Surrender: A Bitter Creek Novel

A big fire. A fire jumper. A fire pilot. A crash. Fighting for survival. This is Brian and Taylor’s story in Surrender, by Joan Johnston. Taylor Grayhawk is one of King’s brats, the rival family to Brian Flynn and his family, those awful Flynn boys. She has spent the better part of her adult life running away from commitment because she has been afraid to let anyone in. She and Brian shared a secret relationship in high school, which she never got over, but life is short and you can never turn back right? Brian Flynn is a local firefighter and fire jumper. He lives for the thrill of being able to stop the fires as they come and to save the lives that he may. His life is free to do what he pleases. He is recently divorced and has sworn off women and intimate relations for the past year, because you can’t trust anyone with your heart. Taylor has been a pilot for fire jumping for a while. Brian has ended up on some of her flights. They haven’t spoken about anything in this time, just gone through the process of getting the job done. But during a routine fire jump, the engine on the plane goes out, and Brian must save Taylor. This leaves them stranded in a burned out part of the forest, and gives them time to not only talk about the past, but to talk about the future together. Will they be able to survive their destitute situation? Or will they die never knowing what could have been? I really enjoyed this book. Brian and Taylor’s story was intermixed with that of their siblings, so there came real understanding of their pasts and what lead to their present. Good read. I would love to read the rest of the series to see the beginning through to the end, and to continue their story throughout the rest of the series. Four Stars

I had not read a book by Ms Johnston in years and when given the opportunity, I decided to give this one a try I suspect I will be in the minority , but this book just did not do it for me. Maybe because I haven’t read the entire series , but I found it exhausting. The main story was about Taylor and Brian, old lovers who get connect temporarily after an airplane accident. They are offsprings of rivaling families. A sort of Hartfield/McCoy, or Capulet/Montague feud. Add to that at least 3 other sub-plots with the same theme and it felt more like a soap opera. The main theme of loving one from a rivaling family with an on again/off again relationship and all the drama that went with it. All that said, I continue to value the talent and dedication of this author. I was gifted this copy by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely personal.

Second chances don't come around too often, but in this story it does for Taylor Grayhawk and Brian Flynn. Thrown together after years apart and a lot of water under the bridge, Taylor and Brian are forced to work together at what they do best. Taylor, a corporate pilot and Brian, a firefighter are fighting a raging wildfire and the fire in their hearts ignites. There are so many emotions in this tale. Being in a constant danger, there is love, romance and the best of all hope that they will be able to make it out alive. A faced paced story that will have you turning the pages quickly to find out what happens. Be warned you will not be able to put it down once you start. In the wonderful style of Joan Johnston, you will be drawn into the emotions of the characters and rooting for them until the very end. Don't miss this great book and all of the Bitter Creek Series.