A Human Element

SCI-FI, ROMANTIC SUSPENSE:   Laura Armstrong grew up knowing she had abilities others didn’t. Abilities she uses as she tries in vain to save her loved ones;  one by one they die. The killer haunts her dreams and seeks to destroy her too. Her only hope lies in Ben Fieldstone, a victim of the same meteorite that connects Laura and the killer. Running from his own dark past, Ben and Laura are thrust together by the one who seeks to protect them both and the future they represent. Together Laura and Ben have a chance, but if the killer catches up to Laura first will the ties that bind them all be enough?

A thick read, this book spans several years following both Laura and Ben as they grow up and deal with very dark tragedies, including near-rape. Laura and Ben both go through periods of growth and the backstory and overarching plot are well constructed. On the other hand, the romance comes a bit too quickly, and the story is mostly dark and tragic. The POV switches between Laura, Ben, and the killer throughout, moving the story forward in leaps and bounds over time. While effective as a time technique, each jump forward seems to bring the reader face to face with yet another dark incident, if it were not for the heavy romance between Laura and Ben, the story would be more tragedy than romance. Readers seeking a heavy read will enjoy this but readers seeking a light alien romance might be happier with another.

Sarah E. Bradley