3,5 stars ( )

I wish the book was longer. Not so much in more events as in more details. Still great story! ( )

This is one of those books that “seem larger on the inside” than they look. Despite the limited number of pages, the story gave me enough details to be able to picture the world Jade Archer created. The characters were fun and made me laugh, and the plot exploded onto the first page and didn’t let me go until the end.

I must admit that it took me a while to warm to the sarcastic and somewhat opportunistic Rhyn. I loved his sense of humor and his almost incessant swearing from the very start, though, and that opened the door for getting to know the rest of him. Which isn’t only sexy, but warm and giving – for the right person, at least.

Lore I loved from the very start. He is the absolute star of this book, as far as I’m concerned. Picturing him as a skillet-wielding menace holding four burly space pirates in check had me in peals of laughter. His courage and determination to try to make the best of a shitty life was inspiring. He took being reclassified as a pleasure slave against his will and being taken away from his home planet if not in stride, with dignity. His resolve to change his fate was unbroken, even though his inner dialogue reveals how scared he really is.

One of the many things making me look forward to the next volume(s) of this series is this intriguing hint at gender role definitions on Lore’s home planet. Essentially, there are none, and both sexes take care of children equally, as well as share all the other tasks. I can’t wait to see more!



Note: This book was provided by TEB for the purpose of a review. ( )