Jill Sorenson - Backwoods

When plans for a wilderness retreat with her teenage daughter Brooke go awry, Abby Hammond reluctantly pairs up with Brooke's stepbrother and his dad, Nathan Strom, for the weeklong trek. The only thing Abby has in common with the bad-boy former pro athlete is that their exes cheated with each other. That…and a visceral attraction that's growing more complicated with every step through the picturesque woods.
Nathan's wild-card reputation lost him his career and his family. After years of regret, he's ready to fight for what truly matters—and that includes Abby's hard-won trust. When Brooke goes missing, Nathan knows he's her best and only hope of rescue. But the deeper into the rugged mountains they go, the more dangerous the territory will prove—for their safety and for their hearts.

Comment: This is the fourth and final installment in the Aftershock series by author Jill Sorenson, featuring situations after a major earthquake in the first book. The following books are centered about characters related to that first story and, in this final book's case, a difficult situation where some characters mention the earthquake, which means this is probably the most "separate" story of them all.

We meet Abby Hammond in this book, she's going with her teenage daughter to a wilderness retreat but she's not really looking for it, not only because she isn't fond of wilderness but mainly because her ex and his new wife will be there as well. Things ended awkwardly between them after Abby caught her husband cheating but she will endure this for her daughter.

Surprisingly - or not - the couple doesn't show up, but Nathan Strom is there instead, trying to mend things with his son. This can be a tricky situation, Nathan and Abby meet and they know they have in common the fact their exes are now married. Although personal issues aside, the wilderness also provides a dire situation for the group, which also includes Leo, Nathan's son. Will the four of them survive the wilderness?

I was looking for to read this story by the premise: two strangers meet at a retreat and they know they were both cheated by their former spouses who are now married to each other. At the same time, one of them wanted to reassure a daughter, the other wanted to get closer again to his son. More than the suspense part which I knew would eventually happen, it was this weird family dynamic that interested me the most.

Many readers like this author's work because of how complex some family situations are and, indeed, I agree, this is the best part and I always roo for them to find a common ground in order to find peace somehow.

The plot is interesting to follow but I confess it wasn't as captivating as the one from book #1. The adventure felt like was there mostly to match the suspense label this book belongs to but I think simply the emotional baggage portrayed here would have been enough to complete the book on its own.

I liked how the teenagers, Brooke and Leo were great friends, a status that developed because of their parents' marriage but their relationship is a bit more complicated than that. they are attracted to one another but Leo especially knows Brooke is his best friend and is afraid of ruining that. His take in life isn't as confident as hers and he doesn't want to lose something special. I really liked how realistic their relationship felt like and even better was how nothing between them was perceived as a HEA...they are too young and not mature enough to settle now.

As for the main couple, Abby and Nathan, I thought their connection was believable, the doubts they had and the steps they took seemed to be realistic enough, even more when considering the problems they had because of the negative aspect of adventure they all went through. I still think they acted a bit too quickly, after all, they had just met, but maybe the family issues discussions could have added some layers to their relationships which probably gave me the impression something more was going on and that made them seem closer somehow.

Personally, I also didn't mind this book was more focused on the characters and romance, rather than the plot, which was what happened with the previous stories.

All things considered, this felt like a good story for me. I still think the emotional aspects were one the best things about it, but at the same time, it could have been pushed a bit more into perfection territory. For the page count used, it was pretty good, in fact. There is just something about it that makes me feel slightly apart from everything and I can't pinpoint what, but... something's missing, which would have made me like this more.

Still, a good read, enjoyable for the genre.

Grade: 7/10

Jill Sorenson - Badlands

Every day, bodyguard Owen Jackson puts his life on the line — and keeps his feelings for Penny Sandoval locked away. Assigned to protect Penny's father, a presidential candidate, Owen can't get emotionally involved. That is, until Penny and her young son, Cruz, are abducted and taken deep into the California badlands.
Owen knows the bleak territory from his childhood. Worse, he knows the gang leader making ransom demands — his own brother, Shane. When a terrified Penny escapes into the desert with Cruz, Owen has to save her: from the elements and from the gang in close pursuit. Owen has hidden the darkness in his past from Penny. Now his only chance of keeping her alive is to let her see the man he really is — even if it means losing the only woman he'll ever want. 

Comment: This is the third story in the Aftershock series by author Jill Sorenson. I liked the previous two books, I think the plots were quite original in their way and while getting to know those protagonists, we were also told about Owen and Penny, two characters strongly active in the first book. We've been aware of the attraction between them and now it was finally their awaited story.

Owen is an ex convict with a sweet and fair soul who simply got mixed in problems he couldn't avoid or situations he didn't fully control. He paid his dues, he got his lesson learned while at prison and he just wants to live his life in peace now. He proved his value during the earthquake that brought him to Penny's group and now his life is more or less organized but he still thinks he isn't good enough, much less to be with Penny.

Penny is a teenager mom, she loves her son dearly but she feels like her parents still control too much of her life. She grew up a lot since she was a mother at 17 but now that some years have gone by, she knows two things, she will protect her son and she loves Owen.

Dealing with a kidnapping is stressful and can be dangerous, but will Penny and Owen finally come together?

I liked this story, I think the expectations readers have come to hope for were met well enough. I really liked how the romance progressed and how people from different spectrum of society can find common ground and be happy. I think this is one of the best things about these stories, how different people somehow find their other half in someone apparently not the one they should be attracted to.

The greatest strength of this story is the main couple. We are aware of both their low self esteem feelings and how things just don't happen easily for neither, despite the different status in life they have. There's a certain realistic flavor here that I appreciated a lot when it came to their relationship.

Owen in particular is a fascinating character, the things he went through, even his darkest confession closer to the end of the book didn't demote him as a character or as someone we can consider worthy of a good HEA or love. I really think Owen is the best character in the series and I was very happy he could own his happiness and try, despite all the negative aspects of his past.

Penny is a likable character, I liked how she wasn't just cruising through life, she had a purpose, she was still naive despite what she saw and along with Owen's vulnerability, they became the best couple.

The plot isn't too complex but the scenes we go through give us glimpses of the character's thoughts, including a pretty good idea of the bad guy's background and reasons. Thankfully it's a third person narrator so to my personal taste it was good we didn't spend too long on this, things happen very well involved with the main romance taking center stage. But we still get to understand why some things happen and, as always, we get to understand too nothing is ever only black and white, there are shades of color that justifies - or not - some actions. It was good to have several layers to be "studied" while moving along the story.

And, as it has become a habit, we have a sort of secondary romance - which I definitely don't consider a romance but offers some other notions - to, in my opinion, work almost as a counterbalance to the main one.

I enjoyed reading this story, I especially loved rooting for Owen and wishing he got all the best. A great example of a story not featuring an alpha male type but someone we can connect with and whose sensitivity makes us want to see him succeed.

I hope the last story is as intriguing.

Grade: 8/10

Jill Sorenson - Freefall

Park ranger Hope Banning's plans for a little R & R are put on hold when a plane crashes at the top of a remote mountain. Hope will have to climb the summit and assess the situation. And the only climbing partner available is Sam Rutherford--the enigmatic man she spent a night with six months ago.
Ever since Sam lost his girlfriend in a falling accident, he insists on climbing solo. But Hope and any potential survivors need his help. As Sam and Hope set out on an emergency search-and-rescue mission, he realizes the sparks still sizzle between them. And when they learn a killer is among the survivors, they must place their trust in each other for a chance at happiness.

Comment: This is the second installment in the Aftershock series by author Jill Sorenson. I ended up liking the first book a lot and in the following months will finish the series. This didn't have a romance as sexy as the first but offered enough elements to make it a good story.

When a small plane crashes, Ranger Hope Banning puts a hold on her vacations with her sister to help see if anyone needs help. There aren't many people around to help in her climbing except Sam Rutherford, someone she would prefer not to see again.

Sam obviously recognizes the woman with whom he was months ago and that makes it an awkward situation when he is asked to work with her but despite their attraction he feels he can't really let it develop any further, even more after he treated her. But they are in the middle of a deal gone wrong and problems start everywhere. On the hopes of solving the case, can Hope and Sam reconnect and make it work this time?

I liked this book for the most part but in terms of plot, it was slightly less appealing (for the group dynamics) than the first one. I just think it wasn't always fun to red about the enemies and how they would do this or that. It made a not as vibrant read to me, although several other elements made it all work overall.

The plot wasn't complicated but I didn't always find it easy to follow, especially because drug related plots isn't something I find much interested in, and in this case the runaway guy and the enemies were related to a drug dealing business which certainly didn't attract my attention. I was simply content that things ended well for our protagonists, even more because the explanations behind the plot weren't as interesting as all that...

Sam and Hope's relationship is what really made interested in this story and why I kept reading with some curiosity. They had been together months ago and we are told things didn't went all good between them. Of course we know about Sam's emotional issues, he is a recurrent character from the first book. We know he has suffered some amnesia and was in a coma but I liked how he took the steps to tell himself he could move on and in Hope he saw not the person who would destroy his memories of the past but the woman who could help keeping them in the past and feel alive now, he didn't die after all.

Hope was the biggest surprise, she isn't a loud or obvious female protagonist, we kept finding little clues about her, the past she tried to deal with by becoming more isolated from others and so on. I actually liked the author went a little bit into psychological stuff like the martyr complex. Well, not completely but there are little things in Hope that can allow her to be described like that. It's not an extreme example but I was fascinated by how her image of herself and her actions could influence her actions. This was what truly engaged me in this novel. I liked Hope a lot and the fact she, obviously (in a sort of sappy way) let go of her issues along Sam and they managed to find their HEA.

As always, there is a small secondary romance included, Hope's sister and the guy everyone is after in the beginning. This was not believable simply because the scenes with them together don't rally convince me they felt something for each other besides lust. We are left with positive vibes about them at the end but... anyway, that's also not the main focus so I could just overlook it in the whole scheme of things.

It was good to see Owen, another character from the first book and the hero of the next one, which I'll read next month.

Overall, this was a good story, enough adventure and some suspense to make things more intriguing but I was sold mostly on the romance and the little details that enabled both protagonists to go from one point to another, achieving happiness.

I hope the next one is as good as it seems to promise in terms of characterization.

Grade: 7/10

Jill Sorenson - Aftershock

As an emergency paramedic, Lauren Boyer is dedicated and highly capable. Until an earthquake strikes, trapping her beneath the freeway with a group of strangers--including Iraq war veteran Garrett Wright...
Handsome and take-charge Garrett aids Lauren in her rescue efforts, even as the steely look in his eyes seems to hide dark secrets. When a gang of escaped convicts goes on the attack, Garrett's bravery makes him more than a courageous bystander to Lauren. If they can save the others before time runs out, maybe, just maybe, they can explore the fire igniting between them--if the truth about who he really is doesn't pull them apart forever...

Comment: This book has been in my TBR pile for some time, ever since I've read other books by the author and this one caught my attention by its original premise, something I admit I usually don't look for (post tragedy adventures) but that in this case seemed quite intriguing. I was curious to read it.

This story begins with an earthquake in San Diego and how devastating it gets. The plot focuses on a group of characters that end up in a sort of secluded zone and how they must try to survive while help doesn't reach them. The situation is already difficult, with injured people and friends that died on impact, when the problem of not having food and water so they could survive becomes their main concern. Adding to it is the challenge to survive while dealing with convicts that were on route and who got free after their transport was caught in the impact.

The two main characters, mysterious Garrett and paramedic Lauren form a team to help everyone and to keep them strong until help arrives. The fact they feel attracted to each other shouldn't even cross their minds but it does, as does the fact the convicts are trouble...

I wouldn't wish an earthquake on anyone but I was quite curious to see how the author would put a plot in motion featuring one. Of course there's a lot of loss and devastation, of problems and struggles and I don't know if things would be as simple in RL. Still, I think the author offered enough setting so the book got meaning and that would justify character's actions and decisions.

In a way, this must be one of the strongest points: the details and setting are quite well portrayed in my opinion. Sure, the solutions and some situations seem easily dealt with but this is a romance, not a non fiction about the consequences of real earthquakes.

I really liked the plot, the ideas presented. I liked we didn't have a classic villain here, it was simply a matter of good citizens facing others who don't have such an easy acceptance in society, and it was quite the exercise to think about our own prejudices based on appearances and expectations we have of convicts. Of course, some can be realistic and true, others a wake up call for the fact many people in jails may deserve it but aren't bad people or true criminals. I liked I got to think about this while reading. In fact, the author included quite the themes here for the reader to weight in what we think about several aspects such as justice, prejudice, racism, among other things.

The main characters, Garrett and Lauren pend the book trying to help the group they saved somehow which includes an older man, a child, a pregnant young woman and an injured amnesic man. And then there are the three convicts. It was quite interesting to see everyone interact and how the stronger would try to defend the others and protect them. We get more defined glimpses about some secondary characters quite enough, especially when we are given their perspectives through their POVs and that gives power to their importance in future books in the series.

The romance I liked too. I'm not usually a fan of love-under-pressure or right after a stressful situation but in this case it worked out well for me, the author did a good job showing us their thoughts and actions and by writing down some good sexually tensed scenes which only made it better when they finally got together. Lauren is the classic heroine and I liked how she processed everything, including her personal issues but to be honest, Garret was my favorite character. He is a great hero, and quite special, I liked a lot how the author made him and the solution to his dilemmas and mystery. I wasn't totally surprised but I think it was well done overall. It was very nice to see them try to be a couple and I hope they are solid presences in future books.

I just ordered the rest of this series, the books feature known characters from this book, or at least one of the main characters is and I have high hopes for those stories. If the author maintains contact with Garrett and Lauren so we can follow them again, even if in a lesser capacity, it would be great. But this book at least, has won me over. It's not perfect, especially in some scene detailing, some parts I think the pace wasn't as well done, some situations I feel were too exaggerated, but overall a great effort and a great read for me.

Grade: 8/10

TBR Challenge: Jill Sorenson - Crash Into Me

Though he’d gone into virtual seclusion, Ben Fortune was still the world’s most famous surfer, known as much for his good looks as for his skill. He’s also a suspect in a series of brutal murders that may have begun with his late wife. 
Now FBI Special Agent Sonora “Sonny” Vasquez has been sent undercover to the elite beach community of La Jolla to make friends with Fortune. With her fierce beauty and take-no-prisoners attitude, she’s more than equipped for the job, and soon she and Ben have collided in an affair that is both intense and irresistible. But for the first—and worst—time in Sonny’s career, her emotions are threatening to get the better of her. 
Could this sensual, wounded man, who is genuinely anguished over his troubled daughter, really be a killer? And could falling in love blind Sonny to the greatest danger of all?

Comment: I've had this book in my TBR since April. I've read another book by the author and I liked so I've decided to try more of her work, this being the one that, by blurb alone, seemed the most intriguing one. I was quite pleased it would fit this month's theme for the TBR challenge.

This is Sonny Vasquez story and how, being her a FBI agent, she was charged of the investigation of Ben Fortune, a suspect of killing women in his residence area, all because of the gossip about his wife's murder years before. Sonny takes a new identity and starts to get closer but she didn't count on all the drama around Ben's life, her own and the fact there's a strong attraction between them.

Ben just wants his surfing and to take care of his daughter. But Sonny brings him feelings again, along with a huge amount of problems. But is he really guilty as evidence makes him look?

This book is very deceptive. Only author's fans or previous readers know this is filled with drama and situations that are hard to solve magically, as it happens in so many contemporaries. And I don't mean the crime, I'm referring to the character's lives and what they are making out of it.

The main issue is the solving of a series of crimes committed around La Jolla beach. Ben Fortune is a former professional surfer and he lives nearby. His fame carries on, even more so because his wife was murdered and he was the one who found her. Of course, he was a suspect but his innocence was proved although suspicion follows him still.

However, his main problem is to deal with his teenager daughter, who has issues of her own, and who seems to be changing as all teens do at some point.

Sonny comes in and starts to change his way of seeing life, of thinking about himself. I liked the ay they started to matter to each other and how what they were before meeting was simple and objective, but their perception of things changed along with their feelings. This could be done rather obvious to better pop up to the reader, but there are so many things surrounding their lives that I think there's a constant layer of drama just waiting for confrontation.

As aways, there's a secondary focus, in this book is Carly and her new boyfriend who isn't just any random guy. There are a lot of personal links in this book and some are real surprises, at least they were to me.

In this book, there are many things to bear in mind, and many issues societies nowadays seem to overlook for the sake of their own problems. Other people's challenges are their own. I think the author presented some very crude visions of what it's like to live with guilt, insecurity, fears and weights that carry one's head down. I still think there was a slightly darker vibe around the story and that can put off some readers I suppose and to be honest I wish the author could have dosed the good things a bit more. I understand the fact this book is as it is but a lighter mood here and there would have been nice.

The romance ended up with a HEA which has a good amount of sweetness but not overly done. I liked how Ben and Sonny talked a bit, how some of their issues were dealt throughout the book.

This story is meant to be serious and accomplished that well. All the subjects addressed are things we all should pay attention to, so in terms of building up a good environment to the story, the author did well.

The crime isn't the most ingenious in the world and the villain becomes almost obvious from a certain point on and I wasn't surprised by who it was. Still, all things surrounding it aren't as easy and obvious to deal with and the path all characters had to take to reach  sort of positive end was hard and with plenty of lessons to be learned.

In the end, this was a good book, many interesting subjects, a good and hot romance, two sweet but impulsive teenagers, lots of drama and situations that seem unreal so much work did they cause. But I like the author's style, despite the things I would remove if I could. I do plan to read more by her.

Grade: 7/10

Jill Sorenson - The Edge of Night

To support her small daughter, April Ortiz does what she has to do—which means waiting tables in a skimpy outfit at a popular nightclub in the gang-infested area of Chula Vista. When one of her co-workers is found raped and murdered, April does what she knows she shouldn’t—she defies the neighborhood code by giving the police a hardcore gang member’s name.
Clean-cut cop Noah Young wants a shot at breaking this case more than anything in the world—that is, until he meets the unforgettable April Ortiz. When April gives Noah the tip, a spark ignites. As the fire between them threatens to blaze out of control, the two are dragged down further into the dark mysteries of the graffiti-lined streets, taunted by a crazed killer who could strike again at any time. 

Comment: I first knew about this book at AAR's message boards. I go there quite often just to check people's opinions...sometimes I get interested in a few titles and after some time I end up buying them. This happened with The Edge of Night; I've seen many good opinions in one of the boards that I decided to add it to my list of things to get and after seven months waiting, I picked it as my first read of November.

This is the story of April Ortiz. She works at a club as a waitress and she has a young daughter to take care of. She lives in a rough neighborhood, a place of gangster activity, drugs, crime...not the best place but one she can afford.
Noah Young is a cop and he works at April's neighborhood. He wants to be homicide but until that opportunity arises, he is a patrol officer. He meets April after one of her co-workers is found murdered and from then on, a relationship between them starts. Nothing is easy tough, and from family members to gang stuff, their lives can't be still enough for them to deal with what is happening between them...or are their feelings stronger than the rest?

I have to say, at first I wasn't sold on this one, I don't tend to enjoy books (or movies) about gangster relate activities or about stories set in that environment. I have a personal dislike about drug use, drug selling and gangsters doing whatever they want by terrorizing others. It would be a dream come true if no one did drugs or sold them in the whole world...oh well.
Anyway, I tried to ignore it as much possible considering it was the main setting in the book, but after getting to know the main characters and see how they struggled, I put all that aside to focus on what happening. The story started to be more intense, more detailed about the character's interactions instead of the gangsters.
The mystery happening in the book seems pretty simple nothing big, nothing over the top, just a random back story to give some depth to the plot line and to the whys of some character's actions. But I was quite surprised to see that there is a sort of twist at the end and the true villain is unexpected, after so many clues pointing to other people. I thin the author did this part very well.

But what I thought was done more than well was the romance. I really liked it. It felt so well balanced, it had a purpose, a goal in developing that way. Noah and April's interactions were passionate, realistic and not surrounded by metaphors or useless adjectives just to fill up space. I enjoyed how they met, they felt attracted to each other and after a time, they started being intimate. Their love scenes were hot and romantic, almost too good to be true but without all those metaphors bout what was happening,which I loved. It reminded me of other crime writers and their romantic scenes, it's almost like they don't care about what doesn't matter, the point is to show how the couple is into each other and what's happening between them is sexual but doesn't need fifty pages of description. It was really good. Their first time isn't the most romantic ever, but it was hot and amazing.
I also loved how their relationship evolved to something bigger but in a very simple way. They saw in the other qualities, an attraction and a person to be with them, for them, and not just a sexy person. It was amazing to see them together.

There's also a sort of secondary romance with Noah's younger sister and a gang member. Their scenes together were also very good and their motivations and thoughts realistic. I wanted something more for them, but they were young but who knows, their story ends up with some hope. 

In the end I was very impressed with the story. I managed to put aside my own dislikes and yes, some prejudices about gangs, to enjoy and understand this story. Most of it worked out for me. I liked how it ended but of course, I'd have changed a little thing here and there just to suit my personal tastes. I don't think it's anything bad, just not how I'd do it. Still, I recommend this one and hope people like it as much as I did. Now I'm curious about her other books...I'll investigate.
As for this one, was entertaining, interesting and vibrant. Very good.
Grade: 8/10