Sergeant Ike Payne is many things: marine, amateur author, and sensual woman all rolled into one. So when a visiting dignitary under her guard is the victim of an attempted assassination, Ike is nothing but determined to find the perpetrator. When her superiors partner her with Devon Henson, Ike isn’t too sure in the beginning how she feels. Tensions mount not only to find the criminal and protect her ship but between Devon and Ike themselves.

For the Love of Payne is a good beginning to what already appears to be an intriguing series. I really liked the character Ike and the more I read of her the more I wanted to be her. She has a position of power, she isn’t afraid to embrace her sexuality, and best of all she doesn’t feel the need to shave her legs or pluck her eyebrows to get what she wants when she wants it. Devon was so totally not what I pictured for a match for Ike that it made him that much more intriguing. Melodee Aaron went against the grain with that one and that shook things up and added another twist to an already twisting plot. The adventure was there and so was the mystery. I enjoyed the side characters and kept wondering why this world seemed so familiar. That was when I realized that I’d been here before. I have read The Polyamorous Princess, also by Ms. Aaron, also a good book, and it is set in the same universe as the Ike Payne Adventures series. This book was a solid 4 Angels for me and I can’t wait to get my hands on the other books in the series.

Reviewed by: Hayley