A review by reading_rainy
Burst of Fate by M.A. Cobb, M.A. Cobb

4.0

*3.35* Rounded way up because these are my favorite kinds of stories and I see huge potential for future books in this series! Post-apocalyptic, EMP, end-of-the-world story. I believe this is the author's first book.

The story begins with Avery (24) and her sister Carly (21) living in a farmhouse out in the country. Their parents died four years earlier and they've since learned to take care of each other and the farm. Carly is on her way to Seattle to attend college, and Avery is left at home feeling a bit like an empty nester.

Morgan (28) and his sister Maddy (16) are on their way to pick up a goat for her 4-H project when his truck suddenly loses all power and careens off the road. Avery hears the crash and rushes to help.

Story features:
Duo pov
Realistic farming and gardening techniques
Sweet family relationships
Decent world building
Insta-lust
Generous level of descriptive steam
End with hfn and slight cliffhanger for next in the series

There will be slight spoilers going forward so avoid reading further if you want to go in blind.
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The overall set up of the story was done very well. The characters felt realistic, and the situations read as genuine. It was the insta-lust that felt out of place.

From the moment Avery is pulling Morgan out of his truck, wrapping his sister's leg with her shirt, he's internally lusting after her. And Avery isn't much better. Alternating with worrying about her sister who is stuck in Seattle, but also finding Morgan incredibly attractive and hard to resist.

On day three they're having sex. Besides the sex scene feeling incredibly out of place so soon in the story, I would think that having a severely broken arm (mended with nothing but a brace and an ace bandage), would make having vigorous sex a bit awkward and painful.

I really wanted this couple to get to know each other. Had this relationship started a month or two later, allowing their attraction to bloom while learning to survive together, would have felt far more authentic. I was honestly surprised how much sex was in this story, usually that's not a big complaint of mine, but for some reason it disrupted the overall flow of the story. There was quantity, but not quality. Where was that deeper emotional connection and intimacy? Why are they even together? Because he finds her hot and she finds him sexy? They are both in their 20s and single?

I found the drama that happens near the ending absolutely horrific and over-the-top unnecessary. The foreshadowing was all there, but I really hoped the author would go in a different direction.

Overall, I found the characters and main plot very entertaining, but wished the love story had been given time to simmer.