Knight Awakening
by Rebecca Zanetti
Release Date: February 25, 2020
Publisher: RAZ Ink, LLC
Book #6 in the Scorpius Syndrome series
Number of pages: 372
Kindle Edition
Source: MCL
Romantic Suspense
Ages 17 and up
CW: sexual assault, violence
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The Line Between Obsession and Love has Disappeared
The world has changed. Any rules that might’ve been in place before the Scorpius bacterium ripped through civilization and decreased its population are no longer in place. Obsession and survival are the new reality. So, Marcus Knight, after a hellish time in captivity that stole most of his memory and all of his soul, has one focus, and that’s keeping Dr. Penelope Kim safe in the aftermath. She’d risked her life to save him once, and she’s all that matters. For months, he’s kept his distance, protecting her from afar, because he knows that one touch—one sigh—one kiss—from her will never be enough.
Passion is a Dangerous and Deadly Temptation
Penny Kim is one of the few doctors still living, and she alone holds the key to ensuring the human race continues. Several of her friends are pregnant, and the clock is ticking down on their survival. Her days are filled with experiments and hope, while her nights are consumed with visions and dreams of the hard-bodied and powerful soldier who’s made her safety his one and only mission. She should be wary of him; she should be terrified of him. Yet all she feels is an unreal craving for his touch that gets stronger every day. Life is short, and she’s unwilling to wait, unaware of the danger already hunting them both. Some risks are worth it, even in this new and dangerous world.
This series has been a wild ride that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. Throughout the series, each chapter starts with a journal/diary entry from one of the characters. They are kept very short, only one or two lines usually, which make them a fun snippet into where the chapter is going and the state of mind of the character. The entries from Marcus in this book were my absolute favorite. On one hand they are hilarious, on the other the reader truly gets to watch Marcus’ growth.
In most cases I don’t think much about reading a series years after it’s done. For the most part, I enjoy that I don’t have to wait years between books. I found I had a different mindset with this story, knowing it was the last published and would most likely be the end of the series. With so much that had happened to these survivors and so much they still had to go through to have some semblance of safety, it was hard not to anticipate what was coming and if it would be enough. While I really liked this story, I did feel the end was a bit rushed. The climax felt a bit anticlimactic. There is danger and suspense, but it all ended almost with a whimper instead of a bang. Characters were gone with no real explanation. The reader doesn’t really get any insight to what happened with the president and his followers between when we see them toward the beginning and the final showdown. It’s a bit odd and out of character for this author.
As for the central love story in this book, I loved it! Penny and Marcus are perfect and understand each other in a way nobody else can. It was beautiful to see them lean on each other and support one another even when the others didn’t agree or accept what they were doing. They both have such good and pure hearts, even when it doesn’t always seem that way.
Like I said, I really enjoyed this series and its novellas that dealt with The Brigade. I’d love to see more about what those in the brigade went through. It looks as though the author may have been planning on more books about them, but as of yet they are not available. Maybe someday.
4 stars
All In Good Time 
Great review – such a shame about the ending. I’ve not read this author, though I have seen her name before. I think it’s time I gave her a chance.