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Synopsis:
Few people walk the streets of London since the zombie outbreak, but that’s not an issue for Seth. As a werewolf, he can handle himself and save humans reckless enough to take a nighttime stroll. While on patrol he comes across a group of people under attack. The one woman brave enough to take a stand against the zombies catches his eye—and not just because of her way with a gun. Learning the beautiful woman is homeless and fends for herself only intensifies his urge to protect and care for her.
Maisie can’t help but admit that she’s attracted to her werewolf rescuer. She’s drawn to Seth’s strength and ferocity, and finds herself opening up to him in ways she never imagined, even though she’s determined to not rely on Seth or anyone else. She doesn’t want another person to get hurt—or die—for her sake. She has enough scars, physical and emotional, from the last time…
But when Seth realizes something is drawing the zombies to Maisie, there may be nothing he can do to save her…
Phoebe’s Review:
I quite enjoyed this novella (94 pages on a NOOK). It managed to jumpstart a series centered around a zombie-infested London and the werewolves who try to protect the city and what’s left of the human inhabitants.
The best thing about this story was the writing. It’s polished, smooth, and tight. Which is probably why I also thought the world-building was particularly good. And part of the great world-building is the dialogue. It made me feel like I was watching something on BBC. Bonus points for using the word idjit! I got a great sense of a scarcely populated London barricaded in by the military to try and contain the zombies through detailed descriptions of the parks and city streets.
Each of the main characters was strong in their own way. Maisie, our heroine, is smart and knows how to survive in her environment. She isn’t tough and a kick-ass heroine because of epic fighting skills or unexplained strength, she’s street-smart and calm. Though she does ill-advisedly wander into the park at night, you forgive her for her lapse in judgment when you discover the reason. Also, it’s where she meets our hero, Seth.
Seth is a werewolf. Alpha pack leader. He rescues Maisie when she gets in over her head trying to rescue a family. His instincts kick in and he wants to protect her, especially when he learns more details about her life. As his urge to protect her escalates, we get some really great interactions between him and Maisie. There was some fun give and take between them, but some of the best moments came from Seth’s internal dialogue. I laughed out loud a couple of times and it reminded me of the scenes were the Beast is trying to woo Belle and reigning himself in.
There wasn’t a lot of sexual chemistry between the two of them, but the author manages to build enough emotional depth into their relationship that the ending didn’t feel rushed.
Definitely recommended!
Four Loves
About the author:
Born and raised in the North East, PJ Schnyder spent her childhood pretending to study for the SATs by reading every fantasy and sci-fi novel she could borrow from the local and school libraries. She scored fairly high in the verbal portion.
About the guest reviewer:
Phoebe Chase loves books. Keep your eye on her, she may just tempt you with some stories of her own. You can catch a little of what goes on in her head at Wickedly Twisted Tales.