I just finished re-reading Forced Mate, anticipating the second in the series coming out in February. Tarrant-Arragon, is a great Djinn, the next god-Emperor of Tigron. All the virgins of the universe belong to him. Well, nothing like having such a heavy burden. The problems facing the Poor Lord Emperor is such a burden. He storms around projecting Mr. Macho, Ruler of the Universe because it's what is expected of him. However, the Djinns are getting scarce in this neck of the Universe, so 'Tigger' must find a bride quickly. The only one fitting the bill is his second cousin, who is half-Djinn, half-earthling. Tigger's lass cannot just live in a bottle, wears nifty 'I Dream of..' pink outfits, and blinks her way through all her predicaments. Nope, Djinn-Vera is a Saurian Knight, dedicated to bringing down the Tigger's tyranny at all costs. Okay, things are starting to get complicated in Djinn-Djinn land! Djinn-Vera is betrothed to Djetthro-Jason, another cousin, but she is attracted to the handsome man she believes is a Saurian Knight she assumes her father sent. Tarrant cannot risk letting this prime piece of marriage material get away from him, so he abducts Djinn-Vera. Only Djinn-Vera has a stubborn case of 'crossed legs' and isn't about to go along with the mating ritual Tarrant's people expect from him. Figuring is if she knew he was Mr. Big Ruler of the Universe might make it hard to get her wedded and bedded, he sets out to capture Djinn-Vera's heart without letting her know who is literally taking her to the stars.

Cherry brings her own style of humour to this challenging book, that leaves the door open to many more adventures for the Djinn. It's a sexy adventure that will keep you entertained. I highly suggest ordering now, because the sequel, Insufficient Mating Material, comes out in February 2007. At that point, you can bet Forced Mate will be hard to get a hold of. I also recommend the novella by Cherry, Mating Net, which is a prequel to Forced Mate. So learn just how sexy chess can be!

If you like romance and sci-fi action and adventure, this is the book for you. FORCED MATE takes a contemporary woman, highly trained in the defense arts, and pits her against the most powerful (and sexiest) man in all the universe. The passion is palbable and the plot is enthralling.

Forced Mate is one of the best sci-fi romances I've read, and I'll most certainly be buying books from this author again.

Forced Mate
Rowena Cherry
Lovespell, Nov 2004, $5.99,320pp
ISBN: 0505526018

Prince Tarrant-Arragon of the Tigran Empire always gets his way; so when he selected his bride, he expected nothing less than her capitulation. If she refused, he would take her anyway because the future of his empire rested on his mating with the last known virgin Djinni.

Djinni-Vera is the daughter of Tarrant's rival, Djetthro-Jason (earthlings call him J. J.) and an Englishwoman. Her sire has raised her to detest Prince Tarrant-Arragon. What he fails to tell his daughter is that he, J. J., has plans to usurp the throne from his cousin Tarrant, the rightful prince.

Tarrant abducts Vera as a tool to accomplish his objective of solidifying his hold on the empire and thwarting his enemy, J. J. To his shock, he finds he likes his defiant Forced Mate. To Vera's even greater jolt, her new husband is arrogant but kind and caring; and his retinue, instead of fearing him, seems to like and respect him. She is torn between believing her father, the head of the noble Saurian Knights, and her husband as to whether Tarrant is savior or tyrant.

Forced Mate is a terrific science fiction tale that uses humor to forward the exciting plot. The storyline includes elements of a suspense thriller and romance but never loses its essence as a galaxy empire tale. Still, the key to Rowena Beaumont Cherry's fine story is the believability of the cast. Fans will believe in these seven-foot (non-NBA) hunks from space and wish the best for the delightful "half-breed", Djinni-Vera. This excellent romantic sci-fi thriller calls for a sequel or two as several other players deserve to have their story told.

Harriet Klausner