DEAD AWAKENINGS by Rebekah R. Ganiere

Title:  DEAD AWAKENINGS
Series:  N/A
Author:  Rebekah R. Ganiere
Publisher:  Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Publish Date:   01.03.2014
Category /Genre:  Paranormal Romance
Recommended for:  18+ due to sexual content
Grammar/editing:  book received as an unedited ARC copy/ errors excused
Received from:  Rebekah R. Ganiere
Goodreads link:  Dead Awakenings
Date completed: 10.10.2022
 
Description from the publisher:
Being dead can be a great way to find yourself…
 
Struggling to pay her bills in New York, theater student Evaine Michaels sees an opportunity to make money by taking part in an unsanctioned clinical trial for a new drug. But things don’t go as planned. She wakes up in a derelict hospital, chained to a bed with no memory of who she is or how she got there. Then a band of pale-skinned men, led by the gorgeous Luca, bursts in and rescues her. Evaine is instantly attracted to Luca, but he’s so hell-bent on stopping the experiments, he has no time for the feelings she’s awakening within him.
 
Safely back at Haven House, Evaine is introduced to The Family and learns that the drug trials have made her a Deader, a reanimated Undead. Evaine and Luca find themselves getting close, until Evaine remembers not only who she is, but that she’s engaged. And her fiancé, Tristan, is probably still looking for her. Torn between her first love and her new heart’s desire, Evaine has some hard choices to make. But when a rogue faction of Deaders, called Feeders, attempt to kidnap her, Luca suspects Evaine might be the key to the experiments, and everyone must band together to keep Evaine off the cutting table…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DEAD AWAKENINGS is a stand-alone story.  However, I think it needs to be the beginning of a series!
 
I don’t like zombie stories.  Especially after living through the recent pandemic!  Life is hard enough without adding in real-life flesh-eaters or blood-suckers or…
 
However, I loved this story.  It grabbed me from the beginning.  It is action-packed, romantic, full of friendships, and suspenseful.  There were times I felt like maybe I missed a prequel, but then I thought, “you’re not stupid, put the pieces together!” 
 
There is a HEA/HFN ending.  It could end here and be complete, but the ending is like life… it’s open to more.
 
Note:  While I received this book as a gifted ARC, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
 
Also from Rebekah R. Ganiere:
·         Christmas at Hart’s Lodge
·         Dead Awakenings
·         Loki (Speed Dating with the Denizens of the Underworld #17)
·         Rekindling Christmas
·         Thor (Speed Dating with the Denizens of the Underworld #9)
Aether Pirate Chronicles:
1.      The Lady Fugitive
Dead Awakening Series:
1.      Kissed by the Reaper
2.      The Bride
3.      Rekindling
4.      Christmas Lodge
Fairelle Series:
1.      Red the Were Hunter
1.5 Yanti’s Choice
2.      Snow the Vampire Slayer
2.5  Jamen’s Yuletide Bride
3.      Zelle and the Tower
4.      Cinder the Fae
4.5 Jak the Giant Healer
5.      Belle and the Beast (Jan 2019)
5.5 Gerall’s Festivus Bride (Spring 2019
Otherworlder Series:
1.      Kidnapped at Christmas
2.      Vigilante at Valentine
3.      Massacre at Mardi Gras
4.      Hoodwinked at Halloween
Society Series:
1.      Reign of the Vampires
2.      Rise of the Fae
3.      Vengeance of the Demons
Wolf River Series:
1.      Promised at the Moon
2.      Cursed by the Moon
3.      Reclaimed from the Moon
4.      Taming His Saber (Paranormal Dating Agency)
5.      Unleashing Her Saber (Paranormal Dating Agency)
 

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GORILLA IN THE HISS by Jodi Kendrick

Title:  GORILLA IN THE HISS
Series:  FUC Academy #32
Author:  Jodi Kendrick
Publisher:  Jodi Kendrick
Publish Date:   08.16.2022
Category /Genre:  Paranormal Romance, Rom-Com
Recommended for:  18+ due to sexual content.
Grammar/editing:  A – near perfect
Received from:  Jodi Kendrick
Goodreads link: Gorilla in the Hiss
Date completed: 08.12.2022
 
Description from the publisher:
Katharine Karak’s shiny new job at the FUCN’A is all about teaching cadets how to fit in with the one percent.
Zeek LeBrute swore he’d never return to the fight rings. Instead, he’s been teaching Academy cadets what he knows about fighting to survive.
No one knew that Katz and Zeek had a brief secret affair that changed their lives forever.
Neither had any idea their new paths were about to collide and set their plans ablaze in a sizzling dance of resistance to distracting passions.
When Darcy Karak and Caleb Terry ask them for help on their first big FUC case as agents, Katz and Zeek are faced with hard decisions for their families, the shifter community…and themselves.
How can this passionate kitty resist becoming distracted by such a hot gorilla to focus on her goals?
This gorilla may have to overcome his kitty’s hisses with kisses to prove it isn’t too late for them.
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GORILLA IN THE HISS is the thirty-second book in the multi-author FUC Academy series and the fourth in Jodi Kendrick’s Pedigree Series.  Each is a stand-alone, paranormal, romantic suspense story set in the FUC world created by Eve Langlais.  You will enjoy it more if you have read the others in the Pedigree sub-series.
 
I was long fascinated with the story of Koko (1971 – 2018), the gorilla who knew sign language and asked for a kitten for a pet in 1983.  I kept thinking of Koko as I read about Zeek, a gorilla-shifter, claiming his kitten, Katz, in this story.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed this playful story.  It had romance, suspense, family, obligations, independence, and humor, all perfectly interwoven to create something special. 
 
Every book that I have read in the FUC Academy series has been wonderful and this is a great addition to the shelf.  There will always be “bad guys” in the world, and may we always have the cadets and agents of FUC!
 
Note:  While I received this book as a gifted ARC via Story Origin, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
 
FUC Academy Series:
1.      FUCN’A Introduction (Eve Langlais)
2.      I’ll Be Dammed (Mandy Rosko)
3.      Goose and the Ocelot (Renee Hewett)
4.      Bat and the Bone (Alexa Gregory)
5.      Panda and the Kitty (Eve Langlais) 
6.      Jumping the Bull (Jenn Burke)
7.      Pawsitively ImPurrfect (Lucy Farago)
8.      Chinchilla and the Devil (C.D. Gorri)
9.      Tiger and the Unicorn (Susan Hays)
10.  Tough Nut (Jodi Kendrick)
11.  The Turtle and the Hare (Amanda Kimberley)
12.  Tabby and the Den (T.B. Mann)
13.  Trash Queen (Mandy Rosko)
14.  The Siberian’s Winter (Lucy Farago)
15.  A Tree Frog and Her Honey Badger (Julie Mills)
16.  Diamond in the Ruff (Jodi Kendrick)
17.  Moose and the Narwhal (Renee Hewett)
18.  Chillin’ Out (Mandy Rosko)
19.  The Turtle and the Rock (Amanda Kimberley)
20.  Taming the Tiger (Scarlet Fox)
21.  Doc and Her Dragon (Julia Mills)
22.  Sammi and the Jersey Bull (C.D. Gorri)
23.  Bat and the Jack (Alexa Gregory)
24.  Bits and Bobs (Mandy Rosko)
25.  Bat and the Blitz (Alexa Gregory)
26.  The Lion and the Mouse (Samantha Allard)
27.  Honeyed Nut (Jodi Kendrick)
28.  Mouse and the Ball (C.D. Gorri)
29.  Dusty and Her Dino (Julia Mills)
30.  The Ferret and the Fossa (Amanda Kimberley)
31.  Shadow Cat and the Sloth (Scarlet Fox)
32.  Gorilla in the Hiss (Jodi Kendrick)
 
Also from Jodi Kendrick:
·         Healer
·         Wish (Paranormal Dating Agency)
Aqua-terrestrial Task Force (Federal Paranormal Unit) Series:
1.      Awakened
2.      Surfacing
3.      Prowler
Dragon Island Series:
1.      Dragon Heat (Sassy Ever After)
2.      Dragon Steel (Barbara’s Sassy Midlife Tales)
Pedigree Series:
1.      Tough Nut (FUCN’A #9)
2.      Diamond in the Rough (FUCN’A #15)
3.      Honeyed Nut (FUCN’A #27)
4.      Gorilla in the Hiss (FUCN’A #32)
Soaring Dragons Chronicles Series:
1.      Return Flight
 

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MERLIN KILLS A ZOMBIE by Molly Fitz

Title:  MERLIN KILLS A ZOMBIE
Series:  Merlin the Magical Fluff #3
Author:  Molly Fitz
Publisher:  Sweet Promise Press
Publish Date:   06.16.2021
Category /Genre:  Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Recommended for:  14+
Grammar/editing:  received as an unedited ARC / errors excused.
Received from:  Melissa Storm
Goodreads link: Merlin Kills a Zombie
Date completed: 07.18.2022
 
Description from the publisher:
When my cat brought me a dead bird as a present, I cringed.
When that dead bird suddenly flitted back to life, I screamed.

At first, I shrugged it off as one of the random things that happens when your roommate is a magical cat, but then it kept happening.

Turns out a familiar foe is creating an army of undead creatures with the goal of forcing us to surrender. But Merlin and I refuse to let dark magic prevail—not when the entire existence of magic is now at stake.
And if magic dies, so too will all who wield it.

Oh no, my cat will NOT become a casualty in this unholy war. I’m ready to fight my way through a million zombies and then take out the big bad, too. Nothing can come between this witchy cat and his familiar—and I’m ready to prove it.
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MERLIN KILLS A ZOMBIE is the third and final book in the Merlin the Magical Fluff series.  Each release builds on the previous stories, so I recommend reading them in the order of release. 
 
Another fun, simple, easy-to-read adventure with the cat(s) in charge. I may not like zombies – truly, who does? – but how can you miss the antics of zombie squirrels!?  I was glued to my kindle from beginning to end.  Honestly, who needs sleep when there are kitty-witches and their familiar to enjoy?
 
Though this trilogy is done, the good news is that we have been introduced to many wonderful characters who will soon have their own series.  I’ve already read two of the Paranormal Temp Agency books and I’m looking forward to Drake’s and Jake’s series.
 
Note:  While I received this book as a gifted ARC via BookSprout, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
 
Merlin and Her Magical Fluff Series:
1.      Merlin the Magical Fluff  
1.5 Luna the Magickless Fluff
2.      Merlin Fights a Ghost  
3.      Merlin Kills a Zombie
Also from Molly Fritz:
·         The Killer at Cat Castle (Kindle Vella)
Claw & Order Series:
1.      Paws and Probable Cause 
2.      Purebreds & Purrjury
3.      Pets & Parolees
Meowing Medium Series:
1.      Secrets of the Specter
2.      Gifts of the Ghost
3.      Pleas of the Poltergeist (releases 2022)
Paint-Slinging Sleuth Series:
1.      My Colorful Conundrum  
Paranormal Temp Agency Series:
1.      Witch for Hire
2.      Psychic for Hire  
3.      Vampire for Hire
Pet Whisperer, P.I. Series:
1.      Kitty Confidential
2.      Terrier Transgressions
3.      Hairless Harassment
4.      Dog-Eared Delinquent
5.      The Cat Caper
6.      Chihuahua Conspiracy
7.      Raccoon Racketeer
8.      Himalayan Hazard 
8.5  Meowy Christmas Mayhem
9.      Hoppy Holiday Homicide 
10.  Retriever Ransom
11.  Lawless Litter
12.  Legal Seagull
12.5  Black Cat Benefit (Black Cat Crossing Anthology)
13.  Scheming Sphynx
14.  Deer Duplicity
15.  Persian Penalty
16.  Grizzly Grievance
 

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