Together in a Broken World

Absolutely fantastic! Saw this on Tik Tok and wanted a book to read over my vacation. I could not put it down! Such a fun read and the character development was so amazing and such a great pacing of the relationship between the two characters. Would love a second installment to be honest, but the ending was also amazing that it might be best to just let it conclude.

I loved this story! Reading Together in a Broken World is like riding a roller coaster: lots of heart-stopping action (where whatever can go wrong does go wrong) punctuated by moments of heart-warming romance. Winters builds the romance slowly and believably, just as he builds a plausible and challenging post-apocalyptic world for his characters to navigate. I found the two young protagonists appealing, who despite their different personalities, needs, and histories, learn to trust each other enough to survive and work together.

4.5 stars! If you love All That is Left in the World by Erik J. Brown, you'll absolutely enjoy this book! You'll get to stay in a post-apocalyptic world with two boys who are easy to love. Not only do we have dual POV (a personal favorite of mine!) but we also have two characters who share the stage when it comes to strengths, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities. I adore a book with this type of equality between characters. I waited several weeks to be able to read this one and I'm so glad I finally got the chance! Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time? Absolutely! See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book CHARACTERS: Aiden and Zach. The fact that I enjoyed both of them BEFORE they met up and interacted is a huge deal for me. Aiden has been trained as a courier with some self-defense skills and yet he has blind spots in his psyche that are part adorable, part sad to read. Zach has apparently been alone for the better part of a year when he and Aiden meet, and that in itself shows a serious strength on his part. He's wonderfully resourceful and I absolutely appreciated that about him. They both help each other, fill in gaps in knowledge and learn how to BE together in this broken world. Sure, sometimes I wanted to smack them upside the head, but at the same time, it came from a place of complete understanding. They followed emotions that felt quite real for their situation. PLOT: The main…

What a delightful discovery. As a writer of M/M speculative fiction myself, I am always excited by the entrance of a new voice on the scene. Paul Michael Winters’ "Together in a Broken World" gives us a pair of young men, tentatively making their way toward one another while coping with a society gone mad in the aftermath of a devastating disease that has decimated the population. Coping with trauma, terror and trust issues, Aiden and Zach fall sweetly in love. Winters presents his love story in a way that is moving without ever becoming cloying. His plot twists are intriguing and unexpected, the character reveals are beautifully paced and emotionally fulfilling. The (too few perhaps) moments of intimacy are handled tastefully, never crossing a line that might alienate more conservative readers. Winters’ compact prose moves the story along briskly, establishing his post-apocalyptic world with admirable simplicity. His homage (the plague, the tunnel) to Stephen King’s "The Stand", indisputably the nonpareil of this sub-genre, is respectful without being imitative. The audio narration, first person, alternating between the protagonists, is handled so well one never gets confused about who is speaking. Best of all, Mr. Winters’ absorbing tale is refreshingly unsentimental given the impact COVID had (and continues to have) on all our lives. Bravo, PMW! Can’t wait to get my hands on your sophomore effort. Oh, and by the way, thanks for the HEA!

This novel reads like a first script with a poor plot and unbelievable relationships. Everything seems to miraculously work out and gives no surprises. Everything the characters say and do seems forced and like the author was afraid to explore real relationships. And yet, it was okay. The three star rating is because I already KNEW what was going to happen without having to read any further. The idea that you can find an electric car that works years after being put inside a garage is ridiculous. They lose power just sitting there. Maybe MORE RESEARCH on your plot would help.