Take Me-Shelli Stevens

Take Me
Shelli Stevens
Kensington Aphrodisia, Aug 2009, $12.95
ISBN: 9780758235282

Talia of Zortou has spent years since she turned eighteen as a Rosabelle pleasing males on a world where females are scarce . Not once in all that time did the highest bidder for her services consider her pleasure; instead they took what they wanted as they all felt they paid for their enjoyment not hers.

Undercover operative Ryder arrives on Zortou to thwart an invasion of his planet Bolton. He learns that the handlers of Talia are behind the schemes. Believing she knows their intimate secrets, Ryder abducts her planning to seduce her into telling all. As he gives the woman of pleasure ecstasy for the first time in her life, Ryder finds he enjoys making love with her as much as she does with him though she tries to hide her passion he has enflamed. Talia realizes he is her ticket to freedom while Ryder realizes he wants more form his prisoner besides information, but having been brainwashed for her entire life she finds it difficult to betray her abusive handlers.

Talia is a fascinating lead character as she wants to tell all to her kind liberator, but has problems doing so as she has been trained form almost birth to accept male dominance and abuse; she accepts is her fault when her handlers rough her up for an indiscretion. Ryder is more typical as a hunk of a hero. Although the lack of background about either planet leaves readers anchorless, fans will enjoy the erotic romance between a couple from different walks of life and planets.

Harriet Klausner