[[Reprint]] Erotic science fiction romance
Her voice is famous throughout the galaxy; her face is completely unknown.
Fleeing her monstrous husband back on puritanical Earth and the police assassins he’s hired, singer Mella Archer becomes stranded on the frontier planet of Nexus. Desperate to survive, she picks the wrong target–Dain, the head of planetary security.
Dain is amused by the … security.
Dain is amused by the attempted theft, and when Mella is sentenced to serve time indentured as a bedroom slave, he buys her contract. As he introduces the repressed Earther to the pleasures of sex with a dominating warrior, he slowly comes to realize that the little thief has stolen his heart.
When the monster arrives on Nexus and has lunch with Dain, Mella is panic-stricken. Her owner must be part of the conspiracy to kill her, and it will only be a matter of time before the monster discovers that she’s still alive. She attempts to escape. She fails. Embittered by her lies and mistrust, Dain returns her to Indenture Hall to be sold again.
Now the monster has found her. And she has nowhere left to run…
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His “Laria”
I drew enormous pleasure from reading this book! This is the first sci-fi alien/human romance I have read and I certainly was fortunate in my choice. Ms. Sinclair creates a brand new galaxy to place her out of this world futuristic tale. A world describing interplanetary travel with the planets colonized by humans eons ago. The book has sort of a frontier flavor with sci fi technology sprinkled in the wild untamed alien city scenery and strange rural landscapes. Of course the “piece de reistance” is the all-consuming, at times, mind blowing sex and sexiness of our main characters with a little BDSM sprinkled in to up the hotness factor.
Mella, an “Earther” is a famous intergalactic singer even on the planet upon which she finds herself stranded, incognito, running away from a murderous husband. Dain is a General of the security forces on this planet, Nexus. Mella has the misfortune, or it is more appropriate to say, “good fortune” to end up his sex slave for trying to mug him steal from him while hiding out in the alien city, living on the streets.
Dain could not be written any sexier. He is a beautiful tall slender muscled Nexan with stormy grey eyes and dark hair. He is magnificently Dominant, overwhelmingly sexy and principled.
Mella is short, measured by ” Nexan” standards, softly voluptuous with fiery red hair and soft fair skin. A real contrast to Nexan females who are dark, tall and slender. Of course, her exotic looks to a Nexan eye make her intriguing and a novelty for “coupling”.
The societies of Earth and Nexus, while vastly different, both involve a paternalistic culture, with neither world seemingly ideal.
The society of Earth in which Mella was raised viewed woman as weak, even “sin-infected”. There was a “Prophet” who proclaimed sex to be solely for procreation and never for recreation or even communication. This society was entirely male dominated with elders and the like. For me, this was sorely depressing to think after eons, the society remaining on earth would still be this dull, colorless, hierarchical world that put its belief and faith in all things in the hands of some puritanical bastward (my spelling of a familiar word). I know, I know it’s fiction. Yet, in societies of our nation and world the fight to throw off the chains of paternalism is a sustained and continuous struggle. I pray for a more equal and democratic society with empowered men and women in the future.
(In my view, the only place a man should have permission to dominate a woman is with their woman in the bedroom. This permission should be earned every day with their loving care. Aren’t you glad you asked? )
Which brings me to the seemingly opposite situation in the “clanae” society of the planet, Nexus. Here hedonism rules the day for many reasons. One of the reasons given in the story is the need for genetic variety. I am not sure how yearly orgies contribute to the the genetic variety? This could’ve been accomplished by carefully screening the mates in private. Even with their albeit healthier attitudes toward sex, men still “rule the world” Again, an intergalacticly depressing thought.
I did get some consolation in that the festival involving the huge annual orgy was in honor of a goddess…And that the psychic lie detector judge was a female.
Of course the best part of the whole read was the love. The love between Dain and Mella and the tension of this relationship will appeal to any romantic at heart.
I also enjoyed the idea of the walk of the soul through the desert sands for purification. The length of the walk depending upon how much of the world’s sins the soul carried with it before entering into another realm or heavenly rest.
That…and the beautiful word (one of many) the author created for “sweetheart”. His “Laria”.