"It’s hard to get over how desolate the world is now. I haven’t seen another soul for over a week. And if I want to stay alive, I hope to keep it that way…" – Aiden, 18
About the Book:
Two boys fall in love in a deadly world, but it’s the secrets they keep that might kill them. From debut author Paul Michael Winters, Together in a Broken World (NineStar Press; $19.99; 978-1-64890-737-1; Pub Date: May 21, 2024) adds a queer romance twist to a popular post-apocalyptic road-trip storyline. Winters is an exciting new LGBTQA voice with a mission to normalize queerness and create joyful stories where you might not normally see queer characters.
Zach, 17, was visiting his uncle in a small Montana town when a mysterious illness ripped through the world. Most died, but those who survived the Infection became mindless killers, spreading the disease with a single scratch. Now, a year later, civilization lies in ruins, and Zach is the town’s sole survivor. Desperately lonely, he longs to return to his family in Seattle, but his fears hold him captive.
Meanwhile, Aiden, 18, is on a critical mission for the covert Scientific Collective, delivering vials whose contents could cure the Infection. Tortured by his boyfriend’s death, he welcomes the risks of the perilous journey. When a militia attacks Aiden, he flees to Zach’s town. The boys escape together and soon form a bond as they comfort each other in this desolate and broken world. The farther they travel, the more their affection grows, as do the forces pulling them apart. But their greatest threats are the secrets they keep. Zach hides details of his uncle’s death, and Aiden conceals the vials’ sinister origins. In order to survive, they’ll have to confront the truths that could tear their love apart.
Review:
The world as we know it has come to a halt, the power grid has shut down and a mysterious virus has been released that turns anyone infected into ravenous creatures. When the virus hit, seventeen year old Zach was visiting his uncle in a remote town in Montana. Zach didn't really understand what was happening, but watched his uncle perish and eventually set up in an abandoned bank surviving with his mechanical knowledge and series of booby traps. Meanwhile, 18 year old Aiden is on a mission for the Scientific Collective delivering a potential cure to Seattle when he is attacked. Aiden finds refuge in Zach's small town and Zach and Aiden hit it off, quickly realizing that they are attracted to one another. However, Aiden doesn't want to put Zach in the path of trouble with the militia that is chasing him and Zach feels that he needs Aiden's help to get back to his family home in Seattle. As they travel together, Aiden's and Zach's bond deepens as danger catches up to them.
Together In A Broken World is a young adult, dystopian, romance. The story is fast-paced and jumps right into the action with Zach surviving in his bank vault and Aiden hitting the road with his precious cargo. With no knowledge of what has caused the world to shut down or what illness has killed just about everyone, there are a lot of unknowns to figure out along the way. Aiden and Zach are both wonderful characters and balance one another well. Zach is resourceful and smart, but shy and fearful about the outside world. Aiden is trained for survival, brave, strong and mission oriented. While the post-apocalyptic setting is intriguing, the focus is really on Zach and Aiden's relationship. From their first meeting, there is a strong attraction on both ends with an abundance of caution for different reasons for both guys. Their relationship was very natural, despite the challenging environment. I enjoyed the challenges they faced together as well as the other apocalypse survivors they met along the way. Suspense was heightened throughout as the militia chased Aiden for his vials and doubt crept in as to whether Aiden's vials carried a cure or something worse.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Two boys fall in love in a deadly world, but it’s the secrets they keep that might kill them. From debut author Paul Michael Winters, Together in a Broken World (NineStar Press; $19.99; 978-1-64890-737-1; Pub Date: May 21, 2024) adds a queer romance twist to a popular post-apocalyptic road-trip storyline. Winters is an exciting new LGBTQA voice with a mission to normalize queerness and create joyful stories where you might not normally see queer characters.
Zach, 17, was visiting his uncle in a small Montana town when a mysterious illness ripped through the world. Most died, but those who survived the Infection became mindless killers, spreading the disease with a single scratch. Now, a year later, civilization lies in ruins, and Zach is the town’s sole survivor. Desperately lonely, he longs to return to his family in Seattle, but his fears hold him captive.
Meanwhile, Aiden, 18, is on a critical mission for the covert Scientific Collective, delivering vials whose contents could cure the Infection. Tortured by his boyfriend’s death, he welcomes the risks of the perilous journey. When a militia attacks Aiden, he flees to Zach’s town. The boys escape together and soon form a bond as they comfort each other in this desolate and broken world. The farther they travel, the more their affection grows, as do the forces pulling them apart. But their greatest threats are the secrets they keep. Zach hides details of his uncle’s death, and Aiden conceals the vials’ sinister origins. In order to survive, they’ll have to confront the truths that could tear their love apart.
Review:
The world as we know it has come to a halt, the power grid has shut down and a mysterious virus has been released that turns anyone infected into ravenous creatures. When the virus hit, seventeen year old Zach was visiting his uncle in a remote town in Montana. Zach didn't really understand what was happening, but watched his uncle perish and eventually set up in an abandoned bank surviving with his mechanical knowledge and series of booby traps. Meanwhile, 18 year old Aiden is on a mission for the Scientific Collective delivering a potential cure to Seattle when he is attacked. Aiden finds refuge in Zach's small town and Zach and Aiden hit it off, quickly realizing that they are attracted to one another. However, Aiden doesn't want to put Zach in the path of trouble with the militia that is chasing him and Zach feels that he needs Aiden's help to get back to his family home in Seattle. As they travel together, Aiden's and Zach's bond deepens as danger catches up to them.
Together In A Broken World is a young adult, dystopian, romance. The story is fast-paced and jumps right into the action with Zach surviving in his bank vault and Aiden hitting the road with his precious cargo. With no knowledge of what has caused the world to shut down or what illness has killed just about everyone, there are a lot of unknowns to figure out along the way. Aiden and Zach are both wonderful characters and balance one another well. Zach is resourceful and smart, but shy and fearful about the outside world. Aiden is trained for survival, brave, strong and mission oriented. While the post-apocalyptic setting is intriguing, the focus is really on Zach and Aiden's relationship. From their first meeting, there is a strong attraction on both ends with an abundance of caution for different reasons for both guys. Their relationship was very natural, despite the challenging environment. I enjoyed the challenges they faced together as well as the other apocalypse survivors they met along the way. Suspense was heightened throughout as the militia chased Aiden for his vials and doubt crept in as to whether Aiden's vials carried a cure or something worse.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
About the Author:
Paul Michael Winters is a lifelong creative writer whose life is filled with queer joy. His passion is to spread that joy through storytelling and writing books where you might not typically see queer characters. His books feature queer people living their best lives where their queerness is an aspect of their personality but doesn’t dominate the story. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his husband and two tuxedo kitties and might have a slight addiction to reading gay romance. But it’s not a problem. He could stop any time he wanted. Honestly. Find him online at pmwinters.com and follow him on Instagram, Threads, Facebook, and Twitter.
Paul Michael Winters is a lifelong creative writer whose life is filled with queer joy. His passion is to spread that joy through storytelling and writing books where you might not typically see queer characters. His books feature queer people living their best lives where their queerness is an aspect of their personality but doesn’t dominate the story. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his husband and two tuxedo kitties and might have a slight addiction to reading gay romance. But it’s not a problem. He could stop any time he wanted. Honestly. Find him online at pmwinters.com and follow him on Instagram, Threads, Facebook, and Twitter.
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