Marcus Sinclair had riches beyond compare, but what he wanted more than anything was a heart for his daughter. He had created Methuselah, a vanity drug that gave the appearance of youth, but which also caused problems in its long-term users, and birth defects in their children. His company was working on a cure, but his eight-year-old daughter was out of time. He had to get her a heart, and knew only one way to do it: to kidnap Tuesday Fitzpatrick, the sprite-like scientist who created the prototype of the artificial heart, because only she could get his daughter on the list.

Tuesday didn't recognize Marcus Sinclair's new face, but when he drugged and kidnapped her to a remote cabin in the middle of a gaming preserve, she realized there was something familiar about him. She was impervious to his wiles, except that she started to be won over by the nobility of his cause--saving his daughter's life. When she finally realized his identity, it was ironic; because here she was, stuck in this isolated place with a kidnapper she'd been fantasizing about for years. Only an assassination attempt had blown away much of his face, and the reconstruction enhancements made him a beautiful specimen of a man, but one with a face different from his own. She didn't realize that he was hiding from PURE, the racist organization that had designs on his life. The same organization that was trying to legislate a caste system based on genetic purity. The same organization that had been trying to recruit her. The same organization which had brainwashed the president's daughter.

Cyndi Friberg's anti-racism story resonates on levels beyond those of the purely romantic. She wrestles with issues of partisan organizations and governmental control, while putting a very human face on the victims of the racist organization. I had great sympathy for Marcus struggling against the twin enemies of bureaucracy and racism, all while racing against the clock to keep his daughter from having to pay with her life for his mistakes. I had empathy for Tuesday, who wanted to do the right thing, but was constrained by law and a natural reluctance from helping a man who kidnapped her. When she sees him for the man he is, she realizes her fantasies do not compare with the reality. Their chemistry is all anyone could ever want, though she has her own issues to overcome: her own low self-esteem, the vestigial ghost of her unhappy past romance. I was completely swept up in the fight for Elise's life, the search for Raeanne the president's daughter and the rebellion against Pure. I was also impressed by Raeanne, the coolest kick-ass female Jayne Wayne/Jane Bond-tough-one-woman-cavalry I've seen since, well, ever. An excellent read. I enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed her paranormal romance Born of the Shadows, winner of the Jasmine award. I look forward to reading all of Ms Friberg's future books.

Reviewed By: Allie
© Sept 2004