Canis Royale (Bridefight), by MaryJanice Davidson

Canis Royale (Bridefight), by MaryJanice Davidson was, like her Dying for Ice Cream, which I read not long ago, a novella. Only, this one was a steamy fantasy romance, while DFIC was Young Adult.

Detective Lois Commoner has had enough. Deciding to end it all as an escape to ongoing physical agony, she overdoses one night while Star Trek blares in the background. To her amazement, instead of waking up dead, she finds herself in the Sandlands...a startlingly beautiful world whose inhabitants are shape-shifters.

An ordinary woman on Earth, Lois is fought over in the Sandlands, where tough, scarred women are prized as highly desirable mates. And it seems like the entire royal family has turned their attention to Lois, including the king, his heir, and the two younger princes. Let the Bridefight begin...

This was an entertaining read, though not particularly satisfying. My grade: a B-, just because it was so damn fun!

Funny, inventive, entertaining... it was all that. And I always enjoy Davidson's distinctive writing style. However, as a romance, it just wasn't very substantial. For a novella, though, I can't complain.