Off the Rails by Jill Sorenson 
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Also by this author: Against the Wall
Goodreads
A dedicated American agent risks everything for a forbidden beauty in this sensual, turbo-charged novel from the RITA-nominated author of Against the Wall (“A sexy, unique love story that I devoured in one day.”—Monica Murphy).
Four years ago, when Ian Foster was working as a border patrol agent, he rescued an eighteen-year-old Mexican girl who’d been left for dead. He never forgot the gorgeous, resilient Maria Santos. Now Ian is an undercover ICE agent on the trail of a ruthless criminal with an intriguing connection: Maria. She holds the only clue to the man’s whereabouts. And Ian is tasked with crossing the border to find her.
Maria has always carried a torch for Ian, the handsome American who saved her life. When he shows up in her hometown, the attraction between them ignites. His intense gaze sets her blood on fire. But Maria is in serious danger. She owes a favor to a drug lord, and soon she’s caught in the crosshairs of a treacherous takedown operation. Once more, Ian’s her sole hope of survival—and his sizzling touch rekindles a passion that goes beyond borders.
Off the Rails is a pretty angsty story with lots of current issues. Illegal immigration, drug cartels, and more make up the backdrop of the story and create a compelling drama for these characters.
First, let me start by saying I am still confused as to whether there is a book I should have read before this one or not. I felt like I was missing something. There are lots of flashbacks to inform the reader of the history of Ian and Maria. But…I still felt like I was missing something. Regardless, he saved her once in the past. Then years later he is back in her life and she is in danger again. There is sexual tension, danger, etc.
The story didn’t keep me riveted to the pages. I didn’t NEED to read it. I wasn’t dying to know what would happen. But, I was interested in the outcome and felt some desire for the characters to have a happy ending. So, while this isn’t one of those books that stuck with me and changed me as a reader, it was still an interesting read that I think people will relate to if they have a stake in the issues related to immigration.
The book is heavy on the angst and sometimes that is what turns me off the most. I am all for danger and peril, but angst added to the already created tension is just frustrating for me. I find this a lot in new adult genre books, but these characters were a bit older so I didn’t expect to experience the angst factor. The pace is a bit on the slow side as well, which I didn’t expect when drug cartels and illegal immigration attempts were a key part of the story. Overall, none of this makes the story bad; it just wasn’t a mind blowing read for me.
- POV: 1st
- Tears: no
- Triggers: View Spoiler »
- Trope: mortal peril, Police
- Series/Standalone: Stand alone (but, again, I felt like I missed something…)
- Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
- HEA: View Spoiler »
Deceiving Bella by Cate Beauman, Her Darkest Nightmare by Brenda Novak, Deep Dark by Laura Griffin…then you will probably like Off the Rails!
Off the Rails
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