It only took four years for the world to fall apart.Now the last member of my family has died, and I’m forced to travel across what’s left of three states to find the only people I know left alive. To survive, I’ll have to salvage food and supplies and try to avoid violent men who’ve learned they can take what they want by force. The only way I’m going to make it is by trusting Travis.Travis used … Travis.
Travis used to fix my car, and now he’s all I have left in the world. He’s gruff and stoic and unfriendly, and I don’t really know or like him. But he’s all I have left. He’ll keep me safe. We’ll take care of each other. Until we reach what’s left of our town and can finally let go of one another.
Last Light is a standalone post-apocalyptic romance set in the near future after a global catastrophe.
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Reread:
Oh my gosh! While I had not forgotten one intense moment of this story, I had forgotten how totally I loved and connected with this heroine! I knew that she was definitely one of my favorites, but not all the reasons for it. This author is the main reason as she developed her in such a way that I couldn’t help but feel a total and complete connection.
I loved rereading what was already one of my favorite books. This is one that should be on everyone’s list if they enjoy post-apocalyptic romances. So glad I took the time to dive back into this one for a reading challenge!
Original review:
Holy heck! Forget about post-apocalyptic stories that are all about world building, this is what I want. Last Light is all about the struggle, the survival, the emotions, and falling in love when the world is screaming that should be the last thing you should be thinking about.
It’s been four years since the end of the world. While Layne’s community slowly dwindled, she choose to stay behind to care for her dying grandmother. Now she’s determined to find those that might have survived and hopefully find some kind of connection in this new world. But life has reverted back to a time of lawlessness and women are even more vulnerable. No one can be trusted, not even the man that her grandparents said was a good man.
’Things I’ve always taken for granted – like normal people acting in normal ways – can’t be relied on anymore.’
From the first page I was completely hooked and could not stop reading. This author painted a clear, perfect picture of not only what happened to end the world as we all know it, but what civilization, or the lack thereof, is like. Her simple, concise descriptions sucked me in immediately and I felt the dark weight of this life as though I were living it myself.
With each page, each word, my emotions became tangled up in Layne’s. I’ve never felt such an emotional connection to a heroine before. Not because of anything I have in common with her, but because she was so real. Talk about character development! I felt everything Layne felt and as a result my emotions were all over the place along with hers.
While this is written entirely in Layne’s point of view, I couldn’t help but fall in love with Travis. With a southern, unrefined drawl that thickens when it’s obvious he’s feeling deeply, it didn’t take long for Travis to steal my heart. Although he’s a bit shy and uncertain, that doesn’t stop him from protecting Layne above all else. He was so sweet and kind but ferocious when it came to her safety. And oh my gosh, when I reached the end, my heart bled for him even as I cried for this simple country man who deserved so much but couldn’t see it for himself.
”Sometimes we gotta cry ‘bout the smaller things because the big things are just too big.”
This couple go through a lot from the first to the last page. I was intrigued, I was fearful, I laughed and I cried. This author took my every emotion and tossed them into a spin cycle before spitting them back out at me. To say I’m gob smacked is an understatement. I hate that I can’t find all the beautiful words to describe what an amazing story this is.
You know that adrenaline surge you get when you finish THE most incredible book? This is that book!
’And love might be the biggest risk of all at the end of the world.’
This was the perfect read for me at the start of quarantine….it’s “post-apocalyptic” without being too dark. 100% escapist romance and I LOVED IT!!
Dystopian romances can be difficult, but I really liked this one.
2nd read: 2021
1st read : 2019
I was so happy when I discovered that this writer had decided to publish another book under her penname ‘Claire Kent’!! Because her stories under her other penname ‘Noelle Adams’ are more popular and successful, she decided to stop writing under the penname ‘Claire Kent’ some time ago and to focus on her more popular books. But I’m delighted that she changed her mind for this one book because I enjoyed it very much. Normally, I don’t really read post-apocalyptic romance stories but I made an exception for this one.
Four years ago a meteorite fall on earth, the impact didn’t only wipe away many countries in Europe. No! It also caused natural catastrophes in the rest of the world. Now, the survivors are all thrown back to basic life. Which means, that there is no longer a government or the police to protect you. Everyone wants to survive and there are no rules anymore. You are on your own and especially for women, these are difficult times. Trusting someone has become a dangerous thing. When her last family member dies, Lydia knows that she has to find protection. But to find that, she has to travel a long way on dangerous routes. But she’s not the only member of her town that is traveling that way. She’s lucky to find a good companion in Travis. He may be silent and gruff but he will protect her and he doesn’t demand anything in return from her. But the more time they spend together, the more Lydia wish Travis would ask favours from her. Because in a hard world, where dead and fear are everyday events, you sometimes long for something else. A warm body, hands and lips to let you forget that you are now surviving and not living anymore. But what will they do when they find what they were searching for? Will they part or stay together?
The story is told from Lydia’s POV. She may be a lot younger then Travis but she acted very mature. The focus of the story is mostly on the couple and how they survive in this ‘new’ world but throughout the story, you can the hope of a better life in little things and I love that. Of course, it’s not a light story, people are surviving here but it’s also not an extreme dark story. It’s somewhere in the middle. Perfect for me.
Just like in Claire Kent’s other books that I have read, I fell for the man character. The writer writes men, who are basically deep down good guys, they may not say much but they show it in little things and in how protective they are about their women. And Travis was all that. I liked the way that he was shy about some things. But I really liked the fact that he respected Lydia’s opinions very much. Lydia’s character was also very likeable. She was loyal and didn’t whine about things. She was down to earth and strong in her own way. I really liked the plotline and how the story ended. I’m sure that I will reread this story in the future.
This is a perfect book. It has danger, survival and a love story that left me sighing throughout the book. The world has been rocked by disaster leaving Layne alone after her last loved one dies in the aftermath. In the years since it happened Layne has learned how to survive by being suspicious and guarded. That’s why she isn’t quick to embrace someone she once knew from her old hometown. Travis was the mechanic who had worked on her car. Her dad had told her he was a good man back then but Layne hasn’t seen any good men since the disaster. This is their story and (big sigh) what a great one it is.
This was just the kind of Post-Apocalyptic story I want to read, it was the perfect escape from the usual romances I read. The Author did a great job creating a believable scenario with the right romance thrown in. Through Layne and Travis struggles, you learned a lot about their character, their stories made you “feel” the emotions of love and loss and the overwhelming hope for a better tomorrow.
This is a very interesting book, since it is about a dystopian world and it is pure Claire Kent (the pen name of Noelle Adams – one of my favorite authors!). This book is edgy and brings a new dimensional for the new world stories. No electricity in this world and people are angry and dangerous. Layne is just trying to survive and after her grandmother’s death she is ready to leave her hometown after 4 years an asteroyd has fallen into earth and changed all the enviroment. She is brave to face this new world and find a safe place to start again. She reconnects with Travis and because they are living in a dangerous world, initially they distrust each other, but in time the trust and connection between them is build and we get to know these wonderful characters and their story.
Claire Kent brings an adventure with romance and she is susccesful in putting a very human side in this story, it is not just a romance, it is a story that makes you think about and understand these characters.
I have a difficult time resisting a post-apocalyptic romance novel. There is just something about the going back to basics state of the world that really appeals to me. Material things that are important in normal times don’t mean anything when you are trying to survive a disaster. During these times, groups of people turn on each other and can act like monsters. You don’t know who you can trust and what you’ll have to do to survive. I love the unpredictability of the situation and the growth the characters will go through.
Last Light by Claire Kent was a great book and it kept me interested until the end. Even though the main character Layne is young, she really stepped up and did a great job in adjusting to the new world. She was strong and independent and I enjoyed getting to know her. However, I also liked that the author was able to capture her innocence in certain situations. You could feel that she was young and had to grow up faster than she would’ve had to if earth wasn’t hit by a disaster. Travis is a good man and wants to protect Layne. I really liked how they met and how they both handled the situation. It was nice seeing these two individuals growing closer together. The pacing was great and I can’t continue without saying that the sex scenes were really hot. I really enjoyed this book and I think fans of this genre will as well.