Title: The Company Man
Series: The Red Dragon 01
Author: Becky Black
Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera
Length: Novel Plus (257pgs)
Publisher: Loose Id (21st May 2013)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Jarvez Kashari travels light, sacrificing relationships for ambition. Alyn Evans is out to establish himself as a company captain. Falling in love was not part of either man’s plans.
Once the pride of the Outer Spiral Trading Company’s fleet, The Red Dragon has been neglected and fallen from its old glory. It’s a ship in need of love – and a new captain.
Alyn Evans is a man in need of a new challenge. He’s an ex-warship captain and peace has put him out of a job. A man of his experience should have no trouble commanding a merchant ship…he thinks. But of all the challenges he faces on his first trip out, the hardest one is keeping his hands off his gorgeous and fascinating company rep, Jarvez Kashari.
Jarvez Kashari is a man with a plan. He’s determined to make a name as the company’s best trader and thinks reviving the fortunes of the Red Dragon is the perfect opportunity to prove himself. Jarvez travels light, sacrificing personal relationships to focus on his ambitions – until he meets Alyn Evans. Falling in love was not part of the plan.
Its four months to Earth. Four months for Alyn to juggle passengers, prisoners, suspicious officers, a resentful crew and the intensifying relationship with Jarvez. Four months in space with a traitor aboard…
Purchase Link: http://www.loose-id.com/the-red-dragon-1-company-man.html
Review: Alyn has accepted a job with a trading company, now that peace has put him out of a job. Being a captain of a merchant ship will be vastly different from being a warship captain, but he is sure it won’t be too hard. Jarvez is a trader and has plans to be the best trader in the company. he just has to prove himself to his family. Alyn is assigned the Red Dragon, a star-ship that has been vastly neglected and abused by the former captain. Jarvez is the new trader for the ship, but his main task is to investigate the corruption aboard the ship. When the two men first meet they are both rocked. A blissful hour the night before has come back to smack them both in the face. Their attraction is fierce, but mixing business and pleasure is never a good idea. They face four months of space travel with a disgruntled crew and a traitor, and they each fight their attraction to the other.
Alyn and Jarvez are well-rounded characters. They both have an idea of what they want from life. Alyn just wants to captain a star-ship and have the respect of his crew. Jarvez wants to be the best trader in the company, working his way to the best trade routes and improving his wealth. Together they have to decide what they truly want when they can no longer ignore their attraction. Especially, when they are on-board a star-ship whose crew are suspicious of them. When they reach the end of their journey, they have new decisions. For Alyn, it’s a choice to stay with a decrepit star-ship and make her glorious again or accept a newer fancier ship. and for Jarvez , it’s improve the current trading route or go for easy money with the larger, more choice, routes…. And then there’s the choice of doing it together or apart.
I really did enjoy this science fiction story, because we have the relationship between Alyn and Jarvez vying with the storyline of corrupt officers and traitors. they were blended well together and I can’t say which I enjoyed more. Jarvez is a man who wants to prove himself to his family. he wants to go far in the company on his own merit so getting involved with the captain of one of the ships is a mistake he wishes never happened. It is interesting to watch Jarvez fight his consuming need to be with Alyn. He doesn’t always succeed, which gives us some explosive passionate scenes. Alyn is much more able to keep his simmering need controlled, but make no mistake; it is just waiting to be unleashed.
I loved the investigation side of the story. Both men not knowing who they can trust but, trying to win the crew over anyway. Jarvez trying to discover who the third traitor is from among the officers, while Alyn tries to put the ship and its crew back together. Then, we have the prisoners who are in the background, just waiting for their shot. The writing is good and flows well. Nothing happens too fast and there are one or two exciting scenes.
I recommend this to those that love science fiction, traitors, mutiny, investigations, great characters, falling in love in difficult situations, hot explosive sex and an ending that is a new beginning for our two MCs.