Worst epic fail of her scientific career? Falling for a cyborg she helped create.

Dr. Kyra Winters never meant for her cyber science discoveries to be used for evil, but that’s exactly what happened. Now returning Peyton 313’s humanity is the last chance she’ll ever have to atone. She can’t get back the lost decade, but she can change the present by restoring the cyborg who was once Marine Captain Peyton Elliot.

Certainly her grand plan for rectifying her mistakes didn’t include madly kissing the confused, passionate Marine when he begged her to. The same scientific mind that constructed the cyborg creator code now warned her not to let Peyton’s tempting offers of heaven cloud her rational decision making. Yet it’s difficult to resist the cyborg she’s restoring when he’s also the most intriguing man she’s ever known.

Review

This book was way better than I thought it would be. I love good surprises!

I have been reading a great deal of junky fluffy Science Fiction Romance of late and happily. Sometimes, I just want junk food in the form of books.

I have always loved cyborgs so this book was an easy pick for my glom.

The hero is not really a cyborg but an altered marine. However, there are lots of great scenes where he has to integrate his human and computer self. Enough to make me happy.

The heroine is a scientist with a great deal of guilt for her part in enslaving the soldiers and slowly the others as the government makes use of her work.

I like both the hero and the heroine. The villains are cartoony and the resolution of the external conflict too easy but the internal ones are interesting even if there is a bit of insta lust going on.

I am excited about the rest of the series. Oh, hey, and this is free read right now!

Felicia Swift never dreamed she'd hear a deep, sexy voice from her past in tiny Fool's Gold, California. The last time Gideon Boylan whispered in her ear was half a world away…on the morning after the hottest night of her life. Her freaky smarts have limited her close friendships, and romance, but she came to Fool's Gold looking for ordinary. Gorgeous, brooding Gideon is anything but that.

Black Ops taught Gideon that love could be deadly. Now he pretends to fit in while keeping everyone at arm's length. Felicia wants more than he can give—a home, family, love—but she has a lot to learn about men…and Gideon needs to be the man to teach her.

As these two misfits discover that passion isn't the only thing they have in common, they just might figure out that two of a kind should never be split apart.

Review

I picked this one up for the genius heroine an was not disappointed. I loved her. She is a logistic expert and applies her knowledge to everything. She is sweet and self aware. She is also trained in fighting and no push over.

The hero is struggling to acclimate after being a POW. He has sought help but doesn't feel that he should love.

There is a surprise twist the plot that adds a lovely layer to the love story and he comes around just in time.

All the secondary characters and the town are great. Because this is an on going series which is designed to make you rush out and grab the next book (which I did). I am never fully happy with the HEA. We will get more of this couple in future books but while the end is good here it isn't outstanding.

A lovely romance all in all.

If you ask me what my favorite troupes are I will tell you Marriage of Convenience and Friends to Lovers but if you ask me what my favorite character type is it would have to be the Genius. 

And yes with the all the stereotypes of focus and absentmindedness. I love knowledge and talent and grit.  I love learning so that is a side benefit to these kinds of characters as well.  I always pick up new knowledge random though it may be. 

I adore genius heroines the most. I like that they are often focused on something else than the hero and need to find balance in their life and work the hero into their life. 

So, I am going to do a series of lists on the Genius Hero and Heroine so that you too might find a love for this character type. 

What is a genius exactly? I tried to go with the wider definition of the term and include all the types. 

Here is what our friend Wiki says...

A genius is a person who displays exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of an unprecedented leap of insight. This may refer to a particular aspect of an individual, or the individual in his or her entirety; to a scholar in many subjects (e.g. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz or Leonardo da Vinci)^[1] or a scholar in a single subject (e.g., Albert Einstein or Charles Darwin). There is no scientifically precise definition of genius, and the question of whether the notion itself has any real meaning has long been a subject of debate.

Note no women were given as examples. Bah. Woman Geniuses are being reclaimed for the ages (I will talk about this in a later post)  but the truth is women didn't get to chance to fly in this way for a long time and even now our thinking around "smart" is still a bit stunted. 

We tend to think of genius in the Sciences especially but there is all kinds of brilliant all kinds of fields.  Let'em shine. 

Here are some of my favorite Contemporary Romance Heroines who are sexy smart. 

1. Nobody's Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Physics professor Dr. Jane Darlington

2.  All A Good Night, "Finding Mr. Right"  by Jill Shalvis, Maggie Bell, Chemist

3. You've Got Male by Elizabeth Bevarly,  Avery Nesbitt, Hacker 

4. Falling for the CEO  by Audra North, Finance genius Meredith Klaus 

5. Girl Least Likely to Marry by Amy Andrews Scientist Cassie Barclay

6. The Reluctant Nerd by Sandra Paul, Graduate student Ernestine St. Bennett

7. The Nerd and the Marine  by D.R. Grady  Lainy Morrison, Electronics Expert

8. Mackenzie's Mission by Linda Howard Weapons Expert Caroline Evans 

9. Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid Janie Morris. Architect/Account

10. Just One Taste by Louisa Edwards  Dr. Rosemary Wilkins, Food Scientist 

11. The Shy Bride by Lucy Monroe,  Cassandra, Pianist

I would love your recommendations! 

If you would like to vote for the best of the best in Genius Contemporary Heroines go to the Goodreads list: Sexy Smart: Best Genius Heroines of Contemporary Romance

Please look for the following post in this series: 

Certified: Best Genius Hero in Paranormal Romance 

Smarty Pants: Best Genius Heroes of Contemporary Romance 

Supersmart: Best Genius Heroines of Paranormal Romance 

Keen Minds: Best Genius Heroines Of Historical Romance

Tome: Sexiest Genius Hero Of Historical Romance 

If you would like to check out Genius Women of Today and Yesterday go to the Pinterest Board: Sexy Smart: Best Genius Heroines of Romance.

Fun facts:

Shakira is certified genius as is Alica Keys, Goldie Hawn, Sharon Stone, Janye Mansfield, Judy Holiday, and Charo.