Newly widowed Melanie Ross of Sydney, Australia and ailing Irena of the planet Amaryllis have little in common aside from their desperate situations. Melanie knows who killed her police officer husband and now the killer is after her, too. Irena, explorer for her doomed home planet, is dying of influenza contracted on earth and must get her ship and the data she's gathered back to Amaryllis.
When Irena approaches Melanie through a telepathic link to ask if she would go back to Amaryllis in Irena's place, Melanie's first reaction is horrified disbelief. Irena is persistent and persuasive, promising Melanie's husband's murder will be avenged if she agrees to Irena's plan. Totally alone, pursued by a ruthless killer, Melanie gives her consent and finds herself transformed and transported to a spacecraft, on her way to an alien world.
Her metamorphosis from a small, plump blonde to statuesque brunette startles and confuses her and the uncanny resemblance of Irena's mate, Reve, to Melanie's dead husband is unnerving. Commander Reve is an imposing, intimidating man despite his likeness to Melanie's late husband. However, immediate attraction between the handsome, remote alien and his frightened, reluctant guest develops into mutual desire and physical passion even as Melanie questions the reality of everything from her own and Reve's appearance to the authenticity of his love.
In AMARYLLIS, Australian author Tricia McGill achieves a nice balance between science fiction and sensual romance. The color, beauty and technology of an alien planet come alive in a story where nothing is quite what it seems, but the universal emotions of love and trust span worlds and space. McGill keeps the pages turning with a tour of Amaryllis that introduces readers to its citizens while she deepens the relationship between her main characters and maintains tension through external and internal conflict.
If the conclusion feels a bit pat, the journey there is well worth it and McGill reserves some surprises that dress up the resolution nicely. If you like science fiction romance with a splash of suspense, you won't be disappointed in AMARYLLIS.