Review: Collision Course
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 14, 2011
I really enjoyed Zoe Archer's Blades of the Rose series this past year. Now she has the start of a new series going in a different direction - Sci Fi. I don't read a lot of sci fi but I had a feeling I would like this one because I love Zoe Archer's style - and I guessed correctly.Mara is a scavenger who dips her toes in the black market and because of her somewhat shady career and super knowledge of the Smoke Quadrant , she gets blackmailed into helping the 8th Wing, an elite Black Wraith Squadron recover a ship and pilot who have been kidnapped. The ship has special technology wanted by the PRAXIS group, aka the bad guys. It becomes Mara's mission to go into the Smoke Quadrant and retrieve the kidnapped pilot and lost ship. But the fun begins when she is forced to take on a partner - Commander Kell Frayne of the 8th Black Wraith Squadron.What really stands out in Collision Course is the chemistry between Mara and Kell. Mara is so strong willed and stubborn. She doesn't want to take part in this rescue mission, especially with another person. She likes to work alone. Period. But she can't deny the physical attraction she has to Kell the first time she lays eyes on him. Their banter and flirtation take on a great tone. From the stolen glances, to the pure sexual hunger emanating from Kell. For example, the first night together, Kell sleeps on a mattress in the hallway and Mara is in her room. They are apart yet they still have this incredibly sexy scene - you can feel the tension coming off each of them as they try to not make a move towards a physical relationship. It doesn't last long and the romance is very hot indeed.We not only have romance but some great action scenes as well. The world is described nicely and for all of the sci-fi terms there are, the story flows well and I was able to picture the setting in my mind as I read.A fun ride to watch two such strong characters take a step back and rely on the other to accomplish not only their mission, but a step towards love as well. Collision Course is a sexy novella that I definitely recommend.Rating: B+