Star-Crossed Negotiations by Tessa McFionn
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In the Nexxus system, water is a scarce commodity. Vice Ambassador Kieran Phaetal has been given the monumental task to broker peace and heal the century's old wound between the water planet of Westran Alpha and the savage denizens of Hexaka. As he boards the first available transport vessel, his thoughts focused on the future only to have his past rise up and kick him right in the gut.
It had been six years since Vanysha Kureen had seen the man who abandoned their love and destroyed her life. Six long years of climbing up from slavery as one of the Unsought, disowned and discarded, to become navigator and owner of The Royal Janstar. When an impromptu flight through the bloodiest quadrant of the Nexxus system drops into her lap, she finds her luck turning for the worst as she discovers Kieran is their passenger moments before her ship is shot down, crashing onto Hexaka in flames. With the rest of her crew injured or dead, it’s up to Vanysha and Kieran to search for help on the hostile desert planet.
Forced together by enemy fire, they must move beyond the anger and passion swirling between them to bring an end to the hostilities. With the fate of the Nexxus system at stake as well as her own happiness, can Vanysha dare to trust Kieran with her scarred and shattered heart or will his mission destroy their chance at forever?
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5 out of 5 (exceptional)
STAR-CROSSED NEGOTIATIONS is a hard-hitting story of love and betrayal, of wars fought and peace wanted. It is everything I have come to expect from a Tessa McFionn book and I loved every word!
Vanysha and Kieran were young lovers, torn apart by a disapproving parent and the events that followed were kept secret. Move forward six years and they meet again by chance when the ship Kieran is using to take him to another planet is the one Vanysha bought. Everything that could go wrong, does go wrong, but they still make it to Hexaka. What they find there is nothing that they expected but turns into something even more.
I really felt for Van and Kieran in this story. Neither of them deserved what happened to them, especially Van. They are well-rounded characters with understandable pain and anguish. There wasn't a single thing about them that could have been better.
The supporting cast is just as good - both on the ship and planet-side! I adore H'reeh and I really hope his children get a story of their own! In fact, I hope we return to Hexaka. It is a much nicer world than Central! Plus, I need to see how Van and Kieran getting on.
Steadily paced, this novel gives the characters time to adjust to circumstances, and that made the steamy time even hotter. Definitely worth the wait.
This is definitely a Royal Jan-star this author's crown! Please tell me we're returning, please!!! HIGHLY recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books
Tessa McFionn is a very native Californian and has called Southern California home for most of her life, growing up in San Diego and attending college in Northern California and Orange County, only to return to San Diego to work as a teacher. Insatiably curious and imaginative, she loves to learn and discover, making her wicked knowledge of trivial facts an unwelcomed guest at many Trivial Pursuit boards. When not writing, she can be found at the movies or at Disneyland with her husband, as well as family, friends or anyone who wants to play at the Happiest Place on Earth. She also finds her artistic soul fed through her passions for theatre, dance and music. A proud parent of far too many high school seniors and two still living house plants, she also enjoys hockey, reading and playing Words With Friends to keep her vocabulary sharp. She is currently the treasurer of the San Diego chapter of Romance Writers of America and loves spending time working with such amazingly intelligent and creative writers.
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