She-Wolf Review

Undercover Alliance is the third book in Lilly Cain’s sci fi/erotic romance series, Confederacy Treaty.  This book focuses on the Inarrii warrior Sarina, a character who was briefly introduced in the second book The Naked Truth, and her relationship with John Bennings, a human covert operative.  Great chemistry between the main characters and an engaging plot definitely made this my favorite of the series.

Sarina was a great female lead.  As a strong Inarri warrior, she can hold her own in military strategy and physical combat.  Her vulnerability lies in her severed L’inar, the nerve endings which respond to strong feelings like sexual arousal, fear and pain.  The damaged L’inar prevent her from reaching climax and because sex is such a strong part of Inarri culture, in fact, it is vital to their mental health, she is seen as deficient in the eyes of her people.  I loved the strength and complete confidence she has in herself as a warrior.  She is fearless and blunt.  Fully capable of taking care of herself and her charge.  A true warrior woman.  Yet this strength and confidence is coupled with a vulnerability that was very believable.  She sees herself as broken and I thought it was a compelling juxtaposition to have this kickass warrior woman fighting feelings of insecurity and pain for something she believes she may not be able to change.

And John Bennings was a great partner for her.  Though undercover as a lawyer, he is every bit the soldier as Sarina is – strong, smart, and brave.  He also has his own insecurities about building real relationships with people.  Her beauty, brains, and strength are what catches his attention but once they get close it becomes more than sex.  What I love is that they both hold on to a hope that what they have together can finally be something different from what they’ve had in the past.  The chemistry is great and it gets a bit steamy and tense.  By the end, you want these two in it for the long haul and hope they make it.

The plot was also engaging and definitely more action packed than the last book in the series.  John is targeted for attack and it is up to Sarina to help protect him.  They battle terrorists and uncover a plot that threatens the treaty process.  The fate of the newly formed relationship between Earth and the Inarrii is held in the balance and I’m looking forward to seeing how Cain resolves this conflict in the next and final installment of the series.

Undercover Alliance is another great addition to a fun and steamy series!

I hope you enjoy this excerpt from the book!

EXCERPT

“You’ve got company,” Davis’s tense voice called through the comm unit.

“No shit.” Starforce Special Agent John Norton glanced down at the hull of the ship. The metal still glowed red where it had been struck by laser fire only a few feet away from his position.

John tracked the small fighter skimming close to the long hull of the Starship Osprey. Its dark metal body nearly matched the blackness of space. It was coming back for another shot. Twisting, John fired his hand laser. It sheared through the vacuum of space and pierced the edge of the attacker’s hull. Dodging return fire, he leaped for the communication array pod at the far end of the ship and hoped like hell his aim was good and his magnetic boots would clamp, or he’d be hurtling into space like garbage. Since no one was going to admit he was even on board, there was no chance of rescue. His heart pounded, his breath rasping loudly inside the confines of his polarized helmet. He turned and fired again. This time the laser hit a crucial spot, and the small craft peeled off from its attack course.

John released the laser, allowing it to dangle from his wrist strap, and gripped the ship as his boots hit and clamped tight to the edge of the array. Leaning into the small amount of shelter provided by the communication pod, he scanned above him. Only one sleek, little fighter had gone for him, its design confirming what he’d already been told. There was more to the terrorist group Terran Purity than a ragtag group of human racists. The fighter was too sophisticated to be of Earth origin. The Osprey hadn’t picked it up, or Davis would have caught that on the online chatter. That meant the attacker had some serious shielding. The terrorist shouldn’t have detected John either—a single moving figure on the exterior of the massive human Starship Osprey, his suit designed to deflect not only the coldness of space but any heat or ultrasonic detection. At least, that was the plan.

Quickly he flipped open the closest access panel and toggled the manual relay on the communications pod. Two more minutes and he would have the fourth and final bug in place. Not that he could rely on the listening devices any longer. No one in Starforce should have known he was here, let alone the Purity assholes. Someone could be aware of the surveillance equipment he was planting as well. Any information he got from them would be suspect at best. He pulled the bug from his forearm pocket and pressed it against the console. He felt it dissolve into the circuitry through the pressure-sensitive fingerpads on his suit and suppressed a shudder. It never failed to revolt him the way the damn bugs could work their way through anything electronic, and he vowed again to refuse the microcircuit brain implants the brass had been pushing on all upper-level agents.

Motion flickered in the corner of his eye. Instantly he snapped off the magnetic clamps in his boots and shoved away from the array. Laser fire bit into the hull inches away from where he’d been locked on. He fired the narrow jets on his back, the silent explosion of compressed gas propelling him away from the array and back toward his only exit without a hint of heat to give away his location. The fucking fighter was back, its maneuverability amazing as it followed him across the underbelly of the ship.

John grabbed at his dangling laser and flicked a shot across what he guessed was the view panel of the pilot. He snapped the magnets back on his boots, slamming into the hull. The fighter’s momentum pulled the ship past his location, and he shot the laser at full capacity, directly at what had to be a rear power nodule.

In a flash of light, the back of the fighter ship ripped forward through its front.

John gasped. An explosion was not what he’d expected. The resulting shockwave flashed toward him, driving him back against the hull in a way that made him twist and shout out in sudden pain. Then the blackness of space claimed the final charred remains of the attacker.

Panting for breath, John weighed his options. His knee radiated agony. There wouldn’t be much time before someone came to investigate the explosion. The Osprey captain would already be aware of the attack, although hopefully not what had caused the terrorist ship to detonate. They’d be looking for answers. John straightened and forced himself to bring up his helmet comp unit and signal for a map. It flared to life across his visor, the light color of the map illuminating his screen with a sudden flare of pain behind his eyes. The explosion had left his head throbbing and his knee feeling as though he’d been kicked, hard.

“Fuck.”

“I heard that, Norton. Good to know you’re alive. Now get your ass in here.”

“I’m working on it, Davis. Keep your pants on.” John’s map pointed the way and a quick pulse from his jet pushed him toward the closest service hatch.

“Trust me, I wouldn’t go anywhere near you without my pants.” The deep voice of his mission tech radiated good humor. The man had a sick sense of what was funny in the middle of the most dangerous of missions. If it wasn’t for John’s strict rule—no partners—he might have taken the man out for a few drinks and laughs. But keeping things professional and separate had saved his ass more than once. Connections only made things more complicated.

“I keep telling you, Davis—you’re not my type.”

“Far as I can see, you haven’t got a type. And you have three minutes before the security team reaches that hatch. Move your ass.”

John didn’t reply. His knee throbbed now with every heartbeat. In space he didn’t have to put his weight on it. Inside the ship it was going to be a bitch to put any speed on and avoid arrest by the very people he was actually protecting. He had to get back to his cover assignment. He reached the hatch and yanked it open. Daviswould have already triggered the lock release from wherever the hell he was, via remote link. Now would come the hard part.

* * *

Soryen Sarina Tariim slammed a fist into the oral port of her charging attacker. The lean alien went down in a graceless collapse, only to be replaced by another, and another. They swarmed her, their stinking, slimy skin repulsive as they tried to push her to the soggy ground and rip her limb from limb. She grabbed one creature’s arm and slammed him into the next, kicking a third in its midsection. Still more of them darted toward her. All they had to do was pull her breather from her face and she’d be dead in minutes. Around her other Inarrii fought hand to hand against the Archat swarm. Lasers were useless and actually dangerous to fire in the methane-rich atmosphere of this world.

She’d lost her first set of dash’tet knives and now reached for her second, grabbing for the hilts strapped to her calves. The movement cost her; two more Archat were on her in seconds but she rolled with their attack, using their momentum to skewer them through on her long dash’tet.

A long hooting howl sounded as she pulled her knives from their bodies. The unprovoked attack on the Inarrii scout party was now a retreat. Inarrii all around her raised their voices in a ragged cheer, and she laughed aloud.

Too soon, the feeling of exhilaration melted away. Her grin faded. This was useless. There was no real victory. She didn’t know the Inarrii warrior who had battled only a few feet away. He wasn’t her teammate and this wasn’t real. With a decisive slash of her dash’tet, still dripping with alien gore, she shut down the battle simulator and stepped out of the holo unit. Her battle gear faded as she exited, but the bruising she’d received inside the simulation remained painfully real.

Fighting these images, these pale reflections of old battles, provided only a few moments of relief from the truth. She’d been there, on the very mission this simulation had been based on. She’d fought on dozens of worlds, performed hundreds of dangerous missions. But it would never be the same. She rubbed the upper muscle of her left arm, felt the damage no Inarrii medtech would ever be able to remove.

Beneath the fading scar tissue was the real injury. Her L’inar were severed, the damage far deeper than surface lacerations. Despite a dozen reconstructive surgeries, her synapses no longer meshed. She would never again have complete release, experience the utter sexual abandon the sensitive L’inar nerve lines could inspire. And without that completion, her mind was at risk. At least, according to Inarrii belief.

Her therapist said she would recover. Her commander agreed. Her clan was sympathetic, but already garnering the political credit and honor points from a permanent disability of one of their own in the line of duty. Her current assignment indicated her clan was more in touch with reality than either of her advisors.

Sarina exited the simulation lounge of the Inarrii flagship Horneu. This would be her last evening on board before she headed to her new assignment and complete boredom. There would be no more laser fights in her future, no space battles. With a groan, she walked to the next section of the training level. The familiar and usually comforting scent of sweat in the strength focus room did nothing to cool the anger that burned inside her over her predicament. She could fly a ship, strategize and fight with the best, excel at everything a warrior could hope for, but she would never get the chance to prove it again. Just because her damn L’inar and her lack of a sex life were a supposed threat to her sanity.

“Fuck.” She tested the human curse and found it vaguely satisfying, and in her situation the curse was ironically apt. She moved over to the resistance boards and attached the wrist and ankle straps. Throwing her weight and her anger into the workout, she pushed herself to the limit.

The boards hummed with power as she strained to touch them, to press them past her usual level. Sweat beaded on her back, slowly slipping down the length of her spine. Her L’inar reacted to the slight touch of the drops of liquid. Sensation fizzled along the nerves, flared around the curve of her ribs, bounced erratically around her abdomen to flicker over the lower curve of her breasts, only to dissipate. She jerked in her restraints, the sensation an erotic tease, a reminder of the fact that she hadn’t had sex in a month and wasn’t likely to experience it any time soon.

She ripped the bands from her wrists and glanced around the room, thankful the area remained nearly empty. Perhaps they were right. Even if she managed to reach orgasm again, these unpredictably odd flashes of L’inar activity just might drive her insane. At least no one had witnessed her strange reaction. One set of warriors trained in hand-to-hand combat in the far corner of the training level. Their strikes and parries nearly blurred in rapid progression. They were in sync with each other, even their breaths matching rhythms. Sarina pulled off her ankle straps, never taking her eyes off the sparring couple. They had to be a couple. If they weren’t, they soon would be. The flashing blows were slowing, becoming more of a dance than an attack. Before the night was out, they would be wrapped in a dance of a different kind. Skin on sweaty skin.

Sarina sagged against the resistance boards. Their power had disengaged the moment she pulled off the tethers. Inert now, they bowed slightly with her weight. Perhaps leaving the Horneu wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Despite the incredible boredom of guarding a human nobody, at least on the human ships there was no open sex. No erotic displays, no direct offers that held the intimacy of m’ittar mind contact and a promise that couldn’t be fulfilled—complete L’inar arousal and release.

She turned away from the couple and walked quietly from the room to the sonic cleansers. The hum of the cleansing units passed their vibration up through the soles of her feet and into her body. An ache low in her belly reminded her again, as if she needed any more reminders, that it had been weeks since she’d shared the tension-relieving experience of sex. Without sex, Inarrii could not de-stress.

That was the reason she was being assigned to bodyguard such a low-status human. What would they have done with her if she hadn’t already learned standard English? No de-stressing meant an eventual breakdown, but how much stress could she experience guarding John Bennings, a lawyer who spent his days deep in the tangled webs of information completing the final layer of the human/Confederation Treaty?

It was a horrifyingly dull thought.

Still, a job was a job. And as long as she could, she’d retain the rank of warrior, a Soryen, giving every assignment everything she had. Anyone who said she couldn’t could…fuck themselves. She snickered at her own sick sense of humor and then leaned into the sonic cleanser.

***

Take a look at my review! 

She-Wolf Review

The Naked Truth is the second installment in Lilly Cain’s science fiction/erotic romance series, The Confederacy Treaty.  Like the first book in the series, Alien Revealed, this one also follows the developing relationship between a human and an Inarri, an alien race looking to enter into an intergalactic treaty with Earth.  The Naked Truth picks up where the first one left off and focuses on two characters that made small appearances in the first installment.  This is a quick read that packs a steamy punch and it’s a nice addition to what I think is an interesting, sexy sci fi series.

The Goodreads summary provides an accurate synopsis of the book so I will go right into what I enjoyed about it.  Once again, Lilly Cain does a great job of developing the Confederacy world.  The Naked Truth definitely focused more on the Inarri culture as the majority of the story takes place on an Inarri ship.  I appreciated that we get a chance to learn more about the Inarri, the act of m’ittar or mind connection, and the role sex plays in relationships and healing. 

I also liked the fact that the central relationship was much more romantic than the one in the previous book.  Susan shares difficult memories with Asler and in return he helps her deal with those memories and comes to admire her strength.  Though she questions whether or not to trust him completely, she can’t help but feel safe with him.  And, of course, the sexual chemistry between the two is heated but there is a romantic tone to it that I didn’t feel in the first book.  I realize this is personal taste but it is one thing I really liked about this second installment compared to the first.

Finally, I liked Asler and Susan as characters.  I liked her strength and his gentility.  They both put a lot on the line and you feel the stakes involved.  They are a great couple in the world of the Confederacy.

I have a few nitpicks…I did feel that the end was a bit rushed.  Asler helps Susan unlock repressed memories of abduction and torture that help reveal something critical to the treaty talks and then she is whisked away by her commander and faces trial.  I felt the revelations, trial, and resolution all happened way too quickly.  She seems somewhat healed mentally pretty quickly too given the amount of torture she’s experienced.  I think there could have been a slower revelation to give more weight to it.  Also, there is a scene when Asler and Susan first meet and he basically forces her to wear the pettan, the traditional clothes of the Inarri which is basically a short covering at the waist for men and women.  She feels uncomfortable walking around topless but, in order to show her who is in charge, he insists she wear it.  I don’t buy that idea given Asler’s character.  He would not make her feel even more vulnerable given what she has been through coupled with the fact that he is trying to gain her trust.  It stood out to me as false and against character.

The Confederacy Treaty is a sexy series and The Naked Truth is a great addition to it.  If you are looking for quick, steamy reads for the summer, The Naked Truth would be a good one to add to your list.  

3.5 Howls!

GOOD but with minor flaws

She-Wolf Review

A Blood Seduction was both original and exciting, frustrating and aggravating.  My excitement for it has everything to do with the world-building.  This is truly the best part of the book.  What frustrated me and keeps me from praising this book to the rafters is the heroine.  Had the characters matched the originality of the world in which they were set, this book would easily have been a five star review for me.  But, unfortunately, it failed to meet those expectations.

Quinn Lennox is a researcher at the National Institute of Health, just outside of Washington DC.  She lives with her younger brother, Zack, in an apartment they share near George Washington University where Zack is a student.  All would be well with Quinn if she weren’t experiencing these unsettling visions – sometimes Quinn sees images of another world.  She can look across the street from her apartment and see a dilapidated old brownstone where a modern building used to be.  What she does not realize is that these visions are temporary portals to another world, a parallel Washington DC called Washington VC, or Vamp City.  When looking for a friend who may have accidentally been pulled into one of these portals, both Zack and Quinn find themselves stranded in VC with no way out.

Let’s start with what I liked about this book – the world.  Vamp City is incredibly original.  VC was created in 1870 by a sorcerer whose intention was to create a place specifically for vampires, where there is perpetual night, and the vampires rule supreme.  The city is a weird combination of a city stuck in time (1870s) that has decayed and rotted, coupled with a few modern conveniences like cars and plumbing.  The vampires are not the sparkly kind.  These are brutal creatures who need both blood and other, less tangible things to survive.  They are Emora, meaning they also feed off emotions like fear and pain.  This makes for a very bleak world for humans who find themselves there.  Oh, and did I mention old institutions like slavery are alive and well in VC?  Yes, humans are slaves to vampires, kidnapped, put up on auction blocks, tortured and made into human chattel for vampire needs.  This world is violent, brutal, bleak, disturbing, and original.  Though there were some scenes that were hard to read, I have to give it up to Pamela Palmer for giving us a vampire world that is not sexy.  Some authors create these worlds that are kind of scary, but are really just very cool and mysterious.  Not so here.  There were definite moments where I felt real fear for the human characters trapped in VC, a city you just want to get the hell out of.  And right away. 

But when you create a world like VC, it’s very hard to create sympathy for the characters who control things there.  Arturo, the vampire who captures Quinn and basically tries to make her his slave, is the “hero.”  Huh, what?  No matter how sexy his Italian endearments are, no matter what chemistry or attraction exists between the two, and no matter that he is a “good” slave owner…he’s still a slave owner!!!  And because of that, I really could not find myself liking or caring about him.   Furthermore, because Quinn seems to have mixed feelings about him, to her detriment, I have no respect for her and question her intelligence.  This makes it hard for me to care about Quinn.  She came across as brave but not bright, thinking with her pants and not her head.  And while this does not stop her from always trying to reach her goal – finding and saving Zack – it makes for some annoying moments between her and Arturo where she is constantly battling her attraction to him…a slave owner!  While I appreciate the courage of creating unredeeming characters like Arturo, I wish the heroine were a bit shrewder.

The conclusion of this book almost saves it.  Really.  There is a twist that makes me interested in reading the next one…but only if I can get past the frustrating and lackluster Quinn.  Three howls!

GOOD but flawed.

She-Wolf Comments

This was one of my favorite reads last year.  A Discovery of Witches is such a wonderful blend of genres – romance, paranormal, to a certain degree science fiction and history.  The characters are wonderful and the world Harkness creates is original.  And really, who doesn’t like a vampire that practices yoga?  If you have a Nook or Kindle, get it.  At $2.99 it’s a steal.  The second book in the series comes out July 10th.  Start reading now so you will be ready for the next release.  I, for one, am geeked about it.

She-Wolf Review

I adored this story.  Adored it.  A few weeks ago I read a review for Hearts in Darkness on Wicked Little Pixie’s website and my interest was piqued.  It looked like a great read and I immediately purchased it and added it to my TBR pile.  I picked it up on a whim and, literally, could not put it down.  Sweet and sexy, this short little novella is a perfect romantic tale of strangers meeting in odd circumstances and the connections that can be made between two people once superficial concerns like appearance don’t get in the way.

The story opens with Makenna James running for an elevator, hands full, a bad day’s stress taking its toll on her.  Caden Grayson is on that elevator and holds the door for her.  She is too frazzled to notice anything about him other than a tattoo on his hand.  He only catches a glimpse of her red curls and her business suit.  The doors close, the elevator moves, and the power goes out.  They are stuck there in complete darkness.  As Makenna, at first, unknowingly helps Caden through his panic and claustrophobia, these two strangers share things with each other that are personal and important.  This closeness leads to a need for physical contact.  And once that happens, the sparks really do fly.

What I loved about the scene in the elevator was the banter.  Caden and Makenna play 20 questions, they joke, flirt, laugh and get serious.  The chemistry between these two jumps off the pages.  It made me smile and the characters immediately endeared themselves to me.  Makenna is smart, warm, and funny.  Caden is vulnerable but strong.  Right away, you care about these two and you want this connection to last and have meaning.  And once it gets physical, it gets steamy and sexy but it never loses that romantic, sweet edge.  

They are rescued at the worst possible moment.  And all the awkwardness and insecurity you can imagine  comes to the surface.  The tension and suspense are spectacular – what’s going to happen to these two now that the elevator is open and they are free to go back to their lives?  Was what they experienced just an isolated moment or the beginning of something incredible?  Do their appearances live up to expectations?  You’ll have to read the book to find out.

This really was one of the sweetest romances I’ve read.  I loved the characters and how real their interactions felt.  Honestly, it did not feel out of left field that they would suddenly get physical in the elevator.  It felt natural.  The writing is wonderful, nicely paced with nothing extraneous dragging it down.  I read this a few days ago and can’t stop thinking about it.  Highly recommended.  Five Howls!

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