A story you don't know about me and Linda Jones: I met the lady at RWA National twenty years ago, and she was genuinely nice to me. After meeting me she also took me to McDonald's for breakfast and let me ask her all kinds of questions. I've never forgotten that kindness, which is why I've bought every book she's published for the last twenty years. Moral of the story: be nice to rookie authors and they will collect you (Ms. Jones is a fine writer, too, and I've enjoyed every story she's written.)
This novel is a romantic suspense blended with SF. It's set in a small town in the Smoky Mountains after an apocalyptic event that basically wipes out technology and most of civilization's benefits. Which I know doesn't sound like fun reading. If you're stressed out over our apocalypse, and don't want more of the same in your fiction, this is not the book for you.
It's not the stuff of The Stand. The town goes through probably the nicest possible Apocalypse ever, and the related conflicts are remarkably limited, but this is romance, not hard SF or horror. Parts of it are implausible -- such as, out of a town of six thousand, they only have six or seven bad apples (a small group of drug addicts and a Carpetbagger who wants to be in charge.) Everyone else is nice and helpful, gets along, and pitches in and helps the community during what is basically the end of civilization. Wish we had these people in our world.
Using an apocalypse as a fantasy backdrop for a romance was definitely inventive. The hero (ex-Marine loner/prepper) and heroine (shy divorced gal fiercely loyal to family) spend most of the first half of the book angsting over or avoiding each other while dealing with the initial days of the Apocalypse. When they finally do get busy the sex gets quite steamy. I didn't quite buy that they would fall in love as quickly or as deeply as they did, especially given their behavior in the first half. Still, by the time they got together my ability to believe this story took place on Earth was permanently suspended anyway, so what the heck. I cheered them on.
Bottom line: I liked it so much I read it in one sitting. Maybe it's not the most tasteful romance to publish right now, or maybe it's the perfect romance for right now. Maybe it's a little of both. It definitely distracted me from all the hatred spewing online over the very real ugliness we're all dealing with in regards to the pandemic. It made me feel a bit wistful, too. Real life is never like a romance, which is why we need them, yes?
Since this novel broke my bad luck streak I need to do a giveaway (it will also continue to support the lovely, kind Ms. Jones.) So I will send a copy of After Sundown to any of my visitors who want one. Let me know if you do in comments, and the format you'd prefer.
Comments
I try to be kind to everyone unless s/he's a proven jerk. Having edited that sff newsletter introduced me to some bona fide jerks. Nice authors too, but I was often overwhelmed by prima donnas.