Confederation Admiral Peter Keller has his own style of reforming prisoners. When he encounters privateer Blaise Risner all previous experiences pale in comparison. The young captain is handsome, intelligent, and definite. Peter knows he may never truly break Blaise’s spirit, but then again he wouldn’t want to; because it’s that spirit that keeps things interesting in and outside of the bedroom. An enemy is wreaking havoc across the galaxy, and it will take the men working as equals to discover the culprits and find a way to eliminate them.

Hot Cargo is not a story intended for those who like syrupy love stories tussled up with an overabundance of sweet endearments and gentle sexual encounters. While some may perceive the Admiral’s actions as harsh, it will take delving inside this book to glimpse his past and piece together the details to understand how Peter became the hard man you first encounter. Blaise is also the survivor of a harsh past, but he has found a way to move forward with his life. Their sexual encounters are raw and explosive a majority of the time, so when you finally encounter a scene where they express their true feelings you can feel the emotions course through them. Nicki Bennett and Ariel Tachna have delivered a book with a strong plot, fantastic characters, and plenty of action outside of the bedroom.

Reviewed by: NeNe