Review of Sins Brothers Series by Rebecca Zanetti

[Barbara Ann RS]

With the latest release of the second book in the Sins Brothers Series, Sweet Revenge, this week, I wanted to showcase the series because after reading these first two books, I absolutely love it! Zanetti immerses you into the world of four brothers who have been genetically engineered as part of a covert military experiment whose purpose is to create an elite force of government assassins. Conceived in test tubes and genetically altered to give them superhuman traits, the brothers grew up and trained in a military facility under the supervision of a maleficent, ruthless Commander whose sole mission has been to make them killing machines.

When the series begins, the brothers have escaped the Commander and have all gone undercover to expose and dismantle the operation of these monsters who created and held them captive since birth.  Success is crucial if the brothers plan to survive because all of these super soldiers have been surgically implanted with a kill chip set to detonate every five years unless the chip is updated with a top secret access code.  With three months left until the chip explodes, the clock is ticking and time is of the essence.

Each novel’s storyline is fully developed, well-executed, and adds depth to the increasing complexity of the major plot. Zanetti has done an amazing job in creating rich, multi-dimensional characters that are easy to connect with and care about.  The concept of family and its importance as well as loyalty, and trust are prominent themes that emerge from the series. Furthermore, even though the series is fictional, the author subtly delves into some of the physical and psychological ramifications involved with genetic engineering.

Forgotten Sins (Sins Brothers #1)

This first book features the story of Shane, one of the younger brothers and his sudden reappearance into his soon-to-be-ex-wife’s life. After a whirlwind romance and only two months of marriage, Josie is devastated and heartbroken when Shane abandoned her two years ago. Now, she’s struggling to start her life over and move forward. The divorce papers have been drawn up, and when Shane resurfaces, all she wants is for him to sign them and leave.

Even though Shane can’t remember Josie, his body’s visceral reaction sparks a deep need within him to protect her, and be by her side.  He refuses to follow through with the divorce until he recovers his memories so he can understand how in the world he could ever walk away from this special woman.

It soon becomes clear that both Shane and Josie are in danger from unknown enemies and neither is certain of why.  As bits and pieces of Shane’s past are revealed, Josie realizes how little she actually knows about her husband.  He’s still the commanding, possessive man she remembers, but she also starts to see a more open, vulnerable side of him that he no longer tries to mask. Even after all of this time, their desire and passion for each other is still strong, and as they work together to find out who is after them, their relationship gets rekindled, and their romance sizzles until Josie discovers their relationship was never based on honesty. She can’t stay with a man she doesn’t trust, and although the truth is heartbreaking and I can understand why she wants to walk away, I can’t help but hope they can find their way back to each other.

When Shane’s older brothers, Matt and Nathan, arrive to help, they bring with them the truth and harsh reality that their world is much too dangerous for a woman like Josie. However, Josie surprises us all with her strength, fearlessness, and ability to take care of herself in dangerous situations.  She proves over and over to Shane and his brothers she is tough enough to survive the danger that shadows them.

This is an amazing love story that shows the healing power of love.  The book is full of suspenseful action, mystery, and danger that will keep you turning the pages for more.

I purchased a copy of this book to read and review.

Sweet Revenge (Sins Brothers #2)

Sweet Revenge was worth the wait, and I enjoyed it even more than the first book. The oldest brother, Matt, is on a mission to find the doctor who implanted him and his brothers with a kill chip. His journey brings him to a small town where he finds temporary employment at a local bar for his cover. Several females in town fit the description of the doctor he’s looking for; all he has to do is get close enough to each of them to determine which of them worked for the Commander.  

As the oldest brother, Matt has always felt it was his responsibility to protect and keep his brothers together. The guilt he carries over what happened to their youngest brother weighs on him heavily, and until he meets Laney, revenge and survival have been his primary focus and reason to keep going.

Laney, the owner of the bar is initially reluctant to hire Matt but she’s desperate for the help. She can see right away, this man is dangerous in more ways than one:

 “Are you in trouble, sweetheart?” he asked softly, pushing off from the door.

 Yes. Definitely. Trouble with all capital letters stood before her like every dangerous fantasy a girl had about tattooed bad boys on motorcycles.”

The attraction and sexual chemistry between them is immediate, and one of my favorite scenes in the book is the unexpectedness of their first kiss in front of a group of women who’ve met for lunch and can’t stop ogling Matt:

 “Stop smiling, stop flirting, and do your job.”

He lowered his face just enough to make her eyes widen. “You sound jealous.”

Ah. There was the fury. “I’m not you jackass. Keep the charm in your pants and stop flirting.”

Okay. He may have poured on the charm with the two women he needed to investigate, but he’d been trained in subtly and covert action. “Why are you suddenly interested in what’s in my pants?”

Laney’s gasp heated him in all sorts of places. “If I have to tell you again to knock it off, you’re fired.”

The little spitfire had better be careful who she threatened. “So you want me unavailable to those women?”

Satisfaction filled her pretty face. “Exactly.”

“Okay.” He grasped her hop and covered her mouth with his. The kiss was hard, quick, and enough of a taste to make him crave more. He lifted away to gauge the shock on her face. “There. Now they think I’m taken.”

Laney is a tough, sassy, take charge woman who knows how to take care of herself and is used to being on her own. No matter how much she tries to keep her distance from Matt, her heart continues to soften around him. However, because she has her own secrets to hide, she doesn’t’ try to pry into Matt’s situation and past. The passion between them builds into some very scorching love scenes, yet they both agree anything between them is only temporary.

An interesting subplot involving a series of murders in town creates major complications for both Matt and Laney. While Laney finds herself the target of a killer, Matt becomes one of the police’s main suspects. Just as I’m trying to sort out the various characters’ motives, Zanettie reveals one doozie of a shocker that completely caught me off guard!

From that point on, I did not want to put the book down, and the danger escalates into an intense situation where the odds of their survival look bleak. The drama that unfolds had me on the edge of my seat, and I loved every minute of it.

Although this is an excellent story, I did have issues with aspects of believability and the chronological timeline established at the beginning of the series.  I know this is fiction, but when the identity and motivation behind the serial killings come to light, the truth is too far-fetched for me to really accept.  I also found some inconsistencies in the exact amount of time that has passed between the first and second book which is significant to the three-month countdown until the kill chip is activated. However, this was an ARC, and some of the details may have changed by the official publication date.

I received access to read an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. Since quotes are taken from a pre-published copy, they may have been changed or omitted from the final version.

 Link to Review

http://sunmountainreviews.wordpress.com/2013/12/08/sunday-spotlight...