Sylvia Day: Afterburn

Title: Afterburn
Author: Sylvia Day
Series: Afterburn & Aftershock #1
Release Date: August 15, 2013

My Rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis: 

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sylvia Day, America’s premier author of provocative fiction, delivers the debut novel from Cosmo Red-Hot Reads from Harlequin.

The realization that Jax still affected me so strongly was a jagged pill to swallow. He’d only been part of my life for five short weeks two years ago. But now he was back. Walking into a deal I’d worked hard to close. And God, he was magnificent. His eyes were a brown so dark they were nearly black. Thickly lashed, they were relentless in their intensity. Had I really thought they were soft and warm? There was nothing soft about Jackson Rutledge. He was a hard and jaded man, cut from a ruthless cloth.

In that moment I understood how badly I wanted to unravel the mystery of Jax. Bad enough that I didn't mind how much it was going to cost me...

My Review: 

"Red-Hot" is right. Afterburn is a scorcher! I love all of Ms. Day's work, that I've read so far, and I was definitely intrigued by the description of Afterburn so I decided to try it out. Afterburn is part one of a two part story that revolves around the lives and relationship of Jackson "Jax" Rutledge and Gianna "Gia" Rossi. She may not have heard from him in two years but she is painfully aware the minute he walks into the same room with her. Once Gia realizes there is no escaping Jax she refuses to give him her all again without anything in return. She will either have a benefit only relationship, or force him to give just as much of himself as she once had. Their professional relationship keeps colliding with their personal one, and his background and family continues to prove that she does not belong in his world. Gia is anything but a push over, she may have once fell victim to her heart but she is going to fight like hell to make sure she is not the only falling this time. 

I love the way Sylvia Day transforms Gia from beginning to end. At first I felt her pain and then "Hello! Where did this kick ass heroine come from?" Gia has all of these high-rolling, wealthy characters playing ping pong around her and she decides to take charge and straighten everything out her way. All the while, Jax is trying to fight his real feelings for her, and the world he was born into. You get a glimpse of their past, but Ms. Day alludes to more complicated story than even some of the characters know. 

This may be a short read but it is quite simply an amazing one. The dynamic of the Rossi family is something I look forward to reading more about  in the future and I would love to get my hands on the back story of Lei and Ian. As for Gia and Jax, their story is due to continue in November with Aftershock. I have a feeling Gia is going to give Jax the ride of his life and steal his heart in one feel swoop. Afterburn is definitely up to par with some of Ms. Day's best work and I truly hope she continues with the stories of the secondary characters :) 

Happy Reading!

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