Donners of the Dead

by Karina Halle

[littleread1]

It is no secret that I love all things Karina Halle. So I was all over the idea of a historical zombie romance as long as she was writing it! I was hooked from the beginning. Eve and Jake were different from your typical characters, the setting was remote and terrifying, and the zombies ... *shudders*.

I liked Eve from the very start. Set in the 1800's she was a strong woman for her situation. With her mother being "sick" and her father gone, presumed dead, her raising fell to her uncle. And with her being not a blood relation to the man, he did the minimum to care for her. She wasn't mistreated, but she wasn't given the same opportunities as her cousin. So any knowledge she had, she had through her own will. She isn't a pushover. So when some strange men come to town seeking her out because she is a good tracker, her uncle jumps all over the chance to rent her out and make some money.

In the group on men, you are instantly drawn to Mr. Growly, soon to be known by his name, Jake. It is obvious from the beginning he has some issues he is going to have to work through before things blossom between him and Eve. But from the start he is attracted to her, even as much as he doesn't want to be. This inner turmoil causes him to be less than pleasant to be around for a while.

Of course, being thrown together in a survival situation for days, being attacked by zombies, people dropping around them like flies, causes them to rely on each other and the attraction hits like a ton of bricks. But like any good horror story, once they admit their mutual attraction, will they live to pursue it?

Because ... ZOMBIES. Oh geez. I love to be scared, and that is the reason I started reading Halle's books, and Donners did not disappoint. The monsters were some of the scariest I've read in a while. And for some reason Halle has a thing against bathrooms. No, there are no bathrooms in the 1800's, but there are outhouses ...

creepy bathroomYeah. I don't think I can ever go to an outhouse again. Thanks. *shudders*

Donners of the Dead is not for the faint of heart, but if you read during the day, with the lights on, you will be fine. I enjoyed this historical horror romance immensely, and I think you will too.