In a futuristic take on the myth of Persephone and the god of the underworld, a dark ruler of an interstellar superpower abducts his perfect mate, never dreaming he’d fall in love.
A battle for her heart…
“She’s a fighting Saurian Knight.” He put a slight emphasis on “fighting” and smiled self-deprecatingly. “Getting her into bed is more work than turning a Gravity-class war-star.”
“Are you telling me that she fought you? You?”
“My Imperial Machismo forbids me to confirm or deny something so damaging to my reputation,” Tarrant-Arragon replied with a mocking twist of his lips. “I will admit, she doesn’t know what she’s up against. I’m conducting an experiment to see whether I can get a virtuous girl to love me—not the next Emperor, but me—for my sweet nature and sense of humor.”
His half-sheathed-weapon smile became a sudden chuckle.
“My fierce little Saurian would probably try to castrate me if she knew who I am. She cheerfully toasts my impotence.”
Madam Tarra knew the toast to which he referred. “How very provocative of you to choose one of the Saurian Dragon’s Knights for your carnal experiments,” she replied.
“I didn’t take her because she’s a Knight.” He threw back his head, half closed his eyes, and tapped his upper lip with two fingers. No doubt the wicked boy was deciding how much of the truth to tell her. “Ah... I think I’ve fallen in love.”
Excerpt
The truth could wait. She had given him an idea...
Sex was a serious matter, a grim pleasure, or so he’d always thought. It had never been an occasion for laughter or irreverent conversation—until Djinni accused him of fishy mating habits, and since then he hadn’t taken sex seriously at all.
Lovemaking had never been such fun. Much as he’d longed for her to know and accept the truth about him, he didn’t want this blissful intimacy to end.
The truth could wait. She had given him an idea. A very wicked idea. A perfect excuse for the remaining rut-raged days and nights of debauchery and deception to come.
“I want to do it all,” he breathed. “I want to make love to you according to the ways of every sexually reproducing species in all the Communicating Worlds. Every one. From frogs to Great Djinn. After that, we’ll work up to thrusting Tantric sex.”
“Oh, Stars,” she gasped.
“And I take that as informed consent.”
Professional Reviews
Jill M Smith Romantic Times
FORCED MATE is a highly unique, funny and sexy read. FOUR STARS.
~Jill M Smith, ROMANTIC TIMES.
H E Harris
I love this book. It's the only book I've read and reread and enjoyed just as much both times. In fact the more familiar I am with it the more I enjoy it! I smile when I think of the story and characters. Very clever, funny and sexy. The main characters, Tarrant-Arragon and Djinni are wonderful, well developed and the changes in them are very real and believable. I really cared about them and their growing relationship. It's a book rich in imagination and the author obviously loves her characters and the world she's created. The background of political intrigue and dynastic rivalry really adds to the tension and is interesting in it's own right. There's nothing quite like handsome alpha males fighting for supremacy and a mate is there? ;-)
I'd recommend it to anyone who likes sexy (very sexy), romantic, intriguing, laugh out loud science fiction. I'm new to reading this genre and I'm so glad I've discovered Rowena Cherry!
Linnea Sinclair
A total hoot... one of the best and funniest Sci-Fi Romances I’ve read.”
~ Linnea Sinclair, author of FINDERS KEEPERS
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