Azsla is a Roma First posing as an escaping slave when her ship is destroyed, and they barely escape. They are rescued by Derrek Archer, a former Roma slave and now a mining entrepreneur. But Derrek is suspicious of Azsla, she is too beautiful, too healthy looking for a slave, and he has never been so attracted to a woman. There must have been some kind of poison or weapon on the pods because this is not normal for Derrek. Azsla is also experiencing an unusual attraction to Derrek, but she must complete her mission. Even though he will hate her when he finds out she is a spy. Derrek will defend his world and the right of slaves to leave freely from the abuse of the Roma slavery system til his death. Azsla was raised to believe that slaves are inferior and that they can’t survive without the protection of the Roma First. Will one of these two change their mind? What will happen if Derrek discovers Azsla’s deception, will he kill her?

I love Susan Kearney’s work, and Solar Heat is another good book by this awesome author. I had a little bit of trouble reading it though because I dislike the subject of slavery and any group of people that think they are better than another. I don’t enjoy reading stories about prejudice and abuse. Ms. Kearney handles the subject beautifully, but it still makes parts of the story less enjoyable for me. The characters of Azsla and Derrek are great; they are intelligent, resourceful, and loyal. The extreme contrasting point of view between these two characters also makes for a great romance story. It seems so impossible. Derrek would have to be able to love a woman from a race he hates, and Azsla would have to turn her back on her home world and their beliefs and probably even become a traitor to her own people. Even if you loved someone, could you expect them to overcome these kinds of obstacles? There are also amusing secondary characters to add some levity to the story and keep it from being too deep. A number of unexpected twists in the story also made for some fun and excitement. If you are not uncomfortable reading about slavery or can set it aside as part of the story but not the whole story, you will enjoy Solar Heat!

Reviewed by: Stephanie B.