Salvation

by Aeon Igni

Samantha Simmons knows she's out of time. Her bleak and solitary existence in an underground sewer is about to be compromised by a gang of thugs whose leader wants her for his own nefarious purposes. Driven past the point of desperation, Samantha does what any self-respecting woman would do: she poses as a young man to get a job aboard a cargo ship with an all-male crew.

But will life in space turn out to be the salvation she seeks? Between learning how to perform her duties on the spaceship and avoiding assault or certain death at the hands of the unsavory characters she meets, Samantha spends her time guarding her secret identity and fighting her growing feelings for the handsome and scrupulously honorable Captain Morse.

All too soon, she has to make the ultimate choice: will she tell him her secret and face his wrath, or will she leave and protect her honor?

Genres: Science Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction Romance

Kindle Edition

First published October 21, 2013

Reviews

[Melisse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samantha disguises herself as a boy and becomes the Captain's surrogate little brother-- so the disguise that keeps her safe also becomes her prison as she falls in love with him.

I really enoyed this book, set in a space opera universe reminiscent of Star Trek. I particularly love romances that are between admirable, decent people--for me that makes the happy ending even more believable. While this is a novella I had no sense of being rushed or of loose ends, it was a complete, satisfying read. Looking forward to more from this author!

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good for this person for actually doing the work to write and publish their book. That said, this reads like something written by an eight grader. I love the idea but the writing is so bad, it's a DNF for me. There are sentences that run for entire paragraphs then other times it's as if a period is thrown in randomly. At least 4 times per page (up to the point where I quit) a sentence starts with the word 'but'.

Aside from the writing quality, here is something I found very weird. The first time the female lead meets the male rom interest, she describes him as over 6 feet tall, with a belt slung over hips, gun on one hip, knife on the other. Then she says she was at eye level with his gun and knife. What? I had to go back and see if she was sitting or kneeling or in a hole or something. Nope. Apparently she is just that small. Wow.

Sorry, cannot recommend.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short novel (about 100 pages) but so well written. I've probably read it 4 times now because the author does such a marvelous job of creating the characters. If you enjoy the trope of a girl posed as a man, this one does not disappoint.

[Renni Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoy romances where the heroine is disguised as male as she falls in love with the hero. I was disappointed by this one. Not much vibrancy or originality to the science fiction, and I wasn't compelled by the characters.

[Maria Hammarblad · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Salvation" follows Samantha Simmons as she struggles to escape a life as homeless and hunted by thugs. She dresses up as a boy and gets herself a job as translator on a spaceship. Getting off the planet seems like a great idea. Unfortunately, her new employer Captain Morse is both handsome and kind, and he takes his job as protector for young "Simmons" seriously. As much as Samantha struggles to stay in character, surviving harrowing adventures as a boy becomes more and more difficult as she falls in love.

I enjoyed Salvation. The story is exciting, funny, sexy, and short enough for me to have time to read the whole thing. I definitely recommend it. I hope to see more stories with the same characters in the future - I would love to follow their adventures.

[Kitty Kessler · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a rare treat to find a short story with well developed characters I cared about from the beginning. For example, although I never actually 'saw' the main thug that Samantha is running from in the opening chapter, I instantly despised him.
Salvation took me away from my own world for a time. I appreciated the bits of humor. The pace was just fast enough to keep me engaged, but it didn't leave me exhausted.

[Magick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book! I liked all of the characters, especially the creepy lizard. I wish it was longer so that we could see more about her life with the captain!

[seton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: sci-fi romance novella (approx 100 pages)
Sensuality: PG-13
Rating: 3.25

[Adnana]

DNF at Ch. 8
simplistic writing