Embers

Kindled #3

by Claire Kent

I never thought I'd live through an apocalypse, but I guess no one ever does. Now my family's gone, and the only person who can keep me safe in a violent, chaotic world is my dead boyfriend's rough, uncivilized father. I don't like him. At all. Cal's the last person I want to rely on, but for now he's all I've got.

Eventually we become unconventional partners as we try to stay alive, but then my feelings for him start to change. I want more from Cal but maybe I shouldn't. I can't risk losing what matters most.

One thing I do know. In a world as broken as ours, everything gradually gets burned away. Everything but him.

Genres: Romance, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic, Forced Proximity, Survival, Contemporary Romance, Apocalyptic

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 9, 2022

About the author

Claire 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,

Reviews

[Mareeva · Rating 3 out of 5]

No one does hairy dirty smelly like Claire Kent. Queen of unhygienic men.

This is exactly what Cal looked like. Change my mind.

his pants are riding so low I catch a glimpse of the top of his butt crack.

But Rachel wasn't put off by his musty, half hidden ass crack and if that's not true love, I don't know what is.

I bury my face in his shirt. He smells terrible. Like he always does [💀hi sorry this had me DYING] but more intense somehow—like all the stress and effort of the day pushed his natural scent into overdrive.
But I love it. I want it. It’s Cal, and it’s surrounding me.

I don't know if you people ever smelled a sweaty male before, but the fact that she stood there without her nose follicles frying from the acidity is the most impressive thing I've ever read. She really vacuumed that shit up.

Random thoughts:

🛑SLIGHT SPOILERS🛑

➥ The heroine cracked me up so much whenever she'd just silently brood for weeks and then explode on the emotionally inexpressive hero, making him scratch his head like the hairy monkey he is (sorry I will never stop roasting this hillbilly mf).

I’m so upset and angry by the whole situation that I’m practically shaking, trying to hold it in.
Then he slurps his soup.
“Shut the fuck up,” I snap.

And Cal isn't any less hilarious.

Something is about to happen, and I want it to happen.
I want it so much.
Without warning, he lurches forward, jerking away of my hands. He takes several steps away from me.
I stare at him, shocked and confused and brutally disappointed.
“Sorry. Gotta do a shit.” He strides out of the house.

These two kill me, I tell you

However Cal's prolonged guilt from wanting to fuck his dead son's girlfriend got super annoying at one point. It was fun and angsty at first but after the 50% mark turned pathetic. I never liked the "You deserve better than me" attitude in heroes. If you wonna be a martyr of unbound selflessness so bad, then maybe you should've become a pope instead of a dumpster smelling chewbacca looking ass, CAL.

what Cal's head looks like through a CT scan:


Rachel told him 15 million times that she likes & wants him in all his lice infested glory, only for him to go "You need to find yourself a nice young bo-👴🏼"

IF YOU DON'T SHUT YO GREASY MOUTH I SWEAR TO GOD

FYI - he doesn't actually have lice (as far as we all know but I wouldn't be surprised if he does).

➥ The smut was hot but also not? Half of the book he just fingered her, and it wasn't particularly interesting, but I was still satisfied cause the tension was there. The first sex scene was going fine until they decided to have a conversation mid fucking, which went like:

“I’m good. I think I’m about done for now. So you come too. I want you to.”
“I’m gonna pull out before the end.” He gives his forehead a quick swipe, wiping off some of the sweat. “We don’t wanna make a baby.”
“Oh no. We don’t want that. Not now anyway. Is it okay for you to pull out?”
“Course it is. Fuckin’ you is everything. I got zero complaints.”

1) Couldn't y'all have this convo earlier? You're killing my vibe here😩
2) The first line...girl why would you say that LMAO "Yea I'm done, hurry up and finish now babe🙂"

➥ I lost track of all the time jumps and became confused when I saw we're on year 5💀. Idk if that's me being stupid or this book's fault tho.

➥ I really liked the first half and for that it's 3 stars instead of the 2 it deserves (I'm trying to be less of a hater, is it working?)

Anyway, this is Cal and Rachel living their post apocalyptic dream 20 years later:

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Smut Scale Stars

I’ve wanted this book since being introduced to Rachel and Cal in an earlier book and I loved them just as much as I thought I would.

This book had plenty of things I love:

-age gap
-apocalyptic world
-forced proximity
-grumpy enigmatic alpha male

Really enjoying this series.

[Isabella. R · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 The Way We Belong Stars ⭐

Can I just say I am thrilled about Embers. I mean I knew I'd enjoy it, just not this much. I was very emotional throughout and consumed with reading this in one sitting. Screw real life for interfering. I couldn't get enough of Cal and Rachel. We go on about the appeal of age gap romances, but this is how you write them. Believable, intense, sexy, romantic.

"All I know is that there’s something innate inside of us that’s supposed to love. And be loved. And it shapes itself to our circumstances, whatever they are, so we often end up loving people we never believed we would love."

In the After, the remaining survivors are doing just that, trying to survive. Rachel and her boyfriend Derek are taken in by Cal who happens to be his father when the situation escalates. Yet when tragedy strikes, it's Rachel and Cal who's remaining. It's uncomfortable and hardly ideal but it's their best chance at living. So, they adjust, and days become years and before they know it they've become family.

"I’ll always take care of you. If you get hit, it’s only because they already got me. If you die, I’m dead already. It’ll always be that way. You can trust in that, but don’t you dare trust in anything else."

Maybe feelings and attraction may not have prospered under different circumstances, but it has. Two individuals living in close proximity, completely reliant; it's inevitable. Where Rachel is open to exploring what's evident, Cal is opposed. A girl much younger than himself with ties to his son? It's too much. But time ticks on and they’re feelings are unstoppable.

"Fuck, baby, look at you. You’re takin’ it so good. I know what you need. I’m gonna give you everything you need. Just let go."

Just try and contain yourself through all that sexual tension. The build-up is delicious. You forget about the age difference and the why nots. I mean Cal is everything you'd want by your side during an apocalypse. Well, until he sorts his shit out emotionally. And Rachel is in a league of her own. Unafraid of hard work, mature and brave. Age is very much just a number in this scenario.

There is something special about this author's New Haven series and let's not forget Last Light. Don't get me wrong, not all the books have been perfect thus far, but there has been a hint of magic in all of them and here's why. It's because they all feature imperfect men. Rough around the edges with pure hearts and women who don't need these men but choose them. There is nothing exciting existing in a post-apocalyptic world, but I can’t get enough.

BR with Rain. Only you appreciate the beauty of these books as much as I do. It makes for the best reading experience!

[Rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last Light is still my favorite book from this universe, but Embers is running a very, very close second!! This is my favorite of the Kindled series by far. You can absolutely read this as a standalone, although characters from previous books are part of this story.

The character development here was phenomenal. I'm always hesitant to read a book with such a large age gap. (There was at least 20 years between these two) But it wasn't a significant factor, mostly because of the survival situation and how they both behaved.

“You’ve always felt like home to me.”

There is no daddy kink, and no sharing in this story. It's is a beautiful, sometimes uneventful journey, about two very different people learning to survive a new world and all the trials that come with it. It's more a story of self-discovery than the horrors of surviving an apocalypse. Maybe that's why it touched my heart so much.

First and foremost, the author didn't make Rachel sound like a teen. (Thank you!!) This young woman was intelligent, kind, thoughtful, and introspective. Just like you'd expect a 21 year old who survived an apocalypse to act. I loved her initiative with her needs and appreciated her communication skills even though Cal's were incredibly lacking.

Speaking of Cal. A man pre-apocalypse who was on the wrong side of the law, but once he found out he was a father, he purchased a small cabin to be closer to his eight year old son. Flash forward ten years and the world is in chaos. Cal rescues his son and girlfriend, bringing them to live with him in his tiny, one bedroom cabin. He's gruff, he mumbles, he's very hard on himself, he feels like he doesn't have much to offer anyone. I loved Cal.

Cal fights his attraction to Rachel with everything he has.

“I’ll take care of you no matter what, but I’m never gonna be the man you want me to be. It’s best that you know that now.”

But of course it's inevitable, and once the steam starts. Holy hotness!!

“Grab your knees, baby,” he says, lifting his head once to check my face. His beard is wet with my fluids, and it’s the sexiest thing. “Think we’ll do better that way.”

I loved this story. I loved the character progression, it felt necessary and real. Not like a contrived plot point, or silly forced separation.

*The only information that was off, is the idea that gas could last for six years. I only know this because of my unique upbringing, but gasoline normally doesn't last longer than six months. Depending on the kind of storage and additive, it could last a year, maybe three at the most. Get out those horses and wagons! Yee-haw.

How much fun is buddy reading these apocalypse stories Isabella?! I think we've found our BR genre sweet spot!

[Warda · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You’ve always felt like home to me.”

Something about the way Claire Kent writes her romances. They’re fuckin’ dreamy! 😭

Whilst this series follows the same kind of formula, they don’t bother me in the least. I don’t find them repetitive, more so comforting.

This really would’ve benefited if we had the POV of the hero. There’s so much more that I wanted to know and my curiosity wasn’t all too satisfied. But that was my only issue.

I love the romance they formed. It felt so safe and sweet and I enjoyed seeing how they took care of one another.
Seeing the other characters from this series is always a treat. Mack, in particular, stands out as a side character, and I’m dying, dying for his story.

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

hello, my name is Kat and I am addicted to this series!! This series is so good!! This would be awesome as a mini tv series!!

God another book in this series inhaled! Love this world the author has created and I never want it to end!

Another grump and a sunshine heroine, these men are emotionally stilted, they barely talk, but it takes a special kind of female to break down their barriers, and like the previous books this one was no different.

[Meags · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I’ve loved this gritty, romantic and erotic post-apocalyptic romance series to date, but this was easily my least favourite story of the bunch. (Which isn’t a heavy complaint because it was still an enjoyable read in its own right).

Although I’m not really one for age-gap romances, I found myself whipping through this book, at least for the first half, devouring the pages as young Rachel came-of-age in a harsh new world, with only her dead ex-boyfriend’s father for companionship and protection.

The world-building, as always, is visceral and unforgiving, creating a gripping backdrop for these characters to change and mature in the realities of their new environments. It’s not a world I’d ever want to experience, that’s for damn sure, but it makes for a great setting for these types of unconventional—but no less passionate and romantic—relationships to unfold.

Rachel and Cal have an intense connection, sharing a chemistry that felt (almost) stronger than all the previous couples, if you can believe it. I loved the sexual tension and the years long build up to them finally taking their relationship into sexual and emotionally intimate territory. They were hot together and I felt all the feels.

I was going along great, but I hit a MAJOR ROADBLOCK at 60%. I don’t see many complaints in other reviews, so this is clearly a me-centric reaction, but I’m just not a fan of heroes doing the whole martyr leave-you-for-your-own-good thing. The relationship and the story momentum took a major dive for in the second half. I really wasn’t sold on the whole ‘heartbreak and distance makes for stronger individuals’ ploy. Just, no. The whole thing was forced and unnecessary, and I had a helluva hard time engaging back in with the characters and the romance as they reached their HFN.

But I digress…

This was a decent addition to the series, but I honestly can’t say I’m surprised that I didn’t love it with the same enthusiasm that I did the previous stories. It was still hot and romantic, but situationally, I was annoyed by the decisions that were made by these characters and how it all played out.

Naturally, I’ll return for the next book, Hero, because Mack and Anna have been teasing me for way too long for them not to be the greatest couple of the series yet!

[RLbooks (in and out) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this one! I don't read many where the age gap is this significant and I knew going in that Cal (H) was going to push Rachel (h) away a lot. But Rachel made this book for me, I loved her resiliency, strengths, vulnerability, and man her character growth was amazing. I also felt that Cal's growth was significant, even though we only get Rachel's POV so don't get to experience it firsthand. The story is written in first person, single POV. No ow/om drama (H pushes h away partly because of her past relationship with his son which only had kissing, he also feels she should have an opportunity with another man and she does make out some with a guy while they're separated but she stops it because she only wants the H), h is a virgin and H is not but he's celibate for as long as h knows him, no bc because post-apocalypse.

Embers was pretty emotional for me in several places and I ended up crying a couple of times. I felt so strongly for Rachel and her experience. The story begins with her and her boyfriend, Derek, trying to get out of a town that's collapsing because the world is ending. His father, Cal, saves them and takes them to his ramshackle cabin on the mountain. Cal wasn't really in Derek's life because he's an ex-con and the mother kept them apart mostly and this ugly past of his does cause complications. From there we get some time jumps where Derek passes away and Rachel adjusts to living with a mostly silent and grungy partner. He has to train her to help her survive in their new world so he hardens her up some but she also softens him up. There are multiple small time jumps throughout the story and I liked them, which is another thing I don't typically love. There were so many points though where the relationship was impacted and evolved and I thought the flow of the story was really well done.

I wasn't in love with Cal, but I understood why Rachel was attracted to and fell in love with him. He also does have some swoony moments, esp close to the end, and there's one line that's also repeated later that just melted my heart. It's obvious how much he cares for Rachel, even when he's conflicted about it. I thought the buildup of sexual tension between them and then the eventual snapping point of them getting physical was great. I really felt Cal's conflict and Rachel's frustrations about them as a couple and that continued through most of the story because Cal thinks he's wrong for her and Rachel just wants him to realize he's not. That conflict does eventually reach a breaking point in a scene that just wrecked me.

I loved the support around Rachel during the hardest times for her involving her relationship with Cal. The friendships and community that's grown through these novellas is really heart-warming and wonderful. It also has the added benefit of getting to spend some time with prior characters. How Rachel and Cal come back together and rebuild their relationship I thought was lovely. There's also some suspense and danger involved that added a bit more action to the story. His realizations and her handling of being near him again showed that growth they both had.

The story does end with their HEA and I felt secure in their love after they'd weathered everything earlier. Next up is Mack's story, which we get hints of him and Anna in parts of this story, and I am so ready for it. I've loved Mack since Last Light and I want him to get his HEA badly.

[Carvanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This story absolutely sizzled!!





I’m not a huge fan of the older man, younger woman trope and in this case, the older man is actually the younger woman’s boyfriend’s father! I couldn’t wait to find out how this author was going to make this relationship work, for the reader, to the point of a happy ending. The journey Rachel and Cal made to get there was amazing. I was so caught up in their story, I couldn’t put this down and read it straight through.





There is definitely a lot of angst here, but there were also moments when they were building a relationship and they didn’t even realize it. I loved watching them fall in love. And the smexy times here were nuclear. The heat between Rachel and Cal was absolutely off the charts. The restrictions that Cal placed between them set about a series of scenes that had me reaching for a fan and a cold glass of tea.





I really enjoyed this addition to this post-apocalyptic world and I cannot wait for the next book!

Heroine POV
Safe h virgin; H not a manwhore, there is no cheating as h’s boyfriend is no longer in the picture when she gets together with the father; there is no ow/om drama; h kisses and starts to make out with other man in an attempt to get back at the H but soon realizes that she is hurting herself more than H and stops things - H was no where around and unaware she was with other man
Triggers no apparent triggers although there is a scene where the intent to rape is evident - nothing happens
Steam 100 / 5 ; explicit; no condoms as there are none - they use withdrawal method

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread for Patreon in Aug 2024
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Reread in November 2022.
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I just really wanted to revisit more of this series. I don't know if Cal holds up quite as well as the first time, because he is just so frustrating, but I still love this world and these people SO MUCH. I can't wait for Hero to release next month.

4 Stars
3 on the spice scale

*Thank you to the author for an ARC of this title.*

I am so addicted to this little End of the World series. I was salivating to dive into the romance of Rachel and Cal and I was NOT disappointed. Somehow Claire Kent is able to make me feel so deeply for a simple story of love in a dangerous world.

The feeling of isolation and loneliness is so clear in this book. I can feel Rachel aching for connection and her joy when she gets a taste of in and then her devastation when she gets shut out and doesn't know what to do. How can she change Cal's mind when he is so determined to loathe himself for wanting her?

I ached right along with her and I just wanted to cuddle up to Cal and make him see how vital he is to Rachel. But it's a sticky situation... the guilt and the self-hate are understandable when he looks at this innocent woman he is trying to protect.

As always in this series, there are dangers and evil all around our characters but learning to trust and rely on other survivors is vital for continuing to LIVE and not just survive. I loved seeing some previous favorites and I can't wait to read the next story and learn even more.

Cal may have gotten frustrating to me but he is supposed to be. In each novel on this series, Kent presents a gruff, tough man who in other circumstances would never be around the heroine, so their feelings of inadequacy always pop to the surface. There is just no way to blame them when we know they are right to a certain degree. So I have a lot of compassion for them even when I want to smack them. haha!

Anyway, this is another winner for me and I look forward to any and all other stories we will get in the Kindled series.

5 stars
2.5 on the spice scale

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, the first half was definitely the best part of the book. The mutual pining, intense sexual tension, the forbidden love vibe between a father and his son's girlfriend... That's what made my blood flow super extra in my vein 😂.

And then, our hero chickened out. And it dragged ass. Save me from insecure heroes, guys. I can't.

All in all, it got the potential to be great but so far, I've got nothing from this series except for mediocre books. I just want it to be more, you know.

[TJ ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

i am still so annoyed w cal. who cums inside their gf and then abandons them the next morning?? she could've been pregnant you idiot!!

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story and amazing couple!
It’s worth the reading.

[Pinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger Warnings: Dead ex on page, guns, violence, death of parent, trampled to death, death from lung disease, hidden pregnancy from other parent, gangs, death of loved one, parental abandonment, death ideation, threats of rape, attempted kidnapping, misogyny, murder, alcoholic parent, domestic abuse, child abuse, abandonment, panic attacks, incarceration, codependency

1 Last Light
2 Haven
3 Princess

“I told you before. If you get hit, it’s only because they already got me. If you die, I’m dead already. That’s never gonna change.”

I LOVED Last Light and never thought Claire Kent would continue in the universe. But then she came out with Haven and then Princess, and now I have SO MANY BOOKS TO CATCH UP WITH. This universe reminds me of The Last of Us minus the zombies. These are smutty, apocalyptic romances that usually have a big age gap. I’m usually not a fan of age gaps but Claire Kent makes it work. I was a bit wary of this one since it is a girl with her dead boyfriend’s dad. I recommend you read the books in order to enjoy the series more. All the characters from the other books show up except Travis and Layne. I did feel a bit bleh about the age gap. I didn’t mind it in Last Light since Travis met Layne when she was 18 and never expected anything from her. Cal met Rachel when she was 17 and dating his son. Their circumstances were a bit tragic and while I get the development, it’s still a bit weird. It was addressed by characters which I liked. I don’t think this is classified under grooming though (if you feel otherwise let me know). Rachel turns 18 after a bit and they never really feel things for each other until 2 years later. Cal calls Rachel kid and eventually he starts calling her baby, the whole change felt weird to me I dunno. The main pursuer of this relationship is Rachel, while Cal pushes away. And I usually hate when the FMC is the pursuer in the relationship but I get why that’s the case here. It would feel like Cal is a groomer if it was the other way. There were a lot of time jumps which was hard to keep track of. Cal pushes away so many times to the point where I expected him to grovel, but Rachel is forgiving. These books do tend to emphasize how smelly all the men are, and there was a point where Rachel made comments about Cal’s butt crack and I’m like bruh no thank you. This is a lot heavier than the other books in the series and made me cry. I imagine Cal to be an older Joel Miller, I imagine many of the MMCs as Joel, he’s my crush owk


After an asteroid hits the earth, many people died. Rachel managed to survive for a year with her boyfriend Derek. But when they are under attack, they go to Derek’s father Cal. After Derek is gone, Rachel has no one but Cal, her dead boyfriend’s father.

Now for spoilers


Rachel was with Derek through her sophomore year and they are 17. After an asteroid hit the earth, her mother died and all she had was Derek. Derek let her move into his mom’s place but his mom died of lung disease. He has been coughing and Rachel knows he has it too. When they are under attack, Derek and Rachel are saved by Cal, Derek’s dad. Derek was ready to protect Rachel despite being sick, but we don’t know much about him or see his relationship with Rachel. Cal didn’t know that Derek existed until he was 8 years old since his mom kept the pregnancy from him. Cal’s dad ran in bad crowds and even went to prison, they were tryna steal gambling money. Cal takes them to his cabin on a mountain. Derek’s sickness gets worse and during the 8 months, Rachel doesn’t like Cal since he is a grump. The cabin is one room, Cal’s dad helps take care of them but Derek’s lung disease takes over. Rachel feels like Cal doesn’t care that Derek is dying. She tells him he doesn’t talk to his son enough. Cal sits by his bedside and Derek thanks him for spending time with him. Derek begs Cal to take care of Rachel after he dies so Cal makes the promise. 3 weeks later, Derek dies and Rachel and Cal bury his body. Cal has one bed on either sides of the room, leaves whenever Rachel needs to change, and helps take care of her. But Rachel doesn’t want to stay with Cal since he doesn’t owe her anything. She runs away and two men find her. In this world, many men are in gangs and they attack and rape women. They talk about taking Rachel back to some guy and wish they could have fun with her. Rachel was ready to die since she didn’t feel like living. Luckily Cal finds her and shoots the guys. Cal asks if she has any relatives and she doesn’t. He says he isn’t going to leave her since she isn’t safe alone. Rachel hates how their cabin looks and starts cleaning saying she is done living in a messy place.


2 years later, Rachel is 20 and Cal is a little less grumpy while Rachel is pure sunshine. Cal seems to be in his 40s but we never know his actual age. He taught Rachel a lot over the years, they’re both badass. Rachel knew Cal would give his life for her. They take turns bathing in the waterfall area but Rachel checks him out. She trims his beard and hair, she wants to keep the guy clean since they’re always around each other. Through it all, Cal calls her kid, so I was wondering how the change would start in their relationship. Cal has eczema on his back so Rachel puts lotion on him. He is tense through it all and whenever he gets uncomfy, he stops talking to her for days. When Rachel rubs lotion on Cal again, he leaves in the middle. Rachel and Cal are cleaning the cabin and Rachel throws soap suds on Cal. Cal throws some back at her until he swings her around and is on top of her. She starts grinding on him and they are about to kiss when these guys break in. They used to work with Cal since he was with the wrong crowd. They threaten to take Rachel away, saying Cal is living a cozy life in his cabin with a woman and food, since he had chickens. Rachel grabs his gun and Cal kills them while Rachel hides under the bed. When it's over, Cal calls Rachel “baby” for the first time and tells her it's safe. He holds her while she cries and once she thanks him, he blames himself for associating with them in the past. Cal starts calls her kid, saying that he is going to take care of her but he can’t be the man she wants him to be.


For months, they barely speak and Rachel craves social interactions. They usually celebrate holidays so Rachel was secretly knitting Cal a scarf and gives it to him for Christmas. So he gives her a gift of a new red winter coat. It was cute how he wore the scarf right away. But even after that, Cal barely talks to Rachel. So Rachel lashes out at him a coupla weeks later and tells him that he treats her like shit for not talking to her. He says once winter is over, he will take her out to meet people. When Rachel says she wants to talk to him, Cal says he only put up with her since he promised Derek. It was such a fucked up thing to say and Rachel wants to go on a walk. Cal tells her it's too cold but when she insists, he lets her for 15 minutes. Rachel accidentally steps into a hole from the ice and trips and falls. Cal finds her, she twisted her ankle. Cal freaks out, calling her baby and begs her to stay awake. He rubs her hands and puts her to bed and then snuggles up behind her, spooning her to warmth. When she clings to him since she is scared he will leave, he says he is just gonna fix her ankle. Then he snuggles her, holding her while she cries. He apologizes for everything and wants to do what is best for her but says he shouldn’t have pushed her away.


Cal gets better and doesn’t let Rachel leave the bed to heal. But a coupla days later, its cold and Rachel gets up to get logs for the fire. Cal tells her to go back to bed and Rachel asks if she can sleep with him. He picks her up and carries her to bed. Then he cuddles her to keep her warm. And if y’all know me, y’all know I love cuddling in books. Then she would spend time asking him questions and he would open up. He was upset Derek’s mom kept the pregnancy from him but she wanted nothing to do with him. Every night, Rachel would sleep in her bed. When she hears Cal get up to get logs for the fire, she goes to his bed and he snuggles her. If she asks him questions he doesn’t like, he will sleep with his back away from her. Cal’s childhood was rough, his dad was abusive to his and his mom. Rachel feels bad and gets closer to him but he tells her to stop moving. When she kisses his hand, he turns away from her. But that night, he moved back to spoon her and they’re both turned on. Cal leaves to jerk off and when he’s back, he tells Rachel to sleep in her own bed for the night. The following night, Rachel goes back to his bed and Cal spoons her. Rachel wakes up aroused and rubs herself on Cal but he freaks out. He says that she has to stop doing that but calls her baby and she says she can’t help it. He says its natural but he can’t fuck her and Rachel begs him to get her off. Cal says that she can meet a guy that is her age. He feels like he is taking advantage of her but Rachel insists. He says he will only use his hands and touches her everywhere, giving her an orgasm. At night, she goes back to his bed and asks him to do it again. He insists he will only use his hands and eventually, he lets her touch him. They continue this routine for weeks but Cal never pushes for more.


Cal kept his promise about meeting people once winter was over. Cal keeps letting people think he is Rachel’s dad without correcting them. They meet Mack and Anna, I am waiting for their story. Mack is someone who is helping everyone in their area and Anna is a school teacher. They kinda have something going on but Anna has a hard time trusting men. They meet Maria who is leading a group of women. I love Maria, she goes to find women who are being taken advantage of by men. When they see Maria, she offers to take Rachel with her. She thinks that Cal is taking advantage of her and Rachel defends him. But Maria asks if Rachel would have went for Cal if the world didn’t end. Rachel says Cal didn’t force her into anything. Maria says that she will be there if Rachel changes her mind. Her words affect Cal, but Rachel tells him that she knows he isn’t taking advantage of her. Cal thinks it's wrong to be with his son’s girlfriend. Cal says if she weren’t young then he might have wanted to fuck her so it doesn’t change anything, that Maria was right, that he isn’t a good person. Rachel knows how he has taken care of her in the past. Cal says he is disgusting for wanting to fuck his son’s girl and Rachel says no. She hugs him and he hugs her for a long time. He lets her sleep with him but they only cuddle.


Rachel helps trim Cal’s beard and they’re both turned on again. Rachel apologizes and they get each other off but once they are done, Cal freaks out again. Rachel says she isn’t Derek’s girl and he is dead, saying that she is his girl. He says not to say that and he was still Derek’s dad. When Cal gets home, he says he is going out. Rachel and Cal always leave together but Cal says he needs space from her. He calls her kid and says he is sorry but he will be back. Rachel waits for Cal but by the time its night, she is scared he left. She cries and has a breakdown, scared something happened to Cal. When she cried and felt alone and abandoned, I started crying for her. Hours later, Cal shows up with his feet bleeding. His truck broke down and he had to walk the rest of the way. He apologizes and hugs her while she cries and calls her baby again. There is a lot of back and forth with this guy, he calls her kid, then baby, then kid, like bruh. Rachel was codepent to Cal but she grows on her own later. She sleeps with him that night and when they wake up, they’re super sweet with each other. Rachel tells him she only wants him and he kisses her and they have sex. She is a virgin since she only kissed Derek. Yea I know it's weird, comparing son and dad. But somehow I wasn’t too bothered with this story since Rachel truly loved Cal and he never pushed for anything more until she started initiating.


5 months later, Cal and Rachel have the same routine, they fuck every night. He started to take her out more to meet people, they met with Grant and Olivia from the previous book who lived in bunkers that got invaded. Eventually, Cal and Rachel end up at New Haven where Jackson and Faith are. Cal never touches Rachel in front of others, only in their cabin. Everyone thinks they are together and they say they are family but they never confirm their relationship. Jackson kisses Faith and Rachel wishes she could be open about her relationship with Cal. Cal and Rachel share a bed in New Haven where they stay for a bit but he won’t do anything more than cuddle. So that night, she asks him why he won’t do anything more. He says that she might meet someone better. Rachel tells him they were at New Haven for a long time and she doesn’t want any of the men, only him. She tells him she loves him and they have sex. Normally he doesn’t come inside her but this time, he does. He tells her he loves her too and snuggles her. But the next day, Cal took his things and disappears. It was such a fucked up thing to do. Rachel has a major breakdown and vomits after realizing that Cal left her for good. Faith is such a good friend, she helps support Rachel through it all. Cal felt that Rachel wasn’t able to grow on her own since she was always with him. But Rachel missed him and felt depressed, she barely left her bed for three days. Rachel thinks she should make Cal jealous by having sex with someone else. But as she makes out with this person, she can’t go through with it. Faith suggests that she go travel with Maria to heal. So Rachel goes to Maria and they go on missions to attack gangs and save people.


I was shocked that the separation was 6 months. Rachel spends time with Maria and then goes back to New Haven. Faith vowed that Cal was not welcome on their land, she hates him for what he did to Rachel. But Cal shows up with supplies and heard they were going on a dangerous mission and wanted to help. During the 6 months, Cal spent time helping Mack and others for free, in the past he used to take payments. Cal knew what Rachel was up to thanks to Mack but told Mack not to tell Rachel about him. Faith and Jackson ask Rachel if she is good with Cal being there and she says yes. Rachel walks away and avoids him. I was hoping that Cal would grovel here because what he did was so fucked up. I get why he is distancing himself, but after they had sex that last time and said I love you, I thought they would be fine. It was so fucked up to just abandon Rachel like that without a word after what happened. He would sneak glances at Rachel but avoided her. Cal is shunned by everyone since they were mad he abandoned Rachel. But Rachel begs someone to sit with him so Grant goes. During the mission, Cal and Rachel keep a distance. But when Rachel goes pee, Cal was scared she disappeared and went to look for her. Rachel says they can talk and it doesn’t have to be awkward. Cal is scared but says she grew but she calls him out for abandoning her. Cal knows that Rachel never moved on from him and she says its cuz she loves him. Rachel says she knows he left for her own good but it wasn’t his decision to make. Cal apologizes and knows that he was wrong but thought he was right at the time. I wish Rachel shut him out and Cal grovelled but she forgave him easily since she loved him.


There is an attack and Rachel ends up getting injured and stuck behind a rock. She thinks she is going to die but Cal charges through despite being shot at. He gets to Rachel and holds her, saying that he will always come for her. If he isn’t there, he is dead. A bullet razed him but he picks up Rachel and runs. He dives to avoid bullets but Rachel hits her head on a rock. Once she wakes up, Cal is there holding onto her and he says he will work on winning her back. He says he will woo her. This wasn’t satisfying since Rachel was already long gone for him. I wish it showed moments of him leaving to go somewhere and she is scared he will abandon her again. I don’t know how she could easily trust him. He is more open about loving her, takes her out on dates, and eventually they have sex under a waterfall after a coupla weeks or months. I don’t even know at this point since there were so many time jumps. Rachel goes back to the cabin and cries since she remembers how Cal broke them up. Cal finds her and apologizes and hugs her. Grant and Olivia are having a baby while Cal and Rachel move back in together to their cabin. He gets her a ring so that they can get married and they live happily together. While I did find the story entertaining, I just got annoyed with Cal in the end. I loved seeing Rachel’s growth but she was too forgiving. The age gap is big and it's weird cuz his son is her ex but somehow this book made it work, especially since the characters were self-aware and the issue was addressed. But I wish we had more of them talking about what they did during the 6 months apart. I wish Cal really understood how much him abandoning Rachel affects her. Mack asks them if they wanna join to explore the area and look for cows and Cal and Rachel agree, Anna will join them. I can’t wait to read Mack and Anna’s story but I’m pretty sure the next story is someone else though, which Imma read next


Stay safe folks!

[Elle ♡ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adopted a kitten today(🥹🥳🤍) so I don’t feel like reviewing this right now, but I will say Cal wasn’t as bad as I was expecting, mini review to come.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. It might be my new favorite in this series, or at least tied with Last Light. This can easily be read as a standalone, but it would be more enjoyable if you’ve read Last Light and the other books in this series.

All of the books in this series are set after an apocalyptic event has caused civilization to break down. The world is now a rough place full of roving gangs, with every man for himself. This is Rachel and Cal's story. They change ages since this spans about 5 years, but she’s around 20 and he’s around 40. He’s her boyfriend’s dad, but her boyfriend dies at the beginning, leaving Cal and Rachel to be begrudging roommates / unwilling found family. (She also never slept with her boyfriend, and Cal wasn’t a big part of his life – he was in jail for a while. Then when he got out, he found out he had a son when the kid was 8, and didn’t see him much).

A lot of this story is just quiet, following Cal and Rachel living in his one room cabin. I'd say it's slow burn, the steam doesn't really happen until around 30% in to 50% in. It does have a plot, and I wasn’t bored – but this isn’t for readers who want or expect lots of action. This author is a master at "hero and heroine are just together in 1 room" stories. This one isn't as good as Hold but she does a good job with that premise.

Their relationship has a lot of push pull, but for the most part, I wasn’t too fed up with it. Cal DID have understandable reasons for pushing her away (he thought that she’s too good for him, and he was taking advantage of being the only man around her, and she never would have picked a grumpy older ex-con if they weren’t thrown together by circumstance). Did his reasons for pushing her away go on for too long? Yeah. But, his mindset felt valid, even though he was wrong.

The chapters often skip to 2 years later. Usually frequent mini time jumps annoy me in books, because authors use them as an excuse to skip over showing us relationship development on the page. But here, the time jumps are used effectively: to gloss over more mundane daily life stuff, and more of the same of what we've already been seeing.

Although this was one of my favorite books in this series, it won’t be everyone’s - and I predict it will be many people's LEAST favorite. Their relationship is more abrasive than many of the others. At one point, Cal does something bad to Rachel that will make a lot of readers hate him– he abandons her for a few months, assuming that he’s doing the best thing for her, so that she can find a younger guy and live her best live without Cal. I was just as pissed off at Cal as Rachel was, and I worried this would ruin the book. It's not a fun part, but I ended up liking how the story deals with the fallout. She doesn’t forgive him too fast, he does work to make up for it, and she DOES say that their time apart helped her grow into her sense of self. So, even though he went about it in a stupid way, he did instigate her seeing that she can stand on her own two feet without him. And I think that's good and necessary for an age gap story that starts when the heroine is very young and inexperienced.

I remain impressed that every book in this series feels different, even though they largely have the same ingredients: a quiet story with two people thrown together by proximity, just trying to survive, a younger heroine who is often a virgin, an older gruff hero. None of these books feel like carbon copies of each other. And I remain impressed with this author's bare bones writing. She throws us RIGHT into this high-concept dystopian premise without any info-dumps, but it's never confusing. She's excellent at minimalist world building.

The “heroine gets with her boyfriend’s dad” trope also always makes me think of Birthday Girl since that’s the best book to ever do it. So, I can’t think of a better endorsement for this book than to say that THIS is one that didn’t. For once, when reading that trope, I wasn’t constantly thinking about that book and comparing them. I was fully immersed in this.

[Inna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was unfortunately my least favorite book of the series. I thought I would have a hard time with the whole sleeping with her boyfriend’s father thing, but that really wasn’t the worst of it. Somehow, the hero was described so crudely that it was hard to imagine him in a positive light. He’s dirty, smelly, scarred, unkempt, his butt crack hangs out, he’s graying, etc. Several of CK’s heroes in this series are described as a little grungy, but I think she may have gone a step too far here. I had a hard time finding him attractive because I don’t think he was once described as attractive. Sure, the heroine was attracted to him, but it really did seem like she was just used to his appearance more than appreciating it at all. Now, I don’t need to find a hero attractive to enjoy a story, I don’t need some hot hunk in my brain bank to still love the hero. But the dirty, smelly, unkempt part? It was just exaggerated so often that I couldn’t help but imagine the worst in my mind.

And then… he pushed the heroine away so much that I also didn’t really love his actions. I understood his dilemma about being with the heroine, it’s definitely a taboo/gross matchup outside of this series. But with the way he looked, coupled with his actions, I just could never quite root for him to end up with the heroine. I do think she could have done better. 😬😬

Anyways, 3.5 stars and I’m rounding up bc I love the world/the author’s storytelling style/and I really did love the heroine.

Safe for the most part, but the hero does A LOT of pushing away. Virgin heroine, she only ever kissed the hero’s son before he died. Hero’s past is mostly unknown but it’s assumed that he was once a manwhore in the distant past, but remained celibate after his son died and he’s left alone with the heroine. No ow/om drama. Heroine does kiss and allow OM to grope her a bit but she stops it before it goes further, because she was only doing it to hurt the hero, he never finds out.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

I’m loving this series but that said this was my least favourite one so far. I was intrigued by Cal and Rachel and I’ve even hoping we’d get their story but…

Now Cal is Rachel’s ex-boyfriends father. This didn’t actually bother me that much. Her and Derek were best friends not lovers. Plus Cal hadn’t really featured in his life which made it easier.
So I got over that much, much quicker than Cal did.
I understood his struggle I really did. I liked him so much and I liked him for Rachel.
What I didn’t like was their early intimate scenes. I can’t say exactly what I didn’t like but I found them cringy. I had no issue with them getting together I’d been trying to hurry them up. I think it was the dialogue. Whatever it was it wasn’t working for me. But then I kept reading and as the story progressed I enjoyed it more. By the time it had finished I’d almost forgotten I hadn’t liked parts of it.

So bring on Hero. Mack and Anna’s story is next.

I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by Victory Editing and NetGalley.

[AvidReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5🌟!
Unfortunately my least favourite in the series. Heroine’s attitude and decision was so mature but the book needed some grovelling. When that didn’t happen I was kinda fed up and lost interest in the couple.
Otherwise it’s an amazing book.

-post apocalypse romance.
-age gap.
-late boyfriend’s dad.
-forced proximity, found family.
-taciturn, moody, grumpy H.
-sweetheart, practical heroine.
-TW, could be read as standalone, KU and recommended.

P.s the series is still awesome and I’ll continue to read it.

[Tanja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Claire Kents romance writing, it just always gets me. But the conflicts are the exact same in each book, even when the set-ups are different. I still liked it here, but I hope the next book in the series does something a little different.

[Christina (stinarinareads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25 (4.25 stars)
Rating System (1-5):
Writing = 3.5
Plot = 4
Characters = 5
Romance = 4.5
SPICE SCALE (1-5): 🔥🔥
Trope/Setting Highlights
✔ Dystopian setting
✔ Dead son’s girlfriend x dead son’s dad
✔ Age gap (~20 years?)
✔ ‘If they get to you that means they already killed me’ MMC vibes
✔ Forced proximity (living together in a small ranch off the grid, until they meet other people)
✔ Mutual pining
✔Established, interconnected setting, low worldbuilding
✔ <300 pages
Christina’s Corner: Does this book contain any personal tropes/elements/warnings I usually avoid? Some might be super niche but some I know others like to know about beforehand as well. Will add spoiler warnings as needed!)
✔ Third-act breakup/abandonment, and I don’t think the grovel quite matched the offense
Review:
After a catastrophic natural event that led to world societal collapse, people are doing their best, and worst, to survive, and ultimately, to rebuild.

Our FMC Rachel, mostly alone in the world already when disaster strikes, and only has her boyfriend, Derek, to rely on. Both barely out of high school, and with Derek’s worsening lung condition, plus the threat of other survivors with nefarious intentions, their future is looking more and more uncertain.

Until Derek’s dad Cal swoops in to save the day, a surly grump in threadbare flannel (knight in shining armor… get it… get it…)

I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to accurately describe how the books in this Claire Kent series make me feel. I said this jokingly in an update while reading ‘Embers’, but it truly does feel like Claire is writing just for me, she just checks all my boxes, every time.

Is it the best writing I’ve ever read in my LIFE? Nope.

Does it have the richest and most detailed worldbuilding? No.

Are all the characters so wholly fleshed out and meticulously developed? Eh, probably not.

But the thing I think I’m realizing is that, for some reason… THIS SERIES DOESN’T NEED TO BE ANY OF THAT FOR THEM TO BE DAMN GOOD BOOKS.

When the plot inevitably shifts early on and the story then spotlights Rachel and Cal, their developing relationship, as protector/protectee, mentor/mentee, acquaintances, friends, something deliciously uncertain… starts to blossom on page. The intimate story of a love growing between 2 unlikely people, in the most unlikely of circumstances, was addicting to devour.

We all know Claire likes her main men stinky (iykyk) but while I was reading I was really trying to get a sense of Cal’s aura, not necessarily his looks, but his aura, his aesthetic. Cal is described at different points in the book as being massive, or like a bear(?), but then also as “lean”. And then coupled with his gruff, socially awkward, mumbly nature, I’m stuck between a cross of Daryl Dixon from ‘The Walking Dead’ and Joel Miller from ‘The Last of Us’?? I like it. Picasso.

I will end the review by admitting I didn’t like the third-act breakup. Hell, more like third-act abandonment??? And the grovel didn’t come anywhere NEAR close enough to make up for it! Honestly it would’ve been better to have angst around a supply run going wrong or something, versus having Cal, a character established as MORE THAN WILLING to give his life for Rachel’s at any point in time, just abandon her like that. I don’t even care if he was keeping tabs on her. He abandoned her heart. Her sense of security. Her sense of self-esteem.

But I digress, because while this was annoying, the overall experience was worth it, as usual!

Also, can I just say that Claire Kent is my Goldilocks of smut writing right now? Even though ‘Embers’ wasn’t as (kinky?) as some of the others in the series, I’m obsessed.

READ THIS BOOK AND THIS SERIES!

[Lolina ⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This definitely had to be my favourite in the series so far, and even rivaled my love for Layne and Travis at times 😭.

But I'm not going to lie though, for me it was so frustrating, because the one time we have a heroine who openly expresses her feelings, the hero is just in a constant state of denial 🙃 WHYYYYY 😭🙏.

The main thing I loved about this story was the heroine- her character development was just so good, and I just generally really enjoyed reading from her POV, and worked for me in a way that didn't with previous heroines in this series. I was really impressed by Rachel's maturity, and her ability to read Cal, and actually openly try and communicate and discuss the status of their relationship. It was SO refreshing to see, especially compared to the previous 2 books. The first half in particular was really good.

Everything that the past two lacked, for me, was really made up for in this one (which is not to say this one didn't have its own problems).

However this great communication from the heroine, just made the 'conflict' all the more frustrating for me. There was separation in this book, and although I can understand its benefits in their situation, I really didn't like how it played out on Cal's side. It's one of those tropes/ plot points (the 'I don't think I deserve you so I'll just leave without consulting you') that personally doesn't work for me- so to see all of Rachel's efforts consistently being avoided was annoying for me. I could understand why it happened for Cal's sake, but I just wished it didn't happen so frequently.

But that's not to say I didn't love Cal in all of his mustinesses 💀. There's something about CK's emotionally unavailable heroes that's so endearing. Cal's protective instinct was so sweet, and although I wasn't a fan of what he did later on in the book, he only ever wanted the best for Rachel.

Their chemistry was so good, and I was a huge fan of their little routine/ lifestyle they had. There's something about seeing a heroine constantly pushing the hero's limits until he snaps that has me in a chokehold- and their banter, awkwardness aside, was so funny.

But yeah, all in all, I really enjoyed this one. Rachel was an amazing heroine, and Cal was a big softie at heart. This one read really well, and I'm obsessed with it.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I initially wanted to round up because my messy ass loves conflict. But I most love conflict when I really feel it - that aching, twisty, bone-deep kind of feeling- and that wasn't quite the case here.

As I indicated below, I was nervous that I wouldn't enjoy this pairing: a large age gap (although to be fair, we never found out how large the age gap was) and coupling with a dead partner's relative are usually nope.coms for me. However, I really enjoyed the relationship between Cal and Rachel. The transformation from bitter resentment to grudging respect to playful banter to raw lust to tentative love was as sweet as it was sexy. Life in their little isolated cabin was fascinating and full of tension.

The resulting conflict was, to be fair, believable, but its denouement was not. Cal's actions seemed out of character, and the separation ultimately seemed forced. As a result, the reunion was not as satisfying, and the story - as well as the relationship - lost a bit of shine. That said, props for allowing these characters to take the road less traveled and away from baby fever. It felt truer to their characters.

Even with some quibbles, I still enjoyed this book, and I still love this series.

******************

6.10.22

I'm kind of cringing at the whole "my dead boyfriend's father" thing, but the post-apocalyptic world that Claire Kent has created is utterly absorbing. As I said about Last Light, where it all began, the stories in this universe are by turns devastating and hopeful, gritty and tender. Not to mention the smut is 💯

So I'm putting aside my trepidation, because if anything can sell me on a story featuring at least two of my three most hated tropes, it's a new Kindled installment!

[NMmomof4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The premise. Revisiting this world with the side characters.

The Not-So-Good: The connection. I'm know I'm greedy, what can I say?! I wanted to feel connected to them and get emotional (like I did with Last Light)! This might also be because of the length of the book or the fact that we don't get the H's POV.

The Bad: The ending. I know this is another sign I'm being greedy yet again...but, when I finished the other book I read from this world, I felt like it was as good of an ending as I could get with the situation those two found themselves in. So I feel like that book set the bar and this one didn't get even close to meeting it.

Overall: I think I messed myself up for reading some of the reviews for this one and then getting my hopes up so high that this wasn't as good as I had hoped. I really enjoyed Ms. Kent's other work Last Light, which I found out recently is the same world as this series -- so of course I jumped right in! Especially with this one because it also had an unlikely couple with an age gap! I enjoyed it, but it just wasn't nearly as good as ^^ for me.

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Rachel and Cal's story. Rachel and her high school boyfriend are at the end of their luck when they decide that they need to seek out his estranged dad, Cal, for help. The Earth got hit by an asteroid and civilization has changed drastically, but Rachel's boyfriend has been dealing with a cough that is very similar to his mother's before she died of a lung condition from the messed up atmosphere. Rachel finds herself having to rely on the grumpy, monosyllabic stranger because she has nobody else. As they live together, they start to see each other for more than they initially thought and through the years, feelings start to develop...and they get a HFN ending.

Point Of View (POV): This was told in Rachel's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.

Instalove:No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.

H (Hero) rating: 3.5 stars. Cal. I liked him but his martyr behavior got really old pretty quick for me. I think it's a personal pet peeve tbh.

h (heroine) rating: 3.5 stars. Rachel. I liked her but she confused me at times. She was kind of a mixed bag for me -- she was strong, smart, and brave, but also naïve and giggled, a lot.

Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed

Push/Pull: Yes The H pushes away a good bit because of their age difference, her past relationship with his son, and his past and I'd say that the h is the main pursuer of the relationship

Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.

Descriptive sex: Yes

OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: No

Sex scene with OW or OM: No The h does kiss OM during their separation (see below)

Cheating: No

Separation: Yes They are separated for about 6 months, but there was no mention or suggestion of other partners for the H during this time and the h did kiss OM while trying to get over the H but couldn't take it further.

Possible Triggers: Yes Violence/murder/criminal activity/previous incarceration (on page), the H is the h's ex-boyfriend's dad (she only kissed the bf), the H is significantly older than the h (~20 years? but she is over 18 when they get together), and the h is a virgin (on page)

Closure: This end in an alright place with okay closure but not enough for me to call it a HEA (but I'm sure others would be fine with calling it that). I'm calling it a HFN ending they decide to get married

Safety: This is probably Safe with exception for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences

- Does Not have cheating
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
- Does have the H pushing the h away
- Does have a separation between the h and H
- Does Not have abuse by mcs
- Does Not have a HEA ending

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Embers is book 3 in the Kindled series and my favorite so far. The story begins one year after Impact with Rachel living with her boyfriend Derek and his mother. Unfortunately, his mother dies, and the streets become very dangerous so they decide to leave and go to his dad's home. Once they decide to leave, they are confronted with dangerous men but lucky for them Cal is heading their way and takes them up the mountain. Sadly, tragedy strikes again and Derek dies leaving Cal and Rachel together. I loved this book so much and my favorite romances in this genre are when an unlikely couple becomes each other's everything. I loved watching them grow closer as the years pass. Rachel eventually decides it's Cal she wants but he really takes a long time due to his past and the fact that she is so much younger and his son's girlfriend. Cal makes a decision that really upset me, but I was able to forgive him as did Rachel because he really is a wonderful man. I can't wait for the next book.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own***

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of this made me uncomfortable but that’s just a Claire Kent special lol.

[❤️Emma Book Lover ❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

After reading the other books set in this world I had to get my hands on Cal’s and Rachel book. We’ve been teased with their relationship for a while now and that made this couple even more interesting.
Main tropes here are age gap, survival, post-apocalyptic setting and lots of steam.
We get to see how their relationship started , how it evolved in what tuned out to be a partnership and later on a romance.
Cal is closed up pretty much the entire book. He’s struggling with his desire for his dead son girlfriend and pushes her away at every turn, but he is always there when Rachel needed him.
Rachel is the main pursuer of their relationship, he is the only thing in the worl she has left close to a family and holds onto this with a tight grip. I appreciated her character as an individual although at times she came of as very needy.
I wanted to shake some sense into Cal some many time, but I understood where he came off, it was a 20 years different between the two and he decided he knew best, so acted a bit silly considering all they shared together.
Lots of previous characters are the supporting cast for this couple , and I enjoyed reading about how their life evolved after their hea.
Overall this series is pretty captivating and steamy and I enjoy Claire’s Kent storytelling.

I received this Arc from Netgalley , all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Izzie d · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not my favourite troupe but it's tastefully done.
She his son's girlfriend at the start. Hero is in his 40s.
The son and the Hero are estranged.
The son dies and some years later, I think 5 (?) The heroine is 21 I think, before they form a relationship.
Her and the son were never intimate.


No intimate details other than the Hero and heroine.
Dystopian without zombies.

References to previous books in series.

HEA.

[kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

dead boyfriend’s dad and they’re in the apocalypse. SO FUCKING GOOD

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Embers is another amazing book in Claire Kent’s post apocalyptic romance series that I have been obsessed with lately. This one has age gap, a deliciously closed-off gruff and rough hero who doesn’t think he deserves anything good (Claire Kent writes these kind of heroes so well 🔥), oh and the heroine was his late son’s highschool girlfriend!

This series is set in the near future after a global catastrophe. Earth was hit by an asteroid and it not only wiped out an entire continent but it has since wreaked havoc on the environment, economies, population, and governments around the world. Now for the remaining people living in this post-apocalyptic world, daily life is dangerous, isolating, and survival is there only hope.

This one starts off a year since Impact, since the asteroid slammed into Europe, decimating an entire continent and sending the whole planet into a downward spiral of famine, turmoil, and natural disaster. Rachel’s mom was trampled
during the Impact aftermath and died, so she moved in with her highschool boyfriend, Derek, and his mom at the time. Now Derek’s mom has passed as well and when Derek & Rachel find themselves in a dangerous position, they decide to go and live with his reclusive father, Cal. Less than 1 year later, Derek passes and Rachel & Cal are now living together and just trying to survive.

This book is real angsty, it takes place over many years (we get up to year 6 after Impact), and the tension between Cal & Rachel grows over the years. At first they really are just partners trying to survive and make it in his small cabin on the mountainside. But over time, and years, feelings start to arise between them and while Rachel is ready to give in, Cal tries to push away. Cal is the epitome of a hero who doesn’t think he’s worry of anything good, especially Rachel, and he pushes away and tries to ignore her (and his feelings for her a ton). Which I didn’t mind at all because I understood his character. He really doesn’t get why she would want him and he thinks if it wasn’t for the Impact they wouldn’t be together. He feels for her deeply though and we see that in him coming to her rescue and being so worried when she gets injured. The tension with her sneaking into his bed on those cold winter nights for warmth and him opening up and chatting with her, so sweet. She definitely is the one to make the first move and ask for more. He definitely makes some choices with pushing her away but the after and him wanting to woo her was so good.

I just love this world, love all the characters, these rough survival times for these characters make their HEAs and happiness so much better. We also get to see all the previous characters as well, Mack & Anna (can’t wait for their book), the New Haven Farm and Faith & Jackson, Olivia & Grant.