Book Review: After the Crux by Dani Worth

Title: After the Crux
Series: Crux Survivors, #1
Author: Dani Worth
Genre: Erotic Romance, Dystopian
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy from publisher
Published: July 2012 by Samhain Publishing

In a lonely, plague-devastated world, it is definitely not every man for himself.

Seventeen years after the Crux Virus wiped out most of the world’s population, Ross is doing what he can to keep his small community safe from raiders in a self-contained artist retreat in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. He’s made a habit of collecting survivors and they’ve all become family, but the most important members have always been Jenna and Dorian.

At fourteen, Ross stumbled into the basement where the nine-year-olds were hiding and the three have been together ever since. Years later, Jenna and Dorian became lovers. Now, at thirty, Ross hopes to find a love of his own on supply runs, but he suffers incredible guilt because his heart has long been snagged by his two best friends.

Alone with his tangled emotions, Ross is about to discover that his friends have their own ideas about their relationship…and how it is about to change.

Product Warning: An unfortunate stabbing leads to fortunate liaisons, including M/F/M, M/M, M/F...and whatever else these apocalyptic survivors can do with each other during those long winter months in the snowy mountains.

Reviewed By: J9

In a Nutshell: Awesome sexy MMF romance with a well-constructed post-apocalyptic world. I hate the author a little for making me wait an undefined time for subsequent stories in this world.

The Set Up: It’s been nearly twenty years since most of humanity died from the worldwide Crux Virus. Some survivors become violent raiders preying on others but others set up families and fight together to build new lives. Ross did this when he took responsibility for two nine year olds when he was only fourteen. Now Jenna and Dorian are twenty-five and lovers. This leaves Ross on the outside and lonely but his two best friends intend to change that.

Why I Read this Book: I love the cover as it’s unique, especially for erotic romance. I also love reading post-apocalyptic books. I like to imagine I can live without cable, Internet and tea shops, even knowing I’d die the first time I had to take a cold shower.

What I Liked: Oh wow is the romance sexy and heartfelt! It’s easy to see how Ross longs for Jenna and Dorian but would keep himself apart. He’s truly a man of honor and if he allowed himself to be dishonorable in matters of the heart, it would change who he is and what he’s accomplished in creating a survivor community. Jenna and Dorian are distinct characters with their own personalities who contribute to the community and I like both characters.

The romance is certainly erotic but it’s also deeply heartfelt. These three aren’t just coming together to ease Ross’s loneliness but because they admire, care and value each other. Unlike a lot of MMF romances, this one had believable sexual tension and attraction between the men as well as with Jenna and I thought that stellar.

What I Also Liked: This world of people trying to survive and build a life together is awesome. Yes, it’s convenient that they found this nearly self-sustaining compound in New Mexico but they also spend a lot of years looking for something like this. And the author shares believable back story like the time the three had no food for so long that when they finally found a root cellar with only pickled beets, they gorged on beets until they threw up and discolored their clothes. The trials and successes of these survivors is compelling and made me dread the novella’s ending.

I also liked the secondary characters. There are three other adults and two children sharing Ross, Jenna and Dorian’s home with two more added by novella’s end. All these characters have a rugged survivor appeal that they’ll do anything to keep alive and together.

What I Didn’t Like: I DETEST that I have to wait for more erotic romance set in this world. This novella ends on a slight cliffhanger and I can’t believe I have to hope the author sticks with this story arc and continues to write it. Plus, since this novella was released only four weeks ago, my wait is going to be KILLER long!

IMO: If you like sexy, emotional MMF romance then read this little gem—and we’ll all wait together for the subsequent stories!

J9’s Rating: