Hero

Kindled #4

by Claire Kent

I was in college when the asteroid hit, and all my dreams and ambitions went up in smoke along with more than half the planet. Now I'm left eking out a treacherous existence in the lonely, violent world that remains. Everyone who loved me is gone, and I'm stuck depending on Zed, my former stepdad's younger brother. I never liked him, but he and his four-year-old daughter are the only people I have left.

The small world we've built for ourselves in the past five years is crumbling at the edges. Our food is running out. So soon we'll have to leave our home and travel a dangerous road in search of safety that might not exist anymore. To make it worse, I'm hit with new feelings for Zed and start wanting things from him that I can never have.

I know better than to put my hope in romantic daydreams. This has become a world without heroes, and the happiest ending is just to survive.

Hero is a short, steamy post-apocalyptic romance. This title was originally intended to be Mack and Anna's book, but their story has been postponed until later in the series. Hero features a different couple.

Genres: Romance, Post Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Novella, Forced Proximity, Survival, Enemies To Lovers

210 pages, Paperback

First published December 29, 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

[Matilda · Rating 3 out of 5]

i must say, after 4 of these books, the constant need for claire kent to mention that the musty, crusty scent of the hero turns the heroine on...has really grown on me

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

4 Stars

I just really love this series.

So many elements I love:

-Dystopian
-Forced proximity
-Enigmatic hero
-Smut

I really liked this story. My only wish is that it was longer with a little more depth, as I know what this author is capable of.

Already on to the next.

[Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5* I love the world Claire Kent has created here, beginning with Last Light, but this latest installment left me wanting a bit more.

Zed was a beer drinking, ladies man before the world came to an abrupt end. When the asteroid hits, he and his pregnant girlfriend follow the family to a small cabin in the woods.

Esther did very well in college and was on her way to work at NASA when she graduated. Zed and Esther are related by marriage, her mother married his brother. So he is technically her step-uncle, and there is a 7-year age gap between them.

I will say that their relationship started off really bland, but it soon was smokin up the pages of my kindle. It was hot, but felt somewhat emotionless, which was a bummer.

It was strange that they had been living together for so many years and never really sat down and had a conversation. I could see this as a possibility between coworkers in a modern relationship, but not in a live or die post-apocalyptic world where they count on each other for their very survival.

The lack of communication seems to be popular in this series and it gets old quickly. At 90% in they finally talk and realize this could work between them!

*Side note* Where are the women over the age of 30 who have survived this world? Why is every single fmc a woman in her late teens or early 20s? Some of the most badass women I know are older women who lived through some shit! You know they'd be out there hunting, fishing, chopping wood, sewing, canning, and making sure everyone else survived too. Maybe they have all joined the group of women warriors that travel this world protecting other women? Will that be Anna's book? I can't wait!! (But really, take all the time you need Noelle 💜)

I appreciate Isabella jumping in to BR this with me - we have inhaled this series together and it's been so much fun!

[Meags · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I’m a big fan of this post-apocalyptic MF romance series, which, for newcomers, began with the utterly absorbing stand-alone Last Light.

A handful of sequels in and this series remains unnervingly realistic and gritty in its telling. Kent consistently manages to carve out a harrowing apocalyptic future world, where love and survival are hard fought and by no means a promise for the characters involved—although, they really are promised, because this is still the romance genre after all and readers would RIOT if love didn’t prevail! Just sayin’.

With each new instalment comes new characters and a fresh romance to become invested in. Although, this was by no means my favourite of the bunch, I still gobbled the pages up at a fast crack, so absorbed was I to see what would happen next for our new MCs, Esther and Zed.

What was particularly refreshingly about this sequel was the unexpected but welcomed presence of Zed’s little girl, Rina, and a friendly mutt Esther finds on her scavenging missions throughout the story. I wasn’t sure I’d like having a small, vulnerable child present in this gritty world of non-stop dangers, but she provided a new kind of hopefulness and sweetness that rang true to me. And I’m ALWAYS happy to have a dog be part of my reading, so there’s that.

The relationship between Esther and her (seven-years-older) step-uncle, Zed, wasn’t quite as compelling to me as some of the previous series couples, but I still enjoyed following their journey and watching their relationship evolve across the course of the story. Esther was perhaps the hardest of the heroines to like, but I still respected the hell out of her drive and determination to not only survive, but to thrive in a world that wouldn’t make it easy.

Now, after five successful reads set in this world, it’s safe to say I’m addicted and will still eagerly see it through to whatever end Claire Kent takes it.

[Warda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

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

Reread in Sept 2024
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Hero by Claire Kent is like slipping back into warm cozy bed sheets after having to dash across cold wooden floors.

I have absolutely loved every book in the Kindled series. They have the right amount of danger, pining, romance, and cozy vibes that work for me so well. Her heroes are always a bit grumpy and the heroines are smart and savvy. The chemistry is always just right, no matter the situation.

This installment was another novella length tale, but that was just right as well. Zed & Esther were the last two who would have expected to be stuck together in the family cabin. Everyone else, including her mother and his brother have died and they are left to care for Zed's young daughter, Rina, and are slowly running out of food and places to raid.

There is also a growing awareness of each other and the knowledge that neither would have chosen the other to be stuck with.. or would they?

With just the right amount of spice and danger, this was another win for me.

4.5 stars
2.5 on the spice scale

CW: loss of loved ones and violence

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

When a new Kindled book comes out, I don't question whether I'm going to read it or not, I download that baby so fast. I've loved this world since Last Light and I continue to appreciate the setting and characters. The different couples in each book have faced similar struggles and relationship challenges at times, but each book has brought something different to my reading experience so I haven't found them really repetitive. In this book, we also get the first single parent, Zed (H) and his daughter Rina. The prologue starts with Esther (h) taking a walk to escape a cramped hunting cabin, filled with family, a year after Impact. Zed is at the cabin too with his pregnant girlfriend and these two have been oil and water for a few years since Esther's mom married Zed's brother. There's about a 7 year age gap with Zed being older. Then the story jumps ahead to six years after Impact and it's just Esther, Zed, and Rina left at the cabin, facing the need to possibly move. Written in first person, single POV of Esther's. No ow/om drama (neither H or h were interested in each other when they were younger; H's girlfriend died within a year of Rina being born and he wasn’t in love with her), h is a virgin and H is not (there is some mention of H hooking up when he was younger, but it's not very detailed and h had zero feelings for him other than being irritated).

Esther is a much stronger heroine than some of the other women in this series. She's adapted to the new world by being resourceful and a great shot. She is vulnerable though when she feels out of control and suffers from anxiety/panic attacks. Zed was capable but not quite as much as some of the other heroes have been, he more does what needs to be taken care of. Neither one is great at talking about their feelings. Rina was a bright spot and for being born in such a bleak time, she was cherished and protected so was a happy little girl. Even though Esther and Zed depend on each other and are partners, Esther gets frustrated with him often and there's not as much of a warm bond between them. Then their relationship starts changing with sex being introduced and more changes happen when Esther meets some familiar faces from prior books and learns of the communities in Kentucky that could be a better place for them.

This is a steamy book with physical intimacy happening relatively early. The emotional intimacy of the relationship takes longer and was where I wanted more in the story. They've lived together for years, but I didn't feel their connection as strongly outside of bed as I have some of the other couples. I wanted more scenes where I could feel how Esther's feelings were changing. Zed felt more for her (he admits later that he'd been in love with her for longer but was hiding it) so there are breadcrumbs of those deeper feelings. By the end, there are scenes of them in love and sweet, I think I wanted more hints and pieces earlier though.

Like you'd expect in a post-apocalyptic book, there are dangers still from other people so there are some violent scenes and death. The dangers esp ramp up once the characters leave the cabin. One really emotional scene had me in tears, because of how impactful the internal conflict was in the moment. Of course, then there was a miscommunication about their relationship that led to some hurt, but thankfully this was resolved much more quickly than in past books. We get a HEA for the little family with them settling in together and some great moments of their new life (I loved that these were included). The epilogue was wonderful and I loved it. I felt so squishy and happy. I'm glad there will be at least a few more books in this world!

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

'🅷🅴🆁🅾' Is a short. post-apocalyptic romance novel by author 'Claire Kent' In this you meet Zed, Esther and Rina (Zed's wee daughter).

“𝗜𝗳 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗲.
𝗜 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖔. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁.
𝗦𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿. 𝗜𝗳 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿.”

Zed, is Esther's step-dads younger brother, and she'd really not liked him from the get go, being cramped in a tiny one bedroom run down hunting cabin which housed pretty much the whole family (ten to be exact) didn't help matters any.

Then little by little the others perished and it became only the three of them..

Before all Esther really dreamed about was becoming an astronaut, now it's a daily struggle to survive in a world she doesn't recognize any more. Where food is becoming scarce, petrol is near extinct, and people you avoid like the plague.

To say I'm addicted to this series is an understatement!! And when I found out that another book was being released game over, I was all in feet and all. The perfect book to bring in the 'New Year'

They have to do the unthinkable to survive in a wasteland that's unforgiving, kill, scavenge, and even move from the only place they ever felt safe, and that's not an even feat when there's a small child involved that relies on them both. With the river close to their cabin supplying their main supplement slowly dwindles they decide they have to relocate where they had heard others like themselves had slowly started to settle in small communities in the West.

I enjoyed this one, I love the scavenging side of things, the worry of encountering strangers, are they friend or foe? How each series may be a new couple but we never say goodbye permanently to the ones already introduced because they mostly reappear.

Even though I loved this one, and it wrung out all those feels, I didn't completely feel that connection with these two even though it was a solid read, that just felt lacking compared to all the previous characters connections within this series, the development between these two just felt a wee bit off, lacking.

I can not wait for other books in this series to be released!!

                  

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This can be read as a standalone, but it would be more enjoyable if you’ve already read Last Light, Embers etc. Similar to the other books set in this world, this is a dystopian story that isn’t action-packed, but uses the breakdown of civilization as a backdrop for a more quiet, domestic, character driven story.

In this case, the hero and heroine are thrown together by circumstance, living with the hero’s young daughter in an isolated cabin. (He’s in his early 30s, and is around 5-7 years older than the heroine, and he’s her dead stepfather’s brother). They’ve been living together for a few years, ever since civilization collapsed and the rest of their families died (off page). They strike up a relationship of roommates who sometimes have sex. It feels like a “just because you’re the only person around” sort of thing. They eventually cross paths with Cal, Rachel, Mac, and Anna (characters from the other books - it's genuinely great to see them!). And there’s a bit of shoot-out action towards the end.

This isn’t bad. Even though it’s quiet and simple, I wasn’t bored, and the plot had momentum. And I enjoy all of the books in this world. This author remains good at doing the opposite of an info-dump: she drops you into this world with the most minimal exposition possible. Her writing is good, simple and not flowery, and the steamy parts aren’t romantic, for the most part. It all works to create stories that feel visceral and bare bones, with no embellishments, just like these characters’ lives.

Even though all of these books are similar – younger girl and older grumpy guy thrown together by circumstance – they never feel like copies. This book felt different from the others because the hero was a single dad. Also the steam came sooner, and the heroine didn’t feel much emotion for the hero at the time. But, the lack of build-up and tension also made their connection feel the weakest, out of all the couples in this world. The heroine was so indifferent to him at first.

And, the way he was described was unappealing. The other heroes in this world were at least somewhat sexy even before civilization collapsed: the guy in Princess was a bodyguard, the Embers hero was a hardened former bank robber. Meanwhile, THIS guy…drank beer and lazed around. I understand that’s the point. The author did it that way so that he evolves as a character, and their relationship grows and changes. So, I get what she was trying to do, but it just didn’t work for me as well as the other books. These characters left me cold.

That said, I’m not sorry I read it, and I’m glad the authors note said there will be at least 2 more books in this series.

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

3.5✨, 2🌶️

It's honestly books like these that make me wish Goodreads had a better, or at least more nuanced or more in depth, rating system.

I'm talking half star ratings, PARTICULARLY for 3.5 and 4.5. There are 100% books that are true 4.5 stars, where 4 feels too low but it's not a perfect 5 star read. And also there are books that are true 3.5 stars, where 4 feels too high but 3 feels way too low as well (although 3 stars is by far NO MEANS a bad rating, at least to me. I recommend anything I rate 3 stars or over).

Hero by Claire Kent is Book 4 in a series, Kindled, that I completely and utterly adore. It is probably by far my favorite dystopian or post-apocalyptic romance series. They are the absolute perfect lengths, in my humble opinion, giving you semi-quick-hit dirty, gritty, and sweet romances while building the overall plot, such as it is, over the course of those multiple books. They are very human focused, both on the external human as a villain, and also the internal human feelings of love, lust, desperation, fear, panic, etc when trying to survive with family, friends, or the people you are forced together with by circumstance yet grow to love.

While I enjoyed the story as a whole, Hero wasn't my favorite in the series, by far. That honor still goes to Book 1, Last Light. It was an OK read. I felt like I kept waiting for something to happen, something more significant, but it never did. I also wished the main couple just communicated to each other more, I feel like showing that would've helped establish more of the emotional connection for the reader to see, versus just more so telling us with the smut scenes. I love how Claire Kent does spice, and that hasn't changed. It definitely wasn't as charged or heated as some of the prior books, but I think it fit the characters, as they were both also more on the reserved and restrained side.

FMC Esther, MMC Zed, and Zed's daughter from a hookup soon after the apocalyptic event, Rina, have been surviving together for many years. It started as a group of them, Esther's family mostly, which included her mom, sister, step-dad, and her step-dad's younger brother, Zed. There's about a seven year age gap between Esther (mid/late 20s) and Zed (early/mid 30s), and in the present time, Rina is about to be 5 years old. Her mother, Zed's past hookup which ended in the pregnancy, died a year or two after Rina's birth from unrelated health issues. Tragedy continued to unfold over the years, and the current times see only Esther, Zed, and Rina alive and trying to survive in their lodge by the river. But their fish supply is running low, and they know, no matter how dangerous, they've have to abandon the lodge and seek survival somewhere more sustainable.

Also, extra EXTRA love for the MCs saving the dog from those evil men and giving him a good and loving new life❤️ YOU'RE A GOOD BOY, BUDDY!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ✨ I love this series! Enjoyed this one but I found it weird when she would call his daughter Rina “the girl”sometimes🤔. Anyways I’m glad this series is continuing and can’t wait for Mack and Anna’s book!

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to reread Hero book 4 in the Kindled series after realizing I never wrote a review the first time I read it. So basically, like all the other books in this series I really enjoyed this book. My only issue was the very beginning with Esther. I found it very annoying every time she mentioned how much she didn't like Zed or how lazy he used to be. I'm happy my dislike of her didn't last long because she was very caring towards Zed and his daughter. Zed was great, he was a great dad and did his best to take care of her and Esther. The intimate times were hot, but I could totally understand the misunderstanding at the end. Overall, Hero was another great addition to this series.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Hero” by Claire Kent

3.5⭐️/5⭐️
3🌶/5🌶

Rounded up to 4 stars on Goodreads:

“I’ve never once considered fucking him, and I’m quite sure he feels the same about me. He was probably just trying to distract me. Throw me off my game and out of my anxiety spiral. But now that I’m thinking about fucking him, I can’t think about anything else.”

Zed and Esther are stuck living in a remote cabin with Zed’s four year old daughter, Rina. After the Impact event, Esther moved into her step-father’s cabin with numerous family members, including his younger brother Zed. Now everyone else has died, and Zed and Esther are forced to establish an amicable relationship. However, the close proximity and isolation has started to affect Esther’s opinion of Zed. One night they both make a decision that changes everything; there’s no going back from what they did. And while their relationship changes, there are more complications: food is running scarce, and they need to decide if they will leave their cabin in the hopes of finding civilization.

-I feel so mixed about this novella. I’m going to just dive in, here are the things that I enjoyed:

-I enjoy having the mix of full length novels and short novellas in the “Kindled” series. “Haven”, the other novella in the series, is a favorite of mine. In terms of comparing “Hero” to the other books in the series, it’s about in the middle.

-I like reading about the progression of society building itself back together. The newly established Halbrook community was mentioned in “Embers”, so it’s nice to return to the town and learn a little bit more about how people live and work in that environment.

-Zed felt different from the other MCs in the series. He’s not an alpha type of guy, which was really refreshing. He’s a father to a little girl, and he’s trying his hardest to hold everything together. At the beginning of the Impact he was just a guy who got his casual girlfriend pregnant, he enjoyed drinking beer and watching sports. Yes, he wanted a family eventually, but he wasn’t ready to intentionally make those choices. He was very down-to-Earth, and as a fellow parent of a young child, I found him to be relatable in many respects.

-It was nice to read about a complex living situation. In prior books you did have some complicated relationships, Cal was the father of Rachel’s boyfriend, Grant was an employee of Olivia’s father. But there’s nothing like adding a child to the equation, especially when one person isn’t the child’s parent.

-The spice between Zed and Esther felt unique to their relationship. A big qualm I have with prior books in the series is that Claire Kent will often reuse lines from previous books, which negatively affects the plot and takes me out of the story; when I read those lines it just makes me remember that I’ve read them before in previous books. However, I didn’t see any of that in this story, and it was very welcomed.

-Here are the things I didn’t like:

-Esther’s personality wasn’t terribly different from Rachel, Olivia, and even Layne. I think the novella format wasn’t very effective for her character development. While I love reading about a FMC that struggles with anxiety (I’m very empathetic towards those characters), by the end of the story I didn’t feel like I totally understood Esther.

-I understand Noelle Adams/Claire Kent had to switch things up with her publication schedule, and that “Hero” was always intended to be the title for Mack and Anna’s book. However, I don’t think the title worked for Zed and Esther. I could see various lines where the word ‘hero’ is intentionally added to try to tie the title to the plot, but I don’t think the connection was very strong. I suppose the definition of a hero means something different to everyone, so I understand if others disagree. I also don’t hold it against the author at all, I understand she was in a bit of a bind with the title.

-After Zed and Esther hook up she starts to make all kinds of negative assumptions about his feelings towards her, which results in some very typical miscommunication. I really get tired of that trope, and it would be nice to see more authors move away from utilizing it in the third act for unnecessary conflict. Also, Zed states at one point that he’s been in love with Esther for two years. I was shocked when I read that, because his feelings aren’t clear whatsoever until late in the story. It’s very ambiguous, and if he truly loved her I wish there were more clear signs pointing to that. I guess this could partially be due to the story being a single POV, and Esther’s anxiety clouding her judgment of Zed’s feelings.

-Overall, this was ok. It wasn’t the worst book in the series, but it wasn’t the best. I’m interested in the next book and who it will focus on, and I’m especially looking forward to Mack and Anna’s story; they’ve been teased since the first book, I want to read their romance!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hero is the latest - and my least favorite - installment of Claire Kent's gritty, steamy, absorbing apocalyptic romance series. But since I'm garbage for this series, "least favorite" means "still zoomed through it and still liked it."

Honestly, I don't know why I'm garbage for this series. It's a disgusting and violent world, where men smell like eau de FishBO. From a personal standpoint, I'm as far from survival enthusiast and as close to suburban wine mom as you can get. I hate guns, despite my husband's best efforts, and I can't eat animals, much less kill them.

Typing that, I'm reminded how Kent specifically addressed the characters' reluctance to harm even threatening animals. How it was so sad but also so well-done. Maybe that is why the series affects me? There is such empathy, such poignancy, such realism. In the darkness, there is also light.

The events of Hero largely unfold in Missouri, disconnected from the Kentucky-based characters of the other Kindled stories. Esther, who suffers from panic disorder and wanted to be an astronaut (a fact which is repeated, a lot) lost everyone except Zed, her stepfather's younger brother. Living in an isolated cabin with Zed's daughter, Rina, survival is increasingly difficult since an asteroid decimated the environment and civilization. But Esther and Zed find a chance for a new life, and even love - if they're brave enough.

The story had a slow and repetitive start. Rather than a subtle build of sexual tension, it was a sudden bang (literally). Because Esther and Zed weren't as well-developed, their evolving relationship wasn't as compelling. Their lack of communication was frustrating. Still, I appreciated that they were more evenly matched, with no large gap in age or life experience. The daughter was a surprisingly good addition, behaving in a not annoying and age-appropriate manner. As always, the writing was absurdly engrossing, and the steam was on point.

I'll be here for the next installment, with or without the eau de FishBO (probably with, and I'm not even ashamed to admit it).

[Lyrik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upon reread: I appreciated their love story much more the second time and understood Esther better. I love this whole damn series and would read a hundred of these.

Original review: Another great entry in the Kindled series, but I didn't love every word like I have of the others. Esther and Zed's relationship building was a bit rockier than past couples. Important conversations were left until almost too late. She was my least favorite FMC of the bunch.

[Pinky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger Warnings: Gangs, guns, death of loved ones, animal abuse, talks about rape, misogyny, murder, anxiety, panic attacks, lung disease

1 Last Light
2 Haven
3 Princess
4 Embers

I enjoyed this one way more than I thought I would. Despite this being a novella length, I felt like it had good pacing. The MMC Zed is the FMC Esther’s step uncle, he is 7 years older. They met when she was 15 and he was 22 and I was like ummmm hold up. But he had a girlfriend and they never had feelings for one another. They were holed up in a cabin together with all of their family and barely talked to each other. He used to tease her growing up but stopped when the apocalypse hit. I liked the progression of their relationship since no attraction was there until way later. Trust me, that shit bothers me so I was side-eying the beginning but the story takes place 6 years after everything. I didn’t care that Zed was Esther’s step uncle since they weren’t blood related. The romance did kinda come outta nowhere but I didn’t mind since it kinda felt natural (some parts were cringe though). I really liked that there was a kid in this as well, made the story more refreshing. You see how much scarier this apocalyptic world is with a kid. I felt like Zed had way more of a personality compared to the other MMCs in this series. He talked more and was more playful whereas Esther was more serious. I really liked Esther because of how real she was. She wasn’t a sunshine FMC, she was bitter with how the world turned out and was angry at everything. It was a bit annoying to see her lash out on Zed for no reason or making stupid decisions but she grew on me. This was a chill read, I love the cozy vibes of this book despite it being in a grim setting. This is more on the slower end, has more domestic scenes, and focuses more on family. I think this can be read as a stand-alone, but you would enjoy it more if you read the other books since some characters make cameos.


Even though Zed is described to have blue eyes, cropped hair, and is on the younger end, I still picture Joel cuz I can. Esther kinda reminds me of Tess from The Last of Us. Tess is not super maternal imo but she was good with Ellie in The Last of Us (I’m sorry I love this game so much and this series reminds me of the game because of the world). Anyway, Tess and Joel’s relationship in the game kinda reminded me of Zed and Esther at the beginning. Sure it's not the same but it gave me similar vibes. LET ME LIVE OWK.


When an asteroid hits the planet, everyone is doing what they can to survive. Esther and Zed have no one but each other and they need to protect Rina, Zed’s daughter. As supplies run low, Esther knows they can’t stay camped in the cabin they’ve lived in for 6 years. But moving would be risky, especially with a 5 year old girl.

Now for spoilers


When the asteroid hit the Earth (the Impact), Esther’s dreams came to an end. After the Impact, Esther lived in a cabin away from everyone with her family, her mom, her sister, and her step-dad. Her step-dad brought their other family which included Zed, Esther’s step-uncle, her grandparents, and Zed’s pregnant girlfriend. Esther was 15 when she met him at 22 and couldn’t stand him. He would always be on the couch drinking beer watching TV, he would fuck around, but he didn’t seem to take life seriously. Meanwhile, Esther was an overthinker who was always studying, she never made friends or dated, her dream was to become an astronaut. Right when things were looking good for Esther’s future, the Impact happened. Esther was always annoyed with Zed for teasing her all the time but he gradually stopped as the world got depressing. In her first year, she needed to take a breather since too many people were in the cabin, 10 people. Esther goes on a walk but ends up tripping and twisting her ankle. She sees a coyote and thinks she is going to die but doesn’t want to kill it since she feels bad. So she shoots away and thinks it’ll run but Zed shot it dead to help her. He calls her out for being careless and tells her to learn to rely on others since the world isn’t the same. Esther doesn’t wanna rely on anyone but he lets her lean onto him while they walk home.


6 years later, everyone is dead but Zed, Katrina/Rina his daughter, and Esther. Everyone either died of sickness or from the lung disease cuz of the asteroid, Ester’s sister got injured and died from no treatment. Esther is in Givens, the small town that they live near, tryna find some loot. Esther finds some clothes for Rina as well as a doll. She finds food and some other things but she hears voices. Givens was abandoned after a while, since there wasn't anything left. There were gangs, but they broke apart over the years. When Esther sees three men, she hides and overhears that they killed people for the truck and beer that they have. They talk about murdering and raping people, fucking disgusting. Esther hides and kills them when it is safe. One of the assholes was abusing a dog and taunting it with food. So Esther took the dog and the truck like a badass and gets home, it was risky. They still live in the cabin that they were in years ago, there is a river nearby but the fishes are running low. No one bothers them since no one knows about the cabin. Rina was so cute, she always runs to hug Esther or Zed when she sees them. Esther tells her about the stuff she got Rina and once she is gone, Zed is pissed Esther put herself in danger. Esther says she can take care of herself and to stop overreacting. I felt bad for Zed since he really seemed to care for Esther but she was always snappy with him. Zed made sure the dog wasn’t aggressive, they named the dog Buddy. That night, Esther has a panic attack since she was overthinking their future. She practically raised Rina since Zed’s girlfriend died of a fever when Rina was 1. Esther says that it didn’t feel like Zed loved his girlfriend, it felt like it was an accidental pregnancy and Zed stuck around to do the right thing. They didn’t appear to be in love and Zed doesn’t mention his girlfriend in the present, kinda was curious about that. He did mention later that he has never fell in love before. Anyway Esther grows anxious and has a hard time breathing so she leaves her room that she shares with Rina, there are two beds there. Zed sleeps in the living room on a bed and when he gets up.


He is used to Esther’s panic attacks and gives her water, telling her to stop overthinking. Esther gets snappy with him since she wants him to go back to bed but Zed stays. Esther continues to have a hard time breathing and says she wants to go outside but Zed says there is a bear outside. This pisses Esther off since he didn’t tell her but Zed didn’t see a point in telling her. Zed opens a window so she’s able to breathe. Esther is pissed at Zed for not telling her about the bear so she says fuck you to him and he says anytime you want. This was so cringe, but Esther was craving human contact since Zed and Esther are distant. They never hug or touch, she doesn’t love him or see him as anything. But she kisses him, he makes sure she wants to do this and they fuck. He had to cover Esther’s mouth to avoid waking up Rina. Esther says that they shouldn’t do it again. So for weeks, they act like everything is normal. Esther is bothered that Zed can just move on like nothing happened. But seeing them take care of Rina was so cute, Rina is adorable. Esther teaches her how to plant and Zed takes her fishing. Esther hears sounds and thinks it's the bear so she takes Rina inside and locks the door. When Zed hears that the bear is still out there, he waits until Rina is asleep and goes out at night. Esther doesn’t like that he is out there alone and waits outside for him. Zed is annoyed Rina was outside waiting for him and told her to go back inside, he killed the bear but was shaky about it. He has made it clear to Esther that he values her life as much as Rina but Esther doesn’t seem to get it. He says he can’t raise Rina on his own but he also gives hints that he needs her alive just for himself. After they argue again about nothing, he fucks her against the door. Their argument was Zed asking Esther why she was looking at him a certain way. This time Rina calls out to them and luckily the girl doesn’t leave her room so Zed goes to check on her.


Esther feels tension with Zed and wants to go to Givens to avoid it, she tends to run away when things get awkward. Zed calls her out for it but Esther insists she needs to get things to prep for winter. Zed tells her to come back by the afternoon or he will go looking for her. He tried to tell her to take the truck but Esther was being stubborn. When she gets to town, she runs into Cal and Rachel. Rachel tells Esther not to shoot and they meet with Mack and Anna. Esther was surprised to meet such nice people and they tell her about the towns they have in an area far from them. Esther takes longer than the afternoon and hears Zed threatening Cal, asking where Esther was. Esther freaks out about Rina but she was hidden well before Zed came looking for her. Esther tells him about what these guys know and says it would be a good idea to leave the cabin since they’re running out of fish and need kids around Rina so she can live a good life. They bring Rina to meet everyone. It was so funny how Rina tried to talk to Cal the most since he was the grumpiest, but Cal would just grunt in response. When Esther leaves to have another breakdown, scared of their journey to the civilized towns, Zed follows her and hugs her. She tells him that he can’t risk bringing Rina away just because he thinks she is in danger. Zed insists that he will and can’t just leave her. Esther tells him that Rina will always come first to both of them before each other. Zed hates this but begs Esther to not put him in a situation where he has to choose. It is clear he has feelings for Esther here but she doesn’t get it. Cal gave them more gas and they went back to the cabin.


Once they get back and Rina is put to bed, Esther wants to fuck Zed but doesn’t wanna tell him. What I liked was, compared to the other MMCs in this series, Zed was pretty straightforward when it came to this. They still needed to communicate about other shit but when it came to sex, the guy was like come here let's fuck lmao. Once they’re done, he cuddles her and tells her not to leave. He puts his shirt on her and puts his boxers on to cuddle. When Esther rolls away, he follows, and eventually they go at it again. He snuggles into Esther and asks what she wants to do, it was just so cute. They both agree that they need to leave soon and will head to the towns that Mack, Anna, Cal, and Rachel told them about. Either New Haven Farm or Halbrook. They decide to take the truck and walk the rest of the way with a cart full of their belongings. They tell Rina that they are going on a trip. Usually Zed is pretty easygoing and is the one that keeps Esther calm. But during the trip, he is anxious, pacing, and always on alert. When they camp outside, he makes Esther and Rina sleep while he stays awake the whole day. That night, Esther noticed him being anxious and told him to sing songs to Rina. And once they start dancing, Rina tells Esther to join and Zed dances with her as he sings to her and calms down a bit, it was so cute. Rina tells Esther that she is important and that they will take care of her too.


They get into a building in an abandoned town, but Rina starts to notice that Zed is stressed. Zed barely talked to Rina and felt pressure since he didn’t have control in these unfamiliar areas. So while he is on alert, Esther tells Rina that Zed just wants to keep them safe and tells her to go to bed upstairs. Esther tells Zed he needs to calm down. She tells him that he usually keeps it together, but he admits he can’t rest when he doesn’t know what is out there. She gets pissed with him for not listening and tells him he needs to sleep. But before that, she says she is going on a walk. I thought it was stupid she was doing this in an area they didn’t know, but it was a good thing she did. When she came back, Zed was cornered by two men with guns. He says he is alone and luckily Rina was upstairs. Zed senses Esther, they give each other signals and she kills the men. Rina was trained to hide in the bathroom when she hears gunshots. Once they get up, Rina asks if the bad guys are gone and asks Zed to sleep with her. So Esther keeps watch and Zed takes over. Zed and Esther sit outside together and talk about what they wanna do once they reach the civilized communities. Zed says he has always wanted a wife and mother for his child, he’s always been looking for a family. He says that he never felt love for anyone despite hooking up with people. He plays with Esther’s hair as they talk and he asks if Esther wants a man and she doesn’t give him a good answer. She says she wanted to become an astronaut and Zed hugs her since he knows how much the Impact affected her. He says she might find someone else when they go to the new area. Esther doesn’t want anyone but him and it's clear he feels the same way but they don’t say that. They start walking to areas with more people and everyone seemed friendly. A group offer to take them to Halbrook or New Haven. At first I was relieved but when Esther mentions Mack, the people don’t know who he is. This starts giving Esther and Zed warning signals since Mack is someone who networks around. If they don’t know him, they probably don’t know where New Haven Farm or Halbrook.


There are four people who are taking them to an area and Esther sees a van. She and Zed run behind the van after shooting some of them but more people are coming. Esther knows they can’t survive so she tells Zed to run with Rina while she holds them off. This reminds me of Tess, if you know, you know. Zed does not want to this but Esther reminds him that he promised he would put Rina first. So he kisses her and sprints away while Esther stays back like a badass, and I loved that Buddy was on her side. Luckily, Maria and her crew find Esther in time and kill off the others. I love Maria for looking out for so many people. Apparently this group takes travellers to their area to kill and do whatever else. Maria helps Esther find Zed and Rina after she tells them she has a family and then takes them to Halbrook. Rina tells Esther that Zed was crying and she didn’t know what was happening, I was so happy to see them reunited. At Halbrook, they are accepted with open arms and Zed is given his own room while Esther shares a room with Rina. Esther leaves her room once Rina is asleep and she and Zed fuck. He cuddles her but tells her that she doesn’t have to be with him. He tells her not to put him in a position to let her die, he knew she had to do it but hated it. He says that he will give her space so that she can find her own man and Esther misunderstands that he wants to find someone for himself. Zed says they need to avoid each other since people might think they are together. She is upset but Zed says she had no choice but to be with him so he wants to let her choose. In the beginning Esther did feel this way, that she was stuck with Zed and Rina because of how their lives became. But she grew to loved them both. So she was heartbroken and leaves his room.


The next day, Esther goes to eat and Rina and Zed come later. Esther is invited to a table and when Rina sees her, Zed tells her to sit somewhere else. There were kids Rina’s age that became her friends and even schools for Rina to learn in. Esther feels hurt to see them sit away with her and goes outside to cry. Zed follows and Esther is upset he cut her out when she fell in love with him. Esther says he wants someone new so to give her space but Zed tells her that he loved her for two years. He says that he hid his feelings for her since she hated him. He didn’t want to make things awkward and thought she wouldn’t wanna be with him. He makes it clear he never felt things for her when she was a teenager, he says he only liked to annoy her to bring her out of her shell. They decide to be together, he works night shifts at the wall as security and goes fishing. She does teaching and gardening and eventually they get a house. Rina goes to school and makes friends and their dog Buddy is with them. It was so cute seeing Zed look at Rina and Esther with love in his eyes. They were all so happy, I can’t imaging living in a cabin seeing all their loved ones die one by one. They went through so much so they deserved this happy ending. Esther is always independent and says she doesn’t need a hero, that Rina needs one. But in a way, Esther and Zed were each other’s heroes since they always saved each other. Glad I read this and onto the next!


Stay safe folks!

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Следновогодишният guilty pleasure fest продължава с пълна пара. Апокалипсис, оцеляващи поединично групички хора, бандити, схватки, кръвчица… И един много добричък герой плюс зъбеща се, но уплашена героиня, които откриват, че са станали много различни хора спрямо тези, които са били преди светът да се счупи. Той е пиел бири пред телевизора, а тя е искала да стане астронавт… Сега той е порастнал, а тя се е изолирала.

Харесва ми, че Клеър Кент е улучила правилното съотношение между нелепици, реалистични нотки и емоция, че в речника си има много повече от 100 думи, сред които нито една не е f*ck, и че е кратка. Винаги е приятно да се види как автор на несериозна литература е подходил сериозно - нещо, което мейнстриймът категорично не позволява.

[hea booktubes · Rating 5 out of 5]

So wild how she takes two people who would just have never even kind of been in a relationship with each other, and convinces you in 150ish pages that the world fell apart specifically so they could fall together.

[skye · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

You know, there's this part of me that really likes this series cuz when people ask me "hey whats that book abt?" I can just rant about a plot based on an unforgiving, post-apocalyptic world where the characters must display strength, courage, and perseverance in order to survive in a life where both food and shelter has become scarce.

And what I conveniently leave out is the frequent mentions of offensive natural, earthy smells, the constant horniness as a response to a long day of survival stress, the explicit descriptions of what I imagine to be some of the most unhygienic, musty sex I've ever read in literature.

But ms claire kent must be doing something right because no matter how many days she makes her characters go without deodorant, theres a big enough group of us out here giving our support for her to announce in her author's note that she'll be "continuing this series for at least a couple more books". nah the actual relief I felt 😩

Quick run down of the novella, this was about the same as all the other ones in the series. Age difference between H and h is 7 years, H is a single dad of a 5 yr old daughter but she was basically raised by the h as well since they made up kind of a "family" in order to survive.

Romance wise we have two characters who don't know how to express their feelings so they simply don't 😌 There's some "no strings attached sex", insecurity and miscommunication leading to assumptions that stir some shit up.

All in all another pretty decent post-apoc novella.

[MBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in December of 2022, Hero, the fourth installment of the Kindled series by Claire Kent was a delightful read for me in many ways. Ms. Kent has a remarkable ability to bring together characters that have nothing going for them initially, who would probably not have gotten together if life had not thrown a major apocalyptic disaster upon them, and making it all work splendidly.

Esther Hamilton is 18 years old when the catastrophic event of the asteroid impact occurs, altering life as people knew it on Earth. Esther was a freshman in college at the time, whose ambitious aspiration was to become an astronaut. When the apocalypse forces her into survival mode to take refuge with family in a remote cabin, that is when she meets 24 year old Zed, her step-uncle at the time.

Years later, things have changed to the point where Zed is now single father to Rina, his five year old daughter. Esther, who originally viewed Zed as someone with no ambition and aimless in life, finds herself part of a family unit that comprises of the three of them, working hard to survive the hard realities of life.

Esther suffers from deep rooted anxiety that gnaws at her, at how little control she has over the elements and their shared life. In the midst of it, learning to recognize and appreciate the changes that transforms Zed into someone she could not care for initially into someone she is fiercely attracted to, is jarring enough as it is. While initially this connection is reluctant and driven by circumstance, over time, it grows into one that is more complex and multi-layered.

I truly loved Zed and admired his growth as a character. He was an unserious man (as most men tend to be at a certain age), but as the story evolved and along came responsibilities in the form of his daughter and of course Esther, he reveals the layers to his character, transforming into a dependable and caring figure. In my opinion, Zed was love!

At the same time, Esther was a character that truly resonated with me; her independence, resilience, and determination to survive despite the hardships and all odds made me fall for her and root for her. Esther is a complex heroine (as Ms. Kent’s heroines in this series tend to be), and her inner conflicts and shock at the realization that she fancies none other than Zed and the possibility that he fancies her back is one more problem for her to agonize over.

It is even initially the way Zed’s care for Esther’s well-being goes beyond obligation, offering her comfort during moments of intense anxiety that comes with the high uncertainties in her life that makes this story give you the fuzzy feels. Their first impulsive sexual encounter breaks another barrier between them, which helps Esther to see Zed in a whole new light as Zed becomes more attuned to her needs and emotions. It is also Zed that calls Esther out for hiding her emotions, giving the reader insight into how well he actually knows Esther inside and out.

Recommended for readers who love survivalist themed romances. This series is a must-read!

Final Verdict: Disaster has a way of bringing out the hero in you; Zed’s transformation into a man who Esther could wholeheartedly desire, love, and depend on makes for great reading.

Rating = 4/5

For more reviews and quotes, please visit A Maldivian's Passion for Romance

[Izzie d · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, it's refreshing to have an apocalyptic story without zombies.
This series has all the survival aspects without the brain eating theme.
They struggle without proper law and order and resources.

But although I've enjoyed the series I do feel it's getting a bit wash, rinse, repeat.

This book is very similar to a previous one, the Hero and heroine, and his daughter is an interesting addition in this one, are pushed together basically by circumstances, they are the only ones left in their group to survive.

They are intimate, no explanation of feelings, no proper conversations.
Yet they love each other but don't realise how each other feel.

No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
Single dad.

HEA.

[Ava · Rating 4 out of 5]

Screaming. Crying. Throwing up.

I liked this. A lot. I loveeee a single dad. I loveeee a badass FMC. This had both.

I was foaming at the mouth for more interactions between Zed and Esther. It was so cozy and soft (at least by post-apocalypse books standards). I loved that Zed kept coming to save Esther, even though he knew he shouldn’t. I loved that Esther knew she was second to Rina and embraced that.

I have two complaints. One: Zed said he was in love with Esther for 2 years. Where was the evidence? Where was the yearning? I feel like this was totally missing from the book. Two: IT WAS TOO SHORT. Like the last book was soooo much longer, and then we get to one where I’m literally salivating to read more about them and I get like 100 pages??? Criminal.

I fear I might not love a book until Homestead, but I’m going to try to be open minded. I make no promises, because as a certified mood reader I sometimes hate things that others love.

[Elle ♡ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

This was supposed to be Mack and Anna’s book, but apparently that’s not coming until book 6 now. Instead we got a book about a single dad (H) to a 5 year old and his brother’s step daughter (h) who are now all alone in a post apocalyptic world trying to survive. I liked Zed and Esther. Zed was a former lazy boy who matured when he became a father and protecter in the apocalypse. He was pretty stoic at first, but as the book progresses you learn that he’s a sensitive guy and the biggest teddy bear. And since it’s the apocalypse and a Claire Kent book he was #stinky, but I feel like this was the least she’s ever harped on it in this series lol. Esther was studying to become an astronaut when the asteroid hit and has had to toughen up and switch gears to survive. She’s in her mid twenties but never had a boyfriend before the world went to shit so she’s a bit stunted in that department. And then there’s Rina, the sweet little 5 year old that makes them a family before they admit to it. As a sucker for single parent romances I was happy to see this as an addition to the series but omggg does having a child add such a change to the post-apocalyptic romance dynamic. No real alone time, the child’s safety comes first always and the world is pretty dangerous so they have to make a few tough decisions. By the end the miscommunication was killing me, but overall this was enjoyable and I look forward to more books set in this world.

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

4.5 stars! Hero is the newest release in Claire Kent’s post apocalyptic, survival romance series Kindled, and I have just loved this entire series and world so much! So no surprise that I loved this book and seeing Esther & Zed’s story! This one has a 7-year age gap, single dad hero, and it’s the romance between the heroine and her former stepdad’s brother.

“This has become a world without heroes, and the happiest ending is just to survive.”

Background info about this series: it 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, as well as setting off natural disasters around the globe. Now for the remaining people living in this post-apocalyptic world, daily life is dangerous, isolating, and survival is their only hope.

We follow Esther and Zed a couple different times after Impact. Before the Impact, Esther was a freshman in college with dreams of becoming an astronaut. But once the Impact happened, she moved with her family into her stepdad’s cabin in Missouri. At first there were 10 people living in the one-bedroom cabin but now all that remains are 3: Esther, Zed (her stepdad’s brother), and Rina (Zed’s almost 5-year old daughter). Esther never really liked Zed, but now he and his daughter are all she has left.

This one is on the shorter side (170 pages), similar to the first book in the series Haven. I thought this was a perfect length for this couple and their story and really enjoyed them together. Esther has anxiety which wakes her up in the nights, one of those nights she wakes up and Zed wakes up to talk with her, which leads to them arguing, then kissing and falling into bed with one another. The next morning neither really talks about it until the end of the night when they’re giving in again. I really liked seeing Esther try to navigate this new way their relationship was changing. She has come to love and care for Zed and Rina and doesn’t want to picture her life without them. But real dangers are looming ahead for them, including another brutal winter they don’t think they’ll make it through in their isolated cabin.

I really like in this series how real the dangers are for these characters, they have to make rough choices and survive no matter the cost. I loved the addition of his daughter Rina in this one, so sweet, how she calls Esther “Essie”, seeing them rescue Buddy the dog, cameos of the other characters from the series (Cal & Rachel, Mack & Anna, Maria), and the dangers of traveling!

[Amber (Amber Reads Romance) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
🌶🌶.5 Stars

I have been loving this kindled series. It's crazy how I love diving back into this harsh and unforgiving post-apocalyptic world.

Esther was a tough, smart, and strong heroine. She goes off on her own to search for supplies. She is living with her step dads brother and his child. Everyone else in their family has died. They were very different from eachother and kind of stuck together. They eventually succumb to their sexual connection. Things are tough where they are located, and they need to move since they are running out of supplies in their area. They go on a road trip to try to move to a new location which will be with some familiar characters from the other books.

I love how Claire Kent writes her broody and pining heroes. I loved Zed and how supportive he was to Esther. Especially when she was having her panic attacks, since she stressed out over their situation.

I really enjoy this series!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. And the perfect length 👌

[Lolina ⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. - 3.5 stars -

I didn't really know what to make of it at first (I definitely wanted more from this and felt it was a bit emotionless at times), but the more that I read, the more I realized why I adore this series so much.

There's just something so comforting about the way these books are structured (CK's still going strong with the body odor and grime 💪💀) . I love the blend of comforting and domestic scenes with the more action-packed and general world-building ones.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the romance in this one- I loved the characters independently, but I feel like so much more could have happened between them. A lot of their romantic relationship felt quite sudden.

So in that regard, I wasn't a huge fan of how that aspect of the story played out- however I did really enjoy the romance in the end. It came together in a really endearing way. I even found the climax/ misunderstandings quite cute. The way that it went down was really entertaining 😭.

I think one of my favorite things about this book was the addition of Rina (the H's daughter)- which says a lot because I'm generally not a fan of children in books 💀.

Her character just brought a lot more to the story for me. It was really interesting to see how CK writes the more maternal/paternal sides to her characters- especially in this world. Rina herself was just super sweet, and brought in that much-needed lightness- especially towards the end (That ending scene was so unbelievably sweet 😭💕).

Overall, I really liked this book- as usual, I would've loved for it to have been longer to fully flesh out the characters and their relationships with one another- but it all worked out in the end. It was also really nice to see some previous characters still thriving.

It was another nice addition to the series 😌.

[Catheryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

10/2023 reread
I think what made this not my favorite of the series, is Esther being more of a prickly type of heroine. Still a great addition to the series and a fun reread.

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

Really can't explain my love for the Kindled series... It's like asking why water is wet. So I can forgive a lot of grievances in this series.

I liked that Claire Kent added an extra element to this story, with have Rina. She added an extra obstacle for Zed and Ester. I wish that she had the beginning of Hero similar to that of Embers, where we got to see a little bit of what was going during the years after the impact. This story jumps five years. I feel like we were robbed of some relationship building between Zed and Esther. They don't hate each other by the time we get to see them, but its a little strained. Esther doesn't really soften to Zed until the end. Selfish me wanted to see them come together on the journey to Halbrook.

With all that said... Yes I will probably reread this book soon because I can't get enough of this series. I still loved it!

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh sweet Jesus, I was not expecting this at all. I just bought a physical copy. I loved this as much as the first. This series is so great. I'm loving it and the themes and how different each book is. Granted, there are some similar threads, but it's fine. Each book stands alone and I'm totally going to read the series this year.

[Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was short and didn’t feel like an actual romance.