3.5/5; 4 stars; B+I enjoyed this story. Since most of the Cherise Sinclair books I've read have been in the Shadowlands series this book felt like quite a departure. I really enjoy sci-fi/space opera type books and this had a bit of the vibe of the Sharon Lee/Steve Miller Liaden universe books (but with a whole lot more sex!). At its core it was a nice romance. The only thing that bugged me about the story was I thought Mella was really TSTL when it came to trusting Dain. It felt a bit contrived and her VERY sudden turnaround in thinking near the end was hard to swallow. Otherwise the story was good and I hope Cherise Sinclair writes more in this universe.