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Signal Lost
For two hundred years she slept, only to emerge in a galaxy still suffering. But she would carve a path of ruin through it all to keep him safe.
Davik is a practical, gentle man, but surviving in Tau Ceti by only working legal jobs is nearly impossible. Springing his brother from cryoprison is just another job, one that goes off with only one hitch—his brother isn’t in the cryopod. He has accidentally rescued a hungry and lost 6’3” Icthian, and she is smitten with his cooking.
Leucifia expects familiar faces and battleship bays when her pod opens. She does not expect a rusty cargo hold and a warm-eyed human engineer with a million questions and one singular, precious dimple.
Working with Davik in the seedy underbelly of Tau Ceti is her best option to uncover the fate of her slumbering squadron. But when their late-night coffee chats turn from cordial to carnal, she faces a complicated choice of allegiance.
He wants to bring his family back together, to forge a stable life for them. One that has room at the table for her. But as she pieces together her fragmented past, what she finds might shatter his peace.
Signal Lost is the first step into the Tau Ceti Awakened universe. This series by Onyx Sullivan explores a spacefaring dystopian future in which humans and Icthians struggle to survive and thrive together.
All works in this interconnected standalone series feature alien love interests, complex humans, and a guaranteed HEA. (At least, as HEA as it can be in a galaxy ruled by corporate oligarchy.)
Davik is a practical, gentle man, but surviving in Tau Ceti by only working legal jobs is nearly impossible. Springing his brother from cryoprison is just another job, one that goes off with only one hitch—his brother isn’t in the cryopod. He has accidentally rescued a hungry and lost 6’3” Icthian, and she is smitten with his cooking.
Leucifia expects familiar faces and battleship bays when her pod opens. She does not expect a rusty cargo hold and a warm-eyed human engineer with a million questions and one singular, precious dimple.
Working with Davik in the seedy underbelly of Tau Ceti is her best option to uncover the fate of her slumbering squadron. But when their late-night coffee chats turn from cordial to carnal, she faces a complicated choice of allegiance.
He wants to bring his family back together, to forge a stable life for them. One that has room at the table for her. But as she pieces together her fragmented past, what she finds might shatter his peace.
Signal Lost is the first step into the Tau Ceti Awakened universe. This series by Onyx Sullivan explores a spacefaring dystopian future in which humans and Icthians struggle to survive and thrive together.
All works in this interconnected standalone series feature alien love interests, complex humans, and a guaranteed HEA. (At least, as HEA as it can be in a galaxy ruled by corporate oligarchy.)
443 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 28, 2026
About the author
Onyx Sullivan
2 books13 followersOnyx Sullivan is a shameless nerd who enjoys cheesy B-tier sci-fi shows, video games with absurd lore, and ranting about her controversial opinions relating to time travel as a plot device.
Much like her favorite Starfleet captain, Onyx is an unabashed woman in STEM who loves black coffee and explorations of the unknown.
Much like her favorite Starfleet captain, Onyx is an unabashed woman in STEM who loves black coffee and explorations of the unknown.
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June 3, 2026🪐Ex-soldier alien fmc with bionic powers from a bygone era (she looks similar to Nautolans from Star Wars and is also an aquatic species)
🪐South Asian-coded human mmc engineer / smuggler with cybernetics
🪐Tall fmc x short mmc
🪐She's older! (But also spent 265 years in cryostasis...)
🪐He cooks for her!
🪐She gives him a sensual electric massage to treat chronic pain
🪐Mental health themes
🪐Dystopian future where aliens lost the war, in a far away star system with terraformed planets, but most of the story takes place on spaceships, space stations, etc.
🪐Slow burn (no insta fated mates hurray! they go on dates even!)
🪐External obstacles to the relationship rather than a conflict between the mcs, they're so respectful towards one another
🪐Brewing rebellion side plot
And all this only by 50% mark, because I'm not done yet. It's rare I get a good role reversal story that has it all: great characters to root for, interesting worldbuilding, romance that develops and isn't treated as a given, external plot outside of the romance... and this one delivers!
I must sincerely apologize to the author for not finishing this read by the launch day. This book has been my comfort read in between all the letdowns of this month, and I kept taking it in small sips like a fine wine. It's definitely worth savoring the delicious slow burn, and witnessing how the mcs try to carve space to hang out or go on dates in between all the smuggling, spying, trying to get by and avoiding getting arrested.
Full RTC when I finish.
Thank you Netgalley, Onyx Sullivan and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC!
🪐South Asian-coded human mmc engineer / smuggler with cybernetics
🪐Tall fmc x short mmc
🪐She's older! (But also spent 265 years in cryostasis...)
🪐He cooks for her!
🪐She gives him a sensual electric massage to treat chronic pain
🪐Mental health themes
🪐Dystopian future where aliens lost the war, in a far away star system with terraformed planets, but most of the story takes place on spaceships, space stations, etc.
🪐Slow burn (no insta fated mates hurray! they go on dates even!)
🪐External obstacles to the relationship rather than a conflict between the mcs, they're so respectful towards one another
🪐Brewing rebellion side plot
And all this only by 50% mark, because I'm not done yet. It's rare I get a good role reversal story that has it all: great characters to root for, interesting worldbuilding, romance that develops and isn't treated as a given, external plot outside of the romance... and this one delivers!
I must sincerely apologize to the author for not finishing this read by the launch day. This book has been my comfort read in between all the letdowns of this month, and I kept taking it in small sips like a fine wine. It's definitely worth savoring the delicious slow burn, and witnessing how the mcs try to carve space to hang out or go on dates in between all the smuggling, spying, trying to get by and avoiding getting arrested.
Full RTC when I finish.
Thank you Netgalley, Onyx Sullivan and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC!
May 29, 2026
"𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐅𝐢. 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐱 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬.”
— 𝕯𝖆𝖛𝖎𝖐.
💚 She’s an alien warrior from the wrong era
💚 He’s a human smuggler who accidentally wakes her up
💚 Third person dual POV
💚 Kick ass sister in law
💚 People pleaser x bad liar
💚 Heart vs duty
💚 She saved him
Expectations: smut every three chapters, size difference, forbidden romance, questionable alien anatomy, and kink exploration.
What I got: a slower burn than my brain during exams, alien anatomy lessons, and an unexpectedly fun journey across space.
The audacity of this author to write a plot over smut story about an alien x human romance 😩👍
I. DID. NOT. EXPECT. THAT.
Seriously, when my friend suggested I join the ARC team for this book while I was already had too many arcs and unfortunately only two eyeballs who still needed sleep (Yes, Anna I'm talking about you!! 😡) I hesitated because: A) I usually don’t enjoy alien romance huhuhu ;(( and B) My schedule was already packed.
But then the author mentioned the height difference between the MCs (excellent marketing strategy btw 🙏🙂), and suddenly my thumb was filling out the form before my brain could object. What a witchcraft.
Signal Lost took all my skepticism and launched them straight out the airlock within the first few chapters. The characters were talking about war, rescue missions, corrupt governments ... But in space. And I was like, ohhh okie, so this isn’t just another breeding trope story. No women being enslaved. No "oopsie I stranded on an alien planet hehe 🥰" setup. Tau Ceti feels like an incredible universe with immersive worldbuilding and history behind it.
And bonus points: the FMC, Fia, has GREEN skin!!
Green like broccoli.
Green like matcha.
Green like my favorite football team jersey.
In short, I love green, y’all 💚😭
It didn’t take long for me to love Fia herself. She’s fierce, protective, radiates mommy energy (mwehehe 😏), and isn’t afraid to show affection. Honestly, who wouldn’t fall for a tall green alien woman smacking your booty while you cook for her? Davik, our MMC, certainly wasn’t complaining. Boundaries ... Who? 🤨
“𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙,” 𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙚𝙙, 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙮 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢. “𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙩, 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡.”
Davik already had me interested the moment I saw the cover because he’s a POC like me!! And even though his exact ethnicity is never clearly explained, I was still so happy to see brown rep 🤧 I mean, whenever people talk about "Asian characters" it’s usually Korean, Chinese, or Japanese people. Meanwhile, SEA barely get mentioned. So hello there, Davik 🥰
My friend said that Davik talked a lot, so I thought he was going to be the bratty type, which worried me for a second. But in reality, he’s more sunshine with a big mouth energy. Half bratty, half golden retriever. The kind of man you’d want to pet.
“𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨. 𝙄 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮,” 𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙙 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚.
Ah yes, we love a king who knows his worth 👌
I loved his relationship with Carissa. You hear about brotherhood. You hear about sisterhood. But what about ... in-lawhood?? Whatever that’s called 😭 Carissa was such a badass character, and I hope I’m not the only one who noticed that??? This woman is running around pregnant, piloting spaceships, smuggling illegal cargo, and making sure her brother in law isn’t drowning in guilt. Oh, Carissa 🥺
“𝙄 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙪𝙥 𝙞𝙣 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙪𝙨 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠, 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙩 — 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 — 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜.”
Davik was so lucky to have her!! And I’m glad she wasn’t mean toward Fia either. Women supporting women is the trend now 🥳
Fia, meanwhile, is a gentle domme. The author described her as a black cat, but I ughhh disagree. Fia was flirty from the beginning. She made the first move. She initiated most of their intimate moments. And I definitely think she fell first, which is usually a tricky trope for me 😬 Again, I normally don’t enjoy that dynamic, but I completely understood her here. The moment Davik started cooking and taking care of people around him, I would’ve folded too. Yes, the bar is in hell. And yes, this felt more like sunshine x sunshine, which was refreshing!! (I only read two books like this so far).
“𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝘼𝙣 𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨. 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮. 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙘𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩. 𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡, 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜.”
Together, their romance develops naturally in a way that feels believable. Forced proximity done right without becoming suffocating 😍 But holy fishh this burn was SLOOOOW. I kept checking my reading progress like hmmmz, why haven’t they slept together yet??? 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘’𝗦 𝗠𝗬 𝗦𝗠𝗨𝗧??? 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘??? 😩
Sure, there was an entire chapter dedicated to Davik studying Fia’s anatomy. But most of the intimate scenes were surprisingly short or even fade to black??? Which shocked me because alien romance is usually synonymous with spice and fluff 😭
“𝘼𝙡𝙨𝙤, 𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙨𝙝. 𝙄𝙛 𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙, 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜.”
PLEASE. I NEEDED MORE LINES (and action) LIKE THAT.
Which is hilarious because before reading this, I told my friend that for a 400+ page alien romance, Signal Lost better have a decent worldbuilding.
Wow. Look at what we got 😂
This book was so committed to its plot that the smut almost felt like an afterthought 🙂
̶I̶ ̶a̶d̶m̶i̶t̶ ̶I̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶s̶e̶c̶r̶e̶t̶l̶y̶ ̶h̶o̶p̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶F̶i̶a̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶t̶a̶i̶l̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶u̶t̶h̶o̶r̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶e̶x̶p̶l̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶f̶a̶v̶o̶r̶i̶t̶e̶ ̶k̶i̶n̶k̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶a̶l̶a̶s̶ ̶d̶r̶e̶a̶m̶s̶ ̶c̶r̶u̶s̶h̶e̶d̶.̶
The angst that suddenly appeared really got me. I was NOT prepared for that because wdym they broke up and she made him cry??? My. Heart. Is. Not. Okie 😔
“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙄 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚.”
Seriously, Onyx Sullivan, what the hell 😭
I understood the reasoning behind the decision, but it still hurt so much to read. It made me feel terrible for Davik and trust me, I rarely feel bad for men 🙂 At one point, I got so frustrated that I muttered under my breath for them to just jump into bed and start making babies already because I was exhausted from all the angst. HELPPPP 😭
“𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙩. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙞𝙭.”
My other complaint is that I wish the battle between the Sovereign Fleet vs Sol had been longer and bloodier because that was revenge?? It should be brutal and messy. But since the scene focused on Fia and Davik, we only got a limited perspective of the conflict. I needed more scenes of Fia using her vertiblade 😰
“𝘿𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙠, 𝙞𝙛 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙩, 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙮 — 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙢𝙤𝙤𝙙.”
Fia really took the "touch him and die" trope seriously 😬
By the end, I closed this book with a big smile on my face and whispered oh my god ... Because it was so sweet I think I developed diabetes 😳😳😳 Davik evolving into the ultimate malewife had me giggling and kicking my pillows.
“𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙛𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙫𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙮, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮.”
“𝙃𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨. 𝘼 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚, 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚, 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙠𝙮 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖���𝙙 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙬.”
Ladies, get yourself a man like Davik for a better life, especially if you’re a special forces warrior busy saving the galaxy like Fia 🥳
“𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙩, 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙖𝙪 𝘾𝙚𝙩𝙞, 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙙. 𝙏𝙤𝙤 𝙨𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙬𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙩.”
Thank you Anna for recommending this book to me!!
And ofc, thank you so much to Onyx Sullivan for the ARC. We talked a little on IG, and she was incredibly kind and never pressured readers at all. So while this book is objectively a four star read for me, I’m rounding it up to five stars for that reason alone 💚
P.S. What exactly is a "pollinator" in this universe because now I’m curious 🤨
— 𝕯𝖆𝖛𝖎𝖐.
💚 She’s an alien warrior from the wrong era
💚 He’s a human smuggler who accidentally wakes her up
💚 Third person dual POV
💚 Kick ass sister in law
💚 People pleaser x bad liar
💚 Heart vs duty
💚 She saved him
Expectations: smut every three chapters, size difference, forbidden romance, questionable alien anatomy, and kink exploration.
What I got: a slower burn than my brain during exams, alien anatomy lessons, and an unexpectedly fun journey across space.
The audacity of this author to write a plot over smut story about an alien x human romance 😩👍
I. DID. NOT. EXPECT. THAT.
Seriously, when my friend suggested I join the ARC team for this book while I was already had too many arcs and unfortunately only two eyeballs who still needed sleep (Yes, Anna I'm talking about you!! 😡) I hesitated because: A) I usually don’t enjoy alien romance huhuhu ;(( and B) My schedule was already packed.
But then the author mentioned the height difference between the MCs (excellent marketing strategy btw 🙏🙂), and suddenly my thumb was filling out the form before my brain could object. What a witchcraft.
Signal Lost took all my skepticism and launched them straight out the airlock within the first few chapters. The characters were talking about war, rescue missions, corrupt governments ... But in space. And I was like, ohhh okie, so this isn’t just another breeding trope story. No women being enslaved. No "oopsie I stranded on an alien planet hehe 🥰" setup. Tau Ceti feels like an incredible universe with immersive worldbuilding and history behind it.
And bonus points: the FMC, Fia, has GREEN skin!!
Green like broccoli.
Green like matcha.
Green like my favorite football team jersey.
In short, I love green, y’all 💚😭
It didn’t take long for me to love Fia herself. She’s fierce, protective, radiates mommy energy (mwehehe 😏), and isn’t afraid to show affection. Honestly, who wouldn’t fall for a tall green alien woman smacking your booty while you cook for her? Davik, our MMC, certainly wasn’t complaining. Boundaries ... Who? 🤨
“𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙,” 𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙚𝙙, 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙮 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢. “𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙩, 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡.”
Davik already had me interested the moment I saw the cover because he’s a POC like me!! And even though his exact ethnicity is never clearly explained, I was still so happy to see brown rep 🤧 I mean, whenever people talk about "Asian characters" it’s usually Korean, Chinese, or Japanese people. Meanwhile, SEA barely get mentioned. So hello there, Davik 🥰
My friend said that Davik talked a lot, so I thought he was going to be the bratty type, which worried me for a second. But in reality, he’s more sunshine with a big mouth energy. Half bratty, half golden retriever. The kind of man you’d want to pet.
“𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨. 𝙄 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮,” 𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙙 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚.
Ah yes, we love a king who knows his worth 👌
I loved his relationship with Carissa. You hear about brotherhood. You hear about sisterhood. But what about ... in-lawhood?? Whatever that’s called 😭 Carissa was such a badass character, and I hope I’m not the only one who noticed that??? This woman is running around pregnant, piloting spaceships, smuggling illegal cargo, and making sure her brother in law isn’t drowning in guilt. Oh, Carissa 🥺
“𝙄 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙪𝙥 𝙞𝙣 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙪𝙨 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠, 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙩 — 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 — 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜.”
Davik was so lucky to have her!! And I’m glad she wasn’t mean toward Fia either. Women supporting women is the trend now 🥳
Fia, meanwhile, is a gentle domme. The author described her as a black cat, but I ughhh disagree. Fia was flirty from the beginning. She made the first move. She initiated most of their intimate moments. And I definitely think she fell first, which is usually a tricky trope for me 😬 Again, I normally don’t enjoy that dynamic, but I completely understood her here. The moment Davik started cooking and taking care of people around him, I would’ve folded too. Yes, the bar is in hell. And yes, this felt more like sunshine x sunshine, which was refreshing!! (I only read two books like this so far).
“𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝘼𝙣 𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨. 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮. 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙘𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩. 𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡, 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜.”
Together, their romance develops naturally in a way that feels believable. Forced proximity done right without becoming suffocating 😍 But holy fishh this burn was SLOOOOW. I kept checking my reading progress like hmmmz, why haven’t they slept together yet??? 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘’𝗦 𝗠𝗬 𝗦𝗠𝗨𝗧??? 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘??? 😩
Sure, there was an entire chapter dedicated to Davik studying Fia’s anatomy. But most of the intimate scenes were surprisingly short or even fade to black??? Which shocked me because alien romance is usually synonymous with spice and fluff 😭
“𝘼𝙡𝙨𝙤, 𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙨𝙝. 𝙄𝙛 𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙, 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜.”
PLEASE. I NEEDED MORE LINES (and action) LIKE THAT.
Which is hilarious because before reading this, I told my friend that for a 400+ page alien romance, Signal Lost better have a decent worldbuilding.
Wow. Look at what we got 😂
This book was so committed to its plot that the smut almost felt like an afterthought 🙂
̶I̶ ̶a̶d̶m̶i̶t̶ ̶I̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶s̶e̶c̶r̶e̶t̶l̶y̶ ̶h̶o̶p̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶F̶i̶a̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶t̶a̶i̶l̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶u̶t̶h̶o̶r̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶e̶x̶p̶l̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶f̶a̶v̶o̶r̶i̶t̶e̶ ̶k̶i̶n̶k̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶a̶l̶a̶s̶ ̶d̶r̶e̶a̶m̶s̶ ̶c̶r̶u̶s̶h̶e̶d̶.̶
The angst that suddenly appeared really got me. I was NOT prepared for that because wdym they broke up and she made him cry??? My. Heart. Is. Not. Okie 😔
“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙄 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚.”
Seriously, Onyx Sullivan, what the hell 😭
I understood the reasoning behind the decision, but it still hurt so much to read. It made me feel terrible for Davik and trust me, I rarely feel bad for men 🙂 At one point, I got so frustrated that I muttered under my breath for them to just jump into bed and start making babies already because I was exhausted from all the angst. HELPPPP 😭
“𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙩. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙞𝙭.”
My other complaint is that I wish the battle between the Sovereign Fleet vs Sol had been longer and bloodier because that was revenge?? It should be brutal and messy. But since the scene focused on Fia and Davik, we only got a limited perspective of the conflict. I needed more scenes of Fia using her vertiblade 😰
“𝘿𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙠, 𝙞𝙛 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙩, 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙮 — 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙢𝙤𝙤𝙙.”
Fia really took the "touch him and die" trope seriously 😬
By the end, I closed this book with a big smile on my face and whispered oh my god ... Because it was so sweet I think I developed diabetes 😳😳😳 Davik evolving into the ultimate malewife had me giggling and kicking my pillows.
“𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙛𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙫𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙮, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮.”
“𝙃𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨. 𝘼 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚, 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚, 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙠𝙮 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖���𝙙 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙬.”
Ladies, get yourself a man like Davik for a better life, especially if you’re a special forces warrior busy saving the galaxy like Fia 🥳
“𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙩, 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙖𝙪 𝘾𝙚𝙩𝙞, 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙙. 𝙏𝙤𝙤 𝙨𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙬𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙩.”
Thank you Anna for recommending this book to me!!
And ofc, thank you so much to Onyx Sullivan for the ARC. We talked a little on IG, and she was incredibly kind and never pressured readers at all. So while this book is objectively a four star read for me, I’m rounding it up to five stars for that reason alone 💚
P.S. What exactly is a "pollinator" in this universe because now I’m curious 🤨
May 25, 2026
I had such a great time with this one, and I look forward to more!! I personally found the beginning a bit slow compared to the rest, but this was so much fun. She's the alien, she's taller, and she's more badass than he is. What's not to love? I highly recommend this one! Especially if you love space opera sci-fi romances. More coherent thoughts to come.
ARC sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
ARC sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
May 7, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!!
4⭐️
This was so good!
This book had the perfect blend of Romance and Sci-Fi plot. I absolutely loved the politics in this book. The ending?! SHOOK. I was glued to my Kindle.
But the Romance! Such a well done slow burn. Davik & Fia go through hell and back to be with each over. Their relationship builds is an extremely sweet way and I love to see these 2 soften for each other.
Can’t recommend this book enough!
4⭐️
This was so good!
This book had the perfect blend of Romance and Sci-Fi plot. I absolutely loved the politics in this book. The ending?! SHOOK. I was glued to my Kindle.
But the Romance! Such a well done slow burn. Davik & Fia go through hell and back to be with each over. Their relationship builds is an extremely sweet way and I love to see these 2 soften for each other.
Can’t recommend this book enough!
May 27, 2026
I absolutely loved this book! There’s truly nothing better than a dommy-mommy paired with a cinnamon roll man 🫠
Davik was supposed to break his brother out of cryo prison… instead he accidentally wakes up Fia, a terrifyingly powerful Ichtian woman who has been frozen for over 200 years. After this mix up, Davik, Fia, and Carissa (Davik’s sister in law) take on increasingly dangerous illegal transport jobs to earn enough money to free Davik’s brother from cryo prison. While Fia searches for answers about the Icthians and Davik fights to save his family, the two of them end up tangled in something far bigger and far more emotional than either of them expected.
Davik absolutely stole my heart. I love a good cinnamon roll man, and he was such an awkward, lovable goof the entire book. The way he was completely gone for Fia from the start had me grinning nonstop. Meanwhile, Fia is an absolute powerhouse. She’s confident, dangerous, teasing him every chance she gets, and I loved every second of it. Their chemistry was incredible, but what really made this romance work for me was all the yearning and uncertainty underneath it. It felt so genuine and tender. I cannot count how many times I was internally screaming at them to just kiss already 😂
The writing style was also ridiculously addictive. This was one of those books where I kept telling myself “one more chapter” and suddenly hours had passed. I also really enjoyed the larger plot surrounding the Icthians and their fight for survival and rights. It added a lot of emotional weight and depth to the story beyond the romance, even if Davik and Fia absolutely remained my main focus 💖
If you love alien romance with a badass heroine, a soft and devoted MMC, tons of yearning, and a relationship that will completely steal your heart, you need to pick this one up immediately!
Thank you to the author for giving me a e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Davik was supposed to break his brother out of cryo prison… instead he accidentally wakes up Fia, a terrifyingly powerful Ichtian woman who has been frozen for over 200 years. After this mix up, Davik, Fia, and Carissa (Davik’s sister in law) take on increasingly dangerous illegal transport jobs to earn enough money to free Davik’s brother from cryo prison. While Fia searches for answers about the Icthians and Davik fights to save his family, the two of them end up tangled in something far bigger and far more emotional than either of them expected.
Davik absolutely stole my heart. I love a good cinnamon roll man, and he was such an awkward, lovable goof the entire book. The way he was completely gone for Fia from the start had me grinning nonstop. Meanwhile, Fia is an absolute powerhouse. She’s confident, dangerous, teasing him every chance she gets, and I loved every second of it. Their chemistry was incredible, but what really made this romance work for me was all the yearning and uncertainty underneath it. It felt so genuine and tender. I cannot count how many times I was internally screaming at them to just kiss already 😂
The writing style was also ridiculously addictive. This was one of those books where I kept telling myself “one more chapter” and suddenly hours had passed. I also really enjoyed the larger plot surrounding the Icthians and their fight for survival and rights. It added a lot of emotional weight and depth to the story beyond the romance, even if Davik and Fia absolutely remained my main focus 💖
If you love alien romance with a badass heroine, a soft and devoted MMC, tons of yearning, and a relationship that will completely steal your heart, you need to pick this one up immediately!
Thank you to the author for giving me a e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
May 29, 2026
Nerdy engineer gets dom’d by 7ft psychic alien woman (It should’ve been me)
May 23, 2026
I absolutely adored Signal Lost. This was such a fun sci-fi romance with the perfect mix of space adventure, political tension, and a romance that completely worked for me.
Fia was such a standout FMC. I loved that she’s this fierce, intimidating alien warrior, but beneath all that strength, there’s so much heart. Watching her slowly soften and open herself up was incredibly satisfying. And Davik was the perfect match for her with his steady, warm energy. Their slow burn was so sweet and absolutely worth the wait.
The worldbuilding was really interesting, especially the larger conflict between humans and the Icthians, which gave the story stakes beyond just the romance. The pacing slowed a little in the middle for me, but overall I had such a great time with this one and will absolutely be continuing in this universe. If you enjoy a good sci-fi romance I highly recommend this one!
Fia was such a standout FMC. I loved that she’s this fierce, intimidating alien warrior, but beneath all that strength, there’s so much heart. Watching her slowly soften and open herself up was incredibly satisfying. And Davik was the perfect match for her with his steady, warm energy. Their slow burn was so sweet and absolutely worth the wait.
The worldbuilding was really interesting, especially the larger conflict between humans and the Icthians, which gave the story stakes beyond just the romance. The pacing slowed a little in the middle for me, but overall I had such a great time with this one and will absolutely be continuing in this universe. If you enjoy a good sci-fi romance I highly recommend this one!
June 17, 2026
Signal lost... Not just a cosmic tale of romance. 🌌
🔰 Mild spoilers for the first few chapters ahead 🔰
Two people, who you would consider to be polar opposites of one another find themselves embroiled in love, duty and conflicting interests...
Davik, one of two protagonists has been working mostly legal of his adult life, whilst trying to balance family and scraping by; between his dreams and the wants and needs of others. Outgoing, light-hearted yet seemingly at odds with what he wants and what's expected of him.
He, along with his sister in law (Carissa) and their and long time on again off again crew-mate, (Drey) attempt a daring prison break to rescue to spring Carissa's husband and Davik's brother (Marius) from cryo, the new and more humane version of a prison according to the Sol Federation. Where instead of spending time in a cell, prisoners are frozen in time and released some time later.
Instead of his brother, Davik open the pod of his would be brother to see that he has in fact, rescued an alien from a bygone age... 🟢🟢🟢
Leucifia is a Icthian, (the other protagonist) a race of semi-aquatic humanoid bipeds who form the other race in Tau-Ceti. (The closest thing I can equate the visuals too, is Kit Fisto from Star Wars type of alien ya know?) Trained as a soldier, she has a sharp mind, is bi-lingual and is used to the company of others of her kind. To find a human peering down at her after all this time in stasis is jarring, unsettling as that wasn't what she was expecting when she went under.
Lost in time, she struggles to find meaning and purpose in a world that she no longer recognises, whilst juggling that she finds that her rescuer is, well actually quite charming company. The two share time together, as Davik and Carissa plan how exactly they're going to get Marius back.
I'll stop here, because I risk going into major spoiler territory. There is so much more to describe and it won't all fit on one review!
✨ ---------------------------------------- ✨
It's nice to have a man as a main character who's (from a blokes perspective at least) wanted and lusted after as much as the female main character. I feel that, some men want this too, that feeling of being wanted as much as they want their significant other; and this book finds that balance very well. The fact that the hight difference is reversed is a welcome change of pace. We love a man who yearns, equally we love a woman who knows what she wants, is direct and, well, you're going to have to read it to find out more...
The romance feels real, in my opinion it's nor rushed or they happen to fall into bed together and ohhhh whoopsie how did that get there? Each chapter they develop, as characters with a real story behind them.
The story; for a romance novel, the story is actually quite engaging and I found myself getting more and more invested in the world, the people and politics with each chapter. On occasions, it feels a bit convenient the way things happen. But equally, there were some twists and turns I did not expect. Honestly? Who cares, I don't. I very much enjoyed the ride.
I've not finished a book this quickly, well ever. I'm usually a slow reader, and that should go to show how, well addictive it was to read. My first foray into romance for a more male gaze, has been a positive one!
Definitely worth the purchase :)
🔰 Mild spoilers for the first few chapters ahead 🔰
Two people, who you would consider to be polar opposites of one another find themselves embroiled in love, duty and conflicting interests...
Davik, one of two protagonists has been working mostly legal of his adult life, whilst trying to balance family and scraping by; between his dreams and the wants and needs of others. Outgoing, light-hearted yet seemingly at odds with what he wants and what's expected of him.
He, along with his sister in law (Carissa) and their and long time on again off again crew-mate, (Drey) attempt a daring prison break to rescue to spring Carissa's husband and Davik's brother (Marius) from cryo, the new and more humane version of a prison according to the Sol Federation. Where instead of spending time in a cell, prisoners are frozen in time and released some time later.
Instead of his brother, Davik open the pod of his would be brother to see that he has in fact, rescued an alien from a bygone age... 🟢🟢🟢
Leucifia is a Icthian, (the other protagonist) a race of semi-aquatic humanoid bipeds who form the other race in Tau-Ceti. (The closest thing I can equate the visuals too, is Kit Fisto from Star Wars type of alien ya know?) Trained as a soldier, she has a sharp mind, is bi-lingual and is used to the company of others of her kind. To find a human peering down at her after all this time in stasis is jarring, unsettling as that wasn't what she was expecting when she went under.
Lost in time, she struggles to find meaning and purpose in a world that she no longer recognises, whilst juggling that she finds that her rescuer is, well actually quite charming company. The two share time together, as Davik and Carissa plan how exactly they're going to get Marius back.
I'll stop here, because I risk going into major spoiler territory. There is so much more to describe and it won't all fit on one review!
✨ ---------------------------------------- ✨
It's nice to have a man as a main character who's (from a blokes perspective at least) wanted and lusted after as much as the female main character. I feel that, some men want this too, that feeling of being wanted as much as they want their significant other; and this book finds that balance very well. The fact that the hight difference is reversed is a welcome change of pace. We love a man who yearns, equally we love a woman who knows what she wants, is direct and, well, you're going to have to read it to find out more...
The romance feels real, in my opinion it's nor rushed or they happen to fall into bed together and ohhhh whoopsie how did that get there? Each chapter they develop, as characters with a real story behind them.
The story; for a romance novel, the story is actually quite engaging and I found myself getting more and more invested in the world, the people and politics with each chapter. On occasions, it feels a bit convenient the way things happen. But equally, there were some twists and turns I did not expect. Honestly? Who cares, I don't. I very much enjoyed the ride.
I've not finished a book this quickly, well ever. I'm usually a slow reader, and that should go to show how, well addictive it was to read. My first foray into romance for a more male gaze, has been a positive one!
Definitely worth the purchase :)
June 6, 2026
I'd like to start by thanking the author and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book to read, I'm sorry it's delayed but I've been going through the trenches. All thoughts and opinions shared are my own.
I really enjoyed this one, especially because the female fmc was the alien as opposed to it being the male. Fi is a bad ass ex soldier who was kept in cryostasis for so many years and then accidentally freed by Davik and his sister in law (who is absolutely amazing and I love her). This story is about her coming to terms with what life looks like for her people in this new world, and it's also about her opening herself up to trust and love, whilst constantly remembering her duty. Davik is an absolute cinnamon roll, who just wants to fix and help everyone even at a detriment to himself. He can cook, fix things and just is so caring and considerate. I would burn the world down for him. He was also a POC which was so great to read about, because a lot of books that I read don't have that rep!! He is also a yapper which I relate to on a spiritual level.
Their connection throughout this story felt so genuine and because it was a slow burn with both of them being awkward and fumbling, it made everything feel real and believable. The way that you could tell they truly cared but kept putting their own roadblocks in the way had me groaning yet laughing because same guys.
ALSO THE PLOT????? This was a massive part of the book and it was an alien romance book where the plot was more prominent than the smut and it shocked me but I was absolutely here for it! Like we were in the thick of it exploring war, rebellion, corrupt governments and the hard life that comes from living in this system. I bloody loved it. I hope we get more books in this series because I want to explore the world and understand more about Tau Ceti.
Overall, I had an absolute blast and found this a refreshing and new alien romance which I want more of please! Onyx Sullivan wove together an amazing world and story that I hope to explore more!
What you'll find:
🪐 She's the alien and is an ex soldier
🪐 Size difference where she's the tall one and he's the shorter one
🪐 Slow burn!
🪐 Relationship trouble more about external factors rather than a conflict between the mc's!
🪐 Forced proximity
🪐 Black cat x golden retriever
🪐 Banter!
🪐 He begs and she growls
Quotes:
🪐 "Also, he has not fucked this fish. If he had, he would not be walking."
🪐 "You only get one life. Make it worth something."
🪐 "This world is just so wrong, so empty. Everyone I knew, lost. Even the strangers here, my kin. They wear that cursed thing, and I cannot hear them. The world is so distant, so quiet."
🪐 "I awoke unmoored, lost, and alone on his ship. He asked for nothing but my name and how we could help."
🪐 "Every time you cross path with a sad girl, you try to fix her life. And then shit falls apart because, shocker, you burn yourself out and can't handle that the sad girl is not magically un-sad because you her a pet cat, or something."
🪐 "I don't care if my life gets more complicated with you around. I want a life with you in it, thorns and all."
I really enjoyed this one, especially because the female fmc was the alien as opposed to it being the male. Fi is a bad ass ex soldier who was kept in cryostasis for so many years and then accidentally freed by Davik and his sister in law (who is absolutely amazing and I love her). This story is about her coming to terms with what life looks like for her people in this new world, and it's also about her opening herself up to trust and love, whilst constantly remembering her duty. Davik is an absolute cinnamon roll, who just wants to fix and help everyone even at a detriment to himself. He can cook, fix things and just is so caring and considerate. I would burn the world down for him. He was also a POC which was so great to read about, because a lot of books that I read don't have that rep!! He is also a yapper which I relate to on a spiritual level.
Their connection throughout this story felt so genuine and because it was a slow burn with both of them being awkward and fumbling, it made everything feel real and believable. The way that you could tell they truly cared but kept putting their own roadblocks in the way had me groaning yet laughing because same guys.
ALSO THE PLOT????? This was a massive part of the book and it was an alien romance book where the plot was more prominent than the smut and it shocked me but I was absolutely here for it! Like we were in the thick of it exploring war, rebellion, corrupt governments and the hard life that comes from living in this system. I bloody loved it. I hope we get more books in this series because I want to explore the world and understand more about Tau Ceti.
Overall, I had an absolute blast and found this a refreshing and new alien romance which I want more of please! Onyx Sullivan wove together an amazing world and story that I hope to explore more!
What you'll find:
🪐 She's the alien and is an ex soldier
🪐 Size difference where she's the tall one and he's the shorter one
🪐 Slow burn!
🪐 Relationship trouble more about external factors rather than a conflict between the mc's!
🪐 Forced proximity
🪐 Black cat x golden retriever
🪐 Banter!
🪐 He begs and she growls
Quotes:
🪐 "Also, he has not fucked this fish. If he had, he would not be walking."
🪐 "You only get one life. Make it worth something."
🪐 "This world is just so wrong, so empty. Everyone I knew, lost. Even the strangers here, my kin. They wear that cursed thing, and I cannot hear them. The world is so distant, so quiet."
🪐 "I awoke unmoored, lost, and alone on his ship. He asked for nothing but my name and how we could help."
🪐 "Every time you cross path with a sad girl, you try to fix her life. And then shit falls apart because, shocker, you burn yourself out and can't handle that the sad girl is not magically un-sad because you her a pet cat, or something."
🪐 "I don't care if my life gets more complicated with you around. I want a life with you in it, thorns and all."
May 20, 2026
ARC read.
I cant believe how much I needed reading a romance like this. A dominant looming alien woman and a guy who's into that bottom stuff is just really nice and funny to read and made the book extremely relatable. Other than just me liking dominant woman though the rest of the book is great, although I think some parts at the start and a very few times throughout the book it was kind of hard to tell who was speaking but that could definitely just be my low literacy level, there were also a few typos I think. I feel like the culture of the Icthian race could have been shown more but things like the chorus and Clades were very nice. Overall great book, not like amazing writing level but the romance, plot, characters and everything was great. Keep up the good work.
I cant believe how much I needed reading a romance like this. A dominant looming alien woman and a guy who's into that bottom stuff is just really nice and funny to read and made the book extremely relatable. Other than just me liking dominant woman though the rest of the book is great, although I think some parts at the start and a very few times throughout the book it was kind of hard to tell who was speaking but that could definitely just be my low literacy level, there were also a few typos I think. I feel like the culture of the Icthian race could have been shown more but things like the chorus and Clades were very nice. Overall great book, not like amazing writing level but the romance, plot, characters and everything was great. Keep up the good work.
June 2, 2026
4.25 ⭐️ 2.5🌶
Tropes: sci-fi alien romance, dystopian space opera, forced proximity, black cat/golden retriever, touch her & 💀, slowburn
Triggers: explicit sexual content, drug abuse, suicide, violence, torture
"Accidentally broke her out of prison. Which has got to be in the top 10 for meet cutes."
This is the perfect read for somebody looking for a variety in their books. It is a space opera, a rom-com, age gap with over 30yr old characters, a slow burn romance and an action adventure all rolled into one. I fell in love with the characters of this book and really enjoyed the world they live in. I thought that the plot was well laid out the world building had some really cool concepts. It had enough twists and turns to keep me invested and made me laugh a lot. I'm really excited for the next one and to learn more about this world.
Tropes: sci-fi alien romance, dystopian space opera, forced proximity, black cat/golden retriever, touch her & 💀, slowburn
Triggers: explicit sexual content, drug abuse, suicide, violence, torture
"Accidentally broke her out of prison. Which has got to be in the top 10 for meet cutes."
This is the perfect read for somebody looking for a variety in their books. It is a space opera, a rom-com, age gap with over 30yr old characters, a slow burn romance and an action adventure all rolled into one. I fell in love with the characters of this book and really enjoyed the world they live in. I thought that the plot was well laid out the world building had some really cool concepts. It had enough twists and turns to keep me invested and made me laugh a lot. I'm really excited for the next one and to learn more about this world.
May 29, 2026
This was a fantastic alien romance, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
When Leucifia enters a cryopod, the last thing she expects is to wake up a human-crewed cargo ship, years after her expected wake-up time.Thankfully Dav and Carissa were on hand to help her adjust.
The growing relationship between FIA and Dav was beautiful, and Carissa was such a sweetheart, especially as a protective mama bear.
There was some moments of heartache, and some twists I didn't see coming, but I definitely enjoyed this story.
I received an ARC of this ebook from the author, and I'm voluntarily leaving this review.
When Leucifia enters a cryopod, the last thing she expects is to wake up a human-crewed cargo ship, years after her expected wake-up time.Thankfully Dav and Carissa were on hand to help her adjust.
The growing relationship between FIA and Dav was beautiful, and Carissa was such a sweetheart, especially as a protective mama bear.
There was some moments of heartache, and some twists I didn't see coming, but I definitely enjoyed this story.
I received an ARC of this ebook from the author, and I'm voluntarily leaving this review.
June 14, 2026
It was tooooo goood, however, I don’t like endings like that. Give me all of the details NEOW, before I get mad. But other than that, I loved it, hehehe.
Edit: sooo the author liked my review comment. Hey babes, that is me being greedy cause I love the characters and wanted alllll of the details. Not anything personal to the book. Loved the book though 🫶🏾
Edit: sooo the author liked my review comment. Hey babes, that is me being greedy cause I love the characters and wanted alllll of the details. Not anything personal to the book. Loved the book though 🫶🏾
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2026
This is actually like a 4.5 stars but wowowow I loved this!
Essentially there’s a war between humans and the Icthians and the latter aren’t allowed to be on planet earth even though earth is the only place the Icthians are able to set up their regeneration pools. That’s the background information.
We meet Leucifia (Fia) after she wakes up in a new ship after cryostasis. Davik, an engineer, helps her back on her feet and find her footing in the rebellion and to find any remnants of her people.
I loved this. It was very much in the same veins of Firefly with the banter and general vibes. Fia’s growth was really fun to read. From this rigid soldier to a soft lover, I really enjoyed her.
The reason I’m knocking off a little from the rating is only because I did feel like the pacing was a little slow in the middle.
Essentially there’s a war between humans and the Icthians and the latter aren’t allowed to be on planet earth even though earth is the only place the Icthians are able to set up their regeneration pools. That’s the background information.
We meet Leucifia (Fia) after she wakes up in a new ship after cryostasis. Davik, an engineer, helps her back on her feet and find her footing in the rebellion and to find any remnants of her people.
I loved this. It was very much in the same veins of Firefly with the banter and general vibes. Fia’s growth was really fun to read. From this rigid soldier to a soft lover, I really enjoyed her.
The reason I’m knocking off a little from the rating is only because I did feel like the pacing was a little slow in the middle.
May 17, 2026
✨ARC Book Review✨
Fia escapes a troubling time with her people on a ship, only to wake up years later on a foreign ship… where she meets Davik 🛸✨
When they were exploring their physical differences (innocently enough), it was actually so precious 🥹 Both of them trying not to give in to their growing feelings… I seriously loved that 👀♥️
His thoughtfulness in making her basically a piece of jewelry she could wear to help her blend in was everything. I hate that she’s separated from her people and the unique telepathic connection their race shared.
And him getting turned on when she defended him 😈🔥 I ate that up!!
I also loved how supportive he was of her. He never tried to change who she was. It was a slow burn, but I felt it was a well developed plot.
Fia escapes a troubling time with her people on a ship, only to wake up years later on a foreign ship… where she meets Davik 🛸✨
When they were exploring their physical differences (innocently enough), it was actually so precious 🥹 Both of them trying not to give in to their growing feelings… I seriously loved that 👀♥️
His thoughtfulness in making her basically a piece of jewelry she could wear to help her blend in was everything. I hate that she’s separated from her people and the unique telepathic connection their race shared.
And him getting turned on when she defended him 😈🔥 I ate that up!!
I also loved how supportive he was of her. He never tried to change who she was. It was a slow burn, but I felt it was a well developed plot.
June 13, 2026
Refreshing
The overall story is pretty straightforward as intended, but that doesn't mean it's not done well. It won't change literary norms, but like a well done cheeseburger, sometimes you don't have to reinvent the wheel.
The romance is very well done. The dynamic is very refreshing and I would've liked to see more banter between the two protagonist, but otherwise the payoff is very satisfying. I know the next book will be a different character but I'd love to revisit these two.
The overall story is pretty straightforward as intended, but that doesn't mean it's not done well. It won't change literary norms, but like a well done cheeseburger, sometimes you don't have to reinvent the wheel.
The romance is very well done. The dynamic is very refreshing and I would've liked to see more banter between the two protagonist, but otherwise the payoff is very satisfying. I know the next book will be a different character but I'd love to revisit these two.
June 4, 2026
Excellent space adventure
Really excellent introduction into a new world, just enough unique and familiar sci-fi to be engaging and thoughtful throughout. This world has a lot of potential!
Really excellent introduction into a new world, just enough unique and familiar sci-fi to be engaging and thoughtful throughout. This world has a lot of potential!
May 29, 2026
Cute Read
It’s a good book plain and simple. pacing, characters, and story are all great. Definitely will read the next installment.
It’s a good book plain and simple. pacing, characters, and story are all great. Definitely will read the next installment.
June 14, 2026
This was so sweet!! Really fun scifi elements too, I can't wait to learn more about the world.
June 14, 2026
loved every second!
Great romance, loveable characters with a side of kicking as. Can not recommend enough for any sci-fi lovers out there.
Great romance, loveable characters with a side of kicking as. Can not recommend enough for any sci-fi lovers out there.
June 18, 2026
wow!
What a lovely, top quality, Sci-fi romance! With an original plot and great twists. A real gem, Highly recommend :)
What a lovely, top quality, Sci-fi romance! With an original plot and great twists. A real gem, Highly recommend :)
June 15, 2026
4.5 Stars
A wonderfully developed sci-fi world and a tender, sexy love story with swoon-worthy banter.
A wonderfully developed sci-fi world and a tender, sexy love story with swoon-worthy banter.
June 7, 2026
Slow burn sci-fi romance!
Loved this story! Tau Ceti is such an incredible setting and I enjoyed getting to learn about the history and complex politics. Fia and Davik's love story is sweet; seeing them fall further for each other was so satisfying. Excited for more from this universe!
Loved this story! Tau Ceti is such an incredible setting and I enjoyed getting to learn about the history and complex politics. Fia and Davik's love story is sweet; seeing them fall further for each other was so satisfying. Excited for more from this universe!
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC Received from author. My thoughts are my own.
⭐️ Rating: 4.75
🌶️ level: 2 (open door scenes, ages 18+)
📖Genre: Sci-Fi romance
📚Sub genres: space opera, dystopian
🎭Tropes: slow burn, Black Cat FMC x cinnamon roll MMC, forced proximity, touch him and die, short king (5’6) x tall queen (6’3), human x alien, strangers to lovers, they both yearn, found family
💥Triggers: a past suicide attempt (recounted), themes of depression and anxiety, chronic-pain, systemic maiming (of an alien species)
🗒️Other notables: 3rd person POV with 1st person internal dialogue, older main characters (both in their 30s), some cyberpunk-esque elements (body augmentations), Firefly coded
✨Some highlights: Ranged and colorful word palette, humorous elements, phenomenal world + alien race building, well built + dynamic characters, author prose ‘shows’ rather than ‘tells’
🤔Drawbacks: super minor imo… but the pacing might through some folks off. There’s a scene that I think had a bit of an under-reaction from the characters, and there are some very minor grammatical errors (I think I only found 4 in the whole book.)
🌊flow and pacing: the flow of their relationship builds naturally and believably. The emotional payoff is worth the slow build up, and slow plot pacing. (Plot pacing slows down a bit in the middle, but it picks back up near the end).
💭 My thoughts: This is an awesome intro book to the Tau Ceti Universe! The author does a great job of laying the foundation for this series to take off. World building, race building, plot building… and a twist I didn’t guess til near the end? *noice*
In some books the plot/story feels like a rickety scaffold built around a smut tower.
This is not that. It’s a sci-fi with a well-woven romance throughout it. At times the relationship takes the main stage, but the sci-fi elements and plot of it never felt like they were an afterthought. And the spicy bits are few, well built up, and have a lot of emotional payoff that go with them.
The book definitely has some Firefly vibes to it. But the MMC and FMC really remind me of Milo and Kida from Atlantis mixed with a little Captain Amelia and Dr. Doppler from Treasure Planet, and a hair of Sgt Calhoun and Fix it Felix from Wreck it Ralph… you get the idea. Black Cat femme fatale soft-dommy mommy and her goofy-goober “I’m right where I want to be” uber warm cinnamon roll.
And trust me… that man is exactly where he wants to be. No one bother him. Haha.
I had some mixed thoughts about the MMC, as I don’t normally encounter his build in books. He does something in the end that changes my mind on him being a total marshmallow… and tbh, it REALLY changes my mind of him. (I decided I quite like him before that thing happened though.)
Overall, this book is solidly built. It’s enjoyable. The prose is colorful and vocabulary is ranged. The romance is very well done. The characters are interesting, likeable, and show growth and definition. If you’re in the mood for something a little slower paced, but with good payoff… and then takes off in the end…give this one a read.
⭐️ Rating: 4.75
🌶️ level: 2 (open door scenes, ages 18+)
📖Genre: Sci-Fi romance
📚Sub genres: space opera, dystopian
🎭Tropes: slow burn, Black Cat FMC x cinnamon roll MMC, forced proximity, touch him and die, short king (5’6) x tall queen (6’3), human x alien, strangers to lovers, they both yearn, found family
💥Triggers: a past suicide attempt (recounted), themes of depression and anxiety, chronic-pain, systemic maiming (of an alien species)
🗒️Other notables: 3rd person POV with 1st person internal dialogue, older main characters (both in their 30s), some cyberpunk-esque elements (body augmentations), Firefly coded
✨Some highlights: Ranged and colorful word palette, humorous elements, phenomenal world + alien race building, well built + dynamic characters, author prose ‘shows’ rather than ‘tells’
🤔Drawbacks: super minor imo… but the pacing might through some folks off. There’s a scene that I think had a bit of an under-reaction from the characters, and there are some very minor grammatical errors (I think I only found 4 in the whole book.)
🌊flow and pacing: the flow of their relationship builds naturally and believably. The emotional payoff is worth the slow build up, and slow plot pacing. (Plot pacing slows down a bit in the middle, but it picks back up near the end).
💭 My thoughts: This is an awesome intro book to the Tau Ceti Universe! The author does a great job of laying the foundation for this series to take off. World building, race building, plot building… and a twist I didn’t guess til near the end? *noice*
In some books the plot/story feels like a rickety scaffold built around a smut tower.
This is not that. It’s a sci-fi with a well-woven romance throughout it. At times the relationship takes the main stage, but the sci-fi elements and plot of it never felt like they were an afterthought. And the spicy bits are few, well built up, and have a lot of emotional payoff that go with them.
The book definitely has some Firefly vibes to it. But the MMC and FMC really remind me of Milo and Kida from Atlantis mixed with a little Captain Amelia and Dr. Doppler from Treasure Planet, and a hair of Sgt Calhoun and Fix it Felix from Wreck it Ralph… you get the idea. Black Cat femme fatale soft-dommy mommy and her goofy-goober “I’m right where I want to be” uber warm cinnamon roll.
And trust me… that man is exactly where he wants to be. No one bother him. Haha.
I had some mixed thoughts about the MMC, as I don’t normally encounter his build in books. He does something in the end that changes my mind on him being a total marshmallow… and tbh, it REALLY changes my mind of him. (I decided I quite like him before that thing happened though.)
Overall, this book is solidly built. It’s enjoyable. The prose is colorful and vocabulary is ranged. The romance is very well done. The characters are interesting, likeable, and show growth and definition. If you’re in the mood for something a little slower paced, but with good payoff… and then takes off in the end…give this one a read.
June 3, 2026
Sometimes when picking up a paranormal romance, you think that you'll just get an alien and a human who like to have sex and that's it. However, that wasn't the case for these two in Signal Lost. Signal Lost provided a depth that not a lot of paranormal romances do. The plot follows Leucifia as she's accidentally retrieved from her cryopod but her soon-to-be love interest, Davik. As she slowly starts to awaken, she discovers that she's been asleep for over 200 years and all that she once knew is lost....or so she thinks. Throughout her journey with David and crew, she's looking to hopefully find the place and people she calls home while assisting the rusty cargo ship with finding Davik's brother (a.k.a. Carissa's husband and father of her unborn baby). What else unfolds is a slow budding romance between Davik and Fia that makes the stakes even higher because now Fia must determine what matters more, her duty or her love?
I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. We started off slow with building the foundation of the story and characters. It did feel like it was taking too long but once Fia and Leucifia started interacting more frequently and the reader gets more of their banter and internal monologue, it's easier to sit for the ride. Their romance is a slow burn so if that's not to the reader's taste then it won't go over well. There are heated moments but not a lot and honestly I find their love for each other more on the sweet side than "heated." I think their slow burn helps move the plot along as well because they want to protect each other no matter what. At this point though we are focusing on trying to get Davik's brother back and help Fia.
Right around the halfway mark of the book is when the plot starts to pick up and we are seeing some decisions that need to be made in order to preserve their relationship and homes. I will say that in the first half, the fantasy part of the novel is a little confusing but it starts to make more sense as the story progresses. The reader gains a better understanding of the stakes on how it all came to be. With that being said, the amount of depth that's included for the world building might've done better in a continuing series rather than a standalone because I think it would be interesting to see what happens next with the Federation. Maybe that'll be present in the second book.
Overall, I had a great time reading this I would definitely recommend it to others who want a bit more bite in their paranormal romances. Can't wait for the second book. I hope it's with Vek!
I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. We started off slow with building the foundation of the story and characters. It did feel like it was taking too long but once Fia and Leucifia started interacting more frequently and the reader gets more of their banter and internal monologue, it's easier to sit for the ride. Their romance is a slow burn so if that's not to the reader's taste then it won't go over well. There are heated moments but not a lot and honestly I find their love for each other more on the sweet side than "heated." I think their slow burn helps move the plot along as well because they want to protect each other no matter what. At this point though we are focusing on trying to get Davik's brother back and help Fia.
Right around the halfway mark of the book is when the plot starts to pick up and we are seeing some decisions that need to be made in order to preserve their relationship and homes. I will say that in the first half, the fantasy part of the novel is a little confusing but it starts to make more sense as the story progresses. The reader gains a better understanding of the stakes on how it all came to be. With that being said, the amount of depth that's included for the world building might've done better in a continuing series rather than a standalone because I think it would be interesting to see what happens next with the Federation. Maybe that'll be present in the second book.
Overall, I had a great time reading this I would definitely recommend it to others who want a bit more bite in their paranormal romances. Can't wait for the second book. I hope it's with Vek!
June 21, 2026
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
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Most books have me the moment they say “muscle mommy.” But tall, alien muscle mommy? I mean, count me in! I was rooting for it from the start!
.
However, I think this book stumbled a bit in the beginning and struggled to find its footing. One line that sticks out as a less than stellar one, is the human MMC, Davik, telling our alien FMC, Leucifia, that her alien name is too long and that he’s more of a monosyllabic kind of guy so could he call her something else? But that man’s name has 2 syllables? The whole joke was lined up to take the piss out of a man with two syllable name asking for one syllable name and take shot at people who complain that foreign names are “too hard to pronounce.” But this book didn’t take go there. I’ll admit my interest cooled swiftly at this point, but I still continued, interested to see how these initial bumps would smooth over.
.
The relationship is definitely on the slower side but once these two finally admit their attraction and want of each other (tbh a lot of the attraction is initially physical on both sides which I didn’t mind), and the stakes increase with Leucifia’s species coming back into the picture, then I found my attention hooked again.
.
The steamy scenes were also delicious to read and I would have enjoyed even more scenes between these two, but I also appreciated the yearning of that side of their relationships. It does seem like it might be fade to black a few times, but I trusted the process, we still get some very hot and graphic scenes which are my preferred steamy bits.
.
I am fascinated by Leucifia’s species, how they fit in this universe, their penal system and its effects, and would like to see more explored in this universe, but I am not overly invested in the characters themselves. So for me to continue in this world, it would have to be a different side of it, and not back with Leucifia and Davik’s crew. But I will still be keeping an eye out for what comes next.
.
Hisses & Kisses 🐍
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*I received an eARC from the author & NetGalley. All opinions are my own.*
.
Most books have me the moment they say “muscle mommy.” But tall, alien muscle mommy? I mean, count me in! I was rooting for it from the start!
.
However, I think this book stumbled a bit in the beginning and struggled to find its footing. One line that sticks out as a less than stellar one, is the human MMC, Davik, telling our alien FMC, Leucifia, that her alien name is too long and that he’s more of a monosyllabic kind of guy so could he call her something else? But that man’s name has 2 syllables? The whole joke was lined up to take the piss out of a man with two syllable name asking for one syllable name and take shot at people who complain that foreign names are “too hard to pronounce.” But this book didn’t take go there. I’ll admit my interest cooled swiftly at this point, but I still continued, interested to see how these initial bumps would smooth over.
.
The relationship is definitely on the slower side but once these two finally admit their attraction and want of each other (tbh a lot of the attraction is initially physical on both sides which I didn’t mind), and the stakes increase with Leucifia’s species coming back into the picture, then I found my attention hooked again.
.
The steamy scenes were also delicious to read and I would have enjoyed even more scenes between these two, but I also appreciated the yearning of that side of their relationships. It does seem like it might be fade to black a few times, but I trusted the process, we still get some very hot and graphic scenes which are my preferred steamy bits.
.
I am fascinated by Leucifia’s species, how they fit in this universe, their penal system and its effects, and would like to see more explored in this universe, but I am not overly invested in the characters themselves. So for me to continue in this world, it would have to be a different side of it, and not back with Leucifia and Davik’s crew. But I will still be keeping an eye out for what comes next.
.
Hisses & Kisses 🐍
.
*I received an eARC from the author & NetGalley. All opinions are my own.*
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ugh. im just... idk... ˙◠˙ i really, REALLY wanted to like this. i really can't put my finger on exactly what's wrong with the prose but it was just too, too much? it was trying so hard and not giving anything? there were so many descriptions and excessive amounts of synonyms of adjectives. there are also intentional alliterations throughout that made it an uncomfortable read. long complex sentences extended with ", and" and ", but" that could've been simplified or broken down into regular sentences. it ended up feeling pedantic and verbose.
it also had such a slow pace. so much thinking and worrying and not enough character development or relationship building. other than being attracted to each other, i couldn't understand why these two wanted each other.
i think what bothered me the most is one of the first scenes at 6% right before the two are about to meet, the staff on the ship tell Leucifia that her name is too complicated so she literally just scraps that and goes by Fia the whole book. she drops her clan (clade name), her home (the fleet she was pledged to), and then the rest of her given name, Leucifia after the person she was speaking to literally says ick to having to say her name. like WHAT THE FUCK. i was hoping this gets brought up in the book later on but theres nothing.
this practice of cultural erasure, usually for asian names and indigenous names, is still so significant in today's culture. its saying that she and her heritage are not worth the 10 second of effort it will take to learn it. it reinforces assimilation dynamics and traditionally has been used as a tool of colonialism.
also when Davik is about to meet her people he asks like is there a secret handshake? idk. ok she's like a frog alien but he's literally fucking her. did she teach him secret handshakes in the time he's known her? it just felt very off.
i have more thoughts but honestly i really just wanted to dnf at around 22% and really wish i did.
it also had such a slow pace. so much thinking and worrying and not enough character development or relationship building. other than being attracted to each other, i couldn't understand why these two wanted each other.
i think what bothered me the most is one of the first scenes at 6% right before the two are about to meet, the staff on the ship tell Leucifia that her name is too complicated so she literally just scraps that and goes by Fia the whole book. she drops her clan (clade name), her home (the fleet she was pledged to), and then the rest of her given name, Leucifia after the person she was speaking to literally says ick to having to say her name. like WHAT THE FUCK. i was hoping this gets brought up in the book later on but theres nothing.
this practice of cultural erasure, usually for asian names and indigenous names, is still so significant in today's culture. its saying that she and her heritage are not worth the 10 second of effort it will take to learn it. it reinforces assimilation dynamics and traditionally has been used as a tool of colonialism.
also when Davik is about to meet her people he asks like is there a secret handshake? idk. ok she's like a frog alien but he's literally fucking her. did she teach him secret handshakes in the time he's known her? it just felt very off.
i have more thoughts but honestly i really just wanted to dnf at around 22% and really wish i did.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.75 stars. This story is dual POV, well written, and the slow burn, forced proximity, debut sci fi romance for this author, between Davik, the augmented male human engineer/artist lead, and (Leuci)Fia, the female amphibious humanoid alien warrior lead, awakened out of cryostasis into a world far changed from what she left. I adored that Fia was older, stronger, physically more capable, alien, and definitively more dominant than Davik. It’s unusual to find all these in one character pairing without any one becoming the focus but these facts were simply woven into the story with no particular emphasis, and I was very happy. I enjoyed Davik’s compassion and kindness towards everyone, and his willingness to help in any way he could. I enjoyed Fia’s goal focus and her need to achieve. I enjoyed the slowly developing relationship, the appreciation for each other’s skills and talents, and the navigating of cultural differences. I enjoyed the steamy intimate scenes, when the characters arrived at that point, and Fia’s confident control. I enjoyed the secondary characters, especially Davik’s sister-in-law and her acerbic care. I enjoyed the non-romance plot and the necessary interactions with others. I enjoyed both the human and non-human cultures the author described, and the world she built for them. I enjoyed the comfortably happy ending, with character needs being balanced and accounted for. As a debut story, this was fantastic and I’m looking forward to more from this author.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and this is my voluntary honest review.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and this is my voluntary honest review.
Review of advance copy
I received an advance review copy for free from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is a struggle for me to rate because while it didn't vibe for me, I do think it is a really solid sci-fi romance.
The most important aspect of this book that I think will draw a lot of people to it: it features a FMC that is an alien! Finding a book with an alien FMC - and one who is the more dominant partner, at that - is a struggle, so this almost feels like a diamond in the rough. Add in solid writing and world building, and I think this book will hit with a lot of readers.
By the 15% mark in this book, I realized that this would be an excellent story even without the romance. What Fia was going through and the universe being built was so interesting. I could probably read a book on just that.
Where I struggled was how sweet this was (and that's not a bad thing, but it's not something I generally look for). Yes, there is a war building, colonization and subjugation of Fia's people, but the romance itself is sweet and wholesome. It's built on a solid foundation of friendship first . . . and quite a bit of lust. Personally, I needed more angst or action or sexual tension. It was a bit too mild for me.
This is the first book in a series and does not end on a cliffhanger.
Would I recommend this? Actually, yes. There's strong world building, lots of science fiction, and I loved the characters (well, I loved Fia for like 99% of the book). There was a strong plot line and a great supporting cast. It just didn't work for me personally.
Helpful tags: science fiction romance, alien romance, alien FMC/human MMC, femdom, third act breakup, dual POV, POC protagonist, character driven, first in series
This is a struggle for me to rate because while it didn't vibe for me, I do think it is a really solid sci-fi romance.
The most important aspect of this book that I think will draw a lot of people to it: it features a FMC that is an alien! Finding a book with an alien FMC - and one who is the more dominant partner, at that - is a struggle, so this almost feels like a diamond in the rough. Add in solid writing and world building, and I think this book will hit with a lot of readers.
By the 15% mark in this book, I realized that this would be an excellent story even without the romance. What Fia was going through and the universe being built was so interesting. I could probably read a book on just that.
Where I struggled was how sweet this was (and that's not a bad thing, but it's not something I generally look for). Yes, there is a war building, colonization and subjugation of Fia's people, but the romance itself is sweet and wholesome. It's built on a solid foundation of friendship first . . . and quite a bit of lust. Personally, I needed more angst or action or sexual tension. It was a bit too mild for me.
This is the first book in a series and does not end on a cliffhanger.
Would I recommend this? Actually, yes. There's strong world building, lots of science fiction, and I loved the characters (well, I loved Fia for like 99% of the book). There was a strong plot line and a great supporting cast. It just didn't work for me personally.
Helpful tags: science fiction romance, alien romance, alien FMC/human MMC, femdom, third act breakup, dual POV, POC protagonist, character driven, first in series
June 23, 2026
I expected "Signal Lost" to be a hot alien romance where the woman was the alien for a novelty, and I definitely got that - I loved the muscle mummy/short king dynamic - we need more ripped women being adored in fiction and real life, but this is more a space opera than a traditional trashy alien romance, which was the reason it took me longer to finish it. If, like me, you go into this expecting spice, there is plenty of that, but this is a sloooooow burn, so there's more yearning, world-building and emotional labour.
Signal Lost feels like the love child of the Illuminae Files by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman and Venomous by Penelope Fletcher.
The world building and social commentary are absolutely amazing with Davik being disabled and having struggled with his mental health, Fia being part of a persecuted minority that is being ethnically cleansed, Earth is run by evil imperialist oligarchs that make it so an impoverished working-class can't survive on land and is forced to join the army and be used as cannon fodder in an engineered war for resources that only benefits the very few and so many more details that make this book so interesting.
I'm so glad the author is planning to write more books in this series, because if her debut already shows so much promise, I can't wait for what she will gift us with next. For now, let me go finish reading my subscriber freebies till then.
Thank you to NetGalley and Onyx Sullivan for this DRC.
Signal Lost feels like the love child of the Illuminae Files by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman and Venomous by Penelope Fletcher.
The world building and social commentary are absolutely amazing with Davik being disabled and having struggled with his mental health, Fia being part of a persecuted minority that is being ethnically cleansed, Earth is run by evil imperialist oligarchs that make it so an impoverished working-class can't survive on land and is forced to join the army and be used as cannon fodder in an engineered war for resources that only benefits the very few and so many more details that make this book so interesting.
I'm so glad the author is planning to write more books in this series, because if her debut already shows so much promise, I can't wait for what she will gift us with next. For now, let me go finish reading my subscriber freebies till then.
Thank you to NetGalley and Onyx Sullivan for this DRC.
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