Mesmerized by Lauren Dane
Phantom Corps, Book 2
Berkley Heat
Futuristic Erotic
ISBN: 9780425239087
Reviewed by Jo







Piper Roundtree lives a dangerous life in a dangerous time. She is a pilot who might break Federation law but she has her own standards on what she will and won’t smuggle across the borders.  Just keeping her family and those in their compound protected and safe is a full time job these days.  It doesn’t help that some Imperialists want her to fly cargo Piper knows will harm instead of help.

Andrei Solance is now part of the Phantom Corps with the Federation, but at one time he worked hand-in-hand with Piper to scrape out a living.  Life made Andrei angry and only Piper could give him peace then.  When Andrei was given a chance to change things, it was an offer he couldn’t refuse.  Now, years later, he is back on the same planet with Piper and the passion they had before only seems stronger.

Piper is shocked to see Andrei show up just when she needed him the most.  So many years of not knowing where he was or what had happened, plagued her whenever she thought of Andrei.  With Piper and her family’s help, Andrei finds out the information he needs to complete his mission.  Andrei might think he can go but Piper is determined that not only is she going to watch his back, but also to discover if what they have can survive more than a few weeks.  Things are heating up between the Federation and the Imperialists, which is only a backdrop to the passion and love that flares between Piper and Andrei.  In a time when war abounds, can their love be strong enough to not only survive but grow and last?

Youthful love given a second chance can even defeat war in Mesmerized. Piper and Andrei find themselves given that second chance at love when his job takes him back to their world.   When I discover two strong characters like Piper and Andrei, I always wonder how they will mesh, or if one will be more dominant.  What I found with Piper and Andrei is that they were only stronger together and complemented one another.  I loved how everything that could have torn them apart seemed to bring them back together and make them even stronger.  I have wondered when the war would happen since I read the first book in the Federation Chronicles – Undercover.  Yes, even then I knew that war would be inevitable.  When the pain and horror of war make the good fight and true love stronger, that’s an incredible story.  For me, Mesmerized was one of those stories – filled with sorrow, laughter, and of course, a strong and enduring love.  Not only do I think that Piper and Andrei’s book is a must read, I Joyfully Recommend it as one that will live on in your library.

Each book in both the Federation Chronicles and the Phantom Corps can be read as stand alones, but to get the full impact of the story, I suggest reading them in order – the Chronicles first and then into the Corps.