Reading the author’s note made me expect the novel to be like the movies Outbreak or Sahara, but it thankfully was not so vividly gory. At first a North American outbreak of a deadly virus seemed far-fetched when I read this pre-covid, but then I recalled the numerous scares of the past ten years and now the current pandemic makes such things all too real.

The novel is told in third person with alternating viewpoints of Grace and Donovan, but mostly Grace. However, without Donovan’s perspective, the book’s narration would not have been as interesting because his mind is just as fascinating. Though in real life people are more inclined to complain about their boss than date them, you cannot blame Grace for being the exception as she and Donovan feel like a good match –both have a secret interest in the other, both have similar fears, and both have complimentary career goals.

While nothing about this novel really stood out as special, it is a good story. I will likely keep an eye out for other books in this series, though probably won’t put great effort into hunting them down as a "must read".