The irregular behavior of the two protagonists in bestseller Kearney's third SF romance (after The Challenge
and The Dare
), a mix of original science fiction ideas with romantic clichés, poses a credibility challenge. Xander, a spaceship captain, is ruled in turn by honor, tradition, shame and libido, while biogeneticist Alara devotes her life to freeing alien women from genetically induced sexual bondage until she falls for Xander and decides sexual bondage isn't so bad. Hot sex, including interesting applications of null gravity and telepathy, and lovely scenic descriptions are undercut by unconvincing science, including a virus that affects both plants and animals. From the first reluctant coupling to the final lovers' tiff, romance readers will feel right at home; SF fans, however, may have trouble with the deus ex astra
: super-beings who won't divulge the cure for the virus until our heroes learn to perform mental tricks. (Feb.)
