Catching Red

Undead Fairy Tales #2

by Tara Quan

A unique twist on an old favorite, Catching Red is a post-apocalyptic thriller with a large dose of humor, several helpings of sex, and of course, a happily-ever-after. Book 2 of Tara Quan’s urban fantasy series, Undead Fairy Tales, will keep you on the edge of your seat as our heroes hack their way through zombies, destroy an evil cult, and survive an undead world.

Scarlet “Red” Ryding is on a mission. To prevent mass suicide, she must fulfill her grandmother’s evil wishes and return posthaste. With knives in hand, she dives headfirst into an abandoned hospital full of zombies. But after getting trapped within, she is forced to accept help from the world’s most dangerous predator—a man.

Covert Agent Marcus Woodsman received strict instructions against interfering in the affairs of nomads. As a spy for the Federal Military Agency, his mandate is to observe and report. But when he finds a little redhead caught in the center of a brain-eater swarm, conscience compels him to put his ax to good use. By the time he realizes this smart-ass scout comes equipped with a world of trouble, it’s too late—he would do anything to keep her safe.

As Red and her Woodsman work together to survive the undead, brave a snowstorm, and bring down an evil cult, they learn to laugh, love, and fight for happiness. The second book in Tara Quan’s Undead Fairy Tales series, Catching Red is a post-apocalyptic thriller with a happily-ever-after.

Content Spicy, Light BDSM Elements, Light Spanking, Post-Apocalyptic, Urban Fantasy, Adult Fairy Tale

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Zombies, Romance, Erotica, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Erotic Romance

138 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2014

About the author

Globetrotter, lover of languages, and romance author, Tara Quan has an addiction for crafting tales with a pinch of spice and a smidgen of kink. Inspired by her travels, Tara enjoys tossing her kick-ass heroines and alpha males into exotic contemporary locales, paranormal worlds, and post-apocalyptic futures. Her characters, armed with magical powers or conventional weapons, are guaranteed a suspenseful and sensual ride, as well as their own happily ever after. Find out more at www.TaraQuan.com

Reviews

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Red Riding Hood is no helpless female nor is Grandma a loving relative. In CATCHING RED, a nod to a beloved fairy tale, Ms. Quan creates a post-apocalyptic world where women band together in a forest fortress. Only the strong survive and weak are tortured to death.

Scarlet "Red" Ryding is the granddaughter of the tyrannically ruler, Grandmother. One would think she would be treated like a spoiled princess. Instead, she's treated worse than anyone else. Her Grandmother violently perpetrates constant abuse, both physical and emotional upon Red. Red does have a mission and even if it is a suicide one, she will complete it to save others. This is where she meets undercover agent, Marcus Woodsman.

Ms. Quan's world building in this story is good. She's brought in zombies created by a plague and placed this in a future six decades since civilization has fallen. The details she adds to show how groups have coped post civilization is fascinating. The little touches with difference in slang is both humourous and sad. With Red isolated from males, some of her interactions with Marcus are hilarious. They are both speaking English but they aren't understanding each other. And her limited knowledge of men is demonstrated in several amusing scenarios.

The characters Red and Marcus are quite loveable. A reader would be hard pressed not to admire Red. She is loyal, tenacious and still innocent despite all the cruelty she's suffered. She's the kick ass underdog people like to root for. Marcus is a sexy enigmatic man for Red. He's supportive yet secretive. With Red's limited experience with men, Marcus easily seduces her. The sex in the story is sweet, not quite memorable. The focus is on how this society works and the dark conspiracies pulling it apart.

Ms. Quan ties off several threads in a rather fast fashion in the conclusion of this story. However, she doesn't resolve all questions, thus hooking the reader in for another installment. Which fairy tale will she twist next to suit her world? And how will it tie into the conspiracy of missing young girls?

I really enjoyed this story for both the flow and a fresh look at a speculative dystopian world. The separation of the "important" personnel as well as a segregation between sexes is well done. It reminds me of The Gate to Women's Country by Ms. Sheri T. Tepper. Ms. Quan's story is not as serious or desolate. It's still dark yet balanced with humour and sweet sex. The underlying theme though is similar and quite appealing. Basically, will a group of people design their own protective utopia or will it be a Lord of the Flies cult? It's an interesting experiment and Ms. Quan does a good job with her speculations and theories. I'm eager to see how she continues to add to this world.

Recommended for urban fantasy lovers who prefer Grimm over Disney.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

One stands against tyranny.

Scarlett is a high ranking member of W.I.T.C.H and is given a series of ever-increasingly impossible tasks. Driven by loyalty she perseveres. Action-packed zombie hacking, a gorgeous hero, and enough defiance to power a small city.

This is the second story in this series and I love the post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. outskirts setting and the premise. Real strength in world building makes this an engaging read. Where I start to disengage from it is the characterizations.

Scarlett Ryding, Marcus Woodsman and the W.O.L.F. taskforce--yeah, you know it. Not loving it. The fairytale tie-in for the series is a completely unnecessary marketing gimmick. The storyline is strong enough to stand on its own without these tactics which are better suited to porny romcoms.

Then I have a BIG issue with the themes which are a convoluted mess of mixed signals. And to be fair, this is probably my fault since I approached this book as more of an urban fantasy that is all about subversion, than a dystopian fairytale. It really is a fairytale retold with all the same offensive parables: virginity is prized, a better male will save you, physical perfection is valued (All her hard earned scars are removed by the end). Aargh!

The mash up of zombies and fairytales means that it takes the action driven heroine and lobotomizes her into a sex toy for the male. *Deep sigh* This takes the subversive and reschools it back into traditional, patriarchal mantra. Here is an independent, liberated colony of women ruled by sadistic sociopaths--this subliminally denounces women's rights. So is the feminist in me pissed--YES! Did I like the story when I factor out these aggravating subcontexts--Yes. Am I disappointed--Yes.

The story is great but the insidious underlying theme repels me. Thus, my rating reflects this conflicted experience. That said, there are some valuable character insights hidden within.

I recommend this book to readers who clearly don't have my issues.

Favorite passage:

What you need to worry about are the people within these walls. If you think the city is so damn flawed, do something about it. You can’t change a bureaucracy by throwing stones."

~~A copy was provided to me for a No Glitter Blown review~~
~~~Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews~~~

[texxie-PRUFreads.blogspot.com · Rating 3 out of 5]

***PLEASE NOTE,BOOK WAS GIFTED BY THE AUTHOR VIA PAC ROMANCE GROUP***

Catching Red by Tara Quan puts clever twist on an old classic. I liked Scarlet almost immediately. I found the first chapter to be a bit overwhelming. I realize that authors need to set up the world in which they've created but it was a bit of an information overload for me.

Once I settled into the story, I really enjoyed it. Scarlet is a strong, fierce and feisty heroine but maintained her femininity. Her interaction with Marcus was steamy, romantic and engaging. I loved how she wouldn't back down from him regardless of the fact that he dwarfed her in size.

The world around these two characters is a divided one. This post apocalyptic tale is right up my alley and I'm curious about the other members of the elite team Marcus works with.

Why just 3 stars? While 3 isn't bad, by any means, I feel this story had the potential for more. I loved how Grandma dearest is bat shit crazy. There's a virus, cults and kidnapping...OH MY! What pulled the rating down for me was the sex scenes. Marcus is just...delish. The first couple of encounters were spot on, I LOVED it! Obviously, regardless of experience, one gets more comfortable with a partner as they get closer and they begin to be a bit more open. I get that, I do. Unfortunately, for me at least, it felt like I blinked and she went from virginal wallflower to kinky sex kitten with some out of place spanking to boot. I do, however, look forward to more from this author.

[Netanella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Campy zombie romance whose storyline runs parallel with the earlier Tower in the Woods. The world-building is quite good, the dialogue a little cheezetastic, and the heat level is jalapeño.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scarlet "Red" Ryding is a member of the Witch, matter of fact she is the granddaughter of one of the head honchos. Now that is not to say she agrees with it. Matter of fact she despises her grandmother and the main women of the organization. Red seems to get the harshest treatment for the smallest of infractions. But what has lead to what is most assuredly a suicide mission was the fact that Red got her sister and her sisters girlfriend out of the compound. Red will do anything to protect those she cares about, the least of which is giving up her life for the protection of those she cares about.

Marcus Woodsman is on a recon mission in the middle of zombie territory. His mission is to make a rough mapout of zombie territory so that his government can stay as safe as possible. And his normal job when it comes to those who were attacked is to put them down so that the zombie disease will not spread even more then it already was. That is until he saw a chance to be a hero to a perceived damsel in distress.

This was a great second installment to the undead fairy tales series. I especially enjoyed how we were able to see the inner working of WITCH where we were not permitted to observe in the first book. The relationship between Red and Marcus was a great play on the fairy tale little red riding hood, where Red is a bad ass women when it comes to using her knives. I love how this author doesn't focus on the sex scenes and instead focuses on the budding trust in a relationship and how each of the characters grow due to increase lengths of time spent with the other.

I definitely recommend this story to all Quan lovers, and I definitely recommend this series to all short story paranormal romance lovers.

[Heather book whore & shifter slut extrordinaire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heeeee this was fantabulous! I mean really - Red Riding Hood (a kickass chick with blades) and the Woodsman (who obviously carries an axe), in a post-apocalyptic world, battling zombies? Who wouldn't want to read this? And if you are familiar with Tara's work you know that she rocks the smexy times and can make anybody laugh. Seriously the only bad thing about this book was it is a novella and I wanted MORE! Sadly, it appears that her WIP is not a book starring the intriguing Belle, although I have been told it should come "someday". *sigh*

As with all Tara Quan books this was a sassy, funny, quirky (and each one has a different quirk), seriously sexy and sensual good book.

I have not read - although I do have - the first book in this "series" Tower in the Woods and it wasn't until I was more than three-quarters through the book that I realized that a character from the first book was in this book so it obviously works well as a stand-alone. I still plan on reading Tower in the Woods as it is currently the only book of hers I haven't read and that needs to be remedied. In my humble opinion, there should not be a Tara Quan book that is unread as you are missing out on some good, smexy, fun times with intrigue or a mystery or hey, a zombie or 200, tossed in just to make it cooler.

Note - I REALLY wish GR had 1/2 stars cause this was a total 4.5!!

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Gem Larkspur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost put this down as a dnf three times - zombies, yuck. It's a tribute to Ms Quan's writing and her compelling heroine, Scarlet (red), and super sexy alpha-Dom hero Marcus (Woodsman) that I couldn't let go. This macabre, near-future sci-fi retelling of the Red Riding Hood is wonderfully imaginative. The sexy bits are super steamy, and the romance resolves in a believable HEA.

Part of a series, the book resolves the core drama while leaving the reader wanting to know more. Who was behind the annual recruits showing up at WTCH? How will Belle (I'm pretty sure there's a Beast around somewhere) make out in the City?

All in all, a well done, satisfying read. Except for the Zombie ick factor. I could really do without the zombies.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Catching Red” is a stimulating offshoot of a favorite tale with nasty flesh-eating zombies instead of the big bad wolf.

Read full review in the 2014 May issue of InD’tale Magazine.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing follow-up to book one of this series, Tower in the Woods. While this book can stand alone and is fully understandable without having read the first book, reading them in order can help you to understand a few things that happen or are mentioned a bit better. This book expands upon the universe created in book one, filling in some more blanks about it and giving us a larger picture of what the world is like in this post-apocalyptic future.

Scarlet was born in the WITCH, and though she's never experienced life beyond the WITCH compound and surrounding woodlands, she is aware there is more to the world thanks to her connection to the leadership of the cult. She's highly trained in various fighting techniques, primarily hand-to-hand with knives, and is fairly well self-educated in many other survival skills as well via reading in books or through trial and error on her own. While she despises her grandmother Eleanor and other leader of the cult, Mother Gothel, she remains fiercely loyal to the others she's grown up with, to the point that she's willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good if need be. That's not to say that she's suicidal, for she isn't really, she just cares about her friends enough to be willing to put her life on the line to help ensure their survival and the success of the rebellion that she and others have been planning.

Marcus is something of a wild man, though he has a good bit of the trained soldier in him as well. Unlike Scarlet, he grew up in the city and was indoctrinated with military protocols that hold sway there. Through dealing with various Nomads for several years, however, he's managed to unlearn a lot of the militaristic mannerisms he'd been reared with, and has begun to adopt a more flexible attitude toward protocols. This attitude grows by leaps and bounds over the course of the story, largely due to his growing feelings for Scarlet, until he reaches the point he's willing to fly completely in the face of convention and cut ties with everything he's known if that's what it will take to be with her. A very domineering personality, he is convinced that he knows what's best for Scarlet -- better than she herself does even. Needless to say, he's often disabused of this notion and it will be interesting to see how he compromises with her in the future. Hopefully we'll get to see some of that in future books in the series.

Overall I found this to be a very interesting story, though I have to admit that I was rather confused through much of the first third or so since some things didn't seem to fit with the first book. I often found myself wishing it hadn't been so long since I read the first book since I couldn't remember all of the details well enough to form a clear frame of reference for some things. Once I realized that most of this book takes place more or less simultaneously with the first book, and not after the events of the first book as I'd originally assumed, it all began to fall into place much better. If you keep that in mind when you start reading (assuming you've read the first one) you'll probably have a much easier time with it than I did. Once I had the timeline straight I began to be intrigued by the overlaps and the different perspectives on the world we're given. We learn a lot more about the zombies in this one, and they pose a more real threat in this one as well. After finishing this one I'm definitely looking forward to future books in the series to see where the meta-story goes from here.

The romance between Scarlet and Marcus is at times a bit confusing, and is often rather stop and start. For someone that's been taught to fear men all her life, she's remarkably accepting of him almost immediately. Granted, she's not in much condition to object to having to stay with him for a few weeks after she's gravely injured at the hospital, but she's nowhere near as disturbed by him as you might expect her to be. Likely this is due to her skepticism regarding what she's been told all her life since she's well aware her grandmother and Mother Gothel have their own agendas and most likely aren't telling them the truth about a lot of things. I still would have expected a bit more hesitancy on her part regarding starting up a relationship with him, even if just a physical one. Or perhaps even especially a physical one. The bedroom scenes here are pretty hot, though the relationship proves to be rather rocky and awkward much of the time. Even at the end, it's clear that they still have much to settle between them and most likely a lot of compromising to do before they'll truly be able to enjoy their HEA.

An enjoyable, relatively quick read that I'd recommend to anyone who likes paranormal romances, contemporary/future time romances, and/or post-apocalyptic/dystopian type stories. Reading book one first isn't strictly necessary to understand and enjoy this one, but doing so would help provide some explanations for a few things that aren't explained as much here. 4 stars.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Lorraine Shorter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catching Red, book #2 of the Undead Fairy Tales, by Tara Quan – provided for reviewing purposes by Bex ‘n’ Books.

The Undead Fairy Tales series is based loosely on traditional fairy tales that have been passed down from generation, to generation. Catching Red, as you might expect is inspired by Little Red Riding Hood, and includes, Red, a Wolf of sorts, Grandma and a woodsman. But there the similarities end.

In a post-apocalyptic world where, following a virus outbreak, zombie-like undead roam the wastelands, Scarlet, from an organisation known only as WITCH, must do the bidding of her cruel tyrannical grandmother, Eleanor, or face the consequences.

But when Scarlet gets into trouble on a near-impossible mission to gather medical supplies, an unexpected hero turns up. The tall, deadly and domineering woodsman rescues Scarlet and nurses her back to full health. But as the days pass by and her strength returns it’s more than just gratitude Scarlet starts to feel for her hero.

The couple not only have to overcome their positions on opposing sides of the wastelands, but they must also find a way to together, in the face of her fierce need for independence and his need to dominate. With scorching intimate scenes bordering on BDSM and vicious battles this book is a romantic, fantasy adventure that’s hard to put down. And at 138 pages, the time will fly by.

Downsides … just a couple of small ones. The language in the romantic scenes does get a bit repetitive after a while and, on a personal note, the couple featured on the Kindle book cover did nothing to enhance my imagination when it came to what I felt they should look like as I read the story.

However, all in all this was one very enjoyable read; and I’ll definitely keep an eye out for others in the series.

[witchyreader13, · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was provided by the Author through the PaC Romance group in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, was this book ever hot & steamy! Multiple sex scenes throughout the book with a hot alpha male and our strong willed heroine. Definitely an adult novel. As for plot, I found it intriguing. I love a dark fairy tale written for adults & this had shades of that. It was loosely based on Red Riding Hood and her Huntsman. However, those two characters and the name of the military operation (WOLF) were the only real resemblances to the folk tale. The story is based in an apocalyptic future with a zombie outbreak and two settlements trying to survive, one a militant compound of women and the other what's left of the government in Washington, D.C. Red's grandmother is horrifying as the head of the WITCH compound. The story follows Scarlet "Red" Ryding as she travels the wastelands beyond the compound's walls where she meets Marcus Huntsman. They fall in love and lust and the story comes down to Marcus and his soldiers trying to help Scarlet take down her grandmother's rein. Very thrilling, very hot. The story pulled me in and I finished it quickly. The characters have their virtues and their faults which make them believable. I liked that even though our male hero was very strong and demanding, our heroine was equally so, despite her inexperience in love. They made a good match. I would recommend this book to any lovers of erotic or apocalyptic fiction, or dark erotic fairy tales.

Thank you, Tara. I enjoyed the read.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Red riding hood has always been my favorite childhood story. Now that I'm older it's nice to have an adult version and it includes zombies! The world the author created was a fascinating one for me and I actually ended up wanting to read more of that world. The relationship between Red and the Woodsman was a steamy one and was great, but I would of loved it more if there was more details about the world and some questions answered i.e. a longer version! The relationship was well developed, but I wanted more of the world they lived in because it caught my interest that much. My only complaint, the spoiler, is that there was a detail that caught me off guard and kept poking at me anytime moonlight was mentioned. In Red's secret hideaway cabin, when Woodsman was leaving her to talk to his fellow operative, the windows were boarded. When he returns and interacts with red there is moonlight inside the cabin. It's a minor flaw, but that's just me being nit-picky.
*Book provided by the Author through PaC Romance group*

[Two Nerds With Words · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Lorry for Bex 'n' Books
Disclosure: This ebook was provided by the author in exchange for an HONEST and not necessarily positive review.

Catching Red by Tara Quan is a fantasy, adventure, romance of sorts, inspired by the Little Red Riding Hood fable. Set in a modern, post-apocalyptic world, where hoards of the undead roam the wastelands and opposing regimes keep their secrets close to their chest, our vivid main character’s Scarlet and the Woodsman must overcome all the odds in order to be together. And that includes Scarlet’s fierce independence and her Woodsman’s domineering ways which always seem to put them at odds, despite their smouldering attraction.

Complete with a wolf and Grandma, it all makes for a nail-biting, steamy feast of an adventure.

[The TBR Pile *Book review site* · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure what I expected when I picked this up. What I got was new, creative, and different take the story of Little Red Riding Hood, mix is with The Walking Dead, Shield, and Once Upon a time, and you might come close to the story Ms. Quan wove. Full of action, adventure, and thrills, the story will keep you wondering what’s going to happen next.

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