After Sundown audiobook

I loved After Sundown. You will get hooked from the very first page. The battle for survival for this community, unlikely people working together and a love story all in one. I recommend it to everyone. I took lots of notes, just like I do with all the survival books I read. We all need to get prepared, you never know what will happen in the future.I won this book on Goodreads Giveaways!!Thank you Goodreads!

Sela Gordon lives in a remote mountain town in Tennessee. She’s divorced, runs a general store and gas station, and lives modestly near her aunt and cousin. Ben Jernigan is former Special Forces who also lives in this resort community but chooses to exist in isolation off the grid, never interacting with any of the people in the town. However, he’s admired Sela and she him but neither have ever spoken to one another. When one of his friends from another state warns him (of course, by ham radio) that they are hours away from a catastrophic solar event (coronal mass ejection or CME), Ben visits Sela’s store for last minute supplies and suddenly decides to warn her. She has a choice whether to believe him and prepare or chalk it up to his weirdness. She makes the fortuitous decision to hedge her bets and behave as if his information is correct, which in the coming months served her well after the CME destroyed the power grids around the world. Well, it’s not a virus but this event is a global one that destroyed the life everyone was accustomed to living. It was fascinating to contrast the behaviors of those who understood preparedness with others who were quite clueless. Many of the people living in this town were used to living off the grid from time to time because of harsh weather events where they’d lose power or access to stores to get provisions. What I loved about the story was how the unlikeliest stepped up to the challenge and provided leadership. In times of crisis, you’ll see the best and worst of behaviors and that was strongly presented here, rather authentically. Sela emerges as the one with the steady hand and head, quietly steering the community in the right direction, figuring out how to manage chaos into some semblance of a new normal. I enjoyed the story as it was timely in the midst of what we’re currently experiencing. Though a different event, the reactions and feelings are relevant to the times. I’ve read a couple of other stories involving “preppers” recently and they’re not seeming so strange these days. Ben is one of them and while his past demons drove him to separate from the rest of the world, I respected his decision and liked that it was a struggle for him to reengage at Sela’s request. Their relationship was definitely a slow burn but I liked that aspect, too. The narrator was new to me and I thought she did a wonderful job distinguishing a host of characters and not over dramatizing a dramatic story. There are suspense elements but they present later in the story with sort of a predictable outcome. However, the heart of this story is the strong theme of community that resonated mightily within me. I needed to see and feel this at this moment. It’s a good story with lots of interesting characters who will inspire you to do better. Posted on Blue Mood Café(Thanks to HarperAudio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)

13/10 - 2nd reread ***Aaaaaaaand she's back! My LH starved heart has never been happier 🥰

After Sundown by Linda Howard and Linda JonesThere is nothing more timely than reading this book, After Sundown, about a catastrophic solar storm (Coronal Mass Ejections – CME) that would destroy the power grid around the world – and the effects would be felt for months or even years. I cannot believe how much I enjoyed this for its suspenseful romantic thrill, that after reading I thought that our current situation could actually be so much worse, and that this could really happen too. The story is set in a small Tennessee mountain town of Wears Valley, and centered on two characters - the recluse and always ready military veteran Ben Jernigan, and Sela Gordon, a single mom who owns the local gas station and general store. Ben is a survivalist and though he prefers to keep to himself, he decides to warn Sela of this catastrophic event when he went in to town for supplies. The series of events that happen pull them both closer together as they navigate through the dark and panic sets as they are cut off from the world. But the importance of supporting and protecting each other as a community is the key to everyone’s survival. This was my first time reading their books and I was very impressed with the writing, the setting up of the catastrophic world, the development of these main characters, as well as the supporting casts which add to the thrilling and suspenseful story line. I thought that the writing was creative and I really enjoyed it for its entertainment value. Had I read this prior to COVID, I would have never thought this could even happen or thought to take anything quite so seriously. I recommend this book for a quick read and amazing storyline.

What would happen if the world lost all electric power? How would your character and society as a whole stand the test? With the power outages we have faced and after learning that even with solar I am still not immune to outtages, I found the premise of this book kept my mind spinning long after I finished. P.S. If you like strong women leaders, you'll find this especially satisfying.My honest review made possible by an advanced copy from the publisher

I am reading this story in the middle of coronavirus pandemic when there are lockdowns, our everyday life is interrupted, things are uncertain, people are complaining....and I realized that things could be even worse. Much worse. Think what would happen if some kind of catastrophic solar storm hit us and took down most of the power grids? The developed world run on technology, so the damage resulting would be terrible. No electricity. No water. No food supplies. No internet. No googling. No wonder that there are more and more people who are following this "Be Prepared" moto because you never know...

Oh wow. I devoured this one. The narrator was great. I loved this hero but more than that I really appreciated the strength and tenacity of the heroine. I only wish this would be a series.

Review to come :)

I’m a longtime Linda Howard fan, though I passed on the paperback when it came out. At the time, the first few pages seemed overly macho and a little forced; also, the apocalyptic theme seemed far fetched. Of course, that was pre-Covid, and given the recent CME event, the subject was suddenly much more relevant! There were a few places where character motivations could be developed more thoroughly, but overall, this turned out to be a truly thoughtful and thought-provoking read. It’s actually going to change my approach to life…even though I’m a lousy gardener!I’ve always like Howard’s writing better when she’s on her own. Nothing against Linda Jones; just my personal preference. Loved all the characters and their quirks, but I gotta say, one of my favorites was Sajack. For its few flaws, this was definitely a timely and entertaining read.

I read this book in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. Linda Howard and Linda Jones are masters at hooking you in and not letting go. I really enjoyed and connected with Sela, her shyness, yet being unwilling to stand silently by and not do anything. I thought she and Ben were a great match and I loved that the story took precedence of them jumping immediately into bed. It is a bit scary to think that this solar storm scenario is possible, and it really made me think of what we take for granted.