Book Review: Badlands by Jill Sorenson

Title: Badlands
Series: Aftershock, Book 3
Author: Jill Sorenson
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided via NetGalley
Published: December 31, 2013 by Harlequin

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 knows the bleak territory from his childhood. Worse, he knows the gang leader making ransom demands — his own brother, Shane. When a terrified Penny escapes into the desert with Cruz, Owen has to save her: from the elements and from the gang in close pursuit. Owen has hidden the darkness in his past from Penny. Now his only chance of keeping her alive is to let her see the man he really is — even if it means losing the only woman he'll ever want.

Why I Read this Book: Ever since reading Aftershock, the first book in this series, I’ve been waiting for Penny and Owen’s book.

What I Liked: I <3 Owen. He is such a great guy and it really shows in Badlands. Owen’s first appearance was in Aftershock and while it may not have been the best of first impressions, I knew he was a good guy with a big heart. He has turned his life around for the better and I think Cruz is part of the reason. He loves Cruz as if he were his own child and will do anything for him.

I had some questions regarding Penny’s character after reading Aftershock and I got to find out more about Penny in Badlands; who she is as a person, about her family, and about her son’s father. I liked how Penny was so open and honest about her feelings for Owen.

I usually don’t like kids in my romance novels but Cruz isn’t used to drive the plot forward and he didn’t have too much page time so it worked for me. It worked really well actually. I actually liked the kid.

This author made me care about the villains, again. This seems weird to me – to sympathize with villains – but the way it plays out, I felt some compassion for Shane, Owen’s brother, and the mystery guy. In fact, the mystery guy intrigued me enough that I’m hoping to see him in an upcoming book.

What I Didn’t Like: There was a moment when my reading momentum stalled for a bit and that was because of the setting. Luckily, the setting changed and I was back in the zone.

Overall Impression: I am happy to finally have read Owen and Penny’s book and I look forward to continue reading the series. Readers should read Aftershock first, as that book sets the foundation and establishes the beginning of their relationship.

Brianna’s Rating:

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Brianna’s reviews for other books in this series:
Aftershock, Book 1
Freefall, Book 2