26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Chained Lightning, June 8, 2006
This review is from: Enslave Me Sweetly (Alien Huntress, Book 2) (Paperback)
After her parents were brutally murdered, young Eden Black was raised by Michael, the head of an ultra-secret alien assassination agency that eliminates aliens that prey on humans. Wounded on her latest assignment, Eden still wants to go after her target, but her step-father partners her with Lucius Adaire, an agent she comes to totally detest at first. However, he also pings her sexual radar with an intensity Eden has never before experienced. Bound together to complete an almost impossible assignment, Eden learns that her enemies aren't the ones she has to fear the most: it's her partner, dark and brooding Lucius who sets her on fire.
Gena Showalter is one of the new young lionesses of contemporary romance, paranormal romance and YA. She's burst onto the scene with a handful of books and as many worlds that beg exploration. When she's not mapping out a future where some aliens view humans as merely prey or traipsing through an Atlantis where magic is real and comes with shapeshifters who are always more than they seem, she's writing contemporary romances with a touch of wonder.
ENSLAVE ME SWEETLY starts out like a bullet, and the trajectory never slows down. Eden is a great heroine, the kind of woman who can take care of herself in any kind of situation. And she's drawn to Lucius Adaire, a dangerous, physical man who's been hurt and betrayed in the past enough to last a lifetime. To get to Eden's latest target, she has to pair up with Lucius, and it's a partnership that neither of them want. The prose just sings along, pulling the reader through the adventures and the romance with the familiar comfort of a favorite sweater. Readers who have the time to read it in a single sitting will devour it.
Fans of J. D. Robb's (Nora Roberts) Eve Dallas series and of futuristic romance will love this book. As another of Simon and Schuster's Down Town Girls book line, ENSLAVE ME SWEETLY delivers spicy romance that will amp readers up to the nth degree.
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22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic First Read!, July 17, 2006
This review is from: Enslave Me Sweetly (Alien Huntress, Book 2) (Paperback)
This was my first Gena Showalter - and I have to say, I was very impressed!
Basic Synopsis: Aliens and Human, after many years of war, co-exist on Earth together. However, despite the cease fire between the races, there are some Aliens (and Humans) who still desire to abolish or ruin the other race. In Enslave Me Sweetly, the main conflict deals with the enslavement of Humans; this is where Eden Black comes into the picture. It is her mission to infiltrate the slave trade, and kill the main proprietor.
Eden Black has to be one of my favorite characters of all time. She is a walking oxymoron. The following are some examples of these contradictions:
1.) She is a part of a race of aliens (Rakans) that is hunted (almost to extinction) by humans for their skins and hair. However, because she was raised by a human, she views herself more human than alien. In her mindset - aliens are the enemies, not humans.
2.) Her appearance is one of sweetness and gentleness. Her alien heritage is known for its peaceful nature - however, despite this nature, she works as an assassin. Her job is to seek and kill those who threaten the peaceful co-existence between Aliens and Humans. She is quite violent and arrogant. She looks like a "pretty" rich girl, yet she's not afraid to sweat and get dirty.
3.) Everything about her oozes sensuality; she loves the flesh, luxury, decadence, and sugar. But again - she acts with restraint and self-control. She's not one to over-indulge or to have promiscuous relationships, despite her desires.
In all aspects... Eden is a contradiction, and I just love that. This character really challenges the theory of "nature vs. nurture." She's fantastic - a great creation by Gena Showalter.
As for Lucius, he kind of gets the short end of the stick - due in part to the fact that the book is written primarily in the first person. And although that point of view is not my preference, Showalter really pulls it off. I didn't feel that the perspective was skewed in favor of Eden. She manages to integrate an author's omnipotent knowledge into the first person so to balance the story line. It is very well done indeed.
Lucius is very much an Alfa character. He is in the beginning quite arrogant (justifiably so; he's good at what he does); there many times where he is a complete jerk to Eden. But Eden is tough - and she doesn't let him defeat her. She's the queen of one-upmanship, and eventually, Lucius learns that appearances don't mean anything. Eden is not as soft as she seems; and in reality, she is a legitimate challenge to him every step of the way. The union of these two characters is one of mutual respect, friendship, desire, and love.
This book really is a great buy; a must read. I know you will enjoy the action-packed story, the thorough characterizations, and the thrilling romance as much as I did. I can't wait to read it again!
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enslave Me Sweetly, September 1, 2006
This review is from: Enslave Me Sweetly (Alien Huntress, Book 2) (Paperback)
I thought it was great! I enjoyed this book just as much as the first edition to this series. I read it in two settings-only because I needed to sleep. Gena Showalter has a way to make the imagined believable. A very refreshingly different escape from everyday realism, to the world of Gena!
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