Review: Folsom by Taryn Fisher and Willow Aster

The nation as we know it is a thing of the past. With the male species on the verge of extinction, a society called the End Men is formed to save the world. Folsom Donahue is one of twelve men whose sole purpose is to repopulate the Regions. The endless days spent having sex with strangers leaves Folsom with an emptiness no amount of women, money, or status can fill.  

Until Gwen. 

Gwen has wanted a child for as long as she can remember, but when she finally gets a chance to have her own, she uncovers a long-hidden truth. The injustice she sees moves her to help save the men whom no one else believes need saving. 

A forbidden love, grown in a time of despair, ignites a revolution. Folsom and Gwen, torn between their love for each other and their sense of duty, must make a choice. But some will stop at nothing to destroy them. 

Folsom is book one of the End of Men series.

5 Stars
Review by Jen Skewes

I will admit that I really don’t read this genre very often.   Now that I think about it, this may be the first book that I have read.   But finding out that Willow Aster and Taryn Fisher were writing a book together, I jumped at the chance to read it.  This book is unlike anything that I have read before. It is unique and so well written that it didn’t matter what this story was about.  I was hooked from the start.  And when it ended I was in shock.  Yes a part of me sat there, staring at my phone, thinking:  “what did I just read?”  But it was more than that.  It was the ending that left me hanging in a way that I am not sure I was ready for. 

The world as we know it is changed in a major way.  The male population is almost wiped out.  With the exception of the End Men, whose job is to impregnate woman in the hopes of adding to the male species.  Folsom is the number one guy, for the simple reason that he has produced the most male babies.  He is also one of the originals.   Folsom doesn’t hate his job but he doesn’t necessarily love it either.  There are things in life that he wants but can never have and he seems to accept that.  Until he meets his next appointment, Gwen.  From the moment he met her she was different.  And from the moment they met I knew that they were meant to be together.  There is just one problem, and it’s a major one.  Gwen was just a job, one that he succeeded in and now he must stay away.   He wants to know her, wants to spend time with her but he also knows that he cannot give her anything.  He has nothing to offer and must move on.  But will it be that easy?  Can they find a way to be together?

This book!!  I cannot even explain what this book did to me.  You will fall in love with some of the characters, specifically Gwen and Folsom.  From the start I was completely captured by them as individuals.  But put them together and I wanted nothing more than for them to run away and live happily ever after.  I knew how hard that would be, but I refused to give up hope.  They were just so good together, with their undeniable connection, the attraction they felt for each other, and the way they just cared for each other. 

While you will love them, there will be people that you absolutely hate, people that you want to believe in and trust but you are not so sure.  When the pieces finally all come together your mind is blown at all that is going on.  I was frustrated so many times with this book but at the same time I felt like I was on the edge of my seat because you never know when that bomb will drop, because at some point it will.  Every emotion that I felt during this book just kept building and building until the end when my emotions were completely all over the place. 

Folsom is nothing of what I expected it to be but I loved every minute of it.  It is so different from what I am used to reading.  It was unique and blew me away.  I will be patiently waiting for the conclusion.  Ok that’s a lie.  I need the next book  like yesterday!!!