Unchained Memory

Interstellar Rescue #1

by Donna S. Frelick

Three hours ripped away her past.
His love promised her the future.

From the night she wakes up in her pickup on the side
of the road, three hours gone and everything of value
lost to her, Asia Burdette is caught in a clash of invisible forces. She has only one ally in her struggle to understand why--Ethan Roberts, a man she shouldn't love, a psychiatrist who risks everything to help her.

With black ops kidnappers dogging their trail, the lovers race to navigate a maze of mind control, alien abduction and interstellar slavery. If they keep following the signs, they'll find a battle that's been raging since the first silver saucer was spotted in the skies above Earth.

Genres: Science Fiction, Romance, Adult, Science Fiction Romance

460 pages, ebook

First published February 24, 2015

About the author

Donna S. Frelick has been a journalist, a Peace Corps Volunteer and an author of STAR TREK fan fiction. She was an RWA® Golden Heart® Double Finalist in 2012 for the first two novels in her contemporary SFR Interstellar Rescue series, and an SFR Galaxy Award winner in 2016 and 2018 for the third and fourth books in the series.

Find her at https://donnasfrelick.com ; blogging at https://donnasfrelick.com ; on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DonnaSFrelic... and on Mastodon.online @DonnaSFrelick.

She'd love to hear from you!

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

Unchained Memory is the first book in the Interstellar Rescue Series by Donna S. Frelick. I have really enjoyed reading this book, and series- coming into it a little backwards by starting with book four and working my way backwards to book one. So, as you can probably guess from my last statement, the books in this series can definitely be read as a standalone without feeling like you are missing out on anything, or any important parts of the story. But, there are other recurring characters in this story/series who are really interesting, and you will find yourself wondering about them and what’s in the other books- so expect that one book won’t be enough, and that you’ll want to catch up on the other stories, too.
This is a bit of a racy space adventure- a science fiction story, full of danger, suspense, emotion, action, adventure, mystery, secrets, and intrigue- all wrapped around a sizzlingly hot romance. But it was the emotive content of the story that I really wasn’t expecting- it snuck up on me, woven through the storyline, but coming to a head towards the end, where I spent the final chapter/s bawling my eyes out. Then add to the mix some combustible chemistry, many intense scenes, heartbreaking details, violence, abuse, danger, hidden agendas, betrayal, friendship, adversity, conspiracy, risk, love, loss, grief, heartache, sacrifices, and memory loss- and you have all the ingredients needed to make this a completely riveting read!
Asia Burdette works at a talent agency in Nashville, doing her best to put the past behind her- but not really succeeding. Her days are plagued with thoughts of what ifs, guilt, and heartache- and her nights are haunted my terrorizing nightmares that leave her with more questions than she has answers for. In a desperate attempt to put it all behind her once and for all, Asia finds herself at yet another Psychiatrist’s office- without any real confidence that he’ll be able to help her.
Ethan Roberts takes on difficult cases- and prides himself on being able to help. He takes this responsibility to his patients very seriously and is respectful and professional, no matter what. But his latest patient is testing his resolve, both personally and professionally- her story is heartbreaking and frightening. He feels for her and is determined to help her. Will Ethan believe her? Will he be able to help her? What happens when danger comes calling? Is there really someone with a hidden agenda, or is it just a misunderstanding? What they discover is so much bigger than either of them ever expected and will change both their lives forever.
The story transitions from past to present and back again through the story- developing a lot of the backstory and character background information. Ms. Frelick cleverly wove the past and present together into a smooth and intriguing read that had me engrossed the whole way through.
There is definitely more to this story than first meets the eye, and it’s more than worth your time, money and effort!
Another fascinating read from a fantastic storyteller!

Thank you, Ms. Frelick!

[Laurie Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trying to keep this review spoiler-free, Unchained Memory is a compelling mystery coupled with a conflicted romance blended seamlessly with science fiction elements.

Asia's haunting glimpses of her past are baffling and tragic, but Ethan--a psychiatrist--may be just the man to help her. What they discover together will shake their understanding of the universe, and put them both at risk as a dangerous menace pursues them to the story's heart-pounding conclusion.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at Reading Reality

This story has an absolutely fascinating science fictional premise – what if (all SF stories start with some kind of what if?) but what if some of the people who claimed to have been abducted really had been abducted by aliens.

After all, if the universe has half as many habitable planets as some scientists think it does, wouldn’t some of them be populated with nasty, exploitive races who think that humans make great pets – or slaves?

And wouldn’t there be some organizations created to protect this underdeveloped (at least interstellar travel and weaponry-wise) from some of those technologically more advanced, albeit morally equally bankrupt, planets and predators?

Both Stargate SG-1 and Star Trek Voyager exploited this the secondary theme of advanced civilizations brainwashing humans and using them as slave labor, but I haven’t seen a story that takes the first part seriously until now.

Asia Burdette has a girl’s night out with her best friend, but not only stays sober but gets herself on her way back home before midnight. Her three kids are home with a babysitter, and her abusive husband works the night shift.

On the way home, she loses three hours of her life. And in those three hours, her house catches fire and everyone inside is killed. Her children are dead, along with the babysitter, and her husband blames her for her neglect.

She blames herself, too. But she has lost three hours of her life in her truck by the side of the road, and has no idea what happened. She wasn’t drunk, she wasn’t drugged, but whatever happened to her in those three hours, her life as she knew it is over.

Her husband is no loss, but the death of her children is something that Asia can never get over. And she desperately needs someone or something to blame other than herself. Or at least an explanation, not just for the memory loss, but also for her recurring nightmares of a life more hellish than even her own experiences.

After a few years of not much sleep and getting much too close to becoming an alcoholic, Asia tries psychiatric therapy. Her first shrink is a disaster (in more ways than one, as we’ll see later) but her second makes her feel safe enough to let her start getting to the truth.

Ethan Roberts also makes Asia feel horny, but that’s a different kind of problem. It’s still trouble, but at least it’s explainable trouble.

What isn’t explainable are the nature of the dreams that Ethan uncovers while using an Alpha Wave Inducer. Ethan normally treats people who think that they have been abducted by aliens. Asia doesn’t have any clue what happened to her, but the thought of alien abduction has never entered her sane and conscious mind.

The more that Asia is able to relate of her dreams while under the machine, the more that both Ethan and Asia realize that whatever happened to Asia, it was real – and that it didn’t happen on Earth.

It turns out that the truth isn’t just out there, but it is also in Asia’s head. When Ethan starts looking back at his own case files for the few other patients who had dreams just like Asia’s, he discovers that all of his old patients and their files have gone into a black hole, and that the only way to save Asia is to run.

They don’t know who they are running from, but they are sure they are running for their lives. And they are correct. There are too many people and forces who want to know what Asia remembers, and find a way to exploit it, and her.

The morally bankrupt forces who would imprison humans are not just out in the galaxy – they are right here on Earth and they are after Asia and Ethan. But when the forces of evil are right here, it’s time for the rescue to come from somewhere out there. The question is whether rescue will come in time to save anyone – including the secrets that need to be protected.

Escape Rating B+: I enjoyed this a lot and liked the premise. Because it’s SFR I’m going to get a little bit more into a few issues…

I knew who the bad guy was pretty early on. It wasn’t that he did anything evil at the beginning, he was just slimy. Something wasn’t right about him and there were no other candidates.

This is SFR, meaning that there is a love story mixed in with the SF. I could see the chemistry developing between Ethan and Asia, and I was certainly sold on them falling for each other. At the same time, they meet as therapist and patient. Going from that kind of relationship to a romance is a bit skeevy, even if Ethan isn’t skeevy at all. I fully recognize that this probably happens more than we think it does, but it raises a bunch of red flags for definite reasons.

Yes, I am letting my real world views into my fiction, but when something upsets the willing suspension of disbelief, it takes me out of the fiction.

There’s an X-Files element to the story, that the government is involved in some very shady dealings with some extremely shady people (and not-people) and that what they really want to do is both suppress knowledge of the wider universe and exploit it for gain, or just for bigger and better guns. There’s a bit of Men in Black here too, since the government actively suppresses any knowledge of aliens.

And I felt that there was definitely a look back at episodes of Stargate SG-1 and Star Trek Voyager. So that I keep from spoiling everything, let’s just say that a look at a synopsis of Beneath the Surface in SG1 or Workforce from Voyager will provide a whole lot of clues about where Asia has been, what she was doing and how she got there.

But both of those episodes were awesome, so I was happy seeing something of those stories in a new form. It also means I recognized what was going on the first time Asia has a vision.

The story has the pace and plot of a thriller, definitely one of the X-Files type, except that not only do the equivalents of Mulder and Scully get into a real relationship, but one of them has been a dupe and not an investigator the whole time.

Unchained Memory is a lot of fun, especially if you like “spot the trope” bingo. This is the first book in a series, and I’m looking forward to more science fiction romance fun.

[Mariachiara · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the world of sci-fi books alien abductions are an evergreen theme. We could say they are almost the beginning of the genre in all its forms, and the potential of a story about a normal life and a normal human who suddenly is swept away from his or her roots, maybe toward an alien love and an happily ever after, has always had an irresistible appeal on the reader. I, for example, love this type of books, and Unchained memory is an example of this category, that’s why a choose to read it, little did I know that I was in for a big surprise.
In fact the author of Unchained memory, Donna S. Frelick, takes a basilar theme like alien abduction but turns it beyond recognition. The reader is not sure there’s been an alien abduction till the middle of the book, and even then is not a certainty. We have a woman, Asia who as lost three hours of her life. She can’t remember what happened to her during that time, the only thing she knows it’s that something must have happened, and then there are the dreams….She can’t sleep, but she can’t even remember her nightmares. The meeting with Ethan Roberts a psychiatric doctor who treats people who believe to have been abducted by the aliens, will be the turning point of her life. She doesn’t believe that aliens were the cause of her lost time, she has no supposition about that time loss, only a great void, and the fear of being crazy.
Ethan will be able to make her remember her dreams finally, and the scenery they portrait will be a surprise for both of them, because it seem the for months she was a labor slave on an alien planet.
As you can see, this mystery about the memory loss, and the clear intent of the author to not speak clearly about aliens till the middle of the book, are similar to the approach of X-files about the aliens. The method that “says but at the same time not says”. We were never sure about the abduction of Scully, it was clear that the only possible explanation for what happened to her was an alien abduction, but we were never given incontrovertible proof of that. The same with the protagonist of this book. We are never sure till the end about the aliens and even then they are not so central to the story. We don’t even know what they look like, just a vague talk about gray men.
I think is positive to keep the reader in the dark, it creates a certain charm about the story, but at the same time if you keep him too much in the dark, he can loose interest, and in this case the waiting to some clear light about the aliens, was too long. When I read a sci-fi I want aliens. Stop. Not only a long psychological journey, that in this book was also not so profound at all, since Asia and Ethan are hot for each other from the first time they see each other, without an apparent cause.. She is beautiful, he too, so they want to have sex. It doesn’t work for me. A woman with a past like that of Asia, who not only lost three hours of her life, but also her three children in a terrible fire, and who lives in a constant sense of guilt, can’t just decide to trust immediately someone like Ethan. It’s not plausible. And the love story between them to me seem out of place and forced, also because it was too much sensual without so much depth, or so it seem to me. Instead of writing pages about their sex life and their attraction I would have love more pages about the dreams of Asia, her life as a slave….. If I was a woman who finally after years in the dark now has a clear enough idea of what happened to her, I would want to explore my memories every waking moment, to discover more and more! Not play the doctor with my doctor.
The aliens, the alien world, the slavery, and the alliance, the humans that rescue the slaves, that are themes that I would have like to have read more about. They are too much secondary in this book, so much so that I don’t even know if it can be considered a sci-fi.

[Celestine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in a free drawing from the Galaxy Express, but after reading this complicated, engrossing book, I would certainly think SFR fans would believe Unchained Memory was worth the 99 cents it is posted for on Amazon.

While I am an avid reader of SFR, Donna S. Frelick is an author new to me. The premise of alien abduction and "lost hours" is what first interested me. The prologue is absorbed with bracketing three, terribly tragic lost hours in Asia Burdette's life. Asia is consumed with finding these lost hours, and she is a mess after three years of searching until Dr. Ethan becomes her psychiatrist.

Given that this book is in the "science fiction" genre and not the "psychology" genre, it is not a spoiler to say that while Asia is seeing Ethan for therapeutic reasons, there will be aliens and adventure as her memories are unleashed. And since it is also in the "romance" genre, it is not much of a spoiler to relate that Asia and Ethan feel an intense attraction. About 40% into the book, that attraction explodes. Frelick's love scenes are very erotic, but they do not overwhelm the story. Asia and Ethan's secret devotion to one another drives the plot in interesting ways. However, Frelick does fall victim to the romance cliché where one lover thinks the other will be better off without him/her. Since Asia and Ethan are more mature (30s) and have been through a few tragedies in their lives, I would have been more moved by them unflaggingly reaching for one another rather than running away because it would be "better" for the other.

Frelick does a particularly good job of writing secondary female characters. Rita, Ida and Dozen added dimension, humor and caring. There was a strong undertone of women pulling together in times of crisis. Each of these women played a very different role in Asia's life, but they were each a guiding light to her in specific ways. SFR books tend to short-change meaningful female relationships, but Frelick luxuriates in writing a book long enough to include these ladies, thereby enriching the story.

The book is primarily set in Nashville, Tennessee, but other mountainous and rural locales in the U.S. are featured. The regional accents were well-represented in the speech patterns. The alien locales are richly drawn and unique. Asia's alien experience had a certain terrible aura in a majestic place.

I admired Asia Burdette. I loved Ida's homey cheer and Dozen's spitfire resolve. Ethan hit the right notes when he had to, but it is important to note that I don't believe he was actually cast as the hero of this book. Villains abound in both the Earth-world and the alien world. Thinking about Asia's quest for her memories reminds me of that old TV series "The Wonder Years" where an older Kevin Arnold narrates stories from his youth. He says, "Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose." This sentiment drives Asia Burdette's journey and Frelick's structure of her story.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

* Gifted from the Author for an honest Review*
***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fan Site: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.NG***

I love TV Series like Stargate, Star Trek, Firefly, V (the list goes on) so this book really intrigued me as I haven't read a sci-fi book in ages, years maybe and I used to read them constantly as a teenager.

The Heroine Asia Burdette has lost Three hours of her past, and 3 years later even though she has moved away and has come to terms with that night, she is consumed with the 3 hours before her life crashed and burned.

She has had no success in remembering until Dr Ethan Roberts, the young psychiatrist seems to have the key to unlocking the secrets of those 3 hours, but what he discovers may very well put both their lives in danger.

The pair are also very attracted to each other, and after their Dr/Patient relationship ends, Aisa is determined to act on their attraction, she's fed up with being alone and Ethan makes her want to live and gives her hope for a brighter future.

But when 'Men in Black' turn up when they are finally piecing things together, they barely escape with their lives, its a good job Aisa is a smart cookie who can defend herself and she is not a wilting damsel in distress either, no this duo make a great team as they investigate the leads that are pointing at a great Conspiracy by the government to cover up the use of mind control, alien abduction, and interstellar slavery.

Ethan's past also is entwined in this suspenseful thriller and my mind was full of conspiracy theories as I read the book, I was right about a few things but surprised with a few others, and oh boy I want to read more of this series, as there are so many avenues you could explore in this world.

I must make more of an effort to read more sci-fi as I thoroughly enjoyed being transported into Ms Frelick's world.

The writing flows well, the plot builds and then picks up the pace as they uncover the truth and ends with a tense rescue and a lovely epilogue.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unchained Memory: Interstellar Rescue Series Book 1 by Donna S. Frelick is a Sci Fi thriller that is a compelling mystery romance and a great start to the series. What would you do if you lost three hours? Three hours where you have no idea what happened or where you were. What happens when the dreams or is it reality? threatens to steal your sanity.

Asia Burdette wakes to find she has lost three hours of her life and when she arrives home she finds her life has been turned upside down with something that will haunt her for the rest of her life. But when she decides she needs help, what she stumbles upon is more than she ever thought was real and will change the way she sees the world.

Ethan is a psychiatrist and wants to help everybody but when he realises that there are a few that he has been unable to help he realises that they may all have the same thing in common.

Together they find something that is far bigger than themselves and shakes their beliefs and understanding of what is out there, and it is this that means that danger his hot on their heels.

I look forward to what is to come.

[Bobbi Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this suspense romance story. I enjoyed this author’s creativeness with the plot as well as the characters. They were able to pull me into the story right from the beginning.This is a story about Asia. She has lost three hours of memory along with everything she values in her life. One man risks everything for her, the problem is she isn’t supposed to love him. The twists and turns along with the battle that is raging kept me turning pages until the end. I highly recommend this book.

[Sharon Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

My official comments for the author's release: "Between the heroine's gripping mystery and Frelick's silken prose, Unchained Memory was a book I could not put down. And did I mention heat? A sci-fi romance must-read!""

[Dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this Sci-Fi Romance, Asia and Ethan's chemistry is intense, but good.

I loved the suspense, alien abduction and just good Sci-Fi.

I think Donna S. Frelick writes with passion and helps us to see her work through her words!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally picked this book up when I was visiting Shore Leave, a sci-fi con in Maryland. I found it was a book that once I started reading it, I found it hard to put down. Asia Burdette is returning home after a needed night out when suddenly she finds herself waking up in her truck and she can't remember what happened to her for the past three hours. From there, she tries to piece together what happened, eventually landing in the office of Dr. Ethan Roberts.

Asia is a fun character. Clearly she is strong and smart, but she clearly has something hiding in her that keeps her wound up. It takes a lot for her to show some vulnerability, and with what we learn about her, it is understandable. Even so, she still has a deep resevoir of inner strength to draw on that she will need. However, if there is one thing that can get her into trouble, it's occasionally being naive.

Ethan has quite few things that he hides from us right off the bat, but as we learn them we find even he has his flaws with relating to people sometimes.

With there being elements of romance in this novel, there are some scenes that are suited for adult readers. They are explicit, but not vulgar, and perfectly realistic. Yeah, you might be blushing after reading some of the chapters.

The rest of the story was well written and the plot itself goes in some fun and unexpected directions. Thankfully it is also consistent and the details are kept tight. Things follow their natural conclusion.

You will end up wanting to know more about the dreams that Asia continues to have and whether or not what she experienced in her memory gap was real, or some rather clever idea from her brain.

I hope to see more good books like this from the author.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first chapter, this book had me hooked! From the heartbreaking beginning to the suspenseful adventure, nowhere did the story lag or become slow. Asia lost 3 hours of her life before everything came crashing down around her. Three years later, she is still trying to piece that time frame together so she can get on with her life. Ethan is her psychologist and he helps her in a way no one else has. Their relationship goes from Dr/Patient to lovers after he is finished treating her. WOWZA! Talk aobut steamy and intense! I love these two together!

The story is full of suspense and intrigue in a sci-fi world…..HELLO, aliens! The author is so good at telling the story that I never once doubted that the world she created was anything but real! We’ve all read that book where we question what is going on and are full of disbelief? Well, that doesn’t happen here! I can’t express enough how much I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of this series!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Roni Guzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book as an ARC for an honest review. I will be honest and let you know that I really do not read Sci-Fi books at all or watch Sci-Fi movies. I was hesitant to read this book but I thought I would be open-minded and read it. I LOVED THE BOOK!!!! It was a page turner and I was only expecting to read for a few hours but I had to stay up and finish it. I love Ethan and Asia and the journey they go through together to get the answers Asia so desperately needs. This poor woman lost so much but yet is so strong. There is also suspense and a couple of parts that made me cry. Let's not forget the panty melting moments between Ethan and Asia. I'm telling you this book had everything in it. It was so well written because I was not able to put down at all. I definitely recommend this book!!! Freakin love it.

[Charlee Allden · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story has a bit of an x-files feel to me. Everything looks normal on the surface, but you know there is something scifi going on beneath the surface.

Asia and Ethan are great characters. Very real and easy to connect with. The author handles the therapist-patient issues carefully to keep Ethan ethical. That also means the love story is a slow burn at first, but once it hits—bang! This author can really write the love scenes. They’re sexy and grounded in sensuality rather than sensationalized. The sort of thing you want to hand to your partner and say, “here, read this.”

I heartily recommend Unchained Memory. It is definitely going on my electronic keeper shelf.

[San · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book really surprised me. I picked this up on a whim and so glad I did. Definitely a page turner. This writers imagination and descriptive prose is spectacular. It's been along time since I read a book where I felt I could feel and smell what the narrator was describing. Any book that says Sci-Fi on it, I usually pass on. So glad I didn't this time.

[Jody Holford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very engaging book. I'm not typically a sci-fi reader but I was hooked on the characters and the story early on. Good pacing kept the story moving forward and I was attached to the main characters. A nice blend of romance and action. Would definitely read another by this author.

[Nolan]

Asia Burdette had planned to be home early the night part of her life went missing. She should have been home in 15 minutes; instead, somehow, she lost three hours of her life with no memory as to what happened. Now there are the vague disturbing recurring dreams and no memory to associate with them. Her children are dead--burned to death in a fire she could have prevented if she had been home on time--and her husband has divorced her. She's working in Nashville for a country music talent scout agency, and she's drinking way too much and sleeping way too little.

Ethan Roberts is a psychiatrist to whom Asia begins visiting as a client. He wants to plumb the depth of her memory to determine whether he can unlock those missing three hours. Despite every prohibition, the two feel an undeniable attraction to one another. On their first therapy day, Ian connects her to what he calls an alpha wave machine designed to relax her and enable her to talk about her dreams and perhaps even eventually to unlock the memories that were lost in that three hours the night her kids burned to death.

But there are people who don't want Asia to remember that three hours of missing life. Some of them are in the upper echelons of the government and military, and if they can't stop her from remembering, they will stop her directly.

Ethan had one other case that resembled Asia's some years earlier. He wonders whether the two women would be well served if they met one another. That would mean a night in a hotel, and Ethan conveniently resigns as her doctor before they take the little trip.

And predictably enough, that little trip to see an aging woman in West Virginia turned into a sex-saturated sheet romp.

Lisa Beacom deserves megabucks and 10-star and more recognition for the excellence of her narration. I've purchased books whose plots seemed dubious at best on the strength of her narration. Hers is a lovely highly listenable voice that pulls you into the labyrinth of the book and boosts the intensity when that's necessary all the while guiding you through it adding to its dimensions.

There are almost-erotic sexual descriptions here that had me reaching for the skip button, but not because of Beacom's narration.

The suspense runs high here as the book reaches its climax. And if you read it, don't skip the epilogue. (Are there really people out there who skip the epilogue?)

[Roxsanne Lesieur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asia Burdette is a woman who has experienced a lot of loss in her life, first she lost three hours of her life which she has tried to remember, but failed at every attempt and because of these three lost hours, Asia lost everything else she cared about and now she is using drugs and alcohol to keep the nightmares caused by this at bay. As she tries to hold down her job and live a normal life, she enlists the help of a psychiatrist to try and help her to come to terms with the event of her past which has so entirely destroyed her, he comes highly recommended, but she is doubtful that he will able to help. Ethan Roberts is a psychiatrist with a haunted past, although he doesn’t stop him from helping others, he still carries round the weight of his past and cannot seem to let it go.

The moment that Asia Burdette walks into Ethan Roberts’s office, he knows that he is in trouble, she is beautiful and smart, but he can see how the lack of sleep thanks to the nightmares have begun to affect her on a day to day basis however, as the treatments starts, he asks her to try something different in the way of therapy and after a few sessions, she realises that she is actually feeling better, but the entire way through the sessions she has been trying to ignore how she feels about Ethan.

Meanwhile, Ethan is under pressure from a colleague to update them about Asia’s progress, he has also been trying to suppress his feelings for Asia, however, when they embark on a necessary journey together, something has to give and that is the barriers between them, but they face more than just an emotional battle when they are attacked by black ops operatives and nearly kidnapped, but as they dig deeper into the mystery of Asia’s lost hours and the new nightmares she is experiencing that makes and how they don’t make any sense, but seem so real, they discover more than they bargained for.

Will Asia and Ethan be able to band together to solve this mystery which her nightmares unveil, or will their pasts be their undoing? In this thrilling extra-terrestrial race against the enemy, will their budding romance be strong enough to fight for each other, or will the opposition get to them before they even have a chance to try?

[Erica S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asia's lost memories from the night her children died have haunted her as she's tried to move forward with her life. She can't get over the fact that she has no idea what happened to her for three missing hours... hours that she might have been enough to save her babies. When she meets Ethan, the two of them develop a very special connection, and together they become determined to get Asia some closure. As they start to track down the clues to figure out this mystery, it becomes more and more clear that what happened that night may not be of this world.
I thought this book was written very well and Frelick did an excellent job of making the unbelievable seem believable. I was very engaged throughout the story, the characters were fantastic and the plot hummed along at a great pace. Ida Micken is a hilarious character that became crucial to the plot, and I was totally here for it. A great sci-fi, even for those who may not typically read the genre - there is more than enough to keep you hooked!

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unchained Memory by Donna S. Frelick
(The Interstellar Rescue Series Book 1)
My rating 4 out of 5 stars

This book was a wonderful read. Not normally my style but I got hooked. The characters are very well written and the storyline is incredible. A nice mix of romance, action and sci fi.

I really liked the character of Asia, she is such a strong woman and that really shows with her determination to fight and regain her memories. Ethan was touch and go for a while but, I grew to like him and, more importantly, liked him for Asia. All of the drama and action revolving around this couple such as the kidnappers and alien abductions makes for a crazy ride, and I enjoyed every moment.

I would recommend this book, there is so much going on and various twists and turns the book takes that anyone will become addicted to the story.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an edge of your seat romance with a sci-fi twist. I've never read a sci-fi romance before and I am so happy that I did and that this was my first one. This story absolutely sucked me in from the very first page. Poor Asia randomly loses three entire hours of her life and when she comes to, she realizes that everything that matters to her is suddenly gone. No mother should ever have to go through what she did. On her quest for answers and peace she ends up meeting Ethan who comes to mean so much more to her than simply a psychiatrist. The energy between them both from their very first meeting is magical and I absolutely loved watching them grow closer. There is so much mystery and danger that you never know what will happen next. The ending for this book was beautiful and this is a book that you definitely don't want to miss.

[Book.Athlete · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a four-star review of the first book in the "Interstellar Series" by Donna S. Frelick. In this sci-fi novel, we are introduced to Asia who is haunted by the memories of the children who tragically died. Her grief is made worse as she struggles to try to account for the mystery of her own whereabouts during the three critical hours while her children were suffering. Frelick introduces Ethan into the plot which speeds things into a different direction as the two of them expectedly form a close connection. As Ethan helps Asia find clues to account for her missing time, the two form a unique bond. Soon, the two learn that what happened to Asia may not be of this world. "Unchained Memory" is a strong debut for Frelick and will secure her place among sci-fi fans.

[Melissa Saxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asia wakes on the side of the road and realizes she's lost 3 hours of her life with no memory of what happened, and what's happened will shake her to the core.

cue Ethan a psychiatrist specialist in odd cases comes into the story to try and help Asia. At first Ethan is just there to help her while he realizes he has a few similar cases. however their relationship soon develops long past what's appropriate for patient and doctor, and as they delve into discovery of the truth they have to outrun operatives bent on maintaining secrets of mind control, aliens, slavery and so much more together.

this story is well written, hooked me from the prologue and the characters are well developed with the stories dual perspective writing kept you wanting more

[Ashleyann Sanabria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll admit, I am not a huge Sci-Fi reader, but this book was awesome. I was invested from the very beginning. As if missing three hours of your life wasn't confusing enough, the sequence of events that follow as Asia tries to uncover what happened and why was a roller coaster of emotion, action, and romance that I will definitely be reading again! The characters are all so complex and beautifully written, making it so easy to get hooked into the story. If you are thinking of taking a chance on this book, then my advice would be get a comfortable chair, a nice snack, and a warm beverage because when you start this book, you definitely wont want to put it down.

[Rayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing and compelling
A very unexpected find and the first book I have read by this author. I absolutely loved it. The characters were well developed and the concept was fascinating. A sci-fi romance thriller, I was glued to each page. The writing while descriptive, allows for the reader to make the connections. There are a lot of emotions involved which tugged a bit at my heartstrings. An excellent series starter that left me wanting more.

[Diana · Rating 1 out of 5]

This maybe classed as sci-fi but I didn’t like it .. it wasn’t even like tales from the crypt scenario… it reminded me too much of schizophrenia and other mental illness and not in a good way so I had to Dnf at 20 % .boring story and same with writing…nothing engaging or interesting to keep my attention.

[LuDena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

This is intense and heart wrenching . The story is very involved and has a HE A . I can't wait to read the next book.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I really enjoyed this book. Very creative, interesting and entertaining. Great storyline. The story pulled me in from the beginning and never let go. Romance, mystery, suspense, conspiracy, intrigue, aliens and more all woven into a really good story. Well worth your time and credit.

There are some steamy scenes. So if you don't like sex in your books you need to skip this one.

So glad that the second book in the series is available on Audible.

Lisa Beacom did a fantastic job with narration. Character voices were great. Pleasant voice. Clearly spoken. Smooth even pace. She does a great job of bringing the characters and the story to life. There is a slight static throughout the recording at different times. It's not that bad but when you have your earbuds in you can really hear it and it does get a bit annoying.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom.com

[Cassi · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I’d like to give Kudos to this author for choosing a book cover that had characters that perfectly matched their written description. So many times I will be engrossed in a book and learn the girl character has long brown hair… just to close the book and see a blonde girl on the cover. Now I’ll commence my review.
Unchained Memory by Donna S. Frelick is the first book of the Interstellar Rescue Series. I read this novel as a challenge to myself, as it made me step way out of my comfort zone, because I have never read any book that truly contained science fiction elements. I’m thrilled to say that I am happy with the book I chose. I have no regrets in getting this book, nor was it hard for me to read it.
The book starts with Asia who has suffered a tremendous loss and can’t remember what she did for the three hours in the meantime. She starts seeing a therapist, Ethan, who is trying to help her either remember what happened during those hours or realize its insignificance and move on. During their sessions they start to develop deeper feelings for one another. Ultimately things get hard for them as they have people that start following them. As they run, they find out more and more of the truth.
This book had me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I adored the relationship between Asia and Ethan. As soon as I thought I knew what was going to happen next I would turn the page and be shocked to my core. I was so emotionally invested in this book, that after putting it down at night to sleep, my mind would run over all the scenarios. Donna is a brilliant author. Her character descriptions were immaculate and the story line just contained sooo much and it just flowed together effortlessly.

[Deborah]

This book started out a little slow and slightly confusing. Around the midpoint the action picked up as all the pieces started falling into place. There were also a couple of steamy sex scenes thrown in to spice up the story. Be prepared for a new take on alien abductions. The narration was excellent, if a bit heavy on the southern accents.

"This audio book was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobookboom"