Afterburn & Aftershock

I have read many Sylvia Day books and while they have their similarities be it characters, locations or story lines, each one never ceases to amaze me. She is so talented. FYI - I read the one book version of the two stories. In Afterburn we meet Gianna Rossi who is the youngest in a large family that is loving, supportive and close to each other. They own and run an Italian Restaurant, one of the best in town. Gianna wants to put her degree in Restaurant management to good use and learn from one of the best in the industry, Lei Yeung. It al started with a job interview where Gianna learns really quick to make the most of the few minutes she had in front of the restaurant icon. She took full advantage of those few minutes to impress and shine winning herself the job of her dreams. While working for Lei Yeung, Gianna learns the mean and dirty ropes of opening restaurants and signing celebrity chefs for the restaurant. She also learns from an expert how to play the games when finding talent. Gianna becomes a force to be reckoned with, just like her boss. Learning how to manipulate people to do what is needed, yet keeping the humane side of it and doing the right thing, thanks to her family upbringing and their continued closeness throughout the story. Enter Jax Rutledge, her former fling when she was in college in Vegas two years ago. He had walked out on her one night and was never heard from again. Although she "hates" him for what he did to her she has no idea of what it has done to him or his side of the story. All the old feelings and pain return when she sees him at a work related event. While she thinks he doesn't see her, not acknowledging her presence that night, he certainly sees her. But had he seen her all along? Over the last two years? Jax is intricately tied into the new restaurant deal that Gianna is trying to manage but on the other side. The side trying to tear her deal apart. Because of his involvement she is forced to change course many times and question her newly ignited feelings for Jax. When his actions come too close for comfort, even her boss questions her decision to be with him. Is sabotaging her? Is he protecting her? Is he doing it to repay a favor or is there another driving force altogether? But Gianna gets tough. Just when I thought she was going to be another weak female character, she decides to go head to head with this wealthy, well-known businessman without backing down. Even up against his very political family with many connections, especially Parker, the patriarch. But can she remain the Rossi family member that is an honest and good person? Aftershock gives more details about the relationship between Jax and Gianna while Afterburn brings the business side to light. Gianna and Jax have heated sex scenes, almost too many at times. Gianna even questions of that is all she is to him, a quick lay, a good fu*&. There is so much about Jax she doesn't understand but as she starts to unravel the layers does she like what she sees? Can she live in his world? As much as she thinks she can, he is pushing her in the opposite direction trying to protect her and hide her from his world, on purpose. He's been hurt once already. Never again. In her frustrations to learn more about Jax and his family secrets she makes a mistake that leads to serious trouble with dangerous repercussions. She takes it upon herself to try and fix her "mistake" and in the end, looking back, she doesn't even know who she was when she made the choices she did to protect Jax. She turns to her family for love and support. Family grounds her, especially her brothers. She can and does always turn to her brothers for love and support. When I started reading this I wasn't sure how the characters were written. Was Gianna going to be another helpless female who depended on the male to help her succeed. In this case, Gianna finds her independence, learns from her boss and actually matures from that relationship as Lei teaches her about life from her own mistakes. That relationship was a pleasure to watch grow and the mutual respect and trust was refreshing. Gianna also took responsibility for her own mistakes or actions realizing that her job and succeeding at her job was her prize, her measure of success. And she did that without hurting the other players (chefs) in the mix. I loved her honest, caring side making her more believable as a character. Even when Jax came back in her life, she realized what he was doing to try to sabotage her boss and still held her own, aware of his actions, protecting herself while giving in to his passion and connection once more. I was very proud of Gianna and how she stayed true to herself and family over what a man wanted her to become. In the end, her self respect taught Jax what was important to her and he learned from her as well, the hard way. Very well written story as expected from Ms. Day. I enjoyed both aspects of the business relationship to the romantic relationship. Very well done! Worth the read.

Good story with lots of spice. I felt like there was a lot left out with Jax & his issues. I loved how protective Gianna's brothers were. *sigh* I would have loved more about their future. Still worth the read.

I love that I can read a book and watch the movie right after- Passionflex is amazing! Gianna and Jax have history. Two years before, he ended things with her after five blissful weeks together. Now she’s working for a woman (Lei) and is loving it. One day when they’re trying to seal a deal between twin siblings for competing restaurants, Jax walks in next to their competitor Ian (Lei’s ex and former partner who screwed her over) and takes one of the twins from them. But, the chemistry between Jax and Gianna is thick, palpable, raw and they can’t stay away from each other. She feels very betrayed but can’t deny her strong feelings for him and he has been pining for her all this time. His family is heavily involved in politics and he has always tried to shield her from it all, which is why he broke it off with her years before. But, the heart wants what it wants and they both can’t stop gravitating towards each other. They have to work through their possible future problems and decide if they’re in it for the long haul and if it’s worth it I loved this duo/book. I do wish it was longer but it was still damn good. The sexy scenes were erotic and sweet. Their connection is undeniable. I wish we could’ve gotten some flashbacks from the past since it would’ve solidified their previous relationship (that chocolate scene would’ve been everything lol) but it still worked with the way it was written.

The characters in Afterburn/Aftershock by Sylvia Day are reminiscent of those in her Crossfire series: the hero is an alpha male millionaire and the heroine is a sassy, headstrong, and career-minded woman. Like the characters in that series, Gia and Jax have a tumultuous relationship that left me wondering just what keeps them together, other than hot sex. By the end of the story, I was still wondering why they’re so in love with each other. Gianna Rossi comes from a tight-knit Italian family that runs its own family business: their restaurant, Rossi’s. When Gia lands a job as the assistant to Lei Yeung, a mogul in the restaurant industry, it’s her dream come true. But Gia’s world is turned upside down when she crosses paths again with wealthy Jackson Rutledge, head of venture capital firm Rutledge Capital. Two years ago, Gia and Jax had a romance that ran hot and heavy—but was short-lived when Jax ghosted her. Now that work has brought Jax back into her life, Gia is determined not to blur the lines between business and pleasure. But the past has come back to haunt her when Jax makes it clear that he still wants Gia more than ever...and old habits die hard, because Gia still wants him too. Jax comes from a powerful political family, which ramps up the drama when he and Gia try to make a go of an actual relationship. For people who claim to be crazy about each other, I had trouble understanding why. Gia and Jax spend a lot of time fighting, only to follow up with make-up sex, which led me to believe maybe that’s why their relationship seems to thrive off conflict. Other than an amazing sexual connection, I didn't understand why Gia and Jax are so obsessed with each other—enough to make them pick up right where they’d left off two years prior. The resolution felt a bit rushed to me and included a plot point that struck me as extremely anti-feminist, which I had a huge issue with. In one sense, I can understand why it was used to show a certain character’s desperation, but at the same time, I wish another route had been taken. I did love other parts of the book, such as the readability of Day’s writing and the inclusion of a diverse set of supporting characters. Afterburn/Aftershock will especially appeal to those who enjoy the push/pull of drama-infused relationships. For me, it was just an okay read—one that left me scratching my head with regard to the essence of the romance itself.

I love the story line and just when things go absolutely sideways, love prevails! I absolutely love it! Very exciting!

Gianna Rossi is a very smart woman, comes from a good family who own an amazing restaurant in New York and knows what she wants in her future. That is until she meets Jax Rutledge in Vegas, two weeks of meaningless sex on his part, makes Gianna fall in love with him, just for him to walk away like it meant nothing to him. Gianna realises that to him, it was a game and in the end she had lost and he had won. She decides that no one will make her feel that way again, throwing herself into her career, it doesn't take her long to get her dream job, a chance to work with one of the best chefs in New York, suddenly things are looking up for her. Two years down the line, things are still looking good for Gianna with a job she loves and a life she is happy with, when Jax Rutledge strolls back into her perfect life. He is just the same man she remembered, handsome with good looks and a presence that could utter her speechless. Although, coming back into her life isn't enough, he has to slowly start ruin her career in the process, with them on two different sides things start to become difficult. Jax Rutledge always gets his only way, he like to control everything coming from a political family it is to be expected that he has to be cocky and demand everything be done his way. Though, no matter how much Gianna resists him, the passion and desire they have drives them to have sex everytime they meet, it is almost as if they are meant to be together but everything seems to complicated and not everyone agrees with their relationship. Although, life isn't always as simple not in the world of politics anyway, Gianna wants to know the real Jax, not the one in the public eye but he refuses to tell her, making her realise that if she is going to find out his secrets and the real him then she will have to do her own research, to finally uncover the secrets that Jax and the Rutledge family are hiding. Afterburn is a sizzling novel that I couldn't put down, with its passion, sex and an undeniable connection that Jax and Gianna have, it is one of the best books I have read this year by far. If I had to sum this book up in three words, they would be Passionate, Captivating and Thrilling. Aftershock starts where Afterburn ends, Gianna is in Atlanta working on the project for her boss, putting together a new restaurant for the three new up and coming chefs that will take over the kitchens. It doesn't take her long to realise that Jax has followed her from New York to Atlanta, unhappy with the way things were left between them, though it is Gianna's sister-in-law fault for telling him where she was in the first place. Gianna knows that he has kept things, important things from her but when he turn up at her hotel room, she wants to yell at him but also wants to rip his clothes off at the same time. It doesn't take long for their relationship to change to something more, but with the change comes consequences linking to Chad. Chad is one of the chef's who had grown closer to Gianna decides that he would like to deal with someone else, someone who isn't sleeping with the enemy. Though, Jax decides to meddle with her business once more without her knowing but it seems to help her this time. Gianna soon finds herself living in Jax Penthouse Apartment, though just because she's living in someone's home doesn't mean you live in their world. Jax seems to think that sex will solve all of their problems, but Gianna isn't like that, she wants answers, especially when she finds out that Jax's family has been using her father's business to influence their political campaign. Jax's family has a lot of power, power that she doesn't want involved with her family's successful business. They both have made mistakes, Jax's mistake was leaving two years previously and Gianna's was digging around in Jax's past as what she uncovered could cost her not only her happiness but also her future with Jax as well. When Jax finds out about what she has done, Jax is hurt by the trouble she has caused, though she has a way to fix it but it will not only effect her, but her family as well, using them as part of the deal is not what she wanted but the love she feels for Jax outweighs anything else in her life. Aftershock is an excellent second book to follow on for Afterburn, with even more secrets, lies and an epic conclusion to Gianna and Jax's story. Afterburn and Aftershock are both incredible books to read that I would recommend to anyone who loves a story that has passion, sex and most of all a love story that is very unique in it own way. If I had to sum this book up in three words, they would be Exciting, Charming and Outstanding.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5 Stars) Jax + Gia Sylvia writes well and I enjoyed this story. I did see the movie before reading the book but the book was much better.

Brilliant! What else can you expect from Sylvia Day? Sizzling chemistry, plot twists and turns, and characters tortured by decisions that take them to and from love. Once started, I could not put this down.

Ouvrage correct. Une fin un peu surprenante et comme bâclée. Dommage, il aurait fallu faire une fin aussi passionnante que le restant de l'histoire.

Ich hab mir das Buch gekauft, weil ich die Crossseries Bücher von ihr total mag. War ein wenig Enttäuscht bei diesem Buch, da ich es nich annähernd so gut/fesselnd fand und mich allgemein die Geschichte auch nicht so angesprochen hat. Trotzdem ein ganz gutes Buch für zwischendurch.