Trinity; Part 1

Interstellar Brides: Ascension Saga #1A

by Grace Goodwin

Leoron of Alera returns home from the Hive wars determined to protect the capital city—and last bastion of a vanished Queen's reign—from civil war. Loyal to the bone, Leo answers the call from Prime Nial and vows to protect at any cost three unknown females arriving from Earth.

But the simple soldier is unprepared for the shock of desire that brings him to his knees at first sight of Trinity Jones. Nothing makes sense as Leo fights friend and foe alike, and discovers the woman stealing his heart has a destiny beyond anything he could have imagined.

Welcome to the Interstellar Brides® all new Ascension Saga and the planet Alera, where women from Earth not only find their mates, but fight to rule the world.

Genres: Romance, Science Fiction, Aliens, Fantasy, Paranormal, Royalty, Erotica

156 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 9, 2018

About the author

Visit Grace's Goodwin's website:
http://GraceGoodwin.com

Take the Brides' Test!
http://InterstellarBridesProgram.com

Printable reading list:
https://bit.ly/2Am6rJx

All Series Books-Chronological Reading Order:
https://bit.ly/3bEQfAl

Reviews

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first part of a new serial series set in Grace Goodwin's interstellar bride's world.
This first instalment introduces sisters Trinity, Destiny and Faith: three sisters who are Alera royalty.
The sisters after the abduction of there mother are setting forth on a new direction in there lives one that will put them in the crosshairs of some very dangerous adversaries.
But if you don't know who the enemy or in this case enemies are it's difficult to stay safe: this is where Leoron comes in.
Leo a soldier commandeered by the prime Nial himself in the task of keeping the girls safe finds he himself has a vested interest in one Trinity Jones.
But not having the complete picture himself the task ahead of him is far from an easy one.
So this was a smorgasbord of delights filled with action, humour and super red-hot shenanigans throughout.
It had some great characters and really was a great read: managing no issue whatsoever to grab and retain my attention.
A fab start to a new series: but please do be aware that this is somewhat short in nature: of novella size.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Ascension: 1.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (6/4/2019)! 🎁

[Rosebud · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two words: SERIAL SERIES

Warning: Cliffhanger ending

Trinity Herakles, daughter of Queen Celene & King Mykel, Princess of Alera, and her two sisters need to return home.

Living on Earth in hiding, their whereabouts have become known to the fraction that overthrew their home world leading to their mother being kidnapped and probably brought back to the planet Alera. More than likely their mother will be killed in which case all out war will result and a new sovereign crowned. As long as the Queen lives, the citadel will not acknowledge a new sovereign. The girls plan a rescue mission but need the help of the Interstellar Bride's Warden Egara.

Captain Leoron Turaya is a loyal soldier who lives for the day their Queen will return. A hope that is becoming more and more remote. If it weren't for the fact that the citadel still shines brightly, he would question if she even still lives. Regardless, he remains committed to keeping the planet safe from the ongoing attempts to overthrow the existing government.

Being contacted by the Prime of the Prillion Prime & Interstellar Coalition who Leo owes a life debt to, Prime Nial calls in his debt by asking Leo to personally protect and safeguard three Earth females who will be arriving on his planet shortly. Protect them with his life as they are special friends of the Prime's Earth mate Jessica.

Leo wonders on this strange turn of events until he meets the three Earth women at which time he awakens to "The One" who turns out to be one of the three.

* *

Serial series. Serial series. Serial series.

After reading the "free" intro to this series I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. Big on potential and open ended story line potential with a solo adult content scene that lacked in depth graphic description, only to end in a cliffhanger.

The one hopeful part of this story was that I might have caught a glimpse of a future book in which Warden Egara might finally have a second chance. Be still my heart as she has more than earned that chance.

[ML Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

This didn’t need to be three parts. One decent sized book would have been enough. But every girl likes to think there is the One out there for her. In this book, there is the One for him.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

New Series, New Planet!

The latest installment from Grace Goodwin, “Ascension Saga: 1” is another great addition to the Interstellar Bride Series with one caveat. Unlike the previous novellas which are written as standalones within the overarching series, “Ascension Saga: 1” ends on a cliffhanger requiring readers to purchase additional books to complete the story line. Although the story is well written, and features excellent characterizations along with action, suspense as well as Ms. Goodwin’s trademark heat, those who do detest cliffhangers may want to wait and purchase the set upon release of the third installment. Readers who do not mind waiting for the third and final installment will certainly enjoy the world-building, suspense as well as character interaction.

Unfortunately, the cliffhanger aspect dropped what would have been a five-star rating to simply a four-star review.

Disclaimer: Children 18+ due to explicit sexual content. No Kindles were seriously harmed while reading this novel.

Disclaimer for the Disclaimer… The term “seriously harmed” is not intended to include: overheating, scorch marks, minor melting or inconsequential fire that can be put out with an extinguisher. Fire retardant gloves highly recommended while reading. Reviewer is not responsible for run-on sentences, appalling grammar or questionable punctuation.

RATING DETAILS (Based on 1 to 5 Gold Stars):
Steam Factor: 5 Interstellar Stars
Writing Style: 5 Professional Stars
Plot: 5 Engaging Stars
Engaging Characters: 5 Outstanding Stars
Satisfying Conclusion: 0 Cliffhanger Stars

[Tai Nelson-Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

So we are getting the queens 3 daughters story now. We start with Trinity. The queen has hidden herself and her children on earth. But that has all now come to an end when the queen is taken and now the daughters have to go back to her planet and find her.

Trinity meets Leo who is in charge of keeping her and her sisters safe. When they meet sparks fly and things turn deadly.

I will say that I find it unusual that Grace turned these shorter stories into individual books. Usually, she just does one novel size book. But I enjoyed this story either way.

[Leigh Kramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is all plot, no character development. There isn’t really anything alien about these aliens than speaking a different language and having different customs. I can see the appeal of the fantasy—Aleran males don’t so much as experience an erection until they meet their mate—but the execution was aggressively acephobic, heteronormative, and gender essentialist. Not to mention the fetishization of male virginity. There’s a cliffhanger ending but I won’t be reading further.


Characters: Leo is the Aleran captain of the royal guard. Trinity is a 27 year old white law student and secret Aleran princess.

Content notes: recent abduction of FMC’s mother, assassination attempt, murder, physical assault, sex worker secondary character, past death of secondary characters’ mates, needle, stepfather adopted FMC when she was 2, alcohol, on page sex, heat/mating fever, casual heteronormativity (not countered), casual acephobia (not countered), casual ableism (not countered), “girl parts” as euphemism, gendered pejorative, gender essentialism, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide, need for sex compared to addiction


*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Kindle)

Purchased: 2020
Why did I buy it? It was free and I read a different Grace Goodwin alien romance that was hot.

[Donna Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Need more!!

It was too short :( I need more information!!!
It was a great quick read that leaves you hanging so that you have to read more!!!

[Rebecca Grove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trinity and her half-sisters are not your normal Earth women. Their mother is Queen Celene from Alera who was forced to flee and hide on Earth with her unborn oldest daughter after her husband was killed. Trinity is suffering from the Alera Ardor which is almost like going into heat but no human man can satisfy her. When Trinity contacts the Interstellar Bride program to find out more, she gives her mother's location away and their enemies kidnap Queen Celene. Now Trinity and her twin half-sister are planning to visit Alera to rescue their mother and to take care of Trinity's Ardor before she goes insane.
Leoron is a captain of the royal guard and is happy to be unmated. Aleran men feel no sexual desire until they meet Their One. After that they devote their lives to their mate. Leo hopes never to meet his mate and wants to focus on his career. Then the Prime who he holds a life debt to, calls him for a favor. He is supposed to meet 3 Earth women at the portal and protect them with his life. Leo is confused but agrees. When he meets Trinity, his whole life is turned upside down because he discovers she is his One. He is now thrilled to have found her but he knows she is hiding a big secret.
This is a great first installment of the story and ends in a cliff-hanger
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Bookgasms Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ascension Saga starts out with a bang and doesn’t let the reader go!!

I loved the introduction of this new serial featuring Trinity, Destiny and Faith. They’re Aleran royalty who’ve been hidden on Earth with their mother, the Queen of Alera.

When Trinity, Destiny and Faith head to Alera, only one man is trusted to ensure their safety: Leoron. Leo is called to duty by Prime Nial and ordered to protect these women at all costs. Even at the cost of his tightly guarded heart.

Leo and Trinity’s connection is palpable and when she’s in danger, Leo acts—even without truly knowing her background.

I loved this first installment of the series and cannot wait for more! ~ Missy, 5 stars

[Mιss •kαthєяίиє• Τhε Emεrαℓd Pяίиcεss® · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like stories that build up a fantasy world like this but on the minus side of this, this "book" was small and could have easily been merged with the other two and created a longer length book. I don't get the point of having such a tiny "series starter" end in a cliffhanger and you need to find the other book just to go through the same with the second installment...

[EC · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate read all of this saga. If you don't know what hates reading is, its where you immediately hate the book buy you have see where it goes. That's how it was with this series. I read all 9 books of this saga. I will admit the mystery of who was behind all the secret plotting was what kept me hooked. Good one, Ms. Goodwin.

I think the issue was execution. Immediately into the first chapter of the first book , you come into an action scene. It wasn't well explained what the Interstellar Bride agency was either. I'm assuming its from another book of hers however as this is the first book of Goodwin's that I picked up, I was extremely confused. So, the plot of the book and the universe surrounding it is loosely explained. It felt like I was just thrown into the deep end. I kept going though. After the cliffhanger of this book, I knew I had to see it through. The cliffhangers felt so abrupt too, almost as if it wasnt the end of the book.

Let me briefly cover the other books in the saga. Trinity gets together with her man and revels herself to be the Princess. The second part about her sister Faith did briefly save the series for me. I did not like Trinity and Leo. They just weren't my cup of tea for romance main couple but Faith and her boy had an enemies-to-lovers with a does of forbidden romance. The underlying plot of who causes the coup also followed well in part 2. I really thought this saga would just get better.

However it was the third part that killed it for me. Destiny is a tough tomboy TM and her boy is an assassin. I had hoped for this couple but there was no character development and no real interaction besides hormone-induced sex. I had hoped maybe it would come later in book 8 or 9. Nope! In the middle of book 8, Destiny just tell the man she met like two days ago and really hasn't interacted with, that she loves him. I think the worst part is in Trinity and Faiths romances, we see characterization besides just a sterotype.

In Part 3, we don't even delve deep into the emotional layers of Destiny and her man. There is some brief mention on ow feels being a killer but that's it. His past actions aren't explored in detail. We don't get some backstory on why Destiny has to be strong all the time and why she's so reluctant to fall in love. It just is. How are we suppose to form an attachment to characters when the are so boring?

But the worst part was the finale. I'd been waiting to see who was behind the coup that forced the girls mother to flee in the middle of the night. Only for it to be revealed that it was the Queen's first husband, THE KING, who was mentioned as being tragically murdered. But don't worry, he didn't fake his death to steal the throne. No he really did die and he was killed by the Queen's second husband who when the Queen escaped, went to earth and pretend to be human, then married said Queen. All why never telling the woman he claims is his true mate that he too is from the alien planet and he killed her first husband before first husband could kill her. If you are confused, don't worry so was I.

I was so upset I almost threw my kindle. I had stuck with this saga, spend almost two days reading these books in the hope that the coup plot would have an amazing ending but no, it was a dead guys plan so, its all okay now. I really really wanted to like this series because the secrecy and the coup plot kept me interested even when I couldn't stand the couples. I give this a two just on that plot alone. I really think it could've been good if Ms. Goodwin could've just focused on the !mystery of who was trying to kill the queen and her daughters. The romances were stale bread at best and the characters themselves were cartoon-ish. The sex scenes were alright. But the mystery plot, now that is why I give it a two. Overall, I'd skip this. Maybe I will try another series by Goodwin in the future but for now, I need a break.

[Stasia Bruhn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Trinity’s story . Trinity and her sisters go to Alera to find her mother..(who just happens to b the queen) She escaped from the planet when she was pregnant with Trinity. To complicate matters Trinity has Aleran Ardor( think ST’s Pon farr. ) She needs to mate and mate quickly. Trinity and her sisters are attacked as soon as they arrive . Captain Leoron (Leo) is sent to protect them. As soon as Leo sees Trinity he knows she is his mate. Well some parts of his anatomy makes it very clear. Alera takes her rightful place as interim queen til her other sisters Faith and Destiny can find their mother. There is a bit of subterfuge. I wished there was more detail on this hopefully in the next two books. I really do think Leo should have been fleshed out more. I’m curious about the Hive wars. It kept me interested in this new world Alera and the pitfalls of being a royal. I cant wait to read the sisters stories .

[Serena Buffaloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book ;easy read !!

I enjoyed this book !!
Even though most of these Interstellar Bride books start off the same , they are different. This book involved three girls -sisters - and this book focuses on their trip from Earth to Alrea where the sisters have been tasked with a mission.
Trinity , as the eldest , also has a condition that has to be dealt with before the mission can be completed.
There was action, intrigue and sexy times ....
My personal favorite !!

As a side note , I have noticed that these books are more then the $3.99 that I usually pay for great books , so I DO not think that I will buy the next in this series, but I am sure they are all equally satisfying.

[Shelley G · Rating 4 out of 5]

because i hate cliffhangers i waited and got the 3 book box set containing 9 stories.
in part one trinity raised on earth but really an alien princess has to go to alera her world secretly to try and find her kidnapped mother and also because she is suffering a female heat her kind go thru once as an adult. upon arriving in alera dangerous happenings ensue and a warrior Leoron sent to guard them who arrives late sets out to save them. shockingly he is awakened which means that she is the one fated to be his the only female that could awaken his manhood and he is determined to be the only male to help her thru her heat which he does but he doesn't know who she really is.
spicy scenes, danger, excitement, suspense, betrayal and much more surrounds trinity and her sisters as they work towards finding their mother, and navigating secretly on alera not exposing who they really are while trinity also has to deal with her heat and leoron who believes she is his fated mate.
excellent richly developed characters, great world building, face exciting dramatic pace to hold your interest. i don't think this needed to be in 3 books instead of 1 or 2 max so if like me u don't like cliff hangers best to buy them all as a set.

[Goddess of Chaos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The opening of a larger story

This quick read reaches a satisfying stopping point, but is decidedly part of a larger story, leaving me eager to turn the page and start part 2.

Leo is a soldier, he follows orders, protects and defends... and in so doing can’t help but remind readers why so many people can’t resist a man in uniform.

Trinity and her sisters are on a mission... and while it seems single focused and clear cut in the beginning, the more they learn, the more they seem willing to do.

At the start I was hoping each sister would have a story... it appears each sister needs a trilogy to tell their part of the adventure.

[Nessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

THIS IS A 3 PART STORY, THIS FIRST ONE READS LIKE A NOVELLA WITH A CLIFFHANGER.

SADLY, I'm just not into this because there didn't seemed like anything substantial apart from very hot sex and throw in some humour, you get Ascension. The characters don't make an impression on me at all, maybe because this is a novella? I don't know but I definitely wasn't hooked onto the plot itself and it is quite predictable.

Guess I won't be continuing this series after all.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling, Sexy and Fun!

I loved this story and wonderful characters.
The way that the Interstellar Brides Program is combined with this story, makes it feel familiar, yet moving into something new and unknown.
I am excited to continue reading the next book in this series! But I can never get enough of the "Brides" and
the hot, possessive alien males they are sent to meet! Grace Goodwin is the best! She is an excellent writer and her stories are Perfection!

[Ingrid Spera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was an ok start, but I didn't realize this was the first of 9! I feel like the few things that annoyed me now became huge things because now I feel like this whole story was a money grab. I'm so aggravated.

Overall, could be a cute story, but it jumps in so quickly about the importance of sex that it takes away from any plot or deeper meaning between the characters.

[The Reluctant Retiree · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m torn about this one. Grace has done a fantastic job with the characters but I find it hard to connect it to the Interstellar Brides. The only mention was that they left from the FL center and Prime Nial contacted the man to guard the ladies. This is part 1 of a 9 part serial which is when we finally get our Happy Ever After.

[Michelle Louise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cliffhanger, repetitive, and bleh

You know, I respect authors so much more if they state from the beginning that the books that they were putting out weren’t complete. That way I can make an informed choice about whether or not I want to but said book. Essentially cliffhangers like this take away the Readers ability to consent.

That being said this isn’t worth the price I paid for it which was free. It was boring. Confusing. Repetitive. Every single chapter the author felt the need to explain that the primary heroine Trinity was full-blooded Aleran and that her sisters were three years younger than her and twins and the oldest was eight minutes older. Essentially it became filler. Also there was a lot of info dump and tell. A bunch of stuff just thrown at you to catch you up which is really shoddy storytelling. I’m reclaiming my time.

One star.

[Frogger · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ms. Goodwin usually has enough of a plot to keep the porn aspect moving forward. Such was not the case with this story. LK Hamilton already wrote several crazy novels about Anita and her ardeur. In this story, the ardor aspect was truly a sloppy second attempt at imagination.

I would not recommend this story at all.

[Sharon Ryder Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grace has you gripped to her novels from the very first pages, love how it all seems so real.... Liked the characters as well as the plot, the only beef i have is that its not a standalone. Can not wait to read the next instalment and see what happens with regards to Trinity and Leo.... Will her daughters rescue their mother the Queen? Will Faith and Destiny find their mates?

[Vickie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its a start

I really hate when a book is broken up like this!!! The story started out pretty ok but did not transition into a book. You barely got to know the protagonists and then it ends on a cliffhanger. How is this a novel? I feel like I only read the introduction and it was over.

[Linda C · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is part 1 of 3 that form volume 1 of this Saga. Really it is setting up a world and a premise, introducing all the primary characters. Volume 1 deals with Trinity and 2 and 3 deal with Faith and Destiny, so this was a bit of a cliffhanger but with enough of a climax to be somewhat satisfying. Interesting enough for me to check out the rest. Some kick-ass heroines and very supportive males.

[Lisa A · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written page turner
You are drawn into the book from the first page.
Queen Celene of Alera has been hiding on Earth. Somehow they found and kidnapped her. Trinity and her twin sisters Faith and Destiny go to Alera looking to find and save their mother but someone knows who they are and tries to kill them. Warning, ends on a cliffhanger...

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the longer format of one of these books that builds on the author’s world. However, I listened to this on audible, and the narrator was trying too hard to be sexy. But he ended up with was lascivious lisp. I like to listen to my books sped up, and the narration made it difficult to do so. It also made the spicy scenes significantly less enjoyable.

[T!FF · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick sci-fi romance that scratched an itch for me. The dialogue could have been worlds better but aside from that, I really enjoyed the storyline.
Yes, this is a total cliffhanger but it’s also less than 200 pages so that’s to be expected. Looking forward to the next one!

[Shyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alera

A princess in hiding and a soldier doing his duty can still find time to be together. The hard part is keeping information secret from everyone until it’s needed. But what happens when the truth comes out? Only time will tell. Recommend this book.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good start but short

First off I hate cliffhangers and stories that are cut into parts. That is my biggest ding on this story.

I loved the story, the characters, the action. It was gearing up to be a really excellent read. Then it ended with more questions.