Review: GRABBED BY VICIOUS (Grabbed #1) by Lolita Lopez
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 7, 2014
Expectations. What you look for in this book will determine how you respond to its SF erotica plot and shortened timeline of events. Hopefully, you are interested in both the plot and the sex, because that is the only way you'll walk away completely satisfied with Lolita Lopez's GRABBED BY VICIOUS.Picture an Earth-like planet. Calyx is a farming colony, a very strict patriarchal society. There, Hallie is daughter, sister, servant, rebel, and victim. To be allowed to escape, she must face her greatest fear, the men from the "sky ships" in the "Grab." If Hallie reaches the center without being claimed by a Sky Warrior, she can leave the planet a free woman; but life is never that fair.Vicious is a rising commander among the Sky Warriors, the military protectors of the loosely-knitted allied colonies. He was raised to be ruthless. He was raised to kill. He put his collar around Hallie's neck, his chains on her ankles and wrists - she is his forever, never to be free.For the next chapters, trust develops. Hallie, as would be expected on her world, is a virgin. Vicious makes quick work of introducing her to the joys of BDSM, voyeurism and other assorted kink. The scenes are less forceful than other erotica - think "baby" or "introductory" BDSM. And, because the author must fit weeks and months into a short story format, the sexual and emotional trust seem to grow at a rapid pace, but these match the timeline provided in the text, especially if the reader considers Hallie's nature (under the submissive act she puts on).On the plot itself, the science fiction aspects were well-developed and executed. I admire the construction of the Grab to connect two very different cultures. Both cultures were described in detail in positive and negative, which dichotomies most books ignore. Quite vivid was the BDSM-as-abuse situation, illustrating that not all relationships are healthy to the participants, and domestic violence can be easy to overlook, no matter the community. Every time a new Sky Warrior was introduced, I had a bet with myself on what his name would be (Hint: They are all savage words, like "Vicious."). Any guesses? The naming convention just made the pages that much more entertaining.The SF flavor sold me from the first chapter, and I anticipate the next installment. The sex fit with the needs of the book, and, understanding Lolita Lopez's work, I was not shocked or upset by the contents of these pages. A little "education" never hurt anyone.