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Fringe #1
Thief
On the edge of freedom lies a dangerous love. Nothing has ever come easy for Jace Lawless, captain of the salvage vessel Mutiny. Forced into thievery after a virus unleashed by the InnerWorld Government killed his family, only one ambition burns at the back of his mind. Kill the next IWOG officer he has at his mercy. Bargaining over goods with a middleman isn’t exactly his strong suit. But who in his right mind spends an entire salvage job’s profits on a woman, even if she has a body built for sin and eyes so fathomless a man could lose himself in them? He must be getting soft. Once Kraft realizes Jace expects only the “cook” part of their cook-whore contract, she sets out to change his antiquated ideas about women. A challenge she relishes, especially if it earns her the freedom and money to get her own ship. Her big mistake is letting down her guard. Shameless flirting only intensifies the itch to ride Jace hard and put him away wet—several times. It’s an itch it would be dangerous to scratch. Exposing her heart could reveal her secret, one that the still-grieving Jace must never know…or showing her mercy will be the last thing on his mind. Contains a celibate ship captain who can’t abide swearing, a kick-ass woman with a marshmallow heart, a motley crew of misfits, interstellar battles, thwarted groping, sensual seduction, and a total bastard who owns his own planet.
293 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2010
9 people are currently reading
488 people want to read
About the author
Anitra Lynn McLeod
129 books237 followersReading, writing, and white-water rafting are the three things Anitra Lynn enjoys the most. She is the author of erotic romances from contemporary to science fiction and everything in between. Even though her tales range from sensual to sizzling, with settings from the high rises of New York to the distant shores of an alien world, one thing all her stories share is compelling characters involved in unforgettable romances.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 29, 2010
This was an exciting space adventure! To tell you the truth I didn’t know if I would like this, but as I kept reading the more I liked it. Anitra keeps dropping bombs on you, just when you think the h/h are going to get along, BAM! Something huge hits them and throws them apart again, that’s when I would be sucked in again just to see how they were going to work their way out of the next mess. Needless to say this is not a quick read its one that you want to savor as you read and really pay attention to see it you can find out what comes next and I never could..
This warning label just about says it all for what you get; Warning: Contains a celibate ship captain who can’t abide swearing, a kick-ass woman with a marshmallow heart, a motley crew of misfits, interstellar battles, thwarted groping, sensual seduction, and a total bastard who owns his own planet. I will add humor, emotions and some very exciting fighting action along with a great cast of characters.
I simply loved the first of the book when the two crews meet it was so funny and Heller, he is just a hoot that really needs to get some sex to calm him down * wicked grin* I hope he gets a book soon!
Jace and Kraft I loved them both. The biggest problem some may have is you want to see them talk their feelings out more, but not every thing is cut and dried, so the way this plays out is a no fun picnic for them and it’s a very emotional ride. You get a lot of sexual tension and the sex is there just not a whole lot, what’s there is very tasteful and enough to keep you going. I am so glad the villain in this story gets what he so deserves.
Kraft is a little different then most people, she has a touch of paranormal. She can do things and read things that no one can, so this makes the story more interesting and if you a PNR reader that likes futuristic, I totally recommend this book.
I could tell you so much more, but I just cant give it all out, so if your in the mood for a deep space adventure, please try this. This is very well explained and I am so looking forward to book two.. I hope its Payton and Garrett….
This warning label just about says it all for what you get; Warning: Contains a celibate ship captain who can’t abide swearing, a kick-ass woman with a marshmallow heart, a motley crew of misfits, interstellar battles, thwarted groping, sensual seduction, and a total bastard who owns his own planet. I will add humor, emotions and some very exciting fighting action along with a great cast of characters.
I simply loved the first of the book when the two crews meet it was so funny and Heller, he is just a hoot that really needs to get some sex to calm him down * wicked grin* I hope he gets a book soon!
Jace and Kraft I loved them both. The biggest problem some may have is you want to see them talk their feelings out more, but not every thing is cut and dried, so the way this plays out is a no fun picnic for them and it’s a very emotional ride. You get a lot of sexual tension and the sex is there just not a whole lot, what’s there is very tasteful and enough to keep you going. I am so glad the villain in this story gets what he so deserves.
Kraft is a little different then most people, she has a touch of paranormal. She can do things and read things that no one can, so this makes the story more interesting and if you a PNR reader that likes futuristic, I totally recommend this book.
I could tell you so much more, but I just cant give it all out, so if your in the mood for a deep space adventure, please try this. This is very well explained and I am so looking forward to book two.. I hope its Payton and Garrett….
April 18, 2011
This book takes place in the year 2476. Most of the events take place on the Mutiny. This is the salvage ship of Captain Jace Lawless. His ship mates have a tight familial relationship. When the ship acquires a new cook turmoil builds up in the form of distrust and conflicts from both the new comer and the current crew. Being a cook on a ship is nothing new for Kraft. She’s done it before and she holds her head high as she prepares to do it again. Ill circumstances have fallen on her. She still has her heart and her honor, so she will keep going another day. Kraft also has a secret bombshell that I never saw coming. There are plenty unsuspected surprises in this book that keep the pages turning at a good pace. All the characters work together on the Mutiny while avoiding a cruel and over controlling government, IWOG. IWOG has caused some nature of harm to fall on all the crew of the Mutiny. The readers are given plenty of space traveling action adventure.
I often mention the pursuit or the chase when I am going on and on about romance in a book. With this book I feel that I need to mention the dance. I should point out that I am totally stealing this phrase from the book. I liked the romance with Kraft and Jace. They are living lives that will always keep them going in opposite directions of one another. They are dancing. The actions of their lives, the directions they are going, the relationship that is being avoided, the constant flirting, it is a dance. The characters are even referring to their actions as dancing. I loved the dance reference. How characters pursue one another is what grasps my attention with any romance. There has to be a chase. I do not want to read a romance where the characters just cave in and fall into each other’s arms for no apparent reason. With that said, the dancing in this book is great. Not heavy on the sexual aspect, but plenty of dancing.
I often mention the pursuit or the chase when I am going on and on about romance in a book. With this book I feel that I need to mention the dance. I should point out that I am totally stealing this phrase from the book. I liked the romance with Kraft and Jace. They are living lives that will always keep them going in opposite directions of one another. They are dancing. The actions of their lives, the directions they are going, the relationship that is being avoided, the constant flirting, it is a dance. The characters are even referring to their actions as dancing. I loved the dance reference. How characters pursue one another is what grasps my attention with any romance. There has to be a chase. I do not want to read a romance where the characters just cave in and fall into each other’s arms for no apparent reason. With that said, the dancing in this book is great. Not heavy on the sexual aspect, but plenty of dancing.
March 18, 2017
Excellent dystoptian. M/m
October 10, 2011
Thief is the first book in The Fringe series by Anitra Lynn McLeod and a Sci-Fi from Samhain Publishing.
Book Blurb:
On the edge of freedom lies a dangerous love.
Nothing has ever come easy for Jace Lawless, captain of the salvage vessel Mutiny. Forced into thievery after a virus unleashed by the InnerWorld Government killed his family, only one ambition burns at the back of his mind. Kill the next IWOG officer he has at his mercy.
Bargaining over goods with a middleman isn’t exactly his strong suit. But who in his right mind spends an entire salvage job’s profits on a woman, even if she has a body built for sin and eyes so fathomless a man could lose himself in them? He must be getting soft.
Once Kraft realizes Jace expects only the “cook” part of their cook-whore contract, she sets out to change his antiquated ideas about women. A challenge she relishes, especially if it earns her the freedom and money to get her own ship. Her big mistake is letting down her guard.
Shameless flirting only intensifies the itch to ride Jace hard and put him away wet—several times. It’s an itch it would be dangerous to scratch. Exposing her heart could reveal her secret, one that the still-grieving Jace must never know…or showing her mercy will be the last thing on his mind.
My thoughts:
Jace Lawless and the crew of Mutiny are thieves - honorable thieves, as far as thieves go - but thieves nonetheless.
When Jace gets word that a ship has been abandoned in space he and his crew gear up to salvage anything they can find that will bring them a profit.
But they aren’t the only ones who’ve come to salvage this ship.
Captain Kraft and her crew have also been sent to the derelict ship and they arrived first. Ambushing Jace and his crew, Kraft is intrigued by what she sees in Captain Lawless - and it has been awhile since Kraft was intrigued by anything.
Amid posturing and threats from their respective crew members, Kraft and Lawless come to a mutual understanding and both leave satisfied thinking they’d never see each other again.
But fate, and a scumbag lowlife, have other plans. Jace is shocked the next time he sees Kraft - but there is honor among some thieves, and Jace is unwilling to leave Kraft in the situation she’s now facing.
No good deed goes unpunished....
Every now and again I like to shake things up - step away from my UF reads and grab a good Sci-Fi.
Thief is a good Sci-Fi.
I love Kraft. She is fierce and independent - but not hard and unfeeling. She carries secrets - secrets that may prevent her from ever finding true peace.
Jace is conflicted. He has lost so much - and is unwilling to allow himself to be that vulnerable again. Just when he decides to open up and take a risk with his heart - he is betrayed by the secrets of the past.
I give Thief 4 out of 5 stars.
Product Details
Paperback: 296 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (10-4-11)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1609282957
ISBN-13: 978-1609282950
Book Blurb:
On the edge of freedom lies a dangerous love.
Nothing has ever come easy for Jace Lawless, captain of the salvage vessel Mutiny. Forced into thievery after a virus unleashed by the InnerWorld Government killed his family, only one ambition burns at the back of his mind. Kill the next IWOG officer he has at his mercy.
Bargaining over goods with a middleman isn’t exactly his strong suit. But who in his right mind spends an entire salvage job’s profits on a woman, even if she has a body built for sin and eyes so fathomless a man could lose himself in them? He must be getting soft.
Once Kraft realizes Jace expects only the “cook” part of their cook-whore contract, she sets out to change his antiquated ideas about women. A challenge she relishes, especially if it earns her the freedom and money to get her own ship. Her big mistake is letting down her guard.
Shameless flirting only intensifies the itch to ride Jace hard and put him away wet—several times. It’s an itch it would be dangerous to scratch. Exposing her heart could reveal her secret, one that the still-grieving Jace must never know…or showing her mercy will be the last thing on his mind.
My thoughts:
Jace Lawless and the crew of Mutiny are thieves - honorable thieves, as far as thieves go - but thieves nonetheless.
When Jace gets word that a ship has been abandoned in space he and his crew gear up to salvage anything they can find that will bring them a profit.
But they aren’t the only ones who’ve come to salvage this ship.
Captain Kraft and her crew have also been sent to the derelict ship and they arrived first. Ambushing Jace and his crew, Kraft is intrigued by what she sees in Captain Lawless - and it has been awhile since Kraft was intrigued by anything.
Amid posturing and threats from their respective crew members, Kraft and Lawless come to a mutual understanding and both leave satisfied thinking they’d never see each other again.
But fate, and a scumbag lowlife, have other plans. Jace is shocked the next time he sees Kraft - but there is honor among some thieves, and Jace is unwilling to leave Kraft in the situation she’s now facing.
No good deed goes unpunished....
Every now and again I like to shake things up - step away from my UF reads and grab a good Sci-Fi.
Thief is a good Sci-Fi.
I love Kraft. She is fierce and independent - but not hard and unfeeling. She carries secrets - secrets that may prevent her from ever finding true peace.
Jace is conflicted. He has lost so much - and is unwilling to allow himself to be that vulnerable again. Just when he decides to open up and take a risk with his heart - he is betrayed by the secrets of the past.
I give Thief 4 out of 5 stars.
Product Details
Paperback: 296 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (10-4-11)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1609282957
ISBN-13: 978-1609282950
April 23, 2013
Lives and futures are ruled by the Inner World Government (IWOG), unless you've got the skills and the guts to make your own way on The Fringe.
Captain Jace Lawless runs a salvage ship, the Mutiny. Staying just out of reach of the by-the-book IWOG officials, he manages to remain one step ahead of starvation, death, or worse – being grounded. He and all of his crew hate the IWOG—they've all lost friends and family to the grinding wheel of the IWOG's corporate greed and heartlessness. In Jace's case, his wife and three children were killed when the Government decided to subdue his planet by unleashing a virus that targeted only humans and left the livestock and land intact.
Things are going just fine – well, maybe not just fine, but they're surviving – until the crew gets a job to salvage a derelict vessel. They run up against rival Captain Kraft, who also has a claim to the salvage job. The two captains eventually decide to split the profits amicably and go their separate ways until fate throws them together again later.
For Kraft, she has two things in life that nobody can take from her—her honor and her heart. She also has a dark secret. Meanwhile, fate has placed her in the hands of Captain Lawless. Time will tell if she can stay alive with the two things most precious to her intact.
Thief is a fun space-western futuristic romance. Jace is a fantastic hero. Kind, yet hard, handsome, honorable, he's got it all. Kraft, for her part, is a strong female character. She's tough, she can more than hold her own, and despite being in a precarious position, she maintains her pride and her strength while still retaining her femininity. The remaining crew of the Mutiny is a family, and the interactions between them are interesting to observe, especially the way they deal with each other. They may get on one another's nerves, but they've always got each other's backs.
Good pacing and tight action speeds the story along with a believable plot and several adversaries. My only problem with the book was its resemblance to Firefly. Don't get me wrong – I love Firefly. When I first started Thief, I thought to myself "Oh, wow! This is awesome!" Unfortunately, in a couple of places the scenes were so similar to the show that it left a little bit of a sour taste. One of the supporting characters could be Jayne Cobb's twin. Again, this isn't necessarily a bad thing – Jayne's one of my favorites from the crew of Serenity. At the same time, the sense of deja vu stole some of the originality from the book.
Thief does get its legs after the initial character introductions and world-building have taken place, and at that point the story takes off on a mission. If you strap yourself in, you'll be in for a fun ride with plenty of action and laughs along the way.
Reviewed for TheRomanceReviews.com
Captain Jace Lawless runs a salvage ship, the Mutiny. Staying just out of reach of the by-the-book IWOG officials, he manages to remain one step ahead of starvation, death, or worse – being grounded. He and all of his crew hate the IWOG—they've all lost friends and family to the grinding wheel of the IWOG's corporate greed and heartlessness. In Jace's case, his wife and three children were killed when the Government decided to subdue his planet by unleashing a virus that targeted only humans and left the livestock and land intact.
Things are going just fine – well, maybe not just fine, but they're surviving – until the crew gets a job to salvage a derelict vessel. They run up against rival Captain Kraft, who also has a claim to the salvage job. The two captains eventually decide to split the profits amicably and go their separate ways until fate throws them together again later.
For Kraft, she has two things in life that nobody can take from her—her honor and her heart. She also has a dark secret. Meanwhile, fate has placed her in the hands of Captain Lawless. Time will tell if she can stay alive with the two things most precious to her intact.
Thief is a fun space-western futuristic romance. Jace is a fantastic hero. Kind, yet hard, handsome, honorable, he's got it all. Kraft, for her part, is a strong female character. She's tough, she can more than hold her own, and despite being in a precarious position, she maintains her pride and her strength while still retaining her femininity. The remaining crew of the Mutiny is a family, and the interactions between them are interesting to observe, especially the way they deal with each other. They may get on one another's nerves, but they've always got each other's backs.
Good pacing and tight action speeds the story along with a believable plot and several adversaries. My only problem with the book was its resemblance to Firefly. Don't get me wrong – I love Firefly. When I first started Thief, I thought to myself "Oh, wow! This is awesome!" Unfortunately, in a couple of places the scenes were so similar to the show that it left a little bit of a sour taste. One of the supporting characters could be Jayne Cobb's twin. Again, this isn't necessarily a bad thing – Jayne's one of my favorites from the crew of Serenity. At the same time, the sense of deja vu stole some of the originality from the book.
Thief does get its legs after the initial character introductions and world-building have taken place, and at that point the story takes off on a mission. If you strap yourself in, you'll be in for a fun ride with plenty of action and laughs along the way.
Reviewed for TheRomanceReviews.com
May 17, 2012
I tried. I really did but I just have to give up before my brain completely rebels on me. This book was a DNF for me.
I like both science fiction and romance, which is what attracted me about this book. However, to steal a term from another romance genre, this is a "wallpaper" sci-fi romance. The world-building is extremely limited--think "space ship", "the Void", and "a planet" and you've got it most of it--and sometimes forgotten: for example, after a shopping trip on a planet to restock the ship for a long voyage, the heroine waxes on about how nice it is to have fresh vegetables again as if this was going to be a permanent situation (because yanno fruits and vegetables never go bad after a few days...let's talk scurvy for example).
The characters did not appeal to me either. The hero is a beta hero, at best, and even though I also don't like over-the-top alpha heroes, Jace needed to grow a pair and lead his crew, not let them squabble amongst themselves. Kraft, the feisty heroine, was the biggest Mary Sue I've read outside of fanfiction in quite a while. She's the bestest fighter, the bestest cook, the bestest gambler, the most smartest, the most beautiful, the most honorable ("honor" wins the award for most over-used word in the book BTW), etc., etc. *sigh*
The one member of Jace's crew who really dislikes Kraft is a big burly bad-ass fighter who is sterotypically MMEEEAANNN!!! until a while into the book we discover...(put down your drinks before you read this next part)...(no seriously)...he likes to quilt.
I stopped reading not long after that. The only reason this isn't a one-star is that, since this book was published by Samhain and had an editor, I didn't particularly notice grammatical and spelling errors.
I like both science fiction and romance, which is what attracted me about this book. However, to steal a term from another romance genre, this is a "wallpaper" sci-fi romance. The world-building is extremely limited--think "space ship", "the Void", and "a planet" and you've got it most of it--and sometimes forgotten: for example, after a shopping trip on a planet to restock the ship for a long voyage, the heroine waxes on about how nice it is to have fresh vegetables again as if this was going to be a permanent situation (because yanno fruits and vegetables never go bad after a few days...let's talk scurvy for example).
The characters did not appeal to me either. The hero is a beta hero, at best, and even though I also don't like over-the-top alpha heroes, Jace needed to grow a pair and lead his crew, not let them squabble amongst themselves. Kraft, the feisty heroine, was the biggest Mary Sue I've read outside of fanfiction in quite a while. She's the bestest fighter, the bestest cook, the bestest gambler, the most smartest, the most beautiful, the most honorable ("honor" wins the award for most over-used word in the book BTW), etc., etc. *sigh*
The one member of Jace's crew who really dislikes Kraft is a big burly bad-ass fighter who is sterotypically MMEEEAANNN!!! until a while into the book we discover...(put down your drinks before you read this next part)...(no seriously)...he likes to quilt.
I stopped reading not long after that. The only reason this isn't a one-star is that, since this book was published by Samhain and had an editor, I didn't particularly notice grammatical and spelling errors.
June 20, 2012
I would not have picked this book up if it was not a group read. I'm not much of a sci-fi girl though I will read it from time to time. But this was a great story! Another Samhain without much nookie, but it was an interesting story. I liked that Kraft was such a strong woman, and that while she could cause great harm to people, she didn't. She had her honor, and while she could choose to give that away, nobody could take it from her. I loved that she sort of wormed her way into Jace's crew. I also loved that Jace had his own honor as well. He bought Kraft as a cook-whore, but he never forced the whore part. My heart broke for Kraft when she was basically plotting to save all of them but herself. I would really have liked to have found out why because it really seemed like there was more to Kraft than met the eye. Sure, she was a reader... we got that early on... but there was something "else" to her. Considering this is a #1, I wonder where the story goes from here. I'll probably have to find out, even though I'm not a sci-fi chick. :-)
April 14, 2014
An interesting book, the whole plot is a romance plot but not...? The whole book from the first chapter builds up to Kraft and Jace getting together, but it's more events that build up to this than an actual romance. I'm kinda disappointed from the lack of pursuit that went on, the whole book up until the last was both Jace and Kraft tip toeing around the fact that they fell in love almost at first sight. Both have past issues and both act defensive and a bit like children about it, they bait each other and play the 'who can hurt who more' game. By about half way through you were tired of it. Not sure if I'll be reading more of this series or not. 2.5 stars.
May 19, 2012
This was a good read. I got it free from Amazon so was not sure what to expect. The world reminds me a lot of the show Firefly. So if you were a fan of that show you will probably either love this book or hate it, depending on what are looking to get out of it. It is a western sci-fi. Fun world building with a good storyline and interesting characters.
June 28, 2012
Quite enjoyed this, surprisingly (I don't know why I went into it thinking it'd be meh, but I did).
Reminded me kind of a kinky cross between Firefly (it's entirely possible Jace looked a good deal like Mal in my mind... *whistles*) and Evangeline Anderson's Kindred series. In a good way.
Quick and sci-fi and sexy and a great summer read.
Reminded me kind of a kinky cross between Firefly (it's entirely possible Jace looked a good deal like Mal in my mind... *whistles*) and Evangeline Anderson's Kindred series. In a good way.
Quick and sci-fi and sexy and a great summer read.
July 14, 2012
Thief is the first book by Anitra I have read and it definitely won't be the last. I found myself drawn to her intriguing plot and wonderful characters. The sexual tension between Jace and Kraft is superb and I found myself laughing out loud through the entire book. Thief, book one in Anitra's "The Fringe Series" is a definite must read!!!
September 10, 2012
It was quite well written but was very distracting with profanity and an unneeded detailed sex scene and many strong innuendos. The story line was good and could have been very interesting without the before-mentioned situations. I feel she could be a great author if she would improve on the vocabulary.
March 22, 2013
Browncoats rejoice! Kraft is 60% River, 20% Inara, 10% Zoe, and 10% Simon. Jace is a beefier, more sexually alpha Mal. Heller is 100% Jayne. This was more of a romance than anything else, but the plot had some imagination and characters were likable. Yeah, this was a Firefly remix from the first page. Fortunately for me, I'm a fan.
May 17, 2012
I liked it well enough, but the first thing I thought as I began reading it was "Are these the characters from Firefly?" Then, every time I started to get into the book some circumstance would remind me of Firefly and I would get pulled right out of the story.
May 29, 2012
It is so hard to read if you're a big Firefly/Serenity fan. It is so much like the TV series/movie that it's disconcerting. It's still a great read, a lot of fun, good characters and a world I'd love to read more of.
April 26, 2012
A romance novel first, and a science fiction novel second. I would have preferred more science fiction and less chick-lit prose.
March 15, 2016
There wasn't enough content to go along with this romance. I like steamy sexual tension just as much as the next lady, but these guys are supposed to be space pirates too! Where is the story?
February 7, 2014
Too much like Firefly for my tastes.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews