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Outbreak Protocol
One doctor saves lives from behind a screen. The other saves them with his hands. When the world ends, they are each other’s only hope.
Dr. Felix Müller trusts his gut, and his gut tells him the horrifying new illness tearing through his Hamburg ER is no ordinary flu. When his superiors ignore the mounting body count, Felix risks his career on a single, desperate email to a reclusive, brilliant epidemiologist who is his last resort.
Dr. Erik Lindqvist trusts in data, not gut feelings. For the reclusive scientist, emotions are a liability. He arrives in Hamburg expecting to correct a flawed analysis, but instead finds a city on the brink of collapse and a frontline doctor whose fiery compassion threatens to shatter the walls around his heart.
Forced into an uneasy alliance, the two men are the city's first and last line of defense. But as the virus consumes Hamburg and military law is declared, their professional friction ignites into a desperate and dangerous intimacy. In the quiet moments between disasters, they find a connection that could be their only comfort—or a fatal distraction.
As the death toll climbs and the city is sealed from the world, they are in a desperate race for a cure. But the greatest threat might not be the evolving pathogen—it could be the terrifying choices they are forced to make about how much they are willing to sacrifice... and who.
Outbreak Protocol is a gut-wrenching, epic MM romance set against the backdrop of an apocalyptic medical thriller. A perfect story of opposites attract, hurt/comfort, and the found family that can rise from the ashes of the world. Prepare to have your heart seized.
Dr. Felix Müller trusts his gut, and his gut tells him the horrifying new illness tearing through his Hamburg ER is no ordinary flu. When his superiors ignore the mounting body count, Felix risks his career on a single, desperate email to a reclusive, brilliant epidemiologist who is his last resort.
Dr. Erik Lindqvist trusts in data, not gut feelings. For the reclusive scientist, emotions are a liability. He arrives in Hamburg expecting to correct a flawed analysis, but instead finds a city on the brink of collapse and a frontline doctor whose fiery compassion threatens to shatter the walls around his heart.
Forced into an uneasy alliance, the two men are the city's first and last line of defense. But as the virus consumes Hamburg and military law is declared, their professional friction ignites into a desperate and dangerous intimacy. In the quiet moments between disasters, they find a connection that could be their only comfort—or a fatal distraction.
As the death toll climbs and the city is sealed from the world, they are in a desperate race for a cure. But the greatest threat might not be the evolving pathogen—it could be the terrifying choices they are forced to make about how much they are willing to sacrifice... and who.
Outbreak Protocol is a gut-wrenching, epic MM romance set against the backdrop of an apocalyptic medical thriller. A perfect story of opposites attract, hurt/comfort, and the found family that can rise from the ashes of the world. Prepare to have your heart seized.
- GenresM M Romance
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 2025
6 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 16, 2025
4 Stars
This is not an M/M story for the faint of heart.
Outbreak Protocol is a stress-inducing, heart-racing medical thriller (with a side of romance), detailing the intense outbreak months of a deadly pandemic, told through the eyes of Dr. Felix Müller, an ER doctor at ground zero in a Hamburg hospital, and Dr. Erik Lindqvist, a data man and expert epidemiologist sent in (with his team) from the ECDC (the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) in a race against time to contain the rapidly spreading, rapidly mutating virus.
This is an all-consuming, unputdownable kind of read. Yes, there’s a love story at its centre, between Felix and Erik, and the story does conclude on a hopeful HFN-note for the lovely pair of frontline medical professionals, but, for the most part, this is a heavy story that left me feeling deeply anxious and emotionally depleted in the aftermath.
As stressy-and-depressy as this made me feel, I’ll admit I still have zero regrets. The writing/storytelling is so strong, the characters are well-drawn and grounded, and the romance—which is fast moving by circumstantial necessity—is so beautifully layered and emotionally centring amongst the absolute chaos that is hurtling out of control around Erik and Felix as the pages race by.
Once again, I found myself impressed and engrossed by Macington’s effortless yet richly detailed writing. It hasn’t even been a full year since I read my first book from this author (this book marks the 7th read for me this year alone), but he consistently manages to blow me away with how much knowledge and research seemingly goes into these very theme-specific, deliciously angsty, highly memorable M/M romances.
Honestly, at this point, I will be reading anything Macington puts out there, because I feel like he’s just getting started, going from strength to strength with each subsequent (quickly written) story, often miraculously turning themes and romance tropes I don’t usually enjoy into absolute wins.
I personally can’t wait to see what he writes next and, even more importantly, I can’t wait for him to reach a much wider M/M audience, as is well overdue IMO.
***A special thanks to the author and publishers (via Book Sirens) for providing an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is not an M/M story for the faint of heart.
Outbreak Protocol is a stress-inducing, heart-racing medical thriller (with a side of romance), detailing the intense outbreak months of a deadly pandemic, told through the eyes of Dr. Felix Müller, an ER doctor at ground zero in a Hamburg hospital, and Dr. Erik Lindqvist, a data man and expert epidemiologist sent in (with his team) from the ECDC (the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) in a race against time to contain the rapidly spreading, rapidly mutating virus.
This is an all-consuming, unputdownable kind of read. Yes, there’s a love story at its centre, between Felix and Erik, and the story does conclude on a hopeful HFN-note for the lovely pair of frontline medical professionals, but, for the most part, this is a heavy story that left me feeling deeply anxious and emotionally depleted in the aftermath.
As stressy-and-depressy as this made me feel, I’ll admit I still have zero regrets. The writing/storytelling is so strong, the characters are well-drawn and grounded, and the romance—which is fast moving by circumstantial necessity—is so beautifully layered and emotionally centring amongst the absolute chaos that is hurtling out of control around Erik and Felix as the pages race by.
Once again, I found myself impressed and engrossed by Macington’s effortless yet richly detailed writing. It hasn’t even been a full year since I read my first book from this author (this book marks the 7th read for me this year alone), but he consistently manages to blow me away with how much knowledge and research seemingly goes into these very theme-specific, deliciously angsty, highly memorable M/M romances.
Honestly, at this point, I will be reading anything Macington puts out there, because I feel like he’s just getting started, going from strength to strength with each subsequent (quickly written) story, often miraculously turning themes and romance tropes I don’t usually enjoy into absolute wins.
I personally can’t wait to see what he writes next and, even more importantly, I can’t wait for him to reach a much wider M/M audience, as is well overdue IMO.
***A special thanks to the author and publishers (via Book Sirens) for providing an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 1, 2025
~2.5~
Outbreak Protocol felt like a long novel, even though it's just under 3,000 locations.
I'll sum it up for you: An ER doctor and infectious disease specialist (think Dr. Fauci but 50 years younger) meet at the beginning of a pandemic (this is some years in the future, post-Covid). They work tirelessly to find patient zero and stop the spread of the disease, but it's like swimming against the tide. People keep dying. Predictably, one of the MCs becomes infected (no worries - he survives with antibody treatment). The world as we know it ends.
The ER doc, Felix, is 32, but he's been through med school, did a pathology residency, worked as a pathologist for 2 years, did an emergency medicine residency, and has worked in the ER for eight years. Um ... unless he was 8 when he started college, the math ain't mathing.
The story is set in Germany, so maybe there is some kind of a fast-track program I don't know about, but why did the MCs need to be so young though?
Speaking of Germany, the narrative is in English, but all the characters are referred to as Herr This and Frau That. To make it even more confusing, the same names are recycled for different characters.
For example, there are at least three Hartmanns: Dr. Hartmann, who's Felix's boss; a Frau Hartmann, who's a family friend of some kind (I think?); and a Corporal Thomas Hartmann, who writes a letter to Felix at the end.
There are also several Marias: a 47-year-old woman, Maria Santos, who dies from the disease early on; a Maria who works checkout at a market; another patient named Maria Schmidt; and a Col. Maria with the same last name (Santos) as the first Maria. Like??
Beyond that, the story is repetitive in its grimness. I love medical thrillers, but for long stretches, it was like reading a college textbook.
This fictional, unnamed infectious disease has a morality rate of 73%. Compare that to Covid, which at its peak had an average morality rate of about 2% and, yup, it's a shit show of epic proportions.
The romance is barely present; there's (almost) no steam, no relationship building. The characters are hero prototypes. They're both workaholics, although Felix teaches Erik (the young Dr. Fauci) empathy. They fall in love in 12 days, pledge forever, and unofficially adopt an 8-year-old girl whose mom died.
I'm rounding up because 1. the premise is VERY real (Covid happened yesteryear, so we've all been there, done that, and know it can, and likely will, happen again); 2. the writing is fine if a little stiff; 3. the author clearly did a great deal of research around infectious diseases, and I learned a thing or two, which is never a bad thing; 4. the ending is hopeful (not perfect, not wrapped in a neat little bow, but the MCs are alive and together).
Outbreak Protocol felt like a long novel, even though it's just under 3,000 locations.
I'll sum it up for you: An ER doctor and infectious disease specialist (think Dr. Fauci but 50 years younger) meet at the beginning of a pandemic (this is some years in the future, post-Covid). They work tirelessly to find patient zero and stop the spread of the disease, but it's like swimming against the tide. People keep dying. Predictably, one of the MCs becomes infected (no worries - he survives with antibody treatment). The world as we know it ends.
The ER doc, Felix, is 32, but he's been through med school, did a pathology residency, worked as a pathologist for 2 years, did an emergency medicine residency, and has worked in the ER for eight years. Um ... unless he was 8 when he started college, the math ain't mathing.
The story is set in Germany, so maybe there is some kind of a fast-track program I don't know about, but why did the MCs need to be so young though?
Speaking of Germany, the narrative is in English, but all the characters are referred to as Herr This and Frau That. To make it even more confusing, the same names are recycled for different characters.
For example, there are at least three Hartmanns: Dr. Hartmann, who's Felix's boss; a Frau Hartmann, who's a family friend of some kind (I think?); and a Corporal Thomas Hartmann, who writes a letter to Felix at the end.
There are also several Marias: a 47-year-old woman, Maria Santos, who dies from the disease early on; a Maria who works checkout at a market; another patient named Maria Schmidt; and a Col. Maria with the same last name (Santos) as the first Maria. Like??
Beyond that, the story is repetitive in its grimness. I love medical thrillers, but for long stretches, it was like reading a college textbook.
This fictional, unnamed infectious disease has a morality rate of 73%. Compare that to Covid, which at its peak had an average morality rate of about 2% and, yup, it's a shit show of epic proportions.
The romance is barely present; there's (almost) no steam, no relationship building. The characters are hero prototypes. They're both workaholics, although Felix teaches Erik (the young Dr. Fauci) empathy. They fall in love in 12 days, pledge forever, and unofficially adopt an 8-year-old girl whose mom died.
I'm rounding up because 1. the premise is VERY real (Covid happened yesteryear, so we've all been there, done that, and know it can, and likely will, happen again); 2. the writing is fine if a little stiff; 3. the author clearly did a great deal of research around infectious diseases, and I learned a thing or two, which is never a bad thing; 4. the ending is hopeful (not perfect, not wrapped in a neat little bow, but the MCs are alive and together).
August 22, 2025
I thought I had an issue with how quickly these two fell in love until I got an understanding of what they were dealing with. There's really no time for lingering looks and 'do I like him or is he just hot' when people are literally dropping like flies all around you and you're in the thick of it.
I'd say this is 70% medical thriller and 30% romance because the science stuff is crazy intense.
Two science-y MCs, Felix is the boots on the ground guy who makes a very unwelcome discovery of an emergent pandemic in Hamburg (to the disgust of his boss, who thinks he's a little too trigger happy with calling things alarming) and Erik, the data whiz who works at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control who gets Felix's unauthorized email and is alarmed enough to take an immediate flight with his team to Germany.
Gave me anxiety because I was so sure one of them was going to get sick and drop dead in a few days like everyone around them and I had to keep reminding myself 'This is a romance novel. That won't happen'
But I remember (very vividly) how that assumption worked out for me in Taylor Fitzpatrick's Thrown Off The Ice so.......
Meanwhile, shit's hitting the fan all over the place faster than they can investigate, the virus keeps adapting to kill them more efficiently, members of the team are getting infected and to wrap it all up with a bow, the government has allowed the military to take over and make military decisions to fix a scientific problem.
Basically, I was stressed TF out for a significant portion of this😂
So maybe not a chill bedtime read for when you want to relax and unwind before bed because if you're anything like me, you'll finish it in one sitting AND be mistrustful of governments going forward (if you weren't already).
IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK TO HAVE THE MCS FACE ONLY ONE KILLER THREAT AT A TIME?
Honestly, given everything going on everywhere all at once, I'd have cut the MCs some slack for getting snippy which each other.
But alas.
Remarkably sweet and tender with each other. I guess it's true what they say about the threat of losing something making it that much more precious.
Because these two were making very life altering commitments to each other. (the likes of which I'd only make if I was certain I won't live to see the dawn lol)
Can NOT say the same about the military. Dark stuff they got going on over there. You think you can imagine how far they're willing to go, and then they prove to you how truly dark things can get.
Things get really dystopian to the point where I'm glad the book ended where it did, because I don't think the world can ever really go back to what it was before this. Not like how many pretend after COVID.
There are things which once you know, you can never un-know.
Unrelated but kinda related:
This had a child in it and I feel like my feelings on those in romance are kinda set in stone. Especially the walking, talking kind that make inconvenient yet accurate comments about the state of affairs between the MCs.
This also legit had me worrying that it would cross over into zombie romance territory.
**I was wrong about THAT bit. Phew😅
I'd say this is 70% medical thriller and 30% romance because the science stuff is crazy intense.
Two science-y MCs, Felix is the boots on the ground guy who makes a very unwelcome discovery of an emergent pandemic in Hamburg (to the disgust of his boss, who thinks he's a little too trigger happy with calling things alarming) and Erik, the data whiz who works at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control who gets Felix's unauthorized email and is alarmed enough to take an immediate flight with his team to Germany.
Gave me anxiety because I was so sure one of them was going to get sick and drop dead in a few days like everyone around them and I had to keep reminding myself 'This is a romance novel. That won't happen'
But I remember (very vividly) how that assumption worked out for me in Taylor Fitzpatrick's Thrown Off The Ice so.......
Meanwhile, shit's hitting the fan all over the place faster than they can investigate, the virus keeps adapting to kill them more efficiently, members of the team are getting infected and to wrap it all up with a bow, the government has allowed the military to take over and make military decisions to fix a scientific problem.
Basically, I was stressed TF out for a significant portion of this😂
So maybe not a chill bedtime read for when you want to relax and unwind before bed because if you're anything like me, you'll finish it in one sitting AND be mistrustful of governments going forward (if you weren't already).
IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK TO HAVE THE MCS FACE ONLY ONE KILLER THREAT AT A TIME?
Honestly, given everything going on everywhere all at once, I'd have cut the MCs some slack for getting snippy which each other.
But alas.
Remarkably sweet and tender with each other. I guess it's true what they say about the threat of losing something making it that much more precious.
Because these two were making very life altering commitments to each other. (the likes of which I'd only make if I was certain I won't live to see the dawn lol)
Can NOT say the same about the military. Dark stuff they got going on over there. You think you can imagine how far they're willing to go, and then they prove to you how truly dark things can get.
Things get really dystopian to the point where I'm glad the book ended where it did, because I don't think the world can ever really go back to what it was before this. Not like how many pretend after COVID.
There are things which once you know, you can never un-know.
Unrelated but kinda related:
This had a child in it and I feel like my feelings on those in romance are kinda set in stone. Especially the walking, talking kind that make inconvenient yet accurate comments about the state of affairs between the MCs.
This also legit had me worrying that it would cross over into zombie romance territory.
**I was wrong about THAT bit. Phew😅
August 28, 2025
Disturbing in the softest of ways!
The characters Felix and Erik are devoted to their work in health care but when the their paths cross is it in one of the most dramatic and overwhelming situations imaginable.
The book works through a topic which we all have experienced during the pandemic, but this book takes the term "state of emergency" just up a level.
I devoured this book in less than 24 hours and it was well worth it. I connected with the characters immediately, even more because I am german and the book is mostly situated in Germany. this made it even more dramatic for me and I do had some tears in my eyes while reading.
Thank you for letting me be part of Felix and Eriks journey. Loved it. ❤️
The characters Felix and Erik are devoted to their work in health care but when the their paths cross is it in one of the most dramatic and overwhelming situations imaginable.
The book works through a topic which we all have experienced during the pandemic, but this book takes the term "state of emergency" just up a level.
I devoured this book in less than 24 hours and it was well worth it. I connected with the characters immediately, even more because I am german and the book is mostly situated in Germany. this made it even more dramatic for me and I do had some tears in my eyes while reading.
Thank you for letting me be part of Felix and Eriks journey. Loved it. ❤️
September 13, 2025
Ufta that's heavy
I have read many of this authors books and this one is very heavy. C.G. Macington is really good at taking stories that could be hundreds of pages and instead making them just a couple hundred but filling those pages with intense reading. There is a warning at the front of this book and boy is it needed. It takes what happened with Covid and makes it 10 times worse. Frankly, it scary and by the end you really don't feel great just done and relieved it isn't non-fiction. The romance is less in this book but is still there. I feel like I need a palette cleanser after this one.
I have read many of this authors books and this one is very heavy. C.G. Macington is really good at taking stories that could be hundreds of pages and instead making them just a couple hundred but filling those pages with intense reading. There is a warning at the front of this book and boy is it needed. It takes what happened with Covid and makes it 10 times worse. Frankly, it scary and by the end you really don't feel great just done and relieved it isn't non-fiction. The romance is less in this book but is still there. I feel like I need a palette cleanser after this one.
September 13, 2025
Wow,das war eine Reise.
Genau so könnte es sein,würde eine solche Pandemie ausbrechen.
Vor allen Dingen nach Covid,wo jedes Land sich vor einem erneuten Lockdown fürchtet.
Lieber alles ignorieren anstatt wichtige Entscheidungen zu treffen.
Daher ist es der Mut ,der für mich diese Geschichte ausmacht. Mut zu handeln auch wenn alle anderen dich zurückhalten wollen.
Danke für dieses Buch
Genau so könnte es sein,würde eine solche Pandemie ausbrechen.
Vor allen Dingen nach Covid,wo jedes Land sich vor einem erneuten Lockdown fürchtet.
Lieber alles ignorieren anstatt wichtige Entscheidungen zu treffen.
Daher ist es der Mut ,der für mich diese Geschichte ausmacht. Mut zu handeln auch wenn alle anderen dich zurückhalten wollen.
Danke für dieses Buch
September 9, 2025
Epic.
This is what you have to read if really want to read something different from the usual mm romance.
A love that explodes deep, profound, born from a soul connection and it grows roots, becomes family and home, only certainty in the middle of uncertainty and beyond their HEA.
A plot that is absolutely fantastic in its dramaticity and sadness, that a few years ago we would have defined sci-fi or dystopian but now is just realistic, and deeply tragic.
This is what you have to read if really want to read something different from the usual mm romance.
A love that explodes deep, profound, born from a soul connection and it grows roots, becomes family and home, only certainty in the middle of uncertainty and beyond their HEA.
A plot that is absolutely fantastic in its dramaticity and sadness, that a few years ago we would have defined sci-fi or dystopian but now is just realistic, and deeply tragic.
September 18, 2025
C.G. Macington brings us a gripping romance set during a devastating global pandemic threatening to end the world as we know it. I signed up to read this ARC, knowing the material could trigger me. I think it could trigger the whole world, as we have lived through, and somewhat still are living through a global pandemic, albeit on a much less virulent scale. The combination of a romance and a medical thriller drew me in initially, and it delivered on what I anticipated: a gut-clenching journey of discovery and survival for the two main characters and also for the world at large.
I received an advance review copy for free via Booksirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Hook
Within the first few chapters, readers will be hooked. The pacing is just right to set the tone of impending world breakdown. The situation is laid out within a few short chapters. The lonely scientist, driven by numbers, is tracking outbreaks of infectious disease. The on-the-ground emergency room physician who starts to notice disturbing trends. Hospital administration would much rather bury its head in the sand than proactively deal with a growing situation.
This setup is both hand-wrenching and exciting, setting up the action. And my expectations were met: events start to feel like they are cascading out of control quickly and in brutal fashion.
Blurb
One doctor saves lives from behind a screen. The other saves them with his hands. When the world ends, they are each other’s only hope.
Dr. Felix Müller trusts his gut, and his gut tells him the horrifying new illness tearing through his Hamburg ER is no ordinary flu. When his superiors ignore the mounting body count, Felix risks his career on a single, desperate email to a reclusive, brilliant epidemiologist who is his last resort.
Dr. Erik Lindqvist trusts in data, not gut feelings. For the reclusive scientist, emotions are a liability. He arrives in Hamburg expecting to correct a flawed analysis, but instead finds a city on the brink of collapse and a frontline doctor whose fiery compassion threatens to shatter the walls around his heart.
Forced into an uneasy alliance, the two men are the city's first and last line of defense. But as the virus consumes Hamburg and military law is declared, their professional friction ignites into a desperate and dangerous intimacy. In the quiet moments between disasters, they find a connection that could be their only comfort—or a fatal distraction.
As the death toll climbs and the city is sealed from the world, they are in a desperate race for a cure. But the greatest threat might not be the evolving pathogen—it could be the terrifying choices they are forced to make about how much they are willing to sacrifice... and who.
Outbreak Protocol is a gut-wrenching, epic MM romance set against the backdrop of an apocalyptic medical thriller. A perfect story of opposites attract, hurt/comfort, and the found family that can rise from the ashes of the world. Prepare to have your heart seized.
Plot Summary
Emergency Room doctor, Felix Müller, worked in pathology before he moved to the ER, driven by a need to connect directly with patients, to remember the humanity of practicing medicine, and not get mired in statistics. He has his finger, literally, on the pulse of Hamburg, Germany. He starts to see the concerning patterns of a growing novel pathogen running unchecked and undiscovered through ER patients presenting with concerning symptoms. They show signs of the sorts of fevers more prevalent in warm, humid areas of the world that come with haemorrhaging and complete organ shutdown. His gut tells him to start tracking data, so he does. His boss, though, largely wants to ignore the trends, dismissing them as a normal flu season. Felix knows it’s more, though, and sends his findings to an ECDC scientist, Dr. Erik Lindqvist, who arrives on scene and quickly takes stock of the growing disaster.
Working together to mitigate the disaster, the two forge a bond that’s fast, fiery, and deep: the type of bond that happens because of trauma and seals the two together into a cohesive unit. They’re stronger together, and they absolutely need to be strong if they are both going to survive.
Character Growth Is Key
Dr. Lindqvist, a Swedish last name that I have little grasp on how to actually pronounce, is like a princess in a closed-off tower at first. He doesn’t see the numbers in his data as people. He set his life up purposely like this, after the death of his sister when he was young, which mentally destroyed him. Data is safe, even if the numbers represent real human lives at stake.
Dr. Müller, on the other hand, forcibly changed his life so he would see each patient as a rich human life worth saving. As the novel progresses, Felix’s perspective helps Erik to reshape his understanding of his role: he wants to stop the pandemic to save these real human lives, and his empathy grows beyond the numbers on his spreadsheet. He thaws, in a way, to better understand the urgency to save the world, as the virus causes society to come tumbling down.
Relationship Rings True
Relationships in times of strife develop quickly and without pretext. The two men are drawn to each other because each recognizes the strength within the other. They admire how they operate; they see things they want to emulate in the other.
Their partnership is perfect, and comes together in what would otherwise be a rush, but it works here. It’s not a romance that’s forcibly wedged into a medical thriller. Their developing feelings feel authentic and real. Full of determination to save each other and those important to them, the strong feelings they develop are hot and fast and real.
World-Building & Atmosphere
As the virus takes hold, the military takes over and works determinedly to keep the virus from spreading beyond Hamburg. What was once a normal hospital ER quickly becomes an apocalyptic hellscape. People are dying all over, bleeding from their eyes and mouths, medical staff are being infected, it’s a traumatic picture that will have readers remembering the early days of Covid and the panic that overtook hospitals as they became overburdened by the number of sick.
This element is a potential trigger for some people, and readers should monitor their own feelings. We just got through the COVID pandemic not so long ago, and reliving the feelings with a fictional virus that is MUCH worse might cause some dark thoughts to resurface, especially, because it’s done well in this book. Readers will remember the fear and uncertainty, the tractor-trailers of bodies, the general breakdown of systems, all too well. In fact, COVID is mentioned. This book is set in a world where COVID happened sometime in the recent past.
Medical Realism
I can’t fully speak to the medical realism in this story; I am not a doctor. But as a nonprofessional, it seems mostly implausible that a novel pathogen would have that high a Ro factor, or that high a fatality rate. But for the sake of the story, it increases the urgency and works well. I also don’t put it past biology to evolve into such a virulent strain. Who knows what could happen, really.
Grows
One area I had questions about after reading is what happened to the rest of the response team. Before the final chapters, readers spend much page time with important side characters. Sarah, with her fiery Irish tenacity. Yuki and her eidetic memory analyze model after model of pandemic data. Aleksandr’s military precision sets the containment protocols.
Late in the book, after a lot of last-resort, horrible things happen in an attempt to contain the disastrous virus that will end humanity as we know it, the very tight-knit team that works together tirelessly for the rest of the book are just /poof/, gone. Yuki and Aleksandr are at 90%. Sarah is last mentioned at 92%. I feared that meant they were dead, but I wasn’t sure. If someone’s death isn’t described on the page or mentioned, the reader doesn’t know. Mentally, I would like at least one line to know they’re alive and well at the end, because it’s a fairly bleak ending, even with our central characters HFN. I can’t say it’s a HEA because, well... Pandemic, ya know.
Recommendation
I enjoyed this story, but it is something entirely different from a lot of other MM romance subgenres. I tend to like unique things, and a lot of readers of MM romance do, so I recommend this book. However, watch your mental health on this one. We all carry hidden triggers from Covid times, whether it’s something we talk about these days or not.
I received an advance review copy for free via Booksirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Hook
Within the first few chapters, readers will be hooked. The pacing is just right to set the tone of impending world breakdown. The situation is laid out within a few short chapters. The lonely scientist, driven by numbers, is tracking outbreaks of infectious disease. The on-the-ground emergency room physician who starts to notice disturbing trends. Hospital administration would much rather bury its head in the sand than proactively deal with a growing situation.
This setup is both hand-wrenching and exciting, setting up the action. And my expectations were met: events start to feel like they are cascading out of control quickly and in brutal fashion.
Blurb
One doctor saves lives from behind a screen. The other saves them with his hands. When the world ends, they are each other’s only hope.
Dr. Felix Müller trusts his gut, and his gut tells him the horrifying new illness tearing through his Hamburg ER is no ordinary flu. When his superiors ignore the mounting body count, Felix risks his career on a single, desperate email to a reclusive, brilliant epidemiologist who is his last resort.
Dr. Erik Lindqvist trusts in data, not gut feelings. For the reclusive scientist, emotions are a liability. He arrives in Hamburg expecting to correct a flawed analysis, but instead finds a city on the brink of collapse and a frontline doctor whose fiery compassion threatens to shatter the walls around his heart.
Forced into an uneasy alliance, the two men are the city's first and last line of defense. But as the virus consumes Hamburg and military law is declared, their professional friction ignites into a desperate and dangerous intimacy. In the quiet moments between disasters, they find a connection that could be their only comfort—or a fatal distraction.
As the death toll climbs and the city is sealed from the world, they are in a desperate race for a cure. But the greatest threat might not be the evolving pathogen—it could be the terrifying choices they are forced to make about how much they are willing to sacrifice... and who.
Outbreak Protocol is a gut-wrenching, epic MM romance set against the backdrop of an apocalyptic medical thriller. A perfect story of opposites attract, hurt/comfort, and the found family that can rise from the ashes of the world. Prepare to have your heart seized.
Plot Summary
Emergency Room doctor, Felix Müller, worked in pathology before he moved to the ER, driven by a need to connect directly with patients, to remember the humanity of practicing medicine, and not get mired in statistics. He has his finger, literally, on the pulse of Hamburg, Germany. He starts to see the concerning patterns of a growing novel pathogen running unchecked and undiscovered through ER patients presenting with concerning symptoms. They show signs of the sorts of fevers more prevalent in warm, humid areas of the world that come with haemorrhaging and complete organ shutdown. His gut tells him to start tracking data, so he does. His boss, though, largely wants to ignore the trends, dismissing them as a normal flu season. Felix knows it’s more, though, and sends his findings to an ECDC scientist, Dr. Erik Lindqvist, who arrives on scene and quickly takes stock of the growing disaster.
Working together to mitigate the disaster, the two forge a bond that’s fast, fiery, and deep: the type of bond that happens because of trauma and seals the two together into a cohesive unit. They’re stronger together, and they absolutely need to be strong if they are both going to survive.
Character Growth Is Key
Dr. Lindqvist, a Swedish last name that I have little grasp on how to actually pronounce, is like a princess in a closed-off tower at first. He doesn’t see the numbers in his data as people. He set his life up purposely like this, after the death of his sister when he was young, which mentally destroyed him. Data is safe, even if the numbers represent real human lives at stake.
Dr. Müller, on the other hand, forcibly changed his life so he would see each patient as a rich human life worth saving. As the novel progresses, Felix’s perspective helps Erik to reshape his understanding of his role: he wants to stop the pandemic to save these real human lives, and his empathy grows beyond the numbers on his spreadsheet. He thaws, in a way, to better understand the urgency to save the world, as the virus causes society to come tumbling down.
Relationship Rings True
Relationships in times of strife develop quickly and without pretext. The two men are drawn to each other because each recognizes the strength within the other. They admire how they operate; they see things they want to emulate in the other.
Their partnership is perfect, and comes together in what would otherwise be a rush, but it works here. It’s not a romance that’s forcibly wedged into a medical thriller. Their developing feelings feel authentic and real. Full of determination to save each other and those important to them, the strong feelings they develop are hot and fast and real.
World-Building & Atmosphere
As the virus takes hold, the military takes over and works determinedly to keep the virus from spreading beyond Hamburg. What was once a normal hospital ER quickly becomes an apocalyptic hellscape. People are dying all over, bleeding from their eyes and mouths, medical staff are being infected, it’s a traumatic picture that will have readers remembering the early days of Covid and the panic that overtook hospitals as they became overburdened by the number of sick.
This element is a potential trigger for some people, and readers should monitor their own feelings. We just got through the COVID pandemic not so long ago, and reliving the feelings with a fictional virus that is MUCH worse might cause some dark thoughts to resurface, especially, because it’s done well in this book. Readers will remember the fear and uncertainty, the tractor-trailers of bodies, the general breakdown of systems, all too well. In fact, COVID is mentioned. This book is set in a world where COVID happened sometime in the recent past.
Medical Realism
I can’t fully speak to the medical realism in this story; I am not a doctor. But as a nonprofessional, it seems mostly implausible that a novel pathogen would have that high a Ro factor, or that high a fatality rate. But for the sake of the story, it increases the urgency and works well. I also don’t put it past biology to evolve into such a virulent strain. Who knows what could happen, really.
Grows
One area I had questions about after reading is what happened to the rest of the response team. Before the final chapters, readers spend much page time with important side characters. Sarah, with her fiery Irish tenacity. Yuki and her eidetic memory analyze model after model of pandemic data. Aleksandr’s military precision sets the containment protocols.
Late in the book, after a lot of last-resort, horrible things happen in an attempt to contain the disastrous virus that will end humanity as we know it, the very tight-knit team that works together tirelessly for the rest of the book are just /poof/, gone. Yuki and Aleksandr are at 90%. Sarah is last mentioned at 92%. I feared that meant they were dead, but I wasn’t sure. If someone’s death isn’t described on the page or mentioned, the reader doesn’t know. Mentally, I would like at least one line to know they’re alive and well at the end, because it’s a fairly bleak ending, even with our central characters HFN. I can’t say it’s a HEA because, well... Pandemic, ya know.
Recommendation
I enjoyed this story, but it is something entirely different from a lot of other MM romance subgenres. I tend to like unique things, and a lot of readers of MM romance do, so I recommend this book. However, watch your mental health on this one. We all carry hidden triggers from Covid times, whether it’s something we talk about these days or not.
September 15, 2025
I have to say that author C.G.Macington, whose MM books I’ve read several of since discovering him a few months ago, has really taken me by surprise with ‘Outbreak Protocol’. Quite different from his previous MM’s, it is a serious well written book. It is very definitely a character driven story that the author classes as a medical thriller, set against a background of a huge medical emergency just like COVID virus that we all lived through. While it has a lot of medical terminology that the author appears to have researched to the nth degree, I did not find it too much to take in. What I did find overwhelming was realising how little we knew or appreciated, of just how much went on behind the scenes during the first cases of COVID worldwide, plus my admiration for the Medical Scientists, and Frontline Medical Professions who worked so tirelessly to find solutions and even gave their lives.
Two such characters are Dr. Erik Lindqvist who is the chief researcher at the ECDC in Sweden with a crew of other scientists. Dr. Felix Müller was a Pathologist at a hospital in Hamburg in Germany but changed up to Emergency Medicine in the ER to work with people instead of numbers. It is Felix who first realises something is very wrong and strange with cases he is dealing with in increasing numbers. His immediate boss, the hospital administrator, Dr. Hartmann, refuses to accept Felix’s findings, reluctant to upset budgets or upcoming commercial opportunities. Felix breaks the rules and ignores his superior and contacts Dr. Erik Lindqvist who, with his small crew, hops on a plane to Hamburg within hours of the call.
Behind all the medical panic in ‘Outbreak Protocol’ there is the growing relationship between Erik and Felix, which arises very soon after their meeting for the first time. Both men recognise and speak openly about it, but decide to put it on the back burner until they find solutions to the current crisis. They struggled daily and sometimes they just needed to hold hands, if nothing else, to help them deal with each new case and loss of a patient. Felix is particularly stricken when a very close colleague succumbs to the virus and he is willed Guardianship of the daughter. It draws Erik closer to both of them. There isn’t pages of steamy, swoony opportunities here, time is of the essence, and Erik and Felix prioritise their patients while promising each other more later.
Their relationship gives a much needed human interest feeling to the story against all the medical terminology, and having to see how various faceless Governments, Bureaucracies and a quickly assembled Military group, refuse to listen or believe medical research and possible solutions.
I received a free ARC copy of this book from the author via BookSirens, and this is my voluntarily given, honest review.
Again, I have to say this author, C.G. Macington continues to impress with his variety and storytelling skills and the building of the intense medical scenario in a crisis like ‘Outbreak Protocol’. It has thrilling suspense in addition to this otherwise MM story. His characters here will wrap themselves around your heartstrings and have you rooting for their survival and a HEA too. I’ll continue looking for his next and future books.
Highly recommend this book if you like something just that bit more engrossing and different on your MM TBR list.
Two such characters are Dr. Erik Lindqvist who is the chief researcher at the ECDC in Sweden with a crew of other scientists. Dr. Felix Müller was a Pathologist at a hospital in Hamburg in Germany but changed up to Emergency Medicine in the ER to work with people instead of numbers. It is Felix who first realises something is very wrong and strange with cases he is dealing with in increasing numbers. His immediate boss, the hospital administrator, Dr. Hartmann, refuses to accept Felix’s findings, reluctant to upset budgets or upcoming commercial opportunities. Felix breaks the rules and ignores his superior and contacts Dr. Erik Lindqvist who, with his small crew, hops on a plane to Hamburg within hours of the call.
Behind all the medical panic in ‘Outbreak Protocol’ there is the growing relationship between Erik and Felix, which arises very soon after their meeting for the first time. Both men recognise and speak openly about it, but decide to put it on the back burner until they find solutions to the current crisis. They struggled daily and sometimes they just needed to hold hands, if nothing else, to help them deal with each new case and loss of a patient. Felix is particularly stricken when a very close colleague succumbs to the virus and he is willed Guardianship of the daughter. It draws Erik closer to both of them. There isn’t pages of steamy, swoony opportunities here, time is of the essence, and Erik and Felix prioritise their patients while promising each other more later.
Their relationship gives a much needed human interest feeling to the story against all the medical terminology, and having to see how various faceless Governments, Bureaucracies and a quickly assembled Military group, refuse to listen or believe medical research and possible solutions.
I received a free ARC copy of this book from the author via BookSirens, and this is my voluntarily given, honest review.
Again, I have to say this author, C.G. Macington continues to impress with his variety and storytelling skills and the building of the intense medical scenario in a crisis like ‘Outbreak Protocol’. It has thrilling suspense in addition to this otherwise MM story. His characters here will wrap themselves around your heartstrings and have you rooting for their survival and a HEA too. I’ll continue looking for his next and future books.
Highly recommend this book if you like something just that bit more engrossing and different on your MM TBR list.
August 25, 2025
3.5 stars
What if a harrowing plague-like scenario arises in Germany—and ends with it eviscerating so much of the population that 'sanitising’ infected regions is considered the standard military protocol?
I wasn’t too sure what to expect with ‘Outbreak Protocol’, but it turned out to be a very rapid descent into an apocalyptic space. It goes from grim to grimmer, with the romance comprising a secondary part of the escalating drama as Felix Müller and Erik Lundqvist find themselves becoming an indisputable team in combating what the world has never seen before. The trajectory of their romance is fast, quick but also sweet, and uncomplicated in a way that doesn’t allow for deeper exploration because of what’s happening around them. While the story itself is enthralling —it’s compact with no fillers—and Felix/Erik’s bond genuine, the romantic elements between them feels somewhat underdeveloped as the race for survival takes precedence over everything else.
Nonetheless, it’s well-written with a cinematic-blend of action scenes towards the end and would be particularly appealing if the blend of epidemiology and emergency medicine interests you. A large part of Felix/Erik’s attraction to each other is how competent they are in their own fields and how they complement each other, so there’s quite an amount of clinical precision and medical-speak in the dialogues reminiscent of the Covid-years. I was (pleasantly) surprised at the technical sharpness of the writing which lends the whole narrative a scientific authenticity though was somewhat disappointed that it came at the expense of the characters’ romantic development.
We’re left with the unthinkable stand of sacrificing the infected to save the rest of the world, the satisfaction of having the two leads still alive (by this stage I wasn’t sure at all how it would end for both Felix and Erik) standing amongst the ruins is like a small ray of light offering a wee bit of hope in a bourgeoning existential crisis that’s only just begun.
*ARC by Booksirens
What if a harrowing plague-like scenario arises in Germany—and ends with it eviscerating so much of the population that 'sanitising’ infected regions is considered the standard military protocol?
I wasn’t too sure what to expect with ‘Outbreak Protocol’, but it turned out to be a very rapid descent into an apocalyptic space. It goes from grim to grimmer, with the romance comprising a secondary part of the escalating drama as Felix Müller and Erik Lundqvist find themselves becoming an indisputable team in combating what the world has never seen before. The trajectory of their romance is fast, quick but also sweet, and uncomplicated in a way that doesn’t allow for deeper exploration because of what’s happening around them. While the story itself is enthralling —it’s compact with no fillers—and Felix/Erik’s bond genuine, the romantic elements between them feels somewhat underdeveloped as the race for survival takes precedence over everything else.
Nonetheless, it’s well-written with a cinematic-blend of action scenes towards the end and would be particularly appealing if the blend of epidemiology and emergency medicine interests you. A large part of Felix/Erik’s attraction to each other is how competent they are in their own fields and how they complement each other, so there’s quite an amount of clinical precision and medical-speak in the dialogues reminiscent of the Covid-years. I was (pleasantly) surprised at the technical sharpness of the writing which lends the whole narrative a scientific authenticity though was somewhat disappointed that it came at the expense of the characters’ romantic development.
We’re left with the unthinkable stand of sacrificing the infected to save the rest of the world, the satisfaction of having the two leads still alive (by this stage I wasn’t sure at all how it would end for both Felix and Erik) standing amongst the ruins is like a small ray of light offering a wee bit of hope in a bourgeoning existential crisis that’s only just begun.
*ARC by Booksirens
November 16, 2025
Heavy on the medical thriller with a touch of romance. Basically, what Macington appears to specialize in. On the thriller end, I was engaged. The prose was snappy for identifying the main threat. I enjoyed the gradual pacing of a worrying incident blowing up into a catastrophic plot. And that it's a threat that can't be solved by action-adventure Hollywood antics.
The bureaucratic stonewalling is just believable enough to seem real on the cynical end, so it's pleasant that the main protagonists are logistical yet hopeful. Clipped characterizations that add and don't damper that thriller rush. All captured in two character view points in distinct first-person narration. It's refreshing.
Like all thrillers, Outbreak Protocol dances with the unrealistic. Wee bit too much pressure placed onto one small scientific team, for instance, no matter how smart and talented. There's close to no communication with the international scientific community regarding a potentially world-ending virus. Statistics and calculations in the narrative might play a bigger role than in real life, but hey, that's what fiction is for.
Just enough romance in there to be relevant to the plot, to add personal stakes for the main leads. Considering the speed that it happens, it's actually sweet how much they trust one another within a week's time. Yet I grew weary of Erik's internal dialogue repeating time and time again the same observation of how much Felix has affected him. He helped you see the human beyond the numbers, I got it after the third time.
I was actually surprised by the steamy scenes that were included, considering the mutually respectful nature of their relationship and the novel's setting. Then again, it's common with thrillers to have them. While I appreciate the way how they were written, I'd actually be fine without them personally.
Outbreak Protocol is an entertaining ride that traces the anxieties of a pandemic with a plethora of medical jargon. Solid first read of this author for me. I'll be looking forward to more of Macington in the future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The bureaucratic stonewalling is just believable enough to seem real on the cynical end, so it's pleasant that the main protagonists are logistical yet hopeful. Clipped characterizations that add and don't damper that thriller rush. All captured in two character view points in distinct first-person narration. It's refreshing.
Like all thrillers, Outbreak Protocol dances with the unrealistic. Wee bit too much pressure placed onto one small scientific team, for instance, no matter how smart and talented. There's close to no communication with the international scientific community regarding a potentially world-ending virus. Statistics and calculations in the narrative might play a bigger role than in real life, but hey, that's what fiction is for.
Just enough romance in there to be relevant to the plot, to add personal stakes for the main leads. Considering the speed that it happens, it's actually sweet how much they trust one another within a week's time. Yet I grew weary of Erik's internal dialogue repeating time and time again the same observation of how much Felix has affected him. He helped you see the human beyond the numbers, I got it after the third time.
I was actually surprised by the steamy scenes that were included, considering the mutually respectful nature of their relationship and the novel's setting. Then again, it's common with thrillers to have them. While I appreciate the way how they were written, I'd actually be fine without them personally.
Outbreak Protocol is an entertaining ride that traces the anxieties of a pandemic with a plethora of medical jargon. Solid first read of this author for me. I'll be looking forward to more of Macington in the future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 16, 2025
This author is in the habit of setting high bars both for themself and for their characters. The last book I read by them involved a romance between the Pope and the prime minister of Italy! This one concerns a global pandemic (MUCH more severe than Covid-19) and the author pulls no punches. The romance is secondary to the course of the pandemic and the fight to stop its advance.
The two MCs are opposites in that one is the master of statistics and sees people as numbers and the the other is an ER doc who transferred from pathology because he wanted to try to save lives and who is extremely empathetic with his patients. They learn from each other and end up being the two doctors on the front line of the pandemic.
The book is extremely dark, horrific, and sad with some hope at the end. I will definitely need a solid romcom after this one! BUT, the writing is excellent and the pace is breakneck. And, as you might have expected, the angst level is through the roof. Well worth the read (the writing is excellent through out) but be prepared.
I only had a couple of small quibbles--the language used to describe the growing closeness between the MCs got a bit repetitive--over and over their main difference was emphasized (statistics v. empathy) and their learning from each other, while a good plot device, became a bit heavy-handed. Second, I had trouble following what actually happened with one crucial subplot toward the end involving a German soldier--but that could have been on me.
Overall, an excellent read but have something light lined up afterward!
Thank you to Book Sirens for the ARC.
The two MCs are opposites in that one is the master of statistics and sees people as numbers and the the other is an ER doc who transferred from pathology because he wanted to try to save lives and who is extremely empathetic with his patients. They learn from each other and end up being the two doctors on the front line of the pandemic.
The book is extremely dark, horrific, and sad with some hope at the end. I will definitely need a solid romcom after this one! BUT, the writing is excellent and the pace is breakneck. And, as you might have expected, the angst level is through the roof. Well worth the read (the writing is excellent through out) but be prepared.
I only had a couple of small quibbles--the language used to describe the growing closeness between the MCs got a bit repetitive--over and over their main difference was emphasized (statistics v. empathy) and their learning from each other, while a good plot device, became a bit heavy-handed. Second, I had trouble following what actually happened with one crucial subplot toward the end involving a German soldier--but that could have been on me.
Overall, an excellent read but have something light lined up afterward!
Thank you to Book Sirens for the ARC.
October 2, 2025
Wow, what a story.
I'm gonna have a bit of a hard time reviewing thus, because while the story was well written and interesting enough, I had a very difficult time actually finishing it.
It was slow. Which sounds wrong because everything actually happened quite fast, romance included, but the words dragged on for longer than I felt was necessary. There were too many technical terms and doctor's talk for me to actually enjoy big parts of it, because while it made it realistic and all, it also had me zoning out a lot. I felt like most of it was just smart words thrown out that didn't really do anything for the story, more than boring me into skimming it through.
However, when things actually started to happen to characters you cared about, the writing was superb. It was painful in all the right ways and the final blow from those in charge was so gorgeously painful that the first 75% or so of the book was kinda worth it. But to me it took way too long to actually get there. I would have liked to get to know the characters more rather than numbers and clinical terms, but I'm sure there are people out there who would enjoy it a lot. I'm just not one of them.
Still, a solid read. Not something I'll read again, but it was still worth my time. And I'm happy to have gotten the chance to read this one. I think this author got a lot of promise and they're definitely talented with their words, so I'd happily check out more of their work in the future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
I'm gonna have a bit of a hard time reviewing thus, because while the story was well written and interesting enough, I had a very difficult time actually finishing it.
It was slow. Which sounds wrong because everything actually happened quite fast, romance included, but the words dragged on for longer than I felt was necessary. There were too many technical terms and doctor's talk for me to actually enjoy big parts of it, because while it made it realistic and all, it also had me zoning out a lot. I felt like most of it was just smart words thrown out that didn't really do anything for the story, more than boring me into skimming it through.
However, when things actually started to happen to characters you cared about, the writing was superb. It was painful in all the right ways and the final blow from those in charge was so gorgeously painful that the first 75% or so of the book was kinda worth it. But to me it took way too long to actually get there. I would have liked to get to know the characters more rather than numbers and clinical terms, but I'm sure there are people out there who would enjoy it a lot. I'm just not one of them.
Still, a solid read. Not something I'll read again, but it was still worth my time. And I'm happy to have gotten the chance to read this one. I think this author got a lot of promise and they're definitely talented with their words, so I'd happily check out more of their work in the future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
September 19, 2025
Review for Outbreak Protocol by C.G. Macington
This is a new author for me, and what a great book to start with. We all think about what will happen when an outbreak happens; I know I have. C.G. Macington wrote this story very well, in my opinion. C.G. Macington wrote about how doctors try to save people. Another trope I have grown to love is when the world ends, and what happens in this author's eyes blew me away. How Dr. Felix Muller is written in this story made me believe he was really a doctor and what he would do. The way he realizes that there is an outbreak and that they are in trouble sucked me in. What Felix will do to get others to believe this is an outbreak and they need to get it under control before it kills a lot of people shows how much he cares. So he knows he must, at any cost, get hold of Dr. Erik Lindqvist to share what he believes is going on. Erik is a person who believes in science, which makes people think that he is emotionless. Will these two men be able to get others to believe this is happening? Or will what these two men are trying to do not be realized till it is too late to stop it?
I loved this story. This is a new author for me, but boy, am I going to look for more books by this author. To read a book that covers this concept was interesting. I was sucked in from the beginning.
Nicole Harvey
Reviewed an ARC for an honest review
This is a new author for me, and what a great book to start with. We all think about what will happen when an outbreak happens; I know I have. C.G. Macington wrote this story very well, in my opinion. C.G. Macington wrote about how doctors try to save people. Another trope I have grown to love is when the world ends, and what happens in this author's eyes blew me away. How Dr. Felix Muller is written in this story made me believe he was really a doctor and what he would do. The way he realizes that there is an outbreak and that they are in trouble sucked me in. What Felix will do to get others to believe this is an outbreak and they need to get it under control before it kills a lot of people shows how much he cares. So he knows he must, at any cost, get hold of Dr. Erik Lindqvist to share what he believes is going on. Erik is a person who believes in science, which makes people think that he is emotionless. Will these two men be able to get others to believe this is happening? Or will what these two men are trying to do not be realized till it is too late to stop it?
I loved this story. This is a new author for me, but boy, am I going to look for more books by this author. To read a book that covers this concept was interesting. I was sucked in from the beginning.
Nicole Harvey
Reviewed an ARC for an honest review
October 20, 2025
This is one of those books you want to experience without any rush. I needed several days just to feel ready for it, because it’s deep, reflective, and emotional in a way that quietly consumes you. The medical realism hit hard — the illness, the patients who don’t always survive, the heartbreaking meetings with families who’ve lost someone. It was heavy but incredibly human.
And then, amid all that dread, there was Erik and Felix. Their chemistry sparked from the first meeting, and while I usually don’t enjoy the “insta-love” trope, here it was insta-recognition done right — that sense of two people finding each other through shared purpose and quiet understanding. Their early moments outside the crisis felt a little awkward, but in the most relatable, real-world way.
C. G. Macington has always been brilliant at exploring complex emotions, but Outbreak Protocol shows his storytelling at its finest. He balances medical realism with emotional depth and gives us a romance that feels both fragile and powerful. This isn’t a story you read just once — it lingers, it breathes with you. I absolutely loved it, and I can confidently say that after this book, C. G. Macington is one of my favorite authors.
And then, amid all that dread, there was Erik and Felix. Their chemistry sparked from the first meeting, and while I usually don’t enjoy the “insta-love” trope, here it was insta-recognition done right — that sense of two people finding each other through shared purpose and quiet understanding. Their early moments outside the crisis felt a little awkward, but in the most relatable, real-world way.
C. G. Macington has always been brilliant at exploring complex emotions, but Outbreak Protocol shows his storytelling at its finest. He balances medical realism with emotional depth and gives us a romance that feels both fragile and powerful. This isn’t a story you read just once — it lingers, it breathes with you. I absolutely loved it, and I can confidently say that after this book, C. G. Macington is one of my favorite authors.
August 27, 2025
Wow. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but won’t be the last. It’s a gripping, heartbreaking story of life, compassion, love, sacrifice, and making hard choices. There isn’t a right or wrong, there isn’t a bad guy you love to hate. There isn’t any sentient evil being to detest. It’s a virus. It’s a pandemic of truly epic proportions, and the huge sacrifices they have to make. Well, maybe there’s a “bad guy”, Dr. Hartmann is despicable, seriously, and I’d love to blame all the horrors on him and his extremely poor and selfish choices, but he did what he thought was best from his very myopic point of view. And Erik could have turned out just like him, if it wasn’t for Felix. I loved the pace of the story, how the medical lingo did not overpower the humanity and beauty of the tale being woven. I really enjoyed how it was written, how it flowed, and how it wasn’t a perfect end, but it was beautiful and hopeful nonetheless. I recommend this book, and I’m going to go search for more by this author, because it was an amazing read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 22, 2025
I don't usually read MM stories; that is my personal choice, but this book grabbed my attention and held it.
I really enjoyed Outbreak Protocol! From the very beginning, it grabbed my attention with its fast pace and high stakes. The mix of action, suspense, and survival kept me hooked, and I could easily picture the tension unfolding as if I were right there with the characters.
The story felt realistic while still being thrilling, and I appreciated how the characters were written — flawed, human, and determined to push through impossible circumstances. Each chapter left me wanting to know what would happen next, and I ended up flying through the book.
If you enjoy post-apocalyptic survival stories full of suspense, danger, and gripping action, Outbreak Protocol is a fantastic read.
A definite wake-up call to us all
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I really enjoyed Outbreak Protocol! From the very beginning, it grabbed my attention with its fast pace and high stakes. The mix of action, suspense, and survival kept me hooked, and I could easily picture the tension unfolding as if I were right there with the characters.
The story felt realistic while still being thrilling, and I appreciated how the characters were written — flawed, human, and determined to push through impossible circumstances. Each chapter left me wanting to know what would happen next, and I ended up flying through the book.
If you enjoy post-apocalyptic survival stories full of suspense, danger, and gripping action, Outbreak Protocol is a fantastic read.
A definite wake-up call to us all
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 21, 2025
my first book from this author, I found their storytelling to be enthralling and i couldn't tear myself away from the pages.
the overall story of the virus and the effects it shows on the people in the story and the love that can be built in dangerous times to help keep hope alive was beautiful.
the story between them may feel rushed but in the context of what's happening it's not unheard of to see people drawn to each other for comfort and support.
the only downside I found in this book was the ending. I felt like it glossed over if they stopped the virus for good and how the world is now coping after it. I feel like it could have gone for a few more chapters or even a second book could have been made as a follow up.
overall I enjoy myself reading this story. 4.5 ⭐
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
the overall story of the virus and the effects it shows on the people in the story and the love that can be built in dangerous times to help keep hope alive was beautiful.
the story between them may feel rushed but in the context of what's happening it's not unheard of to see people drawn to each other for comfort and support.
the only downside I found in this book was the ending. I felt like it glossed over if they stopped the virus for good and how the world is now coping after it. I feel like it could have gone for a few more chapters or even a second book could have been made as a follow up.
overall I enjoy myself reading this story. 4.5 ⭐
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 30, 2025
💕 An MM romance that borders on an apocalyptic thriller. The romance in this book is sweet and fulfilling, but is only a small part of what makes this book so amazing.
Felix is loving and sensitive. He has a background in pathology but prefers emergency medicine where he can connect with the living. His best friend Anna is a nurse and a single mom to a brilliant little girl. Anna is fun and Felix’s anchor in a confusing world.
When he calls on Erik, an analyst with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), their connection is immediate. Mutual respect and admiration. They have a job to do. People are dying. A potential pandemic on the rise.
Erik sees numbers and patterns. Felix sees people and human connection. Two brilliant minds that compliment each other. I love how their feelings toward each other grow slowly. A bond from strangers, to colleagues, to friends, and finally, to lovers. I love how they lean on each other during these dark times. Never giving up even when things seem impossible. And impossible they are.
When there is little hope left, you can count on these two to keep going. And it’s from this that their love gets to blossom. Little by little. Drawing strength from each other. Bouncing ideas. Searching for a thread of hope in a race against time.
Felix is loving and sensitive. He has a background in pathology but prefers emergency medicine where he can connect with the living. His best friend Anna is a nurse and a single mom to a brilliant little girl. Anna is fun and Felix’s anchor in a confusing world.
When he calls on Erik, an analyst with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), their connection is immediate. Mutual respect and admiration. They have a job to do. People are dying. A potential pandemic on the rise.
Erik sees numbers and patterns. Felix sees people and human connection. Two brilliant minds that compliment each other. I love how their feelings toward each other grow slowly. A bond from strangers, to colleagues, to friends, and finally, to lovers. I love how they lean on each other during these dark times. Never giving up even when things seem impossible. And impossible they are.
When there is little hope left, you can count on these two to keep going. And it’s from this that their love gets to blossom. Little by little. Drawing strength from each other. Bouncing ideas. Searching for a thread of hope in a race against time.
September 10, 2025
🧬📖 ARC Review: Outbreak Protocol by C.G. Macington 📖🧬
⭐ 7/10 overall
🔥 1/5 spice
Wow… that was all I could say as I turned the last page. This medical pandemic read with a touch of romance was truly emotional.
As a biomedical engineer with a past in research, this story not only piqued my interest but spoke to me on so many levels. I can only pray I never experience what Felix and Erik endured—the spread of a devastating virus while under the crushing pressure to cure it. But seeing their relationship bloom in the middle of all that chaos? Beautiful. 💙
I do wish the romance side had a bit more focus, but overall this was such a great short read for anyone who loves medical thrillers with a dash of romance.
🎶 Dedicated song: Sweet Memories by Zeds Dead
📌 Favorite quote:
"Tell them we mattered.”
⭐ 7/10 overall
🔥 1/5 spice
Wow… that was all I could say as I turned the last page. This medical pandemic read with a touch of romance was truly emotional.
As a biomedical engineer with a past in research, this story not only piqued my interest but spoke to me on so many levels. I can only pray I never experience what Felix and Erik endured—the spread of a devastating virus while under the crushing pressure to cure it. But seeing their relationship bloom in the middle of all that chaos? Beautiful. 💙
I do wish the romance side had a bit more focus, but overall this was such a great short read for anyone who loves medical thrillers with a dash of romance.
🎶 Dedicated song: Sweet Memories by Zeds Dead
📌 Favorite quote:
"Tell them we mattered.”
September 16, 2025
This was about a health scare & how it was covered up as just a flu till one doctor, Dr Felix, took it upon himself to seek help from a Dr. Erik in the CDC. The higher ups avoided his concerns, because of the destruction of finance it would cause & not be concerned about the lives it took. Romance, heavy angst, devastation but leads to a HEA.I liked & hated this. It is a well written book about conspiracies that can go on in a political world. Although the book is written in a country "across the pond" this book also hits home for us in the states. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 16, 2025
This was an intense read that showed how fragile life can be and how love is sometimes everything but not always enough. Erik and Felix were facing the toughest of times but found a love everlasting. Their time together was a bit of a whirlwind but when you are literally trying to save the world, time is limited.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 20, 2025
As you may already realize, this isn't really a romance in the typical sense. It's a heavy medical drama with a relationship stewing amidst all that drama. Their attraction and relationship begin pretty early...which I'm really not a fan of. There is, of course, good reasoning behind it, and while it does begin quickly, it does take a while for it to grow.
My main complaint: There's a lot of odd repetition going on with phrases, adjectives, and names.
*ARC read, my opinions are my own!
My main complaint: There's a lot of odd repetition going on with phrases, adjectives, and names.
*ARC read, my opinions are my own!
September 8, 2025
This was an emotional, eye opening story. To see it from the perspective of the doctor's and military behind a pandemic that becomes so much more.
Such a good read, I flew through it.
I received an ARC from Book Sirens for my honest review.
Such a good read, I flew through it.
I received an ARC from Book Sirens for my honest review.
Read
September 15, 2025It were a story that hit me hard.
It remind me of COVIC.
Also gave a view of the other side of the "medical problem"
It remind me of COVIC.
Also gave a view of the other side of the "medical problem"
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews