"Sexy, hard edged futuristic."

Hannah Roberts is a breeding slave on a future Earth. She has been raised to bear children for wealthy couples who select her and the baby's father from catalogs. Her owner, Simon Romero, personally trained her to please sexually. When he announces that he has planned her first Breeding Ceremony she pretends to be happy but she is not. Hannah knows that she will be locked in a breeding pen and forced to mate with any man who chooses her until she is pregnant. She also knows that by law she will be allowed to keep her firstborn up till the age of 16. All other children she will have will be taken from her and raised by adoptive parents. Simon has decided that his six sons should be the first to share Hannah and that one of them should be the father of her firstborn. Hannah has had enough of life on a breeder plantation and plans her escape via the Underground Railroad.

Jacob Romero, Simon's oldest son, has been trained as a hitman. His job is to track down and execute runaway slaves. When he arrives home for Hannah's breeding ceremony and discovers that she has run away, he has no choice but to find her and kill her. Jacob and Hannah have always loved each other and although he was away from home for several years he still has feelings for her. When Jacob finds Hannah on the beach he aims his gun. But can he shoot the women he loves? If he doesn't kill her he will be next on the hit list.

I think the authors have a good idea for a plot. It's unique and everyone who reads it will be able to identify with the analogy to American slavery. I especially like the Underground Railroad to freedom and hitman concepts.

However, the two things I was disappointed about were the dialogue and the characters. The dialogue didn't flow for me and in most scenes I felt the conversation had no human emotion, especially under the characters' circumstances. I felt it particularly difficult to believe that a woman who had been sexually abused multiple times could so eagerly give herself to the son of the man who abused her; especially when said son believes what his father did was right. The hero didn't seem to care what his father was up to.

In addition to that, the characters were not well developed. I think a bit of psychology research would have helped a great deal with character development.Their motives were not believable and I just couldn't like them-- even Hannah. For example, Jacob has been killing runaway slaves for years and he believes in the concept of slavery. In one scene Hannah tells him she doesn't want to be a slave. His response is "My father purchased you for that purpose. You're his property. He can do with you what he pleases." Her response; "No man owns me." To which he replies, "Who the hell taught you this crap, your mother?" He never seems to change his mind either. This guy is not my idea of a hero. He just wants to be with Hannah but seems to care less about the bigger picture--the institution of slavery. They have lots of hot sex but I just couldn't feel the love. Readers will have to decide what they want: a well developed story with hot sex, or just hot sex.

Rated Carnal by publisher. Sex: oral sex, anal sex, multiple partners (mmmf), penetration with object.

Reviewed by Angela Black for Sensual Romance.

Reviewed by Sensual Romance
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted February 19, 2004

Summary

When a female Breeder Slave decides to run, a Hitman is hired. One of these Hitmen is Jacob. One of these runners is Hannah.

Jacob's never had trouble doing his job...until now. Hannah's never experienced passion...until now. Hiding out in an abandoned beach stone mansion, Hannah and Jacob explore their love.

Rating: Contains graphic, explicit sex, coarse language, and mild violence.