Series: Scorpius Syndrome

Review: Knight Awakening by Rebecca Zanetti

Posted March 18, 2020 by Casee in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Knight Awakening by Rebecca ZanettiReviewer: Casee
Knight Awakening by Rebecca Zanetti
Series: Scorpius Syndrome #6
Also in this series: Mercury Striking, Shadow Falling, Justice Ascending, Storm Gathering, Winter Igniting
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: February 25, 2020
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic
Pages: 368
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Casee's 2020 Goodreads Challenge, Goodreads Challenge
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

“Sexy, tough, and deftly sprinkled with dark humor.” -- New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione
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.
“Thrilling, post-apocalyptic romance at its dark, sizzling best!” --New York Times bestselling author Lara Adrian

RZ brings us back to the world of Scorpius. Scorpius has been a global killer with only a small majority of the population surviving having the virus. It was actually a little eerie reading this book considering our current circumstances (i.e. COVID-19). Creepy.

This series is set in a post-apocalypse Los Angeles. Jax Mercury is the leader of Vanguard-Merc, a ragtag group of 600 survivors of the life as they knew it. While trying to live their lives they have to deal with a crazy President, a street gang, rationing food, and a lack of water. Which is only the tip of the iceberg.

Penelope Kim was fresh out of medical school when the virus hit. Forget an internship or a residency. She was thrown from the frying pan into the fire. She took it like a champ, wanting to help as many people as she could. When she first lays eyes on Marcus Knight, she has no idea who he is. She only knows that he’s being held captive against his will and experimented on. Penelope vows to help Marcus escape before she leaves the bunker. She has no idea the shit that is about to go down.

So when Vanguard-Merc shows up at the bunker where Marcus is being held, Penelope panics. In the midst of the chaos, Penelope is infected. She survives (obviously), but Marcus still blames himself. See, Marcus had the virus and one of the side effects of surviving it is that you may become a little obsessive. Obsessed with Penny’s safety. He won’t let anything or anyone get between himself and Penny. Not even his brother. Yes, his brother is none other than Jax Mercury, the leader of Vanguard-Merc. Only problem is that Marcus doesn’t remember anything. He barely remembers his time at the bunker and his torture. Penny is in the forefront of his mind; her safety is all that matters to him.

Penelope is aware that she has her very own guard dog. But she doesn’t want a guard dog. She wants to be a partner with Marcus. Any feelings of waiting for things to happen flew out the window with Scorpius. Penelope isn’t waiting for Marcus to come to her. She goes to him. Marcus wants to take what Penny is offering badly, but he is terrified of hurting her. His obsession about protecting her hasn’t gone away. When they start their relationship it actually becomes worse.

Last night when I finished this book, I gave it a strong 4.5/5. This morning, after thinking about the book, I can’t give it that high of a grade. Based on the ending, it seems as if that is the last book of the series. I always admire an author that can bring a series to a close. Anyway, the ending was so rushed that I really felt let down. After the buildup of what was going on with the President, it was just wrapped up too neatly. That’s my only complaint about the book. I really loved it other than that.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Scorpius Syndrome

three-half-stars


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Sunday Spotlight: Knight Awakening by Rebecca Zanetti

Posted February 16, 2020 by Casee in Features, Giveaways | 2 Comments

Sunday Spotlight is a feature we began in 2016. This year we’re spotlighting our favorite books, old and new. We’ll be raving about the books we love and being total fangirls. You’ve been warned. 🙂

Knight Awakening is the sixth book in Zanetti’s Scorpius Syndrome series. I am a big lover of dystopian/post-apocalypse stories. This series has never disappointed me. I love each and every character. I’m really looking forward to reading this book. Marcus and Penny are sure to be remarkable characters. I highly recommend this series to you dystopian readers. It’s amazing. We have an amazing excerpt for you!

Sunday Spotlight: Knight Awakening by Rebecca ZanettiKnight Awakening by Rebecca Zanetti
Series: Scorpius Syndrome #6
Also in this series: Mercury Striking, Shadow Falling, Justice Ascending, Storm Gathering, Winter Igniting, Knight Awakening
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: February 25, 2020
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
Series Rating: four-stars

“Sexy, tough, and deftly sprinkled with dark humor.” -- New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione
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.
“Thrilling, post-apocalyptic romance at its dark, sizzling best!” --New York Times bestselling author Lara Adrian

Excerpt

Penelope rushed into the infirmary with the room tilting wildly around her.

“How bad?” she asked Jax, who’d fetched her from a nice sleep on her sofa, where she’d crashed after several hours with her friends. The bottle of bourbon was now, sadly, empty.

“Not too bad,” Jax said, brushing glass off his shoulder.

She turned into the second examination room, stopping at seeing Marcus sitting on the taller table, his legs extending to the door and his shirt already off. He was okay. Well, bleeding from the upper arm, but looking directly at her and breathing evenly. Okay. Her knees stopped shaking. He was alive. She pushed hair away from her face. “Bullet wound?”

“Just a cut.” Jax patted her arm and turned away. “See you two tomorrow.”

“Wait,” Penelope said. “I’m intoxicated.” In fact, her feet were numb. “I can’t stitch him up.”

Jax turned and looked at her, his eyes bloodshot and a purple bump above his right eye. “You’re the best we’ve got right now. I can barely see.”

Marcus wiped blood off his arm with his other hand. “I only need a couple of stitches. I can do it.”

Jax nodded. “You two figure it out. I want to see Lynne.” He took a step and then paused. “Let’s meet in the morning and come up with a plan, Slam.”

“Okay,” Marcus said, and Jax took off at a fast clip.

Penny pressed a hand to her throat as her heart continued to pound.

Marcus looked around the room. “Could you get me a needle?”

A needle? He’d been in a gunfight, and he was acting like everything was normal? “Are you sure you weren’t shot?” She stumbled for the drawer to take out supplies.
“Yep. Just glass from when the bus flipped over from the bomb.”

Her head jerked, and she whirled around. Heat climbed down her throat so fast, her lungs burned. “There was a bomb?” Her voice rose.

He turned away from examining his arm. “Yeah. What’s the matter?”

Oh, wrong question. Way wrong question, and the bourbon flowing through her veins prevented her from finding any sort of filter for her words. “I can’t believe you just asked me that,” she muttered, setting the needle, thread, and bandages next to him on the table. “From the first second we arrived here, it has been you and me. All the time. But it’s one way, isn’t it?” Even though anger now focused her, she was gentle with wiping more blood from his wound. “You need about ten stitches, and my hands aren’t steady.” Not even close.

“That’s okay. You’re still better than I am with one hand. What do you mean, one way?” He twisted his arm so she could get a better angle.

This broke every rule she’d ever been taught in medical school, but the pandemic had pretty much broken the world, so what the hell. She took a deep breath and expertly threaded the already clean needle, wiping blood again. She forced her eyes open and then stitched him back up, rather surprised the stitches were even. It was a sad state of the world that she could stitch up a wound while mildly drunk. She’d been stitching up way too many wounds. She pressed a bandage into place and stepped back. “Yes. One way.”

He sat there, bare to the waist, his chest an intriguing mix of raw muscle and healed scars. The fact that he’d survived such torture only made those ripped muscles even more intriguing.

“I’m not following.”

That just figured. It really figured. She put her hands on her hips. “You don’t tell me anything.”

“I tell you everything.”

Maybe she hadn’t asked enough. “What is wrong with you? You were just blown up in a bus, and you’re sitting there like you’ve had a day at the beach.”

He frowned and rubbed dried blood off his hand. “A beach? I’m sunburned?”

Oh, for hell’s sake. “Do you have to be so damn literal all the time?” And alluring? Marcus Knight without a shirt on should be illegal.

“Yes.”

The simple response nearly made her head spin around and blow steam. “Marcus? You must be frightened sometimes. It’s okay to share that.” It should scare her how badly she wanted in. How much she wanted him to really share with her.

His face cleared. “Oh. That. I don’t feel anything, Penny.” At her silence, he shrugged. “Sorry. I’d love to tell you that I do feel a lot of things, but I just don’t. Not anymore.”

Oh. That was certainly a defense mechanism against what they’d done to him in the labs, as well as a result of surviving Scorpius. The bourbon swirled around in her blood, and her head fuzzed, but her body flashed wide awake along with her instincts. She stepped toward him, standing between his legs. “Yes, you do.”

He frowned, the sight more bewildered than upset. “No. I don’t.”

She placed both hands on the sides of his rugged face, and his shadow of whiskers scratched her palms. “Do you feel this?”

“Yes.” His voice deepened and his expression smoothed out.

Caressing down one side of his face, she traced his sharp jawline. “Do you feel this?”

“Yes.” His eyes darkened, going to the green instead of the brown. He held perfectly still, tension around him, his muscles tightened as if ready to spring.

She blinked. This was a mistake, and it wasn’t fair to him. He was still sitting on her examination table after she’d stitched him up. Her hands started to drop.

“No.” He snatched her wrist. “Don’t stop. Finish what you started.”

Her gaze lowered to his firm mouth. “I can’t.”

“Because you don’t want to?” His hold was light but his tone a low growl.

“Because I’m your doctor.” She took a deep breath and filled her lungs, trying to clear her mind.

He released her wrist, and she started to back up, shocked when he slid his hand through her hair to cup her nape. “I’m not your doctor.”

What was happening? His hand was warm and so strong, flexing against her skin. She swallowed. The energy ticked between them, enhanced by the silence throughout Vanguard headquarters at the midnight hour. Her gaze flew up to his eyes, and he was studying her like nobody ever had. Completely and with a focus that uncoiled live wires in her abdomen.

The next moment was inevitable.

He drew her near, and his mouth touched hers. Gentle and seeking.

Heat flowed through her faster than the bourbon had, and she leaned closer, putting her hands on his chest and sighing softly.

Then he ignited. He grabbed her hip, yanked her hard into him, and kissed her so hard he bent her back. Intense and deep, he took over, taking everything. She closed her eyes, overcome, her nails curling into his bare skin as he plundered. All of her.

Scorpius Syndrome

Giveaway Alert

We’re giving one lucky winner their choice of one of our Sunday Spotlight books. Use the widget below to enter for one of this month’s features.

Sunday Spotlight: February 2020

Are you as excited for this release as we are? Let us know how excited you are and what other books you’re looking forward to this year!

About Rebecca Zanetti

Rebecca Zanetti is the author of over twenty-five romantic suspense, dark paranormals, and contemporary romances, and her books have appeared multiple times on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. She lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with her own Alpha hero, two kids, a couple of dogs, a crazy cat…and a huge extended family. She believes strongly in luck, karma, and working her butt off…and she thinks one of the best things about being an author, unlike the lawyer she used to be, is that she can let the crazy out.


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Review: Winter Igniting by Rebecca Zanetti

Posted May 16, 2018 by Casee in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Winter Igniting by Rebecca ZanettiReviewer: Casee
Winter Igniting by Rebecca Zanetti
Series: Scorpius Syndrome #5
Also in this series: Mercury Striking, Shadow Falling, Justice Ascending, Storm Gathering, Knight Awakening
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: February 20, 2018
Point-of-View: Third
Pages: 370
Add It: Goodreads
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four-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

His only goal was survival until he met her...

With nothing to lose, former cop Damon Winter agrees to an undercover op, infiltrating a cult in the dangerous post-Scorpius world. After one look at his new partner, he knows she belongs far away from not only the cult, but from him. She's sweet and kind and has no business being in peril, but she's determined to help. Suddenly, the part he's playing as her man explodes into a passion neither of them had expected.

She hadn't purposefully faced risk until she met him...

April Snyder has survived loss, pain, and uncertainty. Now she's ready to live again. There's nothing left but to make a difference for others, so why not go undercover in the cult? Now all she has to do is keep it professional and ignore her handsome, deadly, overbearing partner, who's too sexy for her peace of mind. Intrigue, risk, and danger make for an irresistible temptation--until enemies close in, threatening everyone they've sworn to protect.

This is my first 4.5 review of the year and I’m shocked spitless that it was this book that did it for me. If there was book in this series that I expected to give a 5 star review to it was Storm Gathering. I loved Greyson Storm. I still love him. I don’t necessarily love Damon more, but the story as a whole and the progress of the series in Winter Igniting just did it for me. Damon has been a key figure in the series since Grey kidnapped Moe (really, really dislike that nickname). He wasn’t really on my radar until Grey’s book. Then he was right up there and I was looking forward to reading his book. Until I found out that his heroine was April Snyder. Sure, she’s been through more than most people in this post-apocalyptic world, but she that doesn’t make her any less boring. And less of a mousy, quiet woman whom, in no way could grab the attention of a character like Damon. I admit when I’m wrong and I was very wrong.

Damon lost his whole family after they were infected by Scorpius. Damon is one of the few survivors of in their new world that hasn’t been affected by Scorpius. Which makes him the perfect person to go undercover in the Pure Church. The Pure Church is a cult-like church in Jax Montgomery’s territory that he’s been unable to infiltrate. He doesn’t like that he has a group of armed civilians in his territory. He won’t accept anything less than talking to every member of the church and making sure they are at the church of their own free will. That’s where Damon comes in. As a “pure” human, the members are sure to welcome him in. His partner? April Snyder who is also unaffected by Scorpius.

April turned out to be more than a pleasant surprise. Underneath her mousy exterior was a woman of steel. I adored her. She was confident without being stupid. She was determined to help the women of the church, especially when she found out what was really going on. One thing she never expected was someone like Damon to enter her life after losing everything. Losing her husband to Scorpius was something that was devastating to April, but losing her daughter was life-changing. She never expected to feel so much for anyone again and she is pretty much at a loss. She decides to take things one day at a time with Damon, but is still unprepared for the magnetism and protectiveness of his personality.

Damon knows what kind of man he is. Once he commits to anything, he is all in. Even more so when he meets April and they become lovers. The only problem he has is that April refuses to see him for who he really is. Which is a violent man that will kill to protect those he loves. Damon knows that when she sees his true nature it might be the last time she looks his way. He underestimates April as does most other people (including me). When April finally realizes what she is in for…hawtness. I just adore these two together. Although I liked Grey and Moe (ugh) together, April and Damon just clicked for me almost right away.

As for the progress of the series, the situation with the church was finally resolved after several books which was nice. There was plenty of action to go around. President Atherton is as evil as ever which makes the series that much better. I can’t wait to see what he’s up to in the next book. You just know that he’s going to get his hands on Lynne one of these books and Jax is going to go through the roof. I can’t wait to see that happen. So overall, I 100% loved this book. I didn’t give it a 5 because I rarely give 5’s.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The Scorpius Syndrome

four-half-stars


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Review: Storm Gathering by Rebecca Zanetti

Posted April 25, 2018 by Casee in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Storm Gathering by Rebecca ZanettiReviewer: Casee
Storm Gathering by Rebecca Zanetti
Series: Scorpius Syndrome #4
Also in this series: Mercury Striking, Shadow Falling, Justice Ascending, Winter Igniting, Knight Awakening
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: September 19, 2017
Point-of-View: Third Person
Genres: Post Apocalyptic
Pages: 359
Add It: Goodreads
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Series Rating: four-stars

Even before surviving the Scorpius bacterium, Greyson Storm was a lone wolf navigating minefields. As a kid, he learned to take a hit and find safety. As an adult, he joined the military and quickly learned how to protect and defend. When the world ended, he created a mercenary camp with military precision, no entanglements, and a promise to avenge a fallen friend. As part of that vow, he kidnapped Maureen Shadow, but now that he has let her go, her blue eyes and intriguing mind keep haunting him…

As possibly the only Biotechnology Engineer still living, Maureen Shadow might be humanity’s one hope to survive the aftermath of Scorpius, making her frighteningly valuable to both allies and enemies. Even after sexual tension explodes between her and Greyson, she’s not sure which camp he belongs to—friend or foe? Worse yet, survival may mean thwarting his prime mission, putting her in even more peril. When danger and seduction collide, there is no safety in this new world.

That cover tho. I never, never imagine a character as it is on a cover, which is why I prefer books without models on the cover. Well, models with faces anyway. This one I will take. I loved this book cover to cover. Literally. I have loved Greyson Storm since the page he was first introduced in this series. He was badass, take no prisoners, shove it in your face, take him or leave him, kind of guy. And hot. Like it didn’t matter if you were kidnapped by him, you were still attracted to him. Even if you basically hated yourself for it. But it’s the apocalypse. Give yourself a break. At least that was what I was telling Maureen Shadow as I was reading this book. Poor Moe.

Poor Moe indeed. She was just a scientist going about her work. The small project of how to continue to feed the freaking world. Yeah, that was the project she was working on when Greyson Storm showed up in her lab and decided to kidnap her. And he doesn’t even want her. He’s using her as a bargaining chip to get something from her brother. Well, Moe is no one’s bargaining chip and she will do anything to get out of the Merc’s compound. After she makes the worst mistake of her life…sleeping with Grey. She didn’t even listen to him when he said no. When Grey releases her back to Vanguard and her brother, the news keeps getting worse. She’s pregnant with Greyson Storm’s child. There hasn’t been one Scorpius survivor that has brought a pregnancy to term.

Greyson wants Moe. He needs her and he knows he isn’t good for her. He knows enough about himself that if he even is crazy enough to fall for a woman, he will be beyond protective. He will lock her down so no one can get to her and nothing can hurt her. Which he knows is crazy to think considering they are living in a post-apocalypse world. Too bad he is crazy and he has fallen for Moe. When he and his lieutenant Damon go back to Vanguard for peace talks over their shared Bunker, he can tell that something is going on with Moe. So he kidnaps her. For a second time.

There is so much going on in this book. I think one thing I really liked about this book is that Grey’s feelings for Moe did not change his behavior. He knew that he still needed to be the ruthless leader of the Mercenaries. That couldn’t change. If someone threatened his people or Maureen, he acted swiftly and without mercy. Although it mattered what Moe thought about him, he didn’t let what she felt dictate his actions. He knew that how he acted now would show people what would happen in the future. He was coldly calculating, but he wasn’t cold. He made decisions based on logic then calmly executed them. When he thought something he would do would protect Moe, he did it without hesitation even if he thought she would hate him forever. I hate to give it to Moe, she saw through a lot of the bullshit. She just saw Grey. I really loved that about her. They were just really great together. The whole book was just good from the beginning to the end.

One thing I did hate was the nickname Moe.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5.

The Scorpius Syndrome


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Review: Justice Ascending by Rebecca Zanetti

Posted January 27, 2017 by Casee in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Justice Ascending by Rebecca ZanettiReviewer: Casee
Justice Ascending by Rebecca Zanetti
Series: Scorpius Syndrome #3
Also in this series: Mercury Striking, Shadow Falling, Storm Gathering, Winter Igniting, Knight Awakening
Publisher: Zebra
Publication Date: January 31, 2017
Point-of-View: Third
Genres: Post Apocalyptic
Pages: 400
Add It: Goodreads
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Before surviving the Scorpius bacterium, Tace Justice was a good ole Texas cowboy who served his country and loved his mama. After Scorpius, the world became dark, dangerous, and deadly... and so did he. The Vanguard medic is stronger, faster, and smarter than before, but he's lost the line between right and wrong. His passion is absolute, and when he focuses it on one woman, there's no turning back for either of them.

Sami Steel has been fighting to survive right alongside Tace, convincing the Vanguard soldiers she's one of them. In truth, Sami is a former hacker turned government agent who worked at The Bunker, where scientists stored both contaminants and cures. Only she knows the location, and she's not telling. Yet when sexual fire explodes between her and Tace, she'll face even that hell again to save him.

Tace Justice was introduced in Mercury Striking as an affable, yet strong character. He was a down-to-earth good ‘ol boy who landed in the inner circle of Jax Mercury. As a field medic, his skills are in demand in post-apocalypse Los Angeles. When he is infected with the Scorpius Syndrome, he doesn’t get Vitamin B in time to come out on the other side of the virus unscathed. Tace doesn’t much care, but he knows he’s different. He’s not quite a Ripper, but he believes he’s on his way to becoming one.

Sami Steele has secrets. Big secrets. But she’s not sharing the biggest of them all. She knows where the Bunker is. The Bunker that everyone thinks the cure for Scorpius Syndrome is. They might be right, but Sami isn’t leading them into hell, which is exactly what the Bunker is as far as she is concerned. Yet when Tace seems to be one of the few that rejects the Vitamin B, Sami knows she can no longer keep quiet. Only at the Bunker can she find the way to save him.

Tace was happy to remain strictly co-workers with Sami until he was infected with Scorpius. After that, all bets were off. His obsession with sex moved onto an obsession with Sami. Not just with Sami, but with her safety. He is so intent on keeping her safe that he is risking his own safety, something that Jax isn’t so keen on. He doesn’t like his lieutenants fraternizing and he lets them know it. Nothing can keep these two apart, not even Scorpius.

I’m digging this series. Post-apocalypse romances really get to me because you strip everything down to survival. So falling in love in a week doesn’t seem out of the ordinary. Nothing is out of the ordinary when it comes down to it. You’re stripped to your core and it’s survival of the fittest. I can’t wait to see what Zanetti comes up with next.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5.

Scorpius Syndrome

four-stars


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