Mixed Signals

September 14, 2015
Cole concludes the Off the Grid postapocalyptic new adult romance trilogy (Signal Boost) with a surprisingly light story wherein the emotional challenges of relatable characters elevate a middling plot. Four years after a solar flare knocked out most technology, the world is getting back to normal. Twenty-year-old Maggie Seong impulsively leaves the protective cocoon of her family and heads to college, where she hopes to add romance to her course of study. One wrench in her plan is Edwin Hernandez: 26, ex-military, “tall, hot, bemuscled,” and too protective of Maggie to give in to her efforts at seduction. It seems that every time rash Maggie needs a helping hand, Edwin is there. As Maggie and Edwin begin a sweet, sensual, and suspenseful journey toward love, Maggie also tries to stabilize her tenuous friendships with an ex and a new acquaintance. Tensions in the post-disaster world add a touch of suspense. This is a rousing and entertaining end to a trilogy of touching romances.

Karen Chilton narrates a postapocalyptic friends-to-lovers romance. Now that the world is starting to return to normal several years after the Flare, Maggie Seong has the opportunity to leave home and attend college, but she is not sure if she wants to. Chilton captures Maggie's vibrant and snarky personality, while allowing her insecurities about leaving home and struggles with making friends to ring true. Chilton does not downplay Maggie's anger at being betrayed or soften her determination to save the people she cares about. This approach makes the emotional climax all the more thrilling. While Chilton occasionally sounds too mature for a 20-year-old embarking on the twin adventures of college and first love, her narration is otherwise strong. K.M.P. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine