total surrender, by rebecca zanetti

Rating

While I’ve never fancied myself a big paranormal fan–with the exception of J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood–the genetically enhanced Dean siblings in Rebecca Zanetti’s Sin Brothers series quickly found a place in my heart when I read the 3rd book, first. (Yes, out-of-order–it happens.) This may factor in to Nate being my favorite brother, though 4 books later, I love them all.

Zanetti, initially said that Total Surrender was the final book in the series, but clearly after reading it, there is so much she could do to extend this series. The new characters, unresolved storylines, the 4 original brothers… Apparently I wasn’t the only one having these thoughts of grandeur because I recently read that she’s now thinking about keeping the story going. Guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens–I’ll definitely be on the lookout. But on to the story at hand.

Total Surrender is about Jory, the brother who’s been missing for 2 years, and was presumed dead until Shane, in Forgotten Sins, realizes that maybe Jory’s alive after all. And in fact, he is. He was shot by a woman, he’s been in a coma for a very long time, and he is currently a prisoner of The Commander.

Speaking of the commander… Queue Piper. A hacker whose exceptional computer skills actually rival those of Jory. But Piper’s parentage is a complicating factor in her relationship with Jory because she’s the commander’s daughter. Yes, his daughter. And she’s quickly about to learn who her father REALLY is while faced with the challenge of choosing love or family, at the same time, coming to a hard truth about her mother–that was a zinger!

Yes, this is definitely part love story, but with only a week left before the brother’s kill-chips explode, severing their spines and instantly ending their lives, it’s almost secondary. Throw in the  added complication of Jory’s chip, in particular, and the angst and ticking clock make for a non-stop race against the clock.

I refuse to accept that I have become soft and super sensitive as I age–I was a die-hard Sons of Anarchy fan for crying out loud! But seriously, once again, I found myself in tears, on more than one occasion while reading this one. I blame these incredibly talented authors for evoking such emotion through their writing. There were definitely some heart-wrenching moments in this book. Jory may be the little brother, but he’s a force to be reckoned with and his love and devotion in saving his brother’s lives, at the same time realizing he doesn’t have a future with Piper…Keep the tissues nearby.

Overall, Total Surrender is a high-speed, action-packed story with serious sizzle thrown in. If this is the last in the series, it does not disappoint, but I for one hope that Zanetti has more up her sleeve.