Aliens, Archaeology, and the Advantages of Falling in Love

Otherworldly Findings #1

by Rae Douglas, Rose Santoriello

Ellie Benshoof loves human history.

Certainly more than she loves the humans around her. To be fair, she might be the problem, with her brusque personality and general lack of patience. But when something totally out of this world crash lands in the middle of her research site, Ellie has all the secrets of humanity she’s ever wanted, right at her fingertips. The only thing in her way? Zarek.

Zarek might study humans too, but he is most definitely not one.

Hailing from the planet Terilla, Zarek was sent to Earth to observe humanity from afar, but his passion project impairs his objectivity. Seeking to change the course of his own species’ future, Zarek switches his coordinates to France, where he intends to capture a live sample of an edelweiss bloom.

But the French Alps are a long way from Paris, and he'll need Ellie's assistance if he’s actually going to reach them. Making a deal, they agree to tolerate each other just long enough to get what they both need.

While on the train ride of a lifetime, Ellie and Zarek must decide what they'll let this connection become—a neatly labeled set of samples, or a once-in-a-lifetime field study that proves some discoveries are better experienced than explained.

Love just might be the greatest advantage of them all.

Genres: Romance, Paranormal Romance

294 pages, Paperback

Published August 10, 2026

Reviews

[Liv - Livslibrarylabyrinth]

This was just the sweetest 🥰

[Poppy || Monster Lover]

Ellie was such the grumpy girl and I was here for it. She was very by the book, to the point of alienating and not getting along with coworkers. That said, she quickly had a soft spot for Zarek and his very chaotic distractible personality. He was sunshiny and sweet; chafing at the societal and governmental pressures the had determined the course of his career. I loved seeing them connect and understand each other, even if the flavors of their neurodiversity were very different. It was a tender love story.

Spice: 3/5

Triggers: skeletons, arrest and threat of death penalty, mentions of past mass death

[Cee]

DNF @ 22% / 6 chapters read

Honestly, this isn't horrible. I'm bored and I'm overthinking everything which makes a few things just not work.

[Silver.⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆.]

"Until the last star dies."


Thank you to the amazing authors for providing an ARC!

4.75 ⭐️

This book had me smiling, giggling, and kicking me feet. Zarek fell so hard for Ellie, and I loved every second of it. A man who yerns, earns, and, boy, did he yern. She might have taken a little longer to get there, but she definitely fell just as hard for him.

They're one of the cutest grumpy x sunshine duos I've read. Their banter was top-notch. Zarek not having a filter made it even better.

I loved Zarek's endless curiosity, not only for Earth, but about Ellie. He wanted to learn everything he could about her. He even made his own secret list of things she liked so he wouldn't forget. And she fell in love with the real him. Not the disguised version the rest of the world saw, but the blue skinned ray of sunshine he truly was.

She grounds him, and he teaches her to live in the moment. But he also teaches her that she is worthy of being loved for exactly who she is. What she sees as 'flaws' are all parts of her that Zarek loves.

The fated mates trope here was so cute as well. Heart sync? I love it!

[Caitlin]

I’m such a sucker for alien romance, and this one had me sucked in from the very beginning. I love the twist of traditional alien romance - where an alien ends up on Earth instead of a human in space - and the fact that the fmc is the one who is a bit of a grump!

Ellie is an archeologist studying the catacombs in Paris when Zarek literally crash lands on her site. He’s *supposed* to be in Utah but only wants to find the edelweiss flower in the French Alps. As they travel (by fancy train, I’m so jealous), Ellie and Zarek realize they aren’t just interested in each other because they’re both academics. But like the entire galaxy isn’t necessarily down with humans knowing aliens exist.

I loved how much Zarek is obsessed with all the things Ellie sees as unlikeable and vice versa. It’s so clear these two LOVE each other even before they’ve admitted it. I also think this book does a better job than many alien romances with the possible struggles of an inter-planet romance.

This book is for you if you love:
🛸alien romance
🛸he falls first
🛸academic romance
🛸forced proximity
🛸only one bed
🛸opposites attract
🛸demi & pan rep

Anyway I loved this, GO READ IT!!

[Brittany Steminist Booknerd]

STEM FMC: archaeology grad student; STEM MMC: phytologist/botanist
This was so cute! This is my first alien romance where they are on earth and he looks mostly like a human but with blue skin and black eyes, so there's no world building that needs to happen, and there's very little weird anatomy and no language barrier. To be honest, that part was a bit odd... I wanted a little bit more alien in my alien romance or at least to discuss the biological differences in the species. It was helpful that I didn't really have to focus on that though.
Both MCs are neurodivergent (autistic x ADHD), and both are queer (demi x pan), so there's a bit of opposites attract, but in a way that they both complement each other very well without having glaring fundamental differences. They are both so nerdy, it's sweet. And extra bonus for me: they are both childfree! There was no third act breakup, but the third act still made me cry a lot. I'm hoping that we get another book from these authors for the BFFs if for no other reason than I wanted to see more of how they settled into their situation in the future. But I have a feeling the BFFs are also meant for each other.
As with all alien romances, there is an interesting alien peen, but aside from that one appendage, there's really no difference that was discussed between us and them. Expect some spice!
4.5 stars!

[Megan]

This was such a cute funny read. I read this book in one day. I was giggling at the dynamic between our two MCs.


They also travel! I love an adventure in my sweet monster romance.

Zarek is a sweet angel (alien) baby! I adored him.

Ellie was great. She’s kind of has a shell around her but she also begrudgingly helps out our Zarek alien and I mean she cares, a lot, but struggles to connect and she wants to find something that will make her feel tethered to the human race. I honestly found myself relating a lot to her.

I will absolutely be buying more books by these authors in the future I can’t wait to see what they write next!

[Ahren McNamara]

This book was amazing. It was unique, funny, sweet and spicy. I can’t wait for more people to read it!

[Finding Sky Reads]

Things I loved:
♡ sunshine alien and grumpy human
♡ the wholesome energy throughout, this book feels like a hug and makes you want to appreciate the smaller details in life
♡ pansexual and demisexual rep!! Our lovely human is demisexual and our alien is pansexual, it's so refreshing to see pansexual rep.
♡ Travelling through France, this was an adorable aspect and I loved all of their dates exploring parts of France.
♡ neurodivergent rep, bless Ellie's heart, she's so neurodivergent coded and I related to her so much.

Thoughts:
If you like wholesome books that have relatable characters who make you smile endlessly and allow you to fall in love with them as they fall in love with eachother, then this is for you. I had such an amazing time reading this!!

Ellie was such a fun female main character, she's the archeologist who stumbles upon an alien  wreckage deep in the catacombs that she's working in. She's normally a stickler for the rules, prefers to work on her own and often wonders why she doesn't always fit in. She's extremely passionate for her work and her quest for knowledge and so when she stumbles upon the wreckage and out appears a blue completely oblivious alien named Zerek, we watch her battle with her own standards and throw caution to the wind to live a little and go on an adventure.

Zerek brings the adorable whimsy, from his excitement, to his adorable lack of knowledge when it comes to human related things. I loved his passion for botany and for sharing knowledge with Ellie. He was so patient and showed so much willingness to learn. I loved that he appreciated the little details in life, and how he opened up Ellie's world and allowed her space to live a little in the moment and enjoy/experience the world around her with him. 

Eeee, they just made me smile so much. I loved the patience they have for each other, the understanding and the slow build up of care that they showed through actions. There was very clearly attraction there and my god these two were just adorable. The spice was just right, not too much or too little, felt adequate for the time frame. I loved the humour between them both, they had so much chemistry and it flowed so well. I also loved their best friends and how they added to the story/dynamic.

I enjoyed the scenic journey through France and all of the dates and adventures these two went on, I think it added to the story so much and just the overall wholesome feel.

I was genuinely invested in their story and literally my heart was in my throat waiting to see how their story would pan out. My heart feels full and revived. This book was like a hug and I definately recommend.



Memorable quote:
But for one night, I decide I’m going to ignore reality, and sink into the warm embrace of the first being who has made me feel human in a very long time.

[Eternity's Raven]

Thank you again to both Rae and Rose for having me on their ARC team for this book. I am leaving my review for free and completely of my own thoughts and opinions.

I went back and forth a lot on my rating for this one but I ended up settling on three stars with the caveat it's on the lower end of the scale than the higher. Mostly because while I really liked the MC's in this, I struggled a little with the actual over all story, finding it just a bit repetitive.

I really liked Ellie as a FMC, finding her to exhibit some neuro diverse signs that many readers will find very relatable. She also offers great demi representation. Beyond that I just really liked her thirst for knowledge and willingness to explain things to Zarek, our MMC.

I liked how bubbly Zarek seemed. He has quite a sunshine personality and was a nice off set to Ellies more anxious and sensible attitude. His desire to learn about humanity beyond the more historic aspects was nice to see.

I also loved that this was an alien on earth story rather than the human going to the alien planet. I thought that added a fun element to the book.

Beyond that however I just kind of struggled with the actual story, finding it a little repetitive in terms of its formula. It was very day trip, travel, day trip, travel. On repeat. It would be been nice to have something to break that up.

I also just didn't fully vibe with the romance as it was very insta love connection and as you all know, I dont love that trope.

Over all it was a cozy story and a quick read, that gave me nice vibes but had some elements I just couldn't get behind.

[La La]

This was truly the sweetest, nerdiest and warmest read I have read in a while.
It just hit all the top notes for me!
The dialogue was so great, so many miscommunications but actually in a way that makes sense due to the language barrier between an alien and a human. I normally hat a miscommunication troupe. But this was done so well.
I adore a grumpy sunshine dynamic it’s probably my favourite troupe of all time and it was done so well in reverse.
I thought Ellie would frustrate me because she was grumpy but actually I totally related to her and her hyperfocus felt like great neurodivergent rep!
Zarek was just a a legit dream boat! And maybe a new favourite book boyfriend!
He was a golden retriever to new heights with his excitement and his open temperament and his honesty. He fell for her so hard and fast and there were no complaints on my end.
He was so passionate and caring and determined to look out for her in a way I feel she had never had before.
The world building felt fun and unique going on a road trip (rail trip) around France to find a rare flower, it had me hooked.
It didn’t take itself too seriously, unless they were in bed together and those scene were so beautifully written especially the last two, had me going back re reading and swooning. They were so beautifully intimate and close and full of love I thought my heart would burst.
If you love sci fi romance this is one to sit up with the queen Ruby Dixon herself. She even gets a mention hahaha well kind of her books do.
They may be my new favourite inter species couple!!
Wish we had more adventures from them!

[Flavia Machado]

Thank you to the authors for providing an ARC. This is my honest review.
Sometimes a feel-good love story is all we need. And Aliens, Archaeology, and the Advantages of Falling In Love is the perfect choice, especially if you are an alien romance kind of person, lol.

Aliens, Archaeology, and the Advantages of Falling In Love is the kind of book that doesn’t involve a massive adventure with battles, government chases, villains, or anything like that. Instead, it’s a cozy travel romance that happens to features an alien MMC… and that, combined with the train trip through France, just added a special touch to the reading experience.

Ellie and Zarek were easily the best thing about this book. As a neurodivergent and demisexual person, I saw myself reflected in Ellie iin so many ways. It made me connect with the story on a much deeper level, which always makes a book feel more special.

And Zarek… how could anyone not fall in love with him? His sunshine personality and the way he helps Ellie step out of her shell were definitely the biggest highlights of the book. Plus, his passion for botany and the way he discovers about humans were so fun to follow. By the way, having an alien learn about Earth instead of the human character traveling to another planet was such a refreshing twist.

Plus, their development as a couple was such a joy to read. A little bit of insta-love? Maybe, but everything happens in such a light and natural way that I just wanted more, haha.
Aliens, Archaeology, and the Advantages of Falling In Love is a light, cozy read, perfect for anyone who needs an escape from reality and a wholesome dose of positivity.

[Devon Rose]

I made it halfway before I was just too bored to go on.

I love a grumpy female character, and I love a golden retriever male character, and I like traveling and forced proximity and all that stuff…and this book had all of that but it was just so DRYYYY. Like, Sahara desert dry. No amount of cute fish out of water alien misunderstandings could moisten up this crusty dusty book.

And I’m confused about why he doesn’t know anything? Is this his first trip to Earth? Did he do no research on anything before he took his solo mission to our planet?

And he went from 0-60 in 2.8 seconds when it comes to lust/love. And for the life of me I can’t figure out what he likes about her so much. They don’t share any real moments of connection. It almost gives mother/son vibes at some parts or at least brother/sister the way she handles him. But suddenly every one of his POVs is him thinking about his growing lust for her? It’s weird and forced.

Oh well, I haven’t read a really good alien romance in a long time and it looks like this came close but just fell short 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Courtney Gittins]

This was a fun, sweet story of Ellie and Zarek. Ellie is on a research site in France, when she comes across Zarek, an alien from Terilla. Humans are not supposed to know that aliens exist, that’s basically the number one rule to observing humanity…oops. After the initial shock wears off, they set off on a journey together to find a rare plant called and Eedelweiss Bloom that could be very helpful to the people of Terilla. This was well written and super cute. I loved Ellie’s character, she gives off neurodivergent vibes with her rigidity, rule following and brusque nature. Meanwhile, Zarek is a green flag MMC who is fun and spontaneous and brings a lightness to Ellie’s structure and planning. I think they worked really well together and their banter and chemistry was so lovely to read, it had me kicking my feet throughout. Also, this cover is gorgeous, I was drawn to this book from the cover art and vibes and I cannot wait to add it to my bookshelf.

Thank you to the authors for the advanced copy of this book, I am leaving a review voluntarily.

[Tabi Leass]

“The way he expanded my universe, while making me feel like I was the center of his.” 💖
Honestly, this might be the best book under 300 pages I've read, like ever. The pacing was perfect. It had that fast-paced time crunch that keeps you turning pages, but it never felt rushed.
As a seasoned monster/alien romance reader, this was so cozy! I adored Ellie and her realistic mindset when she stumbled upon Zarek, a gigantic bright blue alien 👽. Their chemistry was instant, and even though their journey was bittersweet at times, that HEA was so worth it!
Of course I would’ve loved 500 more pages of Ellie & Zarek’s adventures, but the conclusion left nothing to be desired, (especially that naked epilogue 😆). I will definitely be on the lookout for more books in this universe, (maybe Jo & Zul? 🤞🏻)! 🌌✨

[Sam Vicchrilli]

A lighthearted romp through France with a lovable if occasionally prickly femme and her out of this world (literally) beau. Low stakes, funny, and you can’t help but root for these two as they wend their way by train in search of an ugly flower with a pretty name, edelweiss.

I laughed out loud several times throughout and really came to care for these characters. I’d look forward to their different perspectives (told through alternating chapters) as they learn more about each other and what their bodies are for.

Among the sweetness, laughs, and corporeal exploration, there’s also a moving message about evolution, humanity, and the various threads that bind us.

Recommended when you’re in the mood for something light and fun.

[Sarah]

ARC Reader**
This was a very cute mild stakes finding out aliens are real book. Ellie is a overstimulated rule stickler of a black cat and Zarek is a golden retriever alien.

Him crash landing in her catacomb dig sight was cute as much as it was ridiculous. The two of them traveling around France on a scenic train ride was not how I thought things would go despite the cover of the book 😋 this is a funny and slightly emotional book that toes the line of soulmate stuff.

I think this is a really fun read and I really hope we get to see their friends get a book or books of their own!

[Meg Rose]

oh this book made me sob. I did not expect it to make me sob but here I am. Still sniffling

the feels in this book are incredible
Ellie was so relatable at times and her inner monologue made me cry. I just wanna give her a hug. I adore her okay and her love for the human language was fascinating to read about !! Zarek. His love for botany and HIS feelings were written so beautifully I put this book down to just stare at the wall.
the way emotional pain and complexity was explored in this book wss incredible because it’s not easy to put into words. i am obsessed. The journey Ellie and Zarek take was so so beautiful and their little side quests made me YEARN. I adored every moment of this book.

‘until the last star dies’
this book made me ugly cry.
infinity stars.

Tysm to the authors for the arc 🫶 I am leaving this review voluntarily and all thoughts and words are my own.

[ThatsSomeGoodSmut]

Thank you to the authors for a copy of this book.

This was such a cute, cozy read with a Human Archaeologist x Alien Researcher! Ellie and Zarek were adorable, and I really enjoyed watching their relationship blossom throughout their train ride across France. It was refreshing to have an alien studying Earth instead of the human being shipped off and I loved the adventure they had together on the train, learning more about each other and their cultures.

[Aggis]

A positive for this novel is that the authors clearly love and studied the field of archaeology in some form & it helped ground our heroine a bit.

Unfortunately outside of this piece I felt the rest was very lacking.

Our meet cute, adventure and romance really needed some stakes to help get me invested. What was marketed as light and fluffy felt trite and boring.

1/2 of the author pair is a local Florida author which was fun.

[Rhiannon Sharples]

I didn't know which way this was going to go tbh. Ridiculous room, smutty? Or cliche? Neither. This read has everything, adorable MMC, a control freak that's also rule abiding FMC (I feel seen) Heart warming banter. The pub scene, karaoke was sooooo vivid 🤣🙌 The plot line, the story, then the romance all built something incredible. I want to know where it all goes, did the flora help? What's next!?!?

[Heather]

I recieved an ARC of this book, and oh boy Im so glad I did.

Okay this book is so sweet. Hes an alien. She's an archeologist. Shes always felt different, and he just gets her.

This book is cute and funny and a little bit spicy. I really loved it. A journey through France. A hot alien. A woman in STEM. 🥰 perfection.

[Lizzie Strong]

I was honored- nayy, wish granted an arc for this and let me tell you, it's a delight. This was so fun. I love a "shit we're about to go on a long, romantic road trip aren't we?" type story. Especially when the woman is the "grumpy" of the grumpy/sunshine. This was exactly what I needed in a cozy Alien Romance and I can't wait to see more of what Rae and Rose do together.

[Cassandra]

4.75 ⭐️

Such a great story! I cried a few times, mostly out of joy but once out of sadness, and felt such a heartwarming level of connection with these characters!

We have a FMC who is a Demisexual Archaeologist and a MMC who is an Alien Archivist. While the connection between the two of them was fast, it felt natural and not rushed whatsoever.

Thank you to the authors for letting me read this as an ARC!

[Isa Newbury | reading_isa]

**Thank you to the Authors for the ARC; all opinions are my own.**

4⭐️
2.5🌶

This was really cute! I enjoyed the archeology vibes and the side quest across France. I was also really happy to have some demisexual rep- I saw myself reflected in Ellie a lot and it was eye opening 💜

☆alien x human
☆the alien visits EARTH
☆demisexual & pansexual rep
☆adventure across France
☆unique fated mates

[Bookwanderer]

This was such a cute alien romance set on earth. Zarek is an adorable cinnamon roll, and Ellie a sweetheart with great autism rep.

It was fun and lighthearted and a great, easy read. Zarek being so down bad for Ellie was exactly what I needed to read after a few books with heavier themes. If you enjoy sweet alien romance then you'll love this.

[Joann]

Maybe I’m just not a cozy alien romance girlie. And I think I’d classify this under cozy romance.

It was okay but I did find myself getting bored halfway through. A lot of mini adventures in France, opening the alien tablet, and being on a train. It’s a cute story, just not exciting enough for me.

[EvieDeisel]

An adorable little addition to my year of romantic alien books- it was light on plot but cozy with charm, with a sweet final last confrontation chapter that pulled it together perfectly! I especially liked our studious dreamer Zerek from the stars and his immediate awkward longing. This sweet little read was like a hot fudge Sunday on a warm day in Paris!

[Abi Nelezen]

This was so wholesome actually. She’s a nerdy frigid bitch and he’s a genuinely kind soul - a match made in heaven. I needed something easy and it popped up on kindle unlimited, so I said great yes perfect.

[Sophora_books]

Standing ovulation or whatever that is called.
I loved it, both of them are lovely characters and the ending was very much satisfactory 🤍
Gotta love blue aliens