Review: Engaging Sci-Fi Adventure with Second Chance Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 2, 2014
I love Sci-Fi Romance particularly when its paired with 'race against death' and 'hidden agenda' stuff to really make things interesting. This novella offers so much for all its shorter length. This is the third book in a series, but it can easily be read as a standalone.Two men who haven't seen each other for years are suddenly brought together in the least likely place- a rundown space station at the outer edge of the universe.Thanson Nez is a discretionary- a high paid prostitute who gathers secrets, keeps secrets, and sends them on to his House authorities when need be. He terminates his latest contract and seeks to make communication with his people over the secret he has learned- a deadly secret that someone will kill to keep him from revealing.In a shocking turn of fate, the communications officer is Kazra Ferdow, the man Thans left behind on their backwater home world. Kazra isn't too thrilled about seeing him, but he covers for him when someone suspicious comes looking for him and helps him get through to his people. The communication- and well everything else- is lost when an explosion rocks the space station.Life support will probably not last long enough before the next ship is due. Their only hope is restoring communication so they can send out distress calls to anyone close. Things go from critical to worse when something has caused the majority of the people left alive to turn into crazed and mindless killers. As the two men seek to make their way to the core to restore communication, they must now dodge the infected people. And do they have a shadow too? While they work for survival, it is the added pressure needed for them to air out their differences and maybe share their secrets. But will it be too late to matter?I was into this one from the beginning. The danger is right there and pushing even before I got the worldbuilding sorted out. I loved the pace on this one. It kept the story moving even as the backdrop, characters, and relationships were revealed and developed. The tension element both in the action and passion was just right. The secrets dropped away slowly until what was a mystery became revealed and there were even a couple of surprises thrown in for good measure.I really liked both Thanson and Kazra even though the character development didn't go very deep. I liked how they worked together to survive and help everyone else survive and it was this working together that helped restore what was once lost between them. It's not a particularly steamy book, but it was satisfying the way the build up and pace on that was handled. Their story had the main plot tied up, but there were a few lose strings that maybe are a series thing or maybe not. Would have liked to have spent a little longer with them, but ending was still satisfying.Those who enjoy M/M Sci-Fi Romance full of intense action should give this one a go.My thanks to Riptide Publishing for the opportunity to read the book in exchange for my honest review thoughts.