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She needs to escape her stepmother, and the only prince available is him.
Ever since my father died and my sister left, I've been trapped in a life of drudgery with a stepfamily as wicked as the storybooks say. Life after the apocalypse offers few choices, and I only have three. I can stay and be miserable. I can die in the wilderness. Or I can marry him.
Mason is the closest thing this village has to a prince. He's odd and antisocial and doesn't say a lot, but he's got a good home and a dependable income. Plus, he treats me better than my stepfamily.
Neither one of us has any experience with relationships, but maybe we can muddle along together better than we have alone.
If happy endings in this world are impossible, then this marriage of convenience will have to do.
Ever since my father died and my sister left, I've been trapped in a life of drudgery with a stepfamily as wicked as the storybooks say. Life after the apocalypse offers few choices, and I only have three. I can stay and be miserable. I can die in the wilderness. Or I can marry him.
Mason is the closest thing this village has to a prince. He's odd and antisocial and doesn't say a lot, but he's got a good home and a dependable income. Plus, he treats me better than my stepfamily.
Neither one of us has any experience with relationships, but maybe we can muddle along together better than we have alone.
If happy endings in this world are impossible, then this marriage of convenience will have to do.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 19, 2025
126 people are currently reading
451 people want to read
About the author
Claire Kent
40 books2,153 followersClaire has been writing romance novels since she was twelve years old. After teaching English at the university level for several years, she started writing full-time under two different pen names. She lives in Virginia.
Her early books are sexy contemporary romances filled with heat and real emotion, but with the Hold series she transitioned to science fiction romance. Her current books are steamy post-apocalyptic romance set in the near future after a global catastrophe. They feature smart, resilient women trying to survive in a new chaotic world and falling in love with strong, gruff, taciturn men.
Claire also writes softer contemporary romances as Noelle Adams,
Her early books are sexy contemporary romances filled with heat and real emotion, but with the Hold series she transitioned to science fiction romance. Her current books are steamy post-apocalyptic romance set in the near future after a global catastrophe. They feature smart, resilient women trying to survive in a new chaotic world and falling in love with strong, gruff, taciturn men.
Claire also writes softer contemporary romances as Noelle Adams,
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
January 2, 2026
What if the world ENDED & you took up HOMESTEADING with a shy farmer 🧑🏼🌾🩵 cozy dystopian romance between 2 virgins that find a smut book!
Teresa is dystopian Cinderella looking to escape her abusive step-mom/sister. When a local shy farmer offers her a wifey position at his farm and she jumps at the chance for a new life 🐮🐥 Their relationship slowly transforms through hardwork & eagerness to explore…new positions!
This was so different from the first book in the series but in the best way possible. Both characters were shy ALBEIT EAGER to embark on a path of SEXploration! The author did an incredible job writing hawt smut between two virgins without explicit dirty talk.
🩵 she is clueless about sex ed but then SHE FINDS A SMUT BOOK in the rubble
🐮 slow-paced marriage of convenience
🩵 his version of dirty talk is calling her “my honey cake”
🐮 microtrope: when he takes care of himself privately but she catches him…to be fair she has no idea what he’s doing
Miscommunication trope that I loved! These two were beyond cute, constantly apologizing for not meeting (self-imposed) standards while thinking they’re being judged. They just wanted love, acceptance & cozy companionship.
dystopian romance
marriage of convenience
hardworking fmc/mmc
shy mmc
virgins 2x
sexploration
forced proximity
homesteading
HEA
Teresa is dystopian Cinderella looking to escape her abusive step-mom/sister. When a local shy farmer offers her a wifey position at his farm and she jumps at the chance for a new life 🐮🐥 Their relationship slowly transforms through hardwork & eagerness to explore…new positions!
This was so different from the first book in the series but in the best way possible. Both characters were shy ALBEIT EAGER to embark on a path of SEXploration! The author did an incredible job writing hawt smut between two virgins without explicit dirty talk.
🩵 she is clueless about sex ed but then SHE FINDS A SMUT BOOK in the rubble
🐮 slow-paced marriage of convenience
🩵 his version of dirty talk is calling her “my honey cake”
🐮 microtrope: when he takes care of himself privately but she catches him…to be fair she has no idea what he’s doing
Miscommunication trope that I loved! These two were beyond cute, constantly apologizing for not meeting (self-imposed) standards while thinking they’re being judged. They just wanted love, acceptance & cozy companionship.
dystopian romance
marriage of convenience
hardworking fmc/mmc
shy mmc
virgins 2x
sexploration
forced proximity
homesteading
HEA
December 9, 2025
Ashes is a light take on Cinderella, with Teresa living as the drudge for her stepmother and stepsister after the death of her father and marriage of her sister Annabelle. She has been classified by the government as a domestic worker, and with no options is somewhat trapped in this miserable and abusive life. Mason is a farmer, a sought-after potential match who picks up her dropped shoe and proposes a mutually beneficial marriage arrangement that will get her out of her current situation, and provide him the help he needs on the farm. These two have to figure out their partnership and navigate their lives together, while developing feelings (both pants and otherwise).
This Central Cities story takes place a year before the action in Devotion. This world is puritanical for the masses - Teresa and Mason know next to nothing about the act of intimate relations between them, and books are strictly controlled to "government approved book collection or library." This is the same world where the upper echelon of the regime are assigned and have complete control over every aspect of their "Partners," who provide any service or pleasure they can dream of.
Unlike the residents of the capitol, who may be buying what the President and his cronies are selling about his regime, the people in the villages and outer cities know a crappy situation when they have one. Earnings go to the government with a portion credited back, and credits expire so no savings are possible. Officials are corrupt and have to be bribed to provide basic services. "Injustice is the only reality in this world" Teresa thinks, and she's not wrong, her father was killed for speaking out, she can "never break rules. I never put myself out there. I never take bold steps."
This book feels more explicit than her others with the reflection of the Central Cities world to our current situation. Information is closely regulated, with the masses having limited and controlled access. Wealth and luxury are abundant for the elite, who live in towers, and almost completely missing in the lives of most. Every aspect of life is controlled, and propaganda about those not under the regime's control abounds, the "Wilderness" outside Central Cities is said to be lawless and miserable, but as we know from Devotion and the Kindled series, that's far from the case. I can easily see the connection to this regime and the one that set up the punitive carceral state such as in Hold, even though I don't believe it's the same universe.
Unlike almost every other Claire Kent book, there is no transactional nature to their relationship, although Teresa keeps trying to frame it that way. She's responsible for the domestic side of their lives, which hardly feels like enough to her given how much better this situation is than the one she came from. She keeps trying to impose a framework where she "owes" Mason more, more work, relations even though they aren't great at first, her agreement and pleasantness. Mason doesn't want any of it, he's looking for a partner, where they help each other and each play to their strengths and pleasure is mutual and desired by them both.
Anyway, because of the purity culture they were raised in, neither of them know anything, literally anything at all about sex. Her mother bounced before she could have a talk about it, and Mason got the bare bones from his dad. "not a lot of details, but Dad did explain the basic mechanics."
He's explicit that she's only responsible for the house-based portion of farm life, and that he didn't bring her on to be a laborer. And he keeps relations off the table until they both acknowledge wanting them, and bless his heart tries his best. She's the one imposing that she "owes" him even if it's not working for her. "If it's his job to keep me safe, then it's my job to make him feel this good." Like Tower, the couple in this book are more communicative and open, her fears of losing him if she doesn't please him are matched, they talk it out and do better. I love this vibe that these "Fairy Tales" are bringing to the couple dynamics.
And once they talk and figure out what is and isn't working, and what they both want? Hoo baby. These two sweet virgins dive into exploring and figuring out how relations "work" with enthusiasm. Teresa has scavenged a couple explicit romance novels, and they treat them like a combination of instruction manual, grade school primer, and Ikea assembly pamphlet, minus the Allen wrench.
I'm really enjoying these Fairy Tale novellas, there is a slightly different vibe to them, looser and more communicative and affectionate between the couples. Kent is building out her Central Cities universe, and setting up the next book set here very well. A reader could start with the Kindled universe here in the Central Cities timeline and have a richly rewarding experience of connected stories, and the reader familiar with the Kindled universe as a whole will have the satisfaction of seeing the larger history unfold.
Thank you to the author for the arc.
This Central Cities story takes place a year before the action in Devotion. This world is puritanical for the masses - Teresa and Mason know next to nothing about the act of intimate relations between them, and books are strictly controlled to "government approved book collection or library." This is the same world where the upper echelon of the regime are assigned and have complete control over every aspect of their "Partners," who provide any service or pleasure they can dream of.
Unlike the residents of the capitol, who may be buying what the President and his cronies are selling about his regime, the people in the villages and outer cities know a crappy situation when they have one. Earnings go to the government with a portion credited back, and credits expire so no savings are possible. Officials are corrupt and have to be bribed to provide basic services. "Injustice is the only reality in this world" Teresa thinks, and she's not wrong, her father was killed for speaking out, she can "never break rules. I never put myself out there. I never take bold steps."
This book feels more explicit than her others with the reflection of the Central Cities world to our current situation. Information is closely regulated, with the masses having limited and controlled access. Wealth and luxury are abundant for the elite, who live in towers, and almost completely missing in the lives of most. Every aspect of life is controlled, and propaganda about those not under the regime's control abounds, the "Wilderness" outside Central Cities is said to be lawless and miserable, but as we know from Devotion and the Kindled series, that's far from the case. I can easily see the connection to this regime and the one that set up the punitive carceral state such as in Hold, even though I don't believe it's the same universe.
Unlike almost every other Claire Kent book, there is no transactional nature to their relationship, although Teresa keeps trying to frame it that way. She's responsible for the domestic side of their lives, which hardly feels like enough to her given how much better this situation is than the one she came from. She keeps trying to impose a framework where she "owes" Mason more, more work, relations even though they aren't great at first, her agreement and pleasantness. Mason doesn't want any of it, he's looking for a partner, where they help each other and each play to their strengths and pleasure is mutual and desired by them both.
Anyway, because of the purity culture they were raised in, neither of them know anything, literally anything at all about sex. Her mother bounced before she could have a talk about it, and Mason got the bare bones from his dad. "not a lot of details, but Dad did explain the basic mechanics."
He's explicit that she's only responsible for the house-based portion of farm life, and that he didn't bring her on to be a laborer. And he keeps relations off the table until they both acknowledge wanting them, and bless his heart tries his best. She's the one imposing that she "owes" him even if it's not working for her. "If it's his job to keep me safe, then it's my job to make him feel this good." Like Tower, the couple in this book are more communicative and open, her fears of losing him if she doesn't please him are matched, they talk it out and do better. I love this vibe that these "Fairy Tales" are bringing to the couple dynamics.
And once they talk and figure out what is and isn't working, and what they both want? Hoo baby. These two sweet virgins dive into exploring and figuring out how relations "work" with enthusiasm. Teresa has scavenged a couple explicit romance novels, and they treat them like a combination of instruction manual, grade school primer, and Ikea assembly pamphlet, minus the Allen wrench.
I'm really enjoying these Fairy Tale novellas, there is a slightly different vibe to them, looser and more communicative and affectionate between the couples. Kent is building out her Central Cities universe, and setting up the next book set here very well. A reader could start with the Kindled universe here in the Central Cities timeline and have a richly rewarding experience of connected stories, and the reader familiar with the Kindled universe as a whole will have the satisfaction of seeing the larger history unfold.
Thank you to the author for the arc.
January 3, 2026
📚'𝙼𝚈 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚂'📚 can also be found on my blog:
╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS
❀⋆.ೃ࿔* 𝖳𝖮𝖶𝖤𝖱 ❀⋆.ೃ࿔* Is the second Post-Apocalyptic Fairy Tale, re-imagining novella of Cinderella by author Claire Kent. Teresa (25) and Mason (30)
☀︎ Post Apocalypse
☀︎ Marriage of Convenience
☀︎ Virgin MCs
☀︎ Forced Proximity
☀︎ Cinderella re-imaging
As per usual when it comes to this author and this post-apocalyptic world she'd created was one I was highly anticipating. So excited when release day hit..
This takes place 39 years after impact..
“ (𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘪𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘵, 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘵. 𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯.) ”
Teresa was trapped under the thumb of her controlling stepfamily forced to earn her keep by cleaning after them and foraging for supplies in order for them to sell the items at the market. She'll be stuck there indefinitely unless a miracle falls into her lap.
That miracle was Mason, the quiet farmer who has taken over the farm from his deceased parents proposes a marriage of convenience.
This was a super cute, fast paced novel which like usual when it comes to this author was inhaled in one sitting. I enjoyed getting carried away by this unique storyline, though I was weighing up between 3,5 and 4 stars due to their first sexual interaction, I understand it was their first time and that was very much presented, it just made me cringe, after that though once they were more comfortable with each other their sexual relationship flowed between them a lot more effortlessly.
But other than that, I love this world, loved these two characters especially as they tiptoed around the other whilst coexisting in their new world together. And enjoyed her adapting to a new way of life on a farm environment.
I’m excited for the next book to come out in this series.
❀⋆.ೃ࿔* 𝖳𝖮𝖶𝖤𝖱 ❀⋆.ೃ࿔* Is the second Post-Apocalyptic Fairy Tale, re-imagining novella of Cinderella by author Claire Kent. Teresa (25) and Mason (30)
☀︎ Post Apocalypse
☀︎ Marriage of Convenience
☀︎ Virgin MCs
☀︎ Forced Proximity
☀︎ Cinderella re-imaging
As per usual when it comes to this author and this post-apocalyptic world she'd created was one I was highly anticipating. So excited when release day hit..
This takes place 39 years after impact..
“ (𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘪𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘵, 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘵. 𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯.) ”
Teresa was trapped under the thumb of her controlling stepfamily forced to earn her keep by cleaning after them and foraging for supplies in order for them to sell the items at the market. She'll be stuck there indefinitely unless a miracle falls into her lap.
That miracle was Mason, the quiet farmer who has taken over the farm from his deceased parents proposes a marriage of convenience.
This was a super cute, fast paced novel which like usual when it comes to this author was inhaled in one sitting. I enjoyed getting carried away by this unique storyline, though I was weighing up between 3,5 and 4 stars due to their first sexual interaction, I understand it was their first time and that was very much presented, it just made me cringe, after that though once they were more comfortable with each other their sexual relationship flowed between them a lot more effortlessly.
But other than that, I love this world, loved these two characters especially as they tiptoed around the other whilst coexisting in their new world together. And enjoyed her adapting to a new way of life on a farm environment.
I’m excited for the next book to come out in this series.
November 13, 2025
Read for Content Pull!
Ya'll are gonna love these two!
Ya'll are gonna love these two!
January 2, 2026
cute post-apocalypse Cinderella retelling with a kind gentle dairy farmer and a sweet passive fmc who work and learn together after he saves her from her stepmother. 2 hour novella. 3.5 ⭐️
December 26, 2025
4.25🌟!
I finished it under a day— it was that addictive.
This is the second book in the series but you could read it as standalone.
Mason and Teresa were the cutest!
I loved these two awkward, introvert and shy couple. Taciturn, kinda grumpy, Mason was perfect for sweet, innocent Teresa.
I enjoyed how their relationship progressed.
Mason never gave upon her, he always made her talk about her feelings so he can right whatever wrong he did. They always communicated. And Teresa wanted to ease his life and was appreciative of him. You could say, they made each other’s life a little brighter.
This book had a little of everything I love- well written, Marriage of convenience, V hero- heroine, romance, emotion, a little action and a good plot.
If you love short books with all these, definitely check this out.
Comes out on Jan 2.
I received an advance review copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
I finished it under a day— it was that addictive.
This is the second book in the series but you could read it as standalone.
Mason and Teresa were the cutest!
I loved these two awkward, introvert and shy couple. Taciturn, kinda grumpy, Mason was perfect for sweet, innocent Teresa.
I enjoyed how their relationship progressed.
Mason never gave upon her, he always made her talk about her feelings so he can right whatever wrong he did. They always communicated. And Teresa wanted to ease his life and was appreciative of him. You could say, they made each other’s life a little brighter.
This book had a little of everything I love- well written, Marriage of convenience, V hero- heroine, romance, emotion, a little action and a good plot.
If you love short books with all these, definitely check this out.
Comes out on Jan 2.
I received an advance review copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
Want to read
December 19, 2025A virgin mmc. I NEED THIS BOOK NOW
January 4, 2026
This story surprised me... and I didn’t expect that.
This is not a complex post-apocalyptic tale.
There are no big dangers, no constant action, no dramatic survival scenes like in some of Claire Kent’s other books.
And yet… I loved it.
Genuinely.
At its core, this is a story about quiet courage and inner strength.
Teresa has spent years enslaved by a cruel stepmother and stepsister, living small, invisible, and exhausted.
After the apocalypse, choices are few and none of them kind.
What moves this story is that her escape doesn’t come from a dramatic event, but from something much simpler: a few words, spoken at the right moment, by Mason.
That alone says everything.
Words matter.
Kindness matters.
Even the softest gesture can change the direction of a soul’s life.
Teresa is not the typical brave, fearless heroine.
She doesn’t fight loudly.
She survives through stubbornness, through a calm insistence on existing.
She has a silent, determined strength that grows on you and I was surprised by how deeply I connected with her.
Mason is her equal and her complement.
Introverted, thoughtful, emotionally reserved, the perfect match for Teresa.
Their communication is gentle, awkward, honest.
The innocence and inexperience of both of them feels refreshingly real and tender, never exaggerated.
And then there’s Bill, the abandoned dog they adopt.
A small addition, but a meaningful one.
It reinforces who they are: warm, loving, decent people in a broken world.
In the end, this story isn’t about grand survival.
It’s about choosing a quiet life over despair.
About companionship over loneliness.
About how, even after everything burns, something gentle can still grow.
I truly loved it!
January 3, 2026
I need MORE. Too short and would have loved a bigger exploration of the fmc’s personal journey but this still hit
December 9, 2025
Fall and Hold are still my top favorites, but this may be tied with Hero as my third favorite Claire Kent book. I knew I’d like it because I tend to enjoy a Cinderella plot, and I liked this one so much more than the first book. It’s typical Claire Kent, the formula that works for me.
I really hope we get Annabelle and Ben’s story.
I really hope we get Annabelle and Ben’s story.
December 23, 2025
Headlines:
Simple lives
Saving one another
Marriage of convenience
Once again, Claire Kent brought a different offering for these post-apocalyptic tales and this one was a take on Cinderella. We got early servings of the step mother and sister but the protagonist, Teresa, was quietly fierce and brave. She side stepped the family plotting and caught Mason's eye.
What ensued was a gentle tale of two people getting to know each other. Mason owned and ran a farm and their lives of getting to know one another was orientated around practical tasks. The connection was a slow burning one and their move to physical intimacy was equally inexperienced, a little awkward but endearing. How these two communicated was at times impressive and at other times, it was lacking. I never once doubted their genuine affection but they doubted one another.
I enjoyed how this story was set in a future dystopia after the collapse of society. It connected loosely to the Central Cities era and series and I liked seeing that era in a rural setting.
Overall, this was an incredibly sweet couple in their innocence and mutual growth. I look forward to more from this series.
Thank you to the author for the eARC.
Simple lives
Saving one another
Marriage of convenience
Once again, Claire Kent brought a different offering for these post-apocalyptic tales and this one was a take on Cinderella. We got early servings of the step mother and sister but the protagonist, Teresa, was quietly fierce and brave. She side stepped the family plotting and caught Mason's eye.
What ensued was a gentle tale of two people getting to know each other. Mason owned and ran a farm and their lives of getting to know one another was orientated around practical tasks. The connection was a slow burning one and their move to physical intimacy was equally inexperienced, a little awkward but endearing. How these two communicated was at times impressive and at other times, it was lacking. I never once doubted their genuine affection but they doubted one another.
I enjoyed how this story was set in a future dystopia after the collapse of society. It connected loosely to the Central Cities era and series and I liked seeing that era in a rural setting.
Overall, this was an incredibly sweet couple in their innocence and mutual growth. I look forward to more from this series.
Thank you to the author for the eARC.
![Profile Image for Elle ♡ [semi-hiatus].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1521418447i%2F78060090._UY200_CR25%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
January 12, 2026
2.75 stars for his honey cake🥴
I’m not that impressed with this series and I don’t love the blurb for book 3 so maybe I’ll be done here. I was intrigued at first by this novella being set so far in the future in CK’s post apocalyptic world. Everything I’ve read so far has been soon after impact so to see the world nearly 40 years later with towns and a government was interesting but in the end I didn’t love that angle of like political unrest even though it was so minor.
I had the same problem here as with book 1 where I wasn’t that attached to the characters. I liked Teresa more, the Cinderella thing was fun, but Mason was so one dimensional like the H in the last book. I need a dual POV or something because these men are just reading so flat. His random possessiveness and comments didn’t come off as sexy as I think they were meant to and the honey cake thing 💀 The dual virgin situation was interesting lol very different from her usual immediate sex because safety is transactional situation. And honestly here it still was transactional and awkward but they were both just too shy to get right down to it and when they finally did they didn’t really know what they were doing. And lastly, I liked Bill, he was cute 🐶 silly name though haha.
Overall this wasn’t terrible, it held my attention and was an easy quick read since it was a novella, but I just need more emotion and build up from these characters. Anyway jury’s out if I’ll read the next book about some sort of red riding hood prostitute situation 🧐🤷🏼♀️ not really the most intriguing set up to me but we’ll see…
I’m not that impressed with this series and I don’t love the blurb for book 3 so maybe I’ll be done here. I was intrigued at first by this novella being set so far in the future in CK’s post apocalyptic world. Everything I’ve read so far has been soon after impact so to see the world nearly 40 years later with towns and a government was interesting but in the end I didn’t love that angle of like political unrest even though it was so minor.
I had the same problem here as with book 1 where I wasn’t that attached to the characters. I liked Teresa more, the Cinderella thing was fun, but Mason was so one dimensional like the H in the last book. I need a dual POV or something because these men are just reading so flat. His random possessiveness and comments didn’t come off as sexy as I think they were meant to and the honey cake thing 💀 The dual virgin situation was interesting lol very different from her usual immediate sex because safety is transactional situation. And honestly here it still was transactional and awkward but they were both just too shy to get right down to it and when they finally did they didn’t really know what they were doing. And lastly, I liked Bill, he was cute 🐶 silly name though haha.
Overall this wasn’t terrible, it held my attention and was an easy quick read since it was a novella, but I just need more emotion and build up from these characters. Anyway jury’s out if I’ll read the next book about some sort of red riding hood prostitute situation 🧐🤷🏼♀️ not really the most intriguing set up to me but we’ll see…
Read
January 2, 2026Cinderalla based story.
Both Hero and heroine are virgins.
HEA.
Both Hero and heroine are virgins.
HEA.
January 2, 2026
This one wasn't my favorite--the working just felt more wooden than I'm used to from Claire Kent
January 4, 2026
I do enjoy this author and she is a great writer, so wanted to explore what made this not work so well for me…
I did not enjoy Cinderella as much as Rapunzel! I think it was the overall innocence of the 2 main characters, because they were almost childlike adults. It was literally very hard to remember they were adults at times, it almost felt like their brains were at a 5 year old level, so then them having sexy times kind of gave me the ick. It wasn’t just that they were virgins and were sexually innocent, it almost felt like their intellectual capacity in general was really in question. I think maybe the implication was that this happened due to some sort of brainwashing or socialization that exists in the capital cities vs in the wilderness, but I felt quite disconnected from them.
I did not enjoy Cinderella as much as Rapunzel! I think it was the overall innocence of the 2 main characters, because they were almost childlike adults. It was literally very hard to remember they were adults at times, it almost felt like their brains were at a 5 year old level, so then them having sexy times kind of gave me the ick. It wasn’t just that they were virgins and were sexually innocent, it almost felt like their intellectual capacity in general was really in question. I think maybe the implication was that this happened due to some sort of brainwashing or socialization that exists in the capital cities vs in the wilderness, but I felt quite disconnected from them.
December 7, 2025
“𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒕 𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔. 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒏𝒐𝒘.”
“𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕. 𝑻𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒅.”
Ashes is the second book in Claire Kent’s Post-Apocalyptic Fairy Tales series.
After losing her father and with her sister no longer around, Teresa is stuck with a cruel stepmother and stepsister. Her options are bleak, stay and endure more abuse, runaway to the Central Cities or enter a marriage of convenience with a man she barely knows.
And that man is Mason. He's taciturn and almost painfully awkward. He barely speaks unless necessary, and at first glance he doesn’t fit anyone’s idea of a “prince.” But underneath that stoic, closed-off exterior is a man who is steady, protective and most importantly...kind. I’m a total sucker for animal-lover characters, so when he rescued Bill, I was DONE. Instant heart-eyes. Characters who love dogs automatically climb my favorites list and ten times more lovable.
Anyhow, their union isn’t born from romance but necessity, because survival demands it. But that’s what made the slow-burn rewarding for me. Watching two characters who have never really known safety or affection slowly learn to trust and then care for each other.
In addition, I love how the author blends dystopian grit with fairy-tale elements. It’s basically Cinderella after the end of the world. The “marriage of convenience + forced proximity” combo is one of my favorite tropes, and it works perfectly here. Even though both main characters start out inexperienced and guarded, the emotional growth between them feels satisfying at the end.
This book is short since it's a novella, but it still offers glimpses of the larger world, from the Central Cities to hints about her upcoming series next year, The Wild. I love interconnected stories, and while Ashes works perfectly as a standalone, those subtle cross-series connections made me genuinely excited. It’s always thrilling when authors create worlds that overlap and tie different series together.
And yes there’s spice. But like all Claire Kent books, you can skip those parts if you prefer. The heart of the story is still the relationship, emotional vulnerability, quiet domestic moments and the slow realization that maybe they can build something more than survival.
Overall, Ashes was a perfect palate cleanser for me. If Claire Kent (or Noelle Adams) writes it, I’m pretty sure I'm reading it, no questions asked.
Huge thanks to the author for the advance copy. Ashes will be available for direct sale on her website starting December 30, and on Amazon & Kindle Unlimited beginning January 2.
“𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕. 𝑻𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒅.”
Ashes is the second book in Claire Kent’s Post-Apocalyptic Fairy Tales series.
After losing her father and with her sister no longer around, Teresa is stuck with a cruel stepmother and stepsister. Her options are bleak, stay and endure more abuse, runaway to the Central Cities or enter a marriage of convenience with a man she barely knows.
And that man is Mason. He's taciturn and almost painfully awkward. He barely speaks unless necessary, and at first glance he doesn’t fit anyone’s idea of a “prince.” But underneath that stoic, closed-off exterior is a man who is steady, protective and most importantly...kind. I’m a total sucker for animal-lover characters, so when he rescued Bill, I was DONE. Instant heart-eyes. Characters who love dogs automatically climb my favorites list and ten times more lovable.
Anyhow, their union isn’t born from romance but necessity, because survival demands it. But that’s what made the slow-burn rewarding for me. Watching two characters who have never really known safety or affection slowly learn to trust and then care for each other.
In addition, I love how the author blends dystopian grit with fairy-tale elements. It’s basically Cinderella after the end of the world. The “marriage of convenience + forced proximity” combo is one of my favorite tropes, and it works perfectly here. Even though both main characters start out inexperienced and guarded, the emotional growth between them feels satisfying at the end.
This book is short since it's a novella, but it still offers glimpses of the larger world, from the Central Cities to hints about her upcoming series next year, The Wild. I love interconnected stories, and while Ashes works perfectly as a standalone, those subtle cross-series connections made me genuinely excited. It’s always thrilling when authors create worlds that overlap and tie different series together.
And yes there’s spice. But like all Claire Kent books, you can skip those parts if you prefer. The heart of the story is still the relationship, emotional vulnerability, quiet domestic moments and the slow realization that maybe they can build something more than survival.
Overall, Ashes was a perfect palate cleanser for me. If Claire Kent (or Noelle Adams) writes it, I’m pretty sure I'm reading it, no questions asked.
Huge thanks to the author for the advance copy. Ashes will be available for direct sale on her website starting December 30, and on Amazon & Kindle Unlimited beginning January 2.
December 8, 2025
“Ashes” by Claire Kent
5⭐️/5⭐️
3🌶/5🌶
“He’s not asking me to do anything. To work or earn or perform or do everything right. Just be. Be with him.”
Gosh, I really loved this story. I’ve yet to read a book by Claire Kent that I *haven’t* enjoyed, but there’s something about Teresa and Mason’s story that made this my favorite Claire Kent read of 2025.
Like “Tower”, “Ashes” is loosely inspired by elements of a fairytale, namely Cinderella. Readers will be able to identify those elements pretty easily. Teresa, the FMC, lives with her cruel stepmother and stepsister, forced to work as a servant. She’s constantly cleaning, cooking, and scavenging, but none of her actions are ever good enough, and she’s often treated poorly. She feels utterly alone, and one day decides to escape and seek out a new life. However, just as she makes her move, she’s given an unexpected offer. Mason, a local farmer who leads a quiet life, asks for her hand in marriage. He needs a partner who helps around the house and property, and in exchange he promises to always respect and take care of Teresa. It’s too good of an opportunity to pass up, and the pair quickly enter a marriage of convenience.
These two are so dang awkward, it’s one of the most endearing romances I’ve ever read. Teresa is, unfortunately, quite sheltered when it comes to sex and relationships. But what she lacks in knowledge she makes up for in curiosity. She *wants* to know, and unabashedly asks Mason all kinds of questions about intimacy. I just loved how matter of fact her questions were.
Meanwhile Mason, who is also a bit sheltered, shows his love for Teresa through action. He doesn’t just say he’s going to take care of her, he provides security for her by always following through with his words. She quickly realizes she can depend on Mason. In fact, he’s the only person in the world who hasn’t let her down.
There’s a sweetness to the way these two fumble through their marriage. They’re good partners because they’re so hard working and dedicated, and that goes beyond taking care of the farm. I really enjoyed reading their intimacy journey, from Teresa learning about sex, to openly communicating wants and needs, to trying different positions; it’s incredibly endearing.
This is absolutely going to be a future reread. In fact, I’ve already gone back and reread a few of my favorite scenes.
5⭐️/5⭐️
3🌶/5🌶
“He’s not asking me to do anything. To work or earn or perform or do everything right. Just be. Be with him.”
Gosh, I really loved this story. I’ve yet to read a book by Claire Kent that I *haven’t* enjoyed, but there’s something about Teresa and Mason’s story that made this my favorite Claire Kent read of 2025.
Like “Tower”, “Ashes” is loosely inspired by elements of a fairytale, namely Cinderella. Readers will be able to identify those elements pretty easily. Teresa, the FMC, lives with her cruel stepmother and stepsister, forced to work as a servant. She’s constantly cleaning, cooking, and scavenging, but none of her actions are ever good enough, and she’s often treated poorly. She feels utterly alone, and one day decides to escape and seek out a new life. However, just as she makes her move, she’s given an unexpected offer. Mason, a local farmer who leads a quiet life, asks for her hand in marriage. He needs a partner who helps around the house and property, and in exchange he promises to always respect and take care of Teresa. It’s too good of an opportunity to pass up, and the pair quickly enter a marriage of convenience.
These two are so dang awkward, it’s one of the most endearing romances I’ve ever read. Teresa is, unfortunately, quite sheltered when it comes to sex and relationships. But what she lacks in knowledge she makes up for in curiosity. She *wants* to know, and unabashedly asks Mason all kinds of questions about intimacy. I just loved how matter of fact her questions were.
Meanwhile Mason, who is also a bit sheltered, shows his love for Teresa through action. He doesn’t just say he’s going to take care of her, he provides security for her by always following through with his words. She quickly realizes she can depend on Mason. In fact, he’s the only person in the world who hasn’t let her down.
There’s a sweetness to the way these two fumble through their marriage. They’re good partners because they’re so hard working and dedicated, and that goes beyond taking care of the farm. I really enjoyed reading their intimacy journey, from Teresa learning about sex, to openly communicating wants and needs, to trying different positions; it’s incredibly endearing.
This is absolutely going to be a future reread. In fact, I’ve already gone back and reread a few of my favorite scenes.
January 18, 2026
3.5 stars. Reminiscent of Claire Kent's Homestead, set in the same universe but decades later, Ashes similarly features a marriage of convenience and life "down on the farm." New, though, were hints of unrest in an oppressive post-apocalyptic world.
I was rapt for half of the book. The sweet, wholesome dynamic between reserved farmer Mason and Teresa, who suffered cruel abuse from a wicked stepmother and stepsister, was intriguing. Especially considering the transactional nature of their relationship. And then...well...the sex happened 😅
Ashes had great potential, but it was not fully realized for me. Nevertheless, it was a solid addition to Kent's various post-apocalyptic series. I look forward to each release.
I was rapt for half of the book. The sweet, wholesome dynamic between reserved farmer Mason and Teresa, who suffered cruel abuse from a wicked stepmother and stepsister, was intriguing. Especially considering the transactional nature of their relationship. And then...well...the sex happened 😅
Ashes had great potential, but it was not fully realized for me. Nevertheless, it was a solid addition to Kent's various post-apocalyptic series. I look forward to each release.
January 7, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
If it’s connected to CK’s Kindled series, I’m going to read it. And so far, that’s been a guarantee I’ll devour and love it.
Post-apocalyptic books are my jam, and this author keeps cranking them out, and I couldn’t be happier. What I especially love is that the characters and stories aren’t copy-paste versions of each other. Each takes place at a different point in time after the Impact, and every set of characters feels fresh and unique.
This one is a sort of Cinderella retelling. It’s been 39 years since the Impact, and while a few modern conveniences remain, society has crumbled under the control of a tyrannical president. Life is hard, curfews are enforced, and movement is restricted.
Teresa, 25, lives with her cruel stepmother and stepsister, working tirelessly day and night to keep their household running. Her stepsister has her sights set on Mason — the most eligible bachelor in town — but Mason notices Teresa instead. He sees her kindness, her quiet strength, and the way she’s mistreated… and offers her a way out: marriage. 💍
Both Teresa and Mason are genuinely good people... kind, decent, and inexperienced when it comes to love. Their story is sweet, sometimes a little awkward (especially in the bedroom 😅), but heartfelt. A marriage of convenience slowly turns into something real; something tender and full of hope. ❤️
If it’s connected to CK’s Kindled series, I’m going to read it. And so far, that’s been a guarantee I’ll devour and love it.
Post-apocalyptic books are my jam, and this author keeps cranking them out, and I couldn’t be happier. What I especially love is that the characters and stories aren’t copy-paste versions of each other. Each takes place at a different point in time after the Impact, and every set of characters feels fresh and unique.
This one is a sort of Cinderella retelling. It’s been 39 years since the Impact, and while a few modern conveniences remain, society has crumbled under the control of a tyrannical president. Life is hard, curfews are enforced, and movement is restricted.
Teresa, 25, lives with her cruel stepmother and stepsister, working tirelessly day and night to keep their household running. Her stepsister has her sights set on Mason — the most eligible bachelor in town — but Mason notices Teresa instead. He sees her kindness, her quiet strength, and the way she’s mistreated… and offers her a way out: marriage. 💍
Both Teresa and Mason are genuinely good people... kind, decent, and inexperienced when it comes to love. Their story is sweet, sometimes a little awkward (especially in the bedroom 😅), but heartfelt. A marriage of convenience slowly turns into something real; something tender and full of hope. ❤️
January 8, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
I never thought I’d describe a post apocalyptic book as adorable, but this one was!
Was there hints of angst and grittiness of the world? Of course! But it managed to also be innocent and earnest because the hero and heroine were both kind of unaware of the world in many ways, and both virgins.
I love a dual v - and they really figure it allll out together. I liked how it wasn’t perfect and they didn’t magically have epic sex the first time, but learn as they go and are very cute together. (And he’s also sort of a dirty talker in a sweet way?)
Overall, if you’re looking for a great plot or epic world building this isn’t that, but if you’re looking for a sweet romance in a not so sweet setting, you’ll enjoy!
I never thought I’d describe a post apocalyptic book as adorable, but this one was!
Was there hints of angst and grittiness of the world? Of course! But it managed to also be innocent and earnest because the hero and heroine were both kind of unaware of the world in many ways, and both virgins.
I love a dual v - and they really figure it allll out together. I liked how it wasn’t perfect and they didn’t magically have epic sex the first time, but learn as they go and are very cute together. (And he’s also sort of a dirty talker in a sweet way?)
Overall, if you’re looking for a great plot or epic world building this isn’t that, but if you’re looking for a sweet romance in a not so sweet setting, you’ll enjoy!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2026
A very cozy, sweet story and, as always, a quick read that I can burn through in any mood or setting.
This book is very straightforward but there is just enough conflict to keep it moving. I appreciated these two were both virgins so while there was some miscommunication it seemed completely natural and not contrived. I loved that they did some exploration with the help of what had to be old world romance books!
The 3rd act conflict was almost too much for me but I had to take a step back and realize that it fit Teresa as a major people pleaser who looks up to her sister. Plus it was quick with a sweet resolution so all was well.
Teresa is a super innocent but not unsmart character and Mason was very cute and shy. So cozy.
This book is very straightforward but there is just enough conflict to keep it moving. I appreciated these two were both virgins so while there was some miscommunication it seemed completely natural and not contrived. I loved that they did some exploration with the help of what had to be old world romance books!
The 3rd act conflict was almost too much for me but I had to take a step back and realize that it fit Teresa as a major people pleaser who looks up to her sister. Plus it was quick with a sweet resolution so all was well.
Teresa is a super innocent but not unsmart character and Mason was very cute and shy. So cozy.
January 21, 2026
3.5 stars
I really felt for this FMC, and it was a bit frustrating to see how her family treated her in the beginning. I'm glad she was able to find someone who appreciated her. I will admit that I would be interested in reading Annabelle 's story, too.
I really felt for this FMC, and it was a bit frustrating to see how her family treated her in the beginning. I'm glad she was able to find someone who appreciated her. I will admit that I would be interested in reading Annabelle 's story, too.
January 20, 2026
If you’ve ever wondered what life was like for Cinderella and the Prince after the movie ended… and you also like dystopian romance… this novella is for you! Ashes is the second novella in a series of storybook retellings set in the Kindled universe.
Mason has recently inherited his family farm after the passing of his parents. Teresa is stuck living with her awful stepmother and stepsister. Teresa finally decides she’s had enough of the drudgery and takes Mason up on his marriage proposal. He needs help running things, and she needs an out. A win-win!
“𝐼 𝒽𝑜𝓅𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓅𝒶𝓇𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹𝓃’𝓉 𝒷𝑒 𝒹𝒾𝓈𝒶𝓅𝓅𝑜𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑒𝒹.”
“𝐼𝓃 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉?”
“𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝒾𝒹 𝑒𝓃𝒹 𝓊𝓅 𝒿𝓊𝓂𝓅𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒾𝒶𝑔𝑒 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓌𝒽𝑜𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝓋𝒶𝒾𝓁𝒶𝒷𝓁𝑒. 𝒲𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓂𝑒, 𝐼 𝓂𝑒𝒶𝓃.”
𝐻𝑒’𝓈 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓌𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝓈 𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓉 𝓂𝑒. “𝐼 𝒹𝒾𝒹𝓃’𝓉.”
“𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝒾𝒹𝓃’𝓉 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉?”
“𝐼 𝒹𝒾𝒹𝓃’𝓉 𝒿𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒿𝓊𝓂𝓅 𝒾𝓃 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒶𝓃𝓎𝑜𝓃𝑒. 𝐼 𝓅𝒾𝒸𝓀𝑒𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑜𝓃 𝓅𝓊𝓇𝓅𝑜𝓈𝑒.”
Neither truly expected their marriage of convenience to evolve into such a beautiful partnership. Teresa blossomed under Mason’s attention and care. Mason flourished once he had someone to help him carry his burdens. Teresa and Mason were so content with what they had and will spend the rest of their lives filling each others’ cups, I just know it.
I loved their story—just two shy virgins tumbling through life and bed together. Maybe the real treasure was the orgasms they made along the way. And Bill! Their faithful, furry companion. Bill is definitely the real treasure. Someone tell me where I can mail that baby some more tennis balls.
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝:
💍 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦
💕 𝘝𝘪𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘊𝘴
🏠 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺
👡 𝘊𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨
💫 𝘚𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
🌪️ 𝘋𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
Now I need a book about Annabelle and Ben!!
I received an advanced copy from Claire and Jenn (thank y’all!!), and I’m leaving this review voluntarily. This novella is available on KU or for purchase on Amazon or Claire’s website. I highly recommend starting your Kindled journey with Last Light, an all-time favorite of mine!
Mason has recently inherited his family farm after the passing of his parents. Teresa is stuck living with her awful stepmother and stepsister. Teresa finally decides she’s had enough of the drudgery and takes Mason up on his marriage proposal. He needs help running things, and she needs an out. A win-win!
“𝐼 𝒽𝑜𝓅𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓅𝒶𝓇𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹𝓃’𝓉 𝒷𝑒 𝒹𝒾𝓈𝒶𝓅𝓅𝑜𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑒𝒹.”
“𝐼𝓃 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉?”
“𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝒾𝒹 𝑒𝓃𝒹 𝓊𝓅 𝒿𝓊𝓂𝓅𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒾𝒶𝑔𝑒 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓌𝒽𝑜𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝓋𝒶𝒾𝓁𝒶𝒷𝓁𝑒. 𝒲𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓂𝑒, 𝐼 𝓂𝑒𝒶𝓃.”
𝐻𝑒’𝓈 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓌𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝓈 𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓉 𝓂𝑒. “𝐼 𝒹𝒾𝒹𝓃’𝓉.”
“𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝒾𝒹𝓃’𝓉 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉?”
“𝐼 𝒹𝒾𝒹𝓃’𝓉 𝒿𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒿𝓊𝓂𝓅 𝒾𝓃 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒶𝓃𝓎𝑜𝓃𝑒. 𝐼 𝓅𝒾𝒸𝓀𝑒𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑜𝓃 𝓅𝓊𝓇𝓅𝑜𝓈𝑒.”
Neither truly expected their marriage of convenience to evolve into such a beautiful partnership. Teresa blossomed under Mason’s attention and care. Mason flourished once he had someone to help him carry his burdens. Teresa and Mason were so content with what they had and will spend the rest of their lives filling each others’ cups, I just know it.
I loved their story—just two shy virgins tumbling through life and bed together. Maybe the real treasure was the orgasms they made along the way. And Bill! Their faithful, furry companion. Bill is definitely the real treasure. Someone tell me where I can mail that baby some more tennis balls.
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝:
💍 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦
💕 𝘝𝘪𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘊𝘴
🏠 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺
👡 𝘊𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨
💫 𝘚𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
🌪️ 𝘋𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
Now I need a book about Annabelle and Ben!!
I received an advanced copy from Claire and Jenn (thank y’all!!), and I’m leaving this review voluntarily. This novella is available on KU or for purchase on Amazon or Claire’s website. I highly recommend starting your Kindled journey with Last Light, an all-time favorite of mine!
January 9, 2026
4.5⭐️ This was surprisingly heartwarming. I wasn’t expecting this and it was really nice.
January 16, 2026
Characters: Teresa and Mason
Trope: post apocalyptic, virgin hero and heroine
Content Warning: mistreatment of heroine by step family, attempted robbery, uneven power structure in that society.
39 Years after the fall/impact
Teresa is someone who is working as a domestic for her step mother Lorraine and step sister Aria, but she is treated as more of a servant by them. Teresa’s mother left years ago and she hasn’t seen her since, her father passed away and her sister Annabelle is married and living inside of the Central Cities (a city that is walled up and guarded), meanwhile the town outside of the Central City is still being controlled by the people in power. (I would say this society is what I would call a dictatorship or totalitarian, where the people in power have more privileges and control and the people below them are more workers that aren’t able to save money, because they live on a credit system that disincentivizes civilians from earning more or being able to achieve more of what they are worth, because you had to spend what you earn in that month. Also the society there works more on bribes if you don’t have the proper paperwork, so if you want to get in or out of the area, you have to have something of value to give to them, and it’s not as safe as the people in power claim it is)
So Teresa is in a no win situation and is trying to make the best of it.
Mason is a man she knows in town who works his family farm, he used to live in the Central Cities and once his parents passed away, he moved back to the town and makes and sells cheese and milk every month when he goes to the market. Teresa assumes that Aria and Mason will get married (based on what Lorraine and Aria tell Teresa), when one day while she’s traveling to the Central City, she runs across Mason who is heading there himself, and she goes there to see if she can stay with her sister (rather than continuing to live with Lorraine and Aria, and their mistreatment of her) and Mason shyly asks Teresa to marry him, as an alternative if she can’t stay with her sister.
Mason and Teresa end up getting married.
*I really enjoyed this novella, I loved the fact that both of the characters were virgins, though I am saddened by the fact that their parents didn’t tell them enough about sex and intimacy, to where they had to learn it by experimenting and it wasn’t an enjoyable experience for Teresa at the beginning, but I did love how Mason felt so bad when he found out that Teresa wasn’t enjoying herself, you can see that he very much wanted to please her and praise her when she found her pleasure. He honestly was such a sweetheart and very eager to learn what pleased her.
Both of these characters suffered from self confidence issues and them not knowing much about love and affection, so when they didn’t communicate what they liked or didn’t like in the bedroom, their miscommunication caused some heartache from both of them. I really wanted to jump into the book and talk to them like a mom and reassure them that it’s okay to feel what they feel, I felt a lot of empathy for both of their characters. They both deserved happiness. They were just so sweet and innocent.
Also there was a scene in here that I enjoyed, where Teresa was talking and laughing with another guy who lived in the town, and Mason comes over and acts jealous, and I could see that this is the first time he’s ever felt that type of emotion for a woman, how he feared that Teresa liked this other man more than him, so I could understand that Mason needed reassurance from Teresa, but also he needed to be able to build up his confidence. Normally I am not a huge fan of jealousy, but in this instance I could tell that Mason didn’t realize what that emotion was and it wasn’t deliberate on his part, he wasn’t intentionally being an asshole, and he apologized for how he acted, so it made me empathize with him a lot. I wanted to give both of them a hug 🤗*
Trope: post apocalyptic, virgin hero and heroine
Content Warning: mistreatment of heroine by step family, attempted robbery, uneven power structure in that society.
39 Years after the fall/impact
Teresa is someone who is working as a domestic for her step mother Lorraine and step sister Aria, but she is treated as more of a servant by them. Teresa’s mother left years ago and she hasn’t seen her since, her father passed away and her sister Annabelle is married and living inside of the Central Cities (a city that is walled up and guarded), meanwhile the town outside of the Central City is still being controlled by the people in power. (I would say this society is what I would call a dictatorship or totalitarian, where the people in power have more privileges and control and the people below them are more workers that aren’t able to save money, because they live on a credit system that disincentivizes civilians from earning more or being able to achieve more of what they are worth, because you had to spend what you earn in that month. Also the society there works more on bribes if you don’t have the proper paperwork, so if you want to get in or out of the area, you have to have something of value to give to them, and it’s not as safe as the people in power claim it is)
So Teresa is in a no win situation and is trying to make the best of it.
Mason is a man she knows in town who works his family farm, he used to live in the Central Cities and once his parents passed away, he moved back to the town and makes and sells cheese and milk every month when he goes to the market. Teresa assumes that Aria and Mason will get married (based on what Lorraine and Aria tell Teresa), when one day while she’s traveling to the Central City, she runs across Mason who is heading there himself, and she goes there to see if she can stay with her sister (rather than continuing to live with Lorraine and Aria, and their mistreatment of her) and Mason shyly asks Teresa to marry him, as an alternative if she can’t stay with her sister.
Mason and Teresa end up getting married.
*I really enjoyed this novella, I loved the fact that both of the characters were virgins, though I am saddened by the fact that their parents didn’t tell them enough about sex and intimacy, to where they had to learn it by experimenting and it wasn’t an enjoyable experience for Teresa at the beginning, but I did love how Mason felt so bad when he found out that Teresa wasn’t enjoying herself, you can see that he very much wanted to please her and praise her when she found her pleasure. He honestly was such a sweetheart and very eager to learn what pleased her.
Both of these characters suffered from self confidence issues and them not knowing much about love and affection, so when they didn’t communicate what they liked or didn’t like in the bedroom, their miscommunication caused some heartache from both of them. I really wanted to jump into the book and talk to them like a mom and reassure them that it’s okay to feel what they feel, I felt a lot of empathy for both of their characters. They both deserved happiness. They were just so sweet and innocent.
Also there was a scene in here that I enjoyed, where Teresa was talking and laughing with another guy who lived in the town, and Mason comes over and acts jealous, and I could see that this is the first time he’s ever felt that type of emotion for a woman, how he feared that Teresa liked this other man more than him, so I could understand that Mason needed reassurance from Teresa, but also he needed to be able to build up his confidence. Normally I am not a huge fan of jealousy, but in this instance I could tell that Mason didn’t realize what that emotion was and it wasn’t deliberate on his part, he wasn’t intentionally being an asshole, and he apologized for how he acted, so it made me empathize with him a lot. I wanted to give both of them a hug 🤗*
January 3, 2026
Another great one by Claire Kent. She's definitely my favorite comfort read these days. Rarely has she written a book I haven't liked. She really just does such a good job of relationship development and SHOWING you instead of just telling you.
Things I liked;
✅ Cinderella start
✅ Marriage of Convenience
✅ Virgin h
✅ Sweet, but Possessive H (also virgin)
✅ Low Angst
✅ Goodest Dog companion
✅ Simple life in a messed up world
✅ Mutal sexual discovery
One random thing I want to complain about, I just personally can't stand Annabelle. I'm every single book she's in, she annoys and frustrates me. I'm sure she's an important character in the world and I'm sure there is a huge market of people who like her type of character, but for me personally, she's meddlesome and always messing with peopes relationships that she should just leave alone. Everyone was happy before she came in and bulldozed Mason and Theresa's relationship. She seems to push her own beliefs on other people without making sure they have the mental scaffolding needed to handle the big topics she tries to push on them. Luckily, Theresa was able to figure out her own wants before it was too late, but she was happier than she'd ever been in her life and along comes her nosey sister with a wrecking ball, tearing apart people's happy existence with her own agenda. I'm sure she meant well, she always does, but that doesn't change the fact she really just needs to worry about herself and her own agenda and leave others out of it.
Alright, that rant aside, I really enjoyed this story. It was simple and sweet. I feel like Mason was a little different than most of the other hero's in Claire Kent books. He was softer, less worldly and hardened, the only virgin H that I remember in any of her books. I generally don't like virgin H's or dual virgin MC's, but it worked here. It was realistic without being incredibly awkward. I liked how they learned to communicate with each other after a few stops and starts. It was also nice to see some characters making the best of their world, imperfect though it may be and finding real happiness there. As always, a nice, low angst palate cleanser with the right amount of spice and personal connection.
Things I liked;
✅ Cinderella start
✅ Marriage of Convenience
✅ Virgin h
✅ Sweet, but Possessive H (also virgin)
✅ Low Angst
✅ Goodest Dog companion
✅ Simple life in a messed up world
✅ Mutal sexual discovery
One random thing I want to complain about, I just personally can't stand Annabelle. I'm every single book she's in, she annoys and frustrates me. I'm sure she's an important character in the world and I'm sure there is a huge market of people who like her type of character, but for me personally, she's meddlesome and always messing with peopes relationships that she should just leave alone. Everyone was happy before she came in and bulldozed Mason and Theresa's relationship. She seems to push her own beliefs on other people without making sure they have the mental scaffolding needed to handle the big topics she tries to push on them. Luckily, Theresa was able to figure out her own wants before it was too late, but she was happier than she'd ever been in her life and along comes her nosey sister with a wrecking ball, tearing apart people's happy existence with her own agenda. I'm sure she meant well, she always does, but that doesn't change the fact she really just needs to worry about herself and her own agenda and leave others out of it.
Alright, that rant aside, I really enjoyed this story. It was simple and sweet. I feel like Mason was a little different than most of the other hero's in Claire Kent books. He was softer, less worldly and hardened, the only virgin H that I remember in any of her books. I generally don't like virgin H's or dual virgin MC's, but it worked here. It was realistic without being incredibly awkward. I liked how they learned to communicate with each other after a few stops and starts. It was also nice to see some characters making the best of their world, imperfect though it may be and finding real happiness there. As always, a nice, low angst palate cleanser with the right amount of spice and personal connection.
December 10, 2025
Just to preface - I have not read the first book in the Post-Apocalyptic Fairytales, so I'm treating this as a standalone.
It's perfectly pleasant and cute, though I was pretty indifferent in the first quarter of it.
It's not a read everyone can enjoy, because I've seen people moaning about not liking wimpy men in books, which Mason kind of seems to be most of the time. He's soft, withdrawn, shy, and pleads with her on many occassions. I personally love that.
It's not gripping and didn't give me that feeling of 'I just need one more chapter', but it is charming and fun if given a chance, and I value that a lot, too.
Teresa is so innocent and cutesy that it borders on childish, but it's understandable in this setting. And on the same note, their being so inexperienced was funny from my perspective (I chuckled a lot), but also written well.
It feels like a complete piece, and left me smiling. I'd call that a success. I'm also happy about the ending going this way, not the other (iykyk).
Thank you so much to the author and their team for giving me a chance to read the ARC!
It's perfectly pleasant and cute, though I was pretty indifferent in the first quarter of it.
It's not a read everyone can enjoy, because I've seen people moaning about not liking wimpy men in books, which Mason kind of seems to be most of the time. He's soft, withdrawn, shy, and pleads with her on many occassions. I personally love that.
It's not gripping and didn't give me that feeling of 'I just need one more chapter', but it is charming and fun if given a chance, and I value that a lot, too.
Teresa is so innocent and cutesy that it borders on childish, but it's understandable in this setting. And on the same note, their being so inexperienced was funny from my perspective (I chuckled a lot), but also written well.
It feels like a complete piece, and left me smiling. I'd call that a success. I'm also happy about the ending going this way, not the other (iykyk).
Thank you so much to the author and their team for giving me a chance to read the ARC!
January 12, 2026
I enjoyed Ashes, but I didn’t love it quite enough to give it four stars.
After reading Tower, my expectations were pretty high — and while Ashes was still a solid, entertaining read, it just didn’t hit me the same way. I found myself more drawn to Levi’s brute alpha energy and Hailey’s quiet strength in Tower than I was to the dynamic in this story.
That’s not to say Ashes is bad — not at all. It’s still well-written, engaging, and emotional, and Claire Kent continues to do a great job building this world and making the relationships feel intense and real within such a short page count. The pacing stays tight, the tension is there, and the romance develops naturally under pressure, which I always appreciate.
It just didn’t connect with me on quite the same level as the previous book.
Overall, this is a good, satisfying continuation of the series, even if it wasn’t my personal favorite so far. I’m still very much invested in this world and will definitely keep reading.
After reading Tower, my expectations were pretty high — and while Ashes was still a solid, entertaining read, it just didn’t hit me the same way. I found myself more drawn to Levi’s brute alpha energy and Hailey’s quiet strength in Tower than I was to the dynamic in this story.
That’s not to say Ashes is bad — not at all. It’s still well-written, engaging, and emotional, and Claire Kent continues to do a great job building this world and making the relationships feel intense and real within such a short page count. The pacing stays tight, the tension is there, and the romance develops naturally under pressure, which I always appreciate.
It just didn’t connect with me on quite the same level as the previous book.
Overall, this is a good, satisfying continuation of the series, even if it wasn’t my personal favorite so far. I’m still very much invested in this world and will definitely keep reading.
January 20, 2026
Ashes is the second instalment in the Post-Apocalyptic Fairy Tales series by Claire Kent.
I really enjoyed Tower, which is the first book in this series, and I was very excited to see the next book in my Kindle Unlimited recommendations. I particularly love Kent's writing, from world building to character development, and this is no different in Ashes.
I love this take on dystopian romance, where we experience a new version of a beloved fairy tale based in a society that sees women marrying for safety and convenience. I think Kent navigates this in a way that doesn't feel icky and instead it works out and benefits everyone. It's a bonus that Theresa and Mason fall in love and have a sweet relationship, despite the miscommunication trope.
The plot and characters aren't very complex, so I would love to explore Theresa as a person as opposed to Theresa as a wife. It was nice to see both her and Mason navigate their relationship together. I can't wait to read more from Claire Kent!
I really enjoyed Tower, which is the first book in this series, and I was very excited to see the next book in my Kindle Unlimited recommendations. I particularly love Kent's writing, from world building to character development, and this is no different in Ashes.
I love this take on dystopian romance, where we experience a new version of a beloved fairy tale based in a society that sees women marrying for safety and convenience. I think Kent navigates this in a way that doesn't feel icky and instead it works out and benefits everyone. It's a bonus that Theresa and Mason fall in love and have a sweet relationship, despite the miscommunication trope.
The plot and characters aren't very complex, so I would love to explore Theresa as a person as opposed to Theresa as a wife. It was nice to see both her and Mason navigate their relationship together. I can't wait to read more from Claire Kent!
December 9, 2025
I'm usually not a fan of fairytale retellings, but if it's by Claire Kent then I am. I didn't love this one quite as much as I loved Tower, but it was still really enjoyable. As always with this author, the story was so well-written and well-paced that the characters' bond feels really genuine and well-developed despite this being a short novella. I also loved the marriage of convenience trope, and no one does it better than CK/NA. One negative thing I will say is that Teresa and Mason's naiveté, though understandable in this world, made me a bit uncomfortable at times tbh. But other than that (and the nickname "honeycakes") this was another really good installment in this series.
Thank you so much to Claire Kent for the ARC!
Thank you so much to Claire Kent for the ARC!
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