What would you do if you were captured by aliens and one of them was the most captivating man you’d ever met? If you’re First Lieutenant Sybil Hunter, you’re going to take advantage of the situation. And love every minute of it.

Sybil is unhappy she’s been diverted from her assignment on the first colony ship to Mars in favor of a fact-finding mission to Venus to find out why and exactly who seems to be terra-forming our nearest neighbor. Even though humans had discovered a way to terra-form Mars, the technology these aliens were using to do the same thing was much more advanced than anything scientists on Earth had ever seen. Sybil thought it was pure folly to send only five people, two of them scientists, straight into the jaws of the unknown. She fully expected they’d be shot down. What she hadn’t expected was to end up in bed with Anka l’Kartay, Commander of the Sumpturian forces on Venus. How could the man she’d waited twenty-eight years for turn out to be a feril ril, an alien perceived by her government as mankind’s enemy?

Time isn’t on the Sumpturians’ side. After the cataclysmic end of their technologically advanced world, they’re small in number, slowly starving to death and unable, as it breaks down, to fix much of what little technology they’d managed to salvage in their escape from Sumptra. Anka has only one option. He must convince the humans that his people are more powerful and omnipotent than they really are. It isn’t a simple plan to begin with. Enticing one of the human women into his bed was part of his plan, but getting caught up in his own game, however unintended, could only complicate things further.  With American and United Nations officials interested in infiltrating the Sumpturian ranks, it could even bring his plan crashing down around his shoulders.  Sybil, however, isn’t about to be anyone’s pawn.  And she isn’t about to put Anka’s people in jeopardy, especially now that she’s carrying his baby.

Sleeping With the Enemy is another terrific Kaitlyn O’Connor read. I’d like to say that she had me wowed from page one, but this one had to grow on me.  Ms. O’Connor occasionally tumbles headfirst into the pitfall of telling the story rather than permitting her characters to tell it for her, and she occasionally begins a book with a bit too much background explanation. In Sleeping With the Enemy, she does a little bit of both in the first two chapters, but once you’re well into chapter two, the drama and action pick up considerably and the story takes on a perfect balance of snarky humor and sexual heat. From then on, I couldn’t put the book down, and I wanted it to continue way past where it ended.

From the very beginning, I loved Sybil’s character. As Dr. Holly Rains quickly found out, she can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Holly is the other woman captured with Sybil.  She is always doing or saying something to tick Sybil off, and true to character, Sybil’s mouthy comebacks rip into Holly with entertaining gusto. Sybil has a ferocity about her that Anka finds irresistible, and why not; his people evolved from felines. Although he knows that one night with Sybil would never be enough, despite how hopeless a future with her would be, it doesn’t stop him from seducing her into his bed—over and over again. Sybil and Anka absolutely burn up the sheets, but while the sex is steamy hot, it’s some of the sweetest and most seductive interaction between lovers that I’ve ever seen put into words. The emotional roller coaster these two ride will thrill you at times and solicit tears at others.

Under all her bravado, Sybil has a heart of gold, and there’s quite a bit of plot surrounding her determination to do right by Anka’s people. Anka is the complete hero. I was so impressed with his tenderness with Sybil, his strength of will and his loyalty to his people. When Sybil returned to Venus with orders to spy on the Sumpturians, Anka could have turned his back on her. Instead, even before he knew that she was carrying his child, he saw through the plot she’d had no choice in to the real and special woman beneath.

All of the characters in this book played an important role in the story, so it isn’t surprising that there were several dangling story threads at book’s end. It’s quite apparent Ms. O’Connor has at least left the ending of this book open for its possible continuation as a series. I want to know what more happens between the Sumpturians and the humans at the American base and embassy on Venus. Will Sybil’s green thumb be enough to make her experimental gardens on Venus bear fruit? What will happen to Major Powell? I’d even like to see Holly and Becht find each other again. And what of Cerek and Inge and all the other Sumpturians? There’s so much fodder left from this story, Ms. O’Connor could turn it into several more books. And I sincerely hope she does.