I never expected to find a human female lying broken and beaten in the middle of the forest while out hunting. Especially one who touches me and triggers my mating marks to appear and ignites my soul light.
When I discover her life is in danger, I will do everything to protect her and earn her trust. Most importantly, I must earn her love. Not an easy task, because my keeshla has been hurt. But I will remain patient, because she is worth it.
Astrid
For three years I’ve hoped and prayed for someone—anyone—to help me. Not once did I picture my hero to be a seven-foot, lavender alien with flowing golden-white hair who tells me I’m his fated mate. Evren is everything I ever wanted in a man. He’s kind. Loving. Protective. He also makes me feel as though I’m the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. There’s only one thing that stands between us.
Erin Hale resides in the South where the summer humidity sucks the breath right out of you. She’s mom to the best dog on the planet. In her free time, she enjoys reading about swoon-worthy aliens (and secretly wishes one would land on Earth) and monsters alike. She also loves traveling the globe and can be seen most often in any of the pubs in the UK—where the weather is much more acceptable—with a raspberry gin and lemonade in hand.
The following ratings are out of 5: Romance: 💙💛💚❤️ Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪 Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙 World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏 Character development: 😋🙂😁😛 Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙 Narration type: Dual Narration
Character Backgrounds and Plot Summary
Astrid’s story starts in one of the darkest ways of any book in this series. After enduring years of abuse from her husband, Grady, she is brutally beaten and abandoned in the wilderness, left to die. The opening chapters were genuinely difficult to listen to, but they also made me immediately invest in her journey. When Tavikhi warrior Evren discovers her while out hunting, everything changes. The moment he touches her, his mating marks appear, revealing that Astrid is his fated mate.
What I appreciated most was that Evren never expected that revelation to erase Astrid’s fear or trauma. Instead of pushing her into a relationship, he focuses on helping her heal. Some of my favorite scenes were the quieter ones, like Evren bringing her food, checking on her without crowding her, and patiently waiting for her to decide what she wanted. Since Astrid is still legally married and emotionally trapped by years of manipulation, their relationship develops around rebuilding trust rather than simply accepting the fated mate bond.
Highlights and Limitations
Evren completely stole the show for me. It would have been easy to make him an overbearing protector, but instead he consistently lets Astrid set the pace. I especially liked that he listened when she needed space instead of assuming he always knew what was best. That patience made every step forward in their relationship feel earned.
Astrid’s emotional growth was another highlight. Watching her slowly find her confidence again, especially when she begins standing up for herself after believing she had no voice for years, made her one of the stronger heroines in the series. The friendships she develops with the other women also gave the story some much needed warmth after such a heavy beginning.
The only aspect I wished had been explored a little more was the legal and emotional complication of Astrid still being married. It creates meaningful tension, but I would have liked a bit more time spent resolving that situation before everything wrapped up. Even so, I thought the payoff was satisfying, especially seeing Astrid finally refuse to let fear control her future.
Narration
Chris Chambers was an excellent choice for Evren. His performance captured both the warrior’s strength and his incredibly gentle nature. He never made Evren sound possessive, which matched the character perfectly. Penelope Ann Rose handled Astrid’s emotional journey with a lot of care. Her vulnerable moments felt authentic, especially during the early chapters when Astrid struggles to believe she deserves kindness. As Astrid gradually becomes more confident, Rose subtly changes her delivery, making the transformation believable without feeling exaggerated. Together they created a performance that kept me emotionally invested from beginning to end.
Final Opinion
This ended up being one of the more emotional entries in the Warriors of Tavikh series for me. While the romance is definitely central, the heart of the story is Astrid learning that love should never come with fear. Evren is exactly the kind of hero she needed, not because he rescues her, but because he gives her the safety and support to rescue herself.
Readers should absolutely check the content warnings because domestic abuse is a significant part of the story. If you’re comfortable with those themes, though, you’ll find a romance built on patience, healing, and genuine respect. By the end, I wasn’t just rooting for Astrid and Evren as a couple. I was cheering because Astrid finally believed she deserved the happiness she’d been denied for so long.
Just when I thought I couldn't love these alien males more....here comes patient and protective Evren to steal my heart. This book starts off with all the drama and angst but we soon find ourselves in a lovely romance. How adorable are these alien males trying to learn and understand how earth dating works? Swoon worthy!
Poor Astrid had such a hard few years, but she soon found her strength and stood up to everyone that hurt her. And I was cheering her on the whole time! Though I was shouting at her to forget that human husband of hers. If I were in her shoes I would have dropped that man faster than I could blink! There's a hot, alien male telling me I'm his mate and he wants to protect and care for me until the end of his days? YES -- NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
We got a little sneak peek at the next series! I am so excited to read more about Alik. I can already tell he's going to have an interesting story.
Genre: Sci-fi Romance ⭐️ 3.5/5 🌶 1.5/5 🧠 3/10 Noteworthy: Book 7 of an interconnected standalone series. Crosses over with other series as well. Check triggers for this one as it heavily dives into DV.
This series has been such a fun read. It has tackled heavy topics in previous books, but this one goes a step further in my opinion because the trauma that happens on the page. The topic of domestic violence is heavily themed in this installment, and it doesn't shy away from the ramifications both physically and mentally. We watch the FMC go through the stages from start finish and take back her power. It is lovely in that way. The MMC is 100% supportive in the storyline, and we don't really tackle anything with him outside of the FMC. I wish we would have gotten to know him a little better on his own. I also didn't feel a connection between the FMC and the village except for Zara. I wish we had more emotional connections there for her support.
All in all, it was a quick and good read. I will continue with this series as long as Erin writes them.
This MFC is dealing with an abusive husband. We start at the end of their relationship when it's gotten to the point where he attempts to kill her. Of course her Tavikhi mate is the exact opposite of the husband. There are several references to how the psychology of abuse works, but the part that I find the hardest to deal with is the internalized abuse that the survivor does to themselves. I appreciated this interaction where she distinguishes and asks for what she needs,
“Grady would pretend everything was perfect, when it wasn’t. He would state something like it was fact and I was just supposed to believe him. Well, I don’t trust perfect. I don’t trust blanket statements as though that’s the end of it. Not anymore.” … “... when you try to make it appear as though everything is perfect, I question my judgment.”
She demands complete truth even in off hand statements because half truths, gaslighting, and outright lying are the hallmarks of abuse. He, of course, handles it like a grown ass man because he's not an abusive man baby.
“My shoulders drop in defeat. I have done a disservice to my mate. “You are right. Nothing in life is perfect and I should not make it seem as though it is so.””
And I just loved this question,
“Is someone your husband anymore if he tried to kill you?”
If someone beats you and leaves you for dead, shouldn't the marriage be over? Hasn't it broken every vow?
I knew I was going to have a problem with this book going in because of the fact that Astrid is a married woman with an abusive husband and I didn't really feel comfortable with the whole she's getting a mate while still being married but I wanted to give it a fair shot.
From the beginning I had my doubts and I was unsure if I would like Astrid or not and for the most part, I did like her... until she basically starts "sticking up for herself". Normally I'd be all for this but she's rude to Evren, who is literally only trying to give her reassurances and to make her feel better, but nope, she's got to go and be rude and I find it so funny that she found her strength to stand up for herself against this gentle giant of a man who would never hurt her. Does Evren really deserve her bitchiness? No, no he does not but like all the MMCs in this author's books, he's just a punching bag for her to use, and he'll just smile all the while she does it too.
Also that whole banishment idea for what Grady did to Astrid would have been a good one had they not suggested Kala and his tribe take him because even the Krijese don't deserve to take people who deserve to be in prison. It just should have been a banishment, period, without being sent to another village for them to be responsible for him. I also am a little bit pissed off that the Tavikhi are sticking their nose where it doesn't belong. It's one thing to help anyone who wants to seek refuge at their camp, but it's a whole other thing to basically tell the human leaders what they should and shouldn't be doing. Yes, I know they need to get their shit together but at this point they should just reap what they sow, you know? Let them fend for themselves and be done with it.
Once again we get to see Alik flirt with the FMC who practically drools all over herself because of it and how good looking he is. I get it, the author has a thing for Alik 🙄 but once again if one of the MMCs looked at another female like that the fans would rage. I don't like it and I think it's just plain disrespectful to the MMC but then again I see people as equals.
And can someone explain to me how Grady suddenly shows up at the village? Like where the fuck are the scouts and guards that this douchbag human scum made it into the village without being seen? The Tavikhi are getting careless now that they have mates it seems...
My main problem with the book is how fast and easy Astrid gets over things. I thought it would take longer but it's like day 3 of her being awake that she starts to get horny and all watery mouthed for him and I knew it would happen and be a problem. This is why I don't think it was a good thing for her character to have still been married while meeting Evren, especially with the abuse she suffered. There's not enough time to get over it and for it to be convincing in the slightest. Fine, yes they are basically soulmates and meant to be, blah, blah, blah but if you can't write about abuse and a proper recovery other than "oh finally a hero to save me" to "oh he's my mate" to "wow he's hot, let me get some", you shouldn't be attempting to write something this emotionally and physically draining. It's a hard road to recovery on the best days. I had a problem with Maeve's story because of that but at least she ran away and while her scars took a while to heal, she made a bit of progress and wasn't with her abuser one day and then her mate the next, you know? And let's not talk about how she finally gets the strength to stand up to him... does this author know what abuse actually looks like? Especially when for the last X amount of years (I think 3 or 4) she's been getting beat, there's no way that 4 days after being left for dead (that she was awake for, so maybe like a week - even though she says 2? maybe she means she's been awake for 2, not sure) that she would push aside all those years of abuse and stand her ground.
The other disappointing thing/problem with the book is that (well there are 2 more but it's the same fork) Evren wasn't there to stop Grady from kidnapping and hurting her and he also wasn't the one to end his life - Zydon did that... and at the end of it all, the place they wanted to put their tent (basically where his family's tent was) becomes tainted in my opinion because that's where Grady took her from while Evren went to get their tent. Yes, this is completely normal. No trauma here now because he's dead so poof, trauma of all kinds gone and she tells Evren she loves him (even though realistically that's way too fast to even process years of abuse to be able to trust again, let alone love but whatever). Then they bang, the end. It had potential but it all went down the drain and I'm not even surprised. I'll still give it an average rating for me because like most of her books I at least like the MMC and Astrid was ok although Evren really didn't live up to being a hero, not even a little.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
To be able to sit down after almost a month of not reading a book for fun (I read for classes) I was a bit nervous that I would be in a reading slump. Boy was I wrong, picking this book from my kindle library felt like a breath of fresh air. Getting back to an author I love and having characters I love is a joy to see. All the Tavikh men are the type of man women want 🩷. They are infatuated with their women and are all about her safety. Meeting Astrid in book 6th piqued my interest immediately.
The abuse that Astrid when through at the hands of her husband is unspeakable, sadly, it's the reality of many women. Erin Hale does an amazing job at showing that overcoming a situation like that is possible and that there is someone who will love you, "flaws" and all. Erven is an incrediably patient man which is exactly what Astrid needs. The love he has for her knows no bounds, to see Astrid grow more comfortable not only around the others but herself was a joy. I highly recommend giving this series a try. I love them and I'll miss them dearly (I will be reading this whole series out of order.)
Thank you for allowing me to recieve an ARC copy! So sorry I reviewed so late!
Astrid has an abusive husband. He is taking her hunting? Not really, he's trying to kill her. Evren and three of his friends find her and take her to their village. Abuse seems to be more common in the human community than it should be. 😡 The Tavikhi are wonderful people. Enjoy
Can you guys tell that I am totally obsessed with this series? Well, I am, and I haven’t regretted following my instinct and picking up the first book in this series.
This book has heavy topics throughout the story, even though they aren’t dwelt on for long chapters – I would suggest reading about the different triggers before starting. They always have happy endings, and the heavier topics are never dragged on – and dealt with in good time.
Astrid always wanted to find the love of her life, and she thought she found that person in her husband. As their relationship on Earth progressed, she found that he wasn’t the man that she thought he was and began to endure both physical and psychological abuse from him.
One thing you should know about the Tavikh males is that they believe that any female is a gift from their Goddess, and inflicting any form of harm upon them will lead to that male's execution or exile from the tribe. That being said, when Evren stumbles upon a severely beaten-up Astrid, on the cusp of death. He picks her up and triggers his mating marks. Their story starts from there.
This was another amazing read, and an addition to this incredible series. I experienced a plethora of emotions finishing up their story, and I cannot wait to see what other stories emerge from the planet Tavikh.
4.25 stars. Astrid, the female human lead, has been beaten by her husband and abandoned under a prickly bush to die. Evren, the male alien lead, is a hunter out with a band of others when he spots movement under a bush. He’s shocked to find that Astrid is his fated mate and even more surprised to find that she considers herself already mated to a male that would damage her. As she heals, Evren is determined to convince Astrid to leave her abuser. But will her abuser leave her alone?
This story is dual POV, well written, and a recovering from abuse, alien/human, BBW, sci fi romance. I deeply appreciated the way domestic violence is addressed and acknowledged as both real and not acceptable but, if this is a trigger for you, you’ll want to avoid this story. I enjoyed Astrid’s resilience and capacity to fight back once she felt supported. I enjoyed Evren’s willingness to hear and support Astrid’s preferences, even when they didn’t match his own. I enjoyed the relationship development. I enjoyed the secondary character interactions and engagement.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and this is my voluntary honest review.
This is another fab story for the series but it definitely explores domestic abuse, so please be safe in your reading. That being said, the author did a great job showcasing how real this kind of abuse is and that it is never ok. Like the others, this story is told in dual POVs, is well written and the characters are engaging. Astrid gets left in the forest for dead after her hubby had a go at her and Evren is one of the males that finds her. Upon touching her, his mating marks appear and he's thrilled. Astrid, not so much. She's not ready to be a mate so soon but I love that she trusted him from the get-go. Expect to root hard for her to heal and embrace being a fated mate with Evren...and sigh in satisfaction when karma takes care of her husband ;P I was caught up in the drama, danger, suspense, humour and hot romance as I flowed through the pages to see how their HEA would come about. Well done!
The Warriors of Tavikh series is quickly becoming one of my favorites! Everen and Astrid story of domestic abused to found family is as dramatic and heartwarming as you can imagine. Astrid ignites the mating marks in Everen after she is discovered in the woods alone and badly injured. After days of healing and coping with her injuries and the knowledge of her husband’s hatred, Astrid seeks a divorce from the human settlement and retribution for her mistreatment. The Tavikh tribe and her mate Everen do everything they can to protect her as she is one of their own. The acceptance from the tribe and with her mates unwavering support, she begins to find her voice again.
The bond between Everen and Astrid is quick and the mating bond does not wait for anyone. The story develops quickly and is a fantastic afternoon read encompassing every emotion you can muster. And then the Epilogue!!! I cannot wait for what is to come!
I loved Astrid and Evren’s heartwarming, alien-human, fated mates, healing romance. It had a great balance of humor, love, real life issues, painful pasts, light suspense, and spice. Astrid is a human whose husband, Grady, is a physically abusive. She and Grady emigrated to the planet Tavikh for reasons. When Grady beats Astrid mercilessly and leaves her in the middle of the forest for dead, Evren and few other Tavikhi warriors find her hurt and unconscious. The moment Evren touches Astrid, his mating marks appear. One of the many obstacles to their HEA is that Astrid is still married and is afraid. I loved Astrid finding her voice and Evren’s cinnamon roll support. This well written story included engaging dialogue, three dimensional characters who grow, good world building, and a captivating storyline. I love this series. 4.5 stars.
Erin brought us another perfect pairing with Astrid and Evren!
Astrid narrowly escaped death at the end of her abusive husband and then triggered Evren's mating marks when he helped with her rescue. Now obviously, he, as a Tavikhi male, was elated at this turn of events, whereas Astrid was not really in the right space of mind to just jump into anything right away. I loved how she still immediately trusted him, whether because of their bond, or simply because he was compassionate and patient. He took care of her and gave her space when she needed it. Their relationship grew organically and it was very sweet.
Now, I'd rather not mention her asshole of an ex-husband but you know, karma is a bitch and all that. 😌
If you want a mostly fluffy romance with a hot alien who's a total green flag and some well deserved comeuppance, then pick this one up when it comes out (February 13th!)
“My keeshla,” Evren whispers into my ear. “You are everything I have ever wished and hoped for.”
Astrid suffers from an abusive husband,a good for nothing excuse of a man ,after three years of beatings and humiliations he abandons her in the forest to die.But she's found by Evren and when he touches her his mating marks flare to life. Their path is hard but Evren is patient ,protective and a loving male. Erin Hale did an amazing work with this book, she weaved sensitive themes into the plot adding depht to the story. A very good world building and well developed characters in this excelent addiction to the series. And ,Yay !Alik of the Bohnari is getting his story!!!
Erin Hales’ Fated to the Alien Hero continues the saga about the Warriors of Tavikh. Astrid is taken into the woods by her human, abusive husband who beats her and leaves her for dead. Tavikh warrior Evren finds her, and the moment he touches her his mating marks appear telling him that she is his fated mate. It takes her a while to understand the situation and overcome the archaic earth customs regarding divorce, but after another attempt on her life by her ex, she embraces Evren’s love and they consummate their love. Can’t wait for the next book which focuses on the Tavikh’s friends, the Bohnari, whose people can no longer produce females!
Astrid has the most rough beginnings of the women so far. The first chapter details the abuse she has faced at the hands of her a-Hole husband. This jerk tries to kill her and if Evren had not heard her near death sounds, he would have succeeded.
Both Astrid and Evren are heroes in My book!
Erin has promise more of our purple good guys. We have to wait until after we get a closer look at 2 of the other prominent species in this world.
Fated to the Alien Hero is book seven of the Warriors of Tavikh Series.
Astrid has gone through a lot of painful moments in her life and I was glad to see Evren being kind and caring with her. He was super patient and took everything about their relationship in her terms. He didn't rush her into anything and was respectful.
This was a fast paced story with a lot of development in the relationship between Astrid and Evren. There was a lot of care taken and I really enjoyed this read.
Astrid is a victim of spousal abuse. When her husband attempts to kill he and leaves her in the forest to die. She is found by Evren, a Tavikh warrior and immediately ignites his mating marks. It it will take a lot for Astrid to heal and learn to trust, not only Evren, his Goddess and the people in the village, but more importantly, herself. A great addition to the series that I enjoyed immensely.
This was a lovely alien story of how two so different cultures; humans and Tavikhs, can coexist and actually thrive. Tavikh males and females believe their goddess blesses them with their partners. When a badly beaten female; Astrid, meets her Tavikh mate, Evren, so many things happen, some good, some not. We get to meet the more advanced Bohna civilisation on its own planet. Wonderful book.
Astrid's story will resonate with many unfortunately
Having a husband that beats her to the point of breaking bones is terrible and yet as with many trials we as humans go through, out of it comes a wonderful love story with Astrid and Evren. Their journey and how strong she is, gives you hope, and having the Bohnari once again come to heal a human sets the stage for the next series. Great stories and characters all.
I think this one is my favorite (I didn't read all the series, but only half of it).
My heart broke for Astrid...left to die by her a**hole husband, BUT to be found by her Tavikhi mate. I like how patient Evren is, caring for her, bringing her food, and giving her time.
As in all these books. I like the sisterhood.
Pick it up for: - Lavender alien guys (yay) - Fated mates (and this one's extra) - Resilient FMC
Astrid was forced to leave Earth by her abusive husband
Cut of from family and friends Grady uses her as a punching bag. When Grady drags her into the wilderness he attempts to end Astrid but she is rescued by a hunting party. The minute Evren touches Astrid his mates marks are triggered. The human settlement leader intends to punish Grady but he decides to hunt Astrid down and finish what he started. Evren is very patient with Astrid and the fall in love.
Fated to the Alien Hero is the 7th story the Warriors of the Tavikh series. It is a sci-fi fated mates romance with a HEA. Astrid and Evren are characters written with depth and care. (Trigger warning: domestic violence plays a big role here.) Erin’s world building is rich, her characters are well developed, and her stories make you fall in love with love.
This story was cute and I enjoy a good inta-love fated mates romance. Evren is the sweetest mate and everything the Astrid needs! It does have spousal abuse (Not by Evren) so read your trigger warnings!
I was not expecting this. At the end I loved this book. We need more Evrens and way less Gradys in this real world. Im excited for the adventure to continue and worlds to expand.
This was a heavy (issues) book, but good. I really enjoyed reading it. You really feel for Astrid... Even had so much patience.... My favorite part was the ending when Astrid overcame her past...
Spicy, male female, 1st person dual point of view, paranormal romance. Check your trigger warnings but this is a lovely, steamy story. I am a big fan of fated mates, especially with a touch her and die alien male main character. Loved the epilogue.
Out of all of them this one was my favorite and I feel a good way to end this chapter of the story. I loved the MMC and FMC and really felt for the two. They had such a sweet connection and I loved how patient the MMC was. Both were badass and I loved seeing them overcome obstacles.