Loving the Alien Spy

Brides of the Bohnari #3

by Erin Hale

Carrik

For generations, the eldest son of our family line has served a single purpose—royal spy to the King of Bohna. My entire life has been about keeping secrets from and lying to those I love. Even the twin brother who hates me.

When I’m forced to imprison Bannik and take his place, I never imagined I’d find my heart’s fire—the single female who soothes the beast that resides in all Bohnari males. Only she believes me to be my brother. Now, I must choose between the role I was born into or my mate.


Lindsey

I entered the bridal lottery as a joke, never imagining I’d actually be chosen. Living in the bottom tier of Earth has prepared me for nothing but being disappointed. Now, my life on my new planet is far greater than I expected. Especially when I discover I’m the mate of a Bohnari male.

Except the Bannik I’ve met before is not the same Bannik whose kisses and touches set my body aflame. He asks me to trust him even though he has secrets he can’t share with me yet. When I finally give him my heart, danger threatens to take him from me. I only hope I’m not too late to save him.

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 8, 2026

About the author

Erin Hale resides in the South where the summer humidity sucks the breath right out of you. She’s mom to the best dog on the planet. In her free time, she enjoys reading about swoon-worthy aliens (and secretly wishes one would land on Earth) and monsters alike. She also loves traveling the globe and can be seen most often in any of the pubs in the UK—where the weather is much more acceptable—with a raspberry gin and lemonade in hand.

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Reviews

[Tammy Moldovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, trust and secrets

Lindsey and Carrick’s alien-human, fated mates romance with a side of intrigue and suspense was so good. With a great balance of humor, love, real life issues, painful pasts, light suspense, danger and spice, the story was easy to get lost in and hard to put down. Carrik of House Deqanis is the royal spy for the prince of Bohna as was his father before him. For reasons, he is currently masquerading as his estranged twin brother Bannick who is a palace guard. Lindsey is a human who traveled to the planet of Bohna to marry an alien because the Bohnari race has a lack of female births and a treaty was formed with Earth for willing brides from the bottom tier. The moment Carrick first sees Lindsey, he begins to show signs of the mating fever because she is his Heart’s Fire. But his life is not his own since he is undercover and in danger which makes a hard choice - duty or love. To get to their HEA there will need to be a bit of baggage unpacking, truth telling and leaps of faith all while battling mating fever and trying to find the bad guys. This well written story included three dimensional characters who grow, good world building, and an engaging storyline. And with the big hint about the next couple’s story in the epilogue, I cannot wait to read more. 4.25 stars.

PS - This is book three in the series and could be read as a standalone. But while Lindsey and Carrick’s love story is resolved, there are unanswered questions that are spoilery and relate to an overarching series story arc so to get the most out of the book and the series, do yourself a favor and read the books in order.

[Jen Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great story! You can really feel Carrik buckling under the weight of a role he never chose: royal spy, dutiful son, keeper of secrets. Every lie he tells and is forced to live is clearly in service of his family's legacy and his oath to the crown, not because he wants to deceive the people he loves. It made me sympathize with him more than I expected to.

Lindsey is the perfect balance. Coming from the lower tier, she's used to the people who are supposed to love her never putting her first, so her hurt feels earned and real—first at his distance when it's obvious she's his heart's fire, and then at the gut-punch of learning the truth behind the deception.

I enjoyed the push-pull between duty and desire, and the way the mate bond forces both characters to confront what they actually want versus what they were raised to accept. Their story is emotional and steamy. Carrik's devotion and care for Lindsey is both sweet and swoonworthy. Loving the Alien Spy is a fantastic addition to the series with a great plot and MCs you can't help but root for.

I read an advanced copy and I am leaving an honest review.

[Lyndsay L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carrik has the hard job of being a spy and pretending that he is someone else. He has a hard enough time as he feels like an outsider and he no longer gets along with his twin and makes him feel like a part of himself is missing. This is such a well-written story. The action of being undercover and trying to save your people by being friends with the enemy to find out where all the attacks are coming from. The chemistry between Lindsey and Carrik makes for a really good read. You can't help but love this couple and how they come together. This series keeps getting better and better! Each and every book keeps getting better and the story that keeps us coming back keeps revealing new revelations that makes you jaw drop. You can't ask more from a story. It will keep you coming back for more!! Ladies be prepared to not want to put this book down until it is finished all the way through!!

[Sandra Sanches · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carrik of House Deqanis is the royal spy for the prince of Bohna as was his father before him.
He lives a lonely dual live,tied to the duty to the crown and never able to just be himself.
To fullfil his duty he's forced to take the place lof his estranged brother, a palace guard until the day he sees Lindsey and everything changes

This is perhaps my favorite of this series, loved how the author added intrigue and suspense to the romance.
Also,one of my favorite things is the strong friendship between Lindsay and the other girls,how supportive they are.
The chemistry and emotion between Lindsay and Carrik is so high that kept me engrossed from page one to their perfect ending.
Erin Hale left hints in the epilogue about who are the next couple,not going to spill the beans but I'm so hypped for this one!

[Kate Brasington · Rating 5 out of 5]

🛸🛸BOOK REVIEW🛸🛸

Another BANGER from Erin Hale! I really love this series and the epilogue has me so excited for the next book!
In loving the Alien Spy we have Carrie who is undercover using his brother’s name and Lindsey who entered the bridal lottery thinking she would just be sent back to earth.
I love how patient with Lindsey, Carrik is! I also love the things that comes out of this man’s mouth 😩🤌
If you are looking for a sci-fi romance series that will have you kicking your feet and screaming and sometimes crying a little, the Brides of Bohnari will be perfect for you! All three books are available to read now on KU!

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was like reading an alien soap opera from the specific vantage point of this season's primary romance. Spys, secrets, betrayal, estranged siblings, secret identities, twisty nefarious plots, and so much more! Honestly, at this point our villainous female character's plots (and her consort's by extension) are giving me so real Stefano DiMera vibes (days of our lives). Its actually kind of awesome and I really enjoyed this look into that aspect of Bohna. Lindsay was such a great FMC too. Finding her footing and learning to trust her gut. And Carrik was a great MMC who figured out that there was more to life than duty.

[Jordan Fiest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving The Alien Spy is book three of the Brides of the Bohnari Series.

Carrik has a job to do and doesn't expect to find his fated mate with Lindsey. Their love story was filled with a lot of secrets and deception. Lindsey doesn't really know who Carrik is and he needs to maneuver in such a way to accomplish his task but also keep his love with him. I enjoyed seeing these two navigate the world they were both brought into. Neither expected to find love and a soul mate, but they embraced it with all they had.

[Lisa Bing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a gripping and engaging addition to the series. Carrik has taken his role as royal spy, as his family line dictates, and finds himself in a difficult spot - he meets his Heart's Fire during a mission. Yeah, secrecy and deception are everything but how do you woo your mate whilst lying to her?? Expect to get caught up in the intrigue, angst, drama, danger, emotions and hot romance when you dive into this page turner. So good and I can't wait for the next book :D

[Holly Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erin Hale's Loving the Alien Spy is part of the Brides of the Bohnari. Carrick, like all first born in his family, serves the crown as a spy while his twin Barrick is a guard. For two years, Carrick has kept his brother prisoner while Carrick pretended to be Barrick to discover what the rebels are doing. As Barrick, he has met his heart's fire LIndsey. The real Barrick escapes, though, further complicating both his romance and his spying. Great characters, action, and romance with spice!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving the Alien Spy by Erin Hale is the third book in the Brides of Bohnari series, and it might just be my favorite so far. This sci-fi romance brings suspense, intrigue, and so much emotion. Lindsey is a great character written with depth and Carrick carries so many secrets…and pain. They have an intense, almost magnetic chemistry that makes them a wonderful pair. Definitely a must read!

[Rebekah D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secret Spies and Steamy Guys!!!

I love when you can just get lost in the intrigue, world building, and the swept-off-your-feet romance of a really great book like this. Can’t wait for the next one!