Review: Out of Control by Sarah Alderson + Meet Jay Moreno

Out of Control

Author: Sarah Alderson
Series: --
Pages: 239
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Amazon
Release date: 22nd May 2014

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

When 17 year old Liva witnesses a brutal murder she’s taken into police custody for her own protection. But when the police station is attacked and bullets start flying it becomes clear that Liva is not just a witness, she’s a target.

Together with a car thief called Jay, Liva manages to escape the massacre but now the two of them are alone in New York, trying to outrun and outwit two killers who will stop at nothing to find them.

When you live on the edge, there’s a long way to fall.

Review: 4 ½ out of 5 stars

Out of Control was kindly provided to me by the author and is a stand-alone YA thriller that is a heart-pounding thrill ride; it was literally go go go right from the onset and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

The intrigue is over-flowing from the first moment we meet 17 year old Liva who was witness to a brutal murder; when she is taken into police custody for her own protection, she isn’t expecting to be the one dodging bullets and on the run with someone she thinks is a criminal.

Handcuffed to a chair and about to be charged is Jay Moreno who assists in Liva’s escape, mysterious and sweet I was curious about him and what he had done but he proved worthy and protective of Liva and I came to feel quite sorry for him with the predicament he was in, his story could almost be another book in itself. The chemistry between them was smouldering and despite the events occurring only over a matter of days the romantic aspect never felt rushed.

Literally from the first chapter we are thrust into a fast-paced adventure, we are right there with Liva and Jay as they tried to evade the bad guys all the while utilising Liva’s kick butt skills she learnt over the years from her father to stay one step ahead of the enemy. We also get to meet a few interesting secondary characters, Yoyo and Marisa especially.

The plot was action-packed and filled with many twists and turns that I definitely didn’t expect and I adored the New York setting and Alderson’s descriptive details. As much as I enjoyed Out of Control, it felt incomplete, I would have loved an epilogue or something telling us what happened to the main characters and the villain/s after the final event but it was left open ended.

Overall, well-crafted, action packed and a thrilling pace, I highly recommend Out of Control.

About the author:

Having spent most of her life in London, Sarah quit her job in the non profit sector in 2009 and took off on a round the world trip with her husband and princess-obsessed daughter on a mission to find a new place to call home. After several months in India, Singapore, Australia and the US, they settled in Bali where Sarah now spends her days writing by the pool and trying to machete open coconuts without severing a limb.

She finished her first novel, Hunting Lila, just before they left the UK, wrote the sequel on the beach in India and had signed a two book deal with Simon & Schuster by the time they had reached Bali.

A third book, Fated, about a teenage demon slayer, was published in January 2012.

The Sound, a thriller romance set in Nantucket, was published in August 2013. She has a further three thrillers due for release in the next few years.

You can find Sarah on facebook and at www.sarahalderson.com or follow her blog at www.canwelivhere.com

Thanks to Sarah for helping me out with this post! It’s always great to learn a little more about swoon-worthy male characters.

About Jay Moreno

Personality:

Jay (Jaime) is the youngest of three kids. He’s grown up in a rough neighborhood in New York. His mum is Cuban and his dad Irish American but he never met his dad. With his eldest brother in prison and his middle brother messed up in a gang it’s on Jay to be the good one. He’s hard working, smart and street-smart, determined not to go down the same route as his brothers.
He’s also known for being a racer - cars. And he’s pretty talented at it.

Looks

Jay’s five eleven, lithe, fit, olive-skinned with greeny blue eyes. He’s got short dark hair and a scar through his left eyebrow.

Talents

He can really drive. He’s the ideal getaway driver. He can also kiss really, really well.

First meeting with Liva

Jay and Liva meet in the homicide department of a Police Station in Brooklyn. It’s 3am. Liva is there as a witness to a double murder. Jay is there as he’s just been arrested for something.
When the police station is attacked by two gun men they escape together.

Swoon moments

There are a few! This scene is set down an alley. They’ve just been hiding there and once the danger has passed they realise they’re pressed really close together. This is their first kiss.

He shifts his weight slightly and his thigh presses against my hip. I draw in a breath. My free hand- the one not holding the gun, rests on his upper chest. I slide it up and over his shoulder and with my eyes still on him I pull him even closer, until he's pressed completely against me and I can feel the hardness of muscle through his T-shirt and his jeans. My heart explodes in my chest as I tilt my head back further, reaching on tiptoe, and his mouth finds mine in the darkness.
His kiss is hard, full of heat, uncontrolled.

Model Nathan Owens is how Sarah pictures Jay...