cover image Aftershock

Aftershock

Jill Sorenson. HQN, $7.99 mass market (384p) ISBN 978-0-373-77732-7

Sorenson (The Edge of Night) fuels this fast-paced romantic thriller with nonstop adrenaline. Paramedic Lauren Boyer is headed to an emergency call when an 8.5-magnitude earthquake hits San Diego, killing her partner and trapping her and others underneath a collapsed freeway. As Lauren hunts for survivors, she meets up with Iraq war veteran Garrett Wright. The two rescue a pregnant teenager from a burning car before finding an unscathed older man and his young granddaughter. As Lauren desperately tries to save the wounded, she learns that three escaped felons are among those trapped beneath the freeway. The situation quickly becomes dire as the criminals demand the lion's share of food, water, and morphine. In the midst of chaos, Lauren falls hard for Garrett%E2%80%94but he's hiding a huge secret that could not only destroy their happiness but cost them their lives. This twisty roller-coaster ride keeps the pages turning. Agent: Laurie McLean, Larsen/Pomada Literary Agents. (Jan.)