MENAGERIE - Lara Santiago

Siren Publishing, Inc - www.SirenPublishing.com

ISBN:  1-60601-118-9

June 2008

Erotic Paranormal Romance
 

Near a St. Vincent's hospital near you and aboard an alien spacecraft - The Present
 

During a morning jog, Valerie Thornhill is abducted by aliens.  When she regains consciousness after her abrupt abduction, she is in a classroom of sorts and the discussion topic is servitude.  Specifically, Valerie and the other abducted women in the room are told that they must commit to sexually servicing a group of men who will become their mates for the three years of their abduction. The consequences of not having sex with the men are dire.  Of course, Valerie thinks it is all a figment of her imagination.  I mean hey, the instructors are blue for goodness sakes, and she also spots a few green, gold and silver creatures in the hall.  So, since she believes it is a dream, Valerie decides to go along with the instructions.
 

Valerie chooses sexy, all-American Hauser and goes to meet the other male members who are a part of Hauser's team.  She meets Johnny, a kinky playboy with crazy sex appeal and charisma.  Frasier is the shy and quiet analytical type who prefers straight vanilla.  Mark is the sweet friends-with- benefits type of guy and then she meets Dominick.  Now he almost does her in.  Valerie can't imagine having sex with someone as big and buff as Dominick.  His hands alone are about 50 times larger than hers (ok, maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but you get the picture).  The plan is to have sex with each of the men at least once every two months.  Valerie is gonna be a very busy girl.
 

Girls, get ready for MENAGERIE.  Valerie proves that it is possible to have your cake and eat it too!  The men are as different as night and day so, there is no chance of her becoming bored.  I loved the concept of the alien abduction.  Putting Valerie on an alien spacecraft removes her and the reader from what's deemed to be too taboo, which is a necessary move in order to fully enjoy the story and appreciate it for what it is.  Once I got over my initial discomfort of her having sex with all five men (never more than one at the same time mind you), I loved MENAGERIE.  The characters are well thought out and conveyed.  The spaceship and its alien inhabitants are all so engrossing that I could visualize everything.  Believe it or not, sex is not the highlight of MENAGERIE, it is more about Valerie seeing herself for the gem she is despite her perceived faults and her activities with men who are so different, but who all appreciate her for who she is. 
 

I really believe MENAGERIE will be enjoyed by readers who like a little sci-fi spice as well as others who like a genuine love story.  The ending of MENAGERIE really caught me off guard because I didn't see it coming.  But, I loved every minute of it and smiled long after I read the last page.  
 

Ariel Summer