Rebecca Zanetti

Magnificent novel! I was intrigued when I read the premise of the book and blown away by its execution. The characters are strong, savvy and set to survive in a world that has been changed forever by a lethal bacterium.

Lynne Harmony, a brilliant scientist, has made her way from the east coast of the USA to Zax Mercury’s Vanguard community on the west coast. Both of them are survivors with strength, resilience and wisdom. They dare the odds, care for others and work for the common good of show more all. She is pretty and he is a hunk BUT they are oh so much more than first meets the eye and they are so good together!

This is a believable end of the world story that had me really thinking about the what-ifs. There is a need for hope in a world that is so different in six months from what was once the norm. Can anyone be trusted? Who is safe or unsafe? Is it better to band together or stay separate? Is there a government and if so is it for or against the common man? Will a cure be found? Will the human race survive? What is important in a world that has so changed so drastically?

I was enthralled and am now wondering how I can possibly wait till September to find out what happens next! Some have mentioned in their reviews that there is a prequel – I did not read the prequel and had no trouble understanding or getting right into the book from page one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC to read and review. Thank you to Rebecca Zanetti for such a wonderful story and for coming up with the Blue Heart! show less

Novella Review:

Teased by Rebecca Zanetti is a novella within the 1001 Dark Nights & Dark Protectors series. This is a series that I have loved and adored, and even though the blurb for Teased had me me slightly nervous, I truly loved what was delivered within this story. It was way different than what I was expecting on it.

Teased is a story that begins with a woman being kidnapped, and our hero, Chalton seeing the kidnapping and then rescuing her. It was such a fascinating premise here, and show more we see how the heroine despite being kidnapped, to be a fighter of her own. She has no clue of the reality of vampires but she is about to be tossed into a world she is not ready for. Chalton is a true alpha male and it was intense seeing how their chemistry built and the way in which Chalton was so possessive and in control but also at the same time he wouldn't let her speak badly of herself. This heroine was truly fun even if she was naive at times. I did love how she wasn't all toughness, that she had plenty of vulnerability that was showcased.

Overall I found Teased to be a true win of a read and if you love audiobooks, then I highly recommend this one here. show less

For a romantic suspense junkie such as myself, I really enjoyed Forgotten Sins. Imagine a sexier version of Universal Soldier. The story drew me in right from the first page, and I didn't put it down until I was finished. The story was well paced, and there was a good balance between action and character development.

Shane and Josie made a great couple, and their chemistry was believable due to their history. Their backgrounds seemed to complement each other in some ways but threatened to show more pull them apart in others. It was that push and pull that made me feel invested in them very early on. I love a heroine who can defend herself if necessary, so to see Josie use some fighting skills to get herself out of a bind was a delight. The verbal and physical sparring also seemed to get both of them worked up which was hot. Despite their tough exterior, the sadness that Shane, Matt and Nate harbored inside each of them made me love them even more. They were highly intelligent when it came to combat, warfare and technology, but in matters of the heart or women in general, sometimes the words they spoke had a childlike quality to them.

There were two mysteries running parallel in this book, one was the threat to Josie and the other that was a threat to Shane. It wasn't confusing to follow, but I found the threat to her a little unnecessary.

**SPOILER**

Since Tom and Danny were already in place to keep her under surveillance, I saw no real point in having the drug-addicted colleague disappear so that she could take over the accounts and come face to face with Dr. Madison for the first time. Josie didn't even put two and two together when she was eavesdropping on Shane, Matt and Nate, and they mentioned genetic engineering and neuropsychology. By then the connection between her account and Shane should have dawned on her.

**END SPOILER**

Things that I didn't agree with:

1) Josie putting her job before her safety which led to Shane having to come to her rescue three(!) times.

2) Throughout the entire story (or what felt like it), her issues with abandonment kept coming up via her history in foster care. Emphasizing it once or twice was sufficient to get the picture.

3) Tom was her friend, but he obviously would have liked more. Once Josie was sure that she wanted to give her marriage a second chance, she still allowed Tom to talk to her like she didn't know her own mind instead of putting him firmly in his place.

Overall, I loved how action-packed this story was and how evil the villains were. I can't wait to read more of this series.

Disclaimer: My thanks to Grand Central Publishing for proving an ARC via NetGalley. show less

Alpha’s Promise by Rebecca Zanetti
Dark Protectors #10

What does it say about me that I find myself more invested in fictional paranormal characters and the series they populate than in fictional human characters that have what some might believe “more real” plots in the books they exist in? I mean...I stopped reading another book that didn’t “click” with me at all then picked up this book and could not put it down! I get the protectors and the women they fall for and can’t wait show more to read the next book when it comes out...that’s me...eagerly awaiting Dark Protectors book eleven...oh yeah!

In this book Ivar has been back for three months and has been mending after finally getting out of an existence that was one torturous situation after another. He was helping to balance a situation that so far has kept evil Kurjan Ulric captive in a bubble world. He had to leave Quade, another protector, behind and vowed he would return to save him or take his place. To make this happen he needs a physicist that will be able to come up with a mathematical solution that will allow him to save Quade but keep Ulric in prison. When he meets up with Promise, a physicist, he realizes he needs to protect her as a few other physicists have already met an untimely painful end. Getting her on board is not easy but eventually does happen.

This story had me from t he very beginning. The meet-cute was...intriguing. I absolutely adored Promise’s logical take on life and her ability to be forthright in stating what she was thinking, desired and was willing to do. Ivar was definitely not human but on board with and understood just what Promise was talking about most of the time. Their relationship was HOT and interesting and perfect in so many ways. In the mix were other characters that are keeping the long-range plot in motion. The Kurjans and Cysts and their evilness are shown again, Quade was visited, Haven Daly is brought in and my gut feeling is that she will be instrumental in getting Quade out of his unbearable situation, the keys are mentioned, the role of the lock (still a child) and her friends was again mentioned and the question of how the four will eventually be part of the solution...it is just a finely tuned wonderful epic journey of a series that has this one book in it that made me very happy from beginning to end. That said...when is book eleven due?

Thank you to NetGalley and Kengington Lyrical Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars show less