Chain Reaction

Archer teams polar opposites with explosive results in her fast-paced second 8th Wing sci-fi romance (after 2011’s Collision Course). Engineer Lt. Nils Calder joins fighter pilot Lt. Celene Jur on a mission to fight off the aggressors of the evil empire of PRAXIS, who are close to acquiring a device from a traitor that could destroy the 8th Wing fleet. Tough hotshot Celene challenges the guy from “NerdWorks” to a virtual reality showdown before allowing him to accompany her, but soon the sexual tension ratchets up along with the combat opportunities. Celene is stunned to realize that Nils is able to “notice her as a woman rather than a series of combat statistics” but he works hard to breach her defenses and eventually she decides to take a chance on romance. Rapid-fire, hair-raising twists and turns lead to a satisfying if not entirely unexpected denouement. Agent: Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. (Jan.)