman who doesn't know how to fend him off, although there is a little of that in the "before" scenes. The back and forth between before and after the estrangement is so well done that it is not at all disruptive to the reading.

[Lorraine Anton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good!

Riley is host of the morning Show, "Riley in the Morning".

Brin is the producer.

Thy were in love or seemed to be.

She leaves him.

Then when she thought she thought he was out of her life he showed up after seven months

and wanted ANSWERS



#12 BNB Challenge

[Caecilia Rilis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is definitely not my kind of book. I am sorry, but the plot is too simple. The conflict is boring and so does the character.
I am just finished it because i feel i have to. My first Sandra brown and i doubted for reading more if hers.

[Liba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book about a separated couple .They meet again after 7 months and try to understand what went wrong .The actual story takes place during one night, wiuth flashbacks to the last year and a half .A bit too much sex scenes.

[Alexandra K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tina Cassidy hat nach 13 Monat Ehe, ihr Mann Jon Riley verlassen. Plötzlich steht er vor der Tür, erwartungsweise in einem ungünstigen Zeitpunkt. Tina gibt eine Geburtstagsparty für einen eventuellen neuen Chef. Jon springt spontan als Barkeeper ein, als dieser nicht erscheint.