When rival bounty hunters are sent on the same mission to recover a missing woman, neither realizes just what’s in store for them. Orion and Balt have spent years picking at each other, fighting over various bounties. Each knows the other’s strengths and weaknesses so it’s a toss up as to who will find Layla first.

Layla knows immediately when Orion and Balt arrive on Settler’s Mine…after all, that’s what she’s been trained for. She will either have to evade them or play them against each other. But while they’re trying to discover her whereabouts, Layla’s not above using them…in whatever means she can.

When Balt and Orion discover Layla, they also discover that she’s their destined mate! Can these two rivals put aside their differences long enough to help Layla escape the evil that tracks her and form a true bond before she’s taken from them forever?

First, let me say that Settler’s Mine 1: The Rivals is an intense story with sexual tension thick enough to cut with a knife! Ms. Armstrong’s universe is diverse and entertaining complete with alien species, technology and magical heartstones…basically a blast to read about. Layla is the perfect foil for these two obviously different men. Orion’s predilections are clear right from the beginning but Layla’s charms and their heartstones put them on the sizzling path. When Balt is thrown in, it makes the heat that much stronger. I loved that Balt and Orion already have a history, but only when they meet Layla and accept her as their mate do they allow themselves the chance to explore their hidden feelings. Layla’s past is convoluted and dangerous and makes the story that much more interesting. Several secondary characters such as Clyde the Wolfton and Zelda the owner of Settler’s Mine, stand out and just beg for their own stories. I for one am anxiously awaiting the next in the series hoping for more interesting species, mates and of course sizzling sex.

Reviewed by: Trang