Colour the Sky Red

by Annabel Murray

Teale Munro fairly exploded into Briony's life, making unfounded accusations. Fortunately, Briony was able to prove him wrong, but it didn't make their relationship any easier. As a writer, Teale worked very unsocial hours, and he assumed that Briony would understand why he felt able to offer her only an affair. But he'd badly misjudged her - and the arrival of his small son Scott blew the situation wide open!

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1988

About the author

Annabel Murray was born Marie Bush in Bishop’s Stortford, in Hertfordshire and educated at St Mary’s Convent. She is married to Tom Murray and now lives in Southport, Lancashire. In 1979 she joined the local Writers’ Circle and is also a member of the Romantic Novelists Association. Her first Mills & Boon romance was published in 1982 and currently she has thirty novels to her credit. She has two daughters and two grandchildren, two cats and a passion for patchwork and quilting.

ANNABEL MURRAY has pursued many hobbies. She helped found an arts group in Liverpool, England, where she lives with her husband and two daughters. She loves drama: she appeared in many stage productions and went onto write an award-winning historical play. She uses all her experiences — holidays being no exception — to flesh out her characters’ backgrounds and create believable settings for her romance novels.

Reviews

[StMargarets · Rating 2 out of 5]

I normally enjoy Annabel Murray's stories, but this one didn't quite work for me.

Heroine is an artist who owns a shop and studio in a small sea-side town in England. The story opens when the hero barges in and demands to see one of her art students. The art student in question is a nervy, disheveled 30-something man who has never opened up about himself. Heroine is instantly attracted to the hero even though he says some insulting things about the heroine being the man's mistress. That opening sums up the dynamic of this relationship. Hero is shouty and leaps to conclusions and heroine melts at his hotness.

The art student is the hero's brother-in-law, married to his twin sister. The art student had been missing for six years (!?). Turns out he was in a mental institute for 4 years and is just now getting on his feet - but he's too ashamed to go back to his wife (who has stood by him all these years, even when the hero said he was the father of his ex-wife's child).

Hero is a successful writer who has a young son he doesn't pay attention to and his ex-wife is dying of cancer. He is suspicious of everyone.

Heroine does a lot of caring for hero's son and pines for her daughter who is living in France with her father. Heroine had the child when she was 17 and the father paid the boyfriend to go away. When the heroine was going to marry a neighboring farmer a few years later, her father unexpectedly died with all kinds of debts. Farmer called off the wedding because he was just marrying her for her father's land. Heroine can't support her child so at age 7 the father in France takes her.

All this is revealed in dribs and drabs. In fact the main action of the story is all of these characters finding out the (more) interesting backstories. Hero eventually decides he wants an affair with the heroine, but she holds out for marriage. Hero storms out (he does this a lot). When ex-wife dies at New Year's he proposes to heroine because he just now realizes life is short. They go to her place to finally consummate the deal but phone rings. It's heroine's daughter from France. Hero rants and raves because he didn't know about the daughter. When he finally calms down to listen to the heroine's story all is forgiven. HEA

Heroine is an eternal optimist (not stupid - just hopeful and sweet). Hero is craaaanky half the time. If she wants him, she can have him.

[Tia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again Annabel Murray has created a great book. I was a bit confused at the start but everything was quickly sorted out. The one thing I disliked is the main female wasn't open and honest about having a daughter. I felt she'd been given an unfair life and it was all being sorted out. She was finally getting all the good things she deserved when there was the confrontation over her having a daughter, despite the main male having a son himself. Oh well, it was eventually sorted and very sweet!

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not care for the characters, especially Teale Munro. I found him emotionally abusive, impatient, self-absorbed, etc. I was disgusted in the fact he didn’t care about his son regardless of if he was his or not. Then after he found out he was his son, he was only fond of him. He didn’t give the 6 year old boy the love and attention he needs. I kept hoping the book would get better but it only worsened.

I owned the book but gave it away.