Holy damn, this was good! A true 'enemies to lovers' romance with a side of straight-up 'aliens made them do it' in a 'Hunger Games but with boinking'Holy damn, this was good! A true 'enemies to lovers' romance with a side of straight-up 'aliens made them do it' in a 'Hunger Games but with boinking' setting.
Durek and Karnin are enemies. Not 'he said something mean about me once so I hate him' enemies, but full on 'on opposing sides of a war for thirteen years and also holding personal vendettas against each other' enemies. He gouged her eye out; she chopped off his sword arm. You know, enemies.
At the end of the long war, as peace talks are starting, she's lost everything but her desire to kill him, and he's in a similar situation. She hunts him down/he lets her find him when suddenly! They are abducted together and put in a Hunger Games-type arena, with instructions to hunt each other down. Like, that's what they wanted to do in the first place, right?
But this is a perverted rapey Hunger Games, and the 'hosts' make increasingly bizarre demands eventually involving Durek's young daughter, and these enemies now have to form an extremely tense alliance. Oooh, that's the good stuff, stick it right into my veins!
The slowest of burns (natch) but ultimately believable romance ensues. ...more
Fun space opera worldbuilding and space political intrigue form the setting for a very--VERY--iddy D/S MFM spanking erotica alien abduction (only not Fun space opera worldbuilding and space political intrigue form the setting for a very--VERY--iddy D/S MFM spanking erotica alien abduction (only not really) romance. Like, I was into the worldbuilding but had to speed along (my eyes rolling) a few times during the "your true nature is to submit to two total strangers you just met like 20 minutes ago" bits. Doesn't take itself too seriously, which made things fun for me. ...more
Cute and funny romance between a spoiled privileged prince in exile and a lonely extroverted former slave. Maeve just wanted a pet cat to keep her comCute and funny romance between a spoiled privileged prince in exile and a lonely extroverted former slave. Maeve just wanted a pet cat to keep her company. Instead, she got a box full of an asshole cat-man who thinks she's his servant. Zhur is fleeing a coup led by his younger brother and is meant to be hiding on Risda. I do always love a privileged aristocrat having to do physical labor and suffer the indignities of cheap shampoo. Romance blooms after they get married to ensure his protection on the refugee planet.
Longer than it needs to be, but still as charming and sexy and sweet as Ruby Dixon can get. ...more
Huh. So I've seen this series recced a few times when people have asked for sci-fi/space opera romance. I guess I wasn't expecting it to be so... for Huh. So I've seen this series recced a few times when people have asked for sci-fi/space opera romance. I guess I wasn't expecting it to be so... for it to be basically spanking erotica. It's a long series, are they all spanking erotica? I mean, it's short but it also managed to pack in some likable characters, a bit of interesting worldbuilding, and the brides program is a fun hook for people wanting human/alien pairings without the whole abducted by aliens premise. I'm just not into spanking enough to sustain my interest over 24+ volumes. Lol. ...more
It's true that you know what you're getting when you read a Prime Mating Agency story: A human woman and an alien man entering into an arranged marriaIt's true that you know what you're getting when you read a Prime Mating Agency story: A human woman and an alien man entering into an arranged marriage (sometimes volunteering to be matched, other times via external circumstances). The love story will be relatively low-conflict and mostly center on cultural and physical differences. Both leads will be practical and adult about the marriage and work towards making a success out of the venture. (But readers know if Kayog made the match, there's no way they're not soulmates.) So sure, they can get repetitive. But I know I'll get a nice reliable shot of cozy warm feels injected right into my veins.
This time we've got Maeve, an Enforcer (and friend/colleague of Kaida from I Married a Dragon) giving up the apps and going directly to Kayog. She's matched with Helios, an Edocit (a tree/plant man who's super hot and smells like a flower garden), who is a bounty hunter. Together, they fall in love and fight crime. A warm cuddle in book form. ...more
A super dark setting with the sweetest marshmallow fluff romance center. I was frustrated that certain asshole characters didn't get a comeuppance, buA super dark setting with the sweetest marshmallow fluff romance center. I was frustrated that certain asshole characters didn't get a comeuppance, but I can deal. Ruby Dixon is so good at the type of MMC who is outwardly intimidating but inside is all cinnamon roll who only wants to please his FMC and is so happy to let her teach him how....more
Okay so Millie is in a bit of a pinch. She's broke and desperate, stuck on her dad's home space vampire planet while he's sadly died offworld and she Okay so Millie is in a bit of a pinch. She's broke and desperate, stuck on her dad's home space vampire planet while he's sadly died offworld and she needs to get the money to bring his body home for space vampire death rituals that will ensure his soul isn't cast into the void forever. So she takes a job at a ritzy space vampire blood bank. Then this super hot space vampire customer takes one sniff and gets the sexy scented fated mate whammy and now she has a whole new set of problems.
Kythal (Azur from the last book's twin brother) is all about capital-D Duty. He can't be fated mated to some random human, he's got to get arranged married to secure materials for weapons in the upcoming war that seems inevitable. It's a real pickle for everyone.
Millie is likable and I loved her globe-trotting (galaxy-trotting?) vagabond backstory as she grew up with her half-kylorr adoptive father as he traveled across the planets working as a fancy fine-dining chef to the space-elite.
Kythal is a little frustrating, since he seems determined to nobly sacrifice himself to appease his guilt and he does so in STOIC SILENCE never even telling his own twin brother who is fated mated to a human himself (as seen in the previous book). Guy needed a good smack upside the head for most of the book.
Lovely and sweet with some deep angst, some space vampire silliness, and intense emotions. I'm loving this series!...more
Brief and breezy alien fated mates story. Charlotte is on a diplomatic mission to Alderaa-- to make first contact with an alien species (or so she thiBrief and breezy alien fated mates story. Charlotte is on a diplomatic mission to Alderaa-- to make first contact with an alien species (or so she thinks) when their ship crash lands on a prison planet. Droth is a political prisoner (he's the rightful heir to his planet's throne, usurped by his uncle) who has been on the planet with his fellows for five years. Eyes meet, sparks fly, fated mated boinking happens.
Several large hooks for a series arc with the illegal trafficking of human women and the usurped throne, but it looks like several of the books are still mostly on the prison planet. I want to get to Earth and Vox and see the smackdowns already!...more
Okay, Gemma's dad has gambled and drunk away all their money and the loan sharks are circling when one of his creditors brings her an offer: a guy wanOkay, Gemma's dad has gambled and drunk away all their money and the loan sharks are circling when one of his creditors brings her an offer: a guy wants to marry her. And he'll pay off all her family's debts and put some extra in an account just for her. But he's clear, he wants Gemma specifically--the eldest daughter of her House. Gemma knows something's suspicious about all this, but when her father hears the offer, she has no choice but to accept.
So the guy--Azur--is a sexy space vampire demon (who is super rich because his planet is the only place space weed can grow) and has a plan to destroy Gemma's father's House, starting with breaking her. Only it turns out her blood is awesome and she's his mystical blood mate who makes him stronger with every bite. Plus she's smart and kind and pretty and everyone in his spooky space gothic castle grows to like her. What to do, what to do...
Likable characters with strong arcs for both leads, cool world building (hey, the Dakkari get name checked!), satisfying conclusion with intriguing hooks for a series long arc, perhaps. Great fun!...more
Some clunky writing and too many infodumps, but the characters were appealing and the space opera setting was a lot of fun. Valerie's only hope for esSome clunky writing and too many infodumps, but the characters were appealing and the space opera setting was a lot of fun. Valerie's only hope for escaping her father's debts is signing up for a year of indentured servitude. Her sister signs up and is off to spend a year as a ship's accountant, while Valerie's offer is more unusual: spend a year as a walking bloodbank for a space vampire. Vrajan's species is the spooky boogyman of the galaxy but all they want now is an end to their exile so their people don't die off. (I do wonder how they evolved at all if they can't really feed off each other.)
Valerie is tough, curses like a sailor, and quick to anger. Vrajan is gentle, emotional, walks around veiled all the time, and weeps often. Together, they forge a new future for scary space vampires! ...more
This series is like a comforting cup of tea in a warm, slightly breezy garden gazebo covered in blooming wisteria. As usual, a cozy but spicy romance This series is like a comforting cup of tea in a warm, slightly breezy garden gazebo covered in blooming wisteria. As usual, a cozy but spicy romance featuring kind, good, honorable people who marry suddenly (usually because of some mishap) and do their best to make their lives together work. Oh, and this one has a sexy snake man with a vibrating bumpy dick. How could I resist?...more
I enjoyed this very Mass Effect-ish tale a lot. The heroine is a professor/profiler consultant for the police who gets alien abducted (by basically GaI enjoyed this very Mass Effect-ish tale a lot. The heroine is a professor/profiler consultant for the police who gets alien abducted (by basically Garrus Vakarian if he was a Spectre) to help rescue a thousand other humans who were alien abducted to be sex trafficked. Loads of fun space adventure stuff with a badass heroine and a hero who really REALLY wants to mate her for life, but doesn't want to freak her out more than he already has or take away any more of her choices.
Some nitpicks--I found the switching between first and third person jarring and wished the whole book had been third. A bit of infodumping and some odd pacing. But overall a very enjoyable space opera romance. ...more
Oh I liked this one. Two new women have been discovered in a ship crash (at the end of the last book), which is good news for all the single alien dudOh I liked this one. Two new women have been discovered in a ship crash (at the end of the last book), which is good news for all the single alien dudes since the original humans have all resonated. A rescue mission ensues and one of the alien dudes (Hassan) kidnaps Lila as soon as she gets her khui and carts her off to await resonance. Next verse same as the first, right? But wait, dark horse Rokan enters the picture just as Lila has gotten fed up enough to run away from Hassan.
Lots of new lore introduced. Who knew the metlaks had some higher thinking and language capabilities? And one of them has a crush on Lila? Lila is also deaf (her cochlear implants were removed by the bad kidnapping aliens) which makes the usual language barrier a little more interesting. And they finally find some fruit and I can stop imagining them all dying from scurvy. ...more
Grumpy/Sunshine with forced proximity romance between grumpy Haeden, the only guy ever to resonate twice (and now be rejected twice) and sunshine JosiGrumpy/Sunshine with forced proximity romance between grumpy Haeden, the only guy ever to resonate twice (and now be rejected twice) and sunshine Josie, who has had a hard luck life filled with rejection and abuse and is now the last human to resonate. Most of the conflict stems from communications issues which I don't love--I mean, they're aliens. You gotta cut everyone some slack in that area. ...more
Well well well, how the turn tables.... A fun spin on the 'woman is alien abducted to be a sex cuddle slave' trope. After an emergency crash landing oWell well well, how the turn tables.... A fun spin on the 'woman is alien abducted to be a sex cuddle slave' trope. After an emergency crash landing on a planet, the tables turn and now our heroine has the upper hand. I do so love when that happens....more
Superfun space opera adventure in which Peony and four other human women are abducted by aliens and put into a hold with Atem, another different alienSuperfun space opera adventure in which Peony and four other human women are abducted by aliens and put into a hold with Atem, another different alien that the abducting aliens all seem extra wary of. Peony offers him water and damn, that's all it takes for Atem. Peony and Atem get together and are fully into it fairly early on and most of the romance involves exploring physical and cultural differences (and a rather heavy handed Plot Device that is Peony's hospital phobia). Lots of hooks for future books (I hope they eventually find Earth and we get some first contact business!)....more
So the khui parasite/symbiont can heal a lot of things: cancer, diabetes, infertility due to scarring, etc. But it can't help Tiffany's psychological So the khui parasite/symbiont can heal a lot of things: cancer, diabetes, infertility due to scarring, etc. But it can't help Tiffany's psychological wounds/ptsd due to her sexual assault by the bad abducting aliens. Now she's one of the last unmated human women, and lives in constant fear of resonating and having her control over her body taken from her once again. Enter the hero, Salukh, who is the kindest, sweetest, most patient giant blue alien barbarian that ever was. A warm cuddly hurt/comfort treat....more
These continue to delight. The MMC is a true caveman who has been alone since he was a small child and has no idea how to relate to other people--he'sThese continue to delight. The MMC is a true caveman who has been alone since he was a small child and has no idea how to relate to other people--he's even forgotten most of his language. There's also some interesting background with the story of Rukh's father, how he resonated to a tribeswoman but she loved someone else, showing that resonance doesn't always work out. I'm not too worried since these are romance novels, but still, it's an interesting note that the 'fated mate' aspect of this world doesn't always get it right. Also, there's a warmish (warmer, at least) beach with giant delicious lobsters and they don't all live there already? WTF....more
I think I'm going to have to space these out a bit more from now on, otherwise they'll start running together in my mind. This one is a lovely charmerI think I'm going to have to space these out a bit more from now on, otherwise they'll start running together in my mind. This one is a lovely charmer/wallflower romance with quite a bit of overall plot advancement. Kira (the human with the implanted translator) worries about two things: the rapey aliens coming back for them and tracking her via the earpiece; and starting something romantic with a nice blue alien only to have him resonate to another girl and having her heart broken. She's shy and thinks of herself as plain. Aehako is charming, friendly, and utterly smitten with Kira. Cue road trip/forced proximity bonding time!...more
Very sweet grumpy/grumpy alien romance with a competent skilled hunter heroine and an asshole-with-a-tragic-marshmallow-center virgin hero. I see why Very sweet grumpy/grumpy alien romance with a competent skilled hunter heroine and an asshole-with-a-tragic-marshmallow-center virgin hero. I see why these books are so popular now--they're short, sweet, and once you start you can't stop. ...more
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