Hers to Choose by Patricia A. Knight
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Surprised by how much I liked it. I didn’t read Book One, and honestly didn’t notice I was missing anything until I realized I wanted to know more about some of the characters only to find they had their own book already. Whoops! When I started reading, I thought the premise (that the people on the planet Verdantia can connect to the planet’s living energy through sexual arousal) was an excuse for loads of superfluous sex, especially because the book starts in the middle of a sex scene between main male character and a courtesan. But quickly, I was pulled in to the story by the solid writing, good storytelling and witty banter. I loved the humorous, self-deprecation of the male lead and thoroughly enjoyed the conversation of hero and heroine throughout, as well as their sexual encounters.
Note: Some may find the torture of women hard to stomach, but mostly because the writer describes the scenes so well that it’s hard to get certain gruesome images out of one’s mind.