Torn Apart (A Storm Front Novel)

This is the second book of the Storm Front trilogy and was even better than the first. This story is about J.R., Katie, and Bobby and what happens to them after the tornado hits Bordelaise, LA. This book's characters seemed to be so strong and real, meaning anyone could relate to them and their situations. J.R. travels with his job and is torn between what he likes to do and spending time with his family. Katie is carrying so much grief for her parents that were killed in hurricane Katrina and then there is Bobby. Bobby disappears after the tornado hits the town and everyone thinks he is dead. Come to find out he has been taken by a sexual predator. I found that by the end of this book, I was crying and screaming, my emotions so deep in this short story. I think most every one will connect with someone in this story and realize that this situation can happen to anyone of us. I love how we are constantly connected to the other books too in this series by the author briefly intertwining the other stories into the books in this trilogy. Do not miss this one.

Sharon Sala's 2nd book of the Storm Front Trilogy is superb! You should only read it if you can handle child abuse. I was in tears near the end and hyper-ventilating prior to that. This suspense has it all and its handled well. This is definitely a stronger book than the 1st one but, I enjoyed that also. But this is vintage Sala. J.R.; Katie and Bobby Earle are the perfect family until J.R.s job requires that the family move to New Orleans were Katie's parents died during hurricane Katrina. Although Katie came across as fragile and scared. She made a good recovery before the book ended. Their marriage problems were handled well but, it was clear Bobby was the center of this book. Bobby was the perfect little boy, he knew his Dad was coming and he wanted his Mother. The perspective of both Bobby and his attacker were very well developed. I can only guess what it took to write this story. Details are vivid and will be remembered. Sala is still tops to me. You feel like you're living through this with the characters and I appreciate that this cold be a stand alone book. Although events from the previous book are mentioned they don't take up a lot of time. You have to read this book!

Their marriage apparently died several months ago due to his employment and her need to remain in her hometown of Bordelaise, Louisiana keeping them apart. However, Katie and oil troubleshooter J.R. Earle stay connected though separated because they both love and want to be involved with their preadolescent son Bobby. While J.R. is on an offshore rig, a tornado hits the town causing several deaths and plenty of property damage. Bobby is reported as one of those who died though his body has not been found. However, Bobby's friend Holly Maxwell who suffered a broken hand, insists she saw a stranger take Bobby with him. Not willing to wait for either the law tied up with the tornado emergency or for J.R., Katie goes after her son. The second Bayou Storm Front romantic suspense (see Blown Away) is a fast-paced thriller that provides long deep looks into the townsfolk struggling with the emergency including the deaths, and the fears of father, mother and son; especially harrowing is Bobby's viewpoint as a kidnapped victim. Although the profound character perspectives mute the suspense somewhat, readers will appreciate the lioness vowing to get her cub back from the monster as she refuses to wait for the cops, the Amber Alert or her estranged husband Harriet Klausner

This book was much better than the first in the trilogy. So much so that it almost seems like 2 different authors. Sharon Sala does seem to be either a big hit or a big miss for me. The suspense was high throughout the book. It is not often that I wish over and over again that a character would just die. But in this one I did. Small SPOILER below: At first I was not sure that I would be able to read a book about a young boy being kidnapped by a pedophile since I have 2 young boys myself. For those who might feel as I do, the boy is never actually molested. That made it bearable for me. The boy is well written and I think responds appropriately for a child his age, not seeming older than he was, which is a problem in many books. The love story was not really a main element in the book. The hero and heroine were separated at the time of the kidnapping but they still loved each other. As soon as the hero gets back to the heroine all their romantic type problems are over. So if you're looking for a traditional romance here, you're not really going to get it. It is sweet when they get back together and become stronger than each is alone, but the thrust of the story is finding and saving Bobby. The author winds the story through the POVs of several characters showing the trail that eventually leads to Bobby's rescue. It is very well done and never intrusive or abrupt when the POV changes. I'm glad I stuck with the series after the much weaker first volume.