Mishka Le'Ace is a heroine unlike any you've seen before. Half-human, half-machine, she was handcrafted in a laboratory by a group of scientists to be the perfect weapon. She's spent her entire life as the possession of power-hungry men, used in the cause of destruction and mayhem until the spark of humanity has nearly burned out of her heart. That spark sputters back to life, though, when Le'Ace begins her latest mission: the rescue of Alien Investigation and Removal (AIR) operative Jaxon Tremain.

Jaxon's reputation with the other AIR agents is that of a reserved gentleman, but captivity and torture have released his long-repressed inner bad boy. It's his true self that holds such a dangerous attraction for Le'Ace, and that's a big part of what makes Jaxon fall for her so hard and fast. Jaxon is mouthwatering as a hero; he's a fighter, but once he commits to Le'Ace, he is unwaveringly loyal -- even knowing that the override system implanted in her brain could force her to comply with an order to execute him.

SAVOR ME SLOWLY is the third and strongest installment in Gena Showalter's Alien Huntress series. As riveting as the previous two books were (and I was a big fan of AWAKEN ME DARKLY), this one is better. The only thing about it that doesn't work is the title -- there's no possible way to savor this book slowly. I turned the pages fast enough to end up with paper cuts, but it was worth it. Some of my favorite Alien Huntress characters show up in this book, including my girl Mia Snow. It's fascinating to watch Mia and Le'Ace interact, especially since it turns out they have a history. The big standout secondary character in SAVOR ME SLOWLY, however, is Jaxon's best friend and fellow agent, Dallas, who's trying to come to terms with his own newly-conferred gift of precognition. Dallas has a sharp, irreverent voice that made me wild to meet the woman who can match him. Here's hoping his book is in the works, continuing Showalter's fabulous, inventive series.