Embers
- Downloads：8191
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-08-11 04:19:45
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Claire Kent
- ISBN：B0B1YNXZXX
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Kim
，
“Last Light” is still my favorite， but this one exceeded expectations。 I hope there’s an audio version for this one and the previous two soon。
Lisa H
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Ember to a blaze。。。I did like Embers。 Ok， it does have a lot of tropes， post apocalytic， major age gap （like Cal is her bf Derek's father） forced proximity， cabin in the woods。 Rachel is forced to survive with her deceased boyfriend's dad， Cal。 Cal is very uncommunicative （like he doesn't talk to her at one point）。 Cal has a major Jones for Rachel， which she is unaware of， as he pushes her away repeatedly。 Their relationship does evolve and you can see just how immature Rachel is， but she grow a Ember to a blaze。。。I did like Embers。 Ok， it does have a lot of tropes， post apocalytic， major age gap （like Cal is her bf Derek's father） forced proximity， cabin in the woods。 Rachel is forced to survive with her deceased boyfriend's dad， Cal。 Cal is very uncommunicative （like he doesn't talk to her at one point）。 Cal has a major Jones for Rachel， which she is unaware of， as he pushes her away repeatedly。 Their relationship does evolve and you can see just how immature Rachel is， but she grow a bit。 Liking this series。 。。。more
Crystal Quiroz
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Disappointed I've been looking forward to this story。 The "dead boy friends dad turned mercenary duo" thing was really interesting to me。 I am very disappointed。 About 51% in I stopped and wrote this review， and I'm debating on whether to keep going。 The first half kind of seems rushed。 We jump forward in pieces of time so we quickly come up to 5 years after impact。 That's OK， but it reads like a diary entry。 We are told about the MMC， we are told about their interactions， we are told about the Disappointed I've been looking forward to this story。 The "dead boy friends dad turned mercenary duo" thing was really interesting to me。 I am very disappointed。 About 51% in I stopped and wrote this review， and I'm debating on whether to keep going。 The first half kind of seems rushed。 We jump forward in pieces of time so we quickly come up to 5 years after impact。 That's OK， but it reads like a diary entry。 We are told about the MMC， we are told about their interactions， we are told about the FMC。 We only get to actually see interactions every so often， so I honestly don't get a good read on who these people are。 Which， again， is an ok way to recap and jump around in time， but if you do too much telling and not enough showing， the audience dissociates from the characters and the story。So when he starts in on the "I'm not a good man" and the "push and pull" part of their relationship where he comes to terms with everything， I just rolled my eyes。 It felt dramatic for no reason。 Not just from him， which is expected from someone who laments they aren't good enough， but from her as well。 When he needs space and goes on an errand that should only take a few hours， she falls to the floor sobbing the next morning because she thinks he's dead。 Where is this drama coming from？ Where is this reaction coming from？ Her reactions are larger than the circumstances generating them and seem incongruous with her practical character。 Why wouldn't she pack up and go find him？ That's what I would expect from a character who survived 5 years into an apocalypse。 Most of the book up until the half way mark is relationship drama and it's not even that well written or explained。 Where is the mercenary work？ Where is the work to help other people？ Why is that so far into the book when we've seen these characters in those situations already？The author should have backed off the drama and had the character building/expositions during post apocalyptic work like in her other books in this series。 Post apocalypse mercenaries， dead boyfriends dad training her and putting her to work （from the beginning of the book）， would have been such a fun and fresh premise。 They could have fallen in love during missions and we could have seen a different post apocalypse occupation besides "survivor" and "helper"。Such a missed opportunity。 。。。more
Amy
，
AngstSo much angst！ Cal REALLY struggled with the fact that Rachel was his son’s girlfriend in the beginning （that’s how they met - when Cal rescued Rachel and his son from a riot）。 He felt so guilty for so long and didn’t think he deserved Rachel’s love or to have any happiness， so there was a lot of push/pull despite how in love he was with her。 I teared up every time Rachel cried and my heart broke with hers。 Rachel was such a strong character。 She was young， but she knew exactly what she wan AngstSo much angst！ Cal REALLY struggled with the fact that Rachel was his son’s girlfriend in the beginning （that’s how they met - when Cal rescued Rachel and his son from a riot）。 He felt so guilty for so long and didn’t think he deserved Rachel’s love or to have any happiness， so there was a lot of push/pull despite how in love he was with her。 I teared up every time Rachel cried and my heart broke with hers。 Rachel was such a strong character。 She was young， but she knew exactly what she wanted， she learned how to survive with others and on her own， and she was also kind， compassionate， and soft in private settings。 I loved her character so much！ Spicy level 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 Heartfelt HEA Overall story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I think we’ll be seeing more of Cal and Rachel in the next book， so there’s no extended epilogue， which is exciting！ 。。。more
Liz
，
Might just be my favoriteIt's tough to decide， and I suppose I really don't have to， but this might just be my favorite book in this side series （outside of Last Light which started it all）。 I didn't expect to fall in love so hard with Cal and Rachel， but these characters really came to life for me。 There was much relatable heartbreak， insecurity， curiosity， guilt， and finally hope。 It was endearing。 Cal was gruff but so beaten down。 I loved how much he put Rachel first， even when he made a bad Might just be my favoriteIt's tough to decide， and I suppose I really don't have to， but this might just be my favorite book in this side series （outside of Last Light which started it all）。 I didn't expect to fall in love so hard with Cal and Rachel， but these characters really came to life for me。 There was much relatable heartbreak， insecurity， curiosity， guilt， and finally hope。 It was endearing。 Cal was gruff but so beaten down。 I loved how much he put Rachel first， even when he made a bad judgement call， he wanted only good things for her and that was always what was driving him。 I love this series so much。 So glad I came across Last Light and all the amazing couples and stories that Claire has created in this world since then。 。。。more
Simone Haeseler
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Great story， great writing， loved it
Rachel Grant
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4🌟2。5🌶TROPES: age gap， apocalyptic， forced proximity， mountain cabin vibes， ex boyfriends dad， grumpy rugged mountain heroCal & Rachel gave me every dang feeling。 Since this is told in only Rachel’s pov （which let me say since that’s my name it always threw me off when reading it lol） we don’t know what Cal is ever thinking。 We are only seen who he is & how he acts through Rachel’s eyes。 While sometimes this can bug me， I found that it added so much more emotion & angst to the story。 Very simila 4🌟2。5🌶TROPES: age gap， apocalyptic， forced proximity， mountain cabin vibes， ex boyfriends dad， grumpy rugged mountain heroCal & Rachel gave me every dang feeling。 Since this is told in only Rachel’s pov （which let me say since that’s my name it always threw me off when reading it lol） we don’t know what Cal is ever thinking。 We are only seen who he is & how he acts through Rachel’s eyes。 While sometimes this can bug me， I found that it added so much more emotion & angst to the story。 Very similar to how Mariana Zapata books are for me。 Cal is your sexy， bearded， grumpy rough around the edges man who can be hella intimating。 This does take place over several years but since it’s a shorter novella length story the pacing was well done。 I felt like there was always a purpose or some kind of development we were meant to see when learning about the years since Rachel found herself living with Cal up in the secluded mountain。 The plot and romantic relationship was enjoyable， I was invested in the from the beginning。 This was a quick read for me & I felt like it was a solid story even though it is on the shorter side of length。 Highly recommend！ I really enjoyed their story & I’m excited to go back to the start of this series。 This was also my first Claire Kent book so I’ll be picking up more from her as well！ 。。。more
Elizabeth ☕️
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This is gonna be a very hard review to write。 I was in love with this book until I skipped ahead and find out after they both fall in love with each other。 The Hero （cal） DITCHES HER！ Yup， completely leaves her with a group of people and doesn’t come back until 6 MONTH LATER… and you wanna know his reasoning？ He wanted her to find someone ELSE！ It’s like the author tried to pull an Edward and Bella from twilight 💀He’s gone for the majority of the end of the book！And the heroine ends up forgiving This is gonna be a very hard review to write。 I was in love with this book until I skipped ahead and find out after they both fall in love with each other。 The Hero （cal） DITCHES HER！ Yup， completely leaves her with a group of people and doesn’t come back until 6 MONTH LATER… and you wanna know his reasoning？ He wanted her to find someone ELSE！ It’s like the author tried to pull an Edward and Bella from twilight 💀He’s gone for the majority of the end of the book！And the heroine ends up forgiving him immediately when he comes back。 You expect me to believe this man loves her？！ I was so excited for this book… especially hearing it had a virgin h。 I’m simply not going to rate this book since I Dnf。 I really love Last Light， really disappointed 。。。more
Freida
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I loveeeee this author and Haven is one of my top books of the year but when a heroine has to practically beg the hero to be with her and doesn't even make him grovel for leaving her behind it's just not gonna work for me。 I loveeeee this author and Haven is one of my top books of the year but when a heroine has to practically beg the hero to be with her and doesn't even make him grovel for leaving her behind it's just not gonna work for me。 。。。more
Louise Ryan
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I love this series， it’s not my usual preference but it’s so well written that it’s easy to fall into the dystopian world and not want to leave。 Rachel and Cal seem a strange pairing and Cal certainly agrees throughout the book but they work well， a combination of their situation and genuine attraction and affection。 It’s a bumpy road to their HEA but I enjoyed travelling it and catching up with past characters along the way。
Charde Jackson
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FINALLY！！！！Super stoked to read this book in the series。 It did not disappoint！！！ Cal and Rachel had a complex relationship post Apocalypse。 This book was soo good。 Loved getting to know Cal and Rachel and their complex backgrounds。 All the sizzle and heat for the smexy times and it was great seeing old friends！！！
Adria
，
another awesome apocalypse couple I’m really enjoying this series！ Who knew an apocalypse could be so fun and， dare I say it， sexy？！ So there are age gap romances and there are AGE GAP romances， and this is the latter。 Under normal circumstances， I would feel icky about it， but these circumstances are far from normal！ Cal and Rachel have a special relationship， and I really liked the way their partnership， separation， and reunion were all handled。 “It doesn’t take an apocalypse to change someone another awesome apocalypse couple I’m really enjoying this series！ Who knew an apocalypse could be so fun and， dare I say it， sexy？！ So there are age gap romances and there are AGE GAP romances， and this is the latter。 Under normal circumstances， I would feel icky about it， but these circumstances are far from normal！ Cal and Rachel have a special relationship， and I really liked the way their partnership， separation， and reunion were all handled。 “It doesn’t take an apocalypse to change someone’s heart。” So excellent。 I’m just loving all of these couples and I can’t wait for the story featuring Mack and Anna！ 。。。more
Ceara
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Another virgin h。
Kerry
，
Wow！！ I was glued to this story from the moment I started it。 There is something about this Kindled word that really drags me in。 I'll admit that this kind of trope is probably not one that I would normally gravitate to， but in this world it just fits。 I also really loved how the author handled it。 Cal and Rachel are perfection， and I thought their relationship felt very natural。 There is so much emotion in this story， and I'll admit I cried more than once。 Their journey is so heartfelt and ther Wow！！ I was glued to this story from the moment I started it。 There is something about this Kindled word that really drags me in。 I'll admit that this kind of trope is probably not one that I would normally gravitate to， but in this world it just fits。 I also really loved how the author handled it。 Cal and Rachel are perfection， and I thought their relationship felt very natural。 There is so much emotion in this story， and I'll admit I cried more than once。 Their journey is so heartfelt and there is such a heartwarming payoff at the end。 I loved every minute！ We do see many familiar faces （I was hoping for more Grant and Olivia than we received， but I'm greedy like that） and I think it set up Mack and Anna's story well。 I am SO excited for it！！ 。。。more
❤️Emma Book Lover ❤️
，
3。5 starsAfter reading the other books set in this world I had to get my hands on Cal’s and Rachel book。 We’ve been teased with their relationship for a while now and that made this couple even more interesting。Main tropes here are age gap， survival， post-apocalyptic setting and lots of steam。We get to see how their relationship started ， how it evolved in what tuned out to be a partnership and later on a romance。Cal is closed up pretty much the entire book。 He’s struggling with his desire for h 3。5 starsAfter reading the other books set in this world I had to get my hands on Cal’s and Rachel book。 We’ve been teased with their relationship for a while now and that made this couple even more interesting。Main tropes here are age gap， survival， post-apocalyptic setting and lots of steam。We get to see how their relationship started ， how it evolved in what tuned out to be a partnership and later on a romance。Cal is closed up pretty much the entire book。 He’s struggling with his desire for his dead son girlfriend and pushes her away at every turn， but he is always there when Rachel needed him。Rachel is the main pursuer of their relationship， he is the only thing in the worl she has left close to a family and holds onto this with a tight grip。 I appreciated her character as an individual although at times she came of as very needy。I wanted to shake some sense into Cal some many time， but I understood where he came off， it was a 20 years different between the two and he decided he knew best， so acted a bit silly considering all they shared together。Lots of previous characters are the supporting cast for this couple ， and I enjoyed reading about how their life evolved after their hea。Overall this series is pretty captivating and steamy and I enjoy Claire’s Kent storytelling。 I received this Arc from Netgalley ， all thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Elspeth
，
I LOVED this book。 I generally do not like dystopian anything but I read book 2 （Haven） for a reading challenge and I also gave that one 5 stars。。 This one is even better， IMHO。 It takes place after an asteroid impact， and there are few humans who are trying to work together to survive。 This book is Cal and Rachel's story。 Cal has been living off the grid in Kentucky， and his son Derek （who is the product of a one night stand and the mother barely gave him access to） comes to stay with him and b I LOVED this book。 I generally do not like dystopian anything but I read book 2 （Haven） for a reading challenge and I also gave that one 5 stars。。 This one is even better， IMHO。 It takes place after an asteroid impact， and there are few humans who are trying to work together to survive。 This book is Cal and Rachel's story。 Cal has been living off the grid in Kentucky， and his son Derek （who is the product of a one night stand and the mother barely gave him access to） comes to stay with him and brings his girlfriend， Rachel。 Derek dies relatively early on， by one of the diseases that have been happening in this new world。 Rachel and Cal stay on together trying to survive for a couple of years。 About 3 years after Derek dies， Rachel and Cal start becoming interested in each other。 Serious Birthday Girl vibes。 But he doesn't feel worthy and it's a hard slog for them to move from roommates to lovers。 After awhile they are visiting New Haven， the farm that figures prominently in previous books， and finally tell each other they are in love。 （view spoiler）[ The next day Cal leaves Rachel has to put herself back together and learn to live without him。 （hide spoiler）]。Cal comes back to help the group help others， and they're thrown together again。 They need to see if they can move on after his desertion 。 What a love story， interspersed with meeting new survivors of the impact， attacks from people trying to steal the supplies they have， and Rachel growing up and having more adult experiences。 I adored these two and will definitely be reading the rest of the series。I received a promotional copy from Netgalley and though I would have read it either way， am leaving an honest， very positive review！ 。。。more
Sheila
，
Initially a bit wary of the premise of this book， but on reading it all makes sense， with so much depth and emotion involved between them making it feel right。 The relationship wasn’t rushed – it was the very epitome of slow burning。 This is beautifully written with believable engaging characters learning to navigate and co-operate in a post-apocalyptic world。 There are passages where the passion and longing literally drops off the page。 Absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read more set Initially a bit wary of the premise of this book， but on reading it all makes sense， with so much depth and emotion involved between them making it feel right。 The relationship wasn’t rushed – it was the very epitome of slow burning。 This is beautifully written with believable engaging characters learning to navigate and co-operate in a post-apocalyptic world。 There are passages where the passion and longing literally drops off the page。 Absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read more set in this world。 。。。more
Jean
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This is book three in The Kindled Series and it is Cal and Rachel's Story and omg it is definitely a must read。 Wow this series just gets better and better with each book that is written and it was a real page turner and so addictive that I couldn't put it down and you felt so many emotions as if you were there living through everything with them。 Cal is an ex con， grief and doesn't show any emotions of feelings so when his son does he takes over the protection and care of keeping Rachel who was This is book three in The Kindled Series and it is Cal and Rachel's Story and omg it is definitely a must read。 Wow this series just gets better and better with each book that is written and it was a real page turner and so addictive that I couldn't put it down and you felt so many emotions as if you were there living through everything with them。 Cal is an ex con， grief and doesn't show any emotions of feelings so when his son does he takes over the protection and care of keeping Rachel who was his son's girlfriend safe and alive。 Rachel is strong but after her boyfriend died she is lonely and realised that she will have to be careful and keep herself safe while travelling with Cal as the world is a dangerous place and they will have to travel together but you can feel Rachel's loneliness coming off the pages and you just want to reach through and give her a big hug and tell her that everything will be okay and you also find yourself hoping that they can sort out all there differences and problems between them and communicate more to solve how they really feel about each other regardless of the age difference。 I absolutely loved this book and the outcome was just what I was hoping for them and I can't wait to read more book's in this amazing series。 Claire Kent is an amazing author and writer and she certainly knows how to keep her reader's attention and hanging on the edge of their seats while holding your breath and I definitely recommend you read this book， series and other book's by her and you will not be disappointed。I Voluntarily Reviewed a Copy of This Book。 。。。more
Jessica （the naptime writer）
，
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC。 All opinions provided are my own。Claire Kent is giving us so much post apocalyptic romance this year & I’m grateful for it。 I’m such a fan of how she captures a post-asteroid world， where there's so much sadness and uncertainty but love is still possible。Embers flirts with forbidden love， featuring Rachel， who’s in her early 20s & Cal， who’s in his mid-40s or so & happens to be her former boyfriend’s grumpy father。Their relationsh Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC。 All opinions provided are my own。Claire Kent is giving us so much post apocalyptic romance this year & I’m grateful for it。 I’m such a fan of how she captures a post-asteroid world， where there's so much sadness and uncertainty but love is still possible。Embers flirts with forbidden love， featuring Rachel， who’s in her early 20s & Cal， who’s in his mid-40s or so & happens to be her former boyfriend’s grumpy father。Their relationship goes through quite an arc throughout the book， with them meeting when Rachel is 17 & her boyfriend still alive， to the two of them living alone & becoming closer， to becoming something more—a span of 5+ years。Despite the progression of their physical relationship （or maybe because of it？） Kent ramps up the angst in this one。While there’s so much to enjoy about Embers—the voice， the heroine becoming more independent as the book progresses， and the story of two lonely people connecting， in general the premise is not my fave， especially since Rachel is 17 when she first moves into Cal’s home。 Nothing physical or romantic happens until Rachel is 22， but I’m kind of with Cal in this one: the potential power dynamics are somewhat troubling here。 I just wish some of the details had been written differently because the way they *are* written it doesn’t feel like they’re on totally equal footing—something Cal suggests。Not to mention that there’s a speech Cal makes when Rachel is 22， referencing his feelings for her & their history together， that gives me somewhat ick， uncomfortable vibes。While Embers isn’t an unreserved win for me I am excited about the author’s next release in December。3。5 ⭐️。 Out 08/09。Lots of CWs including death， violence。 。。。more
Carvanz
，
Wow！ This story absolutely sizzled！！I’m not a huge fan of the older man， younger woman trope and in this case， the older man is actually the younger woman’s boyfriend’s father！ I couldn’t wait to find out how this author was going to make this relationship work， for the reader， to the point of a happy ending。 The journey Rachel and Cal made to get there was amazing。 I was so caught up in their story， I couldn’t put this down and read it straight through。There is definitely a lot of angst here， b Wow！ This story absolutely sizzled！！I’m not a huge fan of the older man， younger woman trope and in this case， the older man is actually the younger woman’s boyfriend’s father！ I couldn’t wait to find out how this author was going to make this relationship work， for the reader， to the point of a happy ending。 The journey Rachel and Cal made to get there was amazing。 I was so caught up in their story， I couldn’t put this down and read it straight through。There is definitely a lot of angst here， but there were also moments when they were building a relationship and they didn’t even realize it。 I loved watching them fall in love。 And the smexy times here were nuclear。 The heat between Rachel and Cal was absolutely off the charts。 The restrictions that Cal placed between them set about a series of scenes that had me reaching for a fan and a cold glass of tea。 I really enjoyed this addition to this post-apocalyptic world and I cannot wait for the next book！Heroine POVSafe （view spoiler）[h virgin; H not a manwhore， there is no cheating as h’s boyfriend is no longer in the picture when she gets together with the father; there is no ow/om drama; h kisses and starts to make out with other man in an attempt to get back at the H but soon realizes that she is hurting herself more than H and stops things - H was no where around and unaware she was with other man （hide spoiler）]Triggers （view spoiler）[no apparent triggers although there is a scene where the intent to rape is evident - nothing happens （hide spoiler）]Steam （view spoiler）[ 100 / 5 ; explicit; no condoms as there are none - they use withdrawal method （hide spoiler）]["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]> 。。。more
Tracey
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I read this series out of order but am definitely going back to read them all。 I loved this story Rachel is living with her boyfriend and his mother after an apocalypse his mother dies and Derek gets sick。 Where they are living is getting more dangerous so they decided to move on to find Derek's dad they end up at Cal's cabin。 This story had everything even though it was short it never felt rushed， I felt so much for Rachel her loneliness and sadness made me mad at Cal and I did find him frustra I read this series out of order but am definitely going back to read them all。 I loved this story Rachel is living with her boyfriend and his mother after an apocalypse his mother dies and Derek gets sick。 Where they are living is getting more dangerous so they decided to move on to find Derek's dad they end up at Cal's cabin。 This story had everything even though it was short it never felt rushed， I felt so much for Rachel her loneliness and sadness made me mad at Cal and I did find him frustrating。 I would have liked a chapter or two from his pov I think that would have helped me understand him better。 In the end I loved their romance and I want to read more in this world。 Highly recommend this one thanks to netgalley and the author for letting me read this。 。。。more
Ornella
，
*Thank you Netgallery and Claire Kent for the arc of this book。 All opinions are my own* This book really hit the spot for me。 I just love when an author can sell me an age gap romance。 So many fail， but Claire Kent gets it right。 I really enjoy the Kindled series overall。When I first began the series， with "Haven"， I went in with no expectations and then I was basically blown away by how good it was and by how much I enjoyed it。 The apocalyptic scenario is an interesting one and what I also lik *Thank you Netgallery and Claire Kent for the arc of this book。 All opinions are my own* This book really hit the spot for me。 I just love when an author can sell me an age gap romance。 So many fail， but Claire Kent gets it right。 I really enjoy the Kindled series overall。When I first began the series， with "Haven"， I went in with no expectations and then I was basically blown away by how good it was and by how much I enjoyed it。 The apocalyptic scenario is an interesting one and what I also liked was that， for me， it still maintains a low anxiety factor while reading。 So， I was really excited to read this new entry。I have to say， sometimes I struggle with 1st pov writing but never in Claire Kent's books。I absolutely adored the domestic atmosphere in "Embers"。 Them staying up the mountain， taking care of chores everyday， not being able to go outside during winter because of the cold temperatures， when they slept in the same the bed and shared body heat to fight the cold。 And the hot bits。。。 Arghh soo good。 These books are quickly becoming comfort rereads for me。 And I'm gonna be rereading this one as well。 It was a difficult dynamic， with a big age gap of 20 years， and he was the father of her boyfriend （who dies） and I appreciate that Cal was very very conflicted for a long time。 Maybe Rachel was a bit immature at times but whatever， for me， it wasn't that bad。 I think there are a few parts and mentions here and there that will make more sense if you've been following the series however。 I definitely recommend it。 Do yourself a favor and after finishing this book， go back to read the entire series， starting from "Haven"， a sort of spin off， and then starting from book one "Last light"， which is another great entry with an age gap trope。Can't wait to read the next installment， "Hero" coming out in December。 。。。more
romancelibrary
，
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。When the world ends， Rachel and her boyfriend Derek have no choice but to turn to Derek's ex-con father for shelter and safety。 When Derek dies， Rachel is stuck with Derek's father， Cal， and she really doesn't like his mean and rough manners。To start off， this is an age gap romance with a taboo element。 The age gap here is 20 years， which is beyond what I'm usually comfortable with。 But Claire Kent makes it work。 Context， the char I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。When the world ends， Rachel and her boyfriend Derek have no choice but to turn to Derek's ex-con father for shelter and safety。 When Derek dies， Rachel is stuck with Derek's father， Cal， and she really doesn't like his mean and rough manners。To start off， this is an age gap romance with a taboo element。 The age gap here is 20 years， which is beyond what I'm usually comfortable with。 But Claire Kent makes it work。 Context， the characters， their background， and the overall setting help sell this age gap romance。 Rachel is 100% sure about her feelings for Cal， but he has realistic hangups about 1） their age gap and 2） him not deserving her。 The relationship development is exceptionally well done， especially for a novella。 Rachel starts off hating Cal， but after she's forced to live with him， she begins to see him differently。 The forced proximity is absolutely delicious。 The build up of chemistry and tension is 🔥 Claire Kent heroes are the grumpy and silent type and this applies to Cal as well。 But I'd say that Cal opens up a lot more quickly when compared to Grant from Princess。 Cal also has his moments of idiocy， but he does a good job groveling and putting Rachel's safety and comfort above everything else。 Embers packs a few emotional punches， but the HEA makes the angst worth it。 And like always， I need more and more stories set in this world。 I can't wait for Mack and Anna！ 。。。more
Cassie
，
Thank you for changing my thoughts on this trope ~ I am really enjoying the Kindled series！
Leigh
，
4。5 starsEmbers is book 3 in the Kindled series and my favorite so far。 The story begins one year after Impact with Rachel living with her boyfriend Derek and his mother。 Unfortunately， his mother dies， and the streets become very dangerous so they decide to leave and go to his dad's home。 Once they decide to leave， they are confronted with dangerous men but lucky for them Cal is heading their way and takes them up the mountain。 Sadly， tragedy strikes again and Derek dies leaving Cal and Rachel 4。5 starsEmbers is book 3 in the Kindled series and my favorite so far。 The story begins one year after Impact with Rachel living with her boyfriend Derek and his mother。 Unfortunately， his mother dies， and the streets become very dangerous so they decide to leave and go to his dad's home。 Once they decide to leave， they are confronted with dangerous men but lucky for them Cal is heading their way and takes them up the mountain。 Sadly， tragedy strikes again and Derek dies leaving Cal and Rachel together。 I loved this book so much and my favorite romances in this genre are when an unlikely couple becomes each other's everything。 I loved watching them grow closer as the years pass。 Rachel eventually decides it's Cal she wants but he really takes a long time due to his past and the fact that she is so much younger and his son's girlfriend。 Cal makes a decision that really upset me， but I was able to forgive him as did Rachel because he really is a wonderful man。 I can't wait for the next book。 ***I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own*** 。。。more
Deborah
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3。5*I’m loving this series but that said this was my least favourite one so far。 I was intrigued by Cal and Rachel and I’ve even hoping we’d get their story but…Now Cal is Rachel’s ex-boyfriends father。 This didn’t actually bother me that much。 Her and Derek were best friends not lovers。 Plus Cal hadn’t really featured in his life which made it easier。So I got over that much， much quicker than Cal did。I understood his struggle I really did。 I liked him so much and I liked him for Rachel。What I d 3。5*I’m loving this series but that said this was my least favourite one so far。 I was intrigued by Cal and Rachel and I’ve even hoping we’d get their story but…Now Cal is Rachel’s ex-boyfriends father。 This didn’t actually bother me that much。 Her and Derek were best friends not lovers。 Plus Cal hadn’t really featured in his life which made it easier。So I got over that much， much quicker than Cal did。I understood his struggle I really did。 I liked him so much and I liked him for Rachel。What I didn’t like was their early intimate scenes。 I can’t say exactly what I didn’t like but I found them cringy。 I had no issue with them getting together I’d been trying to hurry them up。 I think it was the dialogue。 Whatever it was it wasn’t working for me。 But then I kept reading and as the story progressed I enjoyed it more。 By the time it had finished I’d almost forgotten I hadn’t liked parts of it。So bring on Hero。 Mack and Anna’s story is next。I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by Victory Editing and NetGalley。 。。。more
redbooks88
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Thank you to the author， Claire Kent， for an ARC of Embers in exchange for my honest review。Is it weird to say I loved being back in Claire Kent’s post-apocalyptic world again？ Despite Embers being the third in the Kindled series， and following a new couple， I always get a sense familiarity whenever I read one of Claire’s books， and this one was no exception。 In this instalment， we are following Rachel and Cal， who we have met previously， in one of the more ‘taboo’ storylines （I do love taboo）。 Thank you to the author， Claire Kent， for an ARC of Embers in exchange for my honest review。Is it weird to say I loved being back in Claire Kent’s post-apocalyptic world again？ Despite Embers being the third in the Kindled series， and following a new couple， I always get a sense familiarity whenever I read one of Claire’s books， and this one was no exception。 In this instalment， we are following Rachel and Cal， who we have met previously， in one of the more ‘taboo’ storylines （I do love taboo）。 The story begins a year after the asteroid hit， where humanity as we know it is decimated and chaos and pandemonium have erupted。 Rachel， who is 17， and her boyfriend Derek are alone， both having lost their mothers due to the asteroid in different ways。 Violence has reached their town and their only hope of survival is to leave and find Derek’s estranged father， Cal， who lives nearby in a remote area。 Leaving with only the bare minimum， they are captured during their attempted escape， only to be rescued by Cal who Rachel fears because he ‘looks mean and rough’。 Cal takes Rachel and Derek to his small， one room， derelict cabin in the middle of the wilderness， much to Rachel’s dismay。 Despite the two teenagers finding safety， Derek has been inflicted with the lung illness， which has claimed so many since the asteroid hit， and dies 9 months later， leaving Rachel and Cal alone。 Prior to his death， Derek asked his father to look after Rachel as she had no one else left。Over the next few years， Rachel and Cal learn to tolerate one-another and begin to help those around them。 His gruff and aloof nature cause Rachel to feel lonely and his preference for people to think she is his daughter confuses her。 After an innocent touch feels different， Rachel soon realises that her feelings towards Cal are changing and she no longer fears him， but rather pines for him， for his hands and for his sinful words when they are alone in his bed at night。 As with all the men in the Kindled series， Cal tires to bury his feelings for Rachel， convinced that she can do better than him， an ex-con who made bad choices in his younger years。 Cal knows she wouldn’t have picked him if the events in Europe had never transpired， and he uses this as an excuse to push Rachel away。 I was especially frustrated with Cal （compared to the heroes in the other books） because of the way he dealt with his guilt and misplaced ideology of what was best of Rachel。 I did， however， appreciate the growth Rachel was able to achieve because of his actions。 The pain was worth it for the grovelling and Cal’s attempts at wooing Rachel’s trust back， and I think I loved them as a couple even more at the end because of this。 I am excited for the next book， Hero， where we FINALLY get to see Mac and Anna’s story！ 。。。more
Zara Harper
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What can I say？！ I love dystopian/apocalyptic books and this one has extra spice！ At times the author used slightly repetitive phrases and slightly awkward terms but overall it was so good I couldn’t stop reading！ Cal was someone who I grew to love， with his gruffness yet undying loyalty。 ‘Baby’ was wonderful to watch grow into a remarkable woman as time went on。 The ‘spicy’ scenes were hot but there was a a good storyline around them！
Jenn （The Book Refuge）
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*Thank you to the author for an ARC of this title。*I am so addicted to this little End of the World series。 I was salivating to dive into the romance of Rachel and Cal and I was NOT disappointed。 Somehow Claire Kent is able to make me feel so deeply for a simple story of love in a dangerous world。The feeling of isolation and loneliness is so clear in this book。 I can feel Rachel aching for connection and her joy when she gets a taste of in and then her devastation when she gets shut out and does *Thank you to the author for an ARC of this title。*I am so addicted to this little End of the World series。 I was salivating to dive into the romance of Rachel and Cal and I was NOT disappointed。 Somehow Claire Kent is able to make me feel so deeply for a simple story of love in a dangerous world。The feeling of isolation and loneliness is so clear in this book。 I can feel Rachel aching for connection and her joy when she gets a taste of in and then her devastation when she gets shut out and doesn't know what to do。 How can she change Cal's mind when he is so determined to loathe himself for wanting her？I ached right along with her and I just wanted to cuddle up to Cal and make him see how vital he is to Rachel。 But it's a sticky situation。。。 the guilt and the self-hate are understandable when he looks at this innocent woman he is trying to protect。 As always in this series， there are dangers and evil all around our characters but learning to trust and rely on other survivors is vital for continuing to LIVE and not just survive。 I loved seeing some previous favorites and I can't wait to read the next story and learn even more。Cal may have gotten frustrating to me but he is supposed to be。 In each novel on this series， Kent presents a gruff， tough man who in other circumstances would never be around the heroine， so their feelings of inadequacy always pop to the surface。 There is just no way to blame them when we know they are right to a certain degree。 So I have a lot of compassion for them even when I want to smack them。 haha！Anyway， this is another winner for me and I look forward to any and all other stories we will get in the Kindled series。5 stars2。5 on the spice scale 。。。more
Amanda Peterson
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