Parallel Attraction

An alien king and a human geologist discover the wonders of love at first sight in this unusual debut, which fuses elements of science fiction and the paranormal into a palatable cocktail. Jared Bennett isn't your average hero. As king of a race of people known as Refarians, he can shape-shift into numerous forms, primarily a ball of energy and a handsome, dark-skinned human. He first meets Kelsey Wells in the guise of the latter in the midst of Yellowstone park. Their encounter is brief and innocent, but enough for them to fall in love. Even the memory-erasing efforts of Jared's guardian can't keep the two from recognizing each other years later when Jared, wounded and bearing vital information, turns to Kelsey for help. Her agreement sparks a series of events that draws them together—and leads an adversary from the future to travel back in time. The story barrels along at breakneck speed, with little focus on character development but a good deal on world-building. Although Knight succeeds in giving readers a reason to pick up the next book in the series, this tale lacks the depth that distinguish, the best romance novels. (Apr.)