Greenshift by Heidi Ruby Miller

Title: Greenshift

Author: Heidi Ruby Miller

Genre: Science Fiction Romance

Publisher: Union City Publishing

Available: $2.42 at Amazon.com

Rating: 4.75 stars

Rater: Pippa

Plot Summary:
David Anlow, a fleet captain forced into early retirement and jaded by an ex-lover, now spends his lonely days shuttling around a group of scientists for hire.

Boston Maribu, Mari to her friends, is one of his passengers, a young botanist who is as beautiful as she is naïve and innocent.

When Mari asks David to teach her about more than just piloting the Bard, nights on their ship heat up and their feelings for each other mature into a relationship neither expects. But a suspicious new client shows up with wicked plans for Mari, and the soldier inside David comes alive, ready to fight for the young woman who stole his heart. 

The good:
Again, I loved the world building in this, the attention to detail and the portrayal of the characters. Heidi has a talent for making them so real. The writing is flawless and descriptive, and all the premises and reactions believable and consistent. The bad guys completely gave me the creeps, and I'm glad the torture scenes weren't more detailed - there was enough there for you to use your imagination, should you wish.

The bad:
The only reason I've rated this a touch lower than Ambasadora is because I felt the events in Greenshift hadn't carried over into the relationship in Ambasadora. I know they were written in reverse and that Ambasadora focuses on Sara Mendoza and Sean Cryer, but I felt there maybe should have been a line or two considering Greenshift takes place only a month before Ambasadora. Pure nit-picking - sorry!

In sum:
While I still prefer Ambasadora, this is a great addition to the library of any sfr fan.

The Girls From Alcyone by Cary Caffrey

Title: The Girls From Alcyone

Author: Cary Caffrey

Genre: Science Fiction Romance

Publisher: Tealy Books

Available: $3.30 at Amazon.com

Rating: 4.75 stars

Rater: Pippa

Plot Summary:

Sigrid and Suko are two girls from the impoverished and crime-infested streets of 24th century Earth. Sold into slavery to save their families from financial ruin, the girls are forced to live out their lives in service to the Kimura Corporation, a prestigious mercenary clan with a lineage stretching back long before the formation of the Federated Corporations.

Known only to Kimura, the two girls share startling secret—a rare genetic structure not found in tens of millions of other girls.

But when their secret becomes known, Sigrid and Suko quickly find themselves at the center of a struggle for power. Now, hunted by men who would seek to control them, Sigrid and Suko are forced to fight for their own survival, and for the freedom of the girls from Alcyone.

The good:

Despite the number of years this story is set over at the beginning, it's fast paced but full-bodied. The characters are enthralling, the technology intriguing and detailed without being overbearing and slowing the story down, and the descriptions vivid. It's also a lot of fun, with some wonderful humour amongst the action. The romance in it is sweet and touching, even in the bedroom scenes. You can't help but empathize with the two main characters, and while the story is complete in its own way, there are threads left hanging for a sequel (which I'm now awaiting impatiently!).

The bad:

About the only flaw in this for me was a couple of instances of head-hopping (something that drives me insane despite the fact I've been guilty of it myself) but not enough that it pulled me out of the story - it just niggled a fraction.

In sum:

This is an exciting, action-packed, well-thought out scifi story with a sweet romance at its heart. Hurry up with the sequel!

Ambasadora by Heidi Ruby Miller

Title: Ambasadora

Author: Heidi Ruby Miller

Genre: Science Fiction Romance

Publisher: Union City Publishing

Available: $2.41 at Amazon.com

Rating: 5 stars

Rater: Pippa

Plot Summary:

Sara Mendoza is captured, tortured, and falsely accused of treason by the Embassy, but she is given a chance to win back her freedom. She only needs to charm information from one of the fragger leaders, then kill him. But by the time she figures out the Embassy's intel is flawed and that Sean Cryer is her true mark, she's already in love with him.

Sean knows why Sara is on his ship from the start, but as a lonely, anti-social doser, he doesn't value his life, only his ideology within the fragger organization. Against his better judgment, he becomes her protector, each day caring more about a future he was always afraid to hope for.

The good:

I loved the touches of technology in this, especially the details like the scent bots and the intra-tattoo. The civilization and world-building are complex and well thought out, with some virtual reality thrown into the mix. The characters are intensely interesting, each with their own flaws, and you can't help but empathize them. I wanted so, so badly for the two MCs to get their happily ever after that I was almost skipping pages to find it! The bedroom scenes are hot, but they don't dominate the book - this is most definitely a science fiction romance with a lot of tension to it.

The bad:

Once or twice I felt like I was losing track of a character and their part in the story a little.

In sum:

This is the kind of science fiction romance that I want more of, and that has set me a target to achieve with my own writing. In the absence of a sequel, I'm waiting on the immanent release of GREENSHIFT, set before the events in AMBASADORA.