Favorite Line: “The autopsy confirmed that it was Emmaline, and that she had died horribly.” (p. 96)

Miles Flint is a retrieval artist determined to flush out the files of his past. He has found clues that point toward his ex-wife who might be keeping a life altering secret.

The Recovery Man has taken Rhonda Shindo, fka Rhonda Flint, to face alien justice on another planet, but not before terrorizing her 13-year-old daughter, Talia.

The police on Callisto, Jupiter’s Moon where Rhonda lives, begin to search for Rhonda immediately and assume responsibility for Talia. But a legal document throws everything off balance.

Rhonda signed a contract with her employer before she became a parent and agreed that if anything were to happen to her, the company would become her child’s guardian.

Is the kidnapping really about Rhonda? Or is it a way to gain access to her child?

Ms. Rusch has an entire series entitled the Retrieval Artist. This series takes place far in the future when people live on Jupiter and its moon, Callisto. Recovery Man is book six in the series and the only book I’ve read that was written by Ms. Rusch.

It was told in the third-person and kept me up to date as it traveled from character to character. It was cleanly written; I never wondered what was going on nor did I become confused. The science and technology was nothing new (moving sidewalks, talking houses, computer avatars…), but I did find the actual story to be detailed, interesting and entertaining.

Would I read it again? No and I don’t see myself urging others to read it, but if you’re in the mood for a science fiction book and have no other story in mind you might want to check Recovery Man out.

Favorite Lines: “You’ve really got a bad situation here, and I’m sympathizing with that. Being the only woman and all.” (p. 30)

Lt. Xera Harris-d is a translator aboard a Galactic Explorers ship that crashes after a battle with the Scorpio people on a hostile planet. The Scorpio ship is also damaged and crashes too. The two groups of people agree to join forces against the dangers of the planet, because there is safety in numbers.

It isn’t long before Xera is approached by her human companions with offers of sex for protection, but she is shocked when the Scorpio people rescue her.

Commander Ryven Atarus is fascinated by the strong willed blue eyed woman on the enemy’s ship. She is brave and intelligent. The kind of girl you take home to your family.

No Words Alone by Autumn Dawn is a futuristic romance. It follows a virginal woman taken captive and given a position of power, who marries and finds love.  Despite my irritation with the aliens speaking like humans, I realized I was enjoying an old fashioned romance. (Virgin meets warrior, saves herself for marriage, falls in love, etc…)

No Words Alone is full of cliches, but in a good way. It’s classic, as in oh my God, they didn’t do that. But even as I giggled as “he rode her to her reward” and at other inappropriate moments, I couldn’t put the book down.

The world building was interesting, the villainous creatures that threatened the Scorpio society were gross. I mentally played matchmaker to the great secondary characters and planned out their stories.

I guess what I’m getting at is if you enjoy a good romance on an alien planet, No Words Alone could be the book for you.