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Deadly Hearts
After a deadly disease devastates her country and robs her of everything she has ever known, Isabel cares only about one thing: keeping her infected mother safe.
When rumors of a cure reach her desperate ears, Isabel will do anything to have it. Even if that means getting into bed with Diego, the charming leader of the Vargas drug cartel. Figuratively speaking, that is. Once her initial plan of stealing the cure from his grasp fails, she sees herself at the mercy of one of the most powerful men left in their country. But instead of killing her, an intrigued Diego proposes a dangerous deal. One she cannot refuse.
She will take him to the quarantined island of Bonita, a place that still haunts her nightmares, or she'll lose her only chance of having the cure.
With no other choice, Isabel embarks on a journey deep into the jungle with Diego—a man she doesn't trust but who holds the key to her salvation. And maybe, if she lets him, her heart
When rumors of a cure reach her desperate ears, Isabel will do anything to have it. Even if that means getting into bed with Diego, the charming leader of the Vargas drug cartel. Figuratively speaking, that is. Once her initial plan of stealing the cure from his grasp fails, she sees herself at the mercy of one of the most powerful men left in their country. But instead of killing her, an intrigued Diego proposes a dangerous deal. One she cannot refuse.
She will take him to the quarantined island of Bonita, a place that still haunts her nightmares, or she'll lose her only chance of having the cure.
With no other choice, Isabel embarks on a journey deep into the jungle with Diego—a man she doesn't trust but who holds the key to her salvation. And maybe, if she lets him, her heart
205 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 17, 2017
18 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 13, 2017
2.5 stars rounded up
Read for URR Halloween Challenge post-apocalyptic romance category.
Honestly, this book just wasn't my thing. I wanted it to be my thing. It sounded like it would be my thing. But not so much. It wasn't bad. Just not my cuppa.
So Isabel's mother is infected with whatever it is that has taken over the world making normal folks into cannibalistic crazies. Zombies. Whatever you want to call them. Except they'll take any part of you, not just brains.BRAAAINNNSSS BODDDYYPAAARRRTTSSS.
So in order to keep her mother from eating her or having to murder her to stop her from eating her, she keeps her mother drugged in a little hut type thing that they live in. The only problem is, she has to acquire the sedatives somehow. So she steals from the Vargas drug cartel, but only a little, or people would notice the drugs are missing. So on one of her drug runs she overhears that there is a cure and that the leader of the drug cartel, Diego, has it. So naturally, she needs to get it from him. Let's just say she doesn't do a good job, of course, and he catches her. BUT, instead of killing her, he makes her a deal. He needs to get someone from somewhere horrible, she knows how to get there and survive, and he'll give her the cure. So off they go on a wild and wonky adventure through the jungles while trying to avoid Diego's enemies and crazy flesh-eating zombies. Somewhere in there, there is supposed to be some romance goin' on.
I wasn't really expecting much when I started this book. I kind of convinced myself that of course it wouldn't be that romantic, they are surrounded by crazy infected cannibals that can only be killed by violent head stabbing. Doesn't exactly set the mood. But seriously, there was nothing romantic about this book. Diego was unrealistically charming and goofy, so much so that I couldn't take him seriously. He's supposed to be this big macho deadly cartel leader and all he does is wink and flirt. Isobel is more serious about all of it than he is. Isobel spends 85% of the time wondering if she can trust anything he says or does and she's absolutely right to do so. Pretty sure he didn't get where he was by being a boy scout. Spending all of your time wondering if someone is going to go back on their word or murder you doesn't really provide a lot of time for falling for someone. Maybe that's just me. Yet fall she did. And pretty quickly. I just didn't buy it. I feel like making Diego this misunderstood secret teddy bear was a bit lazy. And we never get Diego's POV. That made it even harder to buy. All we have are Isobel's doubts and guilt issues concerning what she's had to do to survive.
And besides all that, there was no sex! Now before I sound like a perv who can't understand that you don't need sex in a book for it to be romantic I want to clear something up. If I can read about the bad guy of the book getting a blowjob from a woman he forced to be his sex slave, I think it is totally fair to have some shmexy very consensual something between the H/h. Other than the included kissing, that is. It isn't even fade to black. They just literally never have sex. This bothered me because make me forget how terrible the world is sex would be pretty easy to write in. Give me SOMETHING here. There was pretty good chemistry between Diego and Isobel, it just never went anywhere. That made me sad. Even the HEA was underwhelming. The entire book was split into two categories- 1)light and fluffy flirting 1)Body hacking and murder attempts. There really wasn't anything in the middle and that was the main problem for me. I guess you'd call it a fluffy romance horror?
Flirtteaseflirtwinkkiss....OMGAZOMBIESTABTHEBRAIN!
The writing was decent. The idea was good. The execution left a little to be desired. It was interesting enough to keep my attention but not so great that I'd ever re-read it. Do I actually recommend it? Ehhhhhhh....not really.
Read for URR Halloween Challenge post-apocalyptic romance category.
Honestly, this book just wasn't my thing. I wanted it to be my thing. It sounded like it would be my thing. But not so much. It wasn't bad. Just not my cuppa.
So Isabel's mother is infected with whatever it is that has taken over the world making normal folks into cannibalistic crazies. Zombies. Whatever you want to call them. Except they'll take any part of you, not just brains.
So in order to keep her mother from eating her or having to murder her to stop her from eating her, she keeps her mother drugged in a little hut type thing that they live in. The only problem is, she has to acquire the sedatives somehow. So she steals from the Vargas drug cartel, but only a little, or people would notice the drugs are missing. So on one of her drug runs she overhears that there is a cure and that the leader of the drug cartel, Diego, has it. So naturally, she needs to get it from him. Let's just say she doesn't do a good job, of course, and he catches her. BUT, instead of killing her, he makes her a deal. He needs to get someone from somewhere horrible, she knows how to get there and survive, and he'll give her the cure. So off they go on a wild and wonky adventure through the jungles while trying to avoid Diego's enemies and crazy flesh-eating zombies. Somewhere in there, there is supposed to be some romance goin' on.
I wasn't really expecting much when I started this book. I kind of convinced myself that of course it wouldn't be that romantic, they are surrounded by crazy infected cannibals that can only be killed by violent head stabbing. Doesn't exactly set the mood. But seriously, there was nothing romantic about this book. Diego was unrealistically charming and goofy, so much so that I couldn't take him seriously. He's supposed to be this big macho deadly cartel leader and all he does is wink and flirt. Isobel is more serious about all of it than he is. Isobel spends 85% of the time wondering if she can trust anything he says or does and she's absolutely right to do so. Pretty sure he didn't get where he was by being a boy scout. Spending all of your time wondering if someone is going to go back on their word or murder you doesn't really provide a lot of time for falling for someone. Maybe that's just me. Yet fall she did. And pretty quickly. I just didn't buy it. I feel like making Diego this misunderstood secret teddy bear was a bit lazy. And we never get Diego's POV. That made it even harder to buy. All we have are Isobel's doubts and guilt issues concerning what she's had to do to survive.
And besides all that, there was no sex! Now before I sound like a perv who can't understand that you don't need sex in a book for it to be romantic I want to clear something up. If I can read about the bad guy of the book getting a blowjob from a woman he forced to be his sex slave, I think it is totally fair to have some shmexy very consensual something between the H/h. Other than the included kissing, that is. It isn't even fade to black. They just literally never have sex. This bothered me because make me forget how terrible the world is sex would be pretty easy to write in. Give me SOMETHING here. There was pretty good chemistry between Diego and Isobel, it just never went anywhere. That made me sad. Even the HEA was underwhelming. The entire book was split into two categories- 1)light and fluffy flirting 1)Body hacking and murder attempts. There really wasn't anything in the middle and that was the main problem for me. I guess you'd call it a fluffy romance horror?
Flirtteaseflirtwinkkiss....OMGAZOMBIESTABTHEBRAIN!
The writing was decent. The idea was good. The execution left a little to be desired. It was interesting enough to keep my attention but not so great that I'd ever re-read it. Do I actually recommend it? Ehhhhhhh....not really.
February 6, 2017
Deadly Hearts by Priscila Santa Rosa is a smashing post-apocalyptic romance novel.
This novel made me realize one thing for sure, that a romantic story set in a post-apocalyptic setting can be as real and as deadly as any other post-apocalyptic survival story.
Incredibly, author Priscila maintained the level of subtlety and elegance throughout the story for which I am really thankful because nowadays that's the one thing that's missing from most of the books in Romance genre. This story had just the right balance of romance, conflicts, drama, action, struggle and the underlying emotion for the desperate need for survival. The number of kills and the disorder made the plot feel extremely real as per the settings throughout the book never making me feel overwhelmed by either of them.
I loved both the main characters, Isabel and Vargas, and their love story was so sweet and real that I found myself cheering for the both of them to fall in love. Their struggles, their emotions, and their desperate motives made both of them exceptionally strong characters. I loved all the secondary characters as well, especially each and everyone's highly credible background stories.
Priscila's writing is one of my favorites when it comes to apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic novels (and talking about the genre, you've got to check out Those Who Remain trilogy by her!) The writing is so fluid that it makes the story shine and makes the reader want to go on reading her books without putting them down before finishing with them. And that is what I loved the most about this book as well.
If you love reading romance and/or post-apocalyptic (or even dystopian) fiction, then this book is definitely for you. Even if you're not into romance you wouldn't want to miss out on this one as it is a really beautiful story.
You can also read this review at The Reading Bud.
This novel made me realize one thing for sure, that a romantic story set in a post-apocalyptic setting can be as real and as deadly as any other post-apocalyptic survival story.
Incredibly, author Priscila maintained the level of subtlety and elegance throughout the story for which I am really thankful because nowadays that's the one thing that's missing from most of the books in Romance genre. This story had just the right balance of romance, conflicts, drama, action, struggle and the underlying emotion for the desperate need for survival. The number of kills and the disorder made the plot feel extremely real as per the settings throughout the book never making me feel overwhelmed by either of them.
I loved both the main characters, Isabel and Vargas, and their love story was so sweet and real that I found myself cheering for the both of them to fall in love. Their struggles, their emotions, and their desperate motives made both of them exceptionally strong characters. I loved all the secondary characters as well, especially each and everyone's highly credible background stories.
Priscila's writing is one of my favorites when it comes to apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic novels (and talking about the genre, you've got to check out Those Who Remain trilogy by her!) The writing is so fluid that it makes the story shine and makes the reader want to go on reading her books without putting them down before finishing with them. And that is what I loved the most about this book as well.
If you love reading romance and/or post-apocalyptic (or even dystopian) fiction, then this book is definitely for you. Even if you're not into romance you wouldn't want to miss out on this one as it is a really beautiful story.
You can also read this review at The Reading Bud.
January 6, 2018
I really liked this book. It was a lot different then most of the apocalyptic type reads that I’ve read in the past. This revolves around a virus and the lengths that Isabel is willing to go to ensure her mother safety. I liked the action and while the romance took a big back seat, I still liked seeing it in the small snippets we see. With all that; I still felt that the author left a lot to be imagined with the story as a whole.
I wanted to believe the romance but because it was in the back seat of the story, it felt hard connecting with it. It was hard to connect with Diego because we didn’t get his POV to know what he was thinking or feeling. There were a hand full of other things, but I don’t want to risk spoilers. Even with all that, I still enjoyed the story. It kept me glued to my device and I would read more from this author. 3 Stars #2OCCJD
I wanted to believe the romance but because it was in the back seat of the story, it felt hard connecting with it. It was hard to connect with Diego because we didn’t get his POV to know what he was thinking or feeling. There were a hand full of other things, but I don’t want to risk spoilers. Even with all that, I still enjoyed the story. It kept me glued to my device and I would read more from this author. 3 Stars #2OCCJD
January 17, 2017
4.5 Stars
In the world filled with sickness, disease and corruption Isabel is attempting to take care of her infected mother. When trusting others is a next to impossible concept being forced into a deal that could save her mother means Isabel must learn whether or not she can trust a man who should be far too dangerous for her to ever even think of trusting.
Diego is the worst kind of criminal. News and propaganda have shown what he was like before disease spread throughout the world. When he catches Isabel midtheft instead of killing her like she expects he instead offers her a deal that could give her everything she ever wanted.
Danger is constant. Threats are everywhere. Trust is priceless. But trusting the wrong person can get you killed and paranoia can be your best friend.
This story takes us into a world where struggling to survive and making a deal can save your life but it may also get you killed. Being smart is the key and Isabel has definitely learned that lesson. Everything may seem straightforward until you delve deeper into a sea of confusion.
Great read I love the twists and turns and knowing that just because someone is the heroine of the story doesn't mean they are a saint.
In the world filled with sickness, disease and corruption Isabel is attempting to take care of her infected mother. When trusting others is a next to impossible concept being forced into a deal that could save her mother means Isabel must learn whether or not she can trust a man who should be far too dangerous for her to ever even think of trusting.
Diego is the worst kind of criminal. News and propaganda have shown what he was like before disease spread throughout the world. When he catches Isabel midtheft instead of killing her like she expects he instead offers her a deal that could give her everything she ever wanted.
Danger is constant. Threats are everywhere. Trust is priceless. But trusting the wrong person can get you killed and paranoia can be your best friend.
This story takes us into a world where struggling to survive and making a deal can save your life but it may also get you killed. Being smart is the key and Isabel has definitely learned that lesson. Everything may seem straightforward until you delve deeper into a sea of confusion.
Great read I love the twists and turns and knowing that just because someone is the heroine of the story doesn't mean they are a saint.
July 13, 2018
i really enjoyed this book
I really enjoyed this book. I loved Isabel, she had so much depth as a character. She was strong and fierce but underneath that she also had compassion and vulnerability. I liked Diego too but I had a few problems with the way he was written. Sometimes he came off as stupid and I couldn't help think "You're supposed to be running a cartel? Really?" At times he's merciless, even with his own family, yet he treats Ana (one of his enforcers and his brothers ex girlfriend) with kid gloves after he finds out she berated him. overall, I really liked this story. It was original and fresh.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved Isabel, she had so much depth as a character. She was strong and fierce but underneath that she also had compassion and vulnerability. I liked Diego too but I had a few problems with the way he was written. Sometimes he came off as stupid and I couldn't help think "You're supposed to be running a cartel? Really?" At times he's merciless, even with his own family, yet he treats Ana (one of his enforcers and his brothers ex girlfriend) with kid gloves after he finds out she berated him. overall, I really liked this story. It was original and fresh.
August 27, 2017
A really good story
This was a surprisingly very good story. I don't usually expect much from apocalypse romances. There were no erotic scenes, but the romance was there. There was also a lot of drama and suspense. Even some thrills. Yes, this was a superb story. The two main characters were pretty flawed and both did some bad things in their pasts. No angels here. I was a little upset by the way it ended, but then we got an Epilogue which fixed the peeve I had in a very satisfying way. Very much worth the read.
This was a surprisingly very good story. I don't usually expect much from apocalypse romances. There were no erotic scenes, but the romance was there. There was also a lot of drama and suspense. Even some thrills. Yes, this was a superb story. The two main characters were pretty flawed and both did some bad things in their pasts. No angels here. I was a little upset by the way it ended, but then we got an Epilogue which fixed the peeve I had in a very satisfying way. Very much worth the read.
November 29, 2019
Fantastic read
I will start by saying. I have never read one of your books. I am an avid reader, and when I day avid, that is putting it mildly. In the last year I have gotten into the zombie apocalypse craze. You wrote a great book. Flowed great, had no misspells. Story read well. I hope all your books are this good. Bravo.
I will start by saying. I have never read one of your books. I am an avid reader, and when I day avid, that is putting it mildly. In the last year I have gotten into the zombie apocalypse craze. You wrote a great book. Flowed great, had no misspells. Story read well. I hope all your books are this good. Bravo.
September 16, 2020
Could this book get any better?
I would give this book 10 stars if I could. I could not put this book down. Every second I was on the edge of my seat and I am so disappointed it is over!!!
I would give this book 10 stars if I could. I could not put this book down. Every second I was on the edge of my seat and I am so disappointed it is over!!!
May 25, 2019
Good zombish apocalypse book. The sex factor is 0. But I enjoyed it.
July 8, 2017
Read this book!
It's awesome! The twists, the characters, you will love and hate them! It's a must read! Seriously don't pass it up!
It's awesome! The twists, the characters, you will love and hate them! It's a must read! Seriously don't pass it up!
September 17, 2018
I really loved it
Apocalypse? Check!
Zombies? Check!
Guns, fighting and bad guys? Check!
Romance in the middle of a zombie apocalypse? Check yes!!!
Apocalypse? Check!
Zombies? Check!
Guns, fighting and bad guys? Check!
Romance in the middle of a zombie apocalypse? Check yes!!!
February 16, 2019
I was bored. I skipped chapters and I could still tell you what happened. Just didn’t grab my attention. Definitely romance light.
February 6, 2017
Deadly Hearts is described as a post-apocalyptic romance but I’d have to say it is more about the main character finding herself, although it is through meeting her love interest to-be, and accepting her actions in a world where survival means never trusting anyone. Isabel is an amazing leading character; she knows what her faults were before the end of the world as she knew it and what she is willing to do in this new reality. She’s a very realistic and tough person who only starts to realize how unemotional she has become when she meets Diego Vargas. I truly enjoyed that she didn’t turn into some damsel needing rescued. She stays strong in the face of everything but as a reader we also see her vulnerability. The story itself is very well put together and is kind of scarily realistic. The author does post-apocalyptic the best I’ve ever read. It’s a combination of her world building, extraordinarily realistic characters, and a grasp of real possibilities of a disease that could decimate life as we all know it and show both the good and bad that comes out of it. My honest review is my own and is not affected by the author sending me a review copy.
***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fan Site: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.NG***
***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fan Site: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.NG***
February 13, 2017
Not what I'd usually go for (books where the romance takes front stage) but I really enjoyed Rosa's other books so I figured it was worth stepping out of my zone a lil. Glad I did, it made this whole evacuation hell more bearable. Love her writing and characters. ❤ Plenty of juicy violence and kickass heroine action.
Also love that we see a familiar face at the end.
Also love that we see a familiar face at the end.
June 20, 2025
Received a free copy via Librarything giveaways.
Deadly Heart is a post apocalyptic story about Isabel who is a strong and independent female lead trying to care and protect her mom who has been infected. After trying to find the cure for her mother she encounter Vargas who offers the cure in exchange for helping him rescue his son.
The romance between the two characters was sweet and their struggle to survive and make right the mistakes from their past realistic.
Well written and an enjoyable read.
Deadly Heart is a post apocalyptic story about Isabel who is a strong and independent female lead trying to care and protect her mom who has been infected. After trying to find the cure for her mother she encounter Vargas who offers the cure in exchange for helping him rescue his son.
The romance between the two characters was sweet and their struggle to survive and make right the mistakes from their past realistic.
Well written and an enjoyable read.
January 30, 2017
Very good!
I'm a sucker for post-apocalyptic romance stories and went in search of a new one when I found this one. It was very well done. I loved all the characters and the story moved along well. I'm hoping there might be more stories about supporting characters in the future?
I'm a sucker for post-apocalyptic romance stories and went in search of a new one when I found this one. It was very well done. I loved all the characters and the story moved along well. I'm hoping there might be more stories about supporting characters in the future?
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews