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The Veil #2
Atlanta: A Dystopian Love Story
Social influencer Katie Newman and tow-truck driver JJ Dayton have nothing in common until a mysterious ‘Veil’ surrounds the city of Atlanta and they find themselves amid chaos, in possession of a school bus full of kids with no idea what is going on. As the days turn to weeks and unspeakable tragedies unfold, they must band together to survive, or risk losing it all. All J.N. Smith books may contain profanity, sex and violence. For readers with heightened sensitivities, please check my blog for a full list of triggers and warnings.
- GenresPost ApocalypticDystopia
456 pages, Paperback
Published October 20, 2023
125 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
J.N. Smith
11 books44 followersJ.N. Smith is a scientist turned writer who lives in the rural Midwest with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 8, 2023
I absolutely love love love this series! I was lucky to read this as a beta reader and just like the first book in this series the plot is well thought out and the characters are well rounded and very relatable. Katie finding her true self and JJ the silent grumpy guy with a heart of gold (melt!) - I was rooting for them so much! The side characters, especially the kids, are really well written as well.
The story has you on the edge of your seat from page 1. Not only because of all the disastrous things happening in the world, and Katie and JJ dealing with it, but also them figuring out their instant family and their attraction to each other.
You know you wish you could give books more than 5 stars? This book is such a book….
Can’t wait for the next one in this series!!
The story has you on the edge of your seat from page 1. Not only because of all the disastrous things happening in the world, and Katie and JJ dealing with it, but also them figuring out their instant family and their attraction to each other.
You know you wish you could give books more than 5 stars? This book is such a book….
Can’t wait for the next one in this series!!
July 25, 2025
I enjoyed this book just as much as the first! It is so hard to find books I like in this genre...I guess Im picky! So finding these books has been an unexpected gift. Onto book 3!
January 3, 2024
As amazing as the first.
As J.N. Smith takes us through Katie's story it is clear to see the gift for writing this incredible author has. This serves as a warning to other readers that you will love this book. You will also more than likely lose sleep because you won't be able to put it down.
As J.N. Smith takes us through Katie's story it is clear to see the gift for writing this incredible author has. This serves as a warning to other readers that you will love this book. You will also more than likely lose sleep because you won't be able to put it down.
December 23, 2023
such a great story!!
I absolutely love this book! I read the first one and loved it, and this one is just as good. ARC read and OMG!! I love the characters, the plot, all of it. I love all of it so much!!! Very interested to see if there’s going to be a 3rd book 🤔
I absolutely love this book! I read the first one and loved it, and this one is just as good. ARC read and OMG!! I love the characters, the plot, all of it. I love all of it so much!!! Very interested to see if there’s going to be a 3rd book 🤔
April 24, 2025
Sweet adoption/caretaker, opposites attract, post-apocalyptic, slow burn romance.
I've been craving more post-apocalyptic romances and since Kindle decided to suddenly show me a ton of them that I haven't read before, get ready for an influx of PA reads. Might make myself sick of this genre by the end if this mood I'm in sticks. 🥰
Anyway, I enjoyed this one a lot. The FMC seemed vapid and also completely lost at the beginning of the story. The MMC was jaded and just going through the motions. They both had to bring out different sides of themselves and work through the their inner issues to get each other and those they had taken in through it all.
I LOVE the adoption/caretaker trope, or found family, whatever you want to call it. For some reason it's a favorite and this entire story is full of it. The kids/teens/adults that came together to form this family made the story better imo.
The romance is sweet, though both MCs have their moments. Like almost always, I was annoyed with the amount of grovel from the MMC (none) while the FMC kept letting go of the way he'd treat her, but it wasn't as bad as I've seen, and when they got past it that was it.
This one seemed a little more realistic than the last book in that there were things they had to deal with that not all PA books include in dire situations like this (lice, skin rashes, constant burns and blisters from hard work, injuries that aren't human-inflicted, etc.). I liked that aspect.
Wasn't a huge fan of things glossed over towards the end, like the horrible ex coming back to town and suddenly they're all friends and all is forgiven, but it's just told as a side note weeks after the fact.
Ends on a HEA for the couple but a HFN for the overall story, which I expected.
Side note of things that didn't affect my rating:
Realized that this FMC is the ex of the first book's MMC...the one who never looked at him the same after he came back from the military missing a foot, and who said there was something wrong with him for it. She explained why she chose to hurt him like that in this book, and it made sense. But also he was like 28 or so and she was supposed to be around the same age as him, but in this book she's 36 but miraculously looks 26, which I guess explains why we were supposed to think she was his age in the last book. I guess he serially dates older women lol.
In the beginning she tags the plastic surgeon of her boob job in the post she makes like it's a new thing, but she had them in the pictures of her and books 1's MMC, which was 2+ years earlier. Why???
This book never told us why she called the ex in book 1. Book 1 doesn't tell us either bc he doesn't listen to her past her introduction. The time she called was weeks after a horrible thing had happened in this book. Was she calling to apologize? To see if he was alive? Why?? I'm nosey and need to know.
I've been craving more post-apocalyptic romances and since Kindle decided to suddenly show me a ton of them that I haven't read before, get ready for an influx of PA reads. Might make myself sick of this genre by the end if this mood I'm in sticks. 🥰
Anyway, I enjoyed this one a lot. The FMC seemed vapid and also completely lost at the beginning of the story. The MMC was jaded and just going through the motions. They both had to bring out different sides of themselves and work through the their inner issues to get each other and those they had taken in through it all.
I LOVE the adoption/caretaker trope, or found family, whatever you want to call it. For some reason it's a favorite and this entire story is full of it. The kids/teens/adults that came together to form this family made the story better imo.
The romance is sweet, though both MCs have their moments. Like almost always, I was annoyed with the amount of grovel from the MMC (none) while the FMC kept letting go of the way he'd treat her, but it wasn't as bad as I've seen, and when they got past it that was it.
This one seemed a little more realistic than the last book in that there were things they had to deal with that not all PA books include in dire situations like this (lice, skin rashes, constant burns and blisters from hard work, injuries that aren't human-inflicted, etc.). I liked that aspect.
Wasn't a huge fan of things glossed over towards the end, like the horrible ex coming back to town and suddenly they're all friends and all is forgiven, but it's just told as a side note weeks after the fact.
Ends on a HEA for the couple but a HFN for the overall story, which I expected.
Side note of things that didn't affect my rating:
Realized that this FMC is the ex of the first book's MMC...the one who never looked at him the same after he came back from the military missing a foot, and who said there was something wrong with him for it. She explained why she chose to hurt him like that in this book, and it made sense. But also he was like 28 or so and she was supposed to be around the same age as him, but in this book she's 36 but miraculously looks 26, which I guess explains why we were supposed to think she was his age in the last book. I guess he serially dates older women lol.
In the beginning she tags the plastic surgeon of her boob job in the post she makes like it's a new thing, but she had them in the pictures of her and books 1's MMC, which was 2+ years earlier. Why???
This book never told us why she called the ex in book 1. Book 1 doesn't tell us either bc he doesn't listen to her past her introduction. The time she called was weeks after a horrible thing had happened in this book. Was she calling to apologize? To see if he was alive? Why?? I'm nosey and need to know.
December 8, 2025
Enjoyable series
I will say I adore Detroit!! It had a wonderful twist that pulled at your heart string because of the perseverance and inner strength all the characters didn’t realize they had.
With saying that. I gave this second book 4/5 ⭐️✨⭐️✨. I still enjoy the plot and the way the author pulled tidbits together on what’s going on with the virus worldwide. The plot maintained its engaging pace, featuring realistic action and believable the character interactions. I think the first volume just had me in a chokehold. The 1st book had me go through so many emotions while reading it. I think it was just hard to top. I still like the second book and will continue to the third book soon.
I will say I adore Detroit!! It had a wonderful twist that pulled at your heart string because of the perseverance and inner strength all the characters didn’t realize they had.
With saying that. I gave this second book 4/5 ⭐️✨⭐️✨. I still enjoy the plot and the way the author pulled tidbits together on what’s going on with the virus worldwide. The plot maintained its engaging pace, featuring realistic action and believable the character interactions. I think the first volume just had me in a chokehold. The 1st book had me go through so many emotions while reading it. I think it was just hard to top. I still like the second book and will continue to the third book soon.
June 22, 2024
powerhouse of a series!
This book was, I don’t even know how, but even better than DETROIT. The character growth is phenomenal and the intense plot is written with perfection. You feel your heart racing and pulse pounding when JJ and Katie are going through all this craziness. I love that it felt…somehow closer to the actual nitty gritty of the pandemic. They were slightly more removed from it in Detroit and this book gave me some much needed clarity for exactly what happened during that first month. I kind of want a book for every single city everywhere, so I never have to stop reading these!
This book was, I don’t even know how, but even better than DETROIT. The character growth is phenomenal and the intense plot is written with perfection. You feel your heart racing and pulse pounding when JJ and Katie are going through all this craziness. I love that it felt…somehow closer to the actual nitty gritty of the pandemic. They were slightly more removed from it in Detroit and this book gave me some much needed clarity for exactly what happened during that first month. I kind of want a book for every single city everywhere, so I never have to stop reading these!
July 10, 2025
This one, for me, didn't hit the same way Detroit did. I struggled to connect with JJ and Katie. Matt and Jane had amazing chemistry from the start, I felt for them both right away. But with Katie and JJ I just didn't get the same feeling. I also wondered where the first story went in terms of Katie calling Matt through it. That didn't happen in her book. The way the virus is spreading etc is interesting, still. I'll read book 3, this just wasn't my favourite. I do really think it would benefit from a good edit, too. There were parts that felt rush or were difficult to read because of missing words and such. 3/5, still a good read just not the best of the series.
May 30, 2025
This was more of the same - the apocalypse, romance, funny bits (though not as many as book 1), lots of action. A couple of things surprised me - I never thought I’d like Katie more than Jane, but here we are. Her growth, resilience and strength far exceeded my expectations. Also, after book 1, we know what happened it Atlanta… That did nothing to tamp down the feelings when it happened in this book.
Unfortunately, there are a lot more mistakes in this book - misspellings, missing words, etc., but I still thoroughly enjoyed it!
🦠 Apocalypse
🦠 Forced proximity
🦠 Found family
Unfortunately, there are a lot more mistakes in this book - misspellings, missing words, etc., but I still thoroughly enjoyed it!
🦠 Apocalypse
🦠 Forced proximity
🦠 Found family
February 16, 2025
Book2
I loved Book 1 in this series so was eager for Book 2. But for me something felt off with this story. It was too long. It didn’t have as much substance as Book 1 and the main characters were just okay.
I loved Book 1 in this series so was eager for Book 2. But for me something felt off with this story. It was too long. It didn’t have as much substance as Book 1 and the main characters were just okay.
March 12, 2025
Loved it! I enjoyed the back story of Katie and Jjs lives.
The courtship of Katie and JJ was torturous. You just wanted
them to kiss already! And Easton was guy you loved to hate.
The building of the “family”was heart warming.
The courtship of Katie and JJ was torturous. You just wanted
them to kiss already! And Easton was guy you loved to hate.
The building of the “family”was heart warming.
July 6, 2025
Fast quick enabling read
Easy to become interested within the first few paragraphs. I like hearing about the other perspectives surroundi
ng the veil and hinting at what caused it with connections to Detroit, book one.
Easy to become interested within the first few paragraphs. I like hearing about the other perspectives surroundi
ng the veil and hinting at what caused it with connections to Detroit, book one.
July 8, 2025
I admit I had a harder time “connecting” with the characters in this book at first. But I continued reading and they grew on me. Another love story within a very scary what if this Dystopia happened at that.
January 10, 2024
Just as good as the first book in the series.
January 12, 2025
Continuation of a great series.
March 18, 2025
good read!
Good read! Loving the series and characters a lot. The story line has an interesting twist than the usual apocalypse books.
Good read! Loving the series and characters a lot. The story line has an interesting twist than the usual apocalypse books.
Read
March 30, 2025This trio of books grow on you. On the last one, and housework is suffering for it. I found them all enjoyable and well written.
June 24, 2025
Great Read
What a great story for the second book in The Veil series. Smith writes interesting, credible characters in a compelling world.
What a great story for the second book in The Veil series. Smith writes interesting, credible characters in a compelling world.
June 30, 2025
3.75
wasn't as good as the first
wasn't as good as the first
November 10, 2023
This is part of the Veil series set in Atlanta following Katie and JJ when the Veil goes up due to the X-virus. How they handle what is happening and being separated from loved ones while forming new connections. I really enjoy Dystopian style stories and loved this book. If you are looking for great plot and amazing thought out characters who are so relatable you will not regret this series. While you could read this as a standalone since JJ and Katie has a conclusion at the end I feel they are better read in order.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews