Ex-soldier turned space pirate Tey Raider is visiting Earth to steal a fortune and use one of the Red Rock vortexes to escape into the deep black. When he bumps into Sophia West, he has no idea the human woman will throw a wrench into the hyperdrive of his master plan, and spin him, his storm cruiser, and his heart out of control.
Sophia doesn't believe in aliens until a Sedona-based dating agency mixer puts her in direct contact with out-of-this-world clientele. She's undercover trying to locate her brother--abducted and tortured by the big-brained bully, Nimbus. She strikes a hard bargain with Tey Raider to help her find and free her brother. Never mind that the haunted ex-soldier makes her want to reach out and make an alien connection.
The mission leads to a close encounter, and when the red dust settles, neither will be the same.
Intergalactic Dating Agency Red Rock Alien Mail Order Brides
Erin Kellison is the bestselling author of the Indulgence series, the Dragons of Bloodfire series, the Reveler series, and the Shadow series. She writes urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and fantasy. She loves other worlds and visits them as often as possible via movies and books and her kids' imaginations. When not daydreaming or writing, she's goofing off with her family in sunny Arizona.
Well this turned out to be a total surprise ! I read the blurb and immediately got the alien dating agency idea completely wrong. So many books feature human women going off to other worlds that need females for whatever reason but this story is nothing like that. Yes there's an agency that is involved in hooking up humans with extraterrestrial types but this story is a rip roaring adventure set right here on good old planet Earth! As the story begins we are introduced to Tey Raider, a lonely soldier who has turned space pirate and has just stolen something very valuable indeed. He needs a place to hide it and a chance meeting with a human woman gives him an idea. Problem is Sophia is on a mission of her own and when she finds the odd object she hides it. Sophia is desperate to find her brother and manages to get herself into the same party as someone who just might have the information she needs. Slight problem though as it's not just any old party , no it's one full of aliens searching for potential mates! Yikes, time for a hasty exit and who should offer to help? Yes he's tall, a bit red looking and definitely not human! Raider is sticking close and nothing will stop him. This just had a life of it's own with so much going on. Poor Sophia has a rude awakening to the fact that not only do aliens exist but they are here on Earth and have been for quite some time. She's incredibly driven and without her rose coloured spectacles in place bravely confronts any and all who get in her way. No she isn't kickass but her determination made her a likeable heroine. Raider stole my heart as he just wanted to live and his thinking was so funny at times. I really liked that the author didn't try to make him perfect and his mistakes and uncertainty at times added hugely to the fun. Trust me I've never thought about eating certain creatures but Raider does and can I just say yuk? It's not all fun though as from quite early on characters suffer and it wasn't pleasant reading but again it's Raider who simply shines allowing this reader to smile again as he tries so hard to do what he thinks is right . A fast pace with very interesting supporting characters . I particularly enjoyed the various types of aliens mentioned and there's a nasty bad guy too whose actions led to an enormous plot twist.Lots of chemistry but nothing instant instead a heavily charged sexual tension that builds between the two main characters . Far shorter than I wanted but there's so much packed in that I cannot really complain too much. I'd happily read more in this series as I'm left wondering just what will happen to the various characters introduced here . This was a sci fi romance that really entertained me . I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review Four and a half from me
Immediately after reading 'Until Dawn (Dragons of Bloodfire #2.5)' which was included in 'Taming The Vampire Anthology' I decided my next read had to be another novel by Ms. Kellison. I found this story a fast-paced page-turner. Lots of action with characters that placed well in the story. Usually, I rate books that have little or no sex lower but whether or not I am becoming a more mature reader or an oversaturated reader with erotica, I really enjoyed this novel.
Thoughts: Oooh, that was interesting. Aliens looking for mates, humans unaware except in certain circles. That was the only weird part since there are people that know about the aliens but it's general public and not just government officials or the elite. Granted because it isn't widely known if those that know tell those that don't it's like now, some will believe and others will roll their eyes and say "sure, whatever" while writing it off as crazy. But with cell phones and cameras I wouldn't think it could stay a secret for very long.
Anyway, I LOVED Sophia. She's such a badass, letting nothing stop her from finding her brother. It did seem that she lived a sheltered life though, so while she's willing to risk anything and everything to find her brother she's not very good with plans. Granted, she had no clue that she was up against aliens but even without that she seemed very naive. Even with that though she was awesome, scared but willing to face her fears to rescue her brother.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work and voluntarily chose to write a review.
Quantum is the first book in Erin Kellison's science fiction romance series called Red Rock Alien Mail Order Brides. This is a short book filled with intriguing characters, lots of action and some humor. Tey Raider is an alien in Sedona, Arizona who has just stolen a VERY valuable stone. He's being chased by other aliens so he hides the stone by dropping it in Sophia West's bag. Sophia is in town looking for her missing brother who was supposed to be meeting another business man. She isn't getting anywhere and when she is offered an invitation to a party that she knows he'll be at she jumps on it to try to get more information about her brother. Tey sees her get the invitation and figures he can meet up with her at the party and retrieve his stone.
The party is being hosted by Red Rock Intergalactic Dating Agency which finds matches for aliens of all races. There are some individuals who know about the aliens on earth and a lot that don't. Sophia has no idea she's heading to a party with aliens but she's about to get a crash course. Sophia agrees to give the stone back to Tey if he helps her find/rescue her brother.
I liked both Tey and Sophia and they had a nice chemistry between the two of them. The world was set in Sedona so their wasn't a lot of world building necessary but what was in the book was interesting. Tey's background was heartbreaking and I wanted more about his past. I also wish the dating agency played a bigger role in the book. I wish the book had been longer to add more depth into Tey's background and the dating agency.
I found the concept of Tey and his race the most compelling and I want to know more about the other two soldiers he met up with. Sophia's brother was also an interesting character that I would like to know more about.
Overall an engaging, humorous science fiction romance that has me looking forward to more books in this series.
Copy gifted by the Publisher in exchange for an honest review
This story grappled me from beginning to end and if it wasn’t because life got in the middle of my reading I would have been able to finish it in only one sitting. Sophia West would do anything to find her missing brother. He got missing since the day he was supposed to meet with one fancy Mr. Businessman and so far all authorities have brushed her off and have done nothing to help in her search. As fate would have it, she catches the eye of thief-for-hire Tey Raider and soon after their lives are changed in a way neither of them thought possible. This story has the best scifi elements: aliens, secret societies, humanoids, bred ex-soldiers, and of course innocent humans that get caught in the cross-fire of what seems to be an imminent war. I love how the author was able to create a whole other world without losing sight that the characters were still on Earth, all within such a few pages. There was not so much of a romance and the ending needed more detailing but I think that’s because this is a series/serial and we’ll be hearing more about this world. 4 stars.
** I was gifted a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review**
Sophia has arrived in Sedona looking for her lost brother, what she doesn't expect to find is that aliens are real, her brother is neck-deep in with them, and that she is about to fall in love with a pod made ex-soldier turned space pirate. Tey Raider is an ex-soldier that was abandoned by his people when they lost the war. Him and his fellow brothers, all genetically created to be "cannon fodder" in the war, have become obsolete and thought all terminated. Tey has found his way to Earth in hopes of stealing a means for him to have a life of his own, and a real name, see his name literally means "third raider" due to his role in the war. He wasn't even worth a real name and that is what he wants most out of his freedom and life until he bumps into Sophia. Their adventure thrusts them together and they become unlikely partners; he will help rescue her brother and she will return the crystal that he stole and hid in her purse. Their story was cute, they fell in love way too quickly, but the plot and action were enjoyable. The characters were interesting and the conflict entertaining. I liked it, though I would have liked to see them slow down on the falling-in-love part.
I mentioned a long time ago that this year I am trying to beat an Abecedary Challenge for Romance books. Checking the Q is way harder than I was expecting, so I jumped to read this book as soon as I discovered it. I have too many prejudices against the Sci-Fi Romance, so I had little faith about this story. I’m so glad of having been proved wrong!! Yeah, this genre tends to put in the cover big slabs of meat, promising a lot of carnal action and little else. Even though Quantum has that kind of cover, it doesn’t really do justice to what we find inside.
In this book we meet Tey Raider, an engineered ex-soldier who escaped from sure death and now tries to make a leaving as a space pirate. His last quest has brought him to Earth, a precious planet whose most of its inhabitants don’t know about the existance of aliens living among them. One of them is Sophia, a human who is desperately seeking her missing brother, totally unaware that he is a prisoner of ruthless aliens. Luckily for her, Sophia’s and Tey’s mission collide, so they forge a partnership to achieve all their goals. Even the sentimental ones.
It is not a long book. I judged the book by its genre, its cover and its size. All those factors telling me I was about to jump into a frenzy of crazy sex with aliens. I was ready for it; because, even though it is not my first choice, I have nothing againts an overdose of naked time with sexy hunks. So, after the first couple of chapters I was utterly surpised and truly impressed with what I was truly facing. It is packed to the brim with action and I don’t mean the kind of action in the private quarters of Tey. I mean the one with fists, fangs, blaster fire and even mind powers. The pages flew in front of me thanks to the healthy pace and enjoyable situations. An amazing space adventure without leaving the comfort of Earth.
For such a short book, the worldbuilding is extense and very precise. With several little details here and there, the author manages to create a great Universe to base her stories. I have no idea if all the Pact and Light lore is only part of this saga or if it was built for all the Intergalicct Dating Agency Universe. I only know that I love it and I can’t wait to keep reading about it. A feeling that is even greater thanks to that ending that has left me shocked and eager to get more information about. As I said before, not what I was expecting; but totally what I needed.
There is not much to say about the characters. They are pretty basic to work with the story. I like them, but I have nothing noteworthy to say about them. Maybe with a longer book we could have got to know them better, but we get what we get. The relationship between Sophia and Tey is developed quickly and with little flourishes, because the author was more invested in telling us a space adventure than a romantic story. I have to point out her take on the “mate” thing. I’m not usually a fan of that fated love, because it tends to degrade into freaky possessive behaviours; but I must admit Erin has deal with it smartly. The final conversation between Tey and Alex says it all…
A really good book to spend an enjoyable afternoon reading. I can’t wait to get back to that Universe!!
While I do think the writing is good and the premise of the story was interesting, I'm having a really hard time agreeing that this story is a romance. Any "romantic" interactions between the MCs feel half-hearted and randomly thrown into the story. There is absolutely no chemistry between them, and even the one sex scene lacks any hint of steam. If you are a fan of regular sci-fi, this will probably still be enjoyable for you. But if you're looking for a romance with a Sci-fi theme, you'll probably be disappointed.
My only other critique is that I think the book may just be too short for what the author originally intended. The back end of this book seems incredibly rushed and lacks the details present in the beginning. When I got to the end, I was just kinda stumped. Everything happened so fast and felt so anti-climatic. Perhaps with extra 50 pages or so, the author could have worked things out better.
Tey Raider was a soldier and is now a space pirate. He is visiting Earth to steal a fortune and use one of the Red Rock vortexes to escape to the deep black. When he bumps into Sophia West he has no idea that the human woman will throw a wrench into his master plan and spin him and his heart out of control. Sophia doesn't believe in aliens until a Sedona based dating agency mixer puts her in contact with aliens. She is undercover trying to find her missing brother who has been abducted and tortured by someone called Nimbus. She strikes a bargain with Tey to help her find her brother but she wants to reach out to Tey too. The mission is going to be dramatic and when the red dust settles neither of them will be the same.
I enjoyed this story. It was interesting to read about the alien factions and Sophias's reaction to finding out about aliens. I loved the lady behind the dating agency and her skills. An enjoyable read which I found easy to understand.
The characters were interesting and the story had action and adventure. The romance part was extremely lacking. This was supposed to be intergalactic dating? I don’t even really care about the sex scenes which by the way there really is none. The author makes you wait until the next book to see how their “dating will progress.” Who is going to buy the next book to discover that? Definitely not me. I give it two stars for the fast paced story. At least it didn’t drag because I was already upset I spent time reading it.
A fun fast paced adventure, full of danger,, action and aliens, did I mention aliens, lots and lots of aliens! Some good, a lot bad, evil, yucky nasty, you get it! But the good ones are wow! Yummy, hot, sexy, Yelp those kind! And of course a beautiful human woman, a hero, a little sister, and a woman who would do anything to save her big brother! Throw in a new BFF, an alien woman, and some hot sexy loving and a lot of fighting, and you have a wonderful adventure!
Sophia came into town with one objective, find her brother. What she found was beyond what she expected. Aliens, they exist and are on earth. Raider was in possession of a stone that he stole. Dropped it in Sophia's purse so it wouldn't be found on him. In the cell he met Alexander who was in really bad shape. Raider got out and ended up rescuing Sophia. So their adventure begins, rescue her brother and then get to know Raider. Gets rather exciting. Good ending.
Wow, loved loved loved Tey and Sofia's story so much!
I can't believe I've had this story on my TBR list for some time now and had not read it, I am definitely mad at myself because I loved reading Tey and Sofia's story and how they got to a place where they could one day have a HEA. And Tey really proved what Sofia meant for him by turning back time so that they could have that chance to be together! I can't wait to read more from this series and find out who gets their HEA next.
Its a strange world with even stranger Aliens amongst us.... so Sophia finds out! Liked both the characters as well as the plot... even though this is not done with yet! Where will it all end? who knows... This is not your typical steamy romance novel, it leaves you wanting more on that score.. but it does give you a taste of it as well as nail biting danger!
An exciting and different alien romance. Sophie is on a mission to find her brother. Along the way she meets a hunky alien named Raider who rocks her world. The characters were so engaging and the story contained lots of action. I was invested from the beginning and hope to read more in the series.
This author infuriated me the entire story with her ignorance of the correct plural form for "vortex." People who do not know the English language have no business trying to get people to buy their stuff.
Not to mention it is an otherwise badly written story that makes no sense.
Don't let the "mail order brides" and "dating agency" bit fool you. This is actually action-packed, fast-paced, with intelligent, sensitive, and adult main leads (and interesting side characters) keeping it going. I only wish there was a sequel to the story.
Sophia's brother is missing. Aliens are real and on Earth, Good read, there is plenty of action, If you enjoy scifi, Mysteries and danger. This book is for you, enjoyable with great characters.
This was a really great ride! It reminded me of a wild west version of the dating game - full of action, suspense and attraction. Sophia is looking for her missing brother and decides to give a dating service a shot while she's at it and boy does she get more than she bargained for in Tey. Really quick, really fun book that you need to read. I voluntarily reviewed this wonderful book for the author and I'm so glad I did.
Sophia's hunt for her missing brother sets her on a whirlwind course. She finds so much more than what happened to her brother. This was a good read and the ending left me smiling.
Sophie is trying to find her brother and makes a startling, life-changing discovery. Raider finds his mate in Sophie as they work out a rescue plan. An intense, quick-paced and fun story.