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Eden's Promise
The world has gone to hell after a terrorist attack sends the world back to nineteenth century technology. But on an island off the coast of Oregon, Eden McKay’s small town is safe and sound. But when Eden’s ill mother wants to see her other daughter before she dies, Eden must leave the safety of her home to find the sister she hasn’t seen in four years.
The only one to help her is Aaron Jenkins, the Navy SEAL who’s just made his way to the island after months of fighting his way across the mainland. After what he’s seen on the mainland, all he wants is the peace of his family’s home. He doesn’t want responsibility for himself, much less another person. But he can’t let Eden go on her own. She’s determined, but she’ll never survive on her own.
Together they set off for the mainland, where wild dogs and mercenaries are the least of their problems, where they have to fight a mad man and search for a needle in a haystack, where the danger is not just to their well-being, but to their hearts.
Excerpt 1:
Eden was awakened by gunfire on the coast. Bleary-eyed, she grabbed a robe, shoved her feet in her boots, grabbed her pistol from the table by the door and raced out of the house. Muzzle flares flashed from boats off-shore, answering ones from the island. Her heart pounding, she stopped short, aware she was a clear target in her white robe in the moonlight when there was no other light. She shrugged out of the robe and shivered in her T-shirt and flannel pants, but at least she blended into the darkness.
Who was down there? Her father? Damien? And who was firing on them? People they’d sent away, or people they wouldn’t allow to land? The standing order was that no one was allowed to land at night.
The firing from the island was pretty steady, as the shooting from the boats became more intermittent. Tomorrow they’d be paying kids to pick up shells so they could reload them.
Shouts could be heard from the ocean, more from the town. Eden hoped the townspeople were wise enough to stay inside, out of the line of fire. She was heading down to the shore when running feet approached. She stepped off the road, into the trees, flipping the safety off her handgun before she recognized Joey Delmar, one of Damien’s friends. She stepped in front of him, startling him so that for a moment she was looking down the barrel of his .45, before he realized who she was.
“Thank God, Eden. I was coming to your house. Your father—he’s been shot.”
Excerpt 2:
“Right. All right. Show me what you have.”
She shook off her nerves, took a stance, then drove her hand, heel up, towards his Adam’s apple. Huck barked madly, and growled at the attack on his owner. Just as she braced for impact, Aaron dodged, grabbed her hand, his thumb pressing into the center of her palm, and twisted her arm away, hurting her wrist. When she opened her mouth to cry out, he released her.
“Again,” he said.
So she came at him again, this time turning, bringing the side of her arm across the side of his throat. Again at the last minute, he stepped back, catching her arm in both hands and pushing so that she fell on the ground, hitting her elbow hard. Humiliated, she bounded to her feet again and charged. This time he caught her around the waist and pulled her back against his chest.
“Ah, don’t let your temper take control,” he said against her ear.
He didn’t seem to be straining to hold her, one arm across her body, his hand cupping her shoulder, his other hand holding her hip, but all the tricks Damien had shown her to break someone’s hold weren’t working.
The only one to help her is Aaron Jenkins, the Navy SEAL who’s just made his way to the island after months of fighting his way across the mainland. After what he’s seen on the mainland, all he wants is the peace of his family’s home. He doesn’t want responsibility for himself, much less another person. But he can’t let Eden go on her own. She’s determined, but she’ll never survive on her own.
Together they set off for the mainland, where wild dogs and mercenaries are the least of their problems, where they have to fight a mad man and search for a needle in a haystack, where the danger is not just to their well-being, but to their hearts.
Excerpt 1:
Eden was awakened by gunfire on the coast. Bleary-eyed, she grabbed a robe, shoved her feet in her boots, grabbed her pistol from the table by the door and raced out of the house. Muzzle flares flashed from boats off-shore, answering ones from the island. Her heart pounding, she stopped short, aware she was a clear target in her white robe in the moonlight when there was no other light. She shrugged out of the robe and shivered in her T-shirt and flannel pants, but at least she blended into the darkness.
Who was down there? Her father? Damien? And who was firing on them? People they’d sent away, or people they wouldn’t allow to land? The standing order was that no one was allowed to land at night.
The firing from the island was pretty steady, as the shooting from the boats became more intermittent. Tomorrow they’d be paying kids to pick up shells so they could reload them.
Shouts could be heard from the ocean, more from the town. Eden hoped the townspeople were wise enough to stay inside, out of the line of fire. She was heading down to the shore when running feet approached. She stepped off the road, into the trees, flipping the safety off her handgun before she recognized Joey Delmar, one of Damien’s friends. She stepped in front of him, startling him so that for a moment she was looking down the barrel of his .45, before he realized who she was.
“Thank God, Eden. I was coming to your house. Your father—he’s been shot.”
Excerpt 2:
“Right. All right. Show me what you have.”
She shook off her nerves, took a stance, then drove her hand, heel up, towards his Adam’s apple. Huck barked madly, and growled at the attack on his owner. Just as she braced for impact, Aaron dodged, grabbed her hand, his thumb pressing into the center of her palm, and twisted her arm away, hurting her wrist. When she opened her mouth to cry out, he released her.
“Again,” he said.
So she came at him again, this time turning, bringing the side of her arm across the side of his throat. Again at the last minute, he stepped back, catching her arm in both hands and pushing so that she fell on the ground, hitting her elbow hard. Humiliated, she bounded to her feet again and charged. This time he caught her around the waist and pulled her back against his chest.
“Ah, don’t let your temper take control,” he said against her ear.
He didn’t seem to be straining to hold her, one arm across her body, his hand cupping her shoulder, his other hand holding her hip, but all the tricks Damien had shown her to break someone’s hold weren’t working.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 25, 2013
15 people are currently reading
336 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 27, 2015
I enjoy post-apocalyptic romance novels, but finding those with a decent balance between action and romance is difficult. It seems a lot of PA books are survival stories with minimal personal interaction or erotica with sparse plot. Luckily, MJ Fredrick's Eden's Promise hit a pleasing blend of edge-of-your-seat action, credible world-collapsing detail, and evolving romance.
Eden lives on an island off the coast of Oregon. Her prepper father is the mayor of their small community and gets both Eden and their town ready for the coming apocalypse. How the island handles the fall of civilization is dynamic and interesting. The fact that Navy Seal Aaron Jenkins manages to make it home to the island is amazing. But when Eden's mother extracts a promise from her to try to find her long-lost sister, I felt betrayed. What parent would deliberately send an ill-prepared daughter into that hellish world? Thankfully Aaron, who has just traversed the mainland, refuses to let Eden go on her own even though she knows self-defense and is a decent shot. He resents the commitment, though, and this helps set an appropriately reluctant tone as they set out.
In each other's constant company, the simmering attraction becomes more as Eden and Aaron become reacquainted. There is also growing admiration as each shows skills and insight. I appreciated that Eden was cognizant of the fact that Aaron knew more about the chaos of the mainland and how to move stealthily through abandoned cities and the countryside. She accepted his guidance and he appreciated her fortitude. In fact, he was attracted to her intelligence and toughness.
The scenery changes, the challenges are immense, the couple encounters both friends and foes, and the action adventure is sustained at a brisk pace. And then there is a single decision where I went, "AARRGHH!" The action moved really quickly after that, but it is a catalyst for a lot of violence and unspoken emotion.
A couple of key things kept this book from being a five-star read. Amazing coincidences and luck kept the narrative moving forward and stretched credibility. Also, some unoriginal plot devices were borrowed from movies (you'll know which movies and which scenes if you have any familiarity with the genre). But all in all, it was an excellent entry into the post-apocalyptic romance category. If you like Paige Weaver's Promise Me series or the Shattered World books by Maia Underwood, I think you will like this book, too.
Eden lives on an island off the coast of Oregon. Her prepper father is the mayor of their small community and gets both Eden and their town ready for the coming apocalypse. How the island handles the fall of civilization is dynamic and interesting. The fact that Navy Seal Aaron Jenkins manages to make it home to the island is amazing. But when Eden's mother extracts a promise from her to try to find her long-lost sister, I felt betrayed. What parent would deliberately send an ill-prepared daughter into that hellish world? Thankfully Aaron, who has just traversed the mainland, refuses to let Eden go on her own even though she knows self-defense and is a decent shot. He resents the commitment, though, and this helps set an appropriately reluctant tone as they set out.
In each other's constant company, the simmering attraction becomes more as Eden and Aaron become reacquainted. There is also growing admiration as each shows skills and insight. I appreciated that Eden was cognizant of the fact that Aaron knew more about the chaos of the mainland and how to move stealthily through abandoned cities and the countryside. She accepted his guidance and he appreciated her fortitude. In fact, he was attracted to her intelligence and toughness.
The scenery changes, the challenges are immense, the couple encounters both friends and foes, and the action adventure is sustained at a brisk pace. And then there is a single decision where I went, "AARRGHH!" The action moved really quickly after that, but it is a catalyst for a lot of violence and unspoken emotion.
A couple of key things kept this book from being a five-star read. Amazing coincidences and luck kept the narrative moving forward and stretched credibility. Also, some unoriginal plot devices were borrowed from movies (you'll know which movies and which scenes if you have any familiarity with the genre). But all in all, it was an excellent entry into the post-apocalyptic romance category. If you like Paige Weaver's Promise Me series or the Shattered World books by Maia Underwood, I think you will like this book, too.
January 18, 2016
A global terrorist attack sends the world back to the 19th century, with anarchy and chaos ruling. On an island off the coast of Oregon, though, thanks to the foresight of Eden McKay’s father, things are peaceful—relatively. When Eden’s mother wants to see her other daughter before she dies, Eden has to leave the safety of her small town and venture onto the mainland. The only help she has is Aaron Jenkins, a Navy SEAL who has fought his way through hell to get back home. The two of them must fight packs of wild dogs and even wilder humans in order to get their mission accomplished and survive.
Eden’s Promise by M.J. Frederick is a post-apocalyptic novel that is fast-paced, yet profound, as it explores the depths of human depravity and the heights of nobility. You won’t be able to put it down.
Eden’s Promise by M.J. Frederick is a post-apocalyptic novel that is fast-paced, yet profound, as it explores the depths of human depravity and the heights of nobility. You won’t be able to put it down.
November 3, 2013
This story was my favorite this month. M.J. Frederick did a fantastic job it has it all and more. If you like action, adventure, suspense and romance set in a post apocalyptic world you will not want to miss this one. I will say I will defiantly reread this book again it is one you don't want to miss.
May 8, 2014
Definitely a reread!!! I hardly had a chance to catch my breath on this action packed roller coaster ride! I wasn't sure what to expect with the range of post-apocalyptic novels out now, but I have enjoyed other MJ Frederick books and decide that Eden's Promise was one to take a chance on. It was a winner from beginning to end.
January 24, 2014
This book was unique and interesting. It was kind of terrifying, but thoroughly enjoyable.
February 14, 2016
This was really good! It had a good mix of danger, suspense, and romance. I loved the characters. It was very well paced. I read it all in one sitting. The sex scenes were hot too.
November 19, 2016
Enjoyable
I enjoyed this book and the well-developed characters. I wish there would be a sequel, as I liked the characters immensely.
I enjoyed this book and the well-developed characters. I wish there would be a sequel, as I liked the characters immensely.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews