Solar Heat

Azsla is a spy sent to sabotage a colony started by escaped slaves, but when she falls for mining CEO Derrek Archer, betrayal becomes her game. Can she and Derrek stop her people from destroying his world? If you like a blend of sci fi with sexy romance, this is for you.

Azsla and her crew are traveling from her home on Rama to Zor. Azsla's parents were killed when slaves cast a rebellion and escaped to Zor. Azsla is working undercover, pretending to be a slave in order to get to Zor and discover if they might be preparing to attack Rama. Several malfunctions on the ship cause them to abort and eject into space in their sleep pods. Azsla prays they will survive and be rescued. Derrek Archer is a wealthy mining entrepreneur. He mines and delivers the life-building salt people need to become strong and healthy. Firsts- those born to privilege on Rama- are stronger, taller and healthier than slaves because they have access to salt. On his way to a meeting in Zor, Derrek is asked to pick up the pods and investigate what happened to those who may have survived. The concept of slaves being equals is foreign to Azsla but Derrek believes they should all be equals. Derrek and Azsla are attracted to each other and Derrek's attraction is nearly overwhelming, but Azsla is a spy. Can these two born enemies find a future together? Solar Heat is an interesting story. Although it takes place in a different time and place, the similarities to modern prejudices are obvious. It's a unique way to look at an age-old dilemma. Solar Heat's outer space planets and terminology are entertaining and the romance is strong. It's a good story Nannette reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

This book is the follow up to 'Island Heat' and features the brother of the hero of that book. I wasn't particularly keen on the previous book but this one is a great improvement. Set in space and on a different planet, this story examines the nature of trust between two people whose histories make them sworn enemies. It's also an uplifting story of people working together to prevent a disaster and of camaraderie amongst a spaceship crew. Azsla is a First, one of the hierarchy of the planet Rama. Firsts have special powers, something called Quait which enables them to control the bodies of all the slaves on their planet. When a slave rebellion took place ten years before and a large number of slaves colonised another planet, Azsla's parents were brutally murdered in front of her by the escaping slaves. Azsla has vowed to work for the Raman authorities to return the slaves to Rama and, as part of her work to be a spy, has learned how to fight, how to pass as one of the slaves and how to subdue her Quait so that she can merge in with the slaves. Azsla's mission to travel to the slave planet Zor starts to go wrong almost immediately. Her ship is attacked and she and her slave crewmembers have to use the escape pod, one of the crewmembers giving up his pod space for her and thus being killed. Azsla finds herself feeling responsible for the slaves when their pods are picked up by a mining ship and these feelings continue and strengthen as they arrive on Zor and Azsla starts to carry out her plan of sabotage. Unfortunately the boss of the mining company that picked her up, Derrek Archer, has somehow got under her skin. He hates Firsts with a passion as they have ruined his life, yet as they get closer to each other Azsla knows that she is living a huge lie that will make him hate her. When an asteroid threatens the planet Zor, Azsla is the only person with the knowledge to make the weapon to destroy it, but proving that she is a First may destroy her relationship. Derrek has to learn to trust someone who has lied to him and they both have to learn to trust the strange alien voice that seems to be communicating with them telepathically. This story was very enjoyable with good pacing, interesting characters and a well-drawn world. Many authors might have dwelled rather too strongly on the disagreements between Azsla and Derrek when her secret was revealed but Susan Kearney handled it well, showing how people in love might be able to understand difference and to see the good in each other. There was minimal reference made to the previous book and the characters in it were only obliquely mentioned and so this book would be easy to understand for someone approaching this story without having read the other. All in all it was a very good read. Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

Intersolar Mining asteroid minor Derrek Archer rescues Azsla from her apparent drifting emergency pod where she is asleep in suspended animation. Even before she awakens he is attracted to her, which makes him wary as that just does not happen in real life especially in deep space. When she revives, Azsla is shocked how much she wants the minor, but knows her undercover espionage mission comes before her desires. As Derrek and Azsla begin to fall in love, each remains cautious with their feelings especially since each supports opposing enemies. However when a pandemic threat means many innocent lives dying; this couple must overcome their suspicions of one another to unite in love in order to prevent a catastrophe. SOLAR HEAT is an exciting science fiction romance starring two interesting lead protagonists who are obvious enemies until love changes their relationship. Azsla is the more fascinating of the pair, as she is an outer space Mata Hari who comes from a slave planet while he is a roguish loner although he has hundreds of employees. Readers, more so romance fans than sci fi purists, will enjoy watching the struggles of this couple to team up in spite of their love for one another to stop the calamity from happening. Harriet Klausner