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Afterglow

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Who knew the apocalypse could be so sexy?

Nina can shoot a gun, start a fire, and kick some serious ass. So when a killer virus and solar storm decimate the country, she’s as prepared as possible to survive. She just needs a motorcycle to navigate the cluttered roads and meet up with her family.

Creed, former Marine, is tattooed and tough. He’s scarred inside and out. Loss is no stranger to him, and he avoids getting close to anyone at all costs.

When Nina tries to steal his motorcycle they have a vicious fight, but necessity and attraction force them into an uneasy alliance. They travel together through the dangerous landscape, where trouble lurks around every corner and they need each other to survive.

But the biggest danger just might be falling in love.

Equally as exciting as it is sexy, Afterglow contains graphic sex and some violence, so please read at your own risk. 18+ recommended.

229 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 13, 2016

228 people are currently reading
1144 people want to read

About the author

Maria Monroe

21 books132 followers
Maria Monroe writes smart, sexy, and sometimes very dark romance. She lives outside Chicago.

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5 stars
291 (31%)
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218 (23%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
Profile Image for Leslie.
Author 35 books1,457 followers
July 5, 2016
Afterglow is UNBELIEVABLE. MUST READ NOW!

A scorching romance set in an apocalyptic universe, it is dangerous, erotic, funny, and, in short, mind-blowing.

I don’t really read dystopian books. I’m a romance girl. But OMG this book. THIS BOOK. It BLEW ME AWAY.

It’s so good I don’t even know where to start with this review.

The setting?

A virus has hit Earth and destroyed 95% of the population. Solar flares make it so there’s no electricity. It’s survival of the fittest, and survival of those with their wits.

How about characters?

Creed. You want him in your life. He’s muscled and huge, an ex-marine with tattoos and scars—and a motorcycle that Nina, our heroine, needs. Creed is inappropriate and funny and sexy AF.

Nina is one of the best female characters I’ve come across, hands down. She’s got a gun in a holster on her hips and knows how to use it. (Her grandma is a prepper.) Nina is bold, smart, and has a plan—to get to her grandma’s bunker, hundreds of miles away.

The chemistry?

OMG this book is so hot. From the moment they meet, you want Nina and Creed to get together. The chemistry is SCORCHING. But Maria Monroe knows how to balance it. She knows how to bring in the emotions, the push and pull, the tenderness—and a whole lot of creativity.

Make no mistake. This book is primarily a romance, and a thumping good one. (It's like 60% romance, 40% dystopia. Maybe.) You’ll swoon.

But it’s set in a world so dangerous and unpredictable that it makes everything heightened. You’ll feel the terrors lurking around and the pull between Creed and Nina, even though there are reasons why they can’t get together.

Just freaking read it.
Profile Image for Ashleyjo.
826 reviews522 followers
July 28, 2016
What's What

Bioterrorism and nature collide to create a newly dystop world. Nina's prepper grandma prepared her well. Creed has his own set of military-grade survival skills. Together they set off on a journey to reach safety at grandma's house.

At 226 pages, it's a rather short read for this niche of book, but the author did an excellent job of keeping it simple stupid and building her world quickly and without a lot of glitz and glam to try to explain.

The romance was very well done. Believable - not too fast, not too slow. It had some steamy times. I never thought a baby wipe could be sexy;)

Action was probably the weakest point of the book. There are a couple of threats and danger, but I think the author didn't develop the scenes fully; the tension and arc from it happening to it dissolving just wasn't there. No climax and a quick one-shot kinda resolve. This is my main deduction to 3 1/2-4 stars.

Safety Gang: No OW/OM. Safe aside from some various mentions of previous sexual experiences.

No triggers other than some violence and 'bad guy' death.

As far as plot holes go, I only found one & it's still plausible... Just not likely . The virus had a 95% kill rate and was "quick and deadly." "...the power went out more than a week ago." Yet, every store they cross has been ransacked and stripped. Now, if almost everyone is dead and at that quick of a rate, then every store would not likely be torn up and bare of supplies.

Characters

Believable. Funny. Smart. Likable.

Writing

Excellent grammar and editing here.

Style is mostly meat and potatoes writing that's very easy, smooth, and friendly in tone.

I really appreciated that the author made an effort to add subtle points of credibility to the book, such as him (a Marine) saying "Improvise, adapt, overcome " and her (a school teacher) caring about teaching someone to read. It added a lot of authenticity to backgrounds that had to be told vs shown in the book.

The worst problem the author has is repeating thoughts. For example: The MMC thinks the FMC is tough, he doesn't want someone else to take care of or care about, the gang isn't loyal because they leave peeps behind. I gottcha on these points the first few times, but if it needs to be said more than once, then say it a different way each time! Otherwise, it begins to feel like fillllllller.

End

HFN in an unstable, destroyed world. I was satisfied.

Bottom Line

As far as standalone romance-dystopians go, this was well conceived and well written with likable characters.

I have no problem recommending to those who like dystopian romance.

3 1/2- 4 stars.




Profile Image for Kathleen.
691 reviews89 followers
August 13, 2016
Story Rating ~ 4 STARS!
Hero Rating ~ 5 STARS!
Heroine Rating ~5 STARS!
Heat Level ~ 4 STARS!
Action Level ~ 4 STARS!
Romance Rating ~ 4 STARS!
Ending ~ 4 STARS!
Overall Rating ~ 4 STARS!

As you can see from my ratings, Afterglow was a REALLY good read for me! I love a good apocalypse romance and I was expecting zombies but NOPE did not get any. That worked out fine for me because the story line and characters kept me VERY interested throughout this whole read.

The world as Nina knew it has changed. A killer virus was let loose and now 95% of the population have died. Not only was a killer virus let loose but also solar flares took out all the electricity. Nina is held up at her parents’ house. She needs to find a way to get to her grandma’s house where she’s sure that her parents and brother are. Her grandma is a survivalist has always planned around something like this happening. She had both Nina and her brother prepared for such a thing, they learned how to be tuff, think straight, how to shoot a gun and how to fight. Her grandma also had a bomb shelter built at her house and all sorts of things stocked up in case of something like this happening. Nina packs up her car and is planning to drive across country to get to her grandma’s house. Once on the road she realizes that with all the other cars left abandoned on the road, there is no way she can make the trip in her car. So she heads back to her parents’ house to make another plan. The new plan, find a motorcycle, she’s sure if she can get one and then learn how to ride it, that she could make it to grandma’s. Nina remembers seeing a HOT guy with a motorcycle living down the street so she sets out to that house in hopes of getting that motorcycle. She does in fact find it after kicking in the garage door but NO keys. She decides to knock on the house door, hoping no one will answer and she can break in and look for the keys. No one comes to the door so she breaks the glass, unlocks the door grabs her gun and then enters.

Creed, former Marine, is tattooed and tough. He has been living with his sister and niece since he was honorably released from the Marines due to a tragic event that took place. The virus hit hard and his sister and niece were badly infected and died. Creed has been fighting the virus himself and knows that he will make it as he is getting better with each day. He plans to just stay away from any attachments to other people, not wanting any more loss in his life. That’s when it happens, someone just broke into his house.

Nina and Creed end up in a fight of sorts, both incurring some small injuries. Once the fight is done and they realize that neither of them is a threat to the other, a few bad guys show up, throw a brick through the window and start shooting at them. With Nina being a good shot and Creed being a former marine, they take the bad guys out easily. Now that that’s over, Nina tries to make a deal with Creed for his motorcycle but there is NO WAY Creed will give it up. They finally decides that he will take Nina on the back of his bike to her grandma’s house and then wonders why he’s getting involved when he wants no responsibilities of taking care of anyone.

While on the way, Creed and Nina get to know each other a bit. Their sexy banter and sexual tension is very high, even their thoughts had me all worked up. Then they take the next step and WHEW WE, let me tell you, these two were SCORCHING together which was all good in my eye’s until things start going south and they have to run for their lives.

I LOVED both Nina and Creed. Nina was very smart and brave, I loved that she did what she had too in order to survive never once freaking out and losing it.

Creed, sigh, he was SO SEXY! With his big muscles, washboard abs and handsome face. He was also extremely brave and even though he did not want to get close to anyone, his defenses got chip away little by little as traveled together.
.
There was plenty of action, something was always going on, leaving it VERY hard for me to put this book down. For me to read a full length book in less than 48 hours is really saying something because I’m not the fastest of readers.

In the end, I was completely satisfied with the way this book ended and SO glad that I gave this book a try. Would I recommend this book to my friends? Yes I would, especially if this is the type of book that you think you’d enjoy too.
Profile Image for Deborah.
3,836 reviews496 followers
August 1, 2016

A virus has infected over twenty million people and the death rate is around 95%, the power is out and gangs are roaming and looting, it's a dangerous time to travel especially if you're a woman and alone.
Now Nina is a fabulous character and she has the coolest grandma ever who has prepared her for every eventuality. Consequently Nina has all the skills she needs except for riding a motorcycle, she didn't realise it would be so hard getting around in her car but abandoned cars are leaving roadways impossible to use.
Nina needs a motorcycle and while trying to obtain one she meets Creed, I mean seriously just his name lets us know he's hot and he is. Creed is a former Marine, he's a huge muscled bad boy who's determined never to fall in love but he has a good heart and agrees to help Nina reach her grandmothers place where she will be safe.
This book is their journey and it's a fascinating read I only wish it had been longer.
Nina and Creed are both strong interesting characters the relationship between them really works and I was left happy but wishing for more.

Profile Image for NMmomof4.
1,782 reviews5,037 followers
dnf
April 22, 2021
DNF @ 30%

An h with a mega chip on her shoulder and super annoying.

Instalust where there seems to not have been a scene without sexual thoughts.

Too slow....

And I got to my 30% mark (barely 😅) and I’m done!

Too bad because an apocalyptic romance seemed rather fitting with the current events right now 🙈
Profile Image for Willow Brooks.
Author 3 books58 followers
August 5, 2016
I'm using invisible ink to write this review.
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------- ----- ------------ . -----
------------------------ ----------------- ??!!
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I recommend lovers of romance who like a little Apacolyspe thrown in for good measure to read this story.
Profile Image for Jenn (The Book Refuge).
2,666 reviews4,488 followers
June 5, 2023
So this was a bit all over the place, but I also still had a good time.

Apocalypse is due to a virus. No zombies.

Pair ends up traveling to the heroines family a good ways away.

Trouble and obstacles ensue.

3.5 stars
3 on the spice scale
Profile Image for Celestine.
952 reviews132 followers
September 26, 2016
Civilization is mostly gone, billions are dead from a rampant virus, and Nina needs the hot neighbor's motorcycle to get to prepper Nana's distant farm. Surely he isn't using it, because he is probably dead like everyone else. Oops, maybe not.

That is the premise of this post-apocalyptic survival story. Breaking in to steal the motorcycle, Nina battles muscle-bound and tattooed Creed. He is sick, confused and wondering what the heck this red-headed tough girl wants. She is surprised, scared and now intimidated by Creed's bulk and weapons skills. The two come to terms, discover a latent attraction and hit the road to grandma's house.

The book delves not at all into the the circumstances of the apocalypse. Creed and Nina are simply two people trying to survive. There is also nothing remotely original about the requisite bad guys who want the bike, the girl, and food, probably in that order.

The most absorbing part of this book is the evolving relationship between Nina and Creed. They start out leery of one another, but attracted. The stiffy was so constant in Creed's pants, that I don't know how he walked most of the time. They don't fight the physical side very long, but the emotional side follows at a slower pace. I could definitely believe that they were latching on to one another in a physical way before the mental commitment caught up. Both were in disbelief that they were actually falling in love with a relative stranger during the apocalypse. For instance, Creed was thinking: "They'd slept together. And he wanted to do it again. And again. Make it part of their routine. Should they talk about that? Or, with someone like Nina, would that make it worse? He'd known he shouldn't get involved in this...."

As far as the characters went, I really liked Nina. She was smart, brave, knew the dangers and limitations of the situation. It took me a little while to warm up to the brash and sometimes purposefully crass Creed. However, I must admit by the middle of the book, I really liked him. He was protective, but appreciated Nina's ability to take care of herself, and he definitely moved away from manipulating her once he got to know her. They made a good team. They also took a very large number of lusty breaks as they traveled. Be prepared for that.

This book also had a great ending that held a few surprises. I would love to read a sequel.
Profile Image for SexySiren24.
264 reviews28 followers
December 19, 2019
Don't you just hate when you pick something up, most reviews five stars and you're so exited but then it turns out to be a massive dissapointment?
Minor spoilers ahead

Pros:
-Short
-The prose was nice, easy to read and the dialogue quick and fun, some of the banter was actually kind of nice
Cons:
-It lacked depth. Frankly, this read as some weak sauce Walking Dead fanfic and not a real book. Nothing is remotely realistic, the end of the world happened like, 2 weeks ago, but like I said it feels like TWD season five or something, the concept of the illness was somewhat interesting, but it wasn't explored at all. There was no world building of any sort, we never found out why it happened, or how or if the entire planet was affected or what consequences it brought forth or anything really! I just couldn't get invested in the situation whatsoever.
-Characters are one dimentional and unrealistic. Not much to add, other than both of them were mary sue op rambos and no explanation was given as to why (ok fine, Creed was a marine, but still)
(also, his name is bloody Creed, I mean, author is just a fan girl isn't she?) Nina being a teacher was lame, it never came into play in the story, as convenient as it would've been I would have preferred she being a doctor or army chick or something like that. I get her grandma taught her, but that also felt contrived, like why was her grandma Chuck Norris you know?
-The sex was boring and annoying. I like erotica, I really do, but in such a short book, that desperately needed the page count for more important things to happen, so many sex scenes felt really unnecesary. If they weren't so bland and repetitive it wouldn't be such a problem, but they were simply bad, they had like zero chemistry or tension.
-Insta love. No more to say, I just really dislike this trope.
-Nothing felt dangerous. There is no tension to the story whatsoever, they get into a couple of scuffles but it never felt like they were in actual danger. Everything got resolved very quickly and easily, the "action" scenes were pretty much over before they began, which means despite it only being like 224 pages, it was fairly boring for most of the second half. The only real "bad guy" was a Negan ripoff that made it even more obvious that the author had no real plan beyond a surface idea when writing this. Very amateur.
-The happily ever after was hella lame, it didn't feel earned, like in something like The Hunger Games, which I feel is what Mrs Monroe was going for. Because I didn't buy into their relationship one bit, it felt rushed and unsatisfying. At that point I didn't care in all honestly, I only finished it cause it was short.

All in all, I can't recommend this, i'm sure there are much better books in this vein out there, if you want my advice, go read some Ann Aguirre or Marie Lu instead.
Profile Image for Smutty  Sully.
895 reviews250 followers
December 15, 2021
Really wanted to like this book. Dystopian/post-apocalypse romance books are usually my favorite and I did like the storyline and level of steam. Unfortunately, the writing came off juvenile and SO much telling (in fact it was beyond telling, it was spelled out slowly) instead of showing. It made the MC's two dimensional and even the sex scenes fell flat after awhile.
Profile Image for Chelon.
401 reviews10 followers
November 3, 2017
This was a slow read for me and honestly it took me a minute to remember what the book was about. There weren't any zombies but more or less everything else is the same bad guys, lack of supplies, guns, trying to get somewhere safe. Nothing was memorable not even the characters and everything worked out a little to clean and neat for my taste. It's well written and flows seamlessly, it just wasn't a favorite of mine.
Profile Image for Cindy.
2,349 reviews173 followers
July 23, 2016
I'm struggling with my review for this one. I like apocalypse romances which is what drew me to read this. Story picks up after a killer virus kills 95% of the people and solar storm takes out all power. The two main characters were also very likable with the heroine being from a family where her grandmother had thought her how to be prepared for such a disaster. Nina, pre-virus was a school teacher but after the world ended she's at her parents house by herself hoping to be able to get to her Grandmother's farm hundreds of miles away where she knows the rest of her family is. She is great with firearms and has plenty of supplies to get her to her grandmothers. Problem is she doesn't have the right transportation to get herself there. She remembers a neighbor had a motorcycle and decides that's what she needs. The owner has a little problem with her breaking in to get it though.

Creed is man whose dealing with a lot of pain. First from losing good friends during his time in the military along with his brother in law and then losing his sister and young niece to the virus. He's content with just being alone until Nina breaks in to his sister's house. After the two fight it out he agrees to take her to her family. Along the way they run into trouble and we get good descriptions of how desolate the world has become.

So back to my struggle. I liked the story and the characters just fine, what got old for me was the non stop sex. Every single place they stopped - they had "hard, rough" sex (Creed words not mine). You could take out every sex scene in this book and it would still be a great book. I'm thinking that the author wrote this more as an erotica with the apocalyptic stuff supposedly being just the backdrop but she had good bones here with what she wrote of the apocalypse world that all the sex just didnt mix well. The ending was great - its not a serial book, had HEA or as much as a HEA you can get after the apocalypse..

Profile Image for Leigh.
1,394 reviews323 followers
August 11, 2020
3.5 stars

Afterglow was an ok read for me. Overall while I enjoyed it, it just wasn't that memorable. Basically there is a virus, most are dead, Nina needs to get to her prepper Grandmother's where she is confident she will find her family. She needs a working vehicle so she decides to steal a neighbors motorcycle. Creed is the sexy owner of said motorcycle and lets just say their initial meeting is one they will both remember. So they decide to go to her grandmother's together. Along the way they meet up with some bad guys, have lots of sex, meet a new companion then finally Grandma. Like I said not a bad read just nothing much to it.
Profile Image for Jane.
Author 1 book20 followers
April 4, 2022
This was interesting. Def not my fav book. Some things confused me, like if most of the population died from a virus and the world has been all apocalyptic for a week, why are all the grocery stores and stuff already completely looted with nothing left? when everything seems deserted?

also kind insta love-y. like they’d known each-other three days. anywayssss it was a fun quick af read i guess.
Profile Image for Kathleen R..
1,407 reviews43 followers
July 21, 2016
Title: Afterglow
Author: Maria Monroe
Series: --
Publisher: Self Published
Reviewer: Kathleen
Release Date: July 13th, 2016
Genre(s): Science Fiction, Romance
Page Count:228 pages
Heat Level: 4 flames out of 5
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Blurb:

Who knew the apocalypse could be so sexy?

Nina can shoot a gun, start a fire, and kick some serious ass. So when a killer virus and solar storm decimate the country, she’s as prepared as possible to survive. She just needs a motorcycle to navigate the cluttered roads and meet up with her family.

Creed, former Marine, is tattooed and tough. He’s scarred inside and out. Loss is no stranger to him, and he avoids getting close to anyone at all costs.

When Nina tries to steal his motorcycle they have a vicious fight, but necessity and attraction force them into an uneasy alliance. They travel together through the dangerous landscape, where trouble lurks around every corner and they need each other to survive.

But the biggest danger just might be falling in love.


Review:
Let's take the basis of I Am Legend (minus the zombie action) and Mad Max, roll them together and you get on heck of a great post apocalyptic story. Maria Monroe, up until now, had been completely unknown and a total mystery and I was curious about her apocalyptic novel that introduces Nina and Creed in Afterglow. After more than 90% of the world's population dies from a deadly virus and the capacity to create any type of electricity is destroyed following a solar flare, the human race is plunged into what they now call the Apocalypse. Badass Nina was thaught by her grandmother everything she knows - from riding motorcycles to using the guns strapped to her hips, but while she tried to steal Creed's ride, she sorely underestimates her opponent. A former marine with a chip on his shoulder and refusing to let anyone get close to him physically or emotionally, Creed never expected Nina to be able to chip away at those highly built walls he had carefully placed so many years ago to protect him from pain and loss.
I was surprised. Shocked. Enthralled. Entertained. Emotional. And breathless. Afterglow was nothing like I had expected. I've watched post apocalyptic movies and loved them. I've watched video games of the same genre and was fascinated. But to find a novel that had both romance and that theme, with the added bonus of a little bit of a darkness, was a rarity that simply drew me in like a moth to a flame. From the very beginning I was curious to find out what would happen next, how Nina and Creed would survive the next hurdle and to watch as they tried to deny their feelings and still feel the passion. I often stay with specific authors when it comes to science fiction and romance, mostly because I know their writing style, but I'm more than happy that I picked up Maria Monroe's Afterglow - it was everything I could have wanted in a novel and in a story. I can only wait impatiently for the next release and take a look around to find out if just maybe I may have missed any previously released novels.





Review Copy of Afterglow provided by the Author, Maria Monroe for an honest Review.
Reviewed by Kathleen from Alpha Book Club
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Profile Image for Mal ✨ | Tales Of A Bookbug.
685 reviews46 followers
July 16, 2016
Review : A great new dystopian romance!This was my first book from Maria Monroe and I enjoyed it very much.

In this book, the world has been destroyed due to a virus and solar flares.Millions have died and electricity has been cut off.People have to do anything to survive.Nina is stuck at her home.She wants to go to her grandma's place and hopefully meet up with her family.But, for that she needs a motorcycle as the roads are all jammed with abandoned cars.There is also the fact that she doesnt know hoe to ride one.

She tries to break into a house a few blocks away where she had seen a guy working on his motorcycle.Creed(the motorcycle guy) catches her while she breaks in.She tries to barter for the motorcycle but he isn't ready to trade.Creed, an ex-marine, has just lost his sister and neice to the virus and he somehow survived it.Though, he doesn't want to get close to anyone else, he can't just leave Nina while she needs help.So, he decides to take her to her grandmother's house.

There is also the fact they are both super attracted to each other, even though Nina insists that she is not his type.They also face danger from gangs on the way.Will they make it home safely?And even if they do will he decide to leave or stay?

I really loved the protagonists especially Nina. She was a kickass character with sass and wits.I could see why Creed liked her ;).Creed is also an amazing hero.He is not the typical asshole with too much arrogance.The addition of the kid Charlie was also great.My only complaint would probably be that it didn't really focus much on the dystopian aspect,the dangers and the hardships.But since this is primarily a romance in a dystopian setting we can't really expect much of that.

The ending was cute and lovely.So, basically if you're looking for a steamy romance in a different setting give this one a try!! :)
Profile Image for Christine.
457 reviews29 followers
July 5, 2016
Afterglow is a white hot romance set after a post apocalyptic event that's hit the world. Not only has a virus killed off a massive portion of the population but solar flares have destroyed the world we know it taking out everything electronic. Nina who's been holed up at her parents house since the outbreak decides enough time has passed to start the journey to her grandmother's house to hopefully reunite with her family. Roads are cluttered and things are getting dangerous and more desperate by the day. Nina thinks a motorcycle will solve her problems except she's never driven a bike. Creed has lost everything and even more since the virus struck. Ex military, Creed, is trained in defence and when someone breaking into his home is the last thing he needs while trying to recover from the virus. Thrown together by chance, forced to partner for survival, kept together by undeniable chemistry and love during the hardest of times.

I adored this book! Afterglow was exactly what I needed and left me wanted more of this genre and Maria Monroe writing style. I'm a huge fan of post-apocalyptic television shows and movies so it was natural to pick this novel up and the blurb had me hooked. Afterglow is the complete package: smoking hot romance with action and thrilling elements. Nina is the epitome of a strong female lead. Trained in survival skills from a young age she's cautious but fearless all rolled into one! What a refreshing change of pace. Afterglow should be at the top of your summer reads - I wish I could give this more than 5 Stars!

*** Reviewed for Sweet & Spicy Reads - ARC provided for a honest review ***
Profile Image for Picky_Book_B1tch.
625 reviews57 followers
July 18, 2016
I am a huge lover of apocalyptic romance so picking up this book was a no-brainer! Romance readers don't let the setting scare you away. This is a Romance story set in an apocalyptic world not the other way around. It's heavy on the romance, light on the apocalypse and not a Zombie in sight. As a zombie lover, I wouldn't have minded at all but the story was not lacking in action or danger department, even without the standard brain eating creatures roaming the terrain.

Nina is one tough and self sufficient lady who isn't in need of a man to rescue her but won't let that stop her from taking a little of what he has to offer, in and out of the bedroom. Creed is a tatted, ex-marine who loves that Nina doesn't need protecting but he's not gonna let that stop him from doing it anyway. I loved these two together and found myself completely engrossed in their story. Two strong, smart and sassy people finding their way through the new world and to each other with out over blown angst and drama. Maria Monroe dialed the tension to just the right strength for me.

This was a fun, action packed and oh so sexy read. Though there were a few tense, drama filled scenes, the overall feel of this story is pretty light. The perfect summer read for those of you who like some action along with your steam or need a change in their usual romance read. I will definitely continue to follow this author.


Profile Image for Jennifer.
375 reviews623 followers
Read
July 27, 2016
DNF 20%

I think many people will enjoy this book. I just wasn't connecting with the characters nor the story. The dialogue seemed a little cheesy to me. I won't rate this book since I did not finish it.
Profile Image for Dena.
4,451 reviews12 followers
December 18, 2018
Drama

Creed was not and the way he took care of her was incredible. Nina was funny and confident. She didn't really need his help however when they were traveling she realized how much she did need him. This was a cute story.
Profile Image for W.
398 reviews20 followers
January 30, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this post-apocalyptic romance. Some might consider it insta-love, but I’d say it’s more so the fact that they have to stick together 24/7 to survive that led to intense feelings rather quickly (though neither of them wanted to have those kinds of feelings). Quick, smutty, lots of action, and to the point.
Profile Image for Rose.
184 reviews67 followers
May 31, 2022
I’m falling down the post apocalypse romance genre and I cant seem to get up I’m obsessed
Profile Image for Twinsie Talk Angie J.
1,809 reviews
July 18, 2016
4.5 but rounded up

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Afterglow by Maria Monroe

I received this book from the author for an honest review.

OMG I am in love with this book and I totally would love to read more from this cast of characters. I mean Logan needs some love too right????

SO this book starts out with Nina looking to make it to her grandmother’s house to ride out this killer virus. She meets our hottie Creed when she is trying to steal from him..ooopsie Nina. Creed is stunned stupid to find out that the punk that is trying to steal his motorcycle is a kick a$$ female. The two run in to some not nice guys and Creed decides he needs to leave so he will see Nina safely to her grandma’s house and then take off for parts unknown. I loved Nina’s sass and the fact she isn’t a helpless female character. She has spunk and fire and she WAS going to see her family again. I loved that Creed also loved her tenacity and welcomed her fire during their travels.

Along the way, the couple banter and it fuels the chemistry that is just burning underneath the story. OMG I was like “SOMEONE MAKE A MOVE ALREADY!!” It was super hawt. When the two get to “getting to know each other a bit better” we can see them both forming an attachment but both don’t want to get attached because attachment means heartache.

Along the way, Nina and Creed meet some good people but mainly run in to the evil that is taking full advantage of this ruined society. They two end up helping another person who also has lost it all due to the virus and that character tugged at my heart just like they did Creed and Nina.

The end of the book had me a mess. I was reading as fast as I could because I needed to know if they would make it safely to Nina’s grandma’s house PLUS what will become of Creed and Nina.
Profile Image for Alexis Alvarez.
Author 26 books245 followers
July 6, 2016
The world as we know it has ended, but Nina's still here...and she needs a motorcycle to survive and find her family across the country. Creed has the bike, and he's also got killer abs, a dirty mouth, and the sexiest voice she's heard. They're both strong and fierce, but have their own flaws and fears. It's not long before they realize that they're better together than apart. They form an uneasy alliance and travel together across the lonely ruined land, relying on each other for survival. Their attraction burns hot, and soon they're finding bliss in each other's arms.

But the new world is rough and dangerous, and they're both afraid to let love in. What will it take to for Creed to realize that Nina means the world to him? And how will Nina allow herself to risk heartbreak?

The book is well-written, as are all of Maria Monroe's novels. The language is spare and lyrical in turns, building a broken world out of tantalizing bits and pieces of history: Solar flare. Killer virus. Knife fight. Plundered stores. The sex is brilliant and tantalizing, and you're going to want a Creed of your own! The story move fast, leading you through the landscape as well as the narrative, across the country and through time, until the exciting culmination.

You'll love this. There's nothing like it anywhere else: Apocalypse, romance, and great writing all tied up into one. I loved it!

Profile Image for Beneath The Covers Blog.
1,512 reviews502 followers
July 22, 2016
THANK THE SEVEN KINGDOMS that there were no Zombies.

A deadly virus has taken over the world and it slowly reducing Humanity to nothing. Sounds like every Apocalypse movie ever, right? Nope this AMAZING book was nothing like anything I was expecting. I have seen every apocalypse movie there is and if there is some virus responsible then there has to be Zombies. Thank God, this was not the case!!

Nina needs to move across country to get to a safe-house where her family supposedly is. She is prepared to survive anything that gets thrown at her. The only problem is that she needs a motorcycle to travel but doesn't know how to drive one.

Enter, Creed. *cue swooning* He is a rough Marine with tattoos and scars that run deep. Thinking that he is dead, Nina tries to steal his bike but ends up in a vicious fight with him. What ensues is a tale full of action, trouble, sexy times and the most dangerous thing of all. LOVE.

I have so much love for Creed that I cannot even begin to tell you. He is the ultimate fantasy and I get heart eyes whenever I think of him.

And Nina. My Queen. She was so fierce and such a great role model. I wanna be her when I grow up.

Anyone who has ever loved Apocalyptic themed stories needs to get their hands on this beauty. DO IT. ~Sonal
Profile Image for 2OCC Reviews.
3,487 reviews254 followers
March 12, 2017
Afterglow was recommend to me by another reader when I asked for some apocalyptic romance novels. There's something about it that I just can't get enough of. Maybe it's them surviving, them showing their will to live, or characters working together in such a different setting. Either way I love it all!

Nina was tough and didn't trust easy but the world she was now livin it it seemed like the best thing to do. I love that she was independent and could handle her own.

Creed was a jerk but the kind of jerk that you cant help but love. I was really drawn to the fact that he became very protective of Nina.

Without giving too much away about the plot I really enjoyed the apocalyptic setting that the author made for us. This is not zombies or anything like that, so if zombies are not your thing this would totally work for you. There was some mystery to it in the second half of the book with action that I really really loved.

Overall I really liked the story that the author told us. The introduction to the characters was great. And the pace of the story was fast but not too fast. There's also an erotic undertone to the story with steam that will heat up your Kindle. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. 4 stars #2OCCJD
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