Stevie‘s review of Die For You (Catastrophe Series, Book 1) by Michele Mills
Post-apocalyptic Romance published by Samhain 03 May 16
The post-apocalyptic story genre offers writers a very wide scope, since there are many ways for the world (as we know it) to end, and an infinite variety of reactions characters might have to both the apocalypse and what comes after. Rachel Donnelly is one of a small number of humans immune to the new strain of Ebola, which has spread rapidly across the world, wiping out whole populations in its wake. When it becomes apparent that there’s no rescue party going to show up and evacuate her from her family home in San Diego, Rachel sets out across country, only to run into first a road block, and then two other survivors, only one of whom seems likely to last more than a few more minutes – he’s been infected and appears in the final stages of the disease.
Fortunately, the man still standing is a marine – and also immune to the virus. Adam Sanchez has done everything he could for the victims at his base, and now he’s on a similar mission to Rachel, albeit in a more suitable vehicle for the terrain. The pair join forces and discover that not all those who made it through the epidemic alive are people they want to get to know. On the other hand, there’s plenty of suitable farms out there for them to try and set up home – and the public libraries have plenty of printed resources they can refer to now that the internet is no more.
Another pair of survivors – a biologist and an ex-con travelling together in the requisitioned tour bus of a deceased rock band – have had the same idea, and are searching the books in the same library as our heroes. So now there are four of them, and they have a destination in mind. So far so good. My big stumbling block with this book is that it just isn’t long enough to do justice to both the post-apocalyptic set-up and the romance plot. Two entirely separate romances might have worked, but what we get instead is two guys attracted to the same woman, but both determined to make decisions on her behalf and without consulting her.
First Adam decides that he’s too big and rough for sweet, innocent Rachel: especially since he’s into the idea of threesomes – if not apparently that experienced in how to make a polyamorous relationship work – while she’s never had sex with anyone before him. Then he and Trevor, the ex-con, hatch a plan to both seduce Rachel – without simply asking her how they should go about it – and end up getting too drunk to be either useful or ornamental.
Meanwhile, other survivors beyond the boundaries of the farm our heroes are attempting to live off have plans to kidnap Rachel – since fewer women than men appear to have survived the outbreak – and also, again, because they think she’s too sweet and innocent to make decisions for herself.
I would have liked to see more about the difficulties of surviving in a world with few modern conveniences, even though I had some doubts about the science behind the survivors’ immunity, and less macho posturing and jockeying for Rachel’s attention from the other survivors. Maybe if the series continues with another publisher that might just happen, but I’m not going to hold my breath while I wait for one to pick up this series in the wake of Samhain’s apparent upcoming demise.
Grade: C
Summary:
Two months after a virus took out civilization, Rachel Donnelly is the last living soul in California, as far as she can tell. Until she runs into a Marine sniper, battle-hardened but alive and healthy.
Adam Sanchez would love nothing more than a slamming session of I-can’t-believe-we’re-alive post-apocalyptic sex in the back of his Hummer. But Rachel’s fragility, inexperience—and much younger age—hold him back from exposing her to his raw, aggressive sexuality. If anything, Rachel needs protection. Especially from himself.
As they band together with other survivors to battle feral animals, violent ex-cons, and motorcycle clubs jockeying for power, Rachel grows stronger in mind, body, and spirit—strong enough to give the dangerously sexy Marine what they both crave.
The power of their passion rocks Adam’s world, bringing him to his knees—which, he discovers too late, is the worst possible place to be when danger springs from the shadows.
Warning: Contains a sexy Marine, a tattooed ex-con, a girl who blossoms into a sexually assured young woman, laughter despite the pain, m/f/m ménage, hope, love, and more bad language and violence than are strictly necessary.
Read an excerpt.
