Silver Bound by Ella Drake (Carina Press, 2010 Audio version)

4 1/2 Stars!  Ella Drake is one of my new fav authors.  Her world building is amazing, her character sketches intriguing, and her storytelling is flawless! This is the second book I have read by this author...and I feel lucky to have discovered her!

Silver tipping is one of the main problems the H and h have to overcome throughout the book.  It is a procedure that puts the female into sexual slavery and wipes her of all her memories. I found it a sad and horrific process. It certainly kept this reader glued to the story, hoping all along they would be able to find a solution.

Definitely recommend Silver Bound by Ella Drake who truly has quite the knack for world building!


Copied Blurb:
Sheriff Guy Trident doesn't have much to do with off-worlders; he has his hands full keeping his own planet safe. But he'll do anything, go anywhere to save Jewel Quinn. She broke his heart years ago when she left to marry a Terraloft aristocrat. Now she's run away from her husband, only to fall into the clutches of slavers.
Posing as a wealthy playboy, Guy arrives at Zuthuru Station to learn he's too late: Jewel's memories have been erased. She's been tipped in silver, a process that leaves nothing behind except her body, sexually bound to pleasuring her master. Unwilling to give up hope, Guy buys her.
Jewel fights to reclaim herself, recalling a different connection to the handsome sheriff, remembering the frightened eyes of a young boy and the events that made her run. Together she and Guy search for her cure, plan her son's rescue from her ruthless ex, and test if they have any kind of future...before the past catches up to them.

My Rating: 4.5

Additional Audio Notes:
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd
Narrator: Janet Metzger

Jaq's Harp by Ella Drake (Carina Press, 2011)

4 ½ Stars! A stimulating futuristic twist on Jack and the Beanstalk! With a kick-ass heroine, and a fabulous title, you can’t go wrong grabbing this one up! And I so love the cover :D

Jaq’s main plight in this novella is to get the cure her younger sister needs to live. She must find a way to get to the floating islands, sneak into Giant’s secure headquarters and steal the antidote. Oh, and then get out. Adding to the mix, a year ago her fiance went deep undercover in the same place, leaving Jaq behind brokenhearted. And he is still there, somewhere. Will she run into Harp while searching for the antidote?

Ella Drake kept this reader glued to the page with her well paced plot, with lots of action! I really liked both of the characters. I also felt Drake did a great job of world building and creating the romance within a shorter word count. Perhaps because the couple had a previous relationship, I found their current attraction quite believable. Highly recommended whether you like sci-fi or not. Jaq’s Harp is an exceedingly entertaining novella with a conclusion much different than the original fairy tale. I hope that Ms. Drake revisits this world, as I would love to learn more about it! I will be watching for more stories by this creative author!

Copied Blurb:

In a world of floating islands and bio-engineered beans, the bad guys are taken down by agents of the MOTHER organization-agents like Jacqueline "Jaq" Robinson. Instead of accepting her next routine assignment, she sets out on a mission of her own-to destroy Giant Corp, the company responsible for her sister's wasting illness. Jaq must steal her cure from Giant's headquarters high above the city...even though she'll be brought face-to-face with Harper English, the man who left her to go deep undercover at Giant.

For Harp, Jaq had been a distraction the mercenary thought he couldn't afford. But once he sees her again, Harp knows he's made a mistake. Even though she vowed he won't have her again, it's clear they still have a powerful attraction. Harp's determined to get a second chance with Jaq-if they can escape Giant Corp and get back to solid ground in one piece...

My Rating: 4.5