Contact

New Eden #1

by Jessica Marting

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Trapped on the low-tech planet New Eden after a devastating earthquake, Hannah's last-ditch attempt to save her people via a galactic SOS brings help in the form of a cyborg crew in need of a new place to live, led by the enigmatic RH103.

Rebuilding the ravaged New Eden is only one of the crises RH103 is facing. He doesn’t know why he and his crew were created, how they acquired their starship is a mystery, and worst of all, his cybernetics are failing. His attraction to Hannah is a distraction he can’t afford. But her returning his feelings is a surprise, and might be just what he needs before a total system shutdown.

Genres: Science Fiction, Novella, Science Fiction Romance

187 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 13, 2024

About the author

Jessica Marting is a sci-fi and paranormal romance author, art enthusiast (not quite an artist, despite all that time in art school), an avid reader, and makeup collector. She lives in Toronto.

Reviews

[Angelica · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review. Leaving a review of my own opinion.

Jessica better have the next book ready because I want to know what's going to happen next!

As a cyborg myself (I use an insulin pump to keep me alive therefore I consider myself part machine part human aka cyborg) I really enjoyed this story! I loved the characters especially seeing their growth. It had a bit of spice. Not a ton but I will attribute that to they had more pressing matters to attend to.

Great first book for a series to start. Makes me want to read the next one!

[Serena Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesante romance Cyborg.




•Mi opinión puede contener Spoilers.
•Esta destinada a ser un descargo personal no para que alguien más lea pero si lo haces y te ofende, me disculpo porque sé lo que es que te guste un libro y otros lo critiquen.




Contact de Jessica Marting serie New Eden libro 1

Argumento:

Tiempos desesperados requieren medidas desesperadas.

Atrapada en el planeta de baja tecnología New Eden después de un devastador terremoto, el último intento de Hannah de salvar a su gente a través de un SOS galáctico trae ayuda en forma de una tripulación cyborg que necesita un nuevo lugar para vivir, liderada por el enigmático RH103.

La reconstrucción del devastado Nuevo Edén es sólo una de las crisis que enfrenta RH103. No sabe por qué fueron creados él y su tripulación, cómo adquirieron su nave espacial es un misterio y, lo peor de todo, su cibernética está fallando. Su atracción por Hannah es una distracción que no puede permitirse. Pero que ella le devuelva sus sentimientos es una sorpresa y podría ser justo lo que necesita antes de que el sistema se apague por completo.



Mi humilde opinión:

Esperé más acción con esta historia porque había un grupo de cyborgs con tecnología que llegan de repente buscando establecerse y mí sensación fue que estaban escapando de algo peligroso. Pero no fue por ese lado sino por el más humano podría decir.

Este grupo eran clones cyborgs que pasó un buen tiempo en el espacio buscando un hogar permanente y encuentran a New Eden por una señal de SOS. Al aterrizar son recibidos por Hannah y le ofrecen un trato: ayudar a reconstruir de nuevo su comunidad si les permitían quedarse allí. No hubo realmente ningún conflicto. Los pocos habitantes no estaban en contra de la ayuda de los cyborgs ni hay mucha desconfianza por sus diferencias o intenciones. Hubo solo un hombre que protestó por cambiar sus costumbres en cuanto a utilizar tecnología pero no duró nada y quedó en solo eso, una queja que no trascendió.

Me gustaron los diferentes cyborgs y que a pesar de que eran clones no querían parecerse a su original sino que todos tenían su propia personalidad. Rhys, RH103, el protagonista, tiene flashbacks de su original que no fue una buena persona y fue interesante descubrir su origen porque hay un misterio sobre los cyborgs. Para qué fueron creados y qué sucedió hace tiempo que no recuerdan?

Por otro lado estaba Hannah que perdió a sus padres en un terrible terremoto que también se llevó a la mayoría de su comunidad. Aún está atravesando la pérdida. Ella envío la señal de socorro y es quien recibe a los cyborgs cuando aterrizan. Ella y Rhys tienen una atracción instantánea y comienzan a trabajar juntos para que New Eden vuelva a tener electricidad y agua. Me encantó que los cyborgs trabajaran para mejorar la calidad de vida de todos. Clonando hasta semillas, gallinas y ganado para obtener alimentos más nutritivos. Se notó que querían de verdad ayudar más allá de que también lo hacían porque querían quedarse.

La lectura fue agradable, con momentos de drama, angustia, suspenso y pasión. Me pareció lo suficientemente interesante como para continuar leyendo. Me gustaría saber cómo evoluciona New Eden pero como el romance estará protagonizado por la amiga de Hannah, Yasmine y dos cyborgs, no leeré el segundo libro ya que los tríos no son mí taza de té.

[Sandy S · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75stars—CONTACT is the first instalment in Jessica Marting’s adult NEW EDEN erotic, sci-fi romance series. This is RH103 aka Rhys Hammond, and Hannah Forsyth’s story line.

Told from omniscient dual third person perspectives (Rhys and Hannah) CONTACT follows in the wake of the arrival of a spaceship and a crew of cyborg soldiers on New Eden. Approximately two years earlier, a devastating earthquake destroyed most of New Eden, and in doing so, killed all but twenty-one of the original inhabitants. Desperate for help, Hanna Forsyth sent out an SOS but never expected to come face to face with her future in the guise of RH103. RH103 and his crew had been searching for a new home since an ion storm wiped out the planet where they had been. Responding to Hannah’s SOS , RH103 and his crew would find the peace and friendship they had been looking for but RH103 aka Rhys never expected to fall in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between our story line couple, and the potential fall-out as memories from the past threaten to end the life of our story line hero.

The world building reveals some of the back story and histories of our story line couple. RH103 and his crew were once human but centuries of cloning created the ultimate soldier. Hoping to settle,RH103 intercepted Hannah’s transmission, and discovered a planet in need of help. Hannah Forsyth had become the de facto leader of their small community, a community of twenty survivors of a deadly earthquake. Unprepared and without most the minimal resources built by their founding fathers, Hannah worked diligently to keep the survivors alive, some who did not appreciate the work being done.

The relationship between Rhys and Hannah is one of immediate attraction although Rhys is unaware of the how or why. Centuries of obedience and working on command, would be replaced by autonomy and self-awareness such that each member of his crew would become an individual within the cyborgenic hive. As Rhys re-discovers his humanity, Hannah will discover she has fallen in love with more than a man. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to several members of the New Eden community including Hannah’s friends Jasmine and Rodelle, as well as Rhy’s twenty-man crew of fellow cyborgs: SP29 aka Samuel, and DL16 aka Darius-there is something developing between Jasmine , SP29 and DL16.

CONTACT is a story of discovery and acceptance, family, friendships, relationships and love. The intriguing premise is captivating but most of the conflict is contained to first contact; the romance is seductive and exploratory; the characters are charismatic and charming.

copy supplied for review

[Kristiej · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5

It would be nice if we could do halfsies on GoodReads as this isn’t quite a 4 grade but better than a 3.

The premise of this book is interesting. It’s a SciFi Cyborg romance and takes place on the small planet of New Eden. It had been settled many years previously by a group of settlers who were looking for a simpler life and only brought the most basic of supplies and because of this, they are slowly dying out. This is hastened when there is a cataclysmic earthquake that killed half the remaining population. Those remaining are in dire straits. Hannah, our heroine and the unrecognized leader of the group has managed to cobble together an ancient communication system and had sent out a galaxy wide SOS. She didn’t even know if it was successful until a spacecraft landed on the planet with a small group of cyborg clones. Their own home had been demolished in some kind of storm and they are looking for a new home. As they are much more advanced than those on New Eden, they agree to repair and upgrade New Eden if they can remain and slowly assimilate with the people of New Eden. They agree to work together and “assimilate goes quicker than expected. Rhys is the cyborg in charge and he is billeted with Helena until the cyborgs can repair ore build their own homes.

But Hannah has growing feelings for Rhys and is attracted to him. And because he’s a cyborg clone, he has growing feelings for Hannah, despite never having had these kinds of feelings before. Yes fellow romance readers, we have us a very swoony virgin hero. And I like that trope.

Not giving anymore of the story away but I really enjoyed and appreciated these two. Hannah is the only one who has really stepped forward to watch out for her people and she is worn out. Her parents were killed in the earthquake and she’s been so busy, she hasn’t really had time to mourn them. And Rhys is a very good leader. None of the cyborgs really know where they came from and why they were created and none of them really want to know but Rhys is starting to have flashbacks and he senses his original’, he’s also a clone remember, wasn’t a good guy, whereas Rhys is a good hero.

This book was a freebie on Kindle or you can borrow it for free. As are the further books in this series. I fully intend to keep going. I recommend this series so if you’re a fan of SciFi romance this is one to read.

[Moonburst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hannah lives in the dying colony of New Eden. Established generations ago by luddites looking to live with limited technology, the colony has suffered through a catastrophic earthquake killing most of the colonists and leaving what little infrastructure present non-functional. As a last bid for help, Hannah manages to send a jerry-rigged SOS with the colony's defunct com system. Her message is answered by a group of cyborgs looking for a new home. Their technology is a godsend, but living among the colonists is starting to bring major changes to the cyborgs.

Given the setup, I was honestly expecting more conflict in this novel. As the colonists were raised from a technologically shunning background, I assumed there would be some discomfort or at least some moral resistance to using the technology offered by the cyborgs. Instead, there's almost no resistance and the colonists are falling over themselves to use whatever resources are offered, regardless of potential ethical complications surrounding cloning and genetic modification. It's quite clear that the remaining colonists have completely turned away from the founding beliefs of New Eden, which seems a bit far fetched given they've been raised for generations in this limited environment. The closest thing we get to a conflict about use of technology is Hannah's resistance to RH103 being cloned.

Contact does do an interesting job exploring the concept of personhood for the cyborgs, given each clone is somewhat different. RH103 struggles with the glimpses into the past of his progenitors, and what that means for him as an individual. Between his learning how to be more human with Hannah, and Hannah's learning to let go of her grief and trauma, Contract made for a good sci-fi romance.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Arctic_Banshee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author’s writing was a breath of fresh air, after the strings of dnfs I’ve been getting.

Technical stuff: dialogue to narration ratio: perfect. It’s extremely difficult to get this right with sci fi. World building is usually more complex, and the decisions of what to include and what not to include adds another dimension. Especially with mmc’s that are enhanced technological way. Simple is better than throwing out nonsense. No flux capacitors here.

The overarching story about how New Eden came to be settled on is an interesting backdrop to the romance.

The characters were written with a bit more realism than I have been coming across, which I appreciated. The fmc, Hannah, was written with some depth. She was a survivor in a small community of people that lived on an isolated planet, with her ancestors having been ‘puritans’, as in technical luddites. (Reminded me a bit of the move ‘The Village’). An earthquake happened that decimated the settlement and killed half of the community.

Hannah has taken on the role of community leader without wanting to be such a thing. She’s taken on the role of supervising the agriculture, such as it is, and uses her chronic insomnia to push her to working in the fields at night to try to stay on top of the work. It’s not mere altruism, which instantly made me like her.

The fact that these characters have shades of gray in their pasts, survivor’s guilt, trauma, made them more real to me. Too often as of late the mc’s in books I read are black and white, with little nuance.

But the story wasn’t dark, despite the stressful and desolate environment. Not a cozy book, not hard science, just an interesting character-driven book.

The spice is 3/5 I would say. Not as much as I would like. But all in all, it’s a book I would read again. Will read other books from this author!

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dealing with Changes . . .

Hannah Forsyth stared as something like lightning flashed in the night sky. But it descended toward the ground and she saw it was saucer-shaped… a spaceship? Months ago she had rebuilt a transmitter to broadcast an SOS to help save the people. A quake had killed half of their population 2 years ago and they were struggling now without the knowledge of how to rebuild the infrastructure they had lost. Was someone now responding? A ship landed and a gigantic man walked down a ramp toward her. She wanted to run, but if these people had the technology to build such a ship, they must have the technology to help Eden’s survivors rebuild their lives. Then he spoke, asking if she was the leader but then analyzed her voice as the one who had sent the message for help. The strangers’ colony had been destroyed by an ion storm. Since Hannah needed help and they needed a new home, they offered to work together and share the planet. But Hannah didn’t like that idea. He told her his name was RH103 and they were enhanced humanoids, cyborgs. They would wait until she asked the other humans if their offer of help in return for a piece of land would be acceptable.

After everyone agrees to what they want to do, they assign the 20 cyborgs to someplace to stay. RH103 chooses to stay with Hannah. The cyborgs seem to not fully remember their past. Yet he recalls a memory of Rhys Hammond… reference for the RH in his name? Will they figure it out as time goes on? Will random memories return? Would the cyborgs begin to exhibit more human qualities, such as the ability to fall in love? What kind of future is ahead for these groups? And what dangers will they have to face together?

[Marti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

What an intriguing read … a look into the whys and wherefore of a group of cyborgs through the mind/brain of their leader. After landing on a very out of the way planet, the group finds a small cluster of (earth) human survivors, descendants of humans who left earth to get away from technology and “back too their roots” on this way out of the way planet. After their town and their numbers were desecrated by a horrendous quake, they are barely hanging on and, it seems, by Hannah’s determination, with her figuring out how to send an SOS into space. With the cyborgs comes hope and then the story really begins. RH 103 - Rhys - is the leader and identifies Hannah as the one who sent out the SOS, therefore the spokesperson for the humans.

This has a well developed storyline with a strong cast of characters. The meshing of the two factions is intriguing to watch as the story unfolds, though most of it focuses on Hannah and Rhys which, in turn opens up the cyborgs’ backstory. This tale was very different from the alien/space stories I’ve read because there is no “take over” or fighting a war to take back or keep a planet, no using humans for reproduction of a race. But at the same time it appeals to the humanity deep within me and, yes, there is a voice in descent, there are those survivors who wait for others to do things … but there is that tiny spark of hope for both groups. That very human belief that something can change, things can get better. Reading and seeing how that unfolds in this opening book to the series made it a great read for me. And it leaves things wide open for the many and varied directions the following stories could take.

[Linda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sci-fi romance in far future; hunky cyborgs and damsels in distress
If you like romance in a sci-fi world, meaning another planet far, far, away with cyborgs and mystery, read this book. Hannah Forsyth is still trying to come to terms with their new world after the earthquake that forever changed life on their planet and killed many loved ones. She works day and night in the garden to provide food for the twenty-one survivors; 26yo Hannah works at night partly because she cannot sleep since the quake. While she is working in the carrot garden, a space ship lands in a field. Big men dressed in black uniforms exit the ship. She is very afraid but stands up to the one who speaks to her.
The leader, RH103 is part human and part cyborg; his space ship received Hannah’s SOS signal. They need help too. RH103 and his crew came from a planet that was obliterated by an ION storm so they are looking for a new home planet. Perfect! With an army of advanced human-cyborg men, Hannah’s planet can repair and make plans. RH103 is the 103rd iteration of Rhys Hammond and has existed in this body for 28years. He and Hannah are attracted to each other immediately.
There is a story arc concerning why they were made in the first place. Rhys will explain at the end. In the epilogue we get glimpses of the next book Bonded which deals with a different romance. Can we say throuple? I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through BookSirens.

[Dru · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶.5
Heat: 🔥.5
(all out of five)

When Hannah put out an SOS to help her colony on New Eden, she never expected 20 hot cyborg men to come to the rescue.

There were parts I liked about this book and some real misses for me.

I liked the plot overall and within a short book I thought it was decently executed. I wish there was more about the colony and the infrastructure, since it definitely was a tell not show. I couldn't actually picture the buildings or the world and I wanted to being that it was a bit different than Earth.

The story is written in third person between the POV of Hannah and Rhys. However my problem became that there was no real distinction when the POV changed, and I kind of had to always look for a way to tell on which POV I was reading. I did like having both POVs but I wish it was clear on what one I am reading and kept it consistent.

If you are looking for spice, this did not have much and it wasn't super detailed. This is definitely more of plot building book and there may be more spice in the future books of the series due to this one really setting the stage for the next plot.

I think it was a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️, but I probably wont be reading the next one.

Tropes:
☑️ HFN, kinda HEA but story to continue
☑️ Virgin MMC
☑️ Alien but mostly human

***I received an ARC for free, and all my opinions are my own.***

[Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, loved this story. Read all 188 pages in one sitting. Could not put it down. This was a very good introduction to the new series.

Hannah sent a distress signal out into the universe when her colony was devastated by a massive earthquake. Rhys and his fellow cyborgs came to the rescue. The humans needed technology and the cyborgs needed a home. This first contact story was sprinkled with humor, spicy moments, and even some mystery. The main characters and supporting characters were well written and interesting.

There was some mystery surrounding the origin of the cyborgs. That was an interesting thread to pull. At the end of the story, I was left worrying about the potential problems the cyborgs may face if/when they are discovered by the wrong people. I was also left hoping we get glimpses Hannah and Rhys’ life together in future installments of the series. Their story’s ending was happy but a bit abrupt.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Tima · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Hannah, the human female lead, is one of a few survivors on a primitive planet settled by her ancestors who wanted to get away from technology. When earthquakes destroyed their settlement, she desperately reconstructed a radio and broadcast a mayday message into space.

RH103 (Rhys), the male cyborg lead, is leader of a group of twenty cyborgs who don’t know why they were made or what they ran from, only that they need to keep out of trouble and they’re looking for a new home.

When they intercept Hannah’s message, they come in the hopes of a mutually agreeable arrangement for housing. But there’s attraction and maybe more…

This novella is dual POV, and a simply written, first contact sci fi romance. I was amused by Hannah’s determined insistence that she wasn’t anything special. I enjoyed Rhys’ personality and engagement with the other cyborgs and humans. I enjoyed their relationship development. I enjoyed the plot twists and the secondary characters and am looking forward to the next in series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contact is book one in the authors New Eden series, and if this first story is any indicator it’s going to be a good one!
A group of enhanced biocybernetic men answer a distress call from the human colony of
New Eden which years prior had been destroyed by a planet wide Earthquake leaving only twenty-one survivors without the technology to repair their infrastructure.
MMC RH103 is the Cyborg leader and MFC Hannah the informally recognized leader of the Earther-descendants of Luddite colonists who have no means of rebuilding their infrastructure.
RH103 lets them know they can assist each other as their own colony was lost during an Ion storm and they need a new home.
This story was sweet, romantic, emotional, and excellently written with great world building.
I enjoyed the slowly evolving feelings between RH103 and Hannah and the mystery of how the cyborgs came into existence.
I am so eagerly looking forward to reading more in this series!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah had sent out an SOS two months before for help. Two years before their planet was hit with a quake that decimated most of the places and people. Now she's the token head. She's out gathering veggies when she sees something and realizes it's a spaceship. When it lands someone comes out. She meets RH103 and he lets her know they had received her distress call. They would like to help but also a place to live since their planet was in the path of an ion storm. After getting the other humans to agree, they start with finding rooms for the 20 cyborgs. RH103 volunteers to stay with Hannah when another cyborg was going to volunteer. He experiences what he realizes is jealousy. When he goes to her home to settle in he has a memory from the original RH, Rhys Hammond. New Eden is getting a face lift. The Cyborgs are learning how to be human. Hannah is learning to love again. Will things go well for them all?
A fantastic story!!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kristine L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, Contact. It has Hannah sending out an SOS for help. The planet was decimated by a quake that took out most of the people and places. Hannah is the symbolic head of the small group of people that survived with her. She realizes that a spaceship lands and someone comes out. She meets RH103, and he tells her they heard her distress call. They are looking for a place to call home since their planet was in the way of an ion storm. The group accepts RH103 and the other cyborgs and are helping rebuild New Eden. I love how RH103 volunteers to stay with Hannah. He beat out another cyborg who was going to volunteer. I loved how their relationship developed where Rhys learns to be a human again and Hannah learns to love again. I loved the storyline and the characters are delightful. Looking forward to the next book in the New Eden series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Teon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love cyborg books! So happy to find one that is the beginning of a new series. Hannah is the de facto leader of a small population on New Eden. Most of their population was killed during a severe earthquake that occurred a couple of years ago. Already a reclusive community, their lack of technology and contacts w/ others has kept them from recovering.If they don’t starve to death, they will just die out. After sending a one time SOS on their antiquated and patched together communication equipment, there has been no help until now. A ship lands in the middle of the night. They landed in the field Hannah directed them to in her SOS. That means they’re friendly and going to help, doesn’t it? RH103 is the leader of this team of cyborgs. They don’t have a place to call home but they are willing to work to restore the infrastructure if they can have somewhere to stay. It is so romantic to follow along as Hannah and RH103 discover his humanity.

[Ramona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this cyborg romance story that's about RH103/Rhys and Hannah romantic adventures. This was my first book I've read by this author even though I have other books by her. I found the characters to be likable and relatable and their interactions engaging. Hannah sends an SOS that's answered by RH103 and his crew of cyborgs. They discover they each have a problem: Hannah and her people on New Eden are scraping by after a devastating earthquake destroyed most of their colony, and RH103 and his crew of cyborgs need a new place to call home after an ion storm wiped out their planet. How they work together and how Hannah and Rhys develop feelings toward each other in this romance story kept me entertained and I'd enjoyed reading this story. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Leanne Bryson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've not read many of Jessica Marting's books, but this was an awesome start to the New Eden series and I can't wait for more! New Eden is the home to survivors of a devastating earthquake. The human survivors are struggling to live day to day so Hannah's last-ditch attempt to save her people is to send out a galactic SOS. This SOS is answered by a group of cyborgs in need of a new place to live, led by the enigmatic RH103. In exchange for their help and supplies, the cyborgs simply ask for a home here at New Edan. Hannah and her group decide to give it a try and soon find these cyborgs are more than they thought and have a history no one, including the cyborgs, expected. Full of sizzle, steam, drama, twists, and more, this was a great read and an awesome start to the New Eden series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lea Gesser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contact, New Eden, book 1. The story of settlers on the planet New Eden. These people experienced a terrible earthquake and lost fellow residents. Hannah is one of the women who tries to keep life going despite her loss. Help will come after an SOS message. Help that she doesn't actually expect. And certainly not in the form of half-humans. Cyborgs. And then the story of RH103 and Hannah begins. It reads easily and fluently. More and more facts are becoming available about cyborgs and what the reason for their existence actually is. But for Hannah only one thing is clear RH103, Rhys. We also get to know the other cyborgs and the women who are interested in them. The characters are well developed and I can't wait for the stories of the other cyborgs. And how life will develop on New Eden. Highly recommended for the SF and romantic among us.

[Shelley G · Rating 5 out of 5]

New author for me I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While it wa close to an insta love it was written in a nicely nuanced way when Rhys rh103 lands his ship and cyborg buddies on the planet of new Eden after hearing Hannah's plea for help. Her planet is a mess of destruction with few ppl left. Rhys and his cyborgs are looking for a home. They decide to help each other out and events unfold. Great descriptions of world and situation. Main and support characters are well detailed and developed. This story explores the meaning of humanity and individuality regarding clones and the desire to be loved and love another. I hope there's a next book.
I received an arc copy from book sirens and this is my honest voluntary review.

[Janis · Rating 4 out of 5]

What starts as a cry for help in the dark will end with two societies maybe finding salvation and success.

I liked this book, the plot flowed beautifully and the characters were lovingly built throughout the story. There is enough backstory between the two groups of characters to write several books! The lack of details is my only complaint, I'm sure it is to build interest in future books but the constant complaining about the lack/loss of technology does drag a bit. This will grow into a very nice series as it fills in.

I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a devastating earthquake the people of New Eden are slowly dying. They've been living for 2 years in dire conditions. Hannah is done with losing people she loves. Working tirelessly in the fields to feed her community this feisty female isn't one to give up. After receiving an SOS from a device that Hannah cobbled together intergalactic travelers arrive to help. When feelings develop between Hannah and RH103 I loved the authentic awkwardness moving to acceptance moving to steamy heat of this intergalactic love story. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Hanna and Rhys together. This is a great start to a series. When Hanna's colony is destroyed by earthquakes they send out a galactic SOS for a rescue. When cyborg's show to rescue them what's a girl to do but start to fall for a cyborg. The cyborgs have no clue how the were created or when or how they even came on the ship they were on but those are questions for a later date as they start to build a new civilization with the humans. I loved this, it is well written, characters are great and just a great sci fi read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Melanie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

First contact?

A doomed colony of technophobic humans on a backwater planet. A wandering spaceship housing a homeless band of refugee cyborg clones. A Hail Mary distress signal gone long unanswered. And the miraculous meeting that changes everything. But survival, new possibilities, and new hope have their price, when traditions collapse and old operating parameters are invalidated. For RH103 and Hannah Forsythe, the lesson is especially personal. This sexy romance is a marvelous twist on SF's time-honored first contact trope, a touching story, and a marvelously engrossing read.
This is a voluntary independent ARC review

[JoAnn W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been on a bit of a sci-fi/alien fiction kick lately and this book was perfect! "Contact" by Jessica Marting is the first in a series called New Eden. The book starts off at a fast pace and doesn't slow down. I absolutely loved the relationship between Rhys and Hannah, it's rare to see the innocent MMC over the FMC and it was a fun trope. I feel like the world building was well done and character building was spot on for the first of a series. I can't wait to read the next in this series especially if it involves Jasmine, SP29 and Darius. 

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[DENICE · Rating 5 out of 5]

RH103 (RHYS) AND HANNAH

I received this book for free and am giving my honest and voluntary review.

Contact starts with the Cyborgs descending on New Eden with help and a plea for a place to live. There is minor descension from a few New Edeners but the general consensus is to accept the help. This first story is about the leaders RH109, Rhys, and Hannah. I like the way the story goes through Rhys’s mind as he is the oldest of the cyborgs, being iteration 103. Their origins are explained in the story and the feelings that they have become real. The story slowly sets the reader up for the next book. A great sci-fi read. Can’t wait for the next book.

[Danii · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful cyborg romance.
Great worldbuilding; a failing human colony on a remote planet, great characters; the griefstricken and barely surviving colonists with their friendships and animosities; the arriving group of cyborgs coming for the rescue, struggeling with their dark past and (re-)learning about being human through. Believable romance, complex and lovely characters. Highly recommended. Looking forward to the next book.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa Bing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun series opener by a new-to-me author. I love the idea that an SOS brings together two peoples, human and cyborg, that really need each other. Hannah and cyborg RH103, or Rhys, ended up finding a love together than neither were looking for. As these two groups work together to rebuild New Eden, the cyborgs were learning to be more human, which opens the doors to many new couples in the future :) I really enjoyed how this unfolded at a smooth pace and plenty of chemistry and steam. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book :D

[Tiffany · Rating 1 out of 5]

I DNF'd this at 58%. I was struggling. I loved the concept and wanted it to work so badly but all I got was bad. The characters were just not fleshed out enough for me to give a shit. Hannah was so poorly written, I mean, who was she? She was generic and flat. RH103 is a clone cyborg so that sort of fits his character so what is Hannah's excuse? I wanted more from the characters because the premise is so promising. I didn't get the chemistry that I was hoping for either. If you don't get that in your romance novels just leave.

[Claire Turvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid, relaxing read

The relationship trajectory in this story is smooth, which makes for a relaxing read. Incidents occur, of course, and there is plenty of action to keep the pages turning. This book sets up an interesting world with solid world-building and an overarching plot that has a lot of potential. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.

Full disclosure: I was given an ARC of the book, however this review is my own honest opinion.