Warlord's Destiny by Delilah Devlin
Mora is about to marry the Kronaki warrior Lord Tetrik in order to fulfill The Promise. Unfortunately, Mora wasn't his original intended bride. That honor had gone to her older sister, but it was decided that Mora's sister couldn't handle life on the barbarian planet. So the fulfillment of The Promise falls to Mora, a woman more on the voluptuous side than her fair and slender sister.

Tetrik is at first angry, but his strong attraction to Mora quickly convinces him that the change in brides is for the best. He's just not sure if Mora will be able to acclimate herself to the different traditions on his planet, traditions that are very sexual in nature. The wedding night is only the beginning of the sensual journey Mora and Tetrik are about to take in order to complete The Promise. But will sex ever be enough for Mora, or can she win Tetrik's heart?

Sensual, with overtones of medieval courtships, Warlord's Destiny is a thrilling story from start to finish. Mora's sexual awakening is a wild ride but it is their journey from strangers to fated mates that is the heart and soul of this story. Tetrik is a warrior first and last, but with Mora's gentle nature in his life, he begins to see that love and war can in fact coexist. Delilah Devlin opens Fated Mates with a winner.

Please note however: this story has a very explicit sexual storyline, involving more than just the hero and heroine. It is all very tastefully done, and helps to further the plot, but readers who do not enjoy stories with multiple partners and male/male sexual action might want to skip to the next story in the anthology.

Love Me Tomorrow by Sally Painter
Commander Shalene Courers is out on a recon mission when she comes across a pack or Demrons. The vile Lizards destroyed her planet, using up all its precious resources and Shalene has been doing everything in her power since their take over to recapture her beloved planet. Seeing the pack of Lizards, along with a human, forces her to take quick action. She wants the human, to see if he has information, and she wants the Lizards dead.

Kyronian Captain Mecah was accidentally sucked into a black hole, pulling him and some other Kyronians to Shalene's planet. He was taken prisoner by the Demrons and being forced to work with them when all his instincts say to kill them and try to get home. However, he can't do that without the rest of his team. When Shalene captures him however, things change instantly for Mecah. He recognizes Kismet when it smacks him in the face, and his Kismet mate is Shalene. Though he's a prisoner on her harsh planet, Mecah knows instantly that he will do anything to protect her and to earn her love and trust.

But trust and love do not come easily for Shalene, a woman who witnessed the death of her husband due to the Demrons. She can't believe in Kismet. It goes against all her hard-honed military instincts. But Mecah isn't going to give up on Shalene and when she comes to question him, things between them get intense very quickly. Attraction and love won't save her planet though. Can Shalene and Mecah work together to beat the Demrons?

Love Me Tomorrow features a burgeoning love amidst a planet riddled with turmoil and pain, with the loss of life and the death of loved ones. What may seem unbelievable to Shalene becomes all too real as she experiences a mind meld with Mecah that she never thought possible. I particularly enjoyed how this regimented woman took to love. It opened her heart in a way that made the future seem bright again, something that hadn't seemed at all possible before Mecah. In direct contrast to Shalene's intense personality, Mecah's fun loving spirit and humorous jests lightened what is a very dark story. Love Me Tomorrow is an impressive addition to this anthology.

Secrets of the Wind by Charlotte Boyett-Compo
Major Chastain Neff is a hardworking and reliable Riezell Guardian. She's the best at her job, but she just wishes her personal life was a bit more exciting. She has a lover, but while he is a nice man, he isn't very exciting or adventurous. Chas wishes time and time again to meet a man who could take her to the heights of pleasure, but it seems that isn't to be so…until she takes on the responsibility of protecting Ruan Cosaint.

What Chas doesn't realize is that she has been hired by Ruan's mother for a specific reason. It has been prophesized not once, not twice, but three times that Chas is Ruan's soul mate, his destiny. Chas isn't sure if she can believe this, but her strong attraction to Ruan proves that there is already something between them. Too bad much of it is built on deception. What will happen when Ruan discovers Chas's true purpose in showing up at the market the day he met her? Will these two have a chance to make their relationship work?

Secrets of the Wind is yet another strong story in this collection, and it's mainly due to the forceful personality of Chas. She's a wonderful heroine and helps make Ruan's change from playboy prince to man in love much more realistic and plain old fun. Ruan is used to getting whomever he wants in his bed and Chas's displays of independence show him that he will have to use more than his charm to gain access to Chas's heart. Enjoyable, with an exotic fantasy setting, Secrets of the Wind is the perfect story to end this anthology about Fated Mates.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Explicit

Reviewer: Sarah W
June 24, 2005