Romance at Heart Magazine: review of Heart of a Peacekeeper by Angela Verdenius

Title: Heart of a Peacekeeper
Author: Angela Verdenius

Published in June 2007 by Wings ePress
Genre: Futuristic/Sci-Fi Romance
IBSN: 1-59705-224-8

The life of a Daamen Trader was dedicated to trading and exploring, dealing, drinking, wenching and brawling, and pretty much in that order. From the moment they set foot in any town, the merchants smiled, the ladies swooned, and the tavern owners grimaced. Nothing suited these gentle giants more than a sexy willing woman or two, good food and drink, and the occasional good-natured brawl with some friends, or together against enemies. Simon and his crew were no exceptions to the rule, and when they hit the outpost settlement of Tyron, things proceeded as usual. There were bits of trade to be had in this sector, and for Simon and his crew it promised to be a lucrative mission. A week would suffice for this particular stop since it was central to several merchants with which the Daamen traded. The arrangements had been made, and the merchants with the trade goods would all be there within the week, so they had the time to enjoy the wenches, the outpost, and still make their business count. Simon always looked forward to the trading, the travel, and the multitude of wenches clamouring for his attention. What he didn’t expect was running into the hard feisty Peacekeeper known as Demon.

Simon is familiar with her, knows her reputation, but for some reason this particular meeting is very different from what he expected. Yeah, she is snarly, grumpy, and totally nasty in a way, and yet Simon sees her as only doing her job, and a seemingly thankless job is what it seems to him. She is good, but he finds himself worrying about the nature of the trouble plaguing the settlement. There have been several disturbances, and Demon’s problems seem to be multiplying astronomically. He knows outposts and settlements of this nature are subject to raids by outlaws, but these attacks seem to be especially well coordinated, and they draw Simon’s suspicions. He is not certain that things are truly as they seem on the surface, and he worries for the lass in spite of her courage and skill. It is something Simon is not used to feeling, this depth of concern for one lass in particular. He fights the feelings in spite of the teasing of his friends, and refuses to acknowledge there might be something to their claims he is falling in love. It is the nature of the Daamen to have only one love in his life, and while he may wench and brawl with the best of them, when he finds his love, no one and nothing else matters. Now Simon must decide on his future, and the feisty peacekeeper who has stolen his heart and his loyalty.

Desdemona has earned her reputation and her nickname honestly. Demon, as she is known, is the tough hard-eyed peacekeeper daughter of a bounty hunter and a whore. She has trained hard and long, and her skills are legendary. From her father’s knee she learned the things which have made her what she is, skill unmatched with weapons, hand to hand combat, the rule of law, and the grit to see things through in order to keep the peace. She has worked long to get to be head peacekeeper of Tyron, and she is dedicated to keeping the rowdies under control. She pays little attention to petty thieves, but if they cause trouble, she will slap them in her cells with little sympathy. She is fair to all, puts up with no lies or betrayal, and is loyal to those she serves with and protects. Des is anything but ladylike, her tall frame dwarfs most men. In many cases her height is an advantages. Her six foot height doesn’t really bother her as she is not looking for any kind of a relationship. She is certainly not going to get involved with a hard wenching Daamen at any rate. Demon lives up to her reputation, and has no room for love in her harried life. Only survival.

She refuses to put others down for their decisions, but she will brook no whining about the results of bad choices. She believes in live and let live, but with a mother who cares nothing for her living in the same settlement, things can get a bit lively. Des has learned to get what she wants by hard work. There is pain in her life, but then Des has put up with a lot. She is smart, canny, and realizes there is something greater going on than random attacks by outlaws. There are signs of a well coordinated plan. Although other settlements have experienced the same kinds of problems, Tyron seems to be the focus of a concerted effort. When a warehouse collapses and a strange box is found, her suspicions mount. When she puts it all together, it spells trouble of an unknown origin, and it bothers her immensely. Her senses are alert, the ambush unexpected as the strange unidentifiable spacecraft entering and leaving undetected. Demon has no time for games, and yet she is forced to play this one because it is on her turf. With a group of outlaws apparently after something in her settlement, a mother who would most likely betray her without a second thought, and Daamen Traders in the mix, Des is ready to pull her hair out. Jailing the Daamen is not an option, she tried that only to have them bargain their way out. Catching the outlaws is what she wants, but it is proving harder than she would expect. There are too many unknowns for her to be certain of anything. She knows at this point she has only one thing to do, get to the bottom of the plot, and the only clue is the fact someone seems to want her alive, and is using unknown outlaws to try to capture her.

What a way to go Angela, and what a delightful way to bring a handsome, rowdy, lusty hero to his knees. A tall leggy woman with attitude will do the trick in a heartbeat for a Daamen Trader. You thought the Reekas had the corner on the market, dear Readers? Well meet Desdemona, the woman who will keep Simon on his toes, and just may win his heart. He has teased and picked his way through his friends on board, laying on the jokes and ribbing each unmercifully as they found their mates. Little did he expect to find his own mate on this trip, and certainly not in the striking Head Peacekeeper of Tyron. For Simon, the realization isn’t something he is prepared for, but suffer the consequences he must. He believes you can’t give it if you can’t take it, so he knows he could be in for a rough time. Simon has doled out his share of teasing in the past, but this time he is on the receiving end. For all his disbelief, the realization comes hard, and now he must put all his conventional knowledge aside, and learn from his observations. Des is not a wench to just fall at his feet. He will definitely have to earn not only her respect, but her love as well for she doesn’t suffer fools. A Daamen in love can be quite the fool when it comes to protecting the one he claims, especially when she thinks she doesn’t need protection.

From the Heart and Soul Series, Heart of a Peacekeeper will not disappoint you. This most exciting read will be one you can’t afford to miss as Simon and Des struggle with outlaws, in-laws, shipmates, and a kidnapping plot. Once again the Daamen’s are pulled into a struggle as Simon tries to protect a wench who doesn’t think she needs protection, and who doesn’t realize the true danger is to herself. There is foul play afoot here, and Des is the heart of the matter, her life, body, and soul on the line. What she doesn’t know is there is someone willing to go to great lengths to possess her, break her, own her at any cost. What she knows is Simon wants her, is willing to woo her, and for once in her life, Des is uncertain of what she wants. As things come to a head, Des and Simon must use everything in their arsenal to combat the forces ranged against them. With a few tricks up their sleeves, Simon and his crew are formidable allies, but can they help when the odds seem to be against her and a traitor is in their midst? Heart of a Peacekeeper is a great addition to the series, and again Angela has brought you to the edge her civilized universe and the Outlaw Sector to provide a tale of uniqueness and adventure. Your time will be well spent as the story is riveting, the characters strong and well developed, and the love is worth the fight. Heart of a Peacekeeper is another rich and lush romance from Wings, and a must have for all the fans of Angela Verdenius’ Heart and Soul Series. Look for it soon at Wings ePress.

Yours in good reading,

Rose!

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