Aftershock by Sylvia Day | Rating: ★★☆☆☆

“I’ve always seen white picket fences in your eyes when you look at me. I was positive I wasn’t that guy. I was wrong. One of these days, when you’re ready, I’ll give that dream to you. And you’re going to give me a gorgeous little girl or two with your dark curly hair and smiles that slay me.” 

Sylvia Day is one of my favourite authors, period, and owns me with the fact that she is the one of the only romance authors that I can stand. I loved the Crossfire series and naturally, I'd made it my mission to read as much as I can get my hands on from her. No one writes a steamy romance like her and I was more than ready to swoon and trip over myself for the sexual chemistry that would surely cut the air.

Afterburn was sadly underwhelming--it was decent enough, but still not the greatest. Day can do so much better than the underdeveloped story of Jax and Gia. Sure, it's a steamy short story but it lacks the quality of warmth and soul that Day is known for. Importantly, her novels are usually more than just lust-over-me sorts of gems. There are characters who have so much depth and life breathed into them, you can't help but to fall head over heels for them. Afterburn was not one of those and sadly Aftershock is worse. I couldn't believe this was written by Sylvia because it lacked so, so much of what I've come to love about her words and it just left me feeling a bit disgruntled and confused.


It was kind of sloppy and all over the place.


Because of the fact that it is, in fact, a short story, I'm a little more forgiving towards its faults. I just know that Day can do better than Aftershock in particular and that's what puts me off most from it at the end of the day. While it's not a horrible story by any means--it is fueled by sexual tension and a lot of romance--it isn't something that I'd ever pick up again. Even the killer sex scenes and solid characters can't save it from itself.

Thoroughly dull and highly disappointing. I felt like I was constantly waiting for something--anything--to happen or change but it never came about.