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Starborn #1
The Wildborn: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance
To walk the path of a morazir, I will exist in three states of being:
Untouched.
Untaken.
Unconquered.
Airik, a battle-scarred warrior serving the cruel intergalactic empire of the Veynari, craves silence from the nightmares tormenting his mind. But while on post to decommission a failed experiment of a planet, a rogue human spacecraft crashes, and a reckless decision leaves him stranded—entangled with a woman he never should have saved.
Nora wakes light-years from Earth, broken in body and spirit, at the mercy of an alien soldier who refuses to let her die. Devastatingly beautiful, terrifyingly competent, and bound by a warrior’s oath that permits touch only to destroy, he’s the reluctant guardian angel she neither wants nor believes she deserves.
Nora wakes light-years from Earth, broken in body and spirit, at the mercy of an alien soldier who refuses to let her die. Devastatingly beautiful, terrifyingly competent, and bound by a warrior’s oath that permits touch only to destroy, he’s the reluctant guardian angel she neither wants nor believes she deserves.
Trapped together, they’re forced to navigate a brutal landscape, vicious beasts, and the deadly remnants of an abandoned world. Duty demands Airik’s cold indifference. Yet Nora sparks something deliciously alive—and entirely forbidden—within him. What begins as necessity ignites a primal hunger: scorching, consuming, and impossible to resist.
But even if they survive, the Veynari—ever present and ruthless—won’t allow its warriors weakness like love. For Airik and Nora to be together, they must risk everything.
The Wildborn is a steamy, high-stakes sci-fi romance featuring forced proximity with an emotionally repressed alien protector who falls hard. Perfect for fans of Zoey Draven’s immersive world-building, the dark emotional complexities of Victoria Aveline’s Ruling Sikthand, and the lyrical storytelling of Grace Draven.
Note from the author: This novel contains emotionally intense themes, including grief and trauma. A full list of content considerations is available on the author’s website.
604 pages, Paperback
First published June 28, 2026
About the author
Perri Torani
1 book256 followersPerri Torani writes soul-aching sci-fi and paranormal romance. Her favorite kind of suffering to write about involves tormented heroes and the lovers who bring them to their knees. She doesn’t know how to tell a love story that doesn’t hurt—but don’t worry, she’ll heal the pain by the end. She loves her characters too much to let them suffer past the final page.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 924 reviews
July 19, 2026
"She felt crushed to learn that this kind of grief occurred among the stars she used to wish upon in hopes of making things different."
OOF 😭 This book was so beautiful and had so much depth for an alien romance. If you're looking for a man who YEARNS with his whole being??? Look no further.
This would have been 5 stars, but I was a teensy-tiny bit annoyed with the pacing. The first 50% of the book was very steady, and then some stuff happened, and then in the last 20% like a MILLION things happened. It was like watching tennis left, right, left, right, left, right!!
Nora, our FMC, is written in such a beautiful and relatable way. Both MCs are coming from a past of trauma, and I thought that her development over the course of the book was truly beautiful. Comparatively, Airik could have given me a little more depth and development. He was so sexyyy, though, that I really can't be THAT mad at him.
ALSO, WARNING: this is nooott a true stand-alone!! I think it's going to be an interconnected stand-alone series, and I think I know who the next book is going to center around. 🤫 But maaaann, I have so many open questions and FEELINGS!
Sorry for the chaotic review!!!!
OOF 😭 This book was so beautiful and had so much depth for an alien romance. If you're looking for a man who YEARNS with his whole being??? Look no further.
This would have been 5 stars, but I was a teensy-tiny bit annoyed with the pacing. The first 50% of the book was very steady, and then some stuff happened, and then in the last 20% like a MILLION things happened. It was like watching tennis left, right, left, right, left, right!!
Nora, our FMC, is written in such a beautiful and relatable way. Both MCs are coming from a past of trauma, and I thought that her development over the course of the book was truly beautiful. Comparatively, Airik could have given me a little more depth and development. He was so sexyyy, though, that I really can't be THAT mad at him.
ALSO, WARNING: this is nooott a true stand-alone!! I think it's going to be an interconnected stand-alone series, and I think I know who the next book is going to center around. 🤫 But maaaann, I have so many open questions and FEELINGS!
Sorry for the chaotic review!!!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖📖 - even though this book was long for me (I am a novella queen right now!) I wanted to read it every minute. Every part was so good and I was totally enthralled!
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋 - I cried. Over and over and over (joys of luteal phase) – then I was a bit less emotional towards the end of the book but oh it still tugged on my heart so hard!
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔 - the character depth was great
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞💞 I found it soooooooooo utterly romantic. So many romantic things were said. Done. Thought.
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 (some were a bit shorter)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? a good mix but probably character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium – some might think it feels slow? The book is long and much of it is them stranded on a planet together – but it didn’t feel slow to me – I was eager to read it and I thought it kept moving along at a good place!
When mains are first on page together: takes a bit – chapter 9 (of 86) or about 16%
Cliffhanger: this ends with a happy for now – the plot feels like there’s more coming (book 2 I am sure) to answer some questions
Epilogue: there are two chapters at the end – a few hours later and three months later that give a bit of a wrap up
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy from the author in e-book form (thank you so, so much!)
Why I chose this book: the cover. The art. Porani’s funny newsletters. The tropes and snippets presented. I needed it!
Mains: Airik and Nora Shaw – this is a M/F relationship between an alien hero and human heroine
Audiobook available (as of posting)? No
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
This is Torani’s debut and fine alone.
Basic plot:
Nora was meant to go to Mars after a chaotic and dangerous takeover of her space station – instead she was sent to an empty planet and found by the alien sent there to destroy it
Give this a try if you want:
- science fiction romance
- this is a futuristic setting – they are in the beginnings of space travel (a colony on Mars, space stations)
- alien hero / human heroine
- an immersive alien setting and culture – no cardboard backdrops here – this feels lush and breathtakingly real (in a totally alien way of course 😂 )
- he’s a warrior
- size difference - she’s 5’2”, he’s near 7’ and when he holds them face to face, her feet touch his knees
- language barrier – he does speak English but it’s a bit broken and there’s some pronunciation and translation issues early on
- makes her shoes by judging how her foot had fit in his palm 🥹
- pets – the heroine gets an ooshi (a cat / dog / fox-like creature) that imprints on her
- care-taking – for both
- never been kissed hero
- lots of close proximity on a deserted planet
- survival themes - they are stranded on a dangerous planet without many resources
- well-endowed hero
- SO MUCH YEARNING! SO MUCH ROMANCE!
- mid to higher steam (it’s a long book and slower burn) – at least 7 full scenes (I combined some that were close together)
Ages:
- she’s ‘over 30’, he’s had 26 revolutions of life – at the end it’s mentioned he’s 5 years younger
First lines:
To walk the path of a morazir, I will exist in three states of being:
Untouched. My touch is destruction.
Untaken. It is I who demands surrender.
Unconquered. Both in battle and in heart.
My thoughts:
Me...reading the prologue and getting acclimated to the alien word. Gets my heart ripped out.
Me...getting to know Nora in the space station near earth for the first 3 chapters. Gets my heart ripped out again.
Ugh – some books just make my heart pound, make me care SO much about these characters and it’s so, so special when I find it. And – I’ll admit – after the edging Torani gave us on instagram with the amazing art, the snippets, the build up – I was just sure I was going to be disappointed. I was scared to read this! How could it live up to my expectations? Live up to them? It has surpassed, exceeded, transcended…
I adored their first meeting so much. And the moments after as they learn each other and assess their survival strategies. I wanted to highlight even more than I did – I was lingering over almost every line. Rereading, my heart aching, tears rolling down my face in some (okay many) moments.
This book includes one of the strongest representations of romantic yearning I have ever read. And this is something I am constantly chasing in romance. This gave me – EXACTLY – what I wanted. In every aspect – I just could not get over how perfect this book was. It gripped my heart so hard and just squeezed it repeatedly. Nora and Airik pull at each other but resist and it created the most amazing tension through the novel. The forbidden aspect felt so real and dangerous. And I felt the wanting more keenly because of it.
I saw it advertised as sad boy x sad girl in one post. And I wasn’t sure if I would get into that. But now I see exactly what she meant. Both of these mains are so...burdened. And they are so perfect for each other. The character depth in this novel was so amazing and I just felt their emotions so deeply.
This book gutted me in the absolute best way. And put me back together, wrapping me in everything I adore about romance. Even though the book was long (I haven’t voluntarily read a book this long in….years!) I loved the whole thing. My interest didn’t wane. I had to know what was going to happen. The tension just kept going, building. The romance just kept getting stronger. The anxiety over how it was going to work out fueled me. I loved Torani’s writing so, so much. The action scenes had me on the edge of my seat. The conversations were so sweet. The longing for each other, the spicy scenes...I mean the thing was freaking perfect. I am just so impressed. And so happy I read it.
My only complaint is even with the 700 pages, I need to know more 😂. I am assuming the remaining questions will be answered as the series unfolds. I can’t wait to see what book 2 is like. I am sold – I am a lifelong follower of Torani’s releases for all of my days.
World Building / Alien Stats:
- okay this world building is so good, detailed and immersive. So I’m not going to note all the details because Torani has designed so much alien technology, species, plants, foods, medical things, etc. I would have to write a whole book to just give you a feel for the cultures, societies, and new planet. It’s amazing!
- know that both our human heroine and alien hero come from higher tech worlds, though the hero’s is much more advanced – the heroine from a futuristic Earth and works on a space station circling Earth and there’s a Mars settlement, and our hero is from another planet with higher technology. They both crash on planet Ed’un so I will focus my details there.
- Ed’un is a planet that has an environment perfect for their species but has been ravaged and the wildlife is still prowling with mutations. It has 2 suns, oceans, purple grass…
- Ed’un was terraformed for the hero’s people (and similar) to be able to live – but an element called kudra has poisoned the planet and started to alter things. It’s a very toxic thing that can affect robots and living things and will take over and kill humans / similar species
- As for Airik, his skin is gray, he has fangs, black fingernails, blue-green glowing eyes, white hair...
Cock stats:
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: This is my first
Average rating from me: 5 stars
Favorite book: This one
Endearments
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdowns mean, where to find me, and book clubs
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖📖 - even though this book was long for me (I am a novella queen right now!) I wanted to read it every minute. Every part was so good and I was totally enthralled!
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋 - I cried. Over and over and over (joys of luteal phase) – then I was a bit less emotional towards the end of the book but oh it still tugged on my heart so hard!
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔 - the character depth was great
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞💞 I found it soooooooooo utterly romantic. So many romantic things were said. Done. Thought.
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 (some were a bit shorter)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? a good mix but probably character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium – some might think it feels slow? The book is long and much of it is them stranded on a planet together – but it didn’t feel slow to me – I was eager to read it and I thought it kept moving along at a good place!
When mains are first on page together: takes a bit – chapter 9 (of 86) or about 16%
Cliffhanger: this ends with a happy for now – the plot feels like there’s more coming (book 2 I am sure) to answer some questions
Epilogue: there are two chapters at the end – a few hours later and three months later that give a bit of a wrap up
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy from the author in e-book form (thank you so, so much!)
Why I chose this book: the cover. The art. Porani’s funny newsletters. The tropes and snippets presented. I needed it!
Mains: Airik and Nora Shaw – this is a M/F relationship between an alien hero and human heroine
Audiobook available (as of posting)? No
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
This is Torani’s debut and fine alone.
Basic plot:
Nora was meant to go to Mars after a chaotic and dangerous takeover of her space station – instead she was sent to an empty planet and found by the alien sent there to destroy it
Give this a try if you want:
- science fiction romance
- this is a futuristic setting – they are in the beginnings of space travel (a colony on Mars, space stations)
- alien hero / human heroine
- an immersive alien setting and culture – no cardboard backdrops here – this feels lush and breathtakingly real (in a totally alien way of course 😂 )
- he’s a warrior
- size difference - she’s 5’2”, he’s near 7’ and when he holds them face to face, her feet touch his knees
- language barrier – he does speak English but it’s a bit broken and there’s some pronunciation and translation issues early on
- makes her shoes by judging how her foot had fit in his palm 🥹
- pets – the heroine gets an ooshi (a cat / dog / fox-like creature) that imprints on her
- care-taking – for both
- never been kissed hero
- lots of close proximity on a deserted planet
- survival themes - they are stranded on a dangerous planet without many resources
- well-endowed hero
- SO MUCH YEARNING! SO MUCH ROMANCE!
- mid to higher steam (it’s a long book and slower burn) – at least 7 full scenes (I combined some that were close together)
Ages:
- she’s ‘over 30’, he’s had 26 revolutions of life – at the end it’s mentioned he’s 5 years younger
First lines:
To walk the path of a morazir, I will exist in three states of being:
Untouched. My touch is destruction.
Untaken. It is I who demands surrender.
Unconquered. Both in battle and in heart.
My thoughts:
Me...reading the prologue and getting acclimated to the alien word. Gets my heart ripped out.
Me...getting to know Nora in the space station near earth for the first 3 chapters. Gets my heart ripped out again.
Ugh – some books just make my heart pound, make me care SO much about these characters and it’s so, so special when I find it. And – I’ll admit – after the edging Torani gave us on instagram with the amazing art, the snippets, the build up – I was just sure I was going to be disappointed. I was scared to read this! How could it live up to my expectations? Live up to them? It has surpassed, exceeded, transcended…
I adored their first meeting so much. And the moments after as they learn each other and assess their survival strategies. I wanted to highlight even more than I did – I was lingering over almost every line. Rereading, my heart aching, tears rolling down my face in some (okay many) moments.
This book includes one of the strongest representations of romantic yearning I have ever read. And this is something I am constantly chasing in romance. This gave me – EXACTLY – what I wanted. In every aspect – I just could not get over how perfect this book was. It gripped my heart so hard and just squeezed it repeatedly. Nora and Airik pull at each other but resist and it created the most amazing tension through the novel. The forbidden aspect felt so real and dangerous. And I felt the wanting more keenly because of it.
I saw it advertised as sad boy x sad girl in one post. And I wasn’t sure if I would get into that. But now I see exactly what she meant. Both of these mains are so...burdened. And they are so perfect for each other. The character depth in this novel was so amazing and I just felt their emotions so deeply.
This book gutted me in the absolute best way. And put me back together, wrapping me in everything I adore about romance. Even though the book was long (I haven’t voluntarily read a book this long in….years!) I loved the whole thing. My interest didn’t wane. I had to know what was going to happen. The tension just kept going, building. The romance just kept getting stronger. The anxiety over how it was going to work out fueled me. I loved Torani’s writing so, so much. The action scenes had me on the edge of my seat. The conversations were so sweet. The longing for each other, the spicy scenes...I mean the thing was freaking perfect. I am just so impressed. And so happy I read it.
My only complaint is even with the 700 pages, I need to know more 😂. I am assuming the remaining questions will be answered as the series unfolds. I can’t wait to see what book 2 is like. I am sold – I am a lifelong follower of Torani’s releases for all of my days.
World Building / Alien Stats:
- okay this world building is so good, detailed and immersive. So I’m not going to note all the details because Torani has designed so much alien technology, species, plants, foods, medical things, etc. I would have to write a whole book to just give you a feel for the cultures, societies, and new planet. It’s amazing!
- know that both our human heroine and alien hero come from higher tech worlds, though the hero’s is much more advanced – the heroine from a futuristic Earth and works on a space station circling Earth and there’s a Mars settlement, and our hero is from another planet with higher technology. They both crash on planet Ed’un so I will focus my details there.
- Ed’un is a planet that has an environment perfect for their species but has been ravaged and the wildlife is still prowling with mutations. It has 2 suns, oceans, purple grass…
- Ed’un was terraformed for the hero’s people (and similar) to be able to live – but an element called kudra has poisoned the planet and started to alter things. It’s a very toxic thing that can affect robots and living things and will take over and kill humans / similar species
- As for Airik, his skin is gray, he has fangs, black fingernails, blue-green glowing eyes, white hair...
Cock stats:
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: This is my first
Average rating from me: 5 stars
Favorite book: This one
Endearments
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdowns mean, where to find me, and book clubs
Currently Reading
June 14, 2026pre:read
one of my most anticipated ARCs this year just hit the kindle, BRB while I dive right in
one of my most anticipated ARCs this year just hit the kindle, BRB while I dive right in
June 19, 2026
WHAT A BOOK !!!
well that was fucking incredible ???
Cauthorperritorani I adore you & your brain for giving us Airik and Nora, their story is heartbreakingly beautiful & romantic.
Genuinely one of my favourite reads of the year, deliciously spicy, funny, full of healing. I just adore these two tortured souls so much
"For the rest of this life, you're mine. If there's an eternity after, you're mine for all of it. If there are more universes than this one, I'll find you everywhere -and you'll be mine in all of them."
I AM UNWELL
well that was fucking incredible ???
Cauthorperritorani I adore you & your brain for giving us Airik and Nora, their story is heartbreakingly beautiful & romantic.
Genuinely one of my favourite reads of the year, deliciously spicy, funny, full of healing. I just adore these two tortured souls so much
"For the rest of this life, you're mine. If there's an eternity after, you're mine for all of it. If there are more universes than this one, I'll find you everywhere -and you'll be mine in all of them."
I AM UNWELL
July 21, 2026
After stumbling over the Instagram of the author with all the wonderful character artwork, the plot about an alien oathbound morazir warrior who is supposed to be untouched, untaken and unconquered and the other tropes immediately pulled me in and made this a highly anticipated read for me. Add a hot virgin alien and I´m in for the ride. I was a bit taken aback of how many pages this book has, but normally this is not necessarily a negative thing if the book has me hooked. Well...
First of all, the book started with so much overwhelming world building and info dump that I started to get lost. For the whole start I did not know what was going on. Reading words on a page and not being able to visualize them in my head is something that doesn´t happen often but here it does and that took me out immediately. Too many places, alien races, names, planets etc. But I have to say the writing is great and the concept is well thought-out and very creative. One reason why I´m so dissapointed that I did not love it.
As soon as our protagonists finally meet a lot of the story is easier to get through. There´s a lot of spice but it´s a lot more interesting than the start of the book anyway. I loved Airik but I have to admit… and I´m really sorry for everyone who loved her but I hated Nora. Even writing this her name slips my mind, lol. Like Airik, she has a tragic backstory and a reason for why she is who she is and I´m sure a lot of people will be able to identify with her. But she is like plain cardboard. Boring, defenseless, whiny, self-loathing and weak. I do not understand how Airik can be interested in her, beyond her looks. Probably only because she is the first human woman he meets. She has to be saved constantly and doesn´t contribute much herself, other than giving Airik a reason to live but almost dying all the time doing that. I loved the little alien companion Lucky, though.
The book dragged. I´m not sure if the story warrants almost 600 pages when most is about them being stranded on this planet where not a lot happens but them fucking. It´s like wading through sludge. I´m not saying what happens is bad or the plot sucks, but it became a bit repetitive and some of the scenes could´ve been cut (some of the spice scenes at least, and I´m saying this as a spice-lover). I read a whole other book inbetween, because I kept losing interest and did not have the desire to keep reading at times. And that is never a good sign while reading. Normally I can finish a story like this in two days if I have the time and if it hooks me, but it took me a lot longer.
There is a little more action towards the end but it did not really help making me like it more. The whole morazir concept is also weird, because the oaths don´t seem to mean shit. Except Airik, who really adheres to the oath, there are definitely ways around it, which is made apparent with Airiks "brother" Torren, who regularly visits pleasure workers. He might be a MMC in the future, so I´m not sure if this whole thing is for me.
I expected a suspenseful, sexy, romantic and action laden space adventure, with a little fun thrown in, but the story was a lot darker and more somber than I thought it would be, very character focused, depressing and dystopian. Maybe I expected differently because most alien romances I´ve read have been rather light hearted without taking themselves too seriously and the FMCs were a lot more badass. So if a darker read is what you want this book will be perfect for you. But if I´m not having fun reading a book, it´s probably not for me because I want to be taken away from reality and not be depressed while reading. Maybe I should´ve taken the "dark" in the tropes more seriously, lol. There´s a HFN, since this will be a series of interconnected standalones, but I´m not sure if I will continue this series. I´m a bit unsatisfied that I´m forced to keep reading if I want to actually see a HEA for the protagonists when they won´t be the main characters.
Also, from now on I hate the word "okay" - you will know why.
First of all, the book started with so much overwhelming world building and info dump that I started to get lost. For the whole start I did not know what was going on. Reading words on a page and not being able to visualize them in my head is something that doesn´t happen often but here it does and that took me out immediately. Too many places, alien races, names, planets etc. But I have to say the writing is great and the concept is well thought-out and very creative. One reason why I´m so dissapointed that I did not love it.
As soon as our protagonists finally meet a lot of the story is easier to get through. There´s a lot of spice but it´s a lot more interesting than the start of the book anyway. I loved Airik but I have to admit… and I´m really sorry for everyone who loved her but I hated Nora. Even writing this her name slips my mind, lol. Like Airik, she has a tragic backstory and a reason for why she is who she is and I´m sure a lot of people will be able to identify with her. But she is like plain cardboard. Boring, defenseless, whiny, self-loathing and weak. I do not understand how Airik can be interested in her, beyond her looks. Probably only because she is the first human woman he meets. She has to be saved constantly and doesn´t contribute much herself, other than giving Airik a reason to live but almost dying all the time doing that. I loved the little alien companion Lucky, though.
The book dragged. I´m not sure if the story warrants almost 600 pages when most is about them being stranded on this planet where not a lot happens but them fucking. It´s like wading through sludge. I´m not saying what happens is bad or the plot sucks, but it became a bit repetitive and some of the scenes could´ve been cut (some of the spice scenes at least, and I´m saying this as a spice-lover). I read a whole other book inbetween, because I kept losing interest and did not have the desire to keep reading at times. And that is never a good sign while reading. Normally I can finish a story like this in two days if I have the time and if it hooks me, but it took me a lot longer.
There is a little more action towards the end but it did not really help making me like it more. The whole morazir concept is also weird, because the oaths don´t seem to mean shit. Except Airik, who really adheres to the oath, there are definitely ways around it, which is made apparent with Airiks "brother" Torren, who regularly visits pleasure workers. He might be a MMC in the future, so I´m not sure if this whole thing is for me.
I expected a suspenseful, sexy, romantic and action laden space adventure, with a little fun thrown in, but the story was a lot darker and more somber than I thought it would be, very character focused, depressing and dystopian. Maybe I expected differently because most alien romances I´ve read have been rather light hearted without taking themselves too seriously and the FMCs were a lot more badass. So if a darker read is what you want this book will be perfect for you. But if I´m not having fun reading a book, it´s probably not for me because I want to be taken away from reality and not be depressed while reading. Maybe I should´ve taken the "dark" in the tropes more seriously, lol. There´s a HFN, since this will be a series of interconnected standalones, but I´m not sure if I will continue this series. I´m a bit unsatisfied that I´m forced to keep reading if I want to actually see a HEA for the protagonists when they won´t be the main characters.
Also, from now on I hate the word "okay" - you will know why.
September 7, 2026
sad boy virgin alien meets hot 30 year old sad girl on a stranded planet. yeah, say freakin’ less!!!!
this was emotional, slutty and a lot more plot than i expected?? and a pretty good one, at that!
pros:
-hot alien man
-his c*m glows and makes you reallll happy when ingested (was not expecting that but was welcomed)
- SHE TEACHES HIM HOW TO KISS
- cute puppy adjacent sidekick
- sad boy x sad girl dynamic was great
- cool side characters i can’t wait to get more of later
cons:
- this book is LAWNG!! like 600 pages of alien romance?? a lil nutty imo
- so much space jargon that was v confusing sometimes
- some parts that were really slow, the story could be inconsistent pacing-wise
overall, this was a pleasant first alien-romance experience and would recommend! come with tissues for emotional damage and hot spice scenes. lmao
4.25 ⭐️ i hope we get Torren’s story next!
this was emotional, slutty and a lot more plot than i expected?? and a pretty good one, at that!
pros:
-hot alien man
-his c*m glows and makes you reallll happy when ingested (was not expecting that but was welcomed)
- SHE TEACHES HIM HOW TO KISS
- cute puppy adjacent sidekick
- sad boy x sad girl dynamic was great
- cool side characters i can’t wait to get more of later
cons:
- this book is LAWNG!! like 600 pages of alien romance?? a lil nutty imo
- so much space jargon that was v confusing sometimes
- some parts that were really slow, the story could be inconsistent pacing-wise
overall, this was a pleasant first alien-romance experience and would recommend! come with tissues for emotional damage and hot spice scenes. lmao
4.25 ⭐️ i hope we get Torren’s story next!
July 24, 2026
This isn’t a call out to get the author in trouble. I just feel like I am going INSANE because this is CLEARLY AI written/directed. It doesn’t mean it’s not good or entertaining, but I feel crazy with all of you eating it up and no one mentioning this elephant in the room. And it’s not merely “AI-ish” in a vague sense, it has several very specific habits ChatGPT and its AI friends.
For me, it's okay if it's AI if someone talented has written/directed a decent story. But I do feel GASLIT that no one else is talking about this. So let me take you through my observations…
From the beginning the carefully balanced contrasts were a bit too repetitive to be human: “untouched, untaken, unconquered”; “beautiful yet terrifying”; laboratory-designed versus “born wild.”
Emotions translated into grand abstractions, “a weight pressing against his throat with its enormity” rather than giving the reader the sensation or behavior. And the full phrase, “a beautiful yet terrifying weight pressing against his throat with its enormity” oh my… every word sounds profound, BUT the text hasn't built up to that kind of greatness and these grand abstractions exist too often and they make me exhausted to read, like I can’t breathe.
And of course, the overly recognizable sentence construction AI LOVES: “For the first time in his life, X…” followed shortly afterwards by another “for the first time in his life…”
Humans don't write like this page after page.... “Always a little too close. Forever behind her.” Pairs of balanced sentence fragments; emotionally resonant, syntactically parallel mini-sentences intended to make an ordinary observation FEEL profound.
“The swell had risen too quickly, powered by an ever-warming planet that bred unpredictability.” This is nails down a chalkboard for me... In the middle of a child’s traumatic sensory memory, the narration suddenly becomes a climate-policy synopsis.
“His face faltered into something striking and tragic—a statue of a hero abandoned in an ancient temple, frozen in eternal torment.” This is extraordinarily ChatGPT-ish. It stacks several prestige-drama signals—striking, tragic, hero, abandoned, ancient temple, eternal torment—without forming one precise image.
“His eyes flickered, like stars—he didn’t believe her.” The simile and its alleged meaning don't connect. Eyes flickering “like stars” does not communicate disbelief and of course any author should be allowed to use the word "flicker" however it has become a tainted word with AI use and this author used it 22 times. That’s a lot of flickering….
And then one of the most conspicuous passages:
“His gaze bathed her in bright shine, and there was hope that under his brilliant regard, she might become something better.”
UMMM, say what? “Bathed her in bright shine” is not a natural English collocation. “Bright shine” is redundant and visually undefined. His gaze shines, then his regard is brilliant??
“His breath was hard” — people breathe hard; their breath is usually heavy, ragged, or labored. “He was breathing hard”... is usually how people say that.
“Thinking I’d lost your life” — unnatural phrasing; normally- thinking I’d lost you or thinking you had died. This may be deliberately alien diction.
I am not going to be like Frankie Shelf and rip this apart... like she did to Shy Girl because I don’t care if it's AI if someone talented has written a story. But let's open this space to allow authors to be transparent about AI and not gaslight people who are like me who say, “It’s okay to LOVE a book that was directed/written with AI.” And for all of you saying, “You can’t prove it’s AI.” Ha. No you’re 100% correct, I can’t PROVE it’s AI with another AI, but I have eyes, a thinking mind, and I have been reading for decades so just like any other adult who has been doing something for a while, I know what I know. And this I know.
For me, it's okay if it's AI if someone talented has written/directed a decent story. But I do feel GASLIT that no one else is talking about this. So let me take you through my observations…
From the beginning the carefully balanced contrasts were a bit too repetitive to be human: “untouched, untaken, unconquered”; “beautiful yet terrifying”; laboratory-designed versus “born wild.”
Emotions translated into grand abstractions, “a weight pressing against his throat with its enormity” rather than giving the reader the sensation or behavior. And the full phrase, “a beautiful yet terrifying weight pressing against his throat with its enormity” oh my… every word sounds profound, BUT the text hasn't built up to that kind of greatness and these grand abstractions exist too often and they make me exhausted to read, like I can’t breathe.
And of course, the overly recognizable sentence construction AI LOVES: “For the first time in his life, X…” followed shortly afterwards by another “for the first time in his life…”
Humans don't write like this page after page.... “Always a little too close. Forever behind her.” Pairs of balanced sentence fragments; emotionally resonant, syntactically parallel mini-sentences intended to make an ordinary observation FEEL profound.
“The swell had risen too quickly, powered by an ever-warming planet that bred unpredictability.” This is nails down a chalkboard for me... In the middle of a child’s traumatic sensory memory, the narration suddenly becomes a climate-policy synopsis.
“His face faltered into something striking and tragic—a statue of a hero abandoned in an ancient temple, frozen in eternal torment.” This is extraordinarily ChatGPT-ish. It stacks several prestige-drama signals—striking, tragic, hero, abandoned, ancient temple, eternal torment—without forming one precise image.
“His eyes flickered, like stars—he didn’t believe her.” The simile and its alleged meaning don't connect. Eyes flickering “like stars” does not communicate disbelief and of course any author should be allowed to use the word "flicker" however it has become a tainted word with AI use and this author used it 22 times. That’s a lot of flickering….
And then one of the most conspicuous passages:
“His gaze bathed her in bright shine, and there was hope that under his brilliant regard, she might become something better.”
UMMM, say what? “Bathed her in bright shine” is not a natural English collocation. “Bright shine” is redundant and visually undefined. His gaze shines, then his regard is brilliant??
“His breath was hard” — people breathe hard; their breath is usually heavy, ragged, or labored. “He was breathing hard”... is usually how people say that.
“Thinking I’d lost your life” — unnatural phrasing; normally- thinking I’d lost you or thinking you had died. This may be deliberately alien diction.
I am not going to be like Frankie Shelf and rip this apart... like she did to Shy Girl because I don’t care if it's AI if someone talented has written a story. But let's open this space to allow authors to be transparent about AI and not gaslight people who are like me who say, “It’s okay to LOVE a book that was directed/written with AI.” And for all of you saying, “You can’t prove it’s AI.” Ha. No you’re 100% correct, I can’t PROVE it’s AI with another AI, but I have eyes, a thinking mind, and I have been reading for decades so just like any other adult who has been doing something for a while, I know what I know. And this I know.
Did Not Finish
July 26, 2026Ugh… I am so disappointed and feel like I am the only one who absolutely did not like this.
First the over-explaining of literally everything. The beginning was one big information dump I did not care for and I didn’t understand half of it… and tbh I wouldnt have needed it to get the story.
Also the writing… it felt off. It didn’t pull me in and I wanted to dnf way before I did.
Airik is the only reason I kept reading. He’s hot and I like a touchstarved alien who doesn’t know how to kiss… but this whole „Untouched. Untaken. Unconquered.“… it was going on my nerves okay?! I got it after the tenth time I didn’t need to read it in every other sentence.
And Nora?! Listen, I am not a very confident Person… Just like her… but this girl was so annoying with her constant whining… you get a lot of cock and that cum makes you high please stop crying for once.
So First there is a lot of worldbuilding and after that there is just spice. A loooooot of spice and I am a smut lover but there was absolutely no plot and I didn’t care to go on Reading.
I expected more cause everyone and their grandma is hyping this up.
First the over-explaining of literally everything. The beginning was one big information dump I did not care for and I didn’t understand half of it… and tbh I wouldnt have needed it to get the story.
Also the writing… it felt off. It didn’t pull me in and I wanted to dnf way before I did.
Airik is the only reason I kept reading. He’s hot and I like a touchstarved alien who doesn’t know how to kiss… but this whole „Untouched. Untaken. Unconquered.“… it was going on my nerves okay?! I got it after the tenth time I didn’t need to read it in every other sentence.
And Nora?! Listen, I am not a very confident Person… Just like her… but this girl was so annoying with her constant whining… you get a lot of cock and that cum makes you high please stop crying for once.
So First there is a lot of worldbuilding and after that there is just spice. A loooooot of spice and I am a smut lover but there was absolutely no plot and I didn’t care to go on Reading.
I expected more cause everyone and their grandma is hyping this up.
September 8, 2026
Well… that was certainly a massive disappointment. 😭
Probably my biggest issue with this book was the writing itself. At times, it genuinely felt like I was reading something AI-written. The dialogue and narration often felt so unnatural and repetitive that I constantly found myself being pulled out of the story.
And the execution… there might have been an interesting idea buried somewhere underneath all of this, unfortunately, the way it was executed completely killed any chance I had of enjoying it. From the story to the characters, pretty much everything needed more development and tightening. The pacing really suffered because of it. Frankly I think this one needed a lot more work before being released.
I hate giving up on books, but by the end of this one, I genuinely wished I had DNF’d it much earlier.
Probably my biggest issue with this book was the writing itself. At times, it genuinely felt like I was reading something AI-written. The dialogue and narration often felt so unnatural and repetitive that I constantly found myself being pulled out of the story.
And the execution… there might have been an interesting idea buried somewhere underneath all of this, unfortunately, the way it was executed completely killed any chance I had of enjoying it. From the story to the characters, pretty much everything needed more development and tightening. The pacing really suffered because of it. Frankly I think this one needed a lot more work before being released.
I hate giving up on books, but by the end of this one, I genuinely wished I had DNF’d it much earlier.
September 3, 2026
The idea behind this book is so much better than the book itself. The premise had potential, the world-building was surprisingly elaborate, and the human-meets-alien concept caught my attention. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite live up to it.
My biggest issue was how much the story dragged. This book is simply too long for what actually happens, and the same dynamics kept repeating themselves. Airik spends most of the book desperately wanting Nora, then deciding he can’t have her, only to go right back to wanting her again. Rinse and repeat. And Nora… girl, please. She constantly gets herself into trouble, ignores the one person who actually knows how to keep her alive, and apologizes. A lot. At some point, I’m pretty sure her hair got more development than she did.
The writing also took me out of the story, especially the language barrier. Airik barely knows English until suddenly, when things get spicy, the man is fluent. Apparently, English only becomes easy when it’s time to flirt.
The marketing definitely did its job because I went in expecting much more after all the hype. Despite all my complaints, it was still entertaining enough to keep me reading, but not enough to make me want to stick around for the rest of the series.
My biggest issue was how much the story dragged. This book is simply too long for what actually happens, and the same dynamics kept repeating themselves. Airik spends most of the book desperately wanting Nora, then deciding he can’t have her, only to go right back to wanting her again. Rinse and repeat. And Nora… girl, please. She constantly gets herself into trouble, ignores the one person who actually knows how to keep her alive, and apologizes. A lot. At some point, I’m pretty sure her hair got more development than she did.
The writing also took me out of the story, especially the language barrier. Airik barely knows English until suddenly, when things get spicy, the man is fluent. Apparently, English only becomes easy when it’s time to flirt.
The marketing definitely did its job because I went in expecting much more after all the hype. Despite all my complaints, it was still entertaining enough to keep me reading, but not enough to make me want to stick around for the rest of the series.
July 8, 2026
✨ ARC Book Review✨
Rating~ 4.5 rounded up
I’m totally obsessed with Airik!
The first 15% of this book sets the tone and establishes the cultural expectations of Airik’s people. They’re all about duty and don’t have time for personal connections, so overall pretty hardcore. When Airik and Nora are both stranded on a hostile planet together, they are forced to depend on each other to survive and get to the next base.
The minute Airik met Nora, I was hooked! They have such a fun connection that kept my attention from the very beginning.
If I ever get lost in space, I want to be found by Airik. He starts off a little rough around the edges, but once he starts to truly see Nora in a different light, OMG, it was pure gold! He has these subtle mannerisms that absolutely killed me, like constantly pulling her braids or silently chanting his people’s mantra to stop himself from giving in. The slow burn was giving sis! Once he was all in… my God. Possessive and attentive in the best way! I absolutely loved him.
Nora is fun and sweet. I loved how she just rolled with the flow. I mean, if a hardcore 6’ plus gray blue alien tells you what to do while pulling your braids, I’d listen too 👏🏻 I definitely would have trusted Airik, I just would have complained more 😅 She’s a real one!
I felt like Torani did an amazing job of balancing the romance with survival scenarios and emotional character growth. The conflict at the end had me on the edge of my seat! I thought it was logical and really well done. I’m definitely going to have a book hangover after this one!
Rating~ 4.5 rounded up
I’m totally obsessed with Airik!
The first 15% of this book sets the tone and establishes the cultural expectations of Airik’s people. They’re all about duty and don’t have time for personal connections, so overall pretty hardcore. When Airik and Nora are both stranded on a hostile planet together, they are forced to depend on each other to survive and get to the next base.
The minute Airik met Nora, I was hooked! They have such a fun connection that kept my attention from the very beginning.
If I ever get lost in space, I want to be found by Airik. He starts off a little rough around the edges, but once he starts to truly see Nora in a different light, OMG, it was pure gold! He has these subtle mannerisms that absolutely killed me, like constantly pulling her braids or silently chanting his people’s mantra to stop himself from giving in. The slow burn was giving sis! Once he was all in… my God. Possessive and attentive in the best way! I absolutely loved him.
Nora is fun and sweet. I loved how she just rolled with the flow. I mean, if a hardcore 6’ plus gray blue alien tells you what to do while pulling your braids, I’d listen too 👏🏻 I definitely would have trusted Airik, I just would have complained more 😅 She’s a real one!
I felt like Torani did an amazing job of balancing the romance with survival scenarios and emotional character growth. The conflict at the end had me on the edge of my seat! I thought it was logical and really well done. I’m definitely going to have a book hangover after this one!
July 18, 2026
My goodness! What a debut for Perri Torani! If you love sci-fi romance this one is unskippable. The plot is layered beautifully, the characters are all amazing in their rolls, and the spice is 🔥. This is a long book for the genre but by the end you will likely wish you had more.
Airik is a conflicted, sad, grumpy, lonely emo alien who's been forged into one of the greatest weapons in the universe. There's so much going on here that I fear we only get the base layer to this overarching plot. Then we have Nora who's our sad, defeated FMC with a tragic past who's hanging on by a thread. In a twist of fate they are both stranded on a planet filled with danger and an unknown timetable for rescue.
This book is exactly what you think it is but it's also so much more. The relationship that grows between these two characters is just stunning honestly. There are a few silly things that pop up every now and again but it lightened the mood of the story so much. There's also a ton of story left to explore even though we get a HFN in this one. I hope we get POVs from Airik and Nora in book 2 as well as the new couple. I honestly can't wait!
Airik is a conflicted, sad, grumpy, lonely emo alien who's been forged into one of the greatest weapons in the universe. There's so much going on here that I fear we only get the base layer to this overarching plot. Then we have Nora who's our sad, defeated FMC with a tragic past who's hanging on by a thread. In a twist of fate they are both stranded on a planet filled with danger and an unknown timetable for rescue.
This book is exactly what you think it is but it's also so much more. The relationship that grows between these two characters is just stunning honestly. There are a few silly things that pop up every now and again but it lightened the mood of the story so much. There's also a ton of story left to explore even though we get a HFN in this one. I hope we get POVs from Airik and Nora in book 2 as well as the new couple. I honestly can't wait!
August 3, 2026
DNF @ 80%
I was so close to the finish line but I just can't anymore with this book. I'm so bored and annoyed.
There was a ridiculous info dump in the first 20%. It was unnecessary and dry. The FMC is so whiny and constantly on the verge of crying. It's too much.
The author repeats the same information over and over and over again. Like, please stop beating me over the head with repetitive info dump. I'm not an idiot. I can remember something that was stated in chapter one without you constantly reminding me about it.
Something I look forward to the most when reading alien romance is the physical anatomy of said alien. I expected more honestly. He has fangs that he uses once in the story & his cum gets her high. But other than that, he's pretty similar to a normal human body just silver. Kinda boring.
I was so close to the finish line but I just can't anymore with this book. I'm so bored and annoyed.
There was a ridiculous info dump in the first 20%. It was unnecessary and dry. The FMC is so whiny and constantly on the verge of crying. It's too much.
The author repeats the same information over and over and over again. Like, please stop beating me over the head with repetitive info dump. I'm not an idiot. I can remember something that was stated in chapter one without you constantly reminding me about it.
Something I look forward to the most when reading alien romance is the physical anatomy of said alien. I expected more honestly. He has fangs that he uses once in the story & his cum gets her high. But other than that, he's pretty similar to a normal human body just silver. Kinda boring.
July 29, 2026
Mesmerizing
4.5⭐️
3/5🌶️
Dual/third person POV
Book 1 in a series of interconnected standalones
Format: paperback
Check the triggers!!!
Spoiler free
I’m a sucker for an alien romance so I had to read this debut by an indie author & I am honestly shocked just how well this delivered. Now, I was iffy when I came across the slight spice in the prologue. The author doesn’t shy away from the fact that this is a spicy book BUT turns out, it’s so, so much more than aliens & smut.
Straight away, how is this a debut??! The writing is mature, immersive, real & raw. The imagination of this author fascinates me; she was able to create such a complex & intricate world that actually makes “make believe” sense in this blend of aliens/sci-fi/fantasy/dystopian/futuristic all revolving around a romance. This requires your full attention because the world building is elaborate with a vast scope that can at times feel messy but by the end, I got into the swing of the lore.
This recipe is scrumptious: a human lands on an empty planet housing a hot AF alien….Whatever will they do😏😏😏😏😏 But in all seriousness, considering this book is almost 600 pages, the spice ratio isn’t as high as I anticipated. Yes, this is what I consider a fast burn (the spice starts at 50%) but it makes sense within their circumstances. Which comes in the form of the best tension filled forced proximity.
When we meet the FMC, her mental health keeps her in a daze. & when we meet the MMC, he’s incredibly hardened almost jaded. I love how their meeting isn’t lusty or vulgar. Both of the MC’s are so painfully broken & getting to see how they help each other come out of the tragedy that is their lives is beautiful. You’d think an alien dude would be one dimensional; not the case. These individuals may be touched starved physically but they’re also starved for life & what it could actually offer them. The vulnerability they develop with each other made me emotional a few times. The spice is very closely linked to the plot. Which IMO the romance is the plot here even though there’s clearly an overarching plot that’ll carry over. I adore how their language barrier helped facilitate their entertaining dialogue.
The themes here are on the darker side but approached well. Considering how much needs to go into a standalone, the pacing & the plot progression was great. The ending was sad & viscous & cathartic but could have also ran a bit longer instead of making the rest of the book way too long in certain parts.
Listen, will you encounter some ridiculousness along the way? Oh yea😅it’s aliens so expect some farfetched nonsense 🤷♀️but none of the little imperfections take away from the overall delivery of this story. I’m looking forward to the next couple’s book!
4.5⭐️
3/5🌶️
Dual/third person POV
Book 1 in a series of interconnected standalones
Format: paperback
Check the triggers!!!
Spoiler free
I’m a sucker for an alien romance so I had to read this debut by an indie author & I am honestly shocked just how well this delivered. Now, I was iffy when I came across the slight spice in the prologue. The author doesn’t shy away from the fact that this is a spicy book BUT turns out, it’s so, so much more than aliens & smut.
Straight away, how is this a debut??! The writing is mature, immersive, real & raw. The imagination of this author fascinates me; she was able to create such a complex & intricate world that actually makes “make believe” sense in this blend of aliens/sci-fi/fantasy/dystopian/futuristic all revolving around a romance. This requires your full attention because the world building is elaborate with a vast scope that can at times feel messy but by the end, I got into the swing of the lore.
This recipe is scrumptious: a human lands on an empty planet housing a hot AF alien….Whatever will they do😏😏😏😏😏 But in all seriousness, considering this book is almost 600 pages, the spice ratio isn’t as high as I anticipated. Yes, this is what I consider a fast burn (the spice starts at 50%) but it makes sense within their circumstances. Which comes in the form of the best tension filled forced proximity.
When we meet the FMC, her mental health keeps her in a daze. & when we meet the MMC, he’s incredibly hardened almost jaded. I love how their meeting isn’t lusty or vulgar. Both of the MC’s are so painfully broken & getting to see how they help each other come out of the tragedy that is their lives is beautiful. You’d think an alien dude would be one dimensional; not the case. These individuals may be touched starved physically but they’re also starved for life & what it could actually offer them. The vulnerability they develop with each other made me emotional a few times. The spice is very closely linked to the plot. Which IMO the romance is the plot here even though there’s clearly an overarching plot that’ll carry over. I adore how their language barrier helped facilitate their entertaining dialogue.
The themes here are on the darker side but approached well. Considering how much needs to go into a standalone, the pacing & the plot progression was great. The ending was sad & viscous & cathartic but could have also ran a bit longer instead of making the rest of the book way too long in certain parts.
Listen, will you encounter some ridiculousness along the way? Oh yea😅it’s aliens so expect some farfetched nonsense 🤷♀️but none of the little imperfections take away from the overall delivery of this story. I’m looking forward to the next couple’s book!
August 20, 2026
4.5⭐️ I devoured this book!!! I came here because of the character art (which if you need convincing, check out the author’s instagram 🥵).
I stayed for the emotional depth between Nora and Airik.
This is a sci-fi romance between a human FMC and an alien MMC.
Their paths cross when both their space crafts crash on a deserted toxic planet. The chemistry between these two? Out of this world.
What is such a compelling part of the story for me is although the overall tone of this book is light, fun, and cute, these main characters both battle ptsd, grief, and loneliness.
They are both hardened by a difficult life but the way they treat each other is through such softness, trust, and reverence.
THE SPICE IS THE HOTTEST THING IVE READ IN A WHILE.
Airik, our MMC, remains untouched to serve as a warrior for his militant world that uses him as a weapon. Every moment between Airik and Nora is cherished. Every touch is forbidden. Every bit of hope is held on to fiercely.
Small critique: The pacing in the second half felt a little long and could have been cut down a bit and I still loved it. I would just encourage readers to expect it to feel a little long towards the second half, but you will love it regardless.
You will be kicking your feet over the romantic moments and cackling over the moments where they are trying to understand each other.
I stayed for the emotional depth between Nora and Airik.
This is a sci-fi romance between a human FMC and an alien MMC.
Their paths cross when both their space crafts crash on a deserted toxic planet. The chemistry between these two? Out of this world.
What is such a compelling part of the story for me is although the overall tone of this book is light, fun, and cute, these main characters both battle ptsd, grief, and loneliness.
They are both hardened by a difficult life but the way they treat each other is through such softness, trust, and reverence.
THE SPICE IS THE HOTTEST THING IVE READ IN A WHILE.
Airik, our MMC, remains untouched to serve as a warrior for his militant world that uses him as a weapon. Every moment between Airik and Nora is cherished. Every touch is forbidden. Every bit of hope is held on to fiercely.
Small critique: The pacing in the second half felt a little long and could have been cut down a bit and I still loved it. I would just encourage readers to expect it to feel a little long towards the second half, but you will love it regardless.
You will be kicking your feet over the romantic moments and cackling over the moments where they are trying to understand each other.
July 26, 2026
‘Arezai. Love. A forbidden word in the ancient Voraki language. Erased and never replaced in the common language.’
Wildborn is stunning poetic heart-aching sci fi romance perfection.
This really is a sad boi sad girl romance. They’re starved for love, touch, and reassurance. Airik is not only the yearner of the century, and Nora is so relatable in her desperate brokenness, but holy shit Perri Torani is a wizard with words. This book was about 600 pages long but I’d read 100,000 more. It was so overwhelming to the senses; I wasn’t just reading, I was feeling.
‘He wanted to climb into the chamber with Nora so that when he died, their limbs would be twisted together and decay with one another. When the suns would swallow this planet billions of years from now, all that would be left of their bodies would burn together, and finally there would be no him without her.’
‘Nora didn’t believe in anything. Not God or gods. Not a coherent force that bound all life on Earth—or in the universe, now that she knew better—together in some shared consciousness. But she knew, as well as she knew her own name, that he had been what pulled her through the stars. Their hearts might have even broken at the same time, before either had known the other existed. Airik had called her to him. An explosive love that had drawn her out of a sleep she had once wanted to die in.’
Wildborn is stunning poetic heart-aching sci fi romance perfection.
This really is a sad boi sad girl romance. They’re starved for love, touch, and reassurance. Airik is not only the yearner of the century, and Nora is so relatable in her desperate brokenness, but holy shit Perri Torani is a wizard with words. This book was about 600 pages long but I’d read 100,000 more. It was so overwhelming to the senses; I wasn’t just reading, I was feeling.
‘He wanted to climb into the chamber with Nora so that when he died, their limbs would be twisted together and decay with one another. When the suns would swallow this planet billions of years from now, all that would be left of their bodies would burn together, and finally there would be no him without her.’
‘Nora didn’t believe in anything. Not God or gods. Not a coherent force that bound all life on Earth—or in the universe, now that she knew better—together in some shared consciousness. But she knew, as well as she knew her own name, that he had been what pulled her through the stars. Their hearts might have even broken at the same time, before either had known the other existed. Airik had called her to him. An explosive love that had drawn her out of a sleep she had once wanted to die in.’
Read
July 23, 2026DNF @ 63%.
i absolutely snailed my way through this. it took me 6 days to get to 63%. that's... a lot of days for me.
i think this was a lot darker, more depressing, and more dystopian (in a hopeless kind of way) than i'd expected. so it was tough to get through and i found myself hesitant to pick the book back up again after putting it down.
the world the author has created is simply not an enjoyable one for me to dive into, because it's so hopeless, cold, and cruel. both the heroine's home planet (earth), and the hero's.
and this worldbuilding really didn't mesh with the fact that the story is ultimately about two people falling in love.
the H and h falling for each other was actually pretty lighthearted, except for aaaallll the times we were reminded that all odds are against them.
the hero thinks about how his government is going to want to forcibly breed the heroine over and over, and the heroine thinks about how she deserves death, etc.
it was... a lot.
and then they have sex a whole lot and the hero's seed makes the heroine high.
this book was just SUCH a wild mix of cute fantasy romcom + dark dystopic + OTT erotica. and unfortunately, it didn't work for me.
i absolutely snailed my way through this. it took me 6 days to get to 63%. that's... a lot of days for me.
i think this was a lot darker, more depressing, and more dystopian (in a hopeless kind of way) than i'd expected. so it was tough to get through and i found myself hesitant to pick the book back up again after putting it down.
the world the author has created is simply not an enjoyable one for me to dive into, because it's so hopeless, cold, and cruel. both the heroine's home planet (earth), and the hero's.
and this worldbuilding really didn't mesh with the fact that the story is ultimately about two people falling in love.
the H and h falling for each other was actually pretty lighthearted, except for aaaallll the times we were reminded that all odds are against them.
the hero thinks about how his government is going to want to forcibly breed the heroine over and over, and the heroine thinks about how she deserves death, etc.
it was... a lot.
and then they have sex a whole lot and the hero's seed makes the heroine high.
this book was just SUCH a wild mix of cute fantasy romcom + dark dystopic + OTT erotica. and unfortunately, it didn't work for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2026
This wasn't terrible, but I stopped liking it by the halfway point and just kept reading because I really wanted to see them get off the planet.
It's suuuuper repetitive. One of those books where you could easily cut out 200 pages and not change the story whatsoever. I skimmed through many pages where nothing happened, especially in the first 75% of the book.
Airik's insanely down bad for her for no discernible reason, and every single one of his chapters is: desperate yearning > "oh no can't have her" over and over and over again.
And Nora annoyed the shit out of me. She's one of those "too stupid to live" characters who continuously gets her dumb ass into trouble by ignoring the one person who actually knows how to stay alive on the planet. In addition to that, she's a really boring character. She has no skills, no backbone, no back story other than her brother dying, lies about her injuries, and apologizes CONSTANTLY, plus her only traits seem to be depression, stupidity, and hair.
It's suuuuper repetitive. One of those books where you could easily cut out 200 pages and not change the story whatsoever. I skimmed through many pages where nothing happened, especially in the first 75% of the book.
Airik's insanely down bad for her for no discernible reason, and every single one of his chapters is: desperate yearning > "oh no can't have her" over and over and over again.
And Nora annoyed the shit out of me. She's one of those "too stupid to live" characters who continuously gets her dumb ass into trouble by ignoring the one person who actually knows how to stay alive on the planet. In addition to that, she's a really boring character. She has no skills, no backbone, no back story other than her brother dying, lies about her injuries, and apologizes CONSTANTLY, plus her only traits seem to be depression, stupidity, and hair.
August 29, 2026
4.5 ⭐️ This book is way more than just a spicy book!!!!!👏👏 sometimes you just pick up a romance book because you want to have fun and dissociate from reality lol and this one has everything. The emotional roller-coaster we go through took me out of guard. Packed with incredible and interesting characters, intriguing world building and thoughtful writing, The Wildborn is one of my biggest surprises this year. I had no idea how attached I would get to this story and how much I want to read more about this world. The only problem I had was in the 50-60% mark in the book that lost me a little in the pacing and some elements of the smut I didn't personally like lol But is not too relevant. This book set amazing stakes for the next one, and I'm so excited for anything she writes next. Count me obsessed!!!🤭💕
August 14, 2026
“𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦. 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵. 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘪’𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦— 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.”
in a time where earth has become inhospitable the human race has begun an attempt to save mankind by populating mars. nora is a human who works on a space station as a middleman in the endeavor, just trying to make it through each day. when their station is invaded by hostile aliens, her uncle attempts to save her by putting her in a space craft and sending her to mars. the problem is that her pod goes off course during a solar storm, and her's is not the only one who does so. airik, an alien from a warrior race sent to destroy a planet sees nora's craft crashing and immediately begins chase, finding him in the same situation as her: crashed and stranded on an unfamiliar island. the more time they spend trying to survive has airik questioning the oaths he was raised to live by: untouched, untalented, unconqured.
listen, a little alien romance is good for the soul alright? who doesn't love a touchstarved alien who is insanely protective of his human and doesn't know what a kiss is? i'll eat it up every single time without any shame.
it's such a special feeling to be utterly and completely consumed by a book. i honestly do not think that i have highlighted a book as much as i have this one. i have zero shame in admitting i ordered a normal copy of this book and the owlcrate edition of this book within 24 hours... and i hadn't even finished the book yet.
i have really high hopes that this becomes an interconnected standalone series because i need more. 🤪
in a time where earth has become inhospitable the human race has begun an attempt to save mankind by populating mars. nora is a human who works on a space station as a middleman in the endeavor, just trying to make it through each day. when their station is invaded by hostile aliens, her uncle attempts to save her by putting her in a space craft and sending her to mars. the problem is that her pod goes off course during a solar storm, and her's is not the only one who does so. airik, an alien from a warrior race sent to destroy a planet sees nora's craft crashing and immediately begins chase, finding him in the same situation as her: crashed and stranded on an unfamiliar island. the more time they spend trying to survive has airik questioning the oaths he was raised to live by: untouched, untalented, unconqured.
listen, a little alien romance is good for the soul alright? who doesn't love a touchstarved alien who is insanely protective of his human and doesn't know what a kiss is? i'll eat it up every single time without any shame.
it's such a special feeling to be utterly and completely consumed by a book. i honestly do not think that i have highlighted a book as much as i have this one. i have zero shame in admitting i ordered a normal copy of this book and the owlcrate edition of this book within 24 hours... and i hadn't even finished the book yet.
i have really high hopes that this becomes an interconnected standalone series because i need more. 🤪
July 26, 2026
DNF 76%
September 2, 2026
Came for the sexy alien and emotional depth.. stayed for the sexy alien and emotional depth.
I don't actually read a lot of alien romances because I find a lot of them are a little too fluffy for my taste but I took the carefully placed bait the author placed before my wanting eyes, which was an excess of incredible art as well as the promise of a sad alien x sad girl dynamic, emotional depth and some kind of canine companion. Honestly it delivered exactly what I was hoping it would.
This was a seriously indulgent sci-fi romance with lots of delicious spice and a truly sexy alien man that puts human men to shame. The pace was a bit slow at times but I revelled in the beautiful storytelling and I was never bored. Both Airik and Nora are carefully crafted characters with detailed backstories, and broken edges that fit so perfectly together.
I also have to mention how well the language barrier was handled — so impressive for a debut. I love how it was woven into the plot and Airik's history.
While this can be read as standalone, the ending sets the stage for an interconnected story featuring another couple and I will definitely be reading that!
I would recommend this to any romance readers that enjoy alien characters and emotional depth, lush writing and longer reads with a romance that is touched by melancholy but also sweet and spicy.
I don't actually read a lot of alien romances because I find a lot of them are a little too fluffy for my taste but I took the carefully placed bait the author placed before my wanting eyes, which was an excess of incredible art as well as the promise of a sad alien x sad girl dynamic, emotional depth and some kind of canine companion. Honestly it delivered exactly what I was hoping it would.
This was a seriously indulgent sci-fi romance with lots of delicious spice and a truly sexy alien man that puts human men to shame. The pace was a bit slow at times but I revelled in the beautiful storytelling and I was never bored. Both Airik and Nora are carefully crafted characters with detailed backstories, and broken edges that fit so perfectly together.
I also have to mention how well the language barrier was handled — so impressive for a debut. I love how it was woven into the plot and Airik's history.
While this can be read as standalone, the ending sets the stage for an interconnected story featuring another couple and I will definitely be reading that!
I would recommend this to any romance readers that enjoy alien characters and emotional depth, lush writing and longer reads with a romance that is touched by melancholy but also sweet and spicy.
July 28, 2026
Hands down one of the best Alien Romance I’ve ever read!
One day I randomly saw a reel and decided to sign up for the ARC. Thank god, I did!
From the prologue itself I was completely hooked. I enjoyed everything about this book.
It’s medium paced, well written and steamy with the most amazing protagonists.
When Airik and Nora meet for the first time, they were two completely broken people who were just floating through life. I would say this is their story of healing, redemption and slowly letting past go and love each other.
Airik was one of the best hero and I’m not saying it only because he’s tortured, tall, gorgeous and blonde! He has the softest heart inside that hard exterior. I enjoyed how obsessed he was. That man lived and breathed for Nora.
Nora was such a sweetheart. My heart broke for her, every time Theo came up. So glad she met Airik and hot her HEA.
Lucky was amazing. I loved that beautiful pup.
This one is completely safe with a V hero. It also has HFN ending with more to come.
Can’t wait to read more.
-Sci-Fi romance.
-Stranded together.
-Forbidden romance.
-Human x Alien
-Touch starved, grumpy, yearner hero.
-Dual POV
-Safe, TW, recommended and KU.
I received an advance review copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
P.s check the author’s IG to see the stunning artworks.
One day I randomly saw a reel and decided to sign up for the ARC. Thank god, I did!
From the prologue itself I was completely hooked. I enjoyed everything about this book.
It’s medium paced, well written and steamy with the most amazing protagonists.
When Airik and Nora meet for the first time, they were two completely broken people who were just floating through life. I would say this is their story of healing, redemption and slowly letting past go and love each other.
Airik was one of the best hero and I’m not saying it only because he’s tortured, tall, gorgeous and blonde! He has the softest heart inside that hard exterior. I enjoyed how obsessed he was. That man lived and breathed for Nora.
Nora was such a sweetheart. My heart broke for her, every time Theo came up. So glad she met Airik and hot her HEA.
Lucky was amazing. I loved that beautiful pup.
This one is completely safe with a V hero. It also has HFN ending with more to come.
Can’t wait to read more.
-Sci-Fi romance.
-Stranded together.
-Forbidden romance.
-Human x Alien
-Touch starved, grumpy, yearner hero.
-Dual POV
-Safe, TW, recommended and KU.
I received an advance review copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
P.s check the author’s IG to see the stunning artworks.
September 1, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
“You do not have to be okay with me,” he whispered. “It is not what makes my heart full with you. If it happens again—if your sadness comes—I will remind you of all the parts of you that deserve to be alive and loved.” He lowered his lips to her ear. “Which is all of you, cheranna. No part of you deserves less.”
When Nora's trying to reach Mars for refuge, her journey doesn't go as planned. Her spaceship crash and she finds herself in a unknown planet. There, she meets Airik, an alien.
𐙚 Alien x Human
𐙚 forbidden relationship
Airik and Nora were so cute together and I loved their relationship.
The world, and its characters is pretty great to discover. I feel like we has too much and not enough of it.
But I'm so glad I've finished this book.
It was sooooo long. Too much for me.
I feared that it would put me in a reading slump...
Honestly, the book isn't bad. Far from it. I really enjoyed the story in itself. But yeah, it's just that it was way too long for my liking. I even skipped some parts towards the end.
So don't think that this book isn't worth it. It's just not 100% for me and I rate my books depending on how I felt.
July 11, 2026
Thank you to Perri for this advanced copy! This was my first sci-fi romance and I’m now a convert, a believer, OBSESSED!
I feel a void in my soul now that I’m done with Airik and Nora’s story. This book had everything I wanted and it completely consumed me for 48 hours. I just finished and I feel every single emotion.
Nora and Airik’s meet-cute was so fun and entertaining. They were both cautious but curious about each other. Airik was very grumpy and was annoyed by everything Nora did. They both had a lot of trauma that influenced the way they acted toward each other and they bonded and connected on such a deep level. Airik’s language skills and phrasing was my favorite part. He was so endearing and I feel like I highlighted so many of his lines in this book. The yearning was on another level and Airik and Nora together was the sweetest most wholesome thing. The spice was amazing as well (Airik loves to eat and is a fast learner 🥵).
The last 20ish % was super stressful and I started to doubt that there would be a happy ending. The last few chapters healed me. Airik is so sweet and his love for Nora is so pure.
I just finished and my brain is mush and I’m trying not to cry so this review probably sounds very chaotic. Maybe I’ll come back later and edit it, maybe I won’t. Either way, please go read this. It’s amazing, sweet, perfect, and addicting. Airik and Nora have now claimed a spot as one of my favorite book couples and Airik is a top tier MMC.
I feel a void in my soul now that I’m done with Airik and Nora’s story. This book had everything I wanted and it completely consumed me for 48 hours. I just finished and I feel every single emotion.
Nora and Airik’s meet-cute was so fun and entertaining. They were both cautious but curious about each other. Airik was very grumpy and was annoyed by everything Nora did. They both had a lot of trauma that influenced the way they acted toward each other and they bonded and connected on such a deep level. Airik’s language skills and phrasing was my favorite part. He was so endearing and I feel like I highlighted so many of his lines in this book. The yearning was on another level and Airik and Nora together was the sweetest most wholesome thing. The spice was amazing as well (Airik loves to eat and is a fast learner 🥵).
The last 20ish % was super stressful and I started to doubt that there would be a happy ending. The last few chapters healed me. Airik is so sweet and his love for Nora is so pure.
I just finished and my brain is mush and I’m trying not to cry so this review probably sounds very chaotic. Maybe I’ll come back later and edit it, maybe I won’t. Either way, please go read this. It’s amazing, sweet, perfect, and addicting. Airik and Nora have now claimed a spot as one of my favorite book couples and Airik is a top tier MMC.
August 4, 2026
I thought I was getting a spicy alien romance. Yup I got that - I was ready for that 🔥 What I was not expecting was on top of super hot spice was to meet a king of yearning and a story that was so romantic and heart wrenching and filled with surprise emotional damage. This book is soooo good and was able to accomplish so much. The found family was also incredible and I am so invested in more interconnected future books. I loved this 💕
July 25, 2026
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
This was my first sci-fi alien romance, and oh boy did it not disappoint! I’m actually impressed that this was the first book published by this author. It was really well done.
Our FMC Nora is human who has a traumatic past. The MMC Airik is an Alien warrior who is called Wildborn because he is a little different from the other alien warriors. His backstory is also sad 😭. The FMC and MMC both end up stranded on a desolated planet (that the MMC is supposed to destroy), and they work together to find a way out.
A trope I LOVED was learning their language. The MMC only knew a little bit of English, so he had to learn quickly in order to understand Nora. Guys the MMC is perfection. He’s actually a cinnamon roll (even though he is a 7 foot tall alien warrior). He is OBSESSED with her braid and AND he made her shoes ❤️❤️
Oh and he asks her what a kiss is 👀❤️. I liked that our FMC is 30 years old. The first half is basically them wandering the planet together trying to find a way out. Some may think this will be slow and boring, but to me I loved it (hello forced proximity)
Anyways please go read this and you might shed some tears 😭
What to expect:
✨Sci-fi alien romance
✨7 foot tall alien warrior
✨30 year old FMC
✨MMC hasn’t been touched before 😏
✨Cute sidekick animal
✨Magical c*m that kind of acts as an aphrodisiac 🤣
✨Emotional
✨Interconnected standalone
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
This was my first sci-fi alien romance, and oh boy did it not disappoint! I’m actually impressed that this was the first book published by this author. It was really well done.
Our FMC Nora is human who has a traumatic past. The MMC Airik is an Alien warrior who is called Wildborn because he is a little different from the other alien warriors. His backstory is also sad 😭. The FMC and MMC both end up stranded on a desolated planet (that the MMC is supposed to destroy), and they work together to find a way out.
A trope I LOVED was learning their language. The MMC only knew a little bit of English, so he had to learn quickly in order to understand Nora. Guys the MMC is perfection. He’s actually a cinnamon roll (even though he is a 7 foot tall alien warrior). He is OBSESSED with her braid and AND he made her shoes ❤️❤️
Oh and he asks her what a kiss is 👀❤️. I liked that our FMC is 30 years old. The first half is basically them wandering the planet together trying to find a way out. Some may think this will be slow and boring, but to me I loved it (hello forced proximity)
Anyways please go read this and you might shed some tears 😭
What to expect:
✨Sci-fi alien romance
✨7 foot tall alien warrior
✨30 year old FMC
✨MMC hasn’t been touched before 😏
✨Cute sidekick animal
✨Magical c*m that kind of acts as an aphrodisiac 🤣
✨Emotional
✨Interconnected standalone
July 27, 2026
Felt very lost in the beginning. But I powered on because I heard so many people say it was a great book. Once the MCs found each other it got a lot better for me. I still don't know what happened in the world building but the romance was good.
July 30, 2026
i would tear my chest open with my bare hands for airik.
August 28, 2026
4.75⭐ 3🌶️
my thought process while reading:
the first 15% - "okay there's lots of new words to learn but I feel like this will be good, I'm intrigued!"
the next 350ish pages - "wow, I love this writing style and this world and these characters... but now I'm super scared that something terrible is going to happen so I better grab some tissues just in case lol"
the last 15% - "OHMYGOD" ... "AHHHHH" ... "holy. shit." ... "I love them so much I'm gonna throw up" ... "dammit, i need the next book NOW!" *runs to buy a special edition copy of The Wildborn*
there's just something so beautiful about the way Perri's writing helped create such a beautiful and fleshed out world full of people, plants, animals, and technology that i could never dream up. both Airick and Nora had so much depth- i was very satisfied by their character arcs when compared to how closed off they both were at the start of this book. i'm so excited to get more stories in this universe, but i'm also scared because Perri proved very quickly that she's not afraid to let her characters go through some heavy shit💀 if you're a fan of alien romance, this is an absolute must read. and if you've never tried the genre before, this honestly might not be the best to start out with simply because it is some of the best i've ever read and i fear not a lot else will compare🤭 so read at your own risk ;)
~~~~~~~~~~some fav quotes below~~~~~~~~~~
"He tilted his head, taking her in. As if that would ease the crushing tension in his chest as he looked upon her face. It didn’t. But he found himself leaning closer, wanting the hurt to ravage him more."
"To Airik’s great and utter distress, he found her beautiful. Every thought after that realization was born in an irrational part of his mind, where curiosity and wonder reigned."
"If he were branded, it would be in the shape of her handprint over his heart."
“I wish,” he said, taking her hands and kissing his tears on her fingers, “that you would be as careful with your heart as you are with mine. So kind you are with me. Why not with yourself?”
"Air did not reach his lungs unless it carried her scent. Light had nothing to illuminate if she weren’t where his eyes could find her."
"Just a man and a woman so enraptured with each other that the stars, moons, and all matter could collapse into nothingness and still the two of them would endure."
my thought process while reading:
the first 15% - "okay there's lots of new words to learn but I feel like this will be good, I'm intrigued!"
the next 350ish pages - "wow, I love this writing style and this world and these characters... but now I'm super scared that something terrible is going to happen so I better grab some tissues just in case lol"
the last 15% - "OHMYGOD" ... "AHHHHH" ... "holy. shit." ... "I love them so much I'm gonna throw up" ... "dammit, i need the next book NOW!" *runs to buy a special edition copy of The Wildborn*
there's just something so beautiful about the way Perri's writing helped create such a beautiful and fleshed out world full of people, plants, animals, and technology that i could never dream up. both Airick and Nora had so much depth- i was very satisfied by their character arcs when compared to how closed off they both were at the start of this book. i'm so excited to get more stories in this universe, but i'm also scared because Perri proved very quickly that she's not afraid to let her characters go through some heavy shit💀 if you're a fan of alien romance, this is an absolute must read. and if you've never tried the genre before, this honestly might not be the best to start out with simply because it is some of the best i've ever read and i fear not a lot else will compare🤭 so read at your own risk ;)
~~~~~~~~~~some fav quotes below~~~~~~~~~~
"He tilted his head, taking her in. As if that would ease the crushing tension in his chest as he looked upon her face. It didn’t. But he found himself leaning closer, wanting the hurt to ravage him more."
"To Airik’s great and utter distress, he found her beautiful. Every thought after that realization was born in an irrational part of his mind, where curiosity and wonder reigned."
"If he were branded, it would be in the shape of her handprint over his heart."
“I wish,” he said, taking her hands and kissing his tears on her fingers, “that you would be as careful with your heart as you are with mine. So kind you are with me. Why not with yourself?”
"Air did not reach his lungs unless it carried her scent. Light had nothing to illuminate if she weren’t where his eyes could find her."
"Just a man and a woman so enraptured with each other that the stars, moons, and all matter could collapse into nothingness and still the two of them would endure."
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