Final Order (Fight Like Final Girls)

This was a fun short story that read like a old school slasher book about a waitress at a burger joint on a Saturday night where everything goes horribly wrong. The beginning pulls you right into the story and keeps you hanging on. It was a fun and quick read that was intriguing and entertaining. The plot was great and I didn’t predict the culprit at all! Thanks to Sara Lea for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. 4 stars

I like Sara's style of writing. I really like linear timelines because it's hard for me to stay focuses on a book anyway, so linear is easier. I will definitely be reading more of Sara's books! I love that I found this collection and was chosen to be an ARC reader. Honestly, I could picture myself in this book, working one of my first jobs at a fast food place in the country.

Final Order
~Sara Lea
"Sometimes we just put on the mask and do what we have to do." – but you’ll have to read to the end to know why.

Scarlet and Kayla are best friends pulling another late shift at The Burger Box - the last greasy spoon off Hwy 47 before a long, empty forty-mile stretch. Most nights, it’s the usual mix of regulars and passing truckers. But this Saturday feels different.

The highway is eerily quiet, the air heavy with unease, and even the regulars can’t shake the tension. When a lone trucker warns the girls, the road has been shut down, things only get stranger. Shadows flicker outside, nerves fray, and then Danny - the owner/manager - makes a gruesome discovery in the bathroom. A dead trucker.

From there, the night spirals into chaos. Someone - or something - is picking off the customers one by one. The question is why. Can Scarlet, Kayla, and the crew survive the blood-soaked night, or will The Burger Box be remembered for its Final Order?

Lea crafts a quirky, fast-paced horror short packed with oddball characters who blend so well. Their quirks and banter add levity to the escalating dread, making the action and twists even more a surprise when they happen. From page one to the shocking end, this story doesn’t let up.

This is the second novella in the Fight Like Final Girls series that I’ve been lucky enough to read (and I still have one left!). Trust me so far, this is a series horror fans will want to sink their teeth into.

I would like to thank Sara Lea for the opportunity to Alpha/Beta/ARC read Final Order. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the publisher or author for a fair and honest review.

“Final Order: A Fight Like Final Girls Short Story” by Sara Lea is a brutal, breathless ride. Scarlet’s fight to survive her shift at the Burger Box is gory, intense, and impossible to put down. I caught myself holding my breath more than once—absolutely loved it!

Secrets simmer beneath small-town charm as danger creeps closer with every twist. Fast-paced, chilling, and full of gut-punch reveals—Sara Lea delivers another knockout read!

Short, but punchy. Straight into the action and very enjoyable!