Fighting to Survive (As the World Dies #2) by Rhiannon Frater

Spoilers ahead if you haven't read the first book The First Days!

Picking up where The First Days ends, Fighting to Survive features the further zombie-killing, civilization-saving adventures of a pair of sexy, kick butt heroines and the men who love them. A hundred or so survivors of the zombie plague have found tenuous safety in the walled off center of a small Texas town. Now the hard work of survival begins—finding enough food; creating safe, weather-resistant shelter; establishing laws; and fighting off both the undead who want to eat them and the living bandits who want to rob and kill them.

From Goodreads

Katie & Jenni have made it to safety after a terrifying fight to survive the new zombie-infested world. They've rescued those that they could and are mourning those they have lost along the way. But there is no rest in this uncertain and ever-changing world.

We find our heroines still safely ensconced in the makeshift fort in Ashley Oaks, Texas. While tensions run high among the residents due to strained resources and the constant threat of attack, the women settle into their new roles. Since they have so much real-time experience hunting and fending off zombies, both women are working on the protection detail.

As more survivors are brought in, the leaders decide that they need to expand upon their little territory. By taking over a few neighboring stores and a largely remodeled hotel, they ensure that their community can continue to rebuild. What they can't control are the zombies and the vigilantes out to destroy anything and everything. With so much at stake, the women must push through their personal issues while trying to move toward a better, if uncertain, future.

Fighting to Survive isn't quite as heart-pounding in the same way as The First Days. It was however just as thrilling to struggle alongside the survivors. What could easily become routine & mundane continues to offer exciting and unique scenarios. The best part about this book was watching as the shock value of the zombies wore off and reality started to settle in. People began to move forward with their lives and started to make peace with all that had taken place.

While The First Days really focused on introducing us to the situation from Jenni & Katie's viewpoint, Frater  has given us an uncommon narrator. The majority of the story is told from the two main women's point of view, but other characters creep in little by little. We see more from Juan and Travis, the men in these women's lives, and are even given a glimpse into the point of view of one of the dogs. It all adds up to a richer story with fleshed out details that allow the reader to completely immerse him/herself in the book's events.

There is romance, thrilling heroics, sacrifice, and a lot of bloodshed in this book. Nothing that you wouldn't expect from a zombie book, but in a way, the calm/collectedness of those doing the dispatching can be a might frightening at times. Still totally worth a read if you into this sort of thing or are looking for a strong character base.