This book is hard to describe! I wanted to love it so much but it read like 3 novellas thrown together with an ending that had an unfinished feeling to it. While it did keep my interest, I had to suspend disbelief for most of the story. Kat is a binge drinking widow and Ryan is a heartbroken lawyer. When their asteroid finding friend Nick encourages them to get out of the city or risk impending doom, they ditch their family and friends for an apocalyptic road trip. Although neither of them wanted a relationship before, sex seems like the best way to get a good night sleep, and hey, why not?
But soon they run into more dangerous situations and need to abandon their car and switch to bicycles. Fortunately they’re able to fit everything they need into their backpacks and off they go. Straight towards a psychotic militia group. What is the doomsday equivalent of a hypochondriac because that’s what it felt like I was reading.
Also at the beginning of the book, Kat is a binge drinker. She is able to stop right away with the end of the world looming but finds it very considerate of Nick when he asks if she needs to get some alcohol and then asks if she minds if he has beer?? Also, Kat is described as being neurodivergent but it’s only addressed once, so when they declare their love for each other and she asks him if he loves her even though she’s different, it just sounds weird. This is a story that it you go into it with the right mindset, you could have a lot of fun. It just didn’t work for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for this eArc in exchange for my homes opionion.

The Edge if Life is an excellent debut by author Lena Gibson! Following neurodivergent Kat, and workaholic Ryan as they go on an insane adventure to a bunker in South Dakota during a global disaster. I couldn't put this book down. From the pacing, to the character growth, to feeling as if I was there throughout this whole journey. It will keep you turning the pages and rooting for Kat and Ryan. I can't wait to read the next book from Lena Gibson. This was exactly what I needed to end my reading slump. Do yourself a favor and grab a copy on April 7th. Thank you Netgalley and Black Rose Writing for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Dystopian YES! Nuclear warheads blowing apart the asteroid heading to Earth, thereby making it only fall in smaller chunks is a Dystopian fiction winner. Of course this makes perfect sense to a dystopian fiction lover!

End of the world for millions? Pshaw, don’t fret! The reader will hardly feel the pain and agony of loss. So what does the reader feel?

Nervous. The reader feels nervous because anyone who knows anything about dystopian fiction understands the departure cannot be delayed until the last minute because roads are going to be dicey, communities will begin to fail as humanity takes over. And that exactly what happens. Now Kat and Ryan, two people who are mutual friends of a top level scientist, must plan their exit from Seattle because things will be bad.

Despite the fun of the book, I must admit that the book has some uneven pacing and planning, smoothing over details, and unrealistic elements. SPOILERS. I would not have categorized this as a romance novel, despite the two falling in love at the end since much of the sex was more “convenient” and not “romance novel”. I would never have described the main character as neurodivergent - as far as I could tell, noise bothered her and that was about the only characteristic. Noise bothers lots of people. She cold Turkey quit abusing alcohol after being a blackout drunk for two years, with no desire to drink afterwards? Unlikely. A handful of men hold a large swath of Wyoming under their absolute terrorized control? Unlikely. I’d imagine that about every household in Wyoming, just as in other certain 2nd amendment loving states, have lots of guns and could band together against a handful of men over such a large area. The fear and grief of the circumstances seem glossed over. No more movie theaters? No more Chick-Fil-A? Where are all the people in these empty towns they passed, the refugees? Food insecurity? Medicine? Clothing?

Despite its flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would read another in the series. There are 300+ empty rooms in the XTerra, surely we can have another book with someone coming to live there and see an update?

This book was just as thrilling as it was terrifying. I’ve aged 10 years since reading this. 2025 is my new 2012. With that said, I was seriously hooked from the start! Give me a love story, but let’s make it doomsday as well. So many aspects of this felt so real and reading about the fate of California actually made me sick to my stomach. But honestly, woven into this horrifying and gripping apocalyptic event book was a heartwarming story about the tenacity of humans in the face of adversity. I really loved the main characters Kat and Nick as they navigate their difficult pasts and learn to listen to their heart and trust each other. The dual POV was well-done and I’m glad Gibson allowed us into the mind of both these characters. The ending has me yearning for more and I’m hoping she gives us another story in this crazy new world. This book is not for the faint of heart so if you’ve been avoiding books that mention the pandemic, you might not be ready for this yet. Overall, I absolutely recommend to fans of doomsday movies like Seeking a Friend for the End of the World or Love and Monsters. Also recommend to just general fans of contemporary romance who can handle very heavy, sad themes.

Copy received from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Very readable book - started it and kept on going. Liked the writing. Definitely would be interested in the author's next book. Recommended.

What would you do if you learned that an asteroid was going to crash into the Earth and cause massive if not total destruction of the planet? Would you reach out to family and friends? Would you grab all the supplies you could? Would you desperately try to find safe shelter, or would you shelter in place hoping for the best?

What would you do?

Kat is a neurodivergent elementary teacher who began drinking heavily (binges) after the death of her husband two years ago. Ryan is a workaholic who caught the woman he loved cheating on him the same day he planned to ask her to marry him. Their common friend Nick asked them both to go hiking to break up their coping skills and get them around other people. Nick also happens to be the scientist who discovered that an asteroid that is hurling in space towards Earth.

What they do....

Ryan has inherited a bunker in South Dakota. He and Kat gather what supplies they can and head out for South Dakota. Best laid plans and all that....

What happens to society when the possible end is near? What volcanos are erupting, earthquakes are shaking things up, fires are raging, and people are desperate to survive?

Surviving will not be easy.

This is a book that looks at two people who have been isolating after loss. It is about survival and the world coming to a possible end. It is about society falling apart as two people fall in love.

This was a debut book that was enjoyable and thought provoking. I enjoyed their plight and struggles to get to safety. What I didn't feel from them was the tension or intense fear that I think one would feel if an asteroid was going to crash into Earth with possible complete destruction. The people were trying their best to survive and yet, I didn't feel their fear or tension. I did feel their feelings for each other which works as this is a romance but with the plot, I was hoping for just a little bit more.

They do go on quite the journey, unlike anything I have seen in a romance book.

Thought provoking and enjoyable.


#TheEdgeofLife #NetGalley #LenaGibson #BlackRoseWriting

3.;4 stars. I requested this as an ARC because several Goodreads friends absolutely loved it.

I was riveted. But also, this book stressed me out of my mind and made me feel at the verge of tears for most of it.

There is definitely some too true stuff there that made me remember feelings I had at beginning of the pandemic and that wasn’t my favorite feeling.

The two main characters are pretty good. But it kinda felt like they fell in love because there was no way to go through that kind of crap without loving someone who was beside you in that.

Add to this, the ending is fairly abrupt.

I did not feel super great after reading this. So this review is about emotions not writing.

I am a sucker for all things post apocalyptic, but this is my first ever post apocalyptic love story. The characters were great, lots of development, which I love. The plot was good, a lot of post apocalyptic books don’t go into detail about what actually is causing the end of the world and I thought this book did a great job.

I am no stranger to spice, however, I don’t feel that the way it was written fit very well into the story.

All in all I did enjoy this book and would definitely pick up another by this author in the future

Best Read of 2023! You need to read this book!

How is this a debut novel? This book was so good! SO GOOD!
Right from the beginning this book made me feel things, it grabbed me by my cold dead heart and didn’t let go. I’m reeling.
It started off with Kat, a neurodivergent elementary school teacher, mourning her dead husband at the bottom of a gin bottle. She is broken and detached from life, barely surviving each day. Her good friend Nick tries to help by getting her to hang out and go hiking. At the same time our hero Ryan, is a workaholic recovering from a nasty break up with his long term girlfriend. In comes Nick again, to get Ryan away from his desk and out in nature. The three of them begin weekly hikes, all the while Nick, an Astro-scientist of some sort, has discovered a meteorite that may be headed towards earth.
Quickly, this story changes to one of disaster prep and survival as the world prepares for impact.
This book was gripping! I was on the edge of my seat with the twist and turns. As the information about the meteorite clarifies, Nick tells his friends to seek cover and Ryan offers Kat solace in the bunker he inherited from his grandpa.
They begin a long, crazy and harrowing journey from Seattle to Idaho, going from car to bike and then on foot. Meeting helpful people and not helpful people. We quickly see how disaster brings out the best and the worst in everyone.
With all of this craziness happening we also see an incredibly tender and moving friendship and love grow between Ryan and Kat. They support each other, share their the burden and persevere. This book shook me. It moved me. It made me tear up.
It was not fluffy read, so make sure if you tackle this you are in a mindset for deep feels.
But this book has been, by far, my best read of the year. I don’t hand out five stars easily, you have to pull them out of me with pliers, but this one earned it.
Don’t let the cartoon cover fool you, this was The Last of Us sans zombies. Prepare yourself for love during the apocalypse and read this book!

Uhmmm the idea of this book made me really interested it seemed really out of my alley… but actually it didn’t deliver, let me explain why… actually I don’t agree that Kat is neurodivergent ( in google it says about The term “neurodivergent” describes people whose brain differences affect how their brain works. That means they have different strengths and challenges from people whose brains don't have those differences. The possible differences include medical disorders, learning disabilities and other conditions. ) , she is grieving, and she is kind of a reclusive out of work, and she fakes to others that she is OK while she isn’t, but that is part of grieving her dead husband… OMG her husband died after 6 moths of marriage, that is bound to mess someone… and I don’t really think she has a problem with drinking, I mean, she could stop because she had company… a truly alcoholic person would have more problems in leaving the drink alone without help… even having a drink during the week… now about Ryan, he isn't really an workaholic, he is a man that suffered a great pain in his life (the woman he was committed to, cheated in him with two guys in his own bed) and all he has now is work, and have success there is the only thing that can bring some sense of normalcy in his life…

we dwell a lot of time in the first 13% of the book talking about their problems and how they are broken, etc.… the comet is not even a problem there… and then it suddenly it is… even their attraction… they are both good looking but for some reason they ignore that until the meteorite become a problem and even before arriving in safety they decide that they are very attracted to each other and have sex… and that was other thing that I didn’t really enjoy… and the way it was written I can’t really recommend to young people, also some crude language on the book as well.
I am sorry to say but I don’t think I was the right person to
evaluate this book, there are lots of people that will love this book, it has sexy hot scenes (very descriptive) after around 33% of the book, survival I fell is secondary in this book, so a person that is not used to apocalyptical books, but do like romance books, will probably love this book, but for me that I like the apocalyptical and survival this book was lacking, it is well written and that is the reason for my stars because if not for that I would need to go a bit lower in my evaluation.

Thank you NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.

I think I may have found one of my favorite Contemporary Romance authors.

The Edge of Life was such a cute and refreshing story. I really loved how unique the plot was and I honestly had never read one remotely similar. The story was ramped up from the beginning and kept me hooked through the whole book. Kay and Ryan are "chef's kiss" the perfect match. Their journey to finding Ryan's bunker after an asteroid hit Earth seemed very realistic and each event was like something I would assume you would encounter. So many different trials and tribulations from food shortages, militia, and most importantly the impacts to climate and everything around them from the asteroid. I truly could see their journey vividly like I was watching an apocalyptic movie.

The only think I wish was added was more Nick, Kat and Ryan's best friend. He seemed like a character I would of thoroughly enjoyed.

All in all, an amazing and fast paced read from an author that I hope to see way more of!

Thank you NetGalley, Black Rose Writing, and Lena Gibson for the gifted arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Edge of Life was the most unexpected surprise! How is this a debut?! I see you, Lena Gibson. 👏 I have been utterly brain dazzled since finishing Kat and Ryan’s incredible story of survival — against all odds while finding love along the way!


“Today was the twenty-first of May, a day now burned into his brain. If they lived through this, it would be one of those days. People still asked, “Where were you September eleventh?” He’d been six years old, on the way to school. His teacher had explained what had happened. Everyone who lived through the asteroid and its aftermath would also have a story. He hoped his had a happy ending.”


Societal collapse and the way individuals cope with extreme events — terrifying. This book made my heart stop multiple times! Sleep with one eye open or just forgo sleep all together. The tension is written masterfully. 🤌 It will leave you hanging on every word with goosies all over. I love how smart and resilient both of the main characters are. The way their relationship evolves. It felt so real. That bond that slowly develops through shared experiences. The emotions of accepting a new reality. I could gush and gush…but all I really want to say is, read this! I will definitely be purchasing and rereading this on April 6th!!!


Quotes:
❥ Once more, she got a funny feeling, one that made her shoulder blades twitch. She turned back, but Ryan was underwater, so it wasn’t his gaze she sensed. It must be her imagination.

❥ It was interesting what mattered when it was life or death as she sorted her belongings.

❥ Let’s go back to sleep. The world will be different in the morning.”

❥ “We didn’t quite break and we aren’t lost forever. Maybe we can find our way back together. We’ll just take it one day at a time.”


♡ Many thanks to NetGalley, Black Rose Writing, and Lena Gibson for the gifted ARC.

The Edge of Life - Lena Gibson

Astronomer Nick Rhodes has discovered approaching Asteroid 2025NR, and is analyzing how closely it will pass by Earth. Nick is a keen hiker (and possibly a keen matchmaker too!): he introduces two of his friends to each other by bringing them on a day-hike near Mount Baker.

Kat is an outwardly-successful Seattle elementary-school teacher, but she hides a secret. Ryan is ambitious and hard-working, but he is lonely. Both Kat and Ryan become alarmed by their astronomer-friend's cryptic warning to leave town and find refuge, so the two of them decide to drive together to Ryan's remote cabin.

This is a story about two troubled people trying desperately to survive during the initial panic and subsequent chaos of a global catastrophe. Although the story describes terrible effects upon cities, geology and climate, the main focus is always upon Kat and Ryan, and how they interact with the various people that they encounter during their difficult journey. Through adversity and survival, they discover mutual attraction and something more.

The book started by separately describing recent family events for Kat and for Ryan, which was a good way to introduce their personalities to me, and to show each of their inner turmoil and coping mechanisms. I found their vulnerabilities endearing, and was soon drawn into wanting to find out what they encounter during their journey, how they survive, and what they will face at the end. I felt heart-warmed by the generosity of some of the people they meet, and chilled by the predatory people who find them. The development of Kat and Ryan's relationship is simple and linear: they are mutually attracted and it does not take them long to act upon that. The story includes surprisingly raunchy descriptions, though I have no doubt that disaster survivors would find solace where they could! I enjoyed this easy-to-read catastrophe road-trip romance!

**this review contains mild spoilers**

The Edge of Life follows new friends, Kat and Ryan, in their journey to safety following an asteroid strike.

I think all of us, since covid, have learnt a little about what it means to survive. Surviving means doing what is necessary to keep yourself safe and sane. This book really explores survival in a realistic and gripping way; watching Kat and Ryan do whatever it takes to make their way to safety really kept me interested throughout, especially when shown in relation to how they were coping before the asteroid hit.

Now, onto the best bit! If you know me, you know I'm a sucker for a good romance book, and that's exactly what this was. Watching Kat and Ryan's relationship evolving from friendship into something more was really special and filled me with so much happiness. Paired with that little bit of spice, this read was a perfect apocalyptic love story.

The Edge of Life by Lena Gibson follows both Kat and Ryan as they race against the clock towards a bunker to survive the end of the world, as a gigantic meteorite is coming. Kat is a elementary teacher, who tries to cope with her life by drinking on every free day. She's neurodivergent (autistic) too, and this is an ownvoices book. She has met Ryan a couple of times before because of a mutual friend, but now they're suddenly sort of stuck with each other. With the end of times around the corner, their relationship develops fast.

I was of course very curious about the autism rep, I love reading about people with the same neurodivergence as me! I have to say, the rep I read was well done, but I felt like a lot of the time it was just ignored. I expected at least a few meltdowns or shutdowns as there are some pretty intense situations, but those weren't around, and the sensory issues were there, but it felt like it was not enough for what they went through. Every autistic person is different of course, so I'm not here to judge, this is just how I experienced it. But mostly I loved it, especially how Kat tried to interpret social interactions, and used her social mask in emergency situations to save the day - or ruin it lol.

I love an apocalyptic story and this one absolutely didn't disappoint. I was screaming at times at their choices, which is a good thing lol, I was very invested in their survival. The road trip through hell was gruelling yet entertaining as lots of things happened to move the plot, and the romance is the perfect counterpart to the world falling to pieces. I have to say, I thought the actual first romance was a little sudden, but after that it felt very natural and I was heavily invested in their happiness. They make a perfect match, and it was just really sweet and amazing to watch them grow together and open up. I love that part. I very much dislike all spice, but this book had just enough for me to not grow tired of it, which is quite the feat. We also get POV's from Ryan, the lovable workaholic, and he's very fun to read about. Their back stories and time together is my favorite. Plotwise I felt like there was a perfect balance between the action and epic plot and the oasis in between of getting to know the characters. The writing style was very engaging and beautiful.

All in all, a perfect romantic apocalypse story with great autism rep, and I really hope there's gonna be a part two, even though the ending is a real ending, I can see so many things in their future I really want to read about.

I received a free e-arc through Netgalley, many thanks, but this has not influenced my opinions.

Okay let’s talk about the bad first.

OMG the cover is absolutely terrible. I would never have picked up this book unless I had read the description first. And I would have missed out on a truly amazing read.

They need to redo this cover in the style of other adventure romance novels. Whiteout by Andera Anders, Year One by Nora Roberts, After Sundown by Linda Howard. Anything but this cutesy cartoon cover. This is not a rom-com. This is an end of the world romance that is full of action, heart, and an amazing storyline.

Honestly if they publish with this cover, I may buy the book anyway, make my own cover and put it on my shelf. I love the writing that much.

If you are an apocalyptic romance girly this will be your new favorite read.

Ryan and Kat are thrown together by a mutual friend in an end of the world scenario. An asteroid is heading straight earth and is going to bomb the West Coast. Their only hope is a bunker owned by Ryan in South Dakota that was left to him by his crazy prepper grandfather. Together they will have to journey from Seattle to South Dakota. If you love romance and disaster movies, PLEASE READ this. You will love it.

There is also so much heart in this book. They are both dealing with some pretty bad demons. And the romance is on FIRE!

Please change the cover,
Sincerely,
A fan of this book

Rating,
The Edge of Life: 5 ⭐️
Plot: 4.5 ⭐️
Characters: 5 ⭐️
Character Development: 5 ⭐️
Spicy: 3 🌶️

  Thank you NetGalley, author Lena Gibson and publisher Black Rose Writing for providing this e-ARC.  All opinions are my own.

I can not wait for this to be released! I need a physical copy that I can hug. I want to paint the edges of the book. To say I loved reading this book is an understatement. Romance and apocalyptic in one book and is well written. It deserves recognition and more hype. With that said let’s get into the review.

Plot,
The focus of the story is the asteroid impact on Earth and how to survive during and after the impact. The main characters are pushed together to survive. In the beginning it felt forced by the writer. In the middle the relationship between the main characters doesn’t feel forced. The writer did an excellent job of making the characters suffer.

Characters,
In the beginning we meet Kat who is a school teacher and is numb to the world around her. Until Nick comes back into her life, who is a great friend since college. He helps her come out of her grief / depression by getting her out on hikes with his friend Ryan.

Ryan is a lawyer who wants to make partner in the law firm he works for. He’s 100% a thinker rather than feeler in the beginning. Ryan has been through a rough breakup and has built walls around him self.

These are the two main characters. The writer did them justice, Kat and Ryan are whole characters or rounded characters. I have read a lot of books lately that don’t have whole / round characters. I’m happy to see them become well rounded characters.
There is one character that mentioned but we never see and I want a book with that character. The character is Jake, he is Nick’s boyfriend.

Writing,
It is easy to read, the pages fly by before you know it. Dual point of view from Kat and Ryan executed well, which is hard to do. Another thing the author did well was layering. I am surprised that this is a debut author and not a seasoned author.

Here is a snip it of Lena Gibson’s writing that I loved.

“Though it was late April, patches of snow littered the ground and, in the shade, still piled several feet deep. Ice crystals sparkled where they were caught by the sun, and slushy bits melted into the mud.”

Conclusion,
Did I enjoy this book? Yes, it probably will make the top ten books of 2023. I have never read a book that inspired me to paint. Would I recommend it? Yes. Will I read more from this author? Yes!

This can turn into a duology or series. The end wrapped up but there’s some parts that can be expanded on. Hinting that I want more.

I can’t wait to read acquire and share this book. Will share full thoughts and a review soon.
I love how it focuses on two people going through difficult things I think so many of us can relate.
Love truly is everything in all forms.




To cope with everyday life, neurodivergent Kat is a secret binge drinker, and jilted Ryan is a workaholic. Disillusioned, neither does more than go through the motions of living—then comes the asteroid.

Warned that a planet-killing asteroid is on a collision course with Earth, acquaintances Kat and Ryan join forces in an effort to survive. Mere hours before impact, they race toward the safety of Ryan's inherited South Dakota bunker, encountering chaos. A last-ditch effort to nuke the asteroid only manages to fragment it into chunks causing multiple strikes.

Earthquakes, fire, and volcanic ashfall assail Kat and Ryan, who turn to each other for solace. Kat finds someone kind who values her differences and Ryan finds himself falling for Kat's pluck and quick-thinking. Though jaded, they learn to trust and rely on one another.

Attempting to survive the onslaught of their new world, Kat and Ryan must reach the bunker before imminent food shortages and catastrophic climate change cause society to further unravel.

The Edge of Life shows that survival can include falling in love. With steamy romance and non-stop action, this is one thrilling apocalypse road trip you shouldn't miss.