This book was such a pleasant surprise. The characters are extremely well developed, the dialog is smooth and realistic, and the prose is nearly flawless. Ms. Peters draws you into the story and paints an image before you that's vivid and feels so very real.
While it's a romance, it's hard to place it in other genres (like science fiction, supernatural, shifter, etc.). The world this story takes place in is an alternate reality of our own. It's seemingly exactly like our own, with familiar pop-culture references, and even references to current political happenings. The exception is that everyone has a slightly different biology. If you're familiar with shifter stories, it'd be similar to a shifter universe, but without the ability to turn into animals (and also without other "supernatural" aspects). People are either alphas (who have dominant personalities), betas (who are even-tempered), or omegas (who are more submissive and have the ability to bear children, regardless of their gender). Alphas and betas carry on like normal, but omegas are treated somewhat differently. In large cities, they never go out without being accompanied by others because it's feared they would be taken advantage of. Institutions (such as schools and universities) will not allow an omega to attend unless they have been fully bonded (think "married"), and bonding is carried out by legal agreements between the parents of the couple.
Hence the problem for 20-year-old Ethan. He has had his "puberty" and will not be allowed to enter the musical conservatory unless he is bonded. Since it's so rare for omegas to be admitted when they're older, even waiting another year will greatly lessen his chances of being a concert pianist. He needs to be bonded to someone who will not only allow him to attend, but will allow him to travel and perform. There's also the fact that Ethan is quite self-sufficient and does not see a reason why he needs to be accompanied everywhere, which is something that nearly anyone he would bond with would demand.
Antonio is 25 and has been avoiding getting bonded for quite some time now. His parents keep presenting candidates from the bonding agency, but he keeps declining. He does not relish the thought of having an omega dependent upon him all of the time. But this changes when he agrees to meet Ethan, and the two feel an irrestible attraction to each other. However, Ethan's father does not agree to the stipulations of the contract, and Antonio's father refuses to change it. Without their parents' signing off on the contract, there will be no bonding. To add fuel to the fire, Ethan's alpha ex is complicating the matter quite a bit (and no, not in any way that you would expect if you're thinking of shifter romances).
It sounds as if the problem is simple... Ethan and Antonio should just run away together. But this society is described so clearly and beautifully by Ms. Peters that one can see it's not a possibility. Bondings are legally made by the parents, not the couple, and omegas do not have legal protections without either a parent or a bonded partner. Ethan NEEDS to be legally bonded, and soon.
There are other profound, yet very logical, differences in this world. For instance, "mother" is the title given to the person who bears a child, whether male or female. Antonio's parents are alpha male and omega female (father and mother), and Ethan's parents are alpha male and omega male (likewise, father and mother). With this gender difference being universal, there is no concern given to the issues of being "gay" or "straight", which is such a pleasant change. With these changes though, what makes this story so delightful is that while this world is different, it still feels familiar because of so many references that parallel our own world. Things such as comments on the number of Republican presidential candidates or a person's similarity to a Simpsons character helps the reader empathize greatly. The similarities serve to ground the story, while the differences let it soar. And all of it is possible because of the wonderful expertise with prose that Ms. Peters wields.
I've enjoyed romance stories, and I've enjoyed science fiction and supernatural and shifter romances too. Penelope Peters has done a wonderful job of creating a compelling romance that's not quite like anything I've read before.
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