Rowena Cherry, Insufficient Mating Material Review

Overall Rating

Insufficient Mating Material
Rowena Cherry
Love Spell, Feb 2007, $6.99
ISBN: 0505527111

In 1994 (Earth equivalent date), in the Tigran Empire, Prince Djetthro-Jason knows he lost the duel to Tarrant-Arragon in which to the victor went the empire, the Ark Imperial, and any woman he desired. To the loser in the Great Djinn tradition went death, but for some unknown reason the conqueror allows his opponent to live as a love slave to Princess Martia-Djulia, the sister of the taunting winner. Alpha male Commander Jason is dead and crippled surgically with a tattoo you know where to symbolize his insufficiency. The altered Prince Djetthro-Jason must live as a subservient FORCED MATE to a beta female.

Prince Tarrant-Arragon's brilliant plan is to eliminate two natural enemies by forcing them to mate. Thus the loser Jason is stuck with the centerfold of Fashionista. However, Martia-Djulia refuses to wed that loser so she runs away to avoid the public mating rite. Soon she and her INSUFFICIENT MATING MATERIAL are stranded on a not-so-deserted isle with enemies surrounding them who want them both left dead there.

This is a terrific, science-fiction romance in which the world-building is so stupendous readers will believe they are visiting an alien landscape with different societal values and norms. The action-packed storyline focuses on two manipulated individuals with pasts that make both vulnerable to threats. As they struggle to survive while falling in love, Djetthro is willing to die to keep his "Marsh" safe and Martia concludes she would willingly mate with a hero. With her Tigran Empire tales, Rowena Cherry is staking a claim as the Empress of the heated, science-fiction, romantic thriller.

Harriet Klausner