Phenomenal and romantic adventure in deep space with wonderful characters and an intriguing plot that kept me completely entranced from the beginning to the end.

Corporal Jacqs Glebov and Commander Zeke Waters are stationed on the Candiru, a spaceship patrolling the borders while humans are at war with the Ba’kel. As Jacqs and Zeke begin to develop their relationship, they must also deal with their crew, ship politics, and changes in the war climate.

The entire story is told from Jacqs’ point of view, and he has definitely been added to my list of favorite characters. I loved the way he was always so blunt and honest. He told you how it was and never played games. Once he knew what he wanted, he went after it. He took his work seriously, and quickly became frustrated when others didn’t do the same. In his opinion, he wasn’t book smart, but I thought his street smarts were worth significantly more in this world. He also had a heart of gold and was always protecting those weaker than him without giving it a second thought. Listening to everything from his viewpoint was addictive.

I also adored Zeke! He was the perfect complement to Jacqs. He was patient enough to truly get to know how amazing Jacqs was, and he always made sure he understood whatever point Jacqs was making. To top it off, the sex scenes were incredible. They would have full-blown knockdown fights leading to hot and heavy sex, and it was amazingly steamy because it matched their lives and personalities.

I simply couldn’t get enough of this world the author built. It had the perfect balance of science fiction and reality without an excessive amount of new terminology. Although there were quite a few people on the ship, I actually felt like I knew most of them which is pretty amazing for me. The ending of this story was brilliant and realistic.

Extraordinary storytelling and incredible character development made this science-fiction adventure a definite keeper!

Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

BLURB

Corporal Jacqs Glebov is a simple soldier who wants a bunk, decent food, and the company of other battle-hardened men and women who understand the realities of fighting. Instead he’s stuck patrolling a remote corner of the border with cadets straight out of boot camp. They don’t understand him, and he sure doesn’t have an ounce of respect for them.

After a field promotion, Earth sends Commander Zeke Waters to the Candiru for some practical experience in a leadership role. Instead, Zeke falls in lust with the adamantly heterosexual Jacqs. The way Jacqs fights and the way he sees the world draws Zeke closer, even if common sense tells him to walk away.

Even if they can find a way to find to reconcile their sexual differences, they are both still soldiers. The war will eventually take them away from each other unless they can find a way to escape the rules that have defined their lives.