Against The Wall by Jill Sorenson
Romance Contemporary/NA
February 2, 2016
Loveswept
Reviewed by Tori
Favorite Quote: “It’s harder than I thought, being free. It’s overwhelming.”
Eric Hernandez has just been released after serving a 30 month stretch for manslaughter. A former gang member, Eric knows he has to stay clean if he wants to make it and stay on the outside. With the help of family, Eric gets a job at a tattoo parlor and slowly begins to transition to living as a free man. Now all he needs to do is stop thinking about the girl he loved and left behind.
Meghan Young was there when Eric was sent to prison. A preacher’s daughter and a cop’s sister, she knows Eric is the worst possible person for her but the heart wants what the heart wants Currently in a relationship, Meghan tries to keep her problems to herself, not wanting to see Eric or her brother get in trouble. But when her secret comes to light, Eric steps in, and Meghan’s crush on the troubled boy turns into love for the man he’s become.
Against The Wall is the story of Eric and Meghan whom we met in The Edge of Night. While this one can be read as a standalone, I don’t recommend it. Sorenson does an admirable job of recapping what you need to know but the emotional turmoil that surrounded Eric and Meghan is missing. Though not as edgy or dark as The Edge of Night, Sorenson still manages to capture the same feelings of anticipation and danger that was present in book one. Well written with a steady pace and perfectly timed execution, Sorenson captures her character’s thoughts and emotions perfectly while building a thought provoking base on which to showcase them.
Picking up almost three years later, we are met with Eric Hernandez leaving prison and wondering what his future holds. Eric went to prison when he killed a man though it was in self-defense. He chooses to plead guilty and do the time because he feels he must take responsibility for his actions. He made sure he forcefully cut all ties with the girl he loved, Meghan Young, so that she would not be dragged down with him. Eric is offered a place to stay with his brother’s ex, April, and her husband, Noah, who is also Meghan’s brother. Meghan has since moved out of Noah and April’s house and on with her life. Currently in college and living with her boyfriend, Chip, Meghan knows Eric is out and steels herself to see him again. Even though she is dating someone else, her love for Eric has never died.
While Against the Wall is touted primarily as a romance, there is much more at work here. And that in itself is both its strength and weakness. The romance is but a single element in this story of second chances and redemption that focuses two people who are trying to deal with the choices they made as they enter a new chapter in their lives. While this strong contemporary does what it intended, romance fans may be disappointed the romance isn’t as powerful or robust as they might expect.
Sorenson does a fantastic job with the characterization of Meghan and Eric. They are not Romeo and Juliet, pining away for each other as they are unjustly kept apart. Circumstances of their own making separated them and the drama and angst that results from it is realistic and justified. Layered and complicated, Sorenson digs deep beneath the stereotypes and slowly re-images this couple, comparing their childhoods and current situations in order to show us their differences and similarities. Eric is a former gangbanger who used to run drugs for his brother. His gang affiliation is part of what sent him to prison. He was born into the life and now faces the uphill battle of trying to survive without it. We watch as Eric is forced to see himself from the eyes of others, having to prove he is more than just a convicted felon, and the struggles he faces trying to stay clean and out of trouble.
“I have to find a way to pacify my rivals. Otherwise I’ll never be free.”
Meghan is also struggling though she hides it well. A golden girl from a strict, religious family, Meghan initiated her bid for independence by choosing to move to California to live with her brother and go to the college of her choice. She is close to graduation but feels adrift. She is in a relationship for the wrong reasons and is beginning to see herself as nothing more than someone’s property and the pretty eye candy to decorate their arm. She has a strong support net but feels completely alone.
“You’re her golden boy and I’m a sinning harlot.”
“Don’t say that!”
“It’s true.”
“No, it’s not. It’s a bullshit double standard.”
Sorenson addresses many topics throughout the story, weaving them with in the narrative. She talks about the gang culture and its allure; showing us the emotional, mental, and physical needs it can fill and the ramifications of trying to break free from it. She also talks about body and sexual shaming, harassment, stalking, and domestic violence. The mention of 4chan and social media only solidifies the message I felt Sorenson was trying to get across. That both Eric and Meghan are victims of society and its views though how it chooses to send its messages to them is very different. These topics, along with others, are imperative to the second chance romance as they all go hand in hand with helping to explain how Meghan and Eric view themselves as individuals and as a potential couple. Intense sexual tension and actual love scenes gives the story just the right amount of heat without feeling gratuitous.
“He’s telling me all this to prove he’s not an angel. Well, mission accomplished. But he was also trying to push me away before I got to close. He probably thinks it’s for my own good. He told me he didn’t want me for my own good. He sent back my letter unopened for my own good. Maybe he fucked Oscar’s girlfriend out of concern for me, too? Maybe he thought of me the whole time he fucked her-for my own good.”
Some familiar faces are seen along with some new ones. We see how Noah, April, and Jenny are doing along with Junior and other gang members as they drift in and out of Eric’s life. We meet Meghan’s best friend, Kelsea, and learn of her connection to the group from Fine Ink-a tattoo parlor that gives Eric a job. Various subplots intertwine with the main plot, adding depth and emotion to the story. I did feel two subplots seemed to fade after a considerable build up but as the story moved towards the end, I got the feeling that Sorenson isn’t done with these characters yet. I certainly hope not as I am hoping to revisit Fine Ink and Kelsea.
The ending is a climactic finale that resolves the main conflict and clears the way for Meghan and Eric’s future but leaves us with nothing absolute. Against The Wall gives fans the story they’ve been waiting for and signs that this may not be the last time she revisits these characters or their lives.
GRADE: B
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