Quake

Possibly a tiny bit long, but overall an excellent book. They came through a lot to get where they got to.

Even though I love Tracey Alcarez’s Due North and South books, it was nice to meet some new characters and join them on their journey struggling after an earthquake and getting back to their family. I whizzed through the story and enjoyed it.

The story takes place in Lower Hutt and the city suburbs of Wellington, New ZealandMain characters:Ana Grace - widowed lawyer who has two children, Theo and AlyssaDaniel Calder - farmer's son, ex soldier whose younger sister is nanny to the children of Ana GraceDaniel is helping Ana, his sister's employer, transport a box of files to her second floor office when an earthquake strikes. Daniel soon finds himself trapped in the damaged office block with Ana and a few of her co-workers, sheltering under the conference room table as the building shakes and shatters around them. Ana is frantic to get back to her children, Theo aged 13 who is at school and Alyssa aged 2 at home with Daniel's sister Nadia, her nanny.Ana and Daniel manage to climb their way out of the building and begin a long trek through the devastation. They raise the alarm with emergency responders that there are people who need them in Ana's office block. Satisfied that her colleagues are being taken care of, Daniel and Ana then set off to find Ana's kids. The thought of her children scared without her, in the disaster zone, spurs Ana on through her own personal fears, she has to reach them. Daniel and Ana have a perilous journey to get back to Ana's house, then later to Ana's father's house to pick up Theo. Aftershocks rock their world and shifting debris from wrecked buildings creates havoc in the streets and surrounding areas in a dangerous way.There is havoc going on with Daniel's and Ana's feelings too. Daniel thinks Ana is gorgeous, that fast, he finds himself imagining a future that includes her, but he needs to take a step back, he can't allow himself to dream like that. Get her back to her kids then leave her to her fate. After all, when he plays the hero, it seems to go disastrously wrong for those involved.Ana doesn't need or want a man in her life but Daniel attracts her like a magnet. She can't help herself. Ana has been emotionally burned by men, twice, in her past. She can't allow herself to trust a man and let him into her life, her heart. But she can't forget how good it feels when Daniel wraps his arms around her, how protected and safe she feels.Meantime, someone from Ana's past is planning a devastating revenge on her family while everyone's attention is on the earthquake and its aftermath. Ana and Daniel soon find themselves plunged into danger and depend on one another to try to save lives when they are threatened. But can they save each other too?Quake by Tracey Alvarez is a stand alone romantic suspense story told from dual perspectives with no cliffhanger. I requested a free ARC of Quake from the author and I'm writing an honest review. I was not compensated for my review and I was not required to write a positive review. My review is my own opinion of this great story.

QuakeI requested an ARC of this book having read all of Tracey's other works. this is my honest, freely given review. The setting for this is a little different to other books I've read of Tracey's in that it is not so cozy and dialogue based. As always the chemistry between her main characters is blistering; here Daniel is in town to visit his sister, nanny to Ana. Daniel and Ana find themselves caught up in an earthquake, the aftermath of which is devastating. Ana wants only to reach her two children, Daniel has a well developed hero complex that can't allow her to go alone. Together they negotiate an upturned city, the underbelly of which is decidedly nasty.The main characters are strong and well written, the storyline, a little darker than normal is good enough to carry the plot to the end, and there is sufficient angst to cause us to worry for the HEA. A fast paced book that I read in one sitting, I would recommend it.

Quake is an easy to read romantic suspense mixed in with a single mom and disaster theme. It's a fairly light suspense (not too intense for those not into heavy suspense) with just a little bit of a gritty/dark element, especially in the later part of the book. While it is a fairly fast paced book in terms of time frame, there is a steadiness to the build-up of the climax to keep you interested.This standalone book is told through dual perspective of two opposites, Ana and Daniel, who both have strong personalities and a simmering chemistry (plus a couple of chapters from a third pov to add to the mystery). To fully enjoy the characters and romance side of the book you do have to be open to an insta-love element given the short time frame.If you are looking for something a bit more suspenseful than a light romance, give this book a read - I enjoyed it.*I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

Another great book by this author. Intense settings, strong characters and a great story all rolled into one. What more could you ask for