A Change of Scenery

Debra Parmley opens her Hunger Roads Trilogy with a premise that moves fast: belly dancer Clarissa refuses a government-mandated injection at a Caribbean shuttle port and suddenly finds herself on a militia watchlist with a Navy SEAL as her unlikely protector. The dystopian backdrop — surveillance, GMO vaccines, government overreach — gives the romance real stakes and a timely edge. The genre blend is genuinely unusual, and readers who enjoy both romance and dystopian fiction should find plenty to like. The caveats are real, though: formal critical reviews are scarce, so it is harder to assess craft and execution with confidence. The book is targeted at adult audiences, and the political premise around vaccine mandates may read as pointed to some readers. Worth a look for fans of the blend.