This story features Madrene Olgadottir, Ragnor’s sister whom had been left behind when her family traveled to the future (The Very Virile Viking and Wet & Wild) without her. If you have read Wet & Wild you will remember Rangnor’s brother-in-law Ian MacLean (also his commanding office).
Since it is currently Stanley Cup playoff time, I was thrilled to pick up a romance featuring hockey players. Of course I was not so thrilled when they went on to play my team. More on that later.
This was a really sweet story about a newspaper journalist Pepper Malone, who crossed the line by publishing a story about her ex boyfriends family. She was embarrassed and run out of town for using her pillow talk for a feature. She ends up in nowhere ville (Bailey, Texas) to lick her wounds and rebuild herself.
The Thrall concept is yet another variation of the “vampire” theme. Instead of being infected by a “virus” the Thrall is a parasite which takes over the body and mind of its host for a few years. Eventually the body wears down and a new host is selected to receive the next queens eggs. Additionally the Thrall lives in a hive culture with a single reproductive queen leader and her drones the “hosts”. Humans all considered the “Prey” that feeds the hive the blood they need. Humans can also be Herd if they voluntarily feed the Hosts.
Dylan is the middle brother. He is a rodeo star and poker player, enjoying his life even though he is estranged from his two brothers. One night after a poker game he finds his two year old daughter in his truck, abandoned by her mother. Forced to become a responsible dad, he takes Bonnie to his home town of Stillwater Springs to raise her.
Logan is the oldest and is ready to settle down. After two failed marriages and the sale of his successfully built web company he decides to return to his ranch homestead and become a rancher.
I was able to snag this story on audiobook. I love and hate that. It is nice to listen to a story when you are going about mindless activity, but then I found myself looking for mindless time when I shouldn’t.
The heroine, Drea, is a drug lords mistress who is not the dim bulb she pretends to be. She has vowed to get the most out of life. She has no problem in being a mans play toy as long as it gets her money, the finest clothing and jewels. Her existence is very shallow and she makes no apologies for this.