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Demeter: Silent Systems - Book One - A Slow-Burn Sci-Fi Romance
She was never supposed to be his.
Six years ago, Taro Brooke was matched to Demeter, a remote mining colony at the edge of known space. Then the summons never came. Humiliated and finally free to rebuild her life, she buried the whole thing and moved on.
Until now.
Cole Serros has spent years ignoring the match the corporations assigned him. On Demeter, he’s respected, powerful, and already promised to someone else. Calling for an off-world bride now makes no sense.
And everyone knows it.
Dragged across the galaxy to a planet that feels more prison than home, Taro quickly realises Demeter is hiding something beneath its endless dunes and corporate silence. Something dangerous enough that Cole is willing to lock her inside his quarters to keep her out of it.
He’s secretive. Controlling. Impossible to read.
And the worst part?
The longer she stays near him, the harder it becomes to tell whether she wants to escape Demeter… or him.
Perfect for readers who love:
* slow-burn tension
* forced proximity
* dangerous secrets
* morally grey love interests
* sci-fi romance with emotional bite
Six years ago, Taro Brooke was matched to Demeter, a remote mining colony at the edge of known space. Then the summons never came. Humiliated and finally free to rebuild her life, she buried the whole thing and moved on.
Until now.
Cole Serros has spent years ignoring the match the corporations assigned him. On Demeter, he’s respected, powerful, and already promised to someone else. Calling for an off-world bride now makes no sense.
And everyone knows it.
Dragged across the galaxy to a planet that feels more prison than home, Taro quickly realises Demeter is hiding something beneath its endless dunes and corporate silence. Something dangerous enough that Cole is willing to lock her inside his quarters to keep her out of it.
He’s secretive. Controlling. Impossible to read.
And the worst part?
The longer she stays near him, the harder it becomes to tell whether she wants to escape Demeter… or him.
Perfect for readers who love:
* slow-burn tension
* forced proximity
* dangerous secrets
* morally grey love interests
* sci-fi romance with emotional bite
412 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 27, 2025
About the author
Philippa Robinson
6 books2 followersPhilippa Robinson is a UK-based science fiction romance author who writes morally grey men, survival tension, corporate dystopias, and painfully slow burns.
Her Silent Systems series blends sci-fi, romance, and emotional survival stories set against dangerous worlds and morally complicated futures.
When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading indie sci-fi romance, attempting to market books professionally while behaving like a chaos gremlin online, or emotionally attaching herself to fictional men.
Her Silent Systems series blends sci-fi, romance, and emotional survival stories set against dangerous worlds and morally complicated futures.
When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading indie sci-fi romance, attempting to market books professionally while behaving like a chaos gremlin online, or emotionally attaching herself to fictional men.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 4, 2026
This was a really good read for me, as it combined post-apocalyptic worldbuilding with a strong, female lead. If you enjoy dystopian books about survival after a global catastrophe, like in The Maze Runner, and character-driven romance with strong female protagonists, like in A Court of Thorns and Roses, this is a great mix.
May 7, 2026
This is an ARC review.
Like Total Recall, Aliens, and Dune were squished together and had a baby! Plot is amazing and moves well. The characters are very well developed. Perfect amount of spice too!!! The main characters have stubborn personalities which really shines through in their interactions. The idea of “matching” was so interesting. I have been told there is another in this series, and I want it now!
Highly recommend!
Like Total Recall, Aliens, and Dune were squished together and had a baby! Plot is amazing and moves well. The characters are very well developed. Perfect amount of spice too!!! The main characters have stubborn personalities which really shines through in their interactions. The idea of “matching” was so interesting. I have been told there is another in this series, and I want it now!
Highly recommend!
July 18, 2026
This book is such a conflictingly good book IMO.
The characters are great for the most part, maybe occasionally a little convenient but whatever. The two mains are hilariously belligerent and the briefing docs gag is played to perfection with Taro's personality and characterization.
Maybe 15% of the story is spice, which personally i feel is a little excessive given the situation they meet in, but whatever, i don't deduct off that since it's the little ex
Where i found myself wanting was MORE STORY. The sci-fi plot and the politics behind how Taro gets involved is both sublime and utterly believable. The actual 'conflict' had an interesting delay to it that made perfect sense, especially since DNA had been something mentioned earlier in the story. There's so much potential areas for deeper storytelling, but the story accomplishes everything it really set out to do. For a 5 on this (taking into account it's not an epic) i'd really just want a more conclusive answer to what happened, how UCI is involved, and a real conversation between Taro and Cole about what they mean to each other - could be a super solid "colonial" style relationship that builds.
Overall really enjoyable story for sci-fi and romantasy fans!
The characters are great for the most part, maybe occasionally a little convenient but whatever. The two mains are hilariously belligerent and the briefing docs gag is played to perfection with Taro's personality and characterization.
Maybe 15% of the story is spice, which personally i feel is a little excessive given the situation they meet in, but whatever, i don't deduct off that since it's the little ex
Where i found myself wanting was MORE STORY. The sci-fi plot and the politics behind how Taro gets involved is both sublime and utterly believable. The actual 'conflict' had an interesting delay to it that made perfect sense, especially since DNA had been something mentioned earlier in the story. There's so much potential areas for deeper storytelling, but the story accomplishes everything it really set out to do. For a 5 on this (taking into account it's not an epic) i'd really just want a more conclusive answer to what happened, how UCI is involved, and a real conversation between Taro and Cole about what they mean to each other - could be a super solid "colonial" style relationship that builds.
Overall really enjoyable story for sci-fi and romantasy fans!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews