Review: Colorful Characters & World-Building Alongside a Steamy Romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 9, 2013
Lilly's life hasn't turned out as she planned.  Growing up all she wanted to do was be a police detective like her father when an unscrupulous man in power discovered the secret of her genetics and sold her to the highest bidder as he didn't want such a tainted creature in power.  Being a Seraphelium, and finding herself on a ship heading towards sexual slavery, she used her special abilities to escape and has been on the run ever since.  Convinced her gifts are a curse and that she'll never find anyone to love her for herself, she's now a loner with no friends, family, or allies until the day she meets the one man she can't use her gift on.Dallas is a QAL agent and still recovering from a mission gone wrong that killed the woman he shared with his best friend Thaegan and left him scarred with unique abilities of his own after coming near death.  He's now desperate to prove that he's capable of finding the assassin who almost destroyed his team and the QAL leak who's been selling them out.  He's immediately drawn to Lilly when he sees her in a bar and thinking her a space prostitute he decides to share a fleeting moment with her that changes their lives forever.  Seeing her in the thick of his mission has him questioning her true story and using rather unorthodox sexual means to learn the truth about her.  He's at once sympathetic towards her while admiring her strength in living with her own emotionally scarred past.  With his own special abilities he's able to withstand Lilly's potent hormones which makes their relationship perfect.  Adding in his sexy and sarcastic friend Thaegan makes for an even more smokin' HOT coupling that is super steamy with moments of playfulness.  Lilly presents this duo with the means to catch the assassin but Dallas is desperate to keep her safe which once again leads her to act on her own and brings shocking truths to light that could end their burgeoning relationship before it even starts.Dallas is a wonderful hero, loyal and honorable, and is the first man to show true kindness to Lilly.  His feelings for her are genuine and you sense their closeness from the moment their eyes meet.  Lilly is an entertaining heroine more than capable of taking care of herself in her new job as bounty hunter where her unique abilities help her in catching the bad guys.  Thaegan appears gruff at first but he's a truly loyal friend who would die for those he cares about.  He's suspicious of Lilly early on but after learning the truth of what she's endured he becomes extremely protective.  He still retains his snarky manner which brought much humor to the story.  Together they form a steamy ménage and ultimately make an unbeatable team that brings the bad guys to their knees.  Ms. Pierce has created a vividly depicted world full of colorful aliens and bleak worlds.  The bar where Lilly and Dallas meet felt like the Cantina out of Star Wars and I found myself immediately immersed in this intriguing world.  The mystery surrounding the assassin and QAL leak was kept well hidden and was resolved in an action-packed way full of bloodshed, tears, and sacrifice.  From start to finish I enjoyed this edge of your seat thrill ride that perfectly balanced steamy encounters with breathless action and suspense and wholeheartedly recommend it to not only sci-fi geeks but lovers of true romance as well.