Cooper’s bawdy genre mash-up is set aboard the spaceship Cygnus, a pirate vessel crewed by rugged human captain Trent Rolston, cheerful Tithan telepaths Lindi and Reyla, secretive Fenrite werewolf Vince, and nerdy navigator Winston. When Fenrite raiders board the Cygnus, they recognize Vince as an infamous traitor, forcing him to confess painful aspects of his past. Complicating matters further, Vince realizes he is falling under the sway of powerful seasonal mating urges. Despite his fears of betraying the memory of his late lifemate, Rok, Vince begins an intense sexual relationship with Trent that immediately cements them as pair-bonded for life, though Trent still thinks of them more as buddies than as partners. Vince’s love for the crew fuels him to take increasingly reckless steps to protect them as Fenrite hunters are dispatched to bring him home by any means necessary. The book is structured like erotica, with significant focus on the explicit scenes (one of which includes descriptions of Vince’s canine physical characteristics that some readers may find off-putting), but Trent and Vince keep interrupting the sex for heart-to-hearts. Though Cooper (Junk Mage) is very creative with the story’s premise and setting, this unfortunate chronicle is undermined by choppy pacing, underdeveloped characters and relationships, and rushed emotional arcs, ultimately failing to satisfy as a romance. (BookLife)