With the Briel-Ecada war finally over, Captain Amy Bryson has come to Eurus to participate in the long-awaited return of the Catallian space race, bringing her troubles with her.  A powerful drug smuggler has singled Amy out as an example of what happens to those who defy his demands.  When his men attack Amy, breaking her arm, she meets former station administrator turned miner Sean Donaldson in the station med bay.  Sean has sustained a head injury after having to deal with a miner high on Dust, the very same drug the drug runners want her to run for them.     

Sean – the quintessential wounded hero – has been wrestling with his own demons, albeit internal, ever since the Ecada took control of his mind and used him as an instrument against the station and its inhabitants four years ago.  He feels responsible for the deaths of those killed as a result of what he thinks of as his weakness, and has virtually buried himself in the mines to punish himself.  He’s surprised to be immediately and intensely attracted to Amy, but what he doesn’t know is that she’s not entirely human.  Half Shay, Amy is running low on the inhibitor that blunts the beguiling strength of her pheromones.  Even when she promptly spills the truth about her abilities, Sean still harbors feelings of being used once again by an alien.  Amy, as well, has been used in the past, and she has her own insecurities with men and their responses to her.  Will she be able to trust Sean or will he turn out to be just like all the other men who’ve wounded her heart?  

When half of Amy’s crew bails on her after being assaulted by the drug runners, she’s in desperate need of a copilot.  Knowing how much winning the race means to Amy, Sean steps forward, despite all his inner struggles, to fill that position.  Determined to protect her, it doesn’t take long for him to discover that there is much more to his attraction to the delightful ship’s captain than just her powerful pheromones. When the smugglers strike again, launching an attack that puts a loved one in danger, all the rules change.  They must put aside the lure of the winner’s purse and race instead to save a life, all while fighting an attraction they can barely control. 

Sadly, The Bond That Saves Us is the final book in this exceptionally good series.  I’ve read all four books, and I can truthfully say that they are not to be missed. Christine D’Abo not only writes with a knowledgeable flare for futuristic sci-fi, her characters are powerfully human – even if they aren’t.  The pages of her books read fluidly, with absolutely no drag anywhere.  Her world building and plot lines are extraordinarily well drawn and captivating.  Beyond that, no other author I’ve read reaches quite the depth of sensuality and emotion in their sex scenes as does Ms. D’Abo.  In fact, her sex scenes can be more aptly described as love scenes, as they grab hold of the reader’s heartstrings and hang on tight.  You can’t read a D’Abo novel without sinking heart and soul into the lives of her characters, who seem so real it’s hard to believe they do not truly exist.  

The Bond That Saves Us is jam-packed with emotional ups and down and a boatload of action.  Surprises abound.  Nothing is predictable.  While not quite as good as the previous three books, this one ties up a couple loose ends left in the lives of the characters that reappear from the earlier books and gives readers a satisfying, if regrettable, end to the series. Highly recommended.