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Badlands

(Aftershock #3)

Jill Sorenson (Goodreads Author)

3.92 · Rating details · 480 ratings · 95 reviews

Love is the most dangerous territory of all . . .

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 kn ...more

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Paperback, 384 pages

Published December 31st 2013 by Harlequin HQN

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· 480 ratings · 95 reviews

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Jun 30, 2013 Auntee rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Fans of gritty romantic suspense

Shelves: romantic-suspense, e-books, part-of-a-series, netgalley, 2013_reads

Updated 12/27/13...

Wow, what a story! Can't think of a single thing wrong with it, except...I'd kill for an epilogue! Jill Sorenson, please don't leave us hanging--can we see Owen and Penny again in a future book, just to see how they're doing?

Owen...

photo fc8bef30-2c13-4204-bf1c-40fcf215b59f_zps35e46d4f.jpg

This book had it all. A great story that was plenty intense, wonderful characters (it helped that we met them in the previous book--Aftershock) that we really got to know in this story; a truly gritty atmosphere (I could just sense the heat and ...more

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Jul 07, 2016 Naksed marked it as dnf

Shelves: contemporary-romance

DNF at 65%.

I liked the main characters and remembered them well from their introduction in the author's previous novel, Aftershock. Unfortunately for me, the plausibility factor dwindled with every page until I gave up.

(view spoiler)
DNF at 65%.

I liked the main characters and remembered them well from their introduction in the author's previous novel, Aftershock. Unfortunately for me, the plausibility factor dwindled with every page until I gave up.

(view spoiler). ...more

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Jul 29, 2013 Saly rated it really liked it

Shelves: celibate-hero, single-titles, read-in-2014, romantic-suspense

We met Owen and Penny back in the first book when Penny was a pregnant teen and Owen a convict and they were struck together in the San Diego earthquake and from the very first moment these two showed up on screen I knew they were meant to be together but their journey together wasn't simple. The reasons were several, Owen's conviction and ties with the Aryan brotherhood, the high political stature of Penny's dad.

The book opens five years later and Penny has spent those years being a good mom an ...more

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Jun 09, 2013 Keri rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance-suspense, 2014-read, romance-contemporary

How can you not be in love with young Owen? In the first book, Owen is a 21 year old tattooed, ex-con with possible ties to the AB. Penny was a 17 year old pregnant, Mexican-American, what is not to love with that set up. I would read the first book before you read this book, just so you have their full background. This book takes place 5 years later. Penny and her son Cruz are kidnapped for ransom and it is up to Owen to bring them to safety. Only problem, he might have to kill is brother Shane ...more

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Nov 17, 2013 Metaspinster rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance-suspense, 2013, trope-pining, theme-abuse-sexual-violence, theme-class-differential, trope-friends-to-lovers, theme-like-a-criminal, theme-redemption, theme-family-community, trope-kids-parenthood-esque

This is a decently paced, readable romantic suspense like one can expect from Sorenson. What is also not so surprising from Sorensen - but certainly unusual for this genre - is the nuanced (not overblown) way that this book addresses race, gender, and class. Both the heroine (an unwed, upper-class Latina teen mother) and the hero (a poor, "white trash" ex-con who joined the Aryan Brotherhood in prison for self-preservation) are shown to be influenced by but not limited to the charged identity ca ...more

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Apr 13, 2017 Anita rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned-e-book-kindle, 2017-mt-tbr-challenge, 2017-reading-challenge, authors-read-sorenson-jill

I think I enjoyed Badlands a lot more than I'd expected to (more on that later). The entire book is so intense and fast-paced, and it is entirely possible that it is my favorite of the Aftershock books so far... though Freefall was also one I loved, so I really can't decide.

And the characters were so great! I especially love the fact that we're building onto Owen's character from previous books, as well as the relationship between Penny and Owen from a known history between them.

The Story: ...more

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Nov 30, 2013 SuperWendy rated it really liked it

I have been waiting impatiently for this story ever since I read Aftershock, and it didn't disappoint. Heroine is welcomed back into her family, to a sense of safety she craves, only to find herself trapped in a pretty gilded cage. Hero finds himself making a deal with the heroine's father in order to grease a few wheels so people will look past his criminal record. Hero and heroine falling in love? Not really an option that will be embraced by, well.....anybody. Great read, definitely one of th ...more

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Dec 31, 2013 Margreet Asselbergs rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romantic-suspense

http://ripeforreader.blogspot.com/201...

My rating: 4.5 of 5 ⭐️

Owen Jackson and a Penny Sandoval have a history. Five years ago he was a convicted felon and she was rejected by her parents due to her unplanned pregnancy when they where trapped together under an overpass after a massive earthquake. Owen had stood up for and by Penny through their ordeal and despite their vast differences in background, they came through close friends. Penny's father, already active in the political arena pulled so ...more

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Dec 21, 2013 Christi Snow rated it it was amazing

My Review:

We met Penny and Owen five years ago in the first book of this series when the overpass collapsed in the earthquake. At that point in time, Penny was 8 months pregnant, but Owen fell hopelessly in love with her then. She was 18, he was 21. She was the daughter of a powerful Latino congressman. He was a con and a member of the Aryan Brotherhood gang. Not exactly an expected match. That's why five years later, they have a stilted relationship...more of an acquaintance than anything. He's My Review:

We met Penny and Owen five years ago in the first book of this series when the overpass collapsed in the earthquake. At that point in time, Penny was 8 months pregnant, but Owen fell hopelessly in love with her then. She was 18, he was 21. She was the daughter of a powerful Latino congressman. He was a con and a member of the Aryan Brotherhood gang. Not exactly an expected match. That's why five years later, they have a stilted relationship...more of an acquaintance than anything. He's Penny's bodyguard now as her father makes his bid for the White House.

Since that week trapped, Owen has worked to turn his life around and he's been very successful at it. But that doesn't change the fact that he thinks he's not good enough for Penny. He's also promised her father that he'll stay completely professional with her. No friendship or anything more.

For Penny, after the earthquake, her entire family realized how close she came to death and that changed things. They were never happy about her teenage pregnancy (in fact, they'd kicked her out), but the earthquake changed that and they took her back in. Penny was too grateful for that support and has since let her father dictate her life to a certain extent which she hates. The power her father holds over both of them is the one little issue I had with this book, but that is where the bulk of the conflict in the story comes from and there is a change in that as the book progresses. As a result, I can live with them being weak characters when it comes to standing up to her father at the beginning of the book.

The book begins with Penny, Owen, and her five year old son, Cruz, being kidnapped by Shane, Owen's brother, and a group of the Aryan Brotherhood gang. They are taken to the Badlands, a desolate stretch of land where Owen grew up. It was interesting to "see" this bit of land that I've never heard of before. (note: Jill Sorenson has photos of her and her family visiting the areas talked about in the book on her blog which is really interesting to look at.) The entire book is action packed as the three of them try to get out of this situation. The action begins on page one and never ends. For a lot of RS authors, they use that adrenaline as an excuse for the romance. I liked that Jill Sorenson didn't do that. The romance is built up really slowly, even though both of these characters have been fighting their feelings for years.

There is also some great backstory with Owen and how he ended up where he was....OMG, this guy....I loved him before, but now I love him even more. He made some mistakes along the way, but honestly, he was just trying to survive. His entire life has been a struggle and this book goes into all that. The last scenes between him and Shane (his brother) broke my heart...for both of them. That's one thing Jill Sorenson does really well....she can provide the human side of her characters...even the ones that are doing despicable things (here, I'm referring to Shane, not Owen).

This book was a great end to the story of the people we met in the original book. While you absolutely can read this one without having read the last two, it's interesting to watch how Owen has grown and evolved over the years (yes, he was in book #2, also). Overall, it's been a great series and I was thrilled to see at the end that it's expanding. There is a book #4 coming... Yay!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
...more

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Jul 09, 2013 Cindy rated it really liked it

What a great conclusion to Owen and Penny’s story. If you haven’t read Aftershock I would recommend reading that book first so you understand the dynamic between these two and what its taken for them to finally get to a point where its possible for them to be together.

Owen and Penny met after an earthquake left them buried under a freeway. She was 16 and pregnant and estranged from her Mexican American family due to the pregnancy. Owen was 19, in prison and part of a white supremacist prison ga What a great conclusion to Owen and Penny’s story. If you haven’t read Aftershock I would recommend reading that book first so you understand the dynamic between these two and what its taken for them to finally get to a point where its possible for them to be together.

Owen and Penny met after an earthquake left them buried under a freeway. She was 16 and pregnant and estranged from her Mexican American family due to the pregnancy. Owen was 19, in prison and part of a white supremacist prison gang with racist tattoo’s over his body. But Owen was part of the gang for survival only and he became infatuated with Penny during their ordeal and ended up saving the group trapped by managing to escape and get help. After getting out of prison Owen wanted to better himself and Penny’s father played a part in that but with a stipulation that he wasn’t to ever be more to his daughter than a friend.

Five years later Owen is part of Penny’s father’s security team as he is now running for president. Owen’s been assigned to guard Penny and Cruz, her son he helped deliver. Penny and Owen both have feelings for each other but just have just silently pined for the other for their own reasons. The three of them are kidnapped by Owen’s brother and group of other gang member and taken to the Badlands and held for ransom. They manage to escape and during there trek through the desert we learn more about the horrible childhood Owen had and the atrocities done to him in prison. Those things have made Owen have intimacy issues and it takes Penny’s love for him to help him start to work through them.

Normally we see the woman in a book being the one that’s been sexually abused and the effects of that. In this book its Owen who has the deep emotional scars from what happened to him in prison and all the mistakes he made that got him there. But through all of that he still has the kindest heart and you root for him on every page he is on. I am so happy we finally got Penny and Owen’s story as they both deserved a happy ending to all the heartbreak that came before it.
...more

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Nov 25, 2013 Socalgal5 rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, romantic-suspense, contemporary-romance, hot-romance, latino-romance, 5-stars, amz-reviewed

Jill Sorenson is an author I know I can count on every time I read one of her stories. Badlands is the 3rd book in the Aftershock series. In Aftershock, we meet Penny where she was an 18 year old Latina who comes from wealth & is pregnant. We almost meet Owen, a convict but has a heart that wants to do the right thing. Owen falls for Penny the moment he saw her. Penny grew to care for Owen despite his appearances. In Badlands, we catch up with Penny and Owen five years later. After much work and ...more

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Dec 24, 2013 Dianne rated it did not like it

Shelves: galleys-arcs, books-with-aut-or-fan-issues

It is difficult for words to even begin to describe this romance novel. I understand that this is a work of fiction and a romance no less...but it is not science fiction, speculative fiction, fantasy or a dystopian society or even where the rules of common sense have no meaning anymore. In these genres you need that lack sometimes to push the plot along..

I this book we have the first Mexican American running for president. One of his daughters had a baby out of wedlock and it makes it difficult ...more

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Oct 19, 2016 Lynn Spencer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: tbr-challenge, romantic-suspense

I cut my teeth on historicals and romantic suspense, so I always enjoy an excuse to dive back into either of these subgenres. This month’s TBR Challenge prompt of paranormal and rom susp gave me the perfect excuse. I’d read all but one of the books in Jill Sorenson’s Aftershock series and inexplicably the one I’d neglected was the one that intrigued me most.

Badlands reunites Owen Jackson and Penny Sandoval, two of the most fascinating characters from Aftershock. When readers last saw these ...more

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Dec 10, 2013 Diane rated it really liked it

Shelves: first-reads, romantic-suspense

I received a free copy of this book as part of a FirstReads giveaway. It's been a while since I read a romantic-suspense book, and I was happy to have received this one.

This was a little different from the typical book of this genre in that the heroine was the daughter of a Hispanic presidential candidate and the hero was an ex-felon, former member of the Aryan Brotherhood, former meth-user, and seriously damaged. You'd think you would not be able to root for this guy, but he's the heart-of-gol ...more

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Feb 12, 2016 Jill rated it really liked it

Shelves: series-to-remember, romance

Sorenson has come up with a different type of hero--one who has made really bad choices and willingly violated the law. I felt that we really get to know Owen much better than we know Penny. In fact, we get inside Janelle, a side character (who is featured in Shooting Dirty of the series, "Dirty Eleven MC") more than we really do Penny. Owen's family dynamics are front and center here and we see him learn from his experiences.

Wendy, this is my February title. I am behind on all of Sorenson's se ...more

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Nov 06, 2014 Mignon Mykel rated it it was amazing

4.5 stars. I had been anticipating this book since we first met Penny and Owen. Easily my favorite of the first 3 books :)

Will officially "back-blog" the first 3 booms in coming weeks on review blog..! ...more

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Mar 17, 2015 Yvonne Hailey rated it it was amazing

This is 1 of the best romantic suspense novels ever. Finally! Owen's book. He absolutely breaks my heart. His yearning for Penny & belief that he's not good enough 4 her is so touching. The romance is sweet but the action is a huge part of story. Very riveting. This is an awesome series ...more

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Mar 07, 2017 Sonja rated it really liked it

Shelves: rrrc-reading-challenge, adventure

This was such a pleasant surprise! I picked this up on a whim from my local library and ended up finishing it in less than two days. Both characters were very relatable and mostly realistic. Owen is a damaged ex-con with a good heart and unrequited feelings for Penny. Penny is the single-mom daughter of a presidential candidate who has had feelings for Owen since he rescued her from an earthquake and helped her deliver her son. These characters seemed much more mature than their actual ages sugg ...more

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Jul 01, 2019 Toni rated it really liked it

Owen & Penny are altogether a much more intriguing match than what’s his face and Paramedic Lady from the first one. Also Owen’s vulnerability would win a literal corpse over. Also there’s a lot of unrealistic physical realities but literally who the fuck cares????

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Nov 10, 2017 Gisela rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.5 stars

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Jan 09, 2019 Janet Robel rated it really liked it

Very nicely written romantic suspense! The action makes this a page-turner you won't forget. ...more

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Jun 04, 2019 Gisela rated it liked it

3.5 stars

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Jan 04, 2014 Ni_kii rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romantic-suspense, previous-abuse, romance, smexy, previous-relationship, previous-baddie, smoking-hot-sex, previous-trauma

FTC: I requested this book from NetGalley after reading the first two from there. I have no relationship with the author.

This book should not be read alone as it is a continuation of a series arc. I do think that you need to see how Penny and Owen meet to appreciate how far each of them have come. At the time of their meeting, Penny was pregnant and Owen was part of a neo-Nazi criminal group all trapped together after an Earthquake. Over the course of that book, Owen did grow but I knew when I s FTC: I requested this book from NetGalley after reading the first two from there. I have no relationship with the author.

This book should not be read alone as it is a continuation of a series arc. I do think that you need to see how Penny and Owen meet to appreciate how far each of them have come. At the time of their meeting, Penny was pregnant and Owen was part of a neo-Nazi criminal group all trapped together after an Earthquake. Over the course of that book, Owen did grow but I knew when I started reading this one that most of his character growth had happened off-page.

At the start of this book, Penny is the mother to the lovely Cruz (so cute!) and Owen is their personal bodyguard. Her Father a prominent politician, she has started to become part of the campaign and therefore is in need of a bodyguard that she can trust. Owen has proved his worth by saving her life before so her Father hired him. Little did she know the stipulations that he had put in place when hiring Owen. Penny’s Father is a bit of a douche. I really didn’t like him the more I found out about him. Yes, he was protecting her from the former Neo-Nazi but he was really trying to impose his own ideals onto her life by putting Owen in an untenable position. It was very controlling.

Owen is batshit crazy in love with Penny. Thing is, he knows that his background means that he is unlikely to have a shot with her. He is focusing all his energy on protecting her and Cruz whilst they need him and then, if he manages to keep to all the stipulations in his contract, he will walk away knowing they are safe with a letter of recommendation to get a firefighter job. I didn’t judge him for not doing more to get her attention and say “fuck you” to Daddy dearest’s stipulations, I applauded him. He was happy in his unrequited love, sure that the best thing he could do for her was what he was doing and trying to live his life anyway. I liked him…….and then I found out about his tattoo modifications and I swooned a little. Then I found out about why he got the tattoos in the first place and my heart broke. I knew there would be a story; I just didn’t think it would be quite that story. Needless to say, I was dubious about a hero (reformed or not) who had criminal convictions and white supremist affiliations, but then I read his backstory and I knew I could stop judging him as a racist thug (I know, I am judgey with romance heroes….). At the start of the book, I knew that the actions didn’t quite fit with the appearance anyway but now my opinion is completely changed. Don’t get me wrong, he was never going to be a perfect hero to me, after all his actions were his own, but you have to give him some credit for being dealt a very bad hand. I liked him. Imperfections and all.

Penny impressed me in this book. It is clear before the kidnap that she is attracted to Owen but it isn’t until after the kidnapping that she really gets to dissect and tell him her feelings. She doesn’t care what he used to be as he has impressed her enough with the man that he has become and I respected this outlook. She let her judgement of him be based on his actions and not his outwards appearance (he has numerous Nazi tattoos as far as she is aware) and I liked this about her. It would be so easy to dismiss him but she can’t do that. I think the addition of Cruz to this particular plot was a genius way to let her shine too; her actions to save him were selfless and determined. She was strong, she was selfless and she was kind-hearted; she was a heroine who I wanted to know more about.

The suspense plot was well developed and kept the romance plot moving forward nicely. I didn’t quite know what I wanted to happen with Owen’s brother (main baddie) as I was torn between believing he could be redeemable (unlikely) and wanting to die a painful death (my reader self is blood thirsty). It was a bit of a pickle really but that edge of uncertainty kept me ploughing through the pages, another thing for me to get my teeth into.

Overall, this was a brilliant book, one I hoped Owen would get. I loved the pairing of the two of them, happy that the relationship would bring out the best of both of them. Excellent romantic suspense. ...more

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May 21, 2018 D rated it liked it

Shelves: erotica-explicit, thriller-suspense, romance, 1970s-to-21st-century-contemporary

some of the detail was fantastic. i particularly liked how sorensen worked to make even her most extreme characters varied and believable. some good stuff here.

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Jan 11, 2014 Nikki rated it liked it

As a presidential candidates daughter, Penny is used to being in the spotlight. Even though she wishes she could stay out of it and shield her young son Cruz, her father has always had a hold over her and he usually gets what he wants. What Penny wants can be boiled down to one answer, a who. She craves her fathers bodyguard Owen like nothing else. Yet he is aloof and uneffected by her even after all these years.

When Penny and Cruz are kidnapped Owen knows he has to get them back. He may appear As a presidential candidates daughter, Penny is used to being in the spotlight. Even though she wishes she could stay out of it and shield her young son Cruz, her father has always had a hold over her and he usually gets what he wants. What Penny wants can be boiled down to one answer, a who. She craves her fathers bodyguard Owen like nothing else. Yet he is aloof and uneffected by her even after all these years.

When Penny and Cruz are kidnapped Owen knows he has to get them back. He may appear unaffected by the Mexican beauty but in truth he would give anything to have her. His past is filled with vicious events and even worse people and it looks like they have finally come to collect. Knowing his own brother may be behind the abduction leaves Owen no choice but to put his life on the line for the two people that mean the most to him. He’ll get them back, or die trying.

Badlands was a book I was eager to get to for good reason. When looking at the back cover it hinted at everything I want in a romantic suspense. Two individuals from completely different walks for life, kids, action, adventure, love and sacrifice. Yet as I cracked this one open and delved deeper into the world Sorenson had created I found myself feeling conflicted.

I enjoyed Penny and Cruz immensely. Here was a woman who had managed to achieve a lot and under circumstances less than perfect. Even though she had plenty of money from her family she didn’t do what a lot of women in her position would have. She chose not to live off that money. She instead finished school, got her degree and managed to take care of her son without his father in the picture. Cruz, being a small child, was adorable and his interactions with Owen were priceless. She was a strong heroine. Even during the worst of situation she holds herself together and doesn’t panic.

It should come as no surprise if you’ve been with me a while that I love alpha males. I want alpha males. I want their protection. Their strength. I don’t mind flaws because it usually makes the draw more magnetic for me. Scarred heroes…either physically or emotionally are my Kryptonite. Owen…sigh…Owen didn’t work for me. It pains me to say that because I WANTED him to knock my socks off. But he was too closed off because of his horrendous past and encounters. He had unspeakable things happen to him while in jail (do I need to go into detail…I hope not) and because of that he was really really scarred emotionally. To the point where it was near impossible for him to be intimate. So that area was very slow going and I needed more heat. I understood why the sexual progression of these two was stunted…but I still wanted more. And he cried. A lot. Again, I understood why he cried but it just didn’t work for me. I don’t want criers. I want saviors. And while he did manage to save the day, it is a romance after all, he just wasn’t enough to entice this reader.

Past the lack of sexual attraction, I enjoyed the other aspects of the book. There was plenty of action as Penny, Owen and Cruz try to get away from their captors and then later on as Penny and Owen try to put an end to those intent on harming them. Owen tries his best to reason with his brother but their bleak upbringing seems to have leant compassion to only one brother. While Owen maintained his humanity and still felt guilt over his past actions, his brother didn’t seem to be nearly as affected by his.

It might have helped if I read this first two books in this series before starting this one. We’ll never know. While I liked the core of the book and the story line, Sorenson lost me in the romance department. I will definitely pick up something else in the future though as I have a feeling this might be an isolated occurrence with this author.

I give Badlands by Jill Sorenson 3 stars! ...more

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Nov 12, 2013 Trader (RedHotBlueReads) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-favorites

Review also posted at: http://redhotbluereads.blogspot.com/2014/01/5-stars-for-badlands-by-jill-sorenson.html

Five years after the earthquake, Owen Jackson is working for the Sandoval family as Penny’s bodyguard. There’s still a whole truckload of feelings between these two, feelings that Owen is unable to act on for multiple reasons. The action heats up very quickly when Shane, Owen’s brother, orchestrates the abduction of Penny, Cruz and Owen.

The story takes off like a shot from this point f Review also posted at: http://redhotbluereads.blogspot.com/2014/01/5-stars-for-badlands-by-jill-sorenson.html

Five years after the earthquake, Owen Jackson is working for the Sandoval family as Penny’s bodyguard. There’s still a whole truckload of feelings between these two, feelings that Owen is unable to act on for multiple reasons. The action heats up very quickly when Shane, Owen’s brother, orchestrates the abduction of Penny, Cruz and Owen.

The story takes off like a shot from this point forward. It’s one of the things I love about Jill Sorenson’s writing. Like a well-crafted action/adventure movie, her writing pulls me right into the story. For me, this read isn’t so much about the end result, as it is about the ride.

Under the pressure of eluding their kidnappers, Owen and Penny’s feelings for each other are no longer easy to keep under control, especially with Shane needling them both about it. And there’s not only a chase through the Badlands and lots of sexual tension, there’s also Shane and Owen settling some brother-to-brother scores, too.

I just loved Owen. He appears in all books so far in this series, but we really didn’t get to know him like we do in Badlands. He’s had a hard life. He’s got lots to think about and has had lots of time do it. Meeting Penny during the earthquake changes his life. I loved the chemistry between Owen and Penny. She was the “gentle” he needed in his life, he was the strength she needed in hers.

With all that is going on around them, Owen breaks down emotionally a number of times, and in many ways it is in this vulnerability that he shows his strength. He’ll do anything for Penny, that’s clear. He takes an incredible amount of physical abuse and struggles with dysfunctions from his incarceration. He really takes some big chances in showing Penny how he feels. Penny was almost the opposite, naive in her approach to him, still sheltered by her family, but she sees the good in Owen, and believes in him.

There were some great secondary characters in Badlands. Shane was an intricate character, sometimes scary, sometimes just a brother as he strips Owen down emotionally a number of times. The relationship between Owen and Shane, and the things they experienced in their family seemed very authentic. The addition of Shane’s ex-wife Janelle brought an interesting twist to the action. Owen’s scenes with Cruz touched my heart. I loved Owen’s devotion to the child and the way that Cruz looked up to him.

I really liked everything in this read, except for the fact that I wanted more Owen and Penny and Cruz! Luckily I still hadn’t read Aftershock, the first book in the series, so I was happy to be able to read more about how Penny and Owen meet. Badlands can be read without reading the other books in the series.

This book had what makes it a 5 star read for me-- non-stop action, interesting characters, great emotional content and I didn’t stop reading until the end. I really love this series. Recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin HQN for the opportunity to read and review. ...more

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Dec 13, 2013 Jackie rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley

Another decently paced adventure romance from Sorenson, featuring two of the secondary characters from the first book in her Aftershock series. Penny Sandoval, daughter of a Republican Presidential candidate, has had strong feelings for her current bodyguard, Owen Jackson, ever since ex-con Owen helped Penny when they were trapped under a collapsed freeway after an earthquake. Owen, who considers himself poor white trash, doesn't need Penny's father to tell him he's not good enough for Penny, no Another decently paced adventure romance from Sorenson, featuring two of the secondary characters from the first book in her Aftershock series. Penny Sandoval, daughter of a Republican Presidential candidate, has had strong feelings for her current bodyguard, Owen Jackson, ever since ex-con Owen helped Penny when they were trapped under a collapsed freeway after an earthquake. Owen, who considers himself poor white trash, doesn't need Penny's father to tell him he's not good enough for Penny, nor the agreement he signed when he took the bodyguard job agreeing not to socialize with her to keep his hands to himself. But when the two, plus Penny's young son, are kidnapped by Owen's just freed from jail no-good older brother and his cronies, the heightened-danger feelings kick in and bring them close. After a long escape sequence across the Badlands, Penny and Owen are recaptured, handcuffed together, and locked together in a motel bathroom. Hidden shames and healing passion ensues. After the kidnappers are defeated, Penny refuses to allow her father to part her from the man she loves, no matter how damaging he thinks her relationship might be for his political ambitions.

This is a Harlequin, so there's more telling than showing than an experienced reader might like, far more than in Sorenson's earlier, longer books. And there's a good deal of improbable heroics on Owen's part—the day after being brutally beaten, he's up and about and on the run, carrying Penny's child and wheeling her about in a wheelbarrow when she's taken by heat stroke.

On the more interesting side, though, we have the inversion of the typical race dynamics: the rich girl is Latino, the poor guy is white. And there are lots of hints that the Republican family values Penny's father espouses contain more than their share of hypocrisy. Favorite moment: when Penny calls her dad on his hypocrisy, asking him why he praises self-made men, but then tries to buy Owen off instead of valuing him for overcoming adversity.

Still, I could wish Sorenson would find a publisher who would let her expand her wings, let her show rather than just tell... ...more

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Dec 01, 2013 Candy rated it really liked it

Shelves: so-many-reads-reviews, 2015-reading-challenge

Owen Jackson is trying to break away from his past. A former convict, Owen was a hero during a San Diego earthquake when he helped rescue a group of strangers trapped under a collapsed interstate. Penny Sandoval was in that group and despite her knowledge of his past she still develops feelings for Owen. Owen can’t be with Penny. For one, he is now her security guard since her father is running for president and two, he doesn’t think he deserves Penny. When Owen’s brother kidnaps Penny, her youn Owen Jackson is trying to break away from his past. A former convict, Owen was a hero during a San Diego earthquake when he helped rescue a group of strangers trapped under a collapsed interstate. Penny Sandoval was in that group and despite her knowledge of his past she still develops feelings for Owen. Owen can’t be with Penny. For one, he is now her security guard since her father is running for president and two, he doesn’t think he deserves Penny. When Owen’s brother kidnaps Penny, her young son, and Owen, the couple find themselves fighting for their lives. A daring escape into the California desert may save them but at what cost? Can they escape Owen’s brother? Will Owen and Penny finally give into their feelings for each other?
I am so happy that we finally get Penny and Owen’s book. I loved this couple in Aftershock. I kept hoping that they would find a way to be with each other.
I loved Penny’s character. In Aftershock, we get a glimpse of her becoming her own person outside of her family’s political expectations. In this book though, we finally get to see Penny standing on her own. Penny doesn’t care that Owen had a criminal past. She sees past what would be a road block for many people and sees what a caring person Owen is. When she finally stood up to her father at the end I almost did a happy dance.
Owen’s character has intrigued me since the moment he left the convicts to join Garrett in protecting the good group during the aftermath of the earthquake. I wondered why he joined the Aryan Brotherhood in prison when he seemed so ashamed for Penny to see his prison tattoos. In this book we finally find out the heart breaking reason why. We also get to learn a lot about his childhood and get an appreciation for how far he has come.
Badlands is the third book in the Aftershock series. Like the other two books in this series, it is a rip roaring, pulse pounding adventure that will keep you on edge. Anyone who enjoys a fantastic romantic suspense should not only read this book but the series as well.

*review also to appear on somanyreads.com * ...more

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Nov 18, 2013 Lisa Cobb Sabatini rated it it was amazing

I won Badlands by Jill Sorenson through Goodreads. This story is a romance with the added drama of a kidnapping, an escape, and the struggle to survive harsh elements and the pursuing criminals. It is part of a series in which the two main characters met in a previous book, but Badlands can be read as a standalone book.
Sorenson does not shy away from the issue of racism in this book. Racist attempts to manipulate politics is the stimulus for the kidnapping of Penny, the daughter of a Latino who ...more

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Jul 15, 2014 Starr Gardinier rated it liked it

“Badlands” by Jill Sorenson

It’s been a little while since I’ve read a great romantic suspense. I’m glad I picked this one up. “Badlands” has it all: suspense, danger, and definitely romance.

Penny Sandoval is the daughter of a presidential candidate and has a young son. She is kidnapped and unfortunately, her son Cruz is taken as well. Her friend and bodyguard Owen Jackson tries to stop the kidnapping and ends up getting involved. And...it’s Owen’s own brother Shane who’s responsible.

The three of ...more

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About Jill Sorenson

Jill Sorenson

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Jill Sorenson is the RITA-nominated author of more than a dozen novels, including the Aftershock series with HQN. She lives in the San Diego area with her husband and daughters.