Very Short Review: Scenes of Peril (novella)

Scenes of Peril

by Jill Sorenson
Aftershock #3.1 - a novella
**Part of the anthology Passon and Peril which also includes the novella story Scenes of Passion by Suzanne Brockman.

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  3.0 Stars

The snowstorm forecast says it's a big one, but wildlife photographer Paige Dawson is prepared.  Until a terrible car accident brings a sexy stranger to her remote mountain cabin and the bad weather strands them together . . . for days.  The heat between them is like nothing she's ever known — incendiary, undeniable. And just as she begins to hope for something real with Colin Reid, after the snow melts, he remembers what caused his accident . . . and it may be too late for them both.

I only read the novella, Scenes of Peril by Jill Sorenson from this anthology, which also includes a novella by Suzanne Brockmann.  I may or may not return and read Scenes of Passion at some point, once I figure out whether the novella is part of a series or not.

Anyway...

I was looking forward to Scenes of Peril, both because I like Jill Sorenson's work, and also because I love the "Snowed In" plot device.  They're always so much fun depending on the circumstances--for added romantic tension, for a murder mystery, etc....

Scenes of Peril was a fast-paced and exciting book, and I've always appreciated Sorenson's attention to detail to the grittier, more down-to-earth aspects of her books.  And while Scenes of Peril was enjoyable in its own right, I felt like a lot of the book felt a little forced.  Overlooking the insta-love situation, since this is a romance novella, first and foremost, I also found the activities between Colin and Paige during their, what seemed like one single day of entrapment by snow in her cabin kind of awkward.  The whole photo shoot as a means to display sexual objectifying of a human being was an interesting thought... but it actually felt kind of tacky in its execution.

And the conflict felt like it involved a lot more angst than it really merited.  The reason for their argument at the end felt a bit overdone.  And I don't know how I feel about the ending suspenseful twist.

Nonetheless, for anyone looking for a quick, easy, and entertaining novella to pass a couple hours, Scenes of Peril isn't a bad choice.  I will admit that I was hoping for more of a "Snowed In" experience than just a day of bad weather...