Tani's Destiny — Laura Jo Phillips

Even in the 26th Century, a trip to an exotic location is a good way to celebrate a university graduation. But, if Princess Tanjelia Dracon (known as “Tani”) the youngest daughter of the former Lariah Daniels and the Dracon High Princes of Jasan, had planned that kind of vacation, she would almost certainly have left out abduction, pursuit by killer cybernetic clones, and having as her destination the desolate, nearly lifeless mining world of Garza. On the other hand, given a choice, she might very well have included in her plans the well-sculpted, powerfully charismatic, and swoon-makingly sexy Ghanzorig “Steel” Khaan, king of Garza's people, the Khun.
And, although it's true that people generally like to keep busy on their vacations, it's a good bet that Tani would have picked sharpening her already deadly martial arts skills over struggling to save the Khun from extinction caused by exploitation by evil liquid metal miners, using her new-found healing skills to provide them with much needed medical care, teaching the art of war to their men and women, and joining their fight for freedom.
Romance, on the other hand, is always welcome. Tani and Steel have a chance for just that, if only their tempers don't get in the way, and if only a new-found force inside Tani that threatens to erupt dangerously every time she gets angry doesn't destroy her efforts to help the Khun, and her chance at love. Surprises, too, are generally good things on this kind of journey, and there are plenty in store for Tani, as she finds that her special gifts and her shifter Dracon heritage may be the magical key to unlocking Garza's ancient secret, saving its people, and giving their world a rebirth of hope and freedom.
Tani's Destiny is the newest addition to Laura Jo Phillips' “Hearts of Icarus” series, a continuation of the story begun in the “Soul Linked Saga.” While it is a departure from the reverse harem relationship's usually found in her books (and to which she returns in later books in this series), this story is still told the way Laura Jo's fans expect and love, with plenty of romance, adventure, danger, emotional highs and lows, and -- as always -- plenty of spicy sensuality and eroticism to heat things up. It is a full-length 107,700 word novel, the second in the “Hearts of Icarus” series, set in the Thousand Worlds.