This fourth book is more emotional than the other three, taking a look at a different kind of bond between mates; one which is deeper than any of the others. And as the Lady Blue’ crew keeps running from the law while they attempt to clear their names, the non-crew members, or mates, get into quite a bit of trouble, lightening the tone and providing great comic relief.

Adwaka, the guy who was rescued from torture along with Livewire in the last book, has quite a way to go until Blake accepts him. Since Adwaka is an Orellian there are some special requirements for the bonding process but he is too proud to reveal them to Blake. None of the other crew members, not even the doctor, have a clue either. I hated that he had to suffer so much but once the issues were solved – boy does the action get hot!

Blake is an idiot who has no clue what being mated really means – other than guaranteed sex. Interestingly, he feels too protective of Adwaka to risk hurting him as he claims him. That gave me hope he might understand that there is more to it at some point. Once Adwaka gets physically ill from not being mated, Blake finally gets the point about the physical necessity of mating. It takes a little longer for him to ‘get’ the emotional side, but that was the more difficult part for him anyway.

If you like futuristic adventure stories that take place aboard space ships with the occasional risky visit of a planet thrown in, if two men struggling to bond on a more than physical level is what you’re looking for, and if the occasional humorous prank by a group of somewhat irresponsible mates will make you laugh (rather than roll your eyes), you may like this book.

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