Rebel by Arlene Webb

Title: Rebel
Author: Arlene Webb

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Arlene Webb

Available: $1.21 at Amazon.com

Rating: 5 stars

Rater: Pippa

 

 

 

 

Plot Summary:
Can an untamed lover distract from the desire to bring down the human race?

The unforgivable happens, and a mother’s determination that her little ones blossom becomes an obsession. With a plan and the will, all Settia needs is the means. A lowly hero agrees to help. His price? A moment of fun in the dark. When tendrils tighten and he’s smitten, he’s ready to sacrifice his all to prolong their pleasure. Many sentient creatures lose their heads upon falling in love, yet Settia never expects the glorious aftermath to be quite so painful.

Rebel is a 10,500 word paranormal that’s been labeled undefinable. Sweet romance, yet with adult inneudo.

The good:
This is possibly unique in terms of the story. Well, perhaps the romance itself is not so odd, but the characters certainly are! There's some wonderful humour, touching moments of sweetness, and cold-blooded murder! It's well-written and totally intriguing.

The bad:
A knowledge about floral is helpful - non-horticulturists might struggle a little with the terms, although they are usually self-evident.

In sum:
This has to be one of the weirdest things I've ever read, but highly imaginative and entertaining. Love, murder and mayhem down in the mulch, where plantae take on humanity in order to save their buds. The erotic nature of the story is decked in flowery innuendo. Settia's struggles to protect her cuttings, defend herself against the lustful, prickly embrace of a lecherous cactus and the viscious manhandling of the single human oppressor are enthralling, while her romance with the twining Vinesun was both hot and sweet. Wonderfully different.

Greenshift by Heidi Ruby Miller

Title: Greenshift

Author: Heidi Ruby Miller

Genre: Science Fiction Romance

Publisher: Union City Publishing

Available: $2.42 at Amazon.com

Rating: 4.75 stars

Rater: Pippa

Plot Summary:
David Anlow, a fleet captain forced into early retirement and jaded by an ex-lover, now spends his lonely days shuttling around a group of scientists for hire.

Boston Maribu, Mari to her friends, is one of his passengers, a young botanist who is as beautiful as she is naïve and innocent.

When Mari asks David to teach her about more than just piloting the Bard, nights on their ship heat up and their feelings for each other mature into a relationship neither expects. But a suspicious new client shows up with wicked plans for Mari, and the soldier inside David comes alive, ready to fight for the young woman who stole his heart. 

The good:
Again, I loved the world building in this, the attention to detail and the portrayal of the characters. Heidi has a talent for making them so real. The writing is flawless and descriptive, and all the premises and reactions believable and consistent. The bad guys completely gave me the creeps, and I'm glad the torture scenes weren't more detailed - there was enough there for you to use your imagination, should you wish.

The bad:
The only reason I've rated this a touch lower than Ambasadora is because I felt the events in Greenshift hadn't carried over into the relationship in Ambasadora. I know they were written in reverse and that Ambasadora focuses on Sara Mendoza and Sean Cryer, but I felt there maybe should have been a line or two considering Greenshift takes place only a month before Ambasadora. Pure nit-picking - sorry!

In sum:
While I still prefer Ambasadora, this is a great addition to the library of any sfr fan.

The Girls From Alcyone by Cary Caffrey

Title: The Girls From Alcyone

Author: Cary Caffrey

Genre: Science Fiction Romance

Publisher: Tealy Books

Available: $3.30 at Amazon.com

Rating: 4.75 stars

Rater: Pippa

Plot Summary:

Sigrid and Suko are two girls from the impoverished and crime-infested streets of 24th century Earth. Sold into slavery to save their families from financial ruin, the girls are forced to live out their lives in service to the Kimura Corporation, a prestigious mercenary clan with a lineage stretching back long before the formation of the Federated Corporations.

Known only to Kimura, the two girls share startling secret—a rare genetic structure not found in tens of millions of other girls.

But when their secret becomes known, Sigrid and Suko quickly find themselves at the center of a struggle for power. Now, hunted by men who would seek to control them, Sigrid and Suko are forced to fight for their own survival, and for the freedom of the girls from Alcyone.

The good:

Despite the number of years this story is set over at the beginning, it's fast paced but full-bodied. The characters are enthralling, the technology intriguing and detailed without being overbearing and slowing the story down, and the descriptions vivid. It's also a lot of fun, with some wonderful humour amongst the action. The romance in it is sweet and touching, even in the bedroom scenes. You can't help but empathize with the two main characters, and while the story is complete in its own way, there are threads left hanging for a sequel (which I'm now awaiting impatiently!).

The bad:

About the only flaw in this for me was a couple of instances of head-hopping (something that drives me insane despite the fact I've been guilty of it myself) but not enough that it pulled me out of the story - it just niggled a fraction.

In sum:

This is an exciting, action-packed, well-thought out scifi story with a sweet romance at its heart. Hurry up with the sequel!

Ambasadora by Heidi Ruby Miller

Title: Ambasadora

Author: Heidi Ruby Miller

Genre: Science Fiction Romance

Publisher: Union City Publishing

Available: $2.41 at Amazon.com

Rating: 5 stars

Rater: Pippa

Plot Summary:

Sara Mendoza is captured, tortured, and falsely accused of treason by the Embassy, but she is given a chance to win back her freedom. She only needs to charm information from one of the fragger leaders, then kill him. But by the time she figures out the Embassy's intel is flawed and that Sean Cryer is her true mark, she's already in love with him.

Sean knows why Sara is on his ship from the start, but as a lonely, anti-social doser, he doesn't value his life, only his ideology within the fragger organization. Against his better judgment, he becomes her protector, each day caring more about a future he was always afraid to hope for.

The good:

I loved the touches of technology in this, especially the details like the scent bots and the intra-tattoo. The civilization and world-building are complex and well thought out, with some virtual reality thrown into the mix. The characters are intensely interesting, each with their own flaws, and you can't help but empathize them. I wanted so, so badly for the two MCs to get their happily ever after that I was almost skipping pages to find it! The bedroom scenes are hot, but they don't dominate the book - this is most definitely a science fiction romance with a lot of tension to it.

The bad:

Once or twice I felt like I was losing track of a character and their part in the story a little.

In sum:

This is the kind of science fiction romance that I want more of, and that has set me a target to achieve with my own writing. In the absence of a sequel, I'm waiting on the immanent release of GREENSHIFT, set before the events in AMBASADORA.

Nebula's Music by Aubrie Dionne

Title: Nebula's Music

Author: Aubrie Dionne

Genre: Science Fiction Romance

Publisher: Lyrical Press Inc

Available: $2.04 Kindle at Amazon

Rating: 5 stars

Rater: Pippa

Plot summary:

Each note brings her one step closer to the truth.

When the cyborg Nebula plays the piano she experiences memories from a time before her creation. These memories…which involve a captive rebel fighter being held on their ship…bring with them complex human feelings and awaken a desire for her to discover her origins.

Radian is the long lost love of the woman from which Nebula was made. He’s vowed to avenge his finance’s death and rescue her sister from the Gryphonites, a fierce race out to enslave the galaxy.

Nebula grapples with her identity and how much of who she is comes from someone else’s past. She is not the woman that died, yet she is undeniably drawn to Radian.

Together Nebula and Radian seek to rescue his fiancé’s sister and end the Gryphonites’ cruel reign. But can Radian learn to love again and can Nebula accept a past made from someone else’s memories?  

The good: I LOVED this book. It's as beautifully composed as the music mentioned within the story. I was enthralled by the central character Nebula and her blooming emotions, her struggle to deal with memories of her former life as a human. The tension, both romantically and dramatically, are maintained throughout the story, and the technology is touched upon but not so in depth that you feel as if you're plowing your way through a scientific text book. There's some lovely world-building and vivid descriptions.

The bad: This is pure nit-picking. I thought the description of the filthy interior of the Gryphonite space ship was a bit OTT - yes, they are the bad guys but do they have to be dirty too? I would also say this is more a science-fiction adventure with an element of romance rather than a full-blown SFR. Some fans of the genre might find the single closed bedroom door scene doesn't satisfy their expectation of romance, although I was absolutely fine with it myself.

In sum: This is a poignantly sweet and smooth science fiction story with a touch of romance. A delight to read, and one that left me wanting more. Much, much more.

Jaq's Harp by Ella Drake

Title: Jaq's Harp

Author: Ella Drake

Genre: Science Fiction Romance

Publisher: Carina Press

Available: $2.47 Kindle at Amazon

Rating: 4 stars

Rater: Pippa

Plot summary:

In a world of floating islands and bio-engineered beans, the bad guys are taken down by agents of the Mother organization—agents like Jacqueline "Jaq" Robinson. Instead of accepting her next routine assignment, she sets out on a mission of her own—to destroy Giant Corp, the company responsible for her sister's wasting illness. Jaq must steal her cure from Giant's headquarters high above the city...even though she'll be brought face-to-face with Harper English, the man who left her to go deep undercover at Giant.

For Harp, Jaq had been a distraction the mercenary thought he couldn't afford. But once he sees her again, Harp knows he's made a mistake. Even though she vowed he won't have her again, it's clear they still have a powerful attraction. Harp's determined to get a second chance with Jaq—if they can escape Giant Corp and get back to solid ground in one piece...

The good: I loved the play on Jack and the Beanstalk with a good dose of a dystopian world, advanced technologies and the contrasting privileged lifestyles of those in the floating cities. There's a real sense of the desperation of the landers. My heart ached throughout for Jaq, and I was desperate for her to get her HEA. I wanted this book to be longer so I could enjoy more of the world building and great descriptions throughout.

The bad: I felt there was too much back story crammed in between the dialogue at the start of the story, which slowed things down and made it harder to get into. I also couldn't understand Harper's initial reaction to Jaq. Considering these are both supposed to be professionals in a high-risk job, and both in very real and serious dangers with more than their own lives at stake, he just came across as a complete jerk in his behaviour. However I did warm back to him later. The ending also didn't quite do it for me although I can't quite pin down why.

In sum: I would read this one again, and look for other works by the same author. A good novella for fans of science fiction romance, and recommended for those who may not have read the genre before and want a taster.

Hunted by Elle Hill

Title: Hunted

Author: Elle Hill

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing

Available: $2.55 Kindle at Amazon

Rating: 5 stars

Rater: Pippa 

Plot Summary:

Gray Leigh knows a hundred ways to stop someone’s heart from beating, but has no idea what lies inside her own. Born a Hunter, she has spent her entire life honing herself into a weapon against Leeches, superhuman beings who feed off the pain and misery of humankind.


One rainy afternoon, the Clan Council assigns Gray to protect Simon Romero, a human biologist whose research has uncovered the existence of Leeches. As they face Leech assassins and a psychotic ex-Hunter, Simon grapples to fathom this new, violent world into which he’s been plunged. Meanwhile, Gray struggles to reconcile Simon’s kindness and pacifism with her own ascetic warrior’s life. 


As the day passes into another, Gray finds herself increasingly determined to keep Simon safe, not only because it is her duty, but because she has finally found something that means as much to her as killing.

The good: I love the author's skilful character descriptions, and the way she manages to convey the details of this underlying paranormal world that most humans aren't aware beneath the real one they know without it being an info dump. The bedroom scene is hot without dominating the story as some books do. The story goes straight into the action, and frankly ended far sooner than I would have liked.

The bad: I really can't find much to complain about. Personally I would have liked a little more of the story from Dr.Romero's viewpoint, as he's as much a newcomer to the world of Hunters and Psychic versus Leeches as the reader.

In sum: I would recommend this to fans of paranormal romance in general, but especially those who might be looking for something new without shifters, vamps and witches. I don't normally read paranormal or urban fantasy, but the story and the writing held me.