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Mates of the Domini #5

Heart of the Domini

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HATTIE HAS FINALLY MADE PEACE WITH HERSELF

It's been a long time coming, but she has reached a place of understanding. And it's a good thing, because it's all being put to the test. Her ex is back, testing the foundation of her carefully rebuilt self-esteem. Tuvo is there, testing the boundaries of the friendship she's trying to make between them. Standing between these males, she's struggling to remind herself to be strong.

TUVO IS DETERMINED TO MAKE PEACE WITH HATTIE, AND NOTHING ELSE

He owes her penance for his hurtful words, he knows that, but the need to give into his mate is breaking him inside. He's denied his instincts too long, and he's finally breaking. But he can't. She's too soft, too small, too delicate. He'll hurt her. He'll break her. But he has to protect her. From the forces conspiring against them, and from her previous lover who puts a familiar hurt in her eyes.

HATEFUL FORCES ARE STACKED AGAINST THEM, THREATENING ALL THAT THEY'VE BUILT

Most are happy to welcome their new alien friends, but those who don't are powerful and dangerous. A plot against the treaty is a threat to the peace between Earth and the Coalition. Surviving in the wilds of the Amazon, facing down human traffickers, and building trust between species. One way or another, it all ends here. The only question that remains is what their relationship when the dust clears.

Heart of the Domini is a standalone MF romance that is the finale of a series with an overarching story. Each book can be read as a standalone, but, for max enjoyment, are best read in order.

544 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 3, 2023

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Talia Rhea

19 books102 followers

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5 stars
223 (41%)
4 stars
188 (35%)
3 stars
99 (18%)
2 stars
16 (3%)
1 star
7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Profile Image for Emms-hiatus(ish).
1,281 reviews71 followers
April 30, 2026
Better than the previous 2, like the previous 4 it needed further editing.

Also complement and compliment are two different words with two different meanings.
Profile Image for Hannah Reads a lot of Smut.
510 reviews
April 20, 2024
I wanted to love this book but it’s just so long when it doesn’t need to be. It has build up through the other books and a deep longing from both hero and heroine.

But the length. The parts that made me bored really made it hard to finish. It was meh when the makings had the potential to be amazing.
Profile Image for Arctic_Banshee.
412 reviews3 followers
February 5, 2026
Finally got Hattie and Tuvo’s story. I’ll be honest, she gave in way too easily. But that’s how a lot of authors write plus-sized fmc- bubbly, little foolish, overly-adoring of the mmc. 😫 Why is this a thing??

I skipped the 4th book due to tw and it wasn’t a problem following things along.

Her ex was a 1-dimensional character like whats his face from The Last Hour of Gann. Zero redeeming qualities and completely sociopathic. Pretty easy to write characters like that, I guess, to give some extra pathos. It was annoying. Especially when he turned up alive when they made it to the ground?? I was like, oh goddammit this dude just won’t DIE. :/

Did enjoy the time in the Azores, and the Amazon, bc I’m half Brazilian. The few Portuguese words used were pretty accurate. We don’t really call a bunch of guys “putas.” It would be “filhos da puta”. But whatever.

I will say that there was zero believability in them getting sexy times while stuck in the jungle. If you just lean against some random tree there, you are likely to get bit by some insect that hasn’t even been discovered by scientists yet, where it will lay eggs under your skin. Talk about a ‘breeding’ book that would be! (Not kidding, teacher once told me that story.)

But, this is fantasy. It would be realistic that the authorities would be sparse over there, because there are too many ways for city people to die. The villages exist as a middle ground between the jungle and the farm folk. They would 💯 fry up some spiders for you to eat.

But the political climate is really bad, because of the logging, deforestation, etc. Plenty of people care, but the Amazon is dangerous and far away from major cities. Difficult to access if not impossible.

But anyway, this is not that kind of book.

I think overall this is a cute series, but the pacing needs work, and they are all too long. Almost dnf’d this book, even. The world-building of the alien planet was well done. I would have liked for at least one of the alien dudes to a been just a commoner, but it is what it is.

I would recommend this series if you’re looking for some fluffy steamy alien books. They are entertaining. 🤷🏻‍♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Samie Treat.
71 reviews1 follower
November 17, 2024
Best Sci-Fi Romance Series! 🌌

I wanted to wait till I finished the series to leave my review and I’m so glad I did! This is an overarching series, where each book show cases a different couple, yet keeps the others close enough that you feel their story continues. I have to say, this has become one of my top favorite sci-fi romances!

I loved Hattie and Tuvo so much. I can see why the author waited for them at the end, I felt it gave their story a great build up and there were a lot of great moments full of heartfelt honesty and growth! Also I hope a certain someone is STILL stubbing his toes on coffee tables.

All in all, I absolutely encourage you read, it’s 10/10 worth it! My only grievance for any of the books is that sometimes I felt like certain things were spoiled, instead of expanded on. I understand they’re long books already, and we can’t spend too much time in every moment, but some of the things mentioned came out as a offhanded comment by another character, which wasn’t bad, but I would’ve like more pomp and circumstance for those moments, even if a couple more lines.

Still, if you AT ALL like alien romances, then this series will be one of your favorites as well, I have no doubt! Each book was a 5 ⭐️ for me in its own right but even as an entire series it was exceptional. I truly hope to see more from this author in this universe!
Profile Image for Cirphia.
114 reviews
April 23, 2026
I've been patiently waiting for Hattie to get her happy end!

She is the most supportive, happiest of the human females. She helped all of the Domini to woo their mates. And she wanted a domini mate from the moment she laid eyes on Tuvo.
But he rejected her due to her 'size'. And not even to her face, but in a conversation with the other males, that Hattie overheard.
Tuvo is the biggest of the Domini males and he is afraid of hurting the smallest human, Hattie.

When they find themselves in danger, Tuvo does everything to protect Hattie. And even tho he tried his best to ignore his mating instincts, Tuvo finds himself getting closer to the woman he doesn't want to hurt.

This book focuses on Hattie and Tuvo, on their journey to America and everything that happened after their plane crash lands in the Amazon forest.
This book should be read after The ambassador of the Domini, since the timelines overlap.

I love this book and it is an amazing end to the domini series. The Lunar Base series follows directly after the events in this book. So if you loved this series, you should give Talia's other books a try!
Profile Image for DemetraP.
6,138 reviews
September 5, 2023
There is a lot of "other man" drama in the form of her ex-boyfriend. The author explains at the end of the book that she knows readers hate the ex-boyfriend.

I liked the book but hated the scenes with the ex in them. I've been waiting for Tuvo and Hattie's book since book 1 when Tuvo made the "size" comment that led to the epic misunderstanding between them.

He is the "First Warrior" and the largest alien. She is a short plus size woman who loves to cook. He commented on her size because he was worried he would hurt her during sex. She thought he meant she was fat.

When they finally talk it out they realized what happened.

The author confirmed she is starting a spin off series with the aliens studying humans (with human volunteers) to see if they can determine why humans are so fertile with aliens. I'm looking forward to more books. Hopefully without any ex-boyfriend drama. Her previous books did not have "other man" drama.
Profile Image for Courtney.
1,061 reviews22 followers
September 25, 2023
Wow. Amazing. A fabulous series finale, and a great ending of a beginning of this universe. Hattie and Tuvo were so good together and this book had the action and survivalist. Even though I hated Keith and do even more, I’m so glad Hattie got to confront him and really close the door and Tuvo got to be aggravated with him lol. This book was amazing. I randomly pick used the first book of this series bc I was in a slump and open to just picking something random. And I’m so glad I did. This is one of my top fave series!!! And 5 books is a great series amount/5 couples even if the books were long.

Even though, this one was noticeably shorter, it didn’t take away from anything and honestly I’ve come to really enjoy the length and that caters to a great story and buildup of the characters and settings. All in all this was amazing and the epilogue was soooooo cute!!!
166 reviews4 followers
July 26, 2024
4.5 stars

I think this was my favorite book of the series.

The romance was sweet and both MCs were adorable together. I liked seeing the playful side of Tuvo and Hattie finally standing up for herself.

The majority of the book gave me Romancing the Stone and Jewel of the Nile vibes (with aliens!) and I enjoyed everything up until the climax and what I thought was the ending. But like the rest of the series, the book just kept going and going.. and going, way past the natural stopping point. I struggled finishing the last 75+ pages of a book that I had genuinely loved.

So other than the sheer longevity, a smattering of typos, and a few eyebrow raising revelations during the extended epilogues for the other FMCs, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the entire series.
Profile Image for Lauren Whipple.
329 reviews
May 13, 2026
4 stars out of 5

Moving onto the next sci-fi/alien romances!! Mates of the Domini was an interesting take on abduction and even going so far as to contact Earth afterwards to establish a connection so the abductees could communicate with home.

I loved all of the books EXCEPT Survii and Alanna's story. I did not jibe with her when I started reading hers and Survii's attitude towards her and the bond at the beginning? Immediately turned me off of it. I skimmed some bits and jumped basically to the end to get the overarching storyline details I might need but that one was a DNF for me.

I loved the rest of the Domini with Holly and Romival's story probably being my fave!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Lexie.
117 reviews1 follower
September 11, 2023
“Content, well loved, and unspeakably happy”

God, this book. This series!!!! Just utter perfection. The perfect end to a love story that built up to a sweet, sweet crescendo. And what an adventure this entry had! Everything was so satisfying, and the epilogue tied it in a neat bow. I adored Hattie and Tuvo, more than I thought I would and I already had HIGH expectations. 10/10 would recommend.

Can’t wait to see where else Ms. Rhea will take us!
Profile Image for Ellie.
44 reviews
January 2, 2025
I was waiting a long time for this pairing and was happy for how it went down with them. Some of the book felt really long such as them being stranded in Azores. I liked the prologues on the end but wish they were longer. Without moving onto another new series, I wish we heard a bit more about what Earth was like
Marriage and proposals were total cheeze and a bit awkward
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
62 reviews
May 18, 2026
Long, but my fave of the series! I love so many of the Domini MMC's for different reasons but boy do I love angst and this book had more of it than the others, while somehow balancing an essentially sweet MMC who has been a jerk in the past. Spoiler to follow: The scene where he jumps out of an aeroplane with her? *chef's kiss*
1,787 reviews4 followers
September 12, 2023
Excellent series

Finally Hattie and Tuvo have their story. Tuvo was a hard sell but because of adversity he finally succumbed to mate hood. Many trials with good outcomes. Loved hearing all the updates about all of the girls and their mates too. Enjoy!
257 reviews2 followers
February 7, 2024
FINALLY

The teasers in the prior books for Hattie's story had me excited for this book. It did not disappoint. Still had some editing issues, but I will be looking for more of this author's work.
39 reviews
February 9, 2025
I'm giving this an extra star just because one of the characters had the same name as me and she's a badass.
It's pretty clear this was supposed to be the third book. The decision to make this the last one derailed everything in my opinion.
Profile Image for F~.
418 reviews16 followers
August 24, 2025
DNF @83% this was way too long and the FMC was way too desperate 😩 I just couldn’t with her or the FMC. And what was the point of the OM in this? He was cartoonishly evil lol it was so weird how the FMC just continued to let him be weird with her. The MMC too tbh. Didn’t feel very domini.
Profile Image for Chandler Refling.
24 reviews
May 13, 2026
I usually hate a miss communication trope but this book managed the impossible and I found it was disgustingly adorable, well done...Still subtracting 1 star on principal because it managed to make me cry.
Profile Image for Honest Mabel.
1,254 reviews42 followers
September 4, 2023
so excited for what’s next

While I am terribly disappointed the series is over. I am excited to know she is continuing her world. So I am excited for what comes next!!
287 reviews1 follower
September 9, 2023
HEA

What a fantastic period to an amazing series! I absolutely love Tuvo and am so glad he finally got his mate. Thank you for sharing!
Profile Image for Mnms.
1,687 reviews5 followers
January 22, 2025
Pretty true to the previous books. I'd skipped no 4 and it went fine.
Profile Image for AJ.
66 reviews1 follower
November 2, 2025
dnf’d at 84% bc i just couldn’t get through with it, i was so bored. Also I hated the whole size thing like wdym you can’t be with her bc it won’t fit, is that all that matters…
Profile Image for ChyenneReads.
418 reviews1 follower
May 9, 2026
This is how you finish a series! The tension built between Tuvo and Hattie the rest of the series added so much to this story. Everything was wrapped up nicely
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews