U.S. Army MP Corporal Josephine “Josie” Benate is in the middle of a apprehending a perpetrator, when she is kidnapped and yanked through a portal by a gorgeous man wearing nothing but a jock sock!  Josie figures she’s as crazy as Nigel Blooddragon, Duke of Sarcen, because suddenly she’s in a world crawling with strange flora, fauna and monsters!  When Nigel informs her that she’s been kidnapped to serve as a decoy for the new queen, Josie is reluctant to help him—at first.  Understandably, she wants to go home.  This isn’t possible once Nigel reveals that the portal they’ve just traveled through has taken them to the wrong time. 

Can Nigel keep Josie alive in a climate hostile to humans?  Will Josie ever return to Earth?  And once she is home again, will she face a court martial for being AWOL?   These questions are the least of their worries when facing the fact that human females are always in season, unlike female dragons, making them prime targets for mate-seeking male dragons.

Ms. Anjou’s characters are realistic and well crafted, which I see as a staple in her writing.   She also does a bang-up job for the story’s setting.  The dragon world is described in fascinating detail down to the last detail.  I truly liked Josie and Nigel.  Josie swears like a sailor and kicks ass, while struggling to be acknowledged as a woman by Nigel.   Nigel sticks to his sense of duty and honor like glue.  This means that he is there to protect Josie not to illicit sexual favors from her.  He’s magnetic and hot as hell, with a sense of loyalty that would shame a Crusader.  His subdued complexity makes him all the more lovable.  Josie was fun and feisty, very capable and logical without being one of those heroines that irritate you by trying to outdo her male love interest. 

Cultural dissimilarities between Josie and Nigel flavor the story with angst and bedroom tension, keeping the dialogue and narrative interesting.  Each bone of contention brings Josie and Nigel closer.  It rocked watching their relationship develop and evolve into stronger ties of friendship, passion and commitment.  These two more than earned the right to ride off into the sunset.