Celestial Passions: Brianna

I bought this based on all the positive reviews, and I wasn't disappointed. This story has one of the best heroines ever!! I knew I would enjoy it when Brianna said she refuses to be one of those "too stupid to live heroines" in romance novels. She's a gutsy woman who refuses to compromise who she is and refuses to settle and that includes her romance with the captain whom she's forced to marry. The secondary characters are all described in great detail but they never overshadow the heroine or the romance. I LOVED Brianna, and I hope the author writes more books within this world with some of the great characters she introduced, especially the playboy cousin Ban.

Fantastic female -- strong, intelligent, and clever. Definitely not one of those TSTL (too stupid to live) females. The sex was hot, inventive and frequent. Best of all are her charcters. They come alive off the pages and make you hate to finish the book. I've read it more than a few times and it's as good, if not better, than the first read through. What a talent. Can't wait for more in the Celestial Passions series!

Judy Mays is truly a great author. The story was funny and engaging. I especially enjoyed the characters. They were realistic in their actions (for the most part--remember, this is romanatic science fiction!). The pace of the story was fast but it flowed really well. I even enjoyed all of the supporting characters and can't wait for their stories to come out in print.

I read to be entertained and that is what Judy Mays did with her story Briana. One of the best stories I have read for a while. The plotting and character development were great and I was left wanting more. More stories that is by Judy Mays. The worlds she has created in Briana beg to be further explored. I love the intensity of the characters and their interactions with each other. Can't wait for the next one, and several more like it. Not only is this a keeper, but deserves -rereading, several times.

Brianna O'Shea is working as a lab assistant at a top-secret government facility when she discovers that the recently acquired "specimens" are people from another world. Her boss, Dr. Gustovson, a glory-grubbing researcher, intends to dissect them. Brianna knows that she cannot allow that to happen. Risking everything, she breaks the two aliens out of the research facility and makes a run for it, attempting to take them back to the area where they were captured so that their ship can pick them up. Ambushed by the military, Brianna is wounded and the aliens take her with them when they return to their ship. Brianna, unconscious and now on a Drakon spaceship, is grabbed and transported to an alien research facility on the ship by the alien Dr. Bakom--and for a similar evil purpose. Luckily, she is rescued by the ship's Captain, Alalakan don al' Chardadon - called Char - before any real damage can be done. He owes Brianna a debt of honor because she rescued his crew members. However, because certain laws of their society give Bakom the right to "requisition" specimens of unknown races, Char must think of a legal way to keep Brianna out of Bakom's hands. The solution? Char will marry Brianna and give her the protection of his powerful clan. Brianna, being no fool, agrees-and that is just the beginning of the fireworks! Talk about culture shock... Read this book--if you have the slightest interest in futuristic romance you will not be sorry you did. This novel is rollicking good fun, with a great plot, great characters, great back story--in other words, it's just plain GREAT! To begin with, the plot really flows--all of the events are naturally motivated, with no artificial-feeling plot devices pushing the action. In particular, both the hero and heroine are intelligent, impressive, self-possessed people, who behave with honor and good sense. The heroine doesn't go running off into danger because she misunderstands the hero's motivations. She does what any self-respecting Earth-woman would do--she cries for a while, talks to her girlfriends, and then confronts him and talks it out. That is so refreshing in a romance! The sex scenes are really love scenes, and are very sensual-even spicy! The reader should be warned that there are occasional short scenes of violence and rape, but these atrocities are committed by the villain and are not excessive in terms of the story. The author has obviously spent a lot of time developing her universe for this story, because it is complex and interesting, and has internal coherence. Most of the book takes place after Brianna and Char's marriage, and the reader gets to see the inner workings of several societies in this universe--you will really like Char's family and friends, who work together to help save Brianna. I was sorry to see the book end, but since it is numbered Book 1 in the Celestial Passions series, I look forward to more opportunities to read about and enjoy the people I met in this novel. Oh, yes--