Abducted by Adera Orfanelli

 Getting abducted by a hunky android wasn’t on Jacey’s list of things to do to try and reclaim her life after the death of her best friend and the loss of their business. But when her car crashes during a storm, she’s saved not by any rescue vehicle, but by Aiden Starsek, the Lord of BelaZed who informs her that he must have a wife or face deactivation. Jacey blames herself for her friend’s death. If she can stop another one, even if it means giving up everything she’s ever known, she will.

Aidan knows Deactivation Day nears and unless he’s able to find a human to love him he’ll die.. Unable to find love on his own planet, he discovers the beautiful Jacey on her own world, Earth. Her beauty entices him. Her compassion humbles him. And though in bed their passion is insatiable, he fears that it won’t turn to love in time to save his life. Only her love will save him, not just from Deactivation Day, but also from himself.

Abducted is a solidly written and enjoyable sci-fi romance. While it is a quick read, its novella length seemed to prevent the author from developing the characters as fully as I would have liked, especially Aiden’s character. I think that had the author expanded the story a bit, Aiden’s character could have been better developed to show how his being an android didn’t make him less than human – as was alluded to in the story. This is likely the primary reason that Abducted falls in the category of a good read, instead of a great read for me.

While I enjoyed the way in which Jacey’s abduction occurred – especially the calming gas scene – I felt she capitulated rather quickly compared to how hell-bent she was on not going calmly. I found Aiden’s character quite charming as he attempted to woo her (yes, I said woo and if you read the book you’ll understand why). The chemistry between the two was great and made for some rather stellar sex scenes.

Ms. Orfanelli has penned a well-written and enjoyable sci-fi romance that’s good for an afternoon of escapism. The characters are likeable and will leave you wanting your very own android. I enjoyed reading Abducted and look forward to reading more of the author’s work.

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