Oh man, oh man, oh man!!! This is the MOST amazing book! I loved every freaking moment of it. A story about the apocalypse is not one you would usually consider to be romantic. However, when you put a strong, determined woman into the path of Pestilence, one of the four horsemen, and mix in just the right amount of humor, kindness and mercy, you couldn’t be more wrong.

I loved Sara and all her quirky one liners. Her internal monologue had me smiling and chuckling throughout this story. And then, even as I was still smiling over one of her witticisms, the truth of Pestilence’s purpose would reinforce itself and I was left gasping for breath or fighting against tears.

Pestilence is a hero unlike any I have ever read before. There is no insta-anything going on here. He has a task to complete and the end result will be a world of illness and death. He would be the first to proclaim he has no humanity and his actions certainly give proof to that. If you think this is some trick and he’s not really killing masses of people, think again. He is the ultimate anti-hero and I absolutely loved him.

With the exception of just a few scenes, this book has very few secondary characters. The most memorable is Rob and Ruth and I found the scenes with this couple to be some of the most poignant and eye opening.

I do not want to get too much into the story. I suggest you read the blurb and then let it unfold on its own. But I will say that there is so much that’s good (and that’s a weak good because what I mean is incredibleness) in the midst of the turmoil that this book carries you through. You will enjoy it all the more for not knowing where Sara and Pestilence’s journey will take you.

This author has the ability to convey so much in just a few simply spoken words. Nothing is ever bogged down or overstated. And the feels! Oh my gawd! Again with just a few words Ms.Thalassa had me feeling every emotion conceivable. The writing is fresh and the story so incredibly original as soon as I finished I wanted to reread it.

I loved the twist on the apocalypse, as I was not expecting the book to have romance in it! I was not aware of the genre of the novel, but it was not unpleasant to run into. It was not done in a way that made me feel awkward to read like some do, it gave the feels without being overly done. I found myself thinking I did not like the book as much as other books as I read it, but even as I was feeling this I could not put it down!! After I finished, I began thinking about the book on a deeper level than when I had raced through it unchecked, and it really hit me how much I liked the nuances of the relationship and story. It made some me think deeper on some of my real life relationship debate right now. I am not sure it would do this to everyone because I think I found it at the right time, but it was an enjoyable read. I am hoping that the next book can reference some of this in the future, because I feel like some of the story would be lost if each horseman is forgotten as the books move on. I'm going to find out!

Summary: Not what I expected of an apocalypse book. Romance without the cringe or crude. Nuanced relationship that makes you love them and want them to work. Thinking about it post-read can open the mind if you're in a spot of your life for care and compassion definition crises.

This book can be quite brutal at times, its themes rather dark but still handled relatively carefully. The protagonist and love interest indeed have a very rough start to their interactions but as time goes on a slow burn works to kindle their relationship. The book is for more mature audiences but it is a delightful read as you read about the protagonist dealing with the moral conflicts of enjoying the company of a monster, while the monster in question starts to learn about human nature.

I read the rhapsodic series first, and while some parts felt familiar right away I was pleased with the character development in this book and how it stands apart from her other works. Still has a good amount of romance if that's your cup of tea. I did read that some other readers would like more backstory but I think Laura did a good job providing enough, I felt invested in the characters and their choices and I wasn't sure how everything was going to turn out, so it was a really good read in my opinion. I read it in like two days and went right back to the store to get the second book in the series.