Before the Darkness (Refuge Inc. #1) by Leslie Lee Sanders

 

Summary:

 

After an asteroid strikes Earth, a series of violent earthquakes destroy secluded Phoenix and leave survivor Elliot struggling to stay focused in the bleak aftermath. And then he meets fellow survivor Adam. Together, the two search for reliable shelter and other survivors while distant murky clouds fast approach. Their hunt for shelter leads them down an alternate path when they find spray painted symbols directing them to a mysterious place: Refuge Inc.

As ominous clouds slowly shut off all light to their devastated world, they are forced to come to terms with their pasts and their growing attraction for each other.

Neither thought their pasts and personal crises would affect their ability to endure the horrors they're forced to live through. Neither thought they would be drawn so close to one another in the aftermath of an unimaginable catastrophe. By working together, can they continue to survive? Or will the mystery of Refuge Inc. cause diverse expectations and lead them to decisions that further threaten their lives?

Warning: Contains explicit male-male sexual practices, graphic language, some violence and descriptions of death.

Bonus content: Includes the original (deleted) scene from Chapter Twelve: Lying for Gain.

Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 139 pages (E-book)

Source: ARC

Publication Date: June 28th 2012 by Createspace

 

 

I'm not quite sure what I was expecting from this book when I got the notification that it was up for review through one of the blog tour company's I host. I think I was just pretty darn excited to have a chance to review it without of it being part of an official blog tour since I've been burning myself out with hosting different tours lately.

 

I haven't read all that many M/M romances but it's not because I don't like them but more because the chance to read them doesn't come up as often as I would like to so I wasn't sure how this one would shape up to be especially given that its post apocalyptic.

 

I was however surprised by the mount of care the author put into describing the setting and telling the reader how the world ended. The fact that there was an actual plot to the novel made me like it even more because it wasn't all about sex. That to me would have killed the book so I was really happy I had more to go on than just sexy time between Elliot and Adam.

 

I really liked that the book did have some action, what with the earthquake tremors and nuclear type storm clouds rolling in from the impact of the asteroid that hits earth and overall the book was written pretty well.

 

There was only one aspect of the novel that I didn't care too much for and that was Elliot and Adam getting "involved" pretty quickly. I'm not much of a fan of "Insta-Love" or "Insta-Lust" so that part of the novel wasn't my favourite and I wish the characters had gotten to know each other better.

 

Overall though I liked the concept for the novel. The plot and characters could have been a little stronger but it was still an enjoyable read, and for the first book in a new series it was pretty good. I can't wait to see which direction the next book takes!

 

I would recommend this one to anyone who loves M/M romance as a quick read.

 

* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. I was in no way compensated for my review and all thoughts and opinions expressed in my review are my own.

 

 

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★ ★ ★ 1/2