Rescued and Ruined

Warrior Elite #1

by V.T. Bonds

“Anytime, omega. I’m ready. Primed. Hard and aching to fulfill the need between your legs.” -Craize


Born to emotionally aloof beta parents, Raeni's omega heart aches to be the center of someone’s world, but when two alphas abduct her from the streets, drag her deep into a secret facility, and reveal their plan to experiment on her, the only thing she begs for is a savior.

She gets Craize instead, a massive, scarred alien alpha with horns and a nasty temper. As a Warrior Elite–a top secret Special Operations unit of super soldier aliens–and the last Kescan’i in existence, he has only one goal in life: exterminate the scientists who slaughtered his race.

Finding a mate is not in his plans, but when Raeni’s heart calls out to his in the middle of a raid, he flies into an alpha rampage and annihilates everyone in his path.

She’s his omega lifemate, but he’s too broken to give her the love she deserves.

He rescues her from evil scientists only to ruin her dreams of finding a gentle, devoted alpha.

Can she break through his defenses, or will his need for vengeance destroy their chance at a happily ever after?


Rescued and Ruined (Warrior Elite Series Book 1) is a full-length, scorchin’ hot, dark sci-fi alien romance set on a far-off dystopian planet. Intended for +18 readers.

Tropes/themes include:
*Size Difference
*Haters to Lovers
*Forced Proximity
*Strong Female Lead
*Special Monster Peen
*Reverse Rejected Mate
*A Morally Grey/Barely Redeemable OTT Jealous/Possessive Alphahole
*Nonshifter Omegaverse (nesting, knotting, marking)
*Graphic Violence (sexual and nonsexual)
*HEA (Happily Ever After)
*Mf pairing (male/female)
*No cheating

Genres: Omegaverse, Science Fiction, Aliens, Fantasy, Romance, Dark Romance, Audiobook

ebook

Reviews

[Cécile Smits · Rating 3 out of 5]

V.T. Bonds has been an author i’ve been wanting to read for a while now,and finding Rescued and Ruined for free on Apple Books sounded like a great opportunity to give her a try.
Not too long,with a straightforward world-build,and a hero and heroine that clearly need someone to love,this was a good story.

Raeni has had a rough childhood with parents that didn’t care.
So,she ran,and has been surviving on the streets since,only going to safe shelters during her heat.
Until she’s taken by 2 Alpha’s working for the ISC….
They have plans for her,plans that promise misery,pain,and a bleak future.
They inject her with a mysterious substance once they have her secured at their base,and are ready to do vile things to Raeni
Luckily,a giant demonlike being interferes,but then he starts to manhandle her himself!

Craize has suffered torture during his captivity by ISC until he escaped,and has spent the time after taking revenge.
Being part of a team means he’s not alone,and he has to follow his commander’s orders,but he gets to kill as many men as he can.
Until he gets a snif of a scent that seems to draw him towards a certain area of the enemies base….
It leads him to his lifemate,Raeni….but he doesn’t have time for a lifemate!

After the area is secured,and Raeni has been cared for by the beta doctor,she hears who her saviour is.
And what they are….but there’s one thing standing in the way of making that happen.
Better make that 2…Raeni ánd Craize.
Though that’s not all…remember that substance?
There ís a cure,but neither are very eager to use it.
To make matters worse,the base isn’t as secure as they thought it was.

Will these 2 damaged souls find eachother after all?
Before they’re torn apart by the enemy….and their conflicting feelings?

This was an interesting introduction to the series.
One that was filled with action,as well as nesting.
The main characters needed time to accept their feelings,and spent a lot of time fighting those.
But when the dust cleared,and they both had time to think,they knew the truth.

[Kate V · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

Rescued and Ruined was an entertaining and steamy Omegaverse. Craize and Raeni have lived through the worst traumas but find themselves thrust together. Craize realizes Raeni is his lifemate and Raeni yearns for love and acceptance.

While there is plenty of misunderstandings, Craize is determined to show Raeni what it means to belong to an Alpha. Will Raeni accept his claim?

“You may walk away now, but you will not be free. I am yours and you are mine.”

I liked this. I wish there had been a little more relationship development as there was a pretty strong push/pull between the two MCs. However, I liked the world building and the dynamic between Craize and Raeni!

[Niki {Still a Widow but reading more} · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved V.T.'s Alpha Elite series, so I was really excited to see more of these rescued Omegas and otherworldly Alphas in this world she created.

Craize and Raeni both have scars and traumatic pasts. Fate throws them together in the midst of chaos. Craize recognizing his lifemate instantly as her heart called to his. Raeni has no idea was a lifemate is and is sceptical even though she longs for a loving mate.

This was good. I really enjoyed it. There was plenty of steam as Craize shows Raeni just what it means to be an Alpha with his omega. I enjoyed how they became closer as they fought for their lives against the ISC.

I love this world V.T. created but sometimes especially when talking about bonds or feelings things can get a little world salad-y. But all in all I'm excited for this series and to get to see the alien side of the rescue team find their mates.

[Alieke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no idea how to rate this because I did enjoy it and read it in a day, but at the same time I had mental errors because of the writing.

I'm opting for a solid 3/5 because enjoyment beats syntax

Also adding that this is was my first real intro to the omegaverse and I was not fully prepared.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

VT Bonds does it again. If you liked ice planet barbarians, you’ll love the warrior elite series. Raeni is a spitfire of an omega who just wants to be loved deep down. Craize is an aggressive alien warrior who has his walls up high and thinks he’s not deserving of his someone as sweet as Raeni. They are the perfect alpha omega pair with a spiky twist (hint hint) on their HEA. If you like omegaverse books with a sci-fi feel, you like this book!.

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

[Tabitha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh, this book is awful. The prose is weird and distracting. The plot is even worse. There’s an excessive tendency to attribute actions to body parts or objects instead of people.

The ground reaches up and knocks my head, the resounding crack echoing down the deserted alley. Massive fingers wrap around my bicep and haul me upward.

When used sparingly, this type of prose can create an otherworldly, “floaty” sort of feeling, as though things are happening independent of any actors, perfect for demonstrating a character who’s drugged or dissociating. When it’s constant from both POV characters, it makes me want to put down the book and stop reading.

I came in expecting morally gray MMC, but I was not prepared for the SA meet-cute, where she’s just been assaulted by two dudes and the MMC just walks in and does the *same exact thing* to her!

He has no more right to [sexually assault me] than the man he killed mere seconds ago, yet my humiliation and outrage do not grow.

“Hello? Human Resources?!”

It sure don’t get better after that. During every lucid moment, the MCs reject each other. The MMC wants to get back to his vengeance quest; the FMC wants to be loved and accepted. She definitely doesn’t want the creepy guy who pours water on her face to get her to drink or starts fingering her in her sleep.

Then suddenly she’s having seizures or something and it’s his job to come running and grape her while she’s barely conscious, seizing and hopped up on sedatives… eeeeeewwww.

After that painful scene, we find out that his alien junk has spikes… no, not like Ruby Dixon and her tame little spurs, but like painful SPIKES that dig into flesh and the MMC is checking her afterwards to see if he’s broken the skin… why do I get the sense that he’d be happy if he left her bleeding?

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rescued and Ruined is Book #1 of the Warrior Elite Series, a new sci-fi erotic romance from one of my fave authors, V.T. Bonds. It picks up where Bonds’ Alpha Elite series left off, with the main characters struggling to rid planet Mai’Cus of the evil ISC. Although Rescued and Ruined can be enjoyed without reading the previous series, I believe the reader would enjoy it vastly more having started with the Alpha Elite books.

This story is mostly concentrated on two characters: Raeni and Craize. This is a pair of individuals who had suffered unspeakable horrors in their young lives, and both face hopeless futures--until the Universe brings them together. As lifemates. I love how the author focuses closely on the intimate feelings and reactions each has as they discover one another! This is an enemies-to-lovers trope. Their first reactions are hate and resentment, followed closely by undeniable lust and tenderness. As they bond with each other under horrific war-torn conditions, we are right there with them as they fight on the front line, or help innocents escape the evil ISC soldiers and operatives. Of course, we’re there when they close the door on the world to unite their lives as lifemates. And, boy, does Bonds deliver the heat! Raeni and Craize get their HEA, but there is a bit of a cliff-hanger at the end as the saga unfolding on this planet continues into Book #2. The story’s pace is breath-taking. There is plenty of thrilling suspense. For me, this book was similar to other books by this author: I simply couldn’t put it down. 5 stars.

[Hijinx Abound]

Cum heals! But an asshole is still gonna asshole.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

“So, you want me solely because of my genetics? Fuck you.” “Anytime, omega. I’m ready."

I liked this book for the same reasons I struggled to enjoy it. Both Raeni and Craize are traumatised by their past and meet while in the midst of a life and death situation which forms 95% of the plot. Its not a love story in the traditional sense and I feel the way Raemi was treated by her "rescuers" is only not considered abuse because its is an Omegaverse. Also most of the couple's issues could have been solved with communication, however given the traumatic situation maybe this was realistic?

The writing was interesting enough that I wanted to see how it ended & will continue with the series.

[Joni (livebythemoon7) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the narration of this book. The narrators did a great job bringing this story to life, and it was an overall pleasant listening experience. The sound was consistent throughout without distracting background noises. This was a dual narration.

I enjoyed the story, and the level of detail was fairly good. I liked the aspects of consent that were focused upon throughout. I liked the unique feature the FMC held as well.

I would say a 3/5 heat/steam meter.

[Brooke · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing of this book was just too confusing to me to be enjoyable. I feel like I have no clue what happened in this story with the characters and then it was just abruptly over.

[Grisette · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

Well, this book was 5% world building, 20% action scenes and 75% seduction and smut, omegaverse style (and by that I mean the primal type). The book was well written, but I don't know if it is just me, but the story telling style was very special, not in an overly agreeable way. It is difficult to explain and one has to read it to catch my drift. I felt that the tone of the book lacked warmth (though I am happy that it was not a whiny tone) and the story telling style felt very disjointed at times (almost giving off the feel of Yoda-style phrase structure) with what I felt like sequences missing in the events being recounted. This kind of awkwardness kept jolting my brain out of the story to try to understand what was being said and how the spatial placement in the scene worked.

There was too little world building for a first book in a series to my taste. We did get some interesting insights, like the ongoing war between a regrouping of different alien races and humans against the oh so terrible and cruel ISC organisation, the fact that omegas' wishes are first and foremost respected (quasi revered) notwithstanding any primal Alpha lust, there was a rebel high command somewhere (with a woman strategising it all), and that ISC performs torturous experimentations on races and ABO designations, even leading to quasi extinction of certain races. All this information were contained in a few paragraphs and no real focus was ever brought to the universe of the book. Would that be remedied in further books?

The actions scenes were gory and quite explicit. It is obviously a very violent war and Craize, the H is a very seasoned and bloodthirsty soldier. Again here, the disjointedness of the story telling made following the action scenes even more difficult than in other scenes.

The smut scenes were hot, filthy, and rather medium high explicit but lacking sensual warmth. The H was very intent on oral sex (right from the very first few minutes of meeting the h!), there was lots and lots of feminine slick involved 💦💦💦 ('puddles' and 'puddles'), loads and loads of man 🥛🥛🥛 ('nutrients' as the h calls it) and a humongous knotty peen with spikes at the base !!🦔🦔🦔!! craddling the tender flesh of our h each time the H rams in 🤪🤪🤪!!! It actually read better that what you can visualise but still there was the viscerality of emotions lacking to sell the passion of the hot scenes.

I liked that the pheromones of the fated H and h affected only them and we did not get the usual trope of several Alphas rutting and everyone being crazy or uncomfortable with their perfumes. But I did not like that her first heat with the H was in a quasi public room, with no door... It was not a problem in the book, but as a reader, it removes the intimacy element of the event for sure, esp. with the hours of knotting.

The romance between Craize and Raeni was much obfuscated in most scenes by the unfortunate fact that the h had been drugged prior to when the H found her. As a result, for most of the book, Raeni's thought process, though coherent, were often 'discombobulated' where she lost focus of what was being said and she easily felt into defensive and rash attitude, even when people wanted to help her. In truth, I found Raeni often acting bratty (which imho is more precise as an adjective than the 'fierce and outspoken' mentioned in the book) and even haughty (e.g. when she arrogantly responds to the nurse tending to her wounds) - I do hope this is the drug talking and not her real personality. Craize, in all his Alpha bloodthirstiness, was infinitely more charming than Raeni (the patience and self control of the H is impressive when he is not rutting). The drug that they administered on Raeni was supposed to make her into a programmed sex slave to the Alphas who abducted her and contained the DNA of these bastards (yuck!) that was being reinforced by application of their body fluids on her (double yuck!). Thankfully, Craize found her in time, guided by their souls connecting, and there was a remedy! Guess what? Loads and loads of Craize's man 🥛🥛🥛 of course! Anywhere, on her face, on her body, in her throat, inside her... you get the picture 😅. But snickers aside, I liked that the H and h were very clear in their verbal communications (once they surmounted the initial low angst plot that was essentially overly sensitive primal overreactions, with drug not helping) that their relationship was not only a fated biological need but also genuine love. It was one of the few real endearing 'lifemate' moments of their relationship.

The book ends on a story cliffhanger (not for the relationship though) to be continued in the next book. I am curious to know whether the outburst of the beta doctor Icarr will be explored down the way. I sense a good plotline in that. I hope it is not a red herring that will never be resolved.

P.S. I love the cover, the moreso that the explanation of the h's eye colour is quite swoonworthy.

[Gabysbookshelf · Rating 1 out of 5]

couldn’t even finish it, it was so bad

[Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rescued and Ruined is Book number one of the Warriors Elite Series (which follows the Alpha Elite Series). Some of the characters shows up in this book and they feel like visiting old friends. I like that about her books.

You do not have to read the previous series, but I believe once you read this book you will be hooked. I know I was!

A short synopsis of the main characters starts with Raeni who is an Omega that has been abducted and experimented on, who eventually gets saved by Craize who is her lifemate. The only problem is, she has no clue what a lifemate is and she has a deathly fear of Alphas.

Craize is the only surviving Kescan’i Alpha with only one mission in life, to destroy ISC who are responsible for this genocide of his race and many others. Now there is one big problem, how does he do this with an Omega in tow? Also how between knotting and make her submit! You must read to find out.

This book ends with sort of a cliffhanger and I believe these characters will show up in the next book. I’m glad because I so loved them.

[Bergströms Bookshelf · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my! This wasn’t what I expected at all. No sense of humour, no sense of boundaries and certainly NO point in continuing.
I gave this book a fare go, but after the FMC is kidnapped and essentially raped by mechanical proxy -on page!- then raped repeatedly and exposed to other less than romantic activities, by her captors, I’m not too sure that this emaciated, broken and heavily drugged woman is able to instantaneously recognise and connect with her “mate” as well as having cleared her intoxication as to be able to make “good” decisions. Hell no, she’s totally lost!
But still, here she is, right off the bat, within minutes of being raped by one monster, she’s now totally onboard with a scary AF alien forcing his ginormous appendage down her throat?!
Sorry to be harsh -but this is a firm NO! Can’t even blame a reverse saviour complex or classic Stockholm syndrome since the MCs spent less than 10 minutes together before going all in. No, just N O !

DNF !!

[Danyelle Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in this series and a spin off of the authors other series.

Craize and Raeni both have a rough go. Raeni after being experimented on and Craize who is haughted by his past. They are tied together and the road to developing that bond is strained and full of doubt.

The overall books wasn't bad but I felt like it was lacking in the development between the two characters. Nothing is wrong with the bond bringing them together but I felt like there wasn't much outside of that. I did like how the pitted revenge and the bond together, it did show how much he cared. I love V.T.s books so I'll check out the second book just looking for a bit more

[Anna Gustic · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was meh for me.

Basically seems like the MFC gets drugged and then has her Omega instinctual drives used against her to force her to accept a life mate who literally rapes her. Not cnc. Rape.

She's offered some flimsy and bs faux 'safety" from a nurse that seems to be on her side only for said nurse to essentially have a personality 180 suddenly out of nowhere and berate her for not accepting the dude. The plot felt flimsy and like it existed as a catalyst to highlight the 'romance' .

Some of the spicy scenes were hot after he stopped raping and assaulting the MFC but that initial abuse ruined the entire thing. Didn't keep it.

[Sabine Kranenburg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wtf was that..

I feel like I stepped into a whole world and storyline that hasn't been explained. I checked if this was indeed book #1 from a series but i couldn't make anything of it..

#SPOILER ALERT#
I can't with all the alien rape-sex and no clue whats happening in between these scenes. I tried listening to the whole audiobook but with 40 minutes left i decided that nothing in the world could save this book for me. Maybe i should stick with the Dark Romance genre on earth.

[Jae · Rating 1 out of 5]

“Rescued and Ruined” by V.T. Bonds was honestly a disappointment. The storyline felt rushed, and the characters lacked depth, making it hard to connect with them. The premise had potential, but the execution fell flat. The dialogue was cringe-worthy at times, and the pacing made it impossible to fully immerse myself in the plot. It felt more like a collection of tropes rather than a cohesive story. Overall, it was a struggle to finish, and I wouldn’t recommend it.

[Coz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly what the fuck was this absolute shite. I had to finish it cos it was so laughably shit

[Jo · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF Yikes! Four chapters were all I could read.

[Raes.Pages · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 57%. I should have stopped sooner.

[E Baker-Stewart · Rating 1 out of 5]

Say "eyes" not fucking orbs. The number of times i read "orbs" was so off putting.

[Celeste Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rescued and Ruined is the first book in the Warriors Elite Series, which follows the Alpha Elite Series. Some familiar characters make appearances, feeling like old friends visiting once again. This continuity is one of the many charms of V.T. Bonds’ writing.

You don’t need to have read the previous series to dive into this one but be warned: once you start, you’ll likely be hooked. I know I was!

The story introduces us to Raeni, an Omega who has been abducted and subjected to horrific experiments. She is eventually rescued by Craize, her lifemate. However, Raeni has no idea what a lifemate is and harbors a deep fear of Alphas.

Craize is the last surviving Kescan’i Alpha, driven by a singular mission: to destroy the ISC, the organization responsible for the genocide of his race, and many others. His quest for vengeance becomes complicated with Raeni in tow. How can he balance his mission with the need to protect and bond with his lifemate? You’ll have to read to find out.

This book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, leaving you eager for the next installment. The continuous tension, sexual aggression, and misunderstandings keep you on the edge of your seat. The story slowly unfolds, maintaining its grip on you until the very end, where you can finally breathe a sigh of relief—though the ending is both happy and not so happy.

Craize’s journey is one of revenge against those who tortured him, the ISC. Alongside his team, he discovers a new facility where the ISC conducts experiments on various creatures. It’s here that he meets Raeni, who has been made receptive to Alphas through excruciating pain and drugs. Craize’s inner beast recognizes her as his lifemate immediately, but his dominant nature almost leads him to force himself on her. Raeni, confused and drugged, eventually realizes that Craize is her future.

The story is intense, with plenty of room for steamy encounters—sometimes almost forced, but always with mutual approval. It’s an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish, with an exciting and somewhat open ending that promises more to come in the sequel.

The fast pace of the book keeps you glued to the pages. You can’t afford to look away, or you might miss something crucial. Initially, I thought this would be just another steamy omegaverse novel, but V.T. Bonds does an excellent job of detailing the story without wasting or repeating words. I truly salute her for that.

The steamy parts are indeed steamy, but the chemistry between the characters is well-balanced. Raeni, despite being an Omega, isn’t entirely lost in lust. There’s still drama, albeit minimal. Craize, the typical Alpha, is all growly and purring, but the author makes him vulnerable too, especially when his mate initially rejects him. As a reader, you can feel his pain.

Both characters need each other, and their bond is beautifully portrayed. The world V.T. Bonds creates is bleak and harsh, but there’s hope in the Omega-Alpha bond. I loved that plotline.

But the ending leaves you desperate for more.

Overall, Rescued and Ruined is a gripping, fast-paced read with a touch of romance and an intriguing plot. Highly recommended for fans of steamy omegaverse stories with a strong emotional core.

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

[Shelley G · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a fabulously well written, complex and exciting story about a human omega, Reani, just wants to be loved after a terrible childhood then life on the streets. Then's she has a traumatic experience when she's kidnapped by the ISC. Craize has suffered torture at the hands of the ISC and only wants revenge until he rescues Reani from her kidnappers and realizes she's his lifemate. He'll claim her but only because he has to then he'll be back with his team. Reani doesn't want to be claimed by a stranger, she doesn't want to give in to whatever her body demands, and she definitely doesn't want to be claimed then dumped somewhere so she fights her nature with everything she has. but Craize fights with everything he has to own her too. this causes clashes, fears, fights, and more as raeni struggles to also deal with the trauma of her experience. meanwhile they still have to fight against the scientist organization and end up in a fight for their lives. Reani suffers a medical emergency and Craize is forced to deal with it despite her saying no to him several times. Then entire interaction is dubious on consent esp One action during a seizure that is inappropriate as she can't consent or stop it at all. plus having spikes stab into her genitals is not going to be something that feels good during sex so that part is a little too much. esp as it states the aliens normal partners develop armor plating in those areas so how could a human possibly cope or find that in any way ok. Will they ever be able to come together and be what fate intended? will they find their way thru their individual struggles to what could be if they just let it? can they ever understand each others side? a very emotionally gripping story of how fate can throw u curves u never expected, how u can find strength and resilience to endure more than u thought possible. that maybe thru all the hurt, trauma and force love might just find a way. I found Raeni to be a strong yet vulnerable character resilient and determined. Craize has his vulnerable tender moments but he also is a jerk who pushes the boundaries of taking what he wants regardless of her wishes. and he doesn't apologize like i think he should. could have been a bit more dialogue around his behaviour and him asking forgiveness instead of her feeling she had to apologize for hurting him when she in fact did nothing wrong.

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

[Reed Daylee · Rating 3 out of 5]

More Dark Steamy Alien SciFi than romance

FORMAT: Audiobook

NARRATOR(s): Curt Bonnem (sarcastic, mocking anti-hero voice, higher than expected for a huge alien alpha) & PJ Morgan (soothing speaking voice, but can also do bratty). Both narrators perform other character voices as well - very believable.

POV: dual
HUMOR: a little
F BOMBS: yes
CLIFFHANGER: sort of, see below
NEW AUTHOR FOR ME: yes
POSSIBLE TRIGGERS: Starts with a drugging scene, noncon syringe injections, violence, kidnapping, noncon/dubcon through the end, marking, knotting, spikes on the base of his tool, sexy times have some pain

CHARACTERS: Raeni (23?) and Craize

OVERALL: If you like Dark Steamy Alien SciFi more than romance - this is for you

PROS:
1. There is a story.
2. Good descriptions of main characters can be visualized.
3. Growly touch-her-and-die dirty-talking huge alien alpha who sometimes purrs and strong FMC
4. Some really sweet support characters

CONS:
1. The story just ends. Book 2 is about another couple.
2. Would've liked more world-building. Some things not explained in this world like: purpose of nesting, marking (this happens more than once), does mating an alien change the humans to become more like them? And are all infants' lives linked together? etc.
3. Clarifications needed. Some inconsistencies in FMC's age, and purpose/eradication of serum injections (of monsters) not explained, and her problem disappeared without explanation or it was no longer important, and MC's spend fluid causes warmth and healing - is this a mate thing or species thing or alpha thing? After their bonding, she could know what he knows, but then she was mad at him because she didn't "know" he felt differently for her?
4. Didn't feel chemistry between the MCs. Felt like it was just a pheromonal relationship as their conversations were not respectful of one another.


NOTEWORTHY:
1. As of review of this audiobook, this is Book 1 of 10 in "Warrior Elite" series.
2. I love dark romances and paranormal/sci-fi. For me, darkness scale 4/10 (due to beginning of book), romance 1/10, sci-fi 10/10, erotica 8/10.

[Laura Wolff · Rating 5 out of 5]

VT Bonds is the master of epic, erotic short stories. You never know where the journey will take you but I’m all for the ride.

Please read the trigger warnings with this one.

Rescused and Ruined is the story of Craize an alien warrior alpha and Raeni a kidnapped and tortured omega. Coming together by chance and fighting natures call to mate.

As spicy as this story is, it was packed with epic battles and war zone fighting. You get the military team dynamic as well as the lust and love of the alpha and omega coming together.

In 194 pages VT takes you on a crazy journey through time and space. I could not have imagined these places if it hadn’t been for her detailed description of each space inhibited by the characters.

You have Craize the ginormous alien alpha warrior who will stop at nothing now that he has found his life mate. He needs her like he needs air to breathe but he also needs revenge on the ISC who destroyed his people. The internal war rages on inside of him until he decides which is more important.

Then there is the strong willed, sassy, smart mouthed and entirely too brave little omega, Raeni. She has gone through hell and back and must figure out if she is fighting to be with the brooding alpha or fighting to get away from him. He saved her and her souls screams to keep him close but her tormentors and the demons lurking in her blood still tells her to push him away.

This story keeps you on the edge of your seat. I love these short stories because if the author does it right you go through all the emotions on the ride but also finish it in a blink of an eye.

If you haven’t ventured into the world of VT Bonds I highly recommend it. I didn’t think I would enjoy the kinky off world alien domain but I do.

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

[Ingrid Vermeulen-Quakernaat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the start. The continuous tension, sexual aggression and misunderstanding of the situation makes you not know what is happening. Slowly the story comes to life but the tension remains. Only at the end can you breathe more and release the tension, the end is in sight. And with a happy ending, but also not so happy!

Craize is the last of its kind to focus on one thing; revenge on those who tortured him, the
ICS. With his team, he discovers a new place where the ICS experiments on creatures. He tries his best to explain what is happening and meets Raeni. She is experimented with by 2 alphas that make her receptive to them. She undergoes excruciating pain from their drugs and as a result has to endure their forcing themselves on her.
As soon as Craize smells her, sees her, he knows she is his lifemate. His inner beast is dominant, so much so that he almost forces himself on the small beta. Unsure of what's befalling her from the drugs she's been administered, Raine finds out almost too late that Craize is her future.
Tough story with plenty of room for sexual encounters, sometimes almost forced, but still with mutual approval

Good story that puts you on an emotional rollercoaster from the start. Exciting ending, a bit of an open ending in which the sequel is announced and you are promised a sequel in the story of Craize and Raeni.
Enough excitement to look forward to part 2

[Dr. Honey's HEA · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second book by V.T. Bonds, and while the first leaned more into romance, this one delivers a bold mix of action, heat, and emotional intensity. The story between Raeni and Craize unfolds over a short, high-stakes timeframe, as the two are drawn together during a time of attack and upheaval. Their connection forces each of them to confront personal barriers and inner narratives, making choices not only for survival—but for intimacy, healing, and growth.

The chemistry between the leads is electric, with steamy, high-heat scenes that bring a raw edge to their dynamic. While the book includes darker elements (dubcon/noncon) and intense power dynamics early on, the emotional evolution is centered in how both characters learn to navigate one another’s boundaries and desires. Character development is expressed more through action than dialogue, and I appreciated how their choices reflected a shift toward mutual respect and connection. It’s a compelling reminder that what we need or desire doesn’t always arrive in expected forms—and that love often requires us to meet others where they are, not just where we wish they’d be. With strong world-building, immersive writing, and both primary and secondary characters that stand out, this was a fast-paced and satisfying read. While the ending leans more HFN than HEA, I’m definitely intrigued to continue the series. Five stars from me!.

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

[Ridwaana · Rating 5 out of 5]

an excellent start to what promises to be a great series

This gripping, pulse-pounding adventure begins with Raeni being pursued and ultimately captured by two vile alphas with bad intentions. She is drugged, abused, and mistreated before finally being rescued by what she thinks is a demon. Her rescue is harrowing and puzzling because her rescuer terrifies her while also evoking other pleasant feelings. She wants love, not to be wanted as an omega or a good genetic match. As scary as it was, getting rescued was the easy part. Craize is all alpha, vengeful, enemy-killing machine until he meets Raeni. Their first encounter is primal and off the charts. It’s terrifying for both of them. Convincing the independent, headstrong, tender-hearted omega that he is her destiny is the ultimate challenge. I appreciate the honest way they navigate previously unknown emotions and still-present dangers to get their well deserved HEA. I love the incredible world building, the mix of human and alien dynamics, the premise and plot, the writing, and that we will get more of this series. Well done!