Devon’s review of Compromised by Nathalie Gray
Futuristic erotic romance eBook released by Red Sage 1 May 08
When will I ever learn to pay more attention to detail? I enjoy a good futuristic/Sci-Fi romance now and then, and Nathalie Gray’s books looked like they would fit the bill. I was intrigued by the descriptions of kick ass heroines, and harsh futuristic settings. So when Compromised came up for review, I jumped on it. When I opened it up to read, I was dismayed to see that it was a novella. Novellas tend not to work for me, especially erotic romance ones. But it sounded good, and I like reunited lovers stories, so I pressed on.
Compromised is the story of Jojo DaSilva, a soldier whose latest mission is to rescue an undercover operative from the clutches of some very nasty aliens. The operation goes horribly awry, and Jojo is faced with a tough decision: abort the mission and leave the prisoner behind, or go against orders and get him out. When she finds out that the prisoner is her ex-lover Mathias Horsen, the decision is made for her.
Compromised was okay. My issues with it were the same issues I always have with erotic romance, particularly of the paranormal/futuristic kind. There’s just not enough length to get a strong feel for the world, the characters, and the romance, and I’m left feeling unsatisfied. Unlike the hero and heroine, who barely wait to make their escape to get to some heavy duty sexin’. The sex scenes were pretty hot and well-written, but I had to stifle a giggle when Mat pops a boner even though he’s strapped in a torture chamber. One would think it might take a moment to recover, but I guess he was real happy to see his ex.
Of the two, Jojo was the more interesting character. I think I got to know her character better, because more time was spent on her at the beginning. Mat was more of a cipher. His overriding characteristics seemed to be his Scandinavian hotness, his sexual prowess, and the fact that he’s really into Jojo. The futuristic setting was interesting at first, but then merely served as a backdrop for the sex scenes. The ending was a bit abrupt as well.
Nathalie Gray’s writing style is good. The story flowed well, and I liked her heroine. I would definitely try her again, but in a longer format, where there could be more plot and character development. If you’re looking for something short and hot, this definitely fits the bill, but if you’re interested in a stronger sci-fi element, this will probably disappoint.
Grade: C
The Summary:
Jojo Da Silva always gets her man.
She’s been an elite extraction team member long enough to know second-guessing can kill you. Get in, secure the target, then get out. Anything in the way is to be shot, blasted or destroyed. Especially those vicious Elfs, Exoskeletal Humanoid Life Forms with a mean streak that seems to grow wider in torture chambers during interrogations. No human has ever survived an Elf interrogation. Never.
Jojo knows this time she has to get her man before the Elfs discover his true identity and interrogate him. He’s been undercover on their trading station, so deep undercover that even she doesn’t know his identity. All she knows is the yellow dot on her wristband monitor that shows his location.
But when her target turns out to be her tough, daring, disappearing ex, a man as handsome as he was shrewd, one gifted with amazingly skilled hands and an even more wicked mouth, Jojo can’t seem to follow orders as usual. Abandon the compromised mission? No way! She has two hours, and Jojo won’t let Mathias die. He disappeared from her life, and she’s missed his loving ever since. She won’t let him slip away again.
Because Jojo always gets her man, and this time, it’s personal.
Read an excerpt here (scroll down)
