Unwrapping a Review of QUANTUM, a Red Rock Alien Mail Order Brides novel by Erin Kellison

Greetings my darling readers, I know I’ve been remiss in providing you reviews of good reads this past year and I apologize. Life has a hold on me which does not allow me much reading time. I have tried to make up for that in publishing my own good reads for you and I hope you’ve given them a try. In an attempt to make up for my neglect, I have been offering up guest reviews for you enjoy by my dear friend, Connie Fischer. 

However, today I am actually sharing a review of mine of a book I read last year but never got around to reviewing – QUANTUM, a Red Rock Alien Mail Order Brides novel by Erin Kellison. She is one of my favorite authors and I hope to make her one of yours with a scifi romance that I absolutely inhaled.

***copy purchased for my own personal reading but I'm sharing my honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for QUANTUM:

Space Invader steals time for love

Ex-soldier turned space pirate Tey Raider is visiting Earth to steal a fortune and use one of the Red Rock vortexes to escape into the deep black. When he bumps into Sophia West, he has no idea the human woman will throw a wrench into the hyperdrive of his master plan, and spin him, his storm cruiser, and his heart out of control.

Sophia doesn’t believe in aliens until a Sedona-based dating agency mixer puts her in direct contact with out-of-this-world clientele. She’s undercover trying to locate her brother—abducted and tortured by the big-brained bully, Nimbus. She strikes a hard bargain with Tey Raider to help her find and free her brother. Never mind that the haunted ex-soldier makes her want to reach out and make an alien connection.

The mission leads to a close encounter, and when the red dust settles, neither will be the same.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

My Review:

In most scifi adventures featuring the idea of an intergalactic dating service, the women travel to other planets or realms to seek out husbands where there is a shortage of women…not in this one. This one takes place right here at home on Earth. Surprise!

Tey Raider is a space pirate who has visited Earth in order to steal something very valuable and once he has it, he needs to use one of the Red Rock vortexes to escape again. In the process, he bumps into a woman who simply and undeniably does not believe in aliens of any sort…not even one who is all male, incredibly sexy, and set on protecting her no matter what even though she realizes quickly he’s a little off with his somewhat red skin.

Sophia West is searching for her brother. Unaware of the absolute and out of this world danger she is in, she finds herself inside a club hosting a party which is filled with aliens, and I don’t mean the type who came over the border illegally but the kind you might meet in your nightmares, and they are seeking mates. Once inside the club leaving is not particularly an option and she quickly discovers she must depend on Tey to escape unless she wants to end up totally under the control of a truly nasty bad guy. When she discovers an odd item, she hides it away which puts her into an even deeper puddle of trouble. Not willing to leave until she discovers her brother’s whereabouts, she and Tey are on the go and trying to stay one step ahead of the bad guys.

I loved this story. The power was out. We had a Nor’Easter raging around us and I had to stay awake in order to continuously check on my elderly mother to make sure she was staying warm and to keep a check on the gas logs burning on the lower level to provide us heat. It was cold! However, it turned out trying to stay awake while reading QUANTUM was no problem at all. This was a great story filled with unusual and exciting adventure, albeit sometimes a bit gruesome, and a great cast of secondary characters. Tey is sexy as can be and an Alpha male with a surprisingly big heart. Sophia is a typical earthling woman who although she is stubborn and determined isn’t very kickass but then she doesn’t really need to be with back-up like Tey…although, she held her own.

If you love outrageous characters, an adventurous romance, and something a little out of this world unusual then definitely read QUANTUM, the first book in the Red Rock Alien Mail Order Brides series by Erin Kellison. I highly recommend it. In fact, I’ve got AXION and PARADOX waiting for me on my reader. I bought them as soon as the power came back on.

Happy Reading Everyone!!

QUANTUM, a Red Rock Alien Mail Order Brides novel by Erin Kellison.
(I am sorry. It seems this book is no longer for sale at vendors but perhaps you can contact Erin through Goodreads or her Facebook page to find out how you might get a copy.)

In the meantime, if you're looking for adventurous good reading, the first four books of my Seekers of the Past series is now available for FREE reading at Kindle Unlimited as well as a fun standalone, rom-com inspired contemporary romance, When It Doesn't Stay In Vegas. Happy Reading!

   

Unwrapping a Review of AWAKENED BY FIRE, a Dragons of Bloodfire novel by Erin Kellison

Dragon lovers, if you haven’t checked out the series, Dragons of Bloodfire by Erin Kellison then do, and do it now. This series is exploding with action and sexy dragon shifters. The first book was excellent but the second book, AWAKENED BY FIRE was exquisite.

***Copy purchased for my own personal reading but sharing an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for AWAKENED BY FIRE:

Billionaire dragon shifter and Bloodkin Triad member Warrick Voclain is no stranger to power. But when his trusted steward’s beautiful granddaughter—all grown up and successful in her own right—seems to be using illegal magic in his presence, he is thrown for a loop. And the fact that she’s doing so to protect him? Alarming.

Samantha Vine needs to stay under the radar, or her secret gift will get her and her granddad killed. She didn’t intend for her quick visit home to stretch into weeks in Warrick’s company, but anyone striking at Warrick would also hurt her granddad. Only she has the ability to see what’s coming…though she’ll need Warrick’s help to stop it.

The use of such magic is punishable by death, and Warrick’s position on the Triad requires that he adhere to the rule of law. But the attraction between them is electric, stirring his blood and straining his control.

Adversaries wait in every shadow, and the easiest way to strike down a powerful dragon is to go for the heart…in Warrick’s case, Samantha. With fire and blood, he’ll reshape the world into one that’s safe for her. And those that don’t bend to his will? They will burn. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Samantha Vine has a secret. A secret that if found out could get her killed. She is a Tempus and can time travel. This isn’t something that just anyone can do, not even dragons even though time is always on their sides. Being a Tempus is dangerous to dragons and so if her ability is discovered, her grandfather’s dragon and Bloodkin Triad member, Warrick Voclain must by law kill her, and her grandfather for hiding her ability.

Warrick Voclain has the greatest trust in his Vine family of humans. They are his family and his greatest assets. He would destroy anyone who even tried to harm one of them so when he discovers betrayal among them, he is torn as to what to do. When he discovers who has also been hiding the secret of a Tempus, he must figure out a solution and before others discover it and those against him try once more to destroy him.

Samantha becomes his protector and much more, as the unrequited feelings she has had for Warrick since her teen years become problematic. Dragons don’t fall in love with humans…or do they?

AWAKENED BY FIRE, book two in the Dragons of Bloodfire series by Erin Kellison hits a home run when it comes to depth of story, action, intrigue, and romance. I love the idea of time travel and Erin uses it fabulously in this story about the bloodthirsty world of the Bloodkin Triad of which Warrick is a member and Samantha is trying to distance herself so that none will discover that dragon blood created a Tempus in her. Being a Tempus, means she can move through time, which could potentially make her a dangerous threat to dragons. However, she becomes Warrick’s greatest asset and the woman he’s willing to risk everything for to protect, save, and call his own.

I’m totally in love with this series and can’t wait to see what happens next. Each one so far is a standalone read with no cliffhangers but I highly advise reading TEMPTED BY FIRE first, because it gives us a great look at the world of the Bloodkin dragons.

I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys the fantasy of dragons and dragon worlds to read AWAKENED BY FIRE by Erin Kellison. It’s extraordinary, character-driven, action-packed, exciting, intriguing, and I guarantee it will have you cheering for Samantha and Warrick. You might even get a bit of a kick out of Warrick’s mother who is a tad overbearing but has a good heart. Dragons are the ultimate in fantasy and Erin rocks their world like an expert. You'll almost believe they are real.

Happy Reading Everyone!

AWAKENED BY FIRE, a Dragons of Bloodfire novel by Erin Kellison, Fire Flower Publishing, available now in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

Unwrapping a Review of TEMPTED BY FIRE, a Dragons of Bloodfire novel by Erin Kellison

Already a fan of Erin Kellison’s unique imagination and character building talents, dragons just sucked me in. I’m so glad I didn’t resist buying and reading, TEMPTED BY FIRE, book one in the Dragons of Bloodfire series.

***purchased for my own personal reading but sharing my honest and unscripted review

Blurb for TEMPTED BY FIRE:

Dragon shifter Thane Ealdian has waited six hundred years to avenge the loss of his family, and finally a clue has surfaced that implicates an old adversary. Thane will stop at nothing to seek his revenge, but to prevent violence between the clans, the Bloodkin Triad has forced a mediator on him. Some upstart named Emerson Clark...

Emerson is fed up with all Bloodkin and how they've managed to control every aspect of her life. While she doesn’t believe that Bloodkin can shift into dragons—because, really?—she has to admit, they are exceptionally nice to look at. But once the mediation is over, she wants nothing to do with them ever again.

When Thane discovers that the clever and beautiful Emerson is the key to uncovering the truth, he has no intention of letting her go. Although she wants to run, she can’t turn her back on Thane or her intense feelings for him. His quest pulls at her heart, just as his nearness sparks something dangerous inside her. With evil in hot pursuit, sooner or later everything will ignite—the mediation, the shifter within her... and their passions.

*TEMPTED BY FIRE was previously published in the anthology, DARK AND DAMAGED.

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Emerson does not believe that she has dragon blood and since becoming involved with the Bloodkin – a dragon society – she is definitely convinced she doesn’t and wants nothing more to do with them. She doesn’t even believe there are dragons much less her being one. When she is asked to mediate a dispute over the remains of a woman and baby, she begrudgingly goes but fully intends to quit and disappear as soon as it’s over. Things don’t go quite as planned, especially after she meets the reclusive and rather grumpy, Thane Ealdian. Even more shocking for Emerson is to discover that dragons do exist and then things get very interesting…very.

Thane is ready to accept his dragon and travel to Havyn, the isle where old dragons go to fly free, flame, and fall to ash but when the remains of his wife and son are recovered he must first discover who killed them. To complicate matters, he is unusually drawn to the beautiful young woman who has been sent by the Bloodkin Triad to act as mediator. His dragon seems to desire her dragon and so perhaps, it’s not quite time to let his dragon fly free.

Wow, and double wow! I loved everything about this book…the characters, the story line, the action – even when a bit gory – the premise of dragons living among us with their hoards and magic life-extending blood. Thane is grumpy, introverted, and possessive but actually a complete romantic. Emerson is everything strong and modern in a woman but her dragon knows what she wants, and I’m with her. Erin has conjured a modern world, which we all recognize but has layered within it, a mysterious and magical paranormal realm that fits like a glove. I can’t wait to read the next one, AWAKENED BY FIRE, which I’ve already bought. I want so much to read it next but it’s going to have to wait just a bit longer.

In the meantime, I highly recommend TEMPTED BY FIRE, the first book in this extraordinary Dragons of Bloodfire series by Erin Kellison – even if you’re not a fan of paranormal, it’s everything exciting – castles and fast cars, and intrigue driven by amazing characters and buried secrets.

Happy Reading Everyone!

TEMPTED BY FIRE, a Dragons of Bloodfire novel by Eric Kellison, Fire Flower Publishing, available now in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

Unwrapping: SOUL KISSED, a Shadow Kissed Novel by Erin Kellison

I was so excited about reading SOUL KISSED, book two in the Shadow Kissed series by Erin Kellison that I actually entered a contest to win an ARC copy of the book before it was released. Now, I very seldom enter contests anymore since I’ve got more than enough reading to keep me busy and not enough hours in the day to do it, but now and then I do – if it’s a book I just have to read. SOUL KISSED by Erin Kellison was one of those books. Well, I guess she wanted me to read it too because as soon as I entered, she contacted me and asked if she could send me a copy. Wow, did that make my day! If you love urban fantasy with a paranormal romance twist, you’re going to want to read this one!

***Print ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for SOUL KISSED:

While the world slumbers in Shadow, a fatal plague has swept through magekind. No one is immune to its ravages, and now that her father is dead, Cari Dolan must wield the fearful magic of her House to save innocent lives.

At the mage Council's bidding, dangerous outsider Mason Stray joins forces with Cari to hunt down the fiend responsible. But can he trust the daughter of wealth and privilege, especially when his own son is at risk?

The princess will always welcome to her bed the warrior, even if one must pay the ultimate price...

*                *                  *                   *                   *

Mason Stray is a man of independence, a man with skills that only some have witnessed and known how to utilize. Most of all, Mason is a father. His son Fletcher is his life, his world, and when a plague among the Mage threatens him, he does what any good father would do – gives him up to protect him.

Cari Dolan has survived the plague when many others haven’t, including her father. Now the head of Dolan House, she has the weight of the world on her shoulders and is determined to find the fiend responsible for bringing this race-ending plague to magekind. Soon she discovers that her Shadow has grown stronger and nearly out of control, a voice in her head becomes clear. The voice belongs to Maeve, a fae queen who isn’t there for good.

Cari and Mason work together to find the villain that threatens not only their lives, but their world. With the plague, Shadow is in the open and the humans are not happy about it. Danger lurks in every turn of their investigation and the question of who to trust becomes first, and foremost, in their minds. Second, perhaps, to their growing attraction that by mage rules can't happen.

SOUL KISSED by Erin Kellison is action upon action from the first page straight on through to the end. If you read the first book in the series, FIRE KISSED, you will already know some of the characters and their stories. Whereas with some series, you must read from the beginning, and in order, and although I do recommend reading the first before the second, it’s not imperative that you do because they work well as stand-alones.

SOUL KISSED is powerful, action-packed, and Erin has created a world that intermingles with human lives in such a way as to believe it could very possibly exist just the way she’s written it. The character relationships, such as that between Mason and Fletcher, are believable, sensitive, and loving when they need to be and powerful, aggressive, and protective when needed to survive. The characters are three dimensional, easily related to even with their extraordinary abilities, and long lasting. I have no doubt that we’ll see more of Mason, Cari, and Fletcher in the books to come.

I highly recommend SOUL KISSED by Erin Kellison if you’re a lover of dark and dangerous, magic seeping from every corner of the page, good versus evil plot lines, and urban fantasy with enough paranormal romance heat that you’ll be begging for more as soon as you close this book.

Happy Reading Everyone!

SOUL KISSED, a Shadow Kissed novel by Erin Kellison, Zebra Books by Kensington Publishing Corp., release date – September 3, 2013, available in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

***click on the links or cover below for purchasing information.

   

Unwrapping: Review of HOTTER ON THE EDGE 2, an anthology by Erin Kellison, KC Klein, & Jessa Slade

I love science fiction! Blend it with romance and I’m in Seventh Heaven – well, that’s what you get when you dip into the anthology, HOTTER ON THE EDGE 2 with three fabulous stories by Erin Kellison, KC Klein, and Jessa Slade. This is a continuation of the stories introduced to us in their first anthology, HOTTER ON THE EDGE, which I reviewed over three days in February 2012. If you’re interested in reading my reviews, simple click on the author’s name above to go to the review of her story. Since I have limited time on the blog lately, I’m going to review all three today. I loved them all and don’t want to skimp on my thoughts so it might be longer than usual. By the way, the lovely Jessa Slade created this awesome cover.

***eCopy provided by authors in exchange for honest and unscripted reviews.

GOLD LIKE THE SUN by Erin Kellison

Blurb for GOLD LIKE THE SUN:

It’s the wedding of the millennium! Princess Pilar Sol and Hakan Frust are celebrating their union with sector fetes full of celebrity and pomp. Theirs is an arranged marriage to preserve the vital commerce of the Nyer Transit Hub, and yet Pilar is madly, unreservedly, passionately in love. She has all the excitement she has long dreamed of—and a little more than she bargained for when she discovers that Hakan’s grasping family wants her dead.

Hakan has done everything in his power to save his inheritance—the bustling but impoverished Hub—including marrying a wealthy princess for her dowry. His heart isn’t supposed to be part of the deal, but Pilar has all the beauty and joy his life lacks. When Hakan runs afoul of his uncle’s associates—criminal in nature, violent in approach—he refuses to risk Pilar, not for money, not even for his life.

But Pilar is not so easily cast aside, and negotiations turn into a gamble with the future of the sector in the balance. Hakan is about to learn about the high stakes his bride will hazard, as he now has far more to lose—and win—than he ever believed possible: a future brighter than gold.

                                              *                       *                      *

Pilar married Hakan because she loves him and believes he loves her not just because it’s a political union that will benefit both sides, yet Hakan has put her on a ship heading home to Sol in the midst of their wedding celebration. Not willing to just leave without giving Hakan a piece of her mind after his family tried to kill her, she and her trusted companion and protector, Reina, return to the Nyer Transit Hub and discover that Hakan has become the victim of his power hungry uncle, Victor. Now on the run, looking for aid from even Hakan’s less than trustful cousin, Barton, they are determined to learn exactly who is pulling the strings on Victor and why.

GOLD LIKE THE SUN by Erin Kellison is an action-packed adventure through the back streets of Nyer as Pilar and Hakan try to figure out how to save themselves, two worlds, and figure out whom they can truly trust. Their love for each other, their families, and their home worlds drive this story of forgiveness, discovery, and a future greater and safer than either expected for the innocent.

I highly recommend this exceptional scifi romance, filled with danger, and a bit of unexpected violence. It is a wonderful sequel to Erin’s story, ALL THAT GLITTERS, her original story in the first anthology, HOTTER ON THE EDGE.  It’s not an absolute necessity to read the first story, but I greatly suggest you do.

TO KEEP A WIFE by KC Klein

Blurb for TO KEEP A WIFE:

In the shards of civilization ruined by a global war, Lake has gotten the life she never dared dreamed of—a safe haven, and the love of a good man, her husband, Hudson Black Creek. But Lake’s hard-won happiness doesn’t last long when powerful Elders lay siege on Black Creek Manor in retaliation for a past defiance. As Lake watches everything she loves go up in flames, she sacrifices herself for the chance to keep Hudson and her brother alive. Syon, a diabolic Elder with his own agenda, will push Lake to her breaking point, forcing her to compromise—heart and soul— in order to survive.
Hudson wakes from a head wound to find that his whole world is reduced to ashes. With no memory of why he’s sacrificed everything for a woman whose name is tattooed on his chest, Hudson is determined to make his heart match the emptiness of his mind, and wipe out everything except the hatred for those who are to blame—the Elders and the wife he sought to protect.

As evil and fear spread across a war-torn land, Lake and Hudson are tested like never before, and both will have to forgive betrayals and risk greater heartbreak if they want a chance at saving their lives… and their love.

                                             *                         *                        *

We met Lake and Hudson in KC’s story in the first anthology, HOTTER ON THE EDGE, in TO BUY A WIFE. A man who has a wife is revered with respect, envy, and believed to have great prestige in this war-torn society. We catch up with Lake, Hudson, and Lake’s little brother, Vonn, in the midst of an attack on the farm. Lake realizes that the Elders want her and will stop at nothing, and will spare no one, to get her in their clutches. She convinces a wounded Hudson to protect her brother, let the Elders take her, and come for her later. Things don’t work out exactly how Lake had hoped. Now a prisoner of the maniacal Syon, too much time has passed for her to believe that Hudson is ever coming for her. It’s just her again, alone to fend for herself, and her unborn child.

This story covers so much in so short a time that you will almost feel like you’re watching a film in your head. Whereas I bullied KC about Lake being on her own too much in TO BUY A WIFE, in TO KEEP A WIFE, KC Klein weaves a wonderful story about the fear of loss, fear of abandonment, and the wonder of how love can pull back loving memories from the darkness and bring a family back together. TO KEEP A WIFE by KC Klein is a the perfect finish to a story that began with a match not exactly made in heaven but ends with a happy ending that will lead us on even more adventures. I hope.

I highly recommend the short story, TO KEEP A WIFE by KC Klein but only if you’ve read TO BUY A WIFE, without that lead-in, the fast paced action of this one might confuse and sully the wonderful intricacy of this tale. Please read TO BUY A WIFE in the first anthology, HOTTER ON THE EDGE. (It's only 99¢.)

PRINCE OF PASSION by Jessa Slade

Blurb for PRINCE OF PASSION:

When mercenary raiders targeted the empathic crystals that imbue the legendary l’auraly lovers with extraordinary sensual prowess, Icere, the last male l’auralyo, helped destroy the crystals. Rather than let the source of uninhibited pleasure be corrupted into a mind-controlling drug, he allowed his passionate destiny to remain forever unfulfilled. Now, Icere channels his fury into revenge. Tracking the raiders through the interstellar sheerways to a watery world infamous for its aphrodisiac liqueur, he finds a queen—as adrift and alone as he—forced for years into a fate she never desired.

Saya-Rynn inherited duty, command and control from her cruel grandfather and fought to transform her dangerous planet into a paradise for her people—but the price was literally a poison that runs through her veins. Though she feels as ancient as the seas, she finds herself awash in the hot male potency of the young Icere. Still, she resists the chance for indulgence she thinks has passed by her. But when the raiders strike again, Rynn must embrace her troubled legacy, and Icere will find his place as a lover and a fighter. Together, the reluctant ruler and the deposed prince of passion find common purpose, combating the mysterious entity seeking to rule the sheerways, and claim a love as bright as the infinite stars.

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Jessa Slade blew me away with the imagery and science elements in this story about a May/December romance that develops between a Queen and an outworlder friend of her son when he comes to her water world fraught with all kinds of natural dangers.

Icere is the last remaining l’aurylo – a being born, sculpted, and infused with the purest of passions through the l’auraly crystal. He has come to Saya-Terce because he suspects the mercenary raiders, who tried to steal the l’auraly crystals from his home planet resulting in their destruction and the end of life as he knew it to be, were now after the Malac liqueur. There is no end to the dangers of what the aphrodisiac liqueur might be used for in altered forms.

Rynn, the Saya of Saya-Terce is suspicious of anyone wishing to get too close to her, or her children, after her own husband betrayed her home world and so her instincts tell her to question this beautiful young man’s reasons for being in the midst of the Malac Festival, and so close to her son. What she doesn’t expect is how sexually charged she would feel in his presence. Nor the need to which they would succumb to, after an accident during the harvest places them together and under the influence of the Malac liqueur.

PRINCE OF PASSION by Jessa Slade is an amazing sequel to ENSLAVED BY STARLIGHT from the first anthology, HOTTER ON THE EDGE. It’s even more illuminated than the first, with amazing imagery, incredible characters  and creature creations, and the danger that makes Icere and Rynn band together to save Saya-Terce. Their romance is powerful, insightful, and naturally believable. Rynn is a beautiful and powerful ruler with unusual abilities that make her more than just a queen but rather a part of her world. Icere understands her, even if she doesn't understand herself. Two of a kind, both more connected to their home worlds than to others, Icere embraces her, and her talents, in the same way he relates to his own home world and the crystal that is so much a part of him.

I highly recommend reading PRINCE OF PASSION by Jessa Slade, working well as a stand alone, I still recommend you read this entire anthology. For the greatest reading pleasure, I also suggest you start with HOTTER ON THE EDGE, the first anthology, but if you only read the second – HOTTER ON THE EDGE 2 – be sure to read this beautiful, imaginative, and incredible story by Jessa. 

HOTTER ON THE EDGE and HOTTER ON THE EDGE 2 - awesome reading at low prices. Go for it. If you love exciting romance, these are exceptional. 

Happy Reading Everyone!

HOTTER ON THE EDGE 2, an anthology by Erin Kellison, KC Klein, and Jessa Slade, available in ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobobooks, and Smashwords.

***click on links or covers for purchasing information. Awesome prices!

                                              

Unwrapping: Review of HOTTER ON THE EDGE, an anthology

The other day, I received a request from KC Klein (author of DARK FUTURE) asking me if I had time to read and review an anthology that she, Erin Kellison and Jessa Slade had come together to create. As soon as I read the blurbs on Amazon, I couldn't say yes fast enough. Three stories of sci-fi romance, oh yes! Since I'm still reading them, I decided to give each author the credit due them. I am going to treat each novella as an individual work, which they are of course, and will review each one as I finish reading it.

The first novella in the anthology belongs to Erin Kellison, ALL THAT GLITTERS.

Cheated out of a fortune by the Sol royal family, lowborn Simon Miner will do anything to get his revenge, no matter how ruthless. When Princess Mica Sol, a terraforming expert, is shot out of the sky on the way to her sister’s lavish wedding, she fears the worst—scavengers—and flees into an alien jungle to avoid capture. But the man who pursues and captures her is none other than Simon, her former lover. Passions reignite as violence rocks Sol City, and Simon and Mica must fight for love, family, and their world… or lose everything.

ALL THAT GLITTERS starts out fast and never slows down. In the true tradition of science fiction, Sol is a well imagined, believable place with environmental dangers that put our heroine into a precarious position from the very beginning. If the fear of scavengers (those who live on the outskirts of the dome protected city and who are willing to do anything including kill a Sol Princess to regain control of their planet) aren't enough to worry about as she flees her disabled ship but she also has to worry about the planet itself trying to kill this determined daughter of Sol, Mica.

Simon isn't with the scavengers, he's on a mission of his own - to regain the riches that were stolen from him and the families of the men of whom he feels responsible for being killed while mining the precious red mica. His mission - steal it back during the extravaganza that is Mica's sister, Pilar Sol's wedding event. Unknown to him, the one woman he'll always love is on the ship that he and his men choose to shoot down and steal to use to get into the highly protected domed city. Once he realizes the ship belongs to his beautiful, headstrong Mica, he has a new mission - keep her alive even as his two partners would just as easily execute the daughter of Drummond Sol, the head of the Sol family.

Mica hadn't expected to meet up with Simon, the only man who had a claim on her heart, but there he was and now she had not only a need to know what had happened in his life since she left Sol five years earlier but she had an even greater need to be his once more.  Unsure of what he has planned and not fully trusting him, she decides to free herself by aiding his cause and turning the tables on him. After getting the three would-be thieves into the city, she allows Simon's partners to disappear into the crowds knowing they wouldn't stay out of trouble long enough to worry about and claims Simon as her consort thereby forcing him to remain at her side with the hope of protecting him from her father's wrath. So begins their journey together to right the wrongs done to those in need, protect the Sol family from attacks by the scavengers, all the while reigniting the love that had survived a five year separation.

As someone who enjoys science fiction as easily as any other kind of fiction, I am always thrilled when an author mixes romance with one of my favorite genres. ALL THAT GLITTERS is all that and more. It snatches up and deposits the reader on a new and strange world. The setting, different than anything we normally expect in a romance, abounds with dangers and wildlife that make it most hostile toward Humans. Erin Kellison paints a story using a pallet of colorful images that brings the world of Sol to life and endears us to Mica and Simon immediately. Star-crossed lovers torn apart by a vengeful father but reunited stronger than ever to overcome all obstacles before finally coming together as an even more loyal pair in love.

Even if you're not a science fiction fan or a romance fan, for that matter, I think everyone who ever enjoyed a sexy conflict struck romance with a HEA ending or a Robert Heinlein novel will thoroughly enjoy ALL THAT GLITTERS. My only question to Erin is, what happened to the injury to Mica's shoulder? By the time she is discovered by Simon, it's gone. Just a little nitpick. That aside, ALL THAT GLITTERS by Erin Kellison is a wonderful read and I highly recommend it ... it's a wonderful way to introduce yourself to science fiction romance, if you're not already acquainted. 

Now, on to reading the next two novellas, next up - TO BUY A WIFE by KC Klein.  Even if I were to not like the next two as much as ALL THAT GLITTERS, this anthology would be worth getting just for this novella.

Happy Reading!

HOTTER ON THE EDGE, a science fiction romance anthology featuring novellas by Erin Kellison, KC KLEIN, and JESSA SLADE. Published by Hotter Edge, released on February 2, 2012, ASIN: B00757WOT6. Ebook format. Available at Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords. Limited time: you can get it for $.99.  A great Valentine's Day treat for yourself or someone you know loves science fiction romance!