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Alien Blood Wars #4
Star Dance
FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR SAMANTHA CAYTO
Book four in the Alien Blood Wars series
What lurks in the dark is not always a monster. Sometimes it’s your deepest desire.
Malcolm MacLerie has long made his home in the wild Highlands of Scotland. Sick of the endless war with Dracul and living with terrible guilt over the crash, he seeks peace and quiet. When his captain asks for his help one last time, however, he can’t refuse. Honor demands no less. His surveillance of Dracul’s castle turns into a rescue mission when a brutalized boy runs right into his arms.
Brenin has survived the vicious life of being an alien’s slave. His desperate bid to escape leads him into yet another monster’s castle—or so he fears. The more time he spends with Malcolm, the more he doubts his own worries. He has to fight a pull toward this alien who wears a kilt and fights with a sword.
Malcolm isn’t looking to get attached to anyone, let alone a traumatized human, but Brenin’s knowledge of the monster’s lair makes him invaluable and forces them to work together. Duty turns to desire, despite his best intentions. Even as they fight their growing attraction, they keep getting in deeper.
Reader This book contains scenes of violence and sexual abuse.
- GenresM M RomanceAliensRomance
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 25, 2018
12 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Samantha Cayto
98 books264 followersSamantha Cayto is a Boston-area native who practices as a business lawyer by day while writing erotic romance at night—the steamier the better. She likes to push the envelope when it comes to writing about passion and is delighted other women agree that guy-on-guy sex is the hottest ever.
She lives a typical suburban life with her husband, three kids and four dogs. Her children don’t understand why they can’t read what she writes, but her husband is always willing to lend her a hand—and anything else—when she needs to choreograph a scene.
She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the New England Chapter and credits RWA, NEC and the wonderful friends she’s made there with helping her become a published author.
She lives a typical suburban life with her husband, three kids and four dogs. Her children don’t understand why they can’t read what she writes, but her husband is always willing to lend her a hand—and anything else—when she needs to choreograph a scene.
She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the New England Chapter and credits RWA, NEC and the wonderful friends she’s made there with helping her become a published author.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 8, 2019
While the last one felt like it didn't completely address the sexual assault/sexual slavery aspects and all of the potential emotional/mental ramifications, this book did a much better job.
Can't wait for the Trey/Demi story, finally! Less than two weeks...
(Also, I wonder if Daffyd will get an installment as well?)
Can't wait for the Trey/Demi story, finally! Less than two weeks...
(Also, I wonder if Daffyd will get an installment as well?)
May 23, 2020
When I started this series I had no idea it included MPREG. The core story intrigued me. It was only lightly touched upon at first, I could ignore it, but I was smacked in the face with it in this book Along with numerous editing issues, human “boys” instead of men, and the lack of adequate research about firearms, I’m calling it. Done. Definitely not my cuppa.
NOTE: The file was a technical mess. Either corrupted or poorly created. Wouldn’t remember where I left off. Could not scroll ahead accurately. Every time I opened the book, it would open up at the TOC. But not even the TOC was mapped accurately. Very frustrating.
NOTE: The file was a technical mess. Either corrupted or poorly created. Wouldn’t remember where I left off. Could not scroll ahead accurately. Every time I opened the book, it would open up at the TOC. But not even the TOC was mapped accurately. Very frustrating.
May 5, 2022
I had the same issues with this book as the last one. You just don't get over years of abuse, rape, etc by falling in love with someone else. I didn't buy the romance and felt like it was too much of a repeat of the last book. I already own books 5 and 6 though and I am looking forward to Demi's book so I'll read those.
February 3, 2019
4 stars.
I look forward to reading the next book.
May 19, 2019
I received a free copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
5 Stars for secondary plot
2-ish stars for the main romantic couple
3 Stars overall
Star Dance is the 4th installment of the Alien Blood Wars series. I strongly recommend against reading the series out of order, especially this one in particular, as the secondary plot ties with the Dracul threat.
As a big fan of Samantha Cayto, I enjoy the few hours of escapism these stories provide. However, I did and didn't struggle with this particular novel.
Daffyd has been featured as Dracul's captive since book 1, with Brenin slightly shown. This is the first time Brenin has been gifted with a point-of-view. Malcolm is also new to readers. We're in a new location, far removed from Boston and the cast we've come to know, with an overpowering accent by both the MCs (I love a good Scottish accent, Welsh too. But the overuse of LIKE at the end of every sentence by Brenin became distractedly annoying, 'like' he was a valley girl from the 80s)
This is where I struggled, with each installment providing foreshadowing and a lead-in for the new main characters in the subsequent book, Star Dance breaks that pattern. I had zero emotionally invested in these new characters, while I wanted to know what was happening with the characters who have been on-scene since page one.
My biggest issue, I wasn't emotionally invested in Malcolm, whom I saw as an entirely new character, nor Brenin, because I was always more focused on what Daffyd brought to the overall story. So while their beginnings were interesting on their own, they were completely overshadowed by the drive to learn what happened next for Daffyd, as well as the plot Dracul pushed forth, which I won't mention as that would be a spoiler. The possible future romance of other characters, whom readers have known since book one, was being pushed forcefully, making me not care what was happening in this novel- I just wanted to read their novel instead.
Other main characters were drawn into the mix, in a life-threatening situation, which made Brenin & Malcolm's romance secondary, as if they weren't driving the novel. The plot taking place, and those it affected, they were more interesting, more resonating, than the romance between our main characters, to the point the main characters felt more like background characters.
While the Dracul plot was thrilling, evoking emotions within me, Brenin and Malcolm were meh because of this. While the darker content that happened to Brenin should have evoked emotions out of me, as this same type of situation did in past novels across Cayto's series, I just didn't feel anything for the character, nor for Malcolm. I wasn't invested, as I didn't have 3 books worth of lead-in as I did with the secondary characters that took over the plot and the novel itself.
I look forward to see where this leads in subsequent books, but felt this couple got shortchanged/overshadowed because things happening to other characters were more intriguing, much more important.
5 Stars for secondary plot
2-ish stars for the main romantic couple
3 Stars overall
Star Dance is the 4th installment of the Alien Blood Wars series. I strongly recommend against reading the series out of order, especially this one in particular, as the secondary plot ties with the Dracul threat.
As a big fan of Samantha Cayto, I enjoy the few hours of escapism these stories provide. However, I did and didn't struggle with this particular novel.
Daffyd has been featured as Dracul's captive since book 1, with Brenin slightly shown. This is the first time Brenin has been gifted with a point-of-view. Malcolm is also new to readers. We're in a new location, far removed from Boston and the cast we've come to know, with an overpowering accent by both the MCs (I love a good Scottish accent, Welsh too. But the overuse of LIKE at the end of every sentence by Brenin became distractedly annoying, 'like' he was a valley girl from the 80s)
This is where I struggled, with each installment providing foreshadowing and a lead-in for the new main characters in the subsequent book, Star Dance breaks that pattern. I had zero emotionally invested in these new characters, while I wanted to know what was happening with the characters who have been on-scene since page one.
My biggest issue, I wasn't emotionally invested in Malcolm, whom I saw as an entirely new character, nor Brenin, because I was always more focused on what Daffyd brought to the overall story. So while their beginnings were interesting on their own, they were completely overshadowed by the drive to learn what happened next for Daffyd, as well as the plot Dracul pushed forth, which I won't mention as that would be a spoiler. The possible future romance of other characters, whom readers have known since book one, was being pushed forcefully, making me not care what was happening in this novel- I just wanted to read their novel instead.
Other main characters were drawn into the mix, in a life-threatening situation, which made Brenin & Malcolm's romance secondary, as if they weren't driving the novel. The plot taking place, and those it affected, they were more interesting, more resonating, than the romance between our main characters, to the point the main characters felt more like background characters.
While the Dracul plot was thrilling, evoking emotions within me, Brenin and Malcolm were meh because of this. While the darker content that happened to Brenin should have evoked emotions out of me, as this same type of situation did in past novels across Cayto's series, I just didn't feel anything for the character, nor for Malcolm. I wasn't invested, as I didn't have 3 books worth of lead-in as I did with the secondary characters that took over the plot and the novel itself.
I look forward to see where this leads in subsequent books, but felt this couple got shortchanged/overshadowed because things happening to other characters were more intriguing, much more important.
September 6, 2024
Go go dancers plus highland kilts!!! But final battle fail.
January 11, 2026
Read February 2023
2.5 stars = pretty good
I bought and read books 1–3, but I wouldn’t have continued unless the series was added to KU. Now that it is, I was able to read this book.
The writing style is similar to the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, with many characters from previous books and setups for future ones. It features multiple POVs. I didn’t like this approach in B.D.B., and I didn’t like it here either. I especially disliked reading from the evil villain, Dracul’s POV. I skipped over his disgusting scenes that involve rape and physical abuse. 🤢
☹️ The plot was overstuffed, and the MCs often faded into the background.
The MCs:
★ Malcolm, the Scottish alien who wears a kilt.
★ Brenin, the twink who escapes Dracul's lair with Dafydd's help.
😵💫 What Doesn't Make Sense:
🔻 Malcolm feels guilty for the ship crashing on Earth a thousand years ago. He finally talks to Alex (book 1 MC) and is absolved.
🔻 How Brenin, an assault victim, was magically healed thanks to Malcolm's love.
🔻 Dracul's absurd plans of world domination. In a thousand years, this pathetic villain has done nothing to advance his plans. His attempts to kill Alex and his group have failed repeatedly.
Along with that, the ending was -
Malcolm had a perfect chance to kill Dracul.
Dracul says: "Why didn't you take off my head while I was distracted?"
Malcolm tells him: "This is a battle, not an execution."
Can't it be both? 🤔 Malcolm wants to fight honorably in a sword fight to the death with a villain who doesn't know the meaning of the word "honorable."
Dracul gets away and is presumed dead.
Brenin said it best: It was almost impossible to believe that the monster was dead. He'd seen too many horror movies to not expect some last-minute resurrection.
No surprise, Dracul is planning his revenge.
What I Liked:
✅ Reading about previous MCs.
✅ The men and the love they have for their "boys."
✅ The "found family" trope.
✅ The twinks: Demi and Dafydd.
✅ How Malcolm and Brenin's story ended.
Book 5 was a DNF. I'm done.
"It's a Gay World," which means most (if not all) of the men are gay.
2.5 stars = pretty good
I bought and read books 1–3, but I wouldn’t have continued unless the series was added to KU. Now that it is, I was able to read this book.
The writing style is similar to the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, with many characters from previous books and setups for future ones. It features multiple POVs. I didn’t like this approach in B.D.B., and I didn’t like it here either. I especially disliked reading from the evil villain, Dracul’s POV. I skipped over his disgusting scenes that involve rape and physical abuse. 🤢
☹️ The plot was overstuffed, and the MCs often faded into the background.
The MCs:
★ Malcolm, the Scottish alien who wears a kilt.
★ Brenin, the twink who escapes Dracul's lair with Dafydd's help.
😵💫 What Doesn't Make Sense:
🔻 Malcolm feels guilty for the ship crashing on Earth a thousand years ago. He finally talks to Alex (book 1 MC) and is absolved.
🔻 How Brenin, an assault victim, was magically healed thanks to Malcolm's love.
🔻 Dracul's absurd plans of world domination. In a thousand years, this pathetic villain has done nothing to advance his plans. His attempts to kill Alex and his group have failed repeatedly.
Along with that, the ending was -
Malcolm had a perfect chance to kill Dracul.
Dracul says: "Why didn't you take off my head while I was distracted?"
Malcolm tells him: "This is a battle, not an execution."
Can't it be both? 🤔 Malcolm wants to fight honorably in a sword fight to the death with a villain who doesn't know the meaning of the word "honorable."
Dracul gets away and is presumed dead.
Brenin said it best: It was almost impossible to believe that the monster was dead. He'd seen too many horror movies to not expect some last-minute resurrection.
No surprise, Dracul is planning his revenge.
What I Liked:
✅ Reading about previous MCs.
✅ The men and the love they have for their "boys."
✅ The "found family" trope.
✅ The twinks: Demi and Dafydd.
✅ How Malcolm and Brenin's story ended.
Book 5 was a DNF. I'm done.
"It's a Gay World," which means most (if not all) of the men are gay.
January 6, 2019
4/5
I read this out of order...I got the just of the back story pretty easily...it was good though the Scot lingo was a bit hard for me since I'm not used to it. Had one or two words I had to look up.
I read this out of order...I got the just of the back story pretty easily...it was good though the Scot lingo was a bit hard for me since I'm not used to it. Had one or two words I had to look up.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews