Saturday, August 29, 2020

After Sundown...

"And so it began, not with thunderous noise, or drama, or a cataclysmic collapse, but with silence."

Ex-military, Ben Jernigan likes living alone atop Cove Mountain. With a security system, solar panels, and a large supply of food, he doesn't need anyone, and he's prepared for just about anything. Including a catastrophic solar storm that knocks out the power not just across the United States, but across the world. What he's not prepared for is his feelings for Sela Gordon, the shy convenience store owner he can't help warning about the impending CME. As Sela struggles to get her aunt, niece, and their neighbors to pull together to survive this unexpected natural disaster, Ben can't help but get involved. Because for him, Sela is worth the fight.

I've always been drawn to books about ordinary people who are forced to survive extraordinary events--seeing how prepared they are, how they react, what choices they make. It always makes me stop and think what I would do in a similar situation. (It also always makes me want to run to the grocery store and stock up on the essentials, like chocolate.)

After Sundown by Linda Howard and Linda Jones is the story of what happens in a small Tennessee community after several large solar flares knock out the power, not just for a day, but for over a year. Sela gets thrown into a position of leadership she really doesn't want, and Ben reluctantly gets drawn down from his mountain retreat to help her and the others out. I liked them both. Their quiet yet intense romance threads its way through all the survival action and suspense. It's not a combination that will work for everyone, but I thought it was entertaining and fun. Overall, I really liked this one.

Happy Reading!

22 comments:

  1. Since the world seems to be having more and more natural disasters, books like these may be more precautionary tales than simple entertainment! :O

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    1. Right? I know they always make me stop and think about how prepared I am if something like this happened for real.

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  2. This kind of book always make me want to stockpile all the essentials, too. It never hurts to be prepared, especially with how this year is going. :D

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    1. I think this year has proven how necessary it is to buy ahead on all the essentials and keep a bit of a stockpile.

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  3. Ooo this sounds like my cup of tea! Thanks for sharing!

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  4. I enjoy a good survival story every now and then! And this one has a bit of romance? Sounds fun!

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    1. There is a romance between the two main characters. And a happy ending. :)

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  5. As you know I really enjoyed this one too. I do the same thing, put myself in the situation and imagine what I would do. I loved the romance as well. Wish I had Ben's setup! Fab review, Lark! :)

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    1. Ben's setup was awesome. And so was he. :)

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  6. I've read a lot of Linda Howard books and really like her characters. Not sure if I'm in the mood for a survival story right now with our pandemic but will definitely keep this one in mind!

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    1. I wasn't sure about reading this one right now either, but it actually turned out to be good escape fiction. :)

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  7. Ha ha - essentials like chocolate! In late March just before everything shut down I was behind a lady in the grocery who had four bottles of champagne and chocolate (and I think also steak?) in her basket. I thought, shes got her priorities right. :D

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    1. Absolutely! Life would not be good if you ran out of chocolate. ;D

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  8. I've read several of her books and loved them (more of romantic suspense). That said, I haven't read her books for a while so will have to check them out. Glad to hear you enjoyed this book. :)

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    1. I want to try Linda Howard again because I did like this one so much. :)

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  9. I've been buried in non fiction recently as it has been easier for my brain to deal with but I need to lose myself in some good horror fiction. I'm not quite ready for apocalypse fiction though!

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    1. I get that. I'm about ready for some good ghost stories myself. :)

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  10. I enjoy reading about ordinary people living through extraordinary circumstances too. This sounds like an interesting read, Lark. And, I agree, chocolate is essential.

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  11. I like the sound of this! Post apoc stuff or impending apocalypse stories haha usually catch my eye, and now I want to see how Sela and Ben get on when everything gets bad! :)

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    1. They're very likable characters! Definitely good people to have in an apocalypse. :)

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