Courtesan - scifi romance

A couple of years ago, I read a scifi romance novel I really liked. If Santa brought a Kindle for Christmas and you're looking for something to put in it, Courtesan by D.A. Boulter might be exactly what you need. I'm personally not in love with the cover, but that doesn't matter; I love the story, and that's what really matters.

 Blurb:

She needed a ship to escape pursuers; he a companion on a trip to the stars.  The deal seemed straight-forward, but neither told the other everything.

Jaswinder Saroya believed that her research in the area of Hyperspace Field Theory would benefit everyone: Family Traders, the InterPlanetary Corporations, Earth's Colonies and governments alike. She erred in not considering commercial and political consequences. Now, someone wants to steal or bury her research and, perhaps, her with it. With no way to fight this unknown foe, Jaswinder knows she has but one chance--complete her research and publish. To do that, she has to stay alive and stay free.

Pilot Johannes Yrden desires a courtesan, someone to keep him company on the 8 month trip to the planet Liberty and back. He wants someone not from the Yrden Family spaceship and to hell with his brother, Captain Matt Yrden, who believes the TransPlanetary Corporations will stock his line-up with spies.

Yrden's plan runs afoul of circumstance, which throws him together with one 'Jazz Saro', a woman on the run. Forced to run with her, Yrden allows her to convince him to sign her on as courtesan. He needs a companion; she needs a ship, a place to hide. It seems a simple enough arrangement.

Jaswinder thinks she's found her perfect solution: a hiding place in hyperspace, where she can complete her research using the ship as her laboratory. Unfortunately, she hasn't reckoned on the possibility of one of her pursuers booking passage, forcing her to maintain the fiction of her alias. The pilot's family, with troubles of their own, grow suspicious and it becomes apparent she cannot complete her research openly. That leaves her the choice: Do what she needs to do to in order to save Jaswinder's life or become Jazz Saro.

My review: 

Jaswinder is a very devoted scientist, living life happily engulfed in her work. She is so engulfed she forgets to pay attention to the financial interests of the powers that be. Before she knows what is happening, she has stumbled into danger's way, and finds herself on the run from people trying to capture or even kill her.

The book is excellent. The story is engaging, and has just the right balance between being cute and exciting. The characters are interesting, and feel real. I would love to know what more happens to Jaz and Johannes, and I'll keep my fingers crossed for a sequel.