Mortal Love: After the Fall

by E.J. Swenson

Thirty years after a plague destroys civilization, the women in God's Grove, Missouri are entirely subject to their men. At twenty-two years old, Linna Bolt is the barren wife of an abusive husband, alternately pitied and scorned. Although she longs for escape, she can expect no help from her church or her wealthy sister Maya.

Desperate, she takes matters into her own hands, following a dark ritual known only to a few of the town's most daring women. She does conjure a savior, but he's not what she expected. He opens her eyes to the joys of true affection and physical love. He also inspires her to take control of her life, a risky proposition that could be fatal to her and to those she cares for the most.

Reader advisory/trigger warning: This story includes explicit sex, graphic depictions of an abusive relationship, and a heroine who gleefully cheats on her husband.

220 pages, ebook

First published May 15, 2014

About the author

E.J. Swenson is a business journalist by day and a writer of quirky, romantic, and downright dirty stories by night. She writes under a pseudonym because her colleagues and family would be shocked―SHOCKED!―to see the dark twisty places where her imagination likes to roam. When she's not tethered to her computer, she's avidly reading all kinds of genre fiction, baking (and resisting the siren call of excess baked goods), and keeping track of her two small children.

Reviews

[Nikki "The Crazie Betty" V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC received from author in exchange for my honest review

2.5 Stars

I really wanted to like this story. The synopsis seemed like something dark and entertaining that I would enjoy but unfortunately by the time I was done reading it, I had no idea what kind of book I had even read. Not that I think all books need to fit nice and perfectly into one genre but there are times when there is just too much going on and it feels all over the place and gaudy.

Dystopian future (but somehow managing to feel in the past as well), abuse, paranormal scenarios, totalitarian society, masochism, and a suppressed moronic female lead…these are just some of the tags I would use for this story. It really felt like the author had a solid story underneath all of this but what it came off as was the perfect and classy well put together outfit with jelly bracelets, plastic necklaces and, junk jewelry from the dollar store; and all in all looking like playing dress up in their Mommy’s closet. Just way…too…much…

I didn’t connect to any of the characters and really felt like all of them were shallow and whiny. The MC has more reason than anyone else in this book to be depressed and want out but no. Even after she’s lived with pigs, been seriously cut up, bruised and treated like a ragdoll, and wondered if her husband knows, she still ends up wondering if she should make the decision she’s sitting on. I’m sorry I’ve been in seriously abusive relationships (no details will be forthcoming) and all I have to say is not once did I wonder if he actually really cared or if he could change (it really doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know the answer to that question), I was just too damn scared out of my mind to actually do anything about it. The MC doesn’t really have that excuse; she just keeps going back and forth and being the fickle indecisive female lead that I honestly hate most romance books for. She wasn’t being practical and caring, she was being idiotic.

Unfortunately I won’t be reading anymore by this author. This story annoyed and irritated me and I ended up being more relieved by the fact the book ended than by how the story ended; which I couldn’t care less about, I just wanted it done so I could start reading something else.

[Allyson Tyler · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok. Fairly well written but overly wordy at times. Towards the end, I skimmed thru quite a a few pages to just finish the book. I felt the author wanted to go the route of a darker story, which was accomplished, but in a weird way. Can't quite put my finger on what made me really kind of just dislike the book.

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

So different from anything else I have ever read!

Full review on Agents of Romance...

http://www.agentsofromance.com/events...

[Lewlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not really sure what was going on in this book!! It was a bit all over the place and totally unbelievable, so I didn't enjoy it.