Damage Control by Jess Anastasi

Damage Control by Jess Anastasi
Also by this author: Escape Velocity
Series: The Valiant Knox Series
Published by Macmillan on October 26th 2015
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, General
Pages: 300
Format: eARC
ISBN: 9781633754409
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In space, you can't hide from temptation...
Nick-named Hardass by the new recruits, Leigh Alphin is captain of the Fighter Force of the battleship Valiant Knox. He’s honorable, straightforward, and hard as nails – except for the soft spot he has for a young woman he rescued off a transport under attack. Now that she’s one of his new recruits, it’s imperative he stop thinking about her in that way.
Especially now that the Knox has been secretly infiltrated by the enemy.
Mia Wolf’s new commanding officer is icy, no-BS, and completely gorgeous. His glances send heat searing through her. Neither of them can afford to make this mistake, yet desire takes hold, consuming them. For the first time, Leigh’s iron sense of honor falters as his heart fights for love... and against an enemy trying to destroy everything they hold dear.

Damage Control by Jess Anastasi is the second book in the Valiant Knox series of science fiction romance books.  The year is 2436, the story takes place in orbit over the planet Ilari in the Brannon  system and the United Earth Forces have been fighting a twenty year war against Christ’s Sunday Soldiers, a religious movement that sees technology as evil and wants a return to the fire and brimstone God. The war encompasses three planets in the system and started over interfere by the United Earth Confederacy after a natural disaster had taken place, when aid worker were blown up along with much of a major city on Ilari.  Anastasia fascinating twist on a future were UEF are fighting the CSS, and honestly I have no clue who the good guys are or who the bad guys are.  I solved this war quickly, simply remove all technology from around the Ilaria and Brannon system, and let the CSS have it, evacuate all those who want to leave and stop the bloodshed.    Their religious dogma will not be able to impact the rest of the galaxy, if they are isolated.  The author has never established if the people of the UEF are allowed to have free will in their belief system, or if they even have a belief system.  I need more depth of world building between the UEF and CSS. I want to be challenged by the dogma of her world building, to understand the politics of both parties.  Is the UEF fighting to just contain the CSS, and does the CSS just want to be left alone or go forth and multiple?

Now to the love story that is the main thrust of this book.  The characters Leigh Alphin and Mia Wolfe are both very engaging.  Alpha is in charge of the flight deck and Wolfe is a new recruit he is attracted to but should not be. He is her commanding officer, and being involved with ones commanding officer is completely wrong.   The two characters have great interaction with each other, and the plot of CSS moles having infiltrated the Valiant Knox is a adventuresome tale. Leigh and Mia work together to uncover the espionage that is threatening the lives of the UEF soldiers on board the Valiant Knox.   Combine this plot with the all over war one and this makes for a very interesting if not complete action adventure story.

If you liked television shows like Battlestar Galactica, were deeper philosophical questions were asked.   Where lines between the supposedly good and buy guys are muddled then this is a series for you.  I would really like to see the author flesh out her world building and pushed herself to bring out more of the history of how the UEF and CSS got to the point in war.

If I was just going to review the love story the book would be getting a solid four stars, but the confusion of the conflict and history of the CSS and UEF, does lower my rating.

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