Beyond Lust

Beyond Lust is the second book in the Breaking Boundaries series. (The first was Beyond Boundaries.) It continues the story, centering on a supporting character that appeared in the first book.

Lieutenant Katriona Joy is unusual in many ways. She is an Enforcer, a cop, in the year 2255, when almost 98% of women have left the workforce. There is a crisis in reproduction in this society, for virtually every woman of childbearing age is unable to get pregnant. Only women in the non-industrial societies – the Amish, the Native Americans – are able to get pregnant. This has almost led to the extermination of these groups, as the women are captured and sold as slaves and their men are killed. The last group surviving is enclosed in a protective encampment and guarded by Enforcers, because the kidnapping attempts have not ceased.

Lieutenant Joy is also unusual because she is the daughter of one of those enslaved women, never knowing her mother, and rejecting her rich father once she knew what he had done. As an Enforcer, Joy has high standards and takes her job seriously, even speeding duty. Thus, she pulls over Councilman Javier Trey for speeding, and, in spite of his power and wealth, awards him speeding tickets. Amazed and amused that this straight-laced female Enforcer doesn’t seem to care who he is, Trey can’t get her off his mind.

I like Mary Wine’s writing. The premise of this series has been handled a few times in science fiction, but Wine’s treatment of the topic is quite original. The author handles the science fiction elements of the plot with skill. The only quibble I have with the plotting is that some threads are left unresolved, but I suspect that that will be taken care of in the next book in the series.

However good the SF in this story is, the primary focus is really romantica, not science fiction. Good thing that I love futuristic romance! The love scenes between the heroine and the hero are hot and intensely explicit. The scenes include episodes of Dominance and submission, spanking, and outdoor sex. I highly recommend this book to all readers of futuristic romance, and those who like very graphic erotica.

Reviewed by: Jean