Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  |  Amazon AU  |  Amazon CA

 

---

---

Synopsis

From New York Times bestselling author, Rebecca Zanetti, comes a new Scorpius Syndrome/A Brigade Novella…

Hugh Johnson is nobody’s hero, and the idea of being in the limelight makes him want to growl.  He takes care of his brothers, does his job, and enjoys a mellow evening hanging with his hound dog and watching the sports channel.  So when sweet and sexy Ellie Smithers from his college chemistry class asks him to save millions of people from a nuclear meltdown, he doggedly steps forward while telling himself that the world hasn’t changed and he can go back to his relaxing life.  One look at Ellie and excitement doesn’t seem so bad.

Eleanor Smithers knows that the Scorpius bacteria has and will change life as we know it, but that’s a concern for another day.  She’s been hand-picked as the computer guru for The Brigade, which is the USA’s first line of defense against all things Scorpius, including homegrown terrorists who’ve just been waiting for a chance to strike.  Their target is a nuclear power plant in the east, and the only person who can help her is Hugh, the sexy, laconic, dangerous man she had a crush on so long ago.

 

 

---

Review

4 short, hot and exciting stars!

I’m a huge Rebecca Zanetti fan, and am slightly obsessed with The Scorpius Syndrome series and its world. But where the books of the series focus on the survivors of a deadly bacterium which has left the world in a post-apocalyptic state, this novella is a standalone story set before the rest of the series (but after the prequel novella, Scorpius Rising), where the Scorpius infection is still new and the US is entering damage control mode.

The Brigade has been established to defend against Scorpius-induced threats, and Ellie Smithers is their tech genius. When a threat against nuclear power plants emerges, they need to recruit a nuclear expert, so Hugh Johnson is forcibly brought on board.

Ellie and Hugh know each other from college, they were lab partners, and while Ellie crushed madly on Hugh, he was a bit of a ladies’ man who moved from woman to woman, not wanting commitment and knowing that’s what Ellie was after. Nothing happened between them, but with them now working in close quarters, all of that old feeling is about to come roaring back.

“I ain’t a college kid no more, Ellie.”
“I’m well aware of that.” She needed to go by him to get to the door, and he wasn’t moving out of the way. How in the world did he still affect her like this? It had been years, for goodness’ sake. “We’re both eons out of college.”
“I’m no longer hurtin’ or whorin’ around,” he continued, looking big and broad in the small room.
“Your point?” she snapped, trying to get her libido under some semblance of control…
“This time, when you make the offer? I’m gonna say yes.”

I loved the chemistry between these two! Fun yet snarky with a deep connection that still holds strong. And with their history, combined with the urgency of a world heading very quickly out of control, there’s no time for game playing.

 

 

It’s hot and intense, sweet and fun watching them bicker and banter as they figure it all out, and I enjoyed every moment of the ride. Though their attraction is wild, the feelings between them take them both by surprise, and though it is quick-moving, their love story is really gorgeous.

“I’m all or nothing. With you. Only you.”
What was he saying? “Hugh? The world is exploding.”…
He nodded. “I know. But I’m a selfish bastard when there’s something I want, and I want you. For as long as I can have you.”

And it all unfolds amidst danger, suspense and suspicion as motives are questioned, secrets are uncovered, and Ellie and Hugh team up with other Brigade members to hunt down the threat. The action is exciting, and the character dynamics are spot on (and surprisingly hilarious) and I could see the whole thing playing out in my head like a movie, and I was completely hooked from start to finish.

Why does the world have to start ending when I finally found something worth fighting for?

Fans of the series will love seeing Brigade leader Deke and his wife Nora after the events of Scorpius Rising, and with the Brigade storyline far from over and inevitably heading towards catching up with the rest of the characters in the series, I’m so excited to see where it all goes from here.

This is a quick read, but a great one, and I loved it! 4 stars.

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

The Scorpius Syndrome

 

 

---

Excerpt

Ellie cleared her throat. “You’d need one of the best hackers in the world to do that. There are safeguards upon safeguards in place for coolants.”

Hugh nodded. “Yeah. If I was going to attack a nuclear power plant, I’d have the best in the world in my pocket.” His body started to ache and he released each muscle to try uselessly to rid himself of tension.  “Then I’d plant explosives around the spent fuel.”

“It’s nice you’ve planned this out,” Connor muttered.

Hugh flashed a grin, amusement filling him. They were truly suspicious of him. “It’s my job. At least, it was my job.” He had a feeling everything had just changed.

“Suspects?” Deke asked.

Ellie pressed a button, and faces started filling the wall screen. “We’ve narrowed it down to five organizations in the states. Two homegrown and three Hugh has been watching for a year. They have the skills and means.”

“It’s one of these?” Ivan asked, leaning forward.

Hugh ran through the data. “Maybe. We don’t know who else has shown up the last month as we all concentrated on Scorpius and the outbreak. There could be players on our soil that I haven’t tracked.”

“Just great,” Connor said, eyeing the screen. “What now?”

Ellie set her papers down. “We go to the sites and look for anything out of the ordinary. I can only get into the computers onsite and not remotely.”

“Affirmative.” Deke shoved away from the table. “As of right now, you all have top-level clearance.

There’s nothing you can’t request or see.” He assisted Nora from her chair. “I think you’re right about New York. Resources have been sent to the bigger cities for protection, and it’d be too hard to hit.”

Man, Hugh hoped he was right. “Or that’s what they’re expecting we’ll think.”

Deke nodded. “Aye. That. For now, we check out the other two plants. Nora, Ivan, and I will fly to Pennsylvania since private planes haven’t been grounded yet. Ivan has expertise here as well. Eleanor, Hugh, and Connor? You guys fly to the Arizona plant. I’ll ask the new president to grease the wheels for you.”

Connor stood. “And if Hugh is a problem?”

“Shoot him,” Deke said absently.

Hugh coughed. Wonderful. He was going to work with these people?

Connor moved for the door. “Everyone needs to be properly suited up. Satellite phone, weapons, and protective gear. I have everything ready in the armory.”

Hugh kept his face blank. Protective gear? Something told him that didn’t mean condoms.

Just what the hell had he gotten involved in?

 

---

Author Information

New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Rebecca Zanetti is the author of over twenty-five dark paranormals, romantic suspense, and contemporary romances. She lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with her own Alpha hero, two kids, a couple of dogs, a crazy cat…and a huge extended family. She believes strongly in luck, karma, and working her butt off…and she thinks one of the best things about being an author, unlike the lawyer she used to be, is that she can let the crazy out. Her current series are: The Dark Protectors, The Maverick Montana Cowboys, The Sin Brothers, The Realm Enforcers and The Scorpius Syndrome.

Author Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads

 

For information, check out our Rebecca Zanetti Author Spotlight.

And check out our Action/Aventure Recommendations page for similar reads.