Once upon a time there were arranged marriages. Luckily we don’t have to worry about such things now. At least, those of us who aren't half-alien with mysterious pedigrees don't have to worry about arranged marriages. They bring up all kinds of issues that most contemporary cultures don’t have to worry about. The initial relationship in Forced Mate falls into that category of unavoidable arrangements. In most situations, characters swept into life decisions by powers beyond their control would be thought of as a couple of limp biscuits, ready to crumble at the merest conflict.

But "the wicked Prince"Tarrant-Arragon, kidnapper bridegroom and Djinni-vera, (pronounced Jinney) the Saurian White Knight bride, are designed of far-from-crumbly material. That's a good thing, becauseForced Mate has a nerve-wracking premise based on the chess move of "forced mate," when two kings rush a single queen. The second King in Forced Mate --and the major obstacle--is the mysterious J-J, Djinni's intended bridegroom affianced from childhood. The hero is a seven foot tall Alpha male of a species that goes into a "rutrageous" condition when confronted with a compatible female during her fertile cycle.

There's an ironic subterfuge where Tigger is trying to marry his bride before she figures out who he is. Djinni guesses who he is but is trying to get close enough to kill Tigger without falling for him. Complications in the plot may be a bit convoluted for the typical romance reader who might have to refer frequently to the genealogy chart in the first of the book. Also, not all loose ends are tied, so one leaves the book waiting for a sequel. Forced Mate is an entertaining futuristic romantic science fiction tale with action and a touch of humor, with a relationship between the primaries that builds in a realistic way even as the political situation degenerates and more mysteries come into play.

Reviewer Maîtresse
Copyright 2005