A review by bookrambler
After Sundown by Linda Jones, Linda Howard
3.0
In a world where the sun came down and brought down the electrical grid of Earth along with it After Sundown tackles with the aftermath of a sun apocalypse.
I've read a book with a similar scenario before but it was sci-fi; I don't want to call this a 'suspense' because it didn't feel one. The story starts with our hero Ben, an ex-marine receiving news about incoming solar flares. Then, we are introduced to our heroine Sela, who's a shy general store owner and is she's warned by Ben that she should stock up on essentials before it is too late.
The majority of the story deals with the aftermath of the situation where it is much worse than our current situation. Electricity is out, satellites aren't working which leads to zero communication with the world. Zillions of problems arise, and of course among them are people who are keen on taking advantage of the situation. Among all of this, romance blooms between loner Ben and shy Sela.
I would've liked it if we knew at least one anecdote related to Ben's life. I don't know if I missed it but I just couldn't connect with Ben. All I know about Ben is that he has 'buns of steel', and that he's an ex-marine, loner, almost definitely has PTSD, hasn't had sex for a long time, likes to brood and doesn't want to become emotionally invested(at first). I desperately wanted to know more about his childhood, teen or his time in the Marines but i got nothing. The romance also felt too rushed bordering on clinical; I wanted just a bit more emotional interaction between them.
Overall, it's a good story if I take into account the plot and the stakes. I usually love Linda Howard's books and I devoured this in a day with the occasional jabs at the book for the quality of romance. Thanks to Harper Collins/William Morrow for gifting me a copy in exchange for my honest review.
I've read a book with a similar scenario before but it was sci-fi; I don't want to call this a 'suspense' because it didn't feel one. The story starts with our hero Ben, an ex-marine receiving news about incoming solar flares. Then, we are introduced to our heroine Sela, who's a shy general store owner and is she's warned by Ben that she should stock up on essentials before it is too late.
The majority of the story deals with the aftermath of the situation where it is much worse than our current situation. Electricity is out, satellites aren't working which leads to zero communication with the world. Zillions of problems arise, and of course among them are people who are keen on taking advantage of the situation. Among all of this, romance blooms between loner Ben and shy Sela.
I would've liked it if we knew at least one anecdote related to Ben's life. I don't know if I missed it but I just couldn't connect with Ben. All I know about Ben is that he has 'buns of steel', and that he's an ex-marine, loner, almost definitely has PTSD, hasn't had sex for a long time, likes to brood and doesn't want to become emotionally invested(at first). I desperately wanted to know more about his childhood, teen or his time in the Marines but i got nothing. The romance also felt too rushed bordering on clinical; I wanted just a bit more emotional interaction between them.
Overall, it's a good story if I take into account the plot and the stakes. I usually love Linda Howard's books and I devoured this in a day with the occasional jabs at the book for the quality of romance. Thanks to Harper Collins/William Morrow for gifting me a copy in exchange for my honest review.