When the world collapses under the weight of a fast-spreading sickness, survival becomes a brutal daily calculation and trust is the most dangerous gamble of all.
Society fractures almost overnight. Cities fall silent. Families disappear. Those left behind learn quickly that the infection isn’t the only thing to fear. In a world ruled by scarcity, desperation turns ordinary people into monsters, and love becomes both a weakness and a lifeline.
Addy has survived alone for days inside the walls of her apartment, watching civilization unravel through cracked windows. Food is dwindling. Silence is suffocating. And with every passing day, the infected move closer.
Then she hears him.
Sawyer isn’t the savior Addy imagined. He’s wary, hardened, and determined to trust no one. But survival is colder alone. Together, they navigate a ravaged Midwest where danger comes from the living just as often as the dead.
As scarcity sharpens every choice and strangers become threats in the dark, Addy and Sawyer discover something unexpected in the ruins—a connection strong enough to challenge the despair closing in around them.
But in a world built on fear, nothing stays safe for long.
And love might be the one thing they can’t outrun.
Writing post-apocalyptic stories is especially close to her heart—an exploration of what it means to endure, to find light in the darkest moments, and to rediscover humanity when the world has fallen silent. Through her writing, Isla captures the raw emotion of survival and the fragile beauty of hope, reminding readers that even in the ruins, there’s always something worth holding onto.
Her work blends grit with grace, weaving tales that are as atmospheric as they are heartfelt—stories born from the wilderness, and from the depths of a storyteller’s heart.
Is the first full length post apocalyptic romance book in the (Sickness) series by new to me author Isla R. Quinn . Main characters are Sawyer (39) and Addy (31). First-person, dual POV. Set in a small Midwestern town of Gains.
From the last book I read (This is how we die by Elle Richards) this one was recommended..So off to Amazon I went..And the rest is history, I started it that night in bed and struggled to put it down, waking up bleary eyed and sleepy I dived back in and finished it up.
I really enjoyed this one. It pulled me in straight away. And speaking the obvious I couldn't put it down.
First it started off with flu like symptoms ravishing the globe, killing hundreds if not thousands, a mandatory quarantine was set in place. Third grade school teacher Addy is holed up in her apartment building, scared, alone, her meager rations are running out, she hasn't heard a sound from outside of her building or from the other residents within the apartment complex since the outbreak.
Until a voice outside her apartment breaks that ever present silence '2B'
The guy next door Sawyer, rough around the edges, sticks to himself. Ex military, knows to always be prepared and prep for anything that may happen in any situation.
The stench of death from dead residents cloying the air within their apartments forces them to leave their sanctuaries together heading towards the unknown. But before all broadcasts ceased there was chatter on the air about a safe zone.
The main focus of this story was on the characters themselves, which if being honest I enjoyed that aspect as many in this genre lean towards the sickness, I liked how this one centered around their budding relationship with a world that was out to kill them. Things were kept interesting enough with the two men hunting them for Addy, woman in this world were few are far between so far, I liked the meticulous prepping, the hunkering down in places to keep out of the elements, to hide, to ride things out until their next move. It definitely kept my attention throughout. I also liked how these characters were mature adults. So a lot of favors in this book.
Really excited to jump into the next book but will have to wait until September for book#3
