If this book is supposed to be post-apocalyptic fiction then it has served its purpose. If it is supposed to be romantic suspense (like I was expecting) it fell a little short. The book didn't really keep my attention. I wanted the characters to be ones that I could invest in, but as shy recluses they lacked the spark that I was hoping for.

I read this book from start to finish, but it wasn’t a comfortable read. The story is about what happens after a solar storm knocks out most of the worlds power and communications. It takes place in a small town in East Tennessee. After the solar event people have to go back to a primitive way of living, which doesn’t always bring out the best in people. Maybe I had trouble with the book because the scenario isn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility. I read it in one sitting and cared enough to see how it would end, but was still vaguely uneasy. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I was hooked on this book from the very first page and found myself pulled into the story immediately. I couldn't put it down. The characters were so believable I felt like they were my neighbors and the slow building love story between Ben and Sela was wonderful. I've thought about something like this happening in the world before and felt like the progression of events was spot on. Horrific times bring out the best in some and the worst in others and that was well illustrated in this novel. Outstanding.

I waited a bit after I read this book to do a review. I started out disappointed because it wasn't what I had been expecting. Then I would think about the book in between reading times. To me this is a sign of a good book when it captures your attention even when you are not actively reading the book. It does make you think of the "what if scenarios". However, I enjoyed so much more than that. The characters formed a community of their own and the interactions and dialogue were well done. In a book like this, it would be easy for the writers to expect you to suspend disbelief to an extraordinary measure and that was not done here. As a reader, we can see the progression this might take. The romance was nicely done without overkill. I might have wanted a bit more interaction between the two before the scene (spoiler alert) where she offers to sleep with him if he helps the group. That was a bit icky to me.

I will be ordering this book when it comes out and hand selling it! It was too suspenseful for me at the time I picked it up (on me - nervous nelly) I put it down for a bit - but you cant just leave off a Linda Howard story. Doesn't disappoint.

I really enjoyed this story. The science was well done and we get sucked in to the struggles the characters are living with and wondering how you would respond in a similar situation. The main characters were well fleshed out and very real to me. They were far from perfect which made the book that much more interesting to read.

Holy cow. Not only is this book amazing, it’s scary to think how possible it is. Howard and Jones write a very compelling novel on what the future could hold. My only struggle with the novel comes from inconsistencies in the location. It takes place where I live and it’s hard to reconcile reality from fiction when it’s where I grew up. Highly recommend this novel, this story and I hope they write more.

I throughly enjoyed After Sundown, the characters, the plot, and the fact it had an apocalyptic story line. A great read.

I love Linda Howard and this book doesn't disappoint.
A great romance mixed with some suspense and survival.

Always exciting, well written and loads of action from Linda Howard and Linda Winstead Jones! I love their world-building with the post-apocalyptic problems and how small towns cope through it. I really love this genre, so I may be prejudiced, but with the strong and unexpected bond between Sela and Ben plus the turmoil surrounding the whole community the way this town joins together to make things happen this book really thrilled me for a reading experience. Linda Howard is one of my go-to authors, and this one was pure pleasure!

Entering the apocalyptic fiction genre, Linda Howard and Linda Jones bring a situation in which a solar event causes mass power outages. The small Tennessee town has to pull together to survive. ARC from NetGalley.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
I had a hard time getting into this one. I could not connect to the characters and I got bored pretty quickly. I'm sorry to say that I did not finish this.

I always enjoy books by Linda Howard. I found the characters to be well developed and relatable. The storyline was interesting, and kept me reading until the end. I would recommend this title.

This was a different type of story for this author. But I really enjoyed the story line. There was a lot of interesting facts in this book telling how the characters had to deal with a new type of life style I also enjoyed the characters and how they worked together to live through this disaster

This wasn't exactly what I was expecting from Linda Howard, but I loved it all the same. In this day and time, one has cause to wonder what would happen if the grid collapses. This was an example of how it could be. I loved the sense of community and how kindness was a balm to many. I know my Linda Howard fans are looking forward to this title and I will be recommending it to them!

Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC.

Linda Howard has proved once again that she is an author that can keep me interested and addicted from the first chapter. I found this book to be very interesting and it made me start thinking about what I need to do to prepare for possible disasters (I wouldn't last a week!). I liked that the conflict was more about human nature and how disaster brings out either the good or the bad in people. I also appreciated that the romance wasn't "instant love" but an attraction that had been ignored for years. Everything in the book was actually realistic, rather than things that are so outside of the realm of possibility it makes your eyes roll. I highly enjoyed this read and would definitely recommend.

This one is tough to rate. Essentially, ex-Marine Ben has sequestered himself in the mountains of Tennessee, going it alone after having experienced vague trauma. Gas station-owner Sela is generally a quiet, keep-to-herself type, eschewing adventure for gas station management. The universe literally has other plans for each of them, giving the world 24 hours to prepare for a solar storm that will take out the entire electrical grid and plunging humanity into chaos.

There's a lot going on here. Most of the beginning is a detailed description of what an unprepared woman who enjoys television and hot showers would do when confronted with the news that the world as she knows it would end. Ben gives Sela a little forewarning before NOAA sends out THE END IS COMING texts, so she whips out her phone, heads to a prepper website, and follows it in detail. Canned food, Ace bandages, batteries. We watch her shop, all while she feels a little foolish to be heedlessly following this man's advice--a man she hardly knows, I should add. But, because Ben somehow knows these things ahead of time, he's right, the world really is ending and the power dies and Sela's little rural mountain community has to figure out how to govern themselves (there is little to no mention of government leadership--mayors, city council, police, anything). It's a bit wild, but the first thing they decide to do is have a picnic.

So! The story progresses in terms of what is necessary for these people to survive without electricity, culminating in Sela begging Ben to help them out, which he refuses to do until she says she'll sleep with him if he does, and then the romance gets started. The romance is a bit dry and perfunctory. Mostly this is a book about the electrical grid, survivalism, and a couple of shoot-outs with meth-heads. If that's your thing, you will love this book.

One extra bit: I find it hard to believe New Orleans wouldn't notice it lost power. New Orleans has been through one recent acute disaster. I'm definitely sure it noticed.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live without electricity? I’ve always thought I could probably survive with enough books to keep me company! Early in my childhood, our camp didn’t have a generator, so we “roughed it” for many years. Life was always more simple at the camp. We would fish, trawl, and gather oysters and bigorneauxs to eat. My dad’s dream has always been to live off the land, and we often spent summers doing just that. After Sundown tests people’s ability to live without electricity. What would you do when faced with an undetermined amount of time (probably years) without power? Could you survive? Do you know how to grown your own food? Can you keep your home warm in the winter? Can you defend yourself against nature and unscrupulous people?

A world suddenly without power. To some, a horrifying thought, to others, a chance to shine. Set in a Wears Valley, Tennessee, the residents have about forty-eight hours warning that the world as they know it is over. A solar storm is going to hit Earth and is predicted to completely obliterate the power grids around the world. Residents scramble to get ready for this disaster. Sela Gordon, owner of a small gas station and general store, is alerted a day early by recluse Ben Jernigan. Ben is a former military man who is prepared for anything in his nearby Cove Mountain home. When the valley does indeed go dark, residents are left to face the consequences of human behavior.

This is a tale of survival centered around Ben and Sela. I enjoy reading “apocolypic” books and was surprised to see one coming from Linda Howard, a favorite author of mine. The book was a slow start for me, I wasn’t immediately drawn into the story. But, about a third of the way into the book, I was hooked and needed to finish right then. Howard co-wrote this book with Linda Jones which may be why it didn’t feel like a Linda Howard book, but it was a great read nonetheless. Pick up After Sundown for an enjoyable read.