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Wild #1
Wild
Wild passion
Zookeeper Helena Fjord has a dangerous job at San Diego’s Wildlife Park. She’s got no time for nonsense, and no interest in handsome, laid-back security officer Josh Garrison. She steers clear of his silly pranks and sexy smile. Until disaster strikes.
Natural instincts
Josh has been coasting ever since his Navy SEAL dreams went up in smoke. He’s always had the hots for Helena, but the lady is off-limits. When a devastating earthquake hits, the unlikely pair must work together to secure the park’s borders. With wild animals on the loose, aftershocks imminent, and fires blazing across the city, they face serious peril—and a powerful attraction. Josh vows to protect Helena at all costs. But who will safeguard her heart?
Zookeeper Helena Fjord has a dangerous job at San Diego’s Wildlife Park. She’s got no time for nonsense, and no interest in handsome, laid-back security officer Josh Garrison. She steers clear of his silly pranks and sexy smile. Until disaster strikes.
Natural instincts
Josh has been coasting ever since his Navy SEAL dreams went up in smoke. He’s always had the hots for Helena, but the lady is off-limits. When a devastating earthquake hits, the unlikely pair must work together to secure the park’s borders. With wild animals on the loose, aftershocks imminent, and fires blazing across the city, they face serious peril—and a powerful attraction. Josh vows to protect Helena at all costs. But who will safeguard her heart?
236 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 2014
4 people are currently reading
453 people want to read
About the author
Jill Sorenson
42 books458 followersJill Sorenson is the RITA-nominated author of more than a dozen novels, including the Aftershock series with HQN.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
October 6, 2019
If only I haven’t frown on Helena so much. It would be a passable story then. Not a great one, undeniably not what I was looking for, but a mediocre story to read between some other books.
I hoped for a romantic suspense story and this is definitely not a one. This one is all about surviving a natural disaster without any mystery part in it. Unfortunately, this is not my preferred storyline. I don’t really like disaster movies and I don’t think I’ve read any books like this. I’m not sure I would read this story, if I had more information about the plot.
Anyway, it is not only the plot that I wasn’t really impressed with in this book. Helena presents even bigger problem. Let’s be honest, she is a bitch. She is one of those women who always know better and just can’t stop themselves from expressing their opinion about other people’s life choices. She thinks lesser about Josh, just because he works as a security guard in the zoo. And when she finds out he is in fact pretty educated and experienced (probably more than she is), she still thinks that he just plays safe and it’s a bad thing. I couldn’t get over it! It’s his life and his career. If being a security guard makes him happy, why expect him to be something more?! I felt pity for Josh who is, for some strange reason that is unclear to me, infatuated with her. He is an okay guy, not really remarkable but he could make a nice hero if not for his feelings for a cold-hearted snob of Helena.
The scarce plot is further divided between Helena/Josh and Josh’s sister, Chloe, and Mateo. Chloe and Mateo make a much more interesting and fitting couple, I wish they are the main characters. Instead they are there just to rob some time for Helena/Josh relationship development. And there is not much of this, it’s more like a lust at first sight story despite they know each other for a few years.
I relate with those saying that their favourite part is H/J dealing with the zoo problems after the disaster. I also think that these are the strongest and most interesting parts of this story. But this is not enough to save this book.
I generally recommend this book to those fond of natural disasters stories who can overcome an unlikeable heroine.
I hoped for a romantic suspense story and this is definitely not a one. This one is all about surviving a natural disaster without any mystery part in it. Unfortunately, this is not my preferred storyline. I don’t really like disaster movies and I don’t think I’ve read any books like this. I’m not sure I would read this story, if I had more information about the plot.
Anyway, it is not only the plot that I wasn’t really impressed with in this book. Helena presents even bigger problem. Let’s be honest, she is a bitch. She is one of those women who always know better and just can’t stop themselves from expressing their opinion about other people’s life choices. She thinks lesser about Josh, just because he works as a security guard in the zoo. And when she finds out he is in fact pretty educated and experienced (probably more than she is), she still thinks that he just plays safe and it’s a bad thing. I couldn’t get over it! It’s his life and his career. If being a security guard makes him happy, why expect him to be something more?! I felt pity for Josh who is, for some strange reason that is unclear to me, infatuated with her. He is an okay guy, not really remarkable but he could make a nice hero if not for his feelings for a cold-hearted snob of Helena.
The scarce plot is further divided between Helena/Josh and Josh’s sister, Chloe, and Mateo. Chloe and Mateo make a much more interesting and fitting couple, I wish they are the main characters. Instead they are there just to rob some time for Helena/Josh relationship development. And there is not much of this, it’s more like a lust at first sight story despite they know each other for a few years.
I relate with those saying that their favourite part is H/J dealing with the zoo problems after the disaster. I also think that these are the strongest and most interesting parts of this story. But this is not enough to save this book.
I generally recommend this book to those fond of natural disasters stories who can overcome an unlikeable heroine.
October 10, 2014
One of the measures of how much I like a book is how intensely I look forward to getting back to it every night, and that was so true of this one. I just loved it on every level. It's thrilling and fun and sexy and the characters are vibrantly real as only Jill Sorenson can make them.
The scenario here - a massive earthquake has hit San Diego. It's endlessly fascinating to read about, actually. Evil Jill has just destroyed the whole damn place, and she's really thought it through. This event runs through this whole series and makes for amazing tension.
As a massive animal lover, I worried about reading about zoo staffers dealing with a massive earthquake, because I worry about pets and animals in books (like, a LOT!!), but I should've known to trust Jill in taking care of her readers and doing a beautiful, sensitive and non-upsetting treatment of animals.
Oh, and let's talk heroes - Josh is an incredible beta hero. Funny, unassuming, but intensely capable. This book is just hands-down wonderful.
The scenario here - a massive earthquake has hit San Diego. It's endlessly fascinating to read about, actually. Evil Jill has just destroyed the whole damn place, and she's really thought it through. This event runs through this whole series and makes for amazing tension.
As a massive animal lover, I worried about reading about zoo staffers dealing with a massive earthquake, because I worry about pets and animals in books (like, a LOT!!), but I should've known to trust Jill in taking care of her readers and doing a beautiful, sensitive and non-upsetting treatment of animals.
Oh, and let's talk heroes - Josh is an incredible beta hero. Funny, unassuming, but intensely capable. This book is just hands-down wonderful.
February 26, 2016
ARC Review
If you know anything about me professionally or personally, you know I’m into conversations around the topic of diversity. Last year I went to RT and was disappointed that, but for a very few authors (and you know who you are because we talked for hours), not many wanted to address diversity issues. It is this kind of book that makes me want to cheer and engage with these issues again.
Diversity is more than looking at issues of race, ethnicity, birth order, and geography. It is also about issues of gender – and that discussion goes beyond sexual orientation. It is a discussion about what constitutes our understanding of what it means to be male and female.
You are probably wondering, “What in the world does this have to do with this book?” It is relevant because Jill Sorenson gives us a different kind of hero in this story - a beta male.
Having recently read the author’s, Riding Dirty, which featured a swoon-worthy alpha male, I was expecting the same when I started this book. When it became clear that Josh was not an alpha, I became a little dissatisfied because he was not what I expected. But the more I read the story, the more I began to appreciate that I was getting a different kind of character. Did it ruin the story for me? Absolutely not. Once I began to confront my own bias about what it means to be a hero, I began to appreciate Josh’s character that much more.
What does it mean to be a beta male? And this being in the romance genre, can he be sexy?
As contrast, let’s start with the alpha male. For me, like a lion in the animal kingdom, an alpha male implies someone who is physically dominant with a commanding presence. He is highly protective, supremely confident, and a bit intimidating. He is capable and experienced.
I like this definition I saw in the Urban Dictionary for a beta male that I thought described Josh’s character well:
The betas are wingmen, collaborative and conciliatory. Betas make the best mates. They do more in the house, and probably in the bedroom, because they know how to hasten the greater good. . . .He’s sure of who he is, and not constantly trying to prove his value in materialistic terms....The beta can earn a lot of money, or a little, but the money’s not the thing; he profits because he works well with others.
There’s something rebellious about the beta male; he challenges the social order rather than succumbing to it. The beta male doesn’t buy in to the basest stereotypes about male behavior. . . .
Is a beta male less capable? No. Josh does not have the most overwhelming physical presence, but he is resourceful, working with Helena to solve problem after problem. He is also courageous, funny, and sexy. (Which is saying a lot because this story takes place in a wild animal park after a devastating earthquake.) Josh’s character made me think about what it means to be manly.
This is solid story about challenges and rescue. Our hero and heroine must overcome threats from escaped predators including a lion and lioness and a Komodo dragon. There is also a secondary story from the perspective of Chloe Garrison, Josh’s sister. She and her young daughter are caught on the Coronado Bay Bridge when the earthquake happens. A stranger with very limited English skills rescues them. In contrast to the high tension of the activities happening at the park, this is a sweeter, more innocent story. They face their own set of obstacles, but there is tenderness that is very appealing to this tangential story.
IN A NUTSHELL:
There are a lot of reasons to like this book. I’m always going to give a thumbs-up to stories that get me to think and challenge me to think about the lenses I see the world.
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
If you know anything about me professionally or personally, you know I’m into conversations around the topic of diversity. Last year I went to RT and was disappointed that, but for a very few authors (and you know who you are because we talked for hours), not many wanted to address diversity issues. It is this kind of book that makes me want to cheer and engage with these issues again.
Diversity is more than looking at issues of race, ethnicity, birth order, and geography. It is also about issues of gender – and that discussion goes beyond sexual orientation. It is a discussion about what constitutes our understanding of what it means to be male and female.
You are probably wondering, “What in the world does this have to do with this book?” It is relevant because Jill Sorenson gives us a different kind of hero in this story - a beta male.
Having recently read the author’s, Riding Dirty, which featured a swoon-worthy alpha male, I was expecting the same when I started this book. When it became clear that Josh was not an alpha, I became a little dissatisfied because he was not what I expected. But the more I read the story, the more I began to appreciate that I was getting a different kind of character. Did it ruin the story for me? Absolutely not. Once I began to confront my own bias about what it means to be a hero, I began to appreciate Josh’s character that much more.
What does it mean to be a beta male? And this being in the romance genre, can he be sexy?
As contrast, let’s start with the alpha male. For me, like a lion in the animal kingdom, an alpha male implies someone who is physically dominant with a commanding presence. He is highly protective, supremely confident, and a bit intimidating. He is capable and experienced.
I like this definition I saw in the Urban Dictionary for a beta male that I thought described Josh’s character well:
The betas are wingmen, collaborative and conciliatory. Betas make the best mates. They do more in the house, and probably in the bedroom, because they know how to hasten the greater good. . . .He’s sure of who he is, and not constantly trying to prove his value in materialistic terms....The beta can earn a lot of money, or a little, but the money’s not the thing; he profits because he works well with others.
There’s something rebellious about the beta male; he challenges the social order rather than succumbing to it. The beta male doesn’t buy in to the basest stereotypes about male behavior. . . .
Is a beta male less capable? No. Josh does not have the most overwhelming physical presence, but he is resourceful, working with Helena to solve problem after problem. He is also courageous, funny, and sexy. (Which is saying a lot because this story takes place in a wild animal park after a devastating earthquake.) Josh’s character made me think about what it means to be manly.
This is solid story about challenges and rescue. Our hero and heroine must overcome threats from escaped predators including a lion and lioness and a Komodo dragon. There is also a secondary story from the perspective of Chloe Garrison, Josh’s sister. She and her young daughter are caught on the Coronado Bay Bridge when the earthquake happens. A stranger with very limited English skills rescues them. In contrast to the high tension of the activities happening at the park, this is a sweeter, more innocent story. They face their own set of obstacles, but there is tenderness that is very appealing to this tangential story.
IN A NUTSHELL:
There are a lot of reasons to like this book. I’m always going to give a thumbs-up to stories that get me to think and challenge me to think about the lenses I see the world.
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 8, 2015
OK so like the other Aftershock books, this one starts out with a devastating earthquake in San Diego. Helena is bad ass in her ability to handle herself and the situation. Like all of Jill's books her attention to detail, and ability to make you connect with both the main and secondary characters is what really completes this book for me. Helena and Josh are so good together. Whether it's trying to contain dangerous animals, or some sexy time they fit together and were entertaining to read. I loved Josh and his sense of humor and confidence. Although some of his choices where stupid, his reasoning for those choices were understandable and made me love this crazy but protective and loving character.
And we all know Jill is the master of sub plots. They are always as engaging as her primaries, and I always find myself eager for more of them throughout the book. The same is true for Chloe and Mateo. When we finally get to hear the story of the rescue from Mateo through a translator, it was amazing to learn the lengths he went through to save Chloe and her daughter. LOVED C/M story on so many levels.
All in all I have to say I loved this first self published book and I'm excited to see what she brings us in the future.
And we all know Jill is the master of sub plots. They are always as engaging as her primaries, and I always find myself eager for more of them throughout the book. The same is true for Chloe and Mateo. When we finally get to hear the story of the rescue from Mateo through a translator, it was amazing to learn the lengths he went through to save Chloe and her daughter. LOVED C/M story on so many levels.
All in all I have to say I loved this first self published book and I'm excited to see what she brings us in the future.
July 10, 2017
You know when you go on an Amazon binge and buy like 10 books all at the same time, just knowing that you are going to read them all straight away and of course they sit on your kindle for ages because you've found another more appealing and shiny book to read?
Well that happened to me with "Wild". I've read all the other books in the "Aftershock" series and automatically brought this book but have only just now got around to reading it. And I don't know why it's taken me so long to do it. I've loved the other books in the series, about an earthquake hitting San Diego and the different characters coming together to try and survive it.
"Wild" didn't disappoint. While I didn't think the zoo keeper storyline would hold my attention, it did. The book had action, great characters, romance and some hot smexy scenes.
A great read overall and a good conclusion to the "Aftershock" series.
Well that happened to me with "Wild". I've read all the other books in the "Aftershock" series and automatically brought this book but have only just now got around to reading it. And I don't know why it's taken me so long to do it. I've loved the other books in the series, about an earthquake hitting San Diego and the different characters coming together to try and survive it.
"Wild" didn't disappoint. While I didn't think the zoo keeper storyline would hold my attention, it did. The book had action, great characters, romance and some hot smexy scenes.
A great read overall and a good conclusion to the "Aftershock" series.
February 13, 2020
I liked both main characters and I DID believe in their relationship but I felt like there was a lot of buildup for a quite subdued decision from Helena. Which made the climax feel a bit sudden.
The action was great. I don't think I've read a storyline about escaped zoo animals before and it felt real and exciting and really worked for me as a premise.
As much as I enjoy the "two people separated from society" premise in romance it meant that I'm not at all attached to the characters for the next book and I doubt I'll be reading it. In addition to the main storyline we also got Chloe's story which I loved but I felt it deserved to be its own story, even as a novella, rather than as basically padding for this story.
Overall I did enjoy this but I'm not feeling desperate for more.
The action was great. I don't think I've read a storyline about escaped zoo animals before and it felt real and exciting and really worked for me as a premise.
As much as I enjoy the "two people separated from society" premise in romance it meant that I'm not at all attached to the characters for the next book and I doubt I'll be reading it. In addition to the main storyline we also got Chloe's story which I loved but I felt it deserved to be its own story, even as a novella, rather than as basically padding for this story.
Overall I did enjoy this but I'm not feeling desperate for more.
November 20, 2023
Interesting beginning - the aftermath of an apocalyptic earthquake in San Diego. This setting is in San Diego Zoo. Too bad this potential was utterly wasted because she puts the 2 main characters into insta-lust, descriptions of which start almost in the 1st chapter. If you were trying to stay alive, would you be distracted by passion? That is what this story is about. Such a waste. I skipped the middle, and did enjoy the ending. Finally, some witty dialogue. DNF.
February 18, 2018
4.5 stars
I really really really liked this story. It wasn't mundane. There was plenty of danger, disaster, and harsh reality for the characters to deal with competently and innovatively, as well as emotionally satisfying character and relationship growth.
TW: natural disasters, earthquake, fire, tsunami warning
I really really really liked this story. It wasn't mundane. There was plenty of danger, disaster, and harsh reality for the characters to deal with competently and innovatively, as well as emotionally satisfying character and relationship growth.
TW: natural disasters, earthquake, fire, tsunami warning
November 17, 2014
Wild and the novella Wild for Him are both great additions to the Aftershock series. The setting for these two titles takes the reader back to the actual earthquake that is also the subject for the first book in the series. (Other books in the series contain characters that have survived the earthquake, but the books do not all take place during the earthquake.)
In Wild, a major earthquake has hit San Diego and that includes the wildlife park. Zookeeper Helena Fjord must work with guard Josh Garrison to secure the zoo after some of the exhibits are severely damaged by the quake. Lions, and Komodo dragons and snakes, oh my! There's lots of good tension between the career-focused Helena and the easy-going Josh as they work together to deal with loose predators while their attraction for each other grows. Josh is an appealing hero, at ease with himself and able to embrace life in a way that Helena doesn't, but wishes she could. I liked the dynamic between these two opposites.
Running parallel to this story, Josh's sister Chloe and her young daughter Emma are on their way to meet Josh when the quake hits. They are rescued from a dangerous situation by Mateo, a South American soccer player with only a basic understanding of the language, making for an interesting journey as Mateo, Chloe and Emma try to make it across the city to the zoo. When their arrival coincides with a tense situation with a female lion on the loose, the stakes are raised for everyone involved.
I really loved both of these story lines. They kept things moving along nicely and kept me turning the pages. Helena is a tough zookeeper and isn't quite ready to give into her attraction to Josh, and I liked that about her. And Mateo, Chloe and Emma had some great chemistry together. I loved Mateo's gentleness with them throughout and it was natural that they would develop feelings for each other.
I was also impressed with the amount of detail regarding the operations of the zoo and the job responsibilities of the zoo keepers. These details were well researched and they gave a strong sense of realism to the story.
Overall, a solid 4 star rating for both of these books in the series. If you like disaster or action movies, I think you will like this series and these two books. They are both a fun, action filled, romantic ride.
ARC provided for review.
This review also appears on my blog with a giveaway at: http://redhotbluereads.blogspot.com/2014/11/giveaway-review-wild-wild-for-him-by.html
In Wild, a major earthquake has hit San Diego and that includes the wildlife park. Zookeeper Helena Fjord must work with guard Josh Garrison to secure the zoo after some of the exhibits are severely damaged by the quake. Lions, and Komodo dragons and snakes, oh my! There's lots of good tension between the career-focused Helena and the easy-going Josh as they work together to deal with loose predators while their attraction for each other grows. Josh is an appealing hero, at ease with himself and able to embrace life in a way that Helena doesn't, but wishes she could. I liked the dynamic between these two opposites.
Running parallel to this story, Josh's sister Chloe and her young daughter Emma are on their way to meet Josh when the quake hits. They are rescued from a dangerous situation by Mateo, a South American soccer player with only a basic understanding of the language, making for an interesting journey as Mateo, Chloe and Emma try to make it across the city to the zoo. When their arrival coincides with a tense situation with a female lion on the loose, the stakes are raised for everyone involved.
I really loved both of these story lines. They kept things moving along nicely and kept me turning the pages. Helena is a tough zookeeper and isn't quite ready to give into her attraction to Josh, and I liked that about her. And Mateo, Chloe and Emma had some great chemistry together. I loved Mateo's gentleness with them throughout and it was natural that they would develop feelings for each other.
I was also impressed with the amount of detail regarding the operations of the zoo and the job responsibilities of the zoo keepers. These details were well researched and they gave a strong sense of realism to the story.
Overall, a solid 4 star rating for both of these books in the series. If you like disaster or action movies, I think you will like this series and these two books. They are both a fun, action filled, romantic ride.
ARC provided for review.
This review also appears on my blog with a giveaway at: http://redhotbluereads.blogspot.com/2014/11/giveaway-review-wild-wild-for-him-by.html
February 9, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed Aftershock, Freefall, and Badlands, the first three books in Ms. Sorenson's Aftershock series. This is the fifth book in the series and like book 4, it had more problems than the original trilogy.
Helena Fjord works with the elephants at the San Diego Zoo. Apparently it is dangerous because elephants can stomp on theircaptors caregivers or otherwise hurt them. She's such an important personage that she has no time for good looking surfer dude Josh Garrison who is just a security guard at the park and doesn't do anything important like work with the animals.
Josh is fascinated by the beautiful but aloof Helena and doesn't get why she isn't at all into him. It's true he doesn't have a real deep job but he enjoys being around the animals and figures after the intensity of five years in combat he has earned the break. When the quake comes, though, life at the zoo starts to resemble life in a militarized zone all too quickly. The lions have escaped their enclosure. Other dangerous wildlife is roaming free. As two of the trained employees on site who are still standing he and Helena will have to work together to get through this. Will familiarity breed contempt or children in this case?
I didn't like Helena at all. She was a bitch who used very typical childhood and teen traumas as an excuse for her unnaturally harsh exterior. Honestly, she struck me as nothing so much as immature. And she was a snob. It's great to be proud of what you've accomplished but you shouldn't look down on those who are happy with a position you consider "less". Each of us has our own reason for being where we are.
Josh took too much abuse off Helena for me to respect him. He was a great, talented guy but he choose so badly in his romantic interest that he lost major points for that.
The romance between Mateo and Chloe (Josh's sister) was sweet but didn't make up for the other mess.
When Joss and Helena were dealing with the zoo issues, the book was fascinating. I never though of everything that would occur at a zoo during such an event but the author did a good job of giving an overview of how serious things would be without overwhelming us. I think if Helena had been a different person, I would have enjoyed the story a lot more.
Helena Fjord works with the elephants at the San Diego Zoo. Apparently it is dangerous because elephants can stomp on their
Josh is fascinated by the beautiful but aloof Helena and doesn't get why she isn't at all into him. It's true he doesn't have a real deep job but he enjoys being around the animals and figures after the intensity of five years in combat he has earned the break. When the quake comes, though, life at the zoo starts to resemble life in a militarized zone all too quickly. The lions have escaped their enclosure. Other dangerous wildlife is roaming free. As two of the trained employees on site who are still standing he and Helena will have to work together to get through this. Will familiarity breed contempt or children in this case?
I didn't like Helena at all. She was a bitch who used very typical childhood and teen traumas as an excuse for her unnaturally harsh exterior. Honestly, she struck me as nothing so much as immature. And she was a snob. It's great to be proud of what you've accomplished but you shouldn't look down on those who are happy with a position you consider "less". Each of us has our own reason for being where we are.
Josh took too much abuse off Helena for me to respect him. He was a great, talented guy but he choose so badly in his romantic interest that he lost major points for that.
The romance between Mateo and Chloe (Josh's sister) was sweet but didn't make up for the other mess.
When Joss and Helena were dealing with the zoo issues, the book was fascinating. I never though of everything that would occur at a zoo during such an event but the author did a good job of giving an overview of how serious things would be without overwhelming us. I think if Helena had been a different person, I would have enjoyed the story a lot more.
November 12, 2014
Weak 3 stars. It’s ok but not what I would call “a good story.”
I feel like the author wrote this as “a job” – like she had no inspiration or excitement about what she was writing. The conflicts were not interesting, and some stupidity was used. It would have been easy to change one scene to remove the stupidity (see Spoilers). The conflict keeping the couple apart did not interest me. Helena was in denial about her feelings. She acts like she doesn’t like things when she does like them.
Overall, it’s a way to pass the time if you want some romantic suspense. There are some good sex scenes.
Minor problem: Cover picture does not match the text. Josh’s “hair was long enough to curl at the edge of his collar.” Cover guy has a crewcut.
My favorite book by this author was Crash Into Me - gave it 5 stars.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Kindle count length: 4,033 (350 pages). Swearing language: strong including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 6 (includes some thinking-about-sex scenes). Setting: current day San Diego, California. Copyright: 2014. Genre: romantic suspense.
I feel like the author wrote this as “a job” – like she had no inspiration or excitement about what she was writing. The conflicts were not interesting, and some stupidity was used. It would have been easy to change one scene to remove the stupidity (see Spoilers). The conflict keeping the couple apart did not interest me. Helena was in denial about her feelings. She acts like she doesn’t like things when she does like them.
Overall, it’s a way to pass the time if you want some romantic suspense. There are some good sex scenes.
Minor problem: Cover picture does not match the text. Josh’s “hair was long enough to curl at the edge of his collar.” Cover guy has a crewcut.
My favorite book by this author was Crash Into Me - gave it 5 stars.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Kindle count length: 4,033 (350 pages). Swearing language: strong including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 6 (includes some thinking-about-sex scenes). Setting: current day San Diego, California. Copyright: 2014. Genre: romantic suspense.
November 24, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. A new author for me, but I will gladly return for more of her work. This was a very enjoyable read. The perspective was really new from anything I’ve read before, and I read plenty of romance / danger books. The backgrounds and skillset of the main characters were novel, and each had an interesting backstory. You can read the book description somewhere else, but characters are stranded at the zoo where they work after an earthquake seriously damages their city. Their challenges include breached animal enclosures, loose predators, power and communication outages. The characters knew each other before the incident, but working closely given their situation changes their relationship. This will definitely suffice as a fun and exciting read! But there is more. What I liked most about this book is the secondary story, developed in parallel from the main characters. It is about Josh’s sister, her young daughter, and the man that rescued them. Mateo speaks no English, but that doesn’t keep them from a wonderful story. I loved that you didn’t read the details of Mateo’s story until all parties combine at the end of the book and they locate a translator. The stories develop almost by alternating chapters and I really enjoyed the style. This was almost like 2 happy endings in one book. Highly recommend this one. I’ll be looking for more by this author.
I was provided a free copy of this book by the publisher through the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for my review, and this is my honest opinion.
I was provided a free copy of this book by the publisher through the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for my review, and this is my honest opinion.
November 7, 2014
Wild takes us back to the time frame of the first book to right before the earthquake happened and then after but this time the story is told from within San Diego’s Wildlife Park Zoo. Imagine being trapped within a place that has all kinds of deadly predators running loose. As the zoo hadn’t opened for the day its only the employee’s who are inside when the earthquake happens.
The suspense was a lot higher that I thought it would be. I didn’t quite know what to expect since the majority of the story was inside the zoo but I needn’t have worried as the author did a great job with her detailed descriptions of the animals and the danger they posed. Running alongside this story was also another one of a woman and her child who were on a bridge when the earthquake hit and their plunging into the water when the bridge collapsed. They are rescued by a non English speaking soccer player from Panama and even once he manages to get them to shore their perilous journey was far from over.
I love disaster movies and fell in love with this series from the first book. The author descriptive imagination just pulls you into the stories and has you gripping your seat till the end. Another thing that makes the books in this series stand out are the characters. They are unconventional but yet in the face of danger they all prove to be good people.
The suspense was a lot higher that I thought it would be. I didn’t quite know what to expect since the majority of the story was inside the zoo but I needn’t have worried as the author did a great job with her detailed descriptions of the animals and the danger they posed. Running alongside this story was also another one of a woman and her child who were on a bridge when the earthquake hit and their plunging into the water when the bridge collapsed. They are rescued by a non English speaking soccer player from Panama and even once he manages to get them to shore their perilous journey was far from over.
I love disaster movies and fell in love with this series from the first book. The author descriptive imagination just pulls you into the stories and has you gripping your seat till the end. Another thing that makes the books in this series stand out are the characters. They are unconventional but yet in the face of danger they all prove to be good people.
November 6, 2014
Esta historia me ha aburrido muchísimo y estaba deseando de terminarla. Nada que ver con los dos libros anteriores de esta misma serie que había leído.
No he encontrado nada original en ella, me ha parecido más de lo mismo…
El romance es otro caso de insta-lust disfrazado de “llevo años soñando con acostarme contigo”, o eso es lo que nos cuentan. Toda la relación se basa en atracción física bajo circunstancias extremas y los consiguientes “te quiero” al final… muy floja y sin química alguna.
Y es lo único que hay, porque al contrario que en las historias anteriores, en esta los protagonistas pasan solos y aislados toda la historia, y la única fuente de tensión o peligro (por llamarlo de alguna manera) es que los animales del zoo donde están aislados andan a sus anchas. Hay algún encuentro pobremente relatado con dichos animales y un romance secundario que es tan poco creíble y aburrido como el principal.
Lo dicho, aburrido y carente de emoción o aventuras…
No he encontrado nada original en ella, me ha parecido más de lo mismo…
El romance es otro caso de insta-lust disfrazado de “llevo años soñando con acostarme contigo”, o eso es lo que nos cuentan. Toda la relación se basa en atracción física bajo circunstancias extremas y los consiguientes “te quiero” al final… muy floja y sin química alguna.
Y es lo único que hay, porque al contrario que en las historias anteriores, en esta los protagonistas pasan solos y aislados toda la historia, y la única fuente de tensión o peligro (por llamarlo de alguna manera) es que los animales del zoo donde están aislados andan a sus anchas. Hay algún encuentro pobremente relatado con dichos animales y un romance secundario que es tan poco creíble y aburrido como el principal.
Lo dicho, aburrido y carente de emoción o aventuras…
October 15, 2014
Wow, What a read,
The story starts just before and after an earthquake hits, the female lead at first i didn't take to her a snooty look down at her nose judgemental attitude but as the story unfolds you start to warm to her character she is a fighter and i like the fact she was logically & calm and wasn't a "i need a man to take charge kinda of girl",
Josh i loved he was funny sexy and had not problem with being a partner not a leader with Helen. you could see he was more than the clown he presented to he world.
the added danger of the animals was exciting, but what made the book was the other characters in the story it was like getting several stories in one book but all of it worked. I found this book one of those reads you just couldn't put down.
Read this in one night Awesome read looking forward to" Wild for him"
The story starts just before and after an earthquake hits, the female lead at first i didn't take to her a snooty look down at her nose judgemental attitude but as the story unfolds you start to warm to her character she is a fighter and i like the fact she was logically & calm and wasn't a "i need a man to take charge kinda of girl",
Josh i loved he was funny sexy and had not problem with being a partner not a leader with Helen. you could see he was more than the clown he presented to he world.
the added danger of the animals was exciting, but what made the book was the other characters in the story it was like getting several stories in one book but all of it worked. I found this book one of those reads you just couldn't put down.
Read this in one night Awesome read looking forward to" Wild for him"
March 30, 2016
I'm a sucker for disaster movies/stories, so this spin off of the Aftershock series was bound to be a hit for me. And it was. I loved that Josh wasn't some big alpha beat my chest type of hero. One of the things that I really like about this author's books is that the characters come with real characteristics and real human flaws. They're not perfect and she doesn't shy away from showing them in that light. I really enjoyed Josh and Helena. I loved Emma, Chloe and Mateo as well. Even with the language barrier their story was clear :)
August 23, 2016
This was a great contemporary romance full of adventure and suspense. I liked the bit of history with Helena and Josh, and the underlying story with Josh's sister. It was definitely a stretch of reality as far as the action/earthquake/zoo stuff but it COULD happen I suppose. Even yet that didn't detract from the story, the characters or the romance. Great read. Very different from other modern romances.
December 17, 2014
Characters: zookeeper, zoo security
World Building: animal behavior and care
Plot: post earthquake animal and human safety in a zoo
Sex: Medium
I will totally read anything by Sorenson. The plot in this lacked the suspense I'm used to from her, and the coincidences were a little much, but the I enjoyed the story anyway.
World Building: animal behavior and care
Plot: post earthquake animal and human safety in a zoo
Sex: Medium
I will totally read anything by Sorenson. The plot in this lacked the suspense I'm used to from her, and the coincidences were a little much, but the I enjoyed the story anyway.
November 28, 2014
Loved it like all the other Aftershock books. Wish Hqn still published them in mass market though. Josh & Helena go through a lot to keep their zoo safe after a major earthquake. And his sister & Mateo have their struggles too. Still manage some time to get in some steamy romance & quality-if complicated-relationship building! Well done.
July 20, 2015
Earthquake at the San Diego Zoo... I'm a sucker for disaster stories so that plus a hot romance between elephant keeper Helena and zoo security Josh really kept me turning the pages. One of the those books where the setting added a LOT to the tension. I also really enjoyed the subplot with Josh's sister Chloe who was on the Coronado Bridge when the quake hit.
June 14, 2017
Just as in Freefall we have two stories in this book. I liked both. And I liked the fact that both heroines were a little older than their men. I liked that Helena's breakup wasn't an easy one, that Emma wasn't a little angel but Chloe found a right motivation in saving her daughter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2015
enjoyed this, wow lots of action
December 29, 2015
This was pretty good. But Helena got on my nerves so this lost a star. I did however enjoy that there were two couples each struggling in their own way during and after the earthquake.
Read
January 15, 2015I liked it! (Especially the honey badger.)
February 5, 2016
Review found here as a group review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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