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jnalmon's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I had started reading the series that spun off from this book before coming back to read it. I've found that I really like Kent's take on how to write a good dystopian future romance, and I think some of it is that she focuses closely on the people affected and their very small world. While you do learn more about what happened to the world, it's a much smaller, more human focus which makes it easier to feel for the characters. I was interested to see the origins of some of the people from the later books, which makes me more excited to continue the spin off series.
guardyourhonor's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I liked this so much more than I expected to. I didn't like the other Kent book I read, but was craving a post-apoc romance and this is frequently recommended. Kent creates the world with fairly broad strokes but it remains immersive. She nailed the vibes. The romance had a lot of emotional depth for me, though (or maybe because) it's fairly quiet. Really good.
mnwakeford's review
5.0
Post-apocalyptic romance that's a notch above the usual
Post-apocalyptic romance with many of the usual tropes. What lifted this one above the ordinary was the quality of the writing and the gradual build up of the relationship between Travis and Layne, two characters who would have been unlikely to get together in normal times. I absolutely loved Travis. He was protective, taciturn and oh so manly. The number of times the author mentioned his Travis smell made me want to get an inhale of his musk! I will definitely check out other stories by this author.
Post-apocalyptic romance with many of the usual tropes. What lifted this one above the ordinary was the quality of the writing and the gradual build up of the relationship between Travis and Layne, two characters who would have been unlikely to get together in normal times. I absolutely loved Travis. He was protective, taciturn and oh so manly. The number of times the author mentioned his Travis smell made me want to get an inhale of his musk! I will definitely check out other stories by this author.
heidi_grey's review
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
hilary89's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Only a few books in and I think I’m obsessed with this series. Travis and Layne’s relationship growth was so touching to read, even though their lack of forthright communication got grating at times.
To me this is the perfect romance book. Unlikely partners thrown together by extreme circumstances who then navigate what they mean to one another in a new world.
Can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Gun violence
Moderate: Grief, Violence, and Gore
courtney_saba's review
4.0
This was so good.
Claire Kent is a bit of a dark horse. I loved her book, Hold, and so I went into this with high expectations. I wasn't disappointed.
Kent has a style and checklist, tho. 2 people, forced together bc of circumstances and life, who develop feelings for each other when in real life, they'd probably never give each other second glances, and bc of some miscommunication and fear, angst is cranked up high, and then everything is resolved real quickly in the end. There are high stakes and deadly situations, but no actual follow through on consequences or danger. Something bad happens? Resolved conveniently with a tame bit of storytelling. You'll understand what I mean when you read this, which despite me saying all this, I still highly recommend reading it. I'm just explaining why this book isn't worth a full 5 stars.
I loved Layne and Travis. I loved the slow burn, the slow build to their relationship. I loved the angst, despite it being sorta unnecessary due to the dreaded miscommunication that I always despise in books. I loved the setting and plot. The pace was well done. The apocalyptic nature of the world was different than the zombie, high tech, religious, virus ones you always read about.
It was just too convenient at times. And then the ending sort of tossed the whole apocalypse/survival tone into the wind and went their own way, even tho nothing had really changed in the state of the world. And the stakes felt like this: picture it: a rogue train, flying quickly on a track that ends at a cliff, and with death inevitably imminent, suddenly stops before it could reach the tracks bc of some very convenient reason, like the engine just stopping at the right time. Not some exciting or surprising reason. Kent builds up the tension and danger, with no actual follow through. Maybe I'm jaded and used to dark books that have no filter or rules. But, in the end, despite the apocalyptic setting, you could completely forget about that and insert everything else into a regular, not end-of-the-world like, book and still have the same story.
Was I entertained? Very much so. The steam was high.
Would I reread this book? Probably. Kent is very good at relationship and sexy time dynamics. That heat, tho....
Would I recommend this book? Yes!
Happy reading, Goodreads fiends.
Claire Kent is a bit of a dark horse. I loved her book, Hold, and so I went into this with high expectations. I wasn't disappointed.
Kent has a style and checklist, tho. 2 people, forced together bc of circumstances and life, who develop feelings for each other when in real life, they'd probably never give each other second glances, and bc of some miscommunication and fear, angst is cranked up high, and then everything is resolved real quickly in the end. There are high stakes and deadly situations, but no actual follow through on consequences or danger. Something bad happens? Resolved conveniently with a tame bit of storytelling. You'll understand what I mean when you read this, which despite me saying all this, I still highly recommend reading it. I'm just explaining why this book isn't worth a full 5 stars.
I loved Layne and Travis. I loved the slow burn, the slow build to their relationship. I loved the angst, despite it being sorta unnecessary due to the dreaded miscommunication that I always despise in books. I loved the setting and plot. The pace was well done. The apocalyptic nature of the world was different than the zombie, high tech, religious, virus ones you always read about.
It was just too convenient at times. And then the ending sort of tossed the whole apocalypse/survival tone into the wind and went their own way, even tho nothing had really changed in the state of the world. And the stakes felt like this: picture it: a rogue train, flying quickly on a track that ends at a cliff, and with death inevitably imminent, suddenly stops before it could reach the tracks bc of some very convenient reason, like the engine just stopping at the right time. Not some exciting or surprising reason. Kent builds up the tension and danger, with no actual follow through. Maybe I'm jaded and used to dark books that have no filter or rules. But, in the end, despite the apocalyptic setting, you could completely forget about that and insert everything else into a regular, not end-of-the-world like, book and still have the same story.
Was I entertained? Very much so. The steam was high.
Would I reread this book? Probably. Kent is very good at relationship and sexy time dynamics. That heat, tho....
Would I recommend this book? Yes!
Happy reading, Goodreads fiends.
emilye3's review
4.0
4.25
I really liked this book. I read it in one day and it was just what I needed. It’s not super action packed, but more of a slow journey with two characters who have lost people. I love these characters and the easy flow of the story.
I really liked this book. I read it in one day and it was just what I needed. It’s not super action packed, but more of a slow journey with two characters who have lost people. I love these characters and the easy flow of the story.
wine_and_dine's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.5
cute fluffy end of the world romance and a new comfort read
why not 5* - the grunting, the writing was confusing at times which was difficult to understand, and their relationship seemed to be based purely off physical attraction
why not 5* - the grunting, the writing was confusing at times which was difficult to understand, and their relationship seemed to be based purely off physical attraction
alina_reads_books's review
5.0
Claire Kent is a new to me author. I enjoyed the writing style very much. The book reminded me a bit of „the walking dead“ (but without the zombies) which is a great thing. I couldn’t put it down - read it in one sitting. Great adult distopian romance.