I'm Starr Elizabeth Connor. Earth's government falsely convicted me of a crime, packed me on a ship with other female felons, and sent us to Dakon, a primitive, frozen wasteland of a planet. Why? Earth needs minerals, and Dakon is desperate for females.
But I'm no barbarian’s 'mail order bride,' even if he is super tall, muscular, and the chief of his tribe. He doesn’t want a BBW blonde, either--it's written all over his chiseled face. He'll be truly angry if he ever learns what my 'crime' was.
I am Torg. I have waited 34 rotations for a mate of my own. With this shipment, I was sure to get a fine, sturdy mate who'll bear me many daughters. Instead, I receive a small, curvy, pale-haired female who looks at me with anger and fear.
It is only when we 'kiss' that I believe things may work out between us. But I'm hearing rumors that Starr and her shipmates are law-breakers. To survive, Dakonians must obey all laws … or be exiled into the frozen wasteland. Just when I have found her, will I have to send my mate to die?
********************
Those looking for a quick read full of erotically-charged encounters, with just a bit of suspense, will find this a good choice to while away an afternoon. In a culture still trying to recover from a decimating biological disaster there's one thing they're still lacking to save themselves...women. That need sets up a familiar yet entertaining premise set in the sci-fi world where the indigenous men hold raffles to be paired with Earth women fleeing their criminal pasts. Hidden truths, jealousy, and danger from afar soon put the main couple through the wringer in a tale that picks up the pace with each turn of the page to race to a satisfying conclusion.
Torg's the leader of his tribe and seen many years of his people struggling to survive in their planet's harsh arctic weather. An offer from Earth seems like the answer to their prayers, but it soon leads to unexpected results that will change him and his people forever. With women so scarce Torg's constantly having to deal with fights over the few they have which makes it all the more vital to acquire more. He's excited to be chosen to claim his own woman, but she's not what he expected. She soon becomes more than he ever wanted though in an insta-love attraction full of scorching encounters and heartwarming moments that have him putting his heart and body in jeopardy to save her. Torg's strong and sexy with a deep sense of right and wrong. He's extremely protective with alpha tendencies, but he also has a child-like awe when it comes to kissing and romance that's endearing. He's a big teddy bear in some ways but controlled and commanding when it comes to protecting others and this dichotomy was very appealing. Torg's the quintessential hero in many ways, putting his life on the line for the woman he's quickly come to love, but flawed too when making a snap judgment that he wasted no time in correcting. His looks are human with only a few small differences that enhanced their erotic encounters and made him even more drool-worthy as a man more than capable of keeping his woman safe and happy.
Starr Connor's made some mistakes in her life but she didn't deserve being found guilty of killing a traitorous and dangerous businessman, especially as she was working for the government to bring him down. With her punishment being the choice of jail or being sent to Dakon, readers will agree that the unknown is far better than the dangers of jail. Dakon's not at all what she expected though, frigid and blustery, with a primitive way of life. She's a fish out of water and she's lucky to have Torg's help in surviving this primitive world as those unprepared perish. Torg's not what she expected either as his looks are chiseled and harsh and his demeanor at first is full of doubts and uncertainty. In soon becomes clear though that he's a man who would do anything to make her happy and keep her from harm. Their interactions start off shy but she soon takes the lead when it comes to their steamy interludes and from there the author gives readers a smorgasbord of decadent encounters that burned up the pages. Starr's a strong-willed woman but doesn't always make the best choices. She's sometimes impulsive and too trusting which leads her head-long into danger courtesy of those wanting to make her pay for her crime permanently. Though Starr sometimes frustrated me I still enjoyed her exuberance, kind heart, and desire to make her new reality a true home. Her and Torg were an entertaining couple, opposites in many ways, but they had me rooting for them every step of the way despite their differences.
The premise of this book with its mail-order brides is one we've seen before but with its sci-fi twist it was made fresh. The lack of modernity added to the bleakness of this world and made it easy to understand why the men of Dakon are so protective. The harsh environment was vividly depicted and it made it even easier to immerse myself in the story because of it. Jealousies between the new women and the Dakonian ones added some suspense and made it even more difficult to figure out "whodunit" when it comes to the threats towards Starr. I enjoyed the friendship between Torg and his two Dakonian friends as each tried to be more manly than the others and care for their mates better than the others too. They made for a mouthwatering trio and it has me hoping to see more of these ruggedly sexy men in the future. The friendship between Starr and two of the other brides was also entertaining as each used their criminal pasts to improve Dakon and make life for them all a bit safer and more comfortable. Each of the women were strong-willed with larger-than-life personalities and I would've loved to see more time spent with each of them. The romance between Torg and Starr took center stage early on, from their numerous erotic encounters to sweet moments of learning about each other, to pick up steam in a suspenseful race to figure out who's trying to kill Starr. Ms. Bristol kept that secret very well-hidden with a few red-herrings and a few unexpected reveals along the way in a thrilling conclusion that had me turning the pages furiously. On a whole this was an entertaining read, a bit rough around the edges with the narrative as well as a bit slow early on, but by the time I reached The End I found myself satisfied and hoping to revisit this world again soon!
My rating for this is a B.
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
No comments:
Post a Comment