Rebecca Zanetti's Shadow Falling is a fun little book packed full of dystopian, sci-fi romance.

To be blunt, this genre is not my go to. Science fiction books tend to not sit high or well on my shelf, but I do like to dip my toes in the water once and a while. Changing my reading habits up makes life a little more exciting and let's me see into some of the other genres I don't frequent. That being said, I am not the ultimate science fiction lover so my review will not reflect as well as other reviewers.

In this dystopian world, Vivienne was a former FBI profiler. After this world has had a massive wipe over with some crazy bacteria (which got Vivienne), she must now live and see the man who was her rescuer (from the last book). Her rescuer? Oh yeah, Raze is basically a bad guy.

The worst part about this book for me was that I didn't read the first one, so I wasn't entirely sure what was going on. I felt like Rebecca gave me enough to go on, but I still felt mighty lost. After peeking at other reviews, a different couple was followed in book but, yet I still think reading the first one would have prepared me better for this book.

Like most science fiction books, Shadow Falling has a lot going on. There's lots of plots and drama to follow along the way, so it's not a casual reading book. You need to be invested and want to devour all of the insanity that's going on. That was another place where I faltered - I just wanted to casually stroll through this book, and then I realized it was as complicated as Game of Thrones and the other amazing books out there. I got lost easily and had to put down this book a lot and almost DNF it. I just wasn't prepared AT ALL. So, buyer's beware! Do a little research before you throw yourself in a book.

All that being said, I think this book was still super well written. Rebecca's style is to die for and I'd highly recommend this book for romance, sci-fi and dystopian book lovers. It's honestly a great ride if you like books like this. Since this isn't my primary genre, I didn't appreciate it as much. I can totally see this book flying off the shelves. It's amazing!

Highlights:
1. The whole sexy, alpha male thing is going on
2. Lots of action and plot lines to keep you busy and occupied
3. Totally binge worthy - fast paced, great timing, excellent writing style that's engaging
4. Gritty, dark and absolutely insane plot

Three out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. ( )

I enjoyed this second installment in the Scorpius Syndrome series. This is a series that I would recommend reading in order since the events from the previous book impacted this story. Each book in the series features a different couple but the couple from the first book played a significant role in this story. I was hooked by this story and couldn’t wait to see how things would work out for Vinnie, Raze, and the rest of the group.

Before the world fell apart, Vinnie worked as an FBI profiler and was very good at her job. So good, that some people believed that she must be psychic which got her in some trouble in the world ravaged by the bacteria. Raze feels protective of Vinnie since he rescued her but also has some less than honorable motives. Raze has his own secrets but can’t help what he feels for Vinnie. I thought that Vinnie and Raze had fantastic chemistry and their personalities were a very good match. I really enjoyed watching them figure things out.

The world-building in this book was very well done. The world is a desperate place and the group has a lot of things that they are going to have to figure out in order to survive. They need a significant amount of vitamin B to remain healthy after being infected. All resources are limited so there are threats from other groups that they must deal with sometimes closer to home than they think. There was a lot of action and excitement in the story which kept things very interesting.

Michael Pauley did a great job with the narration. I think that the voices that he uses for both the male and female characters were very well done. He is able to add just the right amount of excitement and emotion in his voice to really bring the story to life. I am certain that his narration added to my overall enjoyment of the story.

I would recommend this story to others. This book has the perfect combination of romance, action, and end of the world excitement which made this book very hard to put down. I cannot wait to read the next book in this exciting story.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley and purchased a copy of the audiobook. ( )

I love this couple but the plotline of this book let me down a bit. There are too many bad guys and too many future couples being set up at once. You kinda need a scorecard and it detracts a but from the main story. Still a good read, just not huge star territory. ( )

Raze is an excellent soldier but he's keeping secrets. And Vinnie has everything to do with those secrets. There's something between them but Raze cannot cross the line or his secret mission would be jeopardized. Vinnie was the FBI’s best profiler and she is discovering secrets of her own. The combination of Scorpius and mind altering drugs have done something to her and that puts her in even more danger. Or is she the dangerous one? She knows Raze is up to something, that he's got a plan for her but she can't stay away. Neither can he for that matter and the conflict of interest is just too much to bear. She is his weakness and he has too much to lose. Coming clean to Jax might save his life but it may just be the death of him.

Life in post apocalyptic L.A couldn't get tougher than this as multiple issues arise and the safe haven that is their home gets caught in the crossfire.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review ( )

Rebecca Zanetti's books are usually fun and enjoyable. If you like a dystopian storyline and don't mind some "oh, jeez, really?" moments then you will like this.

ETA:
Oops! I forgot to add:
Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )