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.
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Reviews with images
Forced Proximity Angst at It's Best
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.
Top reviews from other countries
Michelle K
hero was too emotionally unavailable
Reviewed in Canada on August 10, 2022Amazon Customer
Obsessed with this series
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 8, 2024
