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Heart's Compass
True North
Where do you want to be when the world ends?
An apocalyptic M/M Romance. Electricity is gone. Society is on its knees. The heart’s compass becomes the light in the darkness.
Joshua has had enough of people. Especially those desperate, starving bastards who he’s certain ate his dog. When people decide to leave the university town of Lincoln, Nebraska and head south before winter sets in, Joshua heads north instead. When he lands face-first in a snowbank, he welcomes death. What he finds instead is the handsome smile of Chris, a lone goat farmer who’s trying to make the best of life without power.
About the Heart's Compass series:
Our heart has its own compass. It knows where we should be heading, even if the rest of us doesn't. Through loss and love, our heart’s compass guides us through life, often to somewhere completely unexpected. When the world ends, the heart’s compass of several people has them headed in directions they may have never traveled otherwise.
Each book in the series is a stand-alone, novella-length story, but is written within the same fictional setting in which the Earth has just been struck with several massive solar flares. All modern technology has been rendered inoperable. Cars, computers, city infrastructure, phones – all gone in an instant and without warning. In the days directly following the end of the modern world, people must learn to depend on each other, and on their heart’s compass, if they hope to survive.
An apocalyptic M/M Romance. Electricity is gone. Society is on its knees. The heart’s compass becomes the light in the darkness.
Joshua has had enough of people. Especially those desperate, starving bastards who he’s certain ate his dog. When people decide to leave the university town of Lincoln, Nebraska and head south before winter sets in, Joshua heads north instead. When he lands face-first in a snowbank, he welcomes death. What he finds instead is the handsome smile of Chris, a lone goat farmer who’s trying to make the best of life without power.
About the Heart's Compass series:
Our heart has its own compass. It knows where we should be heading, even if the rest of us doesn't. Through loss and love, our heart’s compass guides us through life, often to somewhere completely unexpected. When the world ends, the heart’s compass of several people has them headed in directions they may have never traveled otherwise.
Each book in the series is a stand-alone, novella-length story, but is written within the same fictional setting in which the Earth has just been struck with several massive solar flares. All modern technology has been rendered inoperable. Cars, computers, city infrastructure, phones – all gone in an instant and without warning. In the days directly following the end of the modern world, people must learn to depend on each other, and on their heart’s compass, if they hope to survive.
62 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2015
9 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
C.E. Kilgore
52 books187 followersC.E. Kilgore (1981 - ) is an author without genre, who likes to dabble in several genres from romance to science fiction. She also enjoys pushing the boundaries of those genres, trying new things, venturing outside formulas and turning tropes on their heads. Admittedly a control freak, she is currently a self-published author under the name Tracing The Stars, and hasn't quite found the publisher who fits all her quirks. Be sure to check out her website, cekilgore.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
March 24, 2016
Awww, that was just adorable! What a delightful tale of danger and peril at the end of the world.
Yes, Joshua is a stupid boy who does a stupid thing but he's just so darned cute that I can't be annoyed with him. His inner voice is just precious and I want to put him in my pocket and keep him forever. Crap, I'm running out of pockets. I guess I'll have to make more. *drags out sewing kit*
July 23, 2015
Have you ever seen those shows about Preppers? I’ve always considered them either one Fruit Loop shy of a full bowl or the smartest peeps around. I can’t decide which. Joshua is definitely not a doomsday prepper. Nearly two months after a series of solar flares zapped any and all electronic devices on Earth his survival button is activated. Josh is a young college student without any family and dull survival instincts.
Angry and feeling betrayed with mankind for the murder of his best friend, his boxer Kenzie, he sets off walking in the snow. He has resigned himself to trek north to avoid any desperate dog-eating humans.
Solitude. He’s searching for a safe warm place to hibernate alone during the winter. Delirious and half-frozen, he falls into a snow bank and accepts his fate. Apparently fate had other ideas for Josh, specifically in the sexy oasis of a rancher. Chris might be sun-weathered and a decade older, but he swiftly sparks life back into Josh.
If only Josh knew if Chris was gay, he couldn’t be….could he? He’s about to enter an absolute dream or an absolute nightmare.
Here’s the thing, Josh is adorable and though the story is told from his POV, it was his internal dialogue that I thought was a hysterical trip. I was smitten with his insecure babbling and his crush on Chris. Though it is the end of the world as they know it, it might be the beginning of something amazing.
Some of my favorite parts include a can opener, a straight razor, and a broken compass. Short, sweet, and a little smexy…I think I’m going to follow the compass and head south next.
Ohhh wait! Did I mention it was free? Perfect way to figure out if you want to make a go of this adventure or not.
*3.5 follow-your-heart stars*
Angry and feeling betrayed with mankind for the murder of his best friend, his boxer Kenzie, he sets off walking in the snow. He has resigned himself to trek north to avoid any desperate dog-eating humans.
Solitude. He’s searching for a safe warm place to hibernate alone during the winter. Delirious and half-frozen, he falls into a snow bank and accepts his fate. Apparently fate had other ideas for Josh, specifically in the sexy oasis of a rancher. Chris might be sun-weathered and a decade older, but he swiftly sparks life back into Josh.
If only Josh knew if Chris was gay, he couldn’t be….could he? He’s about to enter an absolute dream or an absolute nightmare.
Here’s the thing, Josh is adorable and though the story is told from his POV, it was his internal dialogue that I thought was a hysterical trip. I was smitten with his insecure babbling and his crush on Chris. Though it is the end of the world as they know it, it might be the beginning of something amazing.
Some of my favorite parts include a can opener, a straight razor, and a broken compass. Short, sweet, and a little smexy…I think I’m going to follow the compass and head south next.
Ohhh wait! Did I mention it was free? Perfect way to figure out if you want to make a go of this adventure or not.
*3.5 follow-your-heart stars*
July 6, 2019
I’m kind of on a post-apocalypse book bender I guess? This is a sweet little m/m novella, nothing very deep, not much angst but satisfying none the less.
Want to Read
July 4, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/4/2019)! 🎁
January 28, 2016
I read all four of the Heart's Compass books. I loved each one!
July 23, 2022
A short sweet novella about the apocalypse.
November 28, 2016
3.7 Stars
Not as heart-wrenching as the first one I read (Back East) but I definitely got a little taste of what I worried about happening. Nothing terribly graphic, just an explanation for a missing dog that I can totally see happening.
LOL at the poor guy who heads North, ends up South and keeps walking in circles. He was going to college; if I were to try leaving a university town, I'd hit up the damned library first and look for one of those portable survival guides to take with me. It would maybe keep me walking in the right direction at least. (Or a Bass Pro Shop/Cabelas - they always have shit like that.)
Lower rating for the soap-style drama of a returning ex and the MC running off in a huff. (Even if he didn't end up going anywhere: see above description of his navigation skills.)
Not as heart-wrenching as the first one I read (Back East) but I definitely got a little taste of what I worried about happening. Nothing terribly graphic, just an explanation for a missing dog that I can totally see happening.
LOL at the poor guy who heads North, ends up South and keeps walking in circles. He was going to college; if I were to try leaving a university town, I'd hit up the damned library first and look for one of those portable survival guides to take with me. It would maybe keep me walking in the right direction at least. (Or a Bass Pro Shop/Cabelas - they always have shit like that.)
Lower rating for the soap-style drama of a returning ex and the MC running off in a huff. (Even if he didn't end up going anywhere: see above description of his navigation skills.)
November 12, 2016
Much of what I have said about
could be repeated for this M/M short story.
It is a nice little romance, with the apocalypse adding to the angst and a satisfying HEA in the end.
This time the author allows more realistic hints into her narrative but she keeps her tone light and hopeful.
This story was less well edited, though, with several annoying typos.
could be repeated for this M/M short story.
It is a nice little romance, with the apocalypse adding to the angst and a satisfying HEA in the end.
This time the author allows more realistic hints into her narrative but she keeps her tone light and hopeful.
This story was less well edited, though, with several annoying typos.
November 3, 2015
This was not what I expected.
The Apocalyptic part was very little, it was more "a young man finding shelter on a smal farm with a hot cowboy".
September 16, 2015
The blurb was intriguing and the idea that civilisation grinds to a halt when the electricity goes .....is clever.....but also extremely thought-provoking and maybe a little scary.....
I've read a number of apocalyptic books.....grittier and far more darker than this offering......but this story is more about the MC's and not so much survival of the fallout .....it was a slow burn romance, lite with a little fluff, a small blip, but nothing that a night under the stars can't fix. Entertaining short story, ends on a HFN.....(after all, a HEA and an epilogue would be a little ambitious with solar flares hitting the Earth.....*wry grin*)
I've read a number of apocalyptic books.....grittier and far more darker than this offering......but this story is more about the MC's and not so much survival of the fallout .....it was a slow burn romance, lite with a little fluff, a small blip, but nothing that a night under the stars can't fix. Entertaining short story, ends on a HFN.....(after all, a HEA and an epilogue would be a little ambitious with solar flares hitting the Earth.....*wry grin*)
Read
September 15, 2020“Strange, isn’t it? The things you want to change when the world goes crazy?”
•
I've had this for a long while (I don't even remember when I bought this, huhu), but I finally got to it last summer when all I wanted to read was steamy MM shorts and wow, this blew me away!
Maybe it wasn't great decision making on my part (LOL) to choose to read this in the middle of a pandemic bec the apocalypse vibes hit closer to home, but this book didn't focus solely on that and I appreciate it very much! What happens is a solar flare causes all electricity to die in the world and bec we're all so very dependent on electrical power, society crumbles.
Joshua is the unlikely hero in this book in the sense that he's an average joe, no extreme survival skills, no genius level intellect, just a kind and open heart. When he could no longer stay in his home city (bec humans act all awful in apocalyptic times, obvi) he is forced to evacuate North and almost dies (bec no special survival skills) and is rescued by a handsome Chris. He turns out to be the sole owner of a ranch that's cut off from everything and bec he's been roughing it out even before the apocalypse, he was just doing fine.
Now, part of the conflict is miscommunication, and sometimes I don't like that, but in this book it made so much sense bec no one can trust anyone, and Joshua's attraction to Chris cannot be the priority above everything that's happening! Also, the gay pining was deliciously written, so much so that when the tipping point is reached (and they both give-in to the ~feels!) it's super satisfying! For a short novella, a lot happens, but I'm so glad it didn't feel forced and cramped. It was great!
I'm looking into reading the next 3 books in the series, all with different couples,
*This review also appears as a bookstagram on my IG: @bentchbites
•
I've had this for a long while (I don't even remember when I bought this, huhu), but I finally got to it last summer when all I wanted to read was steamy MM shorts and wow, this blew me away!
Maybe it wasn't great decision making on my part (LOL) to choose to read this in the middle of a pandemic bec the apocalypse vibes hit closer to home, but this book didn't focus solely on that and I appreciate it very much! What happens is a solar flare causes all electricity to die in the world and bec we're all so very dependent on electrical power, society crumbles.
Joshua is the unlikely hero in this book in the sense that he's an average joe, no extreme survival skills, no genius level intellect, just a kind and open heart. When he could no longer stay in his home city (bec humans act all awful in apocalyptic times, obvi) he is forced to evacuate North and almost dies (bec no special survival skills) and is rescued by a handsome Chris. He turns out to be the sole owner of a ranch that's cut off from everything and bec he's been roughing it out even before the apocalypse, he was just doing fine.
Now, part of the conflict is miscommunication, and sometimes I don't like that, but in this book it made so much sense bec no one can trust anyone, and Joshua's attraction to Chris cannot be the priority above everything that's happening! Also, the gay pining was deliciously written, so much so that when the tipping point is reached (and they both give-in to the ~feels!) it's super satisfying! For a short novella, a lot happens, but I'm so glad it didn't feel forced and cramped. It was great!
I'm looking into reading the next 3 books in the series, all with different couples,
*This review also appears as a bookstagram on my IG: @bentchbites
November 25, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review of True North by C.E. Kilgore
True North is a quiet, heartfelt gem of apocalyptic romance. I fell completely in love with the characters—Joshua, hardened yet vulnerable; Christopher, resilient and full of warmth; and Jenny, the loyal dog whose presence embodies devotion and hope.
Kilgore captures the starkness of survival in a frozen, collapsing world, yet balances it with moments of tenderness and intimacy. The bond between Joshua and Christopher feels authentic and necessary, a reminder that even in the harshest conditions, love can be a compass pointing us toward life. Jenny’s role adds a layer of comfort and loyalty that makes the story even more endearing.
Though compact, the novel lingers in the heart. It’s not about grand battles or dystopian spectacle, but about the small, vital acts of care and connection that keep us human. For me, that intimacy made it unforgettable.
Verdict: A luminous, emotionally charged tale of survival and love. Five stars, without hesitation.
Review of True North by C.E. Kilgore
True North is a quiet, heartfelt gem of apocalyptic romance. I fell completely in love with the characters—Joshua, hardened yet vulnerable; Christopher, resilient and full of warmth; and Jenny, the loyal dog whose presence embodies devotion and hope.
Kilgore captures the starkness of survival in a frozen, collapsing world, yet balances it with moments of tenderness and intimacy. The bond between Joshua and Christopher feels authentic and necessary, a reminder that even in the harshest conditions, love can be a compass pointing us toward life. Jenny’s role adds a layer of comfort and loyalty that makes the story even more endearing.
Though compact, the novel lingers in the heart. It’s not about grand battles or dystopian spectacle, but about the small, vital acts of care and connection that keep us human. For me, that intimacy made it unforgettable.
Verdict: A luminous, emotionally charged tale of survival and love. Five stars, without hesitation.
January 27, 2025
The end of the world?!...pfft...😍😍😍🔥
I love that MC Joshua is clueless but brave and reckless. An interesting journey that completely by accident leads him to sexy, beautiful and a little scary, Christopher. They pull you into their world and it's nice to forget they're in the midst of a world forever changed and more dangerous. The heat between these two survivors brings joy and hope. This short is well worth a read. I highly recommend. 😘
o their world
I love that MC Joshua is clueless but brave and reckless. An interesting journey that completely by accident leads him to sexy, beautiful and a little scary, Christopher. They pull you into their world and it's nice to forget they're in the midst of a world forever changed and more dangerous. The heat between these two survivors brings joy and hope. This short is well worth a read. I highly recommend. 😘
o their world
February 16, 2021
I enjoyed this apocalyptic story and the characters. Definitely a slow burn romance but it kept me entertained and engaged.
February 2, 2023
KSKS
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2023
3.5 meh.
June 14, 2024
Short and sweet.
January 5, 2017
Very nicely done short story!
June 1, 2016
Joshua and Chris. Every time I read this author, I wonder why I don't read her more often. She has a gift for getting the reader to really see things from the characters' perspectives. This romance is set in a Dystopian future where Joshua was a young college art student. He loses faith in humanity after seeing the depths his neighbours will sink to. So, while most everyone is heading south before winter, he heads north. There he meets Chris and at first they make assumptions about each other. They are both Gay (or do I say LGBT?) but each thinks the other is straight. In the good old days before the apocalypse they might just ask each other. But things are different now and not so simple when the wrong question can lead to death. It's a really sweet story and I loved Joshua's character. The writing is humorous and thoughtful. It's amazing how much the author can put into a story that's just 62 pages. There is sex, but just enough to add to the story without taking away from it.
June 14, 2015
I love the idea of this book, just a simple problem of no power to bring us to our knees. When Joshua realizes that its not going to get any better he decides to start walking North. Well he thinks he's walking North, but he soon finds out he has a really bad sense of direction. Good thing, becuase he runs into Chris, a goat farmer who has tried to make his life self contained on his little farm. When they first meet Joshua thinks Chris will eventually kill him, because thats what people seem to have been reduced to. But Chris is a really good guy, and is pretty amused with Joshua. They work it out eventually and Joshua finds out Chris has a few secrets of his own. I liked this book much more than I expected to, I really wish it was a little longer. but all in all it was a really good read.
September 24, 2017
Simply wonderful.
I'm actually reading the 4 shorts stories all together in the omnibus edition.
If you like M/M post-apocalyptic, this is for you. What happened? Well solar flares have destroyed the worlds power grid. No zombies, no plagues, no paranormal stuff...but, no phones, no TV, no internet, no refrigeration...you get the idea.
The first story is True North
Joshua is pretty much alone in the world so when his dog disappears (he thinks the neighbors ate it), he decides to try to go north and avoid the freezing masses. He gets lost and thankfully, Chris finds him and takes care of him.
So sweet and super hot...
I'm actually reading the 4 shorts stories all together in the omnibus edition.
If you like M/M post-apocalyptic, this is for you. What happened? Well solar flares have destroyed the worlds power grid. No zombies, no plagues, no paranormal stuff...but, no phones, no TV, no internet, no refrigeration...you get the idea.
The first story is True North
Joshua is pretty much alone in the world so when his dog disappears (he thinks the neighbors ate it), he decides to try to go north and avoid the freezing masses. He gets lost and thankfully, Chris finds him and takes care of him.
So sweet and super hot...
May 15, 2017
Solar flares have knocked civilization on its ass. Without electricity society isn't working too well. Most people are headed south but Joshua has decided to leave them all behind. The poor guy has the worst sense of direction. It's a good thing his wanderings have led him to Chris. I liked that Chris is so generous with all that he has. His kindness made him a very appealing hero for me.
Adult read
Adult read
July 3, 2016
3.5 stars
Once you get past Joshua’s (almost literal) too-stupid-to-live tendencies, this story is actually a fun, sweet, quick read.
Joshua inner dialogue was hilarious and I liked how his meeting and relationship with Chris worked out.
There was a little bit of almost-melodrama at the end that was unnecessary, but it was resolved swiftly.
Once you get past Joshua’s (almost literal) too-stupid-to-live tendencies, this story is actually a fun, sweet, quick read.
Joshua inner dialogue was hilarious and I liked how his meeting and relationship with Chris worked out.
There was a little bit of almost-melodrama at the end that was unnecessary, but it was resolved swiftly.
January 6, 2017
I found this book to be so sweet other than the fact that the world ended. They both had a miscommunication from the beginning about who was gay and who was not. I loved their connection with each other once they realized that they both were gay. It's a short sweet story about survival with the end of the world looming over you.
May 29, 2017
Very cute short story
May 9, 2015
3.5 cute story
August 5, 2015
I liked this one very much. Looking forward to the second one. Not sure about the other two though...
August 28, 2016
Also part of the Heart's Compass Anthology.
September 27, 2016
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this story, looking forward to reading the others in the series.
I enjoyed this story, looking forward to reading the others in the series.
April 12, 2017
Thank goodness this was light on the "apocalypse" issue and heavy on the "young, not so quite direction orientated, man heading north... or is he?
This is a short, sweet story with low angst... but somehow it manages to cover a lot of territory, even though Joshua can't seem to! Chris is a goat farmer used to living a solitary life and Joshua is a city boy who heads north because he is pissed at the world (this is NOT your expected apocalypse... not a dang Zombie in sight... grr! hahaha) and the journey north doesn't go well... or even in the right direction... but have no fear, Chris to the rescue! This story is just so darn cute and frankly, I was equally impressed by both MCs... it was a slow build kind of story that kept you chuckling under your breath and shaking your head at Joshua's inability to stay focused and keep his thoughts to himself! I am definitely intrigued and look forward to reading the other three stories in this series! :D
This is a short, sweet story with low angst... but somehow it manages to cover a lot of territory, even though Joshua can't seem to! Chris is a goat farmer used to living a solitary life and Joshua is a city boy who heads north because he is pissed at the world (this is NOT your expected apocalypse... not a dang Zombie in sight... grr! hahaha) and the journey north doesn't go well... or even in the right direction... but have no fear, Chris to the rescue! This story is just so darn cute and frankly, I was equally impressed by both MCs... it was a slow build kind of story that kept you chuckling under your breath and shaking your head at Joshua's inability to stay focused and keep his thoughts to himself! I am definitely intrigued and look forward to reading the other three stories in this series! :D
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews