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Aftershock
Aftershock by Jill Shalvis released on Aug 24, 2001 is available now for purchase.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 2001
About the author
Jill Shalvis
385 books14k followersJill Shalvis is a NYT, USA Today, and Amazon Top 100 bestselling author of small-town romance and romcoms, known for big feels, found family, and plenty of shenanigans.
If you love small-town chaos, meddling friends and neighbors, sizzling chemistry, and heroes who fall hard for the one woman they absolutely did not plan on, you’re in the right place. Jill’s books blend laugh-out-loud moments with emotional gut punches, slow-burn tension, and deeply earned happily ever afters.
She writes the stories she loves to read: small-town romance and romantic comedies packed with heart, heat, second chances, grumpy/sunshine sparks, and the kind of found-family vibes that make you want to move right into the pages. Many of her series are perfect for binge-reading, and a number of her books are available in Kindle Unlimited and at major retailers.
When she’s not writing, she’s probably plotting new ways to torture her characters, avoiding laundry, or daydreaming about fictional men and the strong, complicated women who bring them to their knees—and then making them work for it.
You can follow Jill here on Goodreads to keep up with new releases, add her books to your shelves, and discover which small town you want to get lost in next.
If you love small-town chaos, meddling friends and neighbors, sizzling chemistry, and heroes who fall hard for the one woman they absolutely did not plan on, you’re in the right place. Jill’s books blend laugh-out-loud moments with emotional gut punches, slow-burn tension, and deeply earned happily ever afters.
She writes the stories she loves to read: small-town romance and romantic comedies packed with heart, heat, second chances, grumpy/sunshine sparks, and the kind of found-family vibes that make you want to move right into the pages. Many of her series are perfect for binge-reading, and a number of her books are available in Kindle Unlimited and at major retailers.
When she’s not writing, she’s probably plotting new ways to torture her characters, avoiding laundry, or daydreaming about fictional men and the strong, complicated women who bring them to their knees—and then making them work for it.
You can follow Jill here on Goodreads to keep up with new releases, add her books to your shelves, and discover which small town you want to get lost in next.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
April 13, 2013
Heartwarming sweet read. Loved Dax McCall & Amber and the whole McCall family. This would have been 5 stars read for me if we could have seen the reunion between Amber and her estranged father and/or had an epilogue.
*Thanks to Karla for the recommendation, totally enjoyed it. You know me too well my friend!! :)
*Thanks to Karla for the recommendation, totally enjoyed it. You know me too well my friend!! :)
October 29, 2014
Dax McCall is a fire inspector and stops to check out one of his properties. Meanwhile, Amber Riggs is a Real Estate agent checking out the property for a potential client. Both are stranded in the building as an earthquake traps them inside. One year later they meet again...
One of those secret baby themes but it is one I don't mind and I quite enjoyed the story. Got a little sugary sweet at times but not too much to ruin the story.
One of those secret baby themes but it is one I don't mind and I quite enjoyed the story. Got a little sugary sweet at times but not too much to ruin the story.
August 7, 2011
The heroine Amber is looking around a property she is trying to sell when an earthquake hits, lucky for her Fire Inspector Dax, the hero, is also in the building. When the building starts to fall down around them he helps keep her safe and calm while they are trapped. Both of them believe there is no chance of them getting out alive, one thing leads to another and they end up making love. They do manage to get out when they are rescued, Dax tries to see Amber again but Amber, embarrassed by her actions, flees. A year later and a chance encounter brings them face to face again, Dax's initial pleasure in seeing Amber again is crushed when he realises she gave birth to his daughter and never told him. Dax makes it clear that he will be a part of his daughters life and they agree to a shared custody schedule. Dax realises this isn't enough and that he also wants to be with Amber but she is hesitant to get involved with him for fear of losing control and getting hurt.
I really, really enjoyed this book. The plot is actually quite original, to have two virtual strangers that haven't even seen each other in the light become intimate is, perhaps, a risky subject but it makes you think about just what you would do in a life or death situation. Both character are well developed and complex enough to keep you interested. I particularly liked that the heroine was more complex that the hero, and how the hero really wanted to help her open up. The writing is wonderful and really draws you into the book, I read this in one sitting!
Recommended.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
I really, really enjoyed this book. The plot is actually quite original, to have two virtual strangers that haven't even seen each other in the light become intimate is, perhaps, a risky subject but it makes you think about just what you would do in a life or death situation. Both character are well developed and complex enough to keep you interested. I particularly liked that the heroine was more complex that the hero, and how the hero really wanted to help her open up. The writing is wonderful and really draws you into the book, I read this in one sitting!
Recommended.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
August 26, 2017
Just what I needed. This is light and sweet and doesn't try to be what it's not. No wonder I love Jill Shavis so much - she does this right!
July 12, 2015
I wanted to read something that was light, easy and romantic, so when I came across a Jill Shalvis book I couldn't help myself. This was the perfect escapist read and it ticked all the right boxes for a romance/Harlequin book.
The male protagonist, Dax, was irresistible: gorgeous, decent guy with principles, loving dad, and willing to do whatever necessary to conquer our heroine. I mean where else would you find such a guy, but in romance novels. I don't care much for bad guys, and Dax sure isn't one.
Amber, his love interest, is cold and unable to deal with emotions.But Dax warms his way into her bed and heart.
Perfect summer/beach read, or winter/in bed, under the blankets read, as it was the case for me.
The male protagonist, Dax, was irresistible: gorgeous, decent guy with principles, loving dad, and willing to do whatever necessary to conquer our heroine. I mean where else would you find such a guy, but in romance novels. I don't care much for bad guys, and Dax sure isn't one.
Amber, his love interest, is cold and unable to deal with emotions.But Dax warms his way into her bed and heart.
Perfect summer/beach read, or winter/in bed, under the blankets read, as it was the case for me.
March 2, 2012
Amber Riggs is a horrible, horrible person.
I got a good ways through this book and I want to punch myself in the face for putting myself through that. I was hoping she would redeem herself, but 60% of the way through, we hadn't had a single character development aside from pregnancy. And I don't really think that counts.
I won't give a rating to a book I DNF because I'm just not into the story. For me to give 1 star to a book I didn't finish, there has to be something that I absolutely hated and found offensive.
Amber Riggs is that something.
I got a good ways through this book and I want to punch myself in the face for putting myself through that. I was hoping she would redeem herself, but 60% of the way through, we hadn't had a single character development aside from pregnancy. And I don't really think that counts.
I won't give a rating to a book I DNF because I'm just not into the story. For me to give 1 star to a book I didn't finish, there has to be something that I absolutely hated and found offensive.
Amber Riggs is that something.
Did Not Finish
February 20, 2017I've read around 7 books written by Jill Shalvis (mainly from her Lucky Harbour series) and I usually rate them 4 stars. I like her writing style plus her characters improve with each book, but Aftershock is one of her earlier works and, unfortunately, it shows.
Two random people got trapped under a house after a 6.5 earthquake and decided to "cling to each other for hope". It was as cheesy as it sounds. Then they got rescued, she practically ran away, a year later they meet again and surprise surprise, she's with a 3-month-old baby. Cue drama.
The main reason I marked it as DNF was Amber - she needed some Xanax like, yesterday. First, she didn't tell Dax she was pregnant or that she actually decided to keep the baby. Then when he found out, she was a massive bitch. Dax told her he wanted to be in the baby's life and she acted like he gutted a kitten and left it on her doorstep. Whenever he tried to help out, she was convinced it was some kind of attempt at manipulating her. For some reason Amber believed he was trying to take her daughter away and fight her for full custody, even though he kept trying to divide their time so they could both be in Taylor's life equally.
I just couldn't deal with her neurotic behaviour, all the unnecessary drama she created and her "woe is me" attitude.
Two random people got trapped under a house after a 6.5 earthquake and decided to "cling to each other for hope". It was as cheesy as it sounds. Then they got rescued, she practically ran away, a year later they meet again and surprise surprise, she's with a 3-month-old baby. Cue drama.
The main reason I marked it as DNF was Amber - she needed some Xanax like, yesterday. First, she didn't tell Dax she was pregnant or that she actually decided to keep the baby. Then when he found out, she was a massive bitch. Dax told her he wanted to be in the baby's life and she acted like he gutted a kitten and left it on her doorstep. Whenever he tried to help out, she was convinced it was some kind of attempt at manipulating her. For some reason Amber believed he was trying to take her daughter away and fight her for full custody, even though he kept trying to divide their time so they could both be in Taylor's life equally.
I just couldn't deal with her neurotic behaviour, all the unnecessary drama she created and her "woe is me" attitude.
June 24, 2010
3 1/2 stars. This was a light, fun read. Dax is a dream worthy hero! I love a hero who is passionate about all of his feelings and expresses himself as such. Amber left a little to be desired, but I accepted her faults.
Over all, I'd recommend this book. It's my first by Ms. Shalvis, but I don't think it'll be my last.
Over all, I'd recommend this book. It's my first by Ms. Shalvis, but I don't think it'll be my last.
October 14, 2014
Really terrible book. I was excited to see Jill Shalvis had a book come out this past summer that I missed. We'll, it must have been a rerelease of an early book. It was awful. Must worse than those new romance authors that you can read for free. Jill Shalvis, I want my money back! The main character was so one sided that she came across as the horribly selfish and the guy came across as a saint. And their names? Amber and Dax? Horrible names.
May 31, 2010
2* means it was okay, and that's what it was: okay. I generally enjoy Jill Shalvis, but this was obviously an early work, short and not well fleshed out. Plus, I hate the whole "secret baby/keep child away from father" thing. Hate it!
May 18, 2014
Two-haiku review:
They're trapped together
Have sex after bad earthquake
Meet a year later
Early Shalvis book
Limited by Harlequin
Wish it were longer
They're trapped together
Have sex after bad earthquake
Meet a year later
Early Shalvis book
Limited by Harlequin
Wish it were longer
February 26, 2018
Another great book by Jill Shalvis. Amber and Dax are caught in a empty warehouse when a 6.5 earthquake happens. They think that they are going to die during the aftershocks. A year later, Amber is taking her three month old daughter in for a check-up when she sees Dax again. Dax is there with one of his sisters, and goes to talk to Amber. That is when he discovers the baby is his.
July 4, 2020
After years finally read this and I enjoyed it. Amber drove me little nuts though and breastfeeding should not be in books. It's wrong and gross. My opinion don't need a response to that. At least by end Amber came to get senses and agreed to marry Dax. She shouldn't have kept Taylor from him that's for sure it was horrible. He's a great dad and now they can be a family.
April 4, 2018
This came in The Feisty Firefighters Bundle. I almost didn't read it. But I am glad that I did. As usual, Shalvis has an interesting premise with a twist on both the one torrid night of sex and the secret baby themes. Characters were not quite as believable as they usually are.
August 20, 2017
Fluff - but not as good of character development as I would have wanted. Underwhelming
October 29, 2018
Nice and pretty, though improbable. Dax is a dream of a man. She is a fine lady.
March 15, 2019
When a soft hearted fire investigator hookups with up military mans daughter a baby n a strategic courtship are within their future. Loved meeting the family of this firefighter
October 10, 2021
Had me from the first chapter to the end.
June 28, 2022
3.5 stars
Cute and refreshing to see a new plot from her. I could've done without the heavy sap at the end, but overall I really enjoyed this one.
Cute and refreshing to see a new plot from her. I could've done without the heavy sap at the end, but overall I really enjoyed this one.
August 14, 2026
Good secret baby romance. Heroine has baggage from her home life growing up. The couple has a lot of chemistry. Lots of angst and drama.
September 14, 2026
This was a quick fun read. I know this was one of Jill’s books, but I really enjoyed it.
October 27, 2016
A feel good read!!
July 3, 2020
As with pretty much all Jill Shalvis books I read, I absolutely adored this one. I really appreciated that, though Dax was angry he didn't find out about Taylor until she was 3 months old, he was able to see Amber's point of view and didn't try to punish her for it. His focus instantly became Taylor and having a good relationship with her mother for Taylor's sake. Having one protagonist continually trying to punish the other because of some wrong can get old really fast. Overall, a wonderful story. I'm only sad I didn't get to see Amber and Taylor's meet up with Amber's father. The book features a HEA ending and no cliffhanger.
September 14, 2026
This was a quick fun read. I know this was one of Jill’s earlier books, but it was still a fun book to read.
January 31, 2013
The beginning of this book sucked me in and the stakes that got raised by the third chapter kept me turning the pages. But then things started to fall apart for me and I've figured out why...
The premise of this book is a charming fire inspector, Dax, and an uptight real estate agent, Amber, get trapped in a dilapidated building during an earthquake. During those few hours of near death experiences they give into temptation and have coitus (I've been watching too much Big Bang Theory!). Afterwards, they get separated. Well, not really. She runs away from the scene, and then further away to Mexico. Once there she discovers she's pregnant. During the "aftershocks" both try in a lackluster manner to find each other with poor results. A year later, they bump into each other in the pediatrician's office. Big surprise for Dax!
All of that was fantastic! Dax is carefree with no attachments, but still responsible. Amber is a hot mess of insecurity because of her upbringing and she has low self esteem. That's a major reason for her not trying too hard to contact Dax, as well as for dodging his later attempts at becoming a family. And let me tell you, she dodges, ducks, and dives. She's mean, she's standoffish...she's a total Bitch to him. Yet he keeps coming back for more. That's what drove me absolutely insane. I have never met a man who would take that abuse and top it with some serious insecurities, low self esteem, and daddy issues. Shalvis may have brought me around if there had been more inner monologue over it. But there wasn't. A lot of their inner monologues, at this point in the book, focused on their activities and not their wounds or the reasons behind their wounds. Character growth didn't happen until 90% and by then I just didn't care.
The premise of this book is a charming fire inspector, Dax, and an uptight real estate agent, Amber, get trapped in a dilapidated building during an earthquake. During those few hours of near death experiences they give into temptation and have coitus (I've been watching too much Big Bang Theory!). Afterwards, they get separated. Well, not really. She runs away from the scene, and then further away to Mexico. Once there she discovers she's pregnant. During the "aftershocks" both try in a lackluster manner to find each other with poor results. A year later, they bump into each other in the pediatrician's office. Big surprise for Dax!
All of that was fantastic! Dax is carefree with no attachments, but still responsible. Amber is a hot mess of insecurity because of her upbringing and she has low self esteem. That's a major reason for her not trying too hard to contact Dax, as well as for dodging his later attempts at becoming a family. And let me tell you, she dodges, ducks, and dives. She's mean, she's standoffish...she's a total Bitch to him. Yet he keeps coming back for more. That's what drove me absolutely insane. I have never met a man who would take that abuse and top it with some serious insecurities, low self esteem, and daddy issues. Shalvis may have brought me around if there had been more inner monologue over it. But there wasn't. A lot of their inner monologues, at this point in the book, focused on their activities and not their wounds or the reasons behind their wounds. Character growth didn't happen until 90% and by then I just didn't care.
July 5, 2020
Aftershock by Jill Shalvis
5 stars
As with pretty much all Jill Shalvis books I read, I absolutely adored this one. I really appreciated that, though Dax was angry he didn't find out about Taylor until she was 3 months old, he was able to see Amber's point of view and didn't try to punish her for it. His focus instantly became Taylor and having a good relationship with her mother for Taylor's sake. Having one protagonist continually trying to punish the other because of some wrong can get old really fast. Overall, a wonderful story. I'm only sad I didn't get to see Amber and Taylor's meet up with Amber's father. The book features a HEA ending and no cliffhanger.
Exposed: Misbehaving with the Magnate by Kelly Hunter
4 stars
This book didn't hook me quite as fast as Aftershock did, but it did eventually pull me in and I was sad to see it end. After reading this book, I am definitely interested in hearing Rafe and Simone's story in Revealed: A Prince and a Pregnancy.
5 stars
As with pretty much all Jill Shalvis books I read, I absolutely adored this one. I really appreciated that, though Dax was angry he didn't find out about Taylor until she was 3 months old, he was able to see Amber's point of view and didn't try to punish her for it. His focus instantly became Taylor and having a good relationship with her mother for Taylor's sake. Having one protagonist continually trying to punish the other because of some wrong can get old really fast. Overall, a wonderful story. I'm only sad I didn't get to see Amber and Taylor's meet up with Amber's father. The book features a HEA ending and no cliffhanger.
Exposed: Misbehaving with the Magnate by Kelly Hunter
4 stars
This book didn't hook me quite as fast as Aftershock did, but it did eventually pull me in and I was sad to see it end. After reading this book, I am definitely interested in hearing Rafe and Simone's story in Revealed: A Prince and a Pregnancy.
July 19, 2014
What would you do if you were trapped in a building that was collapsing from a earthquake?? I honestly have no idea. I would be scared out of my mind I know that. Well that is exactly what happened to Amber and Dax. You see Dax is a fire inspector for the local fire department and Amber is a realtor. Two people that you never thought would be getting together. But it seems in most of this genre of book that is how it happens. Any way Dax is sent to look at an abandon building far out of town and when he gets there he notices that someone else is there. Once in the building, an earthquake happens. But not just one….multiple earthquakes happen. They both get stuck in the building, underneath a wooden desk. There is where they fall for each other. But that is not where it ends…
But I don’t want to tell you everything. I was very worried about starting this book because the synopsis wasn’t everything that I look for in a good book. I felt like I needed more. But in all actuality I didn’t. They book was amazing. I couldn’t put it down and I found myself wanting more of Dax and Amber’s chemistry. If you are looking for a book that tells a great story but keeps the pages turning, this is the book for you!
But I don’t want to tell you everything. I was very worried about starting this book because the synopsis wasn’t everything that I look for in a good book. I felt like I needed more. But in all actuality I didn’t. They book was amazing. I couldn’t put it down and I found myself wanting more of Dax and Amber’s chemistry. If you are looking for a book that tells a great story but keeps the pages turning, this is the book for you!
July 2, 2014
Another great read from Jill Shalvis. This was an older title that had recently been republished and I just loved it! It had a lot of the tropes that I just love in romance reads. There was a close proximity relationship, there was a secret baby, and a firefighter! Can’t really go wrong with any of those. Real estate agent Amber and fire inspector Dax find themselves trapped after a strong earthquake. They share a very special moment before rescue which changes their lives drastically. A year later Amber knows she has to let Dax know that he is a father, she just didn’t expect to run in to him before she had the chance. This was a really sweet, fun story with some great characters trying to find happiness after such a scary event.
The version that I read did include a second story by Kelly Hunter, Misbehaving with the Magnate. A little different feel from Ms. Shalvis’s story but I still enjoyed. A story of two people from opposite sides of life opening up about the feelings they’ve always kept hidden. Both of these stories were fun reads!
The version that I read did include a second story by Kelly Hunter, Misbehaving with the Magnate. A little different feel from Ms. Shalvis’s story but I still enjoyed. A story of two people from opposite sides of life opening up about the feelings they’ve always kept hidden. Both of these stories were fun reads!
November 29, 2014
The first part of this book that focused on both Dax and Amber before they were rescued from the crumbling building were good. We had a very protective Dax, keeping Amber safe and helping to keep her calm even as aftershocks kept bringing more of the building down over their heads.
The second part, well, it needed a bit more character development.
Dax was a wonderfully sweet and sensitive man who really wore his heart on his sleeve and had a very tender side. Amber on the other hand was cold and stand-offish and really needed more work for us to really understand what made her like she is. We needed more internal dialogue as to her emotions and her thinking process and she constantly felt like a cold character pushing Dax away until the end.
I doubt any man would have put up with her hot and cold personality for that long.
I could however have done with an epilogue as the issues with Ambers father were never really resolved and the issue was not properly closed.
A sweet story none the less.
The second part, well, it needed a bit more character development.
Dax was a wonderfully sweet and sensitive man who really wore his heart on his sleeve and had a very tender side. Amber on the other hand was cold and stand-offish and really needed more work for us to really understand what made her like she is. We needed more internal dialogue as to her emotions and her thinking process and she constantly felt like a cold character pushing Dax away until the end.
I doubt any man would have put up with her hot and cold personality for that long.
I could however have done with an epilogue as the issues with Ambers father were never really resolved and the issue was not properly closed.
A sweet story none the less.
June 2, 2021
"Aftershock" was so ridiculous I was going to stop reading when Thankfully the story came to an end.
It started out with promise: Our heroine is caught in an earthquake with a super sexy wonderful guy. They have sex while thinking they were going to die.
They don't see each other for another year, by which time she has a 3 month old adorable, chubby, baby.
She's lucky to meet again: She's head over heels in love with him but resists his advances. He asks to marry her, she plays stupid games resisting. Finally has sex with him again but says it's only physical.
Gag me. Finally comes to her senses when I was going to toss the book. Maybe a good story for a moony, dreamy, 12 year old girl.
"Exposed" was slightly better. The housekeepers daughter comes back after being banished from the castle because hot guy (son of the owner) can't control himself but she's only 16.
7 years later she returns having built a wine business with her brother in Australia. She still has the hots for Luc, and he for her. Not as much game playing so ok read
It started out with promise: Our heroine is caught in an earthquake with a super sexy wonderful guy. They have sex while thinking they were going to die.
They don't see each other for another year, by which time she has a 3 month old adorable, chubby, baby.
She's lucky to meet again: She's head over heels in love with him but resists his advances. He asks to marry her, she plays stupid games resisting. Finally has sex with him again but says it's only physical.
Gag me. Finally comes to her senses when I was going to toss the book. Maybe a good story for a moony, dreamy, 12 year old girl.
"Exposed" was slightly better. The housekeepers daughter comes back after being banished from the castle because hot guy (son of the owner) can't control himself but she's only 16.
7 years later she returns having built a wine business with her brother in Australia. She still has the hots for Luc, and he for her. Not as much game playing so ok read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews