I have thoroughly enjoyed this story, and I highly recommend it to all lovers of SF romance.
Grace Goodwin has created a rich background for her primary novels, which includes an interstellar twist on the old "mail-order bride" theme combined with elements of Star Trek, specifically the "Hive" which are unapologetic rip-offs of the Borg. That said, Ms. Goodwin amps things up a notch: the Hive are both meaner and smarter and are totally committed to Full Assimilation of all organic life-forms in our galaxy, which includes over 260 inhabited planets. The galactic war between the Coalition (yes, the Federation) has been going on for over 100 years, and the balance of power continually shifts without warning.
In this story we once again meet Prince Nial, who was introduced in the first Brides book as the happy-go-lucky son of the ruler of the Prillon home-worlds, who have been fighting the Hive the longest. Prince Nial was captured by the Hive near the end of that story, and was rescued by his Commander but not before the Hive had begun their assimilation process. In this universe, the Hive tech is more like a cancer that literally replaces the organic beings' DNA. This makes healing the rescued warriors extremely difficult, to the point that obvious physical changes cannot be reversed or removed without killing the patient.
When Prince Nial's daddy (the "Prillon Prime") discovers this, he forbids his son to return home and exiles him to the "Colony", a prison planet which is basically Australia in this story-line. But the young prince is no quitter, and convinces his Battalion Commander Deston to transport him and his "second" directly to Earth so he can claim his Bride, since Daddy Dearest also forbade him from mating and no brides are allowed at the Colony. Cmdr. Deston, who is happily mated to his Earth bride, agrees and sends Nial and his new friend Ander, a decorated war hero, directly to the Interstellar Bride's departure point in Miami.
Meantime, Jessica Smith who unlike the previous brides is herself a military veteran, is smarting over being rejected just as she was awaiting transport. Her own life having been ruined by someone she trusted, she knows her life is still in danger while she remains on Earth, but is determined to bring down the "bad guy" before she's done. Needless to say, running directly into her Mate's arms while running from Hive scouts is literally the last thing she's expecting, and things just get better from there. :-)
This story is action-packed, and Jessica is a true independent woman with both courage and sass to spare. I won't ruin any surprises in the story, but note that it is Jessica's blunt criticism of the way the warriors at the Colony are being treated by Nial's daddy that takes this excellent story AND her relationship with her mates in a whole different direction.
I guarantee you'll read this book more than once, and will enjoy it each time you read it. You'll also gain a new perspective on the term "Veteran." Don't worry, there's plenty of erotic moments to enjoy as well. Also, Warden Egara from the Brides' Transfer Point on Earth has an expanded role in this story (beyond the normal Chapter 1 scene) and some tantalizing "bread-crumbs" about her own past with the Coalition. ENJOY!!
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Top reviews from other countries
Glauka
Bis jetzt mein Lieblingsbuch in der Serie
Reviewed in Germany on September 19, 2020
