Review of EAT, SLAY, LUZT by Jillian Stone

 

Available at Amazon

 From the cover:

Survival tip #1: When you’re caught in the middle of the zombie apocalypse, get a badass partner.

The zombie apocalypse is on, and Lizzy Davis is determined to survive any way she can. As a surgeon, she’s used to saving lives; not cutting into the basal ganglia to make sure the patient stays dead. When the refugee camp is overrun by zombie hordes, Lizzy manages to escape only to run into Black Hawk pilot Chris Oakley in the middle of the Syrian Desert.

Lizzy and Chris fight off zombie attacks as they make their way toward a joint military air base northeast of Kirkuk. Just one problem, they’ll have to pass through the drone-patrolled DMZ— Dead Meat Zone. To get there, they form uneasy alliances with French-Arab commandos and a black ops interrogator who’s slowly rotting before their eyes.

Along the way, Lizzy and Chris manage to find time for each other—the sizzling red-hot lovemaking kind of time. And who knows? They might have a chance at love if they live long enough.

Warning: Features red hot to erotic love scenes

******

I loved this book! It was a great take on zombies and the Apocalypse. 

I loved the military feel and Lizzy and Chris were a great team fighting the zombies...and some survivors. Lizzy doesn't take any crap and is no weak, whimpering heroine. She kicks ass and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty.

I was saddened by one event in the story, but won't spoil it.  :P

The ending was very satisfying, and left enough of an opening that there could be more stories to tell in this world...maybe even expanding Lizzy and Chris's story.

***NOTE: I'm a huge fan of romance books and The Walking Dead (and Zombieland), this fully satisfied my fandom. :)

Release week BLITZ of Ann Aguirre's BREAKOUT

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Release Week Blitz for Ann Aguirre's BREAKOUT! BREAKOUT is an Adult Romantic Science Fiction novel set in the Jax Universe and is a part of Ann Aguirre’s Dred Chronicles, published through Ace. Grab your copy of BREAKOUT today!

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** BAM ** Indiebound ** Vroman’s ** Book Depository ** iBooks

BREAKOUT Synopsis:

All hell is breaking loose in the edge-of-your-seat follow-up to Havoc and Perdition fromNew York Times bestselling author Ann Aguirre…

The prison ship Perdition has become a post-battle charnel house with only a handful of Dred’s soldiers still standing and now being hunted by Silence’s trained tongueless assassins. Forging an uneasy alliance with mercenary commander Vost—who is their only chance at escape—the Dread Queen will do whatever it takes to end her life sentence on Perdition and keep the survivors alive long enough to cobble together a transport capable of getting them off station.

If Dred and her crew can win the deadly game of cat and mouse, the payoff is not only life but freedom—a prize sweeter than their wildest dreams. Yet the sadistic Silence would rather destroy Perdition than let a single soul slip from her grasp…

Praise for the Dred Chronicles:

"There's so much action, so much adventure, and more than that, it's great writing."—USA Today

"SiranthaJax fans may be intrigued to see what befell Jael after his ill-considered actions there, and new lead Dred is a strong linchpin for a promising new series."—Publishers Weekly

"Spectacularly and spell-bindingly perfect with high octane action that keeps you on the edge of your seat and a romance that is surprisingly sweet and tender in a harsh and unforiving setting...This is honestly one of the best SF romance series I have read." —Book Pushers

And don’t miss the previous books in the Dred Chronicles!

PERDITION

HAVOC

About Ann Aguirre:

Ann Aguirre is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author and RITA winner with a degree in English Literature; before she began writing full time, she was a clown, a clerk, a voice actress, and a savior of stray kittens, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in sunny Mexico with her husband, children, and various pets. Ann likes books, emo music, action movies, and she writes all kinds of genre fiction for adults and teens, published with Harlequin, Macmillan, and Penguin, among others.

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Review of BREAKOUT: The DRED Chronicles #3 by Ann Aguirre

Breakout is the non-stop, action-packed conclusion of Ann Aguirre's Dred Chronicles, picking up directly where Havoc ends.  

The prison ship, Perdition is now more of a ghost ship, as most of the inmates, uh...inhabitants...are dead.  Danger still lurks in every corner, supplies are running low while Dred and her surviving crew have teamed up with the 3 remaining mercs, eluding Silence and her henchmen, trying to build a way off Perdition which is now a guaranteed death trap.

As much as I hated to see this series come to a close, I have to say that Ms. Aguirre did a fantastic job bringing this story to a supremely satisfactory conclusion.
  

When I saw Breakout posted on Netgalley for reviewers I immediately requested it, and as soon as it was approved I started reading it, only putting it down when I ABSOLUTELY had to, staying up until after 2am on a work night to finish this book. I just couldn't step away! I'm kinda sad that I read it so quickly, because I loved the story and these characters so much, and I know that unless Ms. Aguirre writes more books in this universe, that finishing this story was saying goodbye to characters that I've grown attached to.

I could give you a play-by-play of my thoughts for the entire book, but if you're as immersed into this series as I was, I know that you'll want to get there and make your own judgements. So I won't bother.  I will say though, that there was one extremely emotional part that had me saying WTF really loudly, not because it was unbelievable, but because I didn't know how Ms. Aguirre was going to turn things around...thankfully she did.

Dred continues on with her kick-ass self, I can't tell you how much I love a heroine that can take care of herself and others around her with out wimping out...yet you can feel her compassion and see how much she appreciates it when someone else takes care of her...mainly Jael, whom I can't even begin to describe my love for his character.  I loved seeing him turned into someone who not only cared for those around him, but how also learned how good it felt to have true friends, and to want to care for others. Striving to make others lives easier, not just his own.

Have I mentioned that I hope Ms. Aguirre visits this universe again?!?!? 

Review: DAYBREAK by Ellen Connor

Dark Age Dawning #3
Post-Apocalyptic / Sci-Fi / Paranormal / Romance
Berkley Sensation

Penelope “Pen” Sheehan was determined to stop General O'Malley and his followers from their tyrannical rule. When her latest mission is thwarted, she is startled by the realization that she knows her “rescuer”.

Tru Daugherty is a loner whose only goal is to disrupt O'Malley as much as possible. He takes pleasure when he can with no strings attached, and he is not above using a little hero worship as he trolls for gratification.

Pen and Tru survived the beginning of the new dark ages together with the guidance of Jenna and Mason who did their best to raise and protect them, until Tru decided it was time to strike out on his own. It's been years since they've seen one another, yet they both remember the connection they shared as kids.

In the years since they've last met, much has changed. Tru learned to embrace skinwalking in his lion form, and he loved and lost big. Pen is determined to ignore her powers, afraid that if she embraces them she may lose her mind. Both are leery of any attachment, scared of the pain caused by a loss, yet Pen takes the fear of commitment to a higher level, while Tru recognizes that love is not something to be wasted.

*****

I LOVE this series, so it should come to no great surprise that I was thrilled with Pen and Tru's story. Their intense chemistry, along with the energetic plot kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed their banter and their struggles as they learned that each other was a strong person with their own life goals. And their passions sizzled up the pages as they couldn't deny what their bodies wanted.


I love how I was able to not only be sucked into Pen and Tru's storyline, but I also connected with the other characters, who were all well fleshed-out. I liked meeting Finn and his island. It was cool to see that Pen's “imaginary” childhood friend was an actual person, one who could help change their new world with some nudges in the correct direction.

I would love to see Jenna, Mason, Chris, Rosa, Pen and Tru all able to meet up. I was concerned by a few comments Pen made as to Jenna and Mason's safety-- a few times she seemed to allude to them not surviving, yet in other places she talked about wanting to be closer to them, so I was a bit confused. I loved this series so much that I really hope that the writing team that makes up Ellen Connor (Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty) decides to continue in this world.

Rating: 4.5

Review: COLLISION COURSE by Zoe Archer

8th Wing #1

Science Fiction Romance

Carina Press

The life a smuggler suits Mara Skiren just fine, but when the 8th Wing coerce her into rescuing a downed pilot, she has no choice but to agree. What she didn't foresee was that she would be taking on a partner.

Commander Kell Frayne, of the elite Black Wraith Squadron knows he needs Mara's help to breach the Smoke Quadrant and to successfully complete the mission to save his downed comrade and the stealth spacecraft that disappeared with her.

What neither of them anticipated was their mutual attraction. Can they complete their mission without becoming emotionally entangled?

****

Kell and Mara are a sizzling duo, and I find nothing sexier than two strong characters not afraid to work together, even though they had to sometimes butt heads to find the right solutions. They both had to learn to compromise, but it just made things hotter between them when they finally came together. I also loved the little twists of humor Ms. Archer threw into the storyline.

Zoe Archer created a captivating universe and I loved entering her new world. She was able to keep a complex backdrop from overtaking the story and characters, without skimping on the details. I love exotic setting for romances, and I think outer space is about as exotic as they come. I've been fascinated by science fiction romance since I was a kid watching Buck Rogers and Star Wars, and I will be looking for more.

Rating: 4.5

Review: CHILDREN OF SCARABAEUS by Sara Creasy

Scarabaeus #2

Science Fiction Romance

EOS an imprint of Harper Collins

336 pages

Available Now

Edie Sha'nim and Finn are back, picking up shortly after we last saw them, having escaped Scarabaeus and the Crib. Edie is in a bad way as she is in desperate need of a new neuroxin implant. Still connected by the neurological tether planted by the Crib, Finn is anxious to help Edie. Though the leash isn't the only thing holding him, he truly cares for her. When the Fringe post they are on is overtaken by the Crib, Edie and Finn attempt to escape, only to be recaptured.

Being the best cypherteck, Edie is not someone the Crib is willing to let got. Liv Natesa needs Edie and has no problem using Finn once again to convince Edie to help her fix her latest project, the one she is currently using children to fix, children from Talas, children like Edie when she first started working for the Crib.

Can Edie and Finn release the children from the Crib? Can Edie and Finn's leash be broken? What will become of them if it is? Will Finn still want to stay with Edie? Why are they drawn back to Scarabaeus? Does she still sing for release or is there something more sinister holding on to the planet?

So many questions, and only one way to find out the answers... you must read CHILDREN OF SCARABAEUS!

****
Sara Creasy took me on another phenomenal trip across the universe in CHILDREN OF SCARABAEUS, as she continued to catapult me into the thrilling escapades of Edie and Finn. She did a fantastic job weaving adventure, suspense, science fiction, and romance into an captivating tale that enthralled me from start to finish.

I loved watching Edie and Finn's relationship go to the next level and continue to grow. I could understand Edie's fears and struggles, as she wasn't sure if Finn was with her only because of the leash or if he truly had feelings for her. She also knew that she was risking a lot by refusing to leave the children to the Crib. I loved that Ms. Creasy took her to the edge and didn't give her an easy out.


We were never left wondering what Finn would do, and I liked that. He was very straightforward in his feelings. It doesn't hurt that Finn is such a delicious character, he's strong, very alpha, caring and absolutely oozes sex appeal. If I had to be attached to someone, he would be a top-pick!


I liked how Scarabaeus was worked back into the story, it was a very interesting twist that I never expected. I also liked seeing Cat again, she was a fun, interesting character that I would like to see more of, she has a lot of depth and mystery that I think would be great to explore further, if Ms. Creasy ever chose to expand on this series. I really hope that she writes more about Finn and Edie, I would like to see where else their travels could take them and what other kind of trouble could they get in and out of.

Rating: 5 / 5

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