A'Vanti has survived the worst the universe can throw at her.
Years in an enemy facility stripped her of her fangs, her venom, and nearly her will to live. Rescued four months ago and healing aboard a Cerastean ship orbiting Earth, she's learning to feel again — with the help of therapy, a fierce circle of friends, and a human pilot who waits for her outside every session with a book and a ridiculous smile.
Cody "Goober" Johnson wasn't looking for complications. He was supposed to fly combat missions, defend Earth, and follow orders. He definitely wasn't supposed to fall for a Cerastean female with golden scales, a razor-sharp tongue, and the kind of walls that would take a lifetime to climb.
But Cody has never backed down from a challenge. And A'Vanti has never met anyone who gives without expecting, who looks at her like she's something precious rather than something broken, and whose impossibly blue eyes make her wonder what it might be like to try this human thing called kissing.
When a mission to reclaim the ruins of Ceraste — A'Vanti's devastated homeworld — throws them together on its scorching deserts, the walls between them begin to crumble. But rebuilding a planet is complicated enough without navigating the expectations of a devastated species, the pressure of Cerastean males who see A'Vanti as a duty rather than a person, and a growing bond that defies everything either of them thought possible.
Dane Griggs lives in Florida with her very patient husband, two trouble-making children, a bratty long-hair dachshund, and too many fish tanks. In her spare time—which like most moms, she has very little of—she loves to read (a lot!), write, watch movies, drink wine & pots of coffee, tend her aquaponic garden, go surfing, do woodworking, and volunteer with the PTA and Girl Scouts.
Mrs. Griggs enjoys writing about relationships that evolve and grow over time, with lots of super-hot sex. She strives to put her characters in interesting situations where their strength and wit shine through—no Mary Sues allowed. So grab a bottle of wine and come hang-out in the mind of Dane Griggs and a world of characters you would actually enjoy sharing that bottle with. and if you are into it, be sure to follow Dane Griggs on Amazon.
This is the best book in the series and maybe even the genre. A fearless but delicate handling of the way we heal and grow from dealing with worst humanity can do to itself.