What do you think?
Rate this book
The Mate Index #1
The VaDorok
Sara
First contact changed things on Earth. It opened possibilities that were never before possible. In what started as a trip to participate in an cooperative study, Sara found herself a test subject for breeding compatibility by a species known as the Agraak. Determined that she would not submit to be bred and relocated to serve as a breeder for the rest of her life, she escaped into the wilds of a hostile subarctic planet. Not knowing who to trust, and almost dying on the ice flows, she is rescued by a male larger than life whom her body craves.
Vidok
A warrior-priest of the VaDorok, Vidok had long given up hope of finding his ulukska, his mate. When he finds a tiny female offworlder on the ice flows of the far northern territory who brings forth his mating heat, his life changes. To keep her, he not only has to help her save her companions, but must also risk their love facing repercussions among his tribe and the Intergalactic Council.
First contact changed things on Earth. It opened possibilities that were never before possible. In what started as a trip to participate in an cooperative study, Sara found herself a test subject for breeding compatibility by a species known as the Agraak. Determined that she would not submit to be bred and relocated to serve as a breeder for the rest of her life, she escaped into the wilds of a hostile subarctic planet. Not knowing who to trust, and almost dying on the ice flows, she is rescued by a male larger than life whom her body craves.
Vidok
A warrior-priest of the VaDorok, Vidok had long given up hope of finding his ulukska, his mate. When he finds a tiny female offworlder on the ice flows of the far northern territory who brings forth his mating heat, his life changes. To keep her, he not only has to help her save her companions, but must also risk their love facing repercussions among his tribe and the Intergalactic Council.
174 pages, ebook
First published February 7, 2019
528 people are currently reading
513 people want to read
About the author
S.J. Sanders
86 books1,007 followersS.J. Sanders is a mom of two toddlers and one adult living in Anchorage, Alaska. She has a BA degree in History, but spends most of her free time painting, sculpting, doing odd bits of historical research, and writing. While she has more research orientated writing under another pen name, her passion is sci-fi and paranormal romance of which she is an avid reader. After years of tinkering with the idea, and making her own stories up in her head, S.J has began to seriously pursue writing as an author of Sci-fi Romance utilizing her interests in how cultures diversify and what they would look like on a extraterrestrial platform to humans interacting with them and finding love.
She can be found on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Author-SJ-Sa...
And follow her blog at https://sjsandersromance.wordpress.com
She can be found on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Author-SJ-Sa...
And follow her blog at https://sjsandersromance.wordpress.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
August 7, 2019
Through the wormhole
Sara signed up as part of a study on humans. It was to help recently discovered alien races understand their dwindling fertility. It seemed so noble. Humans received access to technology it might have taken them decades to create on their own and aliens could bring new life to their worlds. It all seemed too good to be true. Because it was. 200 humans tricked off the safety of their planet, 100 males and 100 females, all of them unwitting lab rats. The males were deemed useless and disposed of. What happened to the females was much worse. But a lucky escape into the surrounding tundra may just save what females are left.
Spoilers ahead.
First off, I read this whole series (currently 6 books) before leaving this review. I thought about doing an immediate one right after, but I decided to plow through before making snap judgements. While parts of each story were entertaining, the typos and errors flourished throughout the entire series. So don't expect that to change unless some serious editing is done. Also, major trigger warnings. Sexual assaults are how the aliens that tricked the humans reproduce. Rape, biting, clawing; it's brutal. We get to 'witness' such a scene through Sara's eyes. This happens to 89 women, 90 actually, because one woman is raped before ever arriving at the facility. Enforced abortion ensues because they weren't going to raise another alien's spawn. The aliens are pretty nasty. And don't expect a happy rescue for the 89 women raped, impregnated and taken off that planet. While the 11 get their happily ever afters, the 89 are never heard from again. The author pretty much abandoned them. Something I had hoped to see remedied but after the 3rd book pretty much gave up on. While the main story continues on in a light-hearted manner my upset over the lost women ruined any enjoyment of the rest of the series. I struggled with other issues, too. As each book progressed, the stories didn't. Little character growth. Earth pimped out women. Unmarried women didn't get to leave the planet unless signed for by their future mates. It was like women's rights had been completely forgotten. A hundred years of progress shot down. Mates stolen were condemned because they lost any money they might have made. I had some hopes up to book 3 because alien races were upset over heavy fines and extortion. But it's like the author forgot that fight and just focused on each mating instead. The various worlds are all interesting. Although, every human male is a cheat, and sometimes abusive to boot. Even when a female ambassador is chosen later on, the extortion continues. If you read it as a fluff read it's ok. Kidnapped human is traumatized but finds love and happiness in the arms of a cat/yeti/dragon like alien. But even that story has flaws when looked at closer.
*Humans are never given a voice by the court they go before. The human ambassador speaks for them, horribly so. The judge only asks if they want to stay where they are. Which they do. Nothing else is asked. Do they want to see/contact family and/or friends? Any possessions they'd like to collect? None of it matters. And while he sets up protection for future humans he leaves enough loopholes to be exploited by Earth's representatives. It also does nothing to get back the 89 lost. If they want freedom they have to escape their rapists and jailors, decide if they are bringing the babies forced on them, and find their own way off a planet that wants to hold them hostage, has superior technology and has aliens that are larger and more brutal that have beaten them down. Grrr...
*VaDoroks shun most technology but aren't opposed to medical advancements. They tend to live tribally and have decidedly different social structures. One of them involves mate challenging. With few women, a common problem apparently, offworld mates can be challenged by tribe females to see if they can win the male away. But the way they do it basically amounts to, at best, molestation. If not flat out attempted rape. They see what happened to the women as wrong, but they think forcing a male is ok? These thoughts don't go together.
*Not a single human ever had any problems with food. Ever. Well, not till book 6, anyways. No way that every human went through various alien foods, between the lab and the village, without so much as a case of the hiccups.
*If this planet is so cold, why aren't the humans bundled up a lot more? This is an ice planet. Humans are running around outside in robes, not a scarf, hat, glove or face covering in sight. Sara, an Alaskan native, about freezes to death. But a couple chapters later she's participating in an outside market?
*A supposedly advanced race, in thinking if nothing else, is surprised when tribe members lie?
*When said tribe member lies, he leaves his kids with her. The attempted rapist of his person, who has come after his mate and generally been ugly? Not a trusted female, say another human or the chief's wife? Really? Not a bit of suspicion?
*Human DNA is completely suppressed by alien DNA? And they're compatible with every species out there? That means every woman is basically just an ambulatory incubator. Lovely. I'd think that, if nothing else, the hybrid vigor would be praised as it would bring up fertility rates. But that factor is overlooked.
I have a lot more issues but I don't want it to seem like I'm shredding the author's work completely apart. The baseline plot is good. Even the escape and rescue is decently done and plotted out. It's just some of the other stuff didn't quite gel. Contradictions in thinking, behaviors, little things, but to me catching. Some smoothing out, a few tweaks, and the series could become something really great. And I'd really love a storyline where those poor 89 managed to escape. It's been 6 books already, and several years. Let them go, and maybe get revenge on their tormentors?
Sara signed up as part of a study on humans. It was to help recently discovered alien races understand their dwindling fertility. It seemed so noble. Humans received access to technology it might have taken them decades to create on their own and aliens could bring new life to their worlds. It all seemed too good to be true. Because it was. 200 humans tricked off the safety of their planet, 100 males and 100 females, all of them unwitting lab rats. The males were deemed useless and disposed of. What happened to the females was much worse. But a lucky escape into the surrounding tundra may just save what females are left.
Spoilers ahead.
First off, I read this whole series (currently 6 books) before leaving this review. I thought about doing an immediate one right after, but I decided to plow through before making snap judgements. While parts of each story were entertaining, the typos and errors flourished throughout the entire series. So don't expect that to change unless some serious editing is done. Also, major trigger warnings. Sexual assaults are how the aliens that tricked the humans reproduce. Rape, biting, clawing; it's brutal. We get to 'witness' such a scene through Sara's eyes. This happens to 89 women, 90 actually, because one woman is raped before ever arriving at the facility. Enforced abortion ensues because they weren't going to raise another alien's spawn. The aliens are pretty nasty. And don't expect a happy rescue for the 89 women raped, impregnated and taken off that planet. While the 11 get their happily ever afters, the 89 are never heard from again. The author pretty much abandoned them. Something I had hoped to see remedied but after the 3rd book pretty much gave up on. While the main story continues on in a light-hearted manner my upset over the lost women ruined any enjoyment of the rest of the series. I struggled with other issues, too. As each book progressed, the stories didn't. Little character growth. Earth pimped out women. Unmarried women didn't get to leave the planet unless signed for by their future mates. It was like women's rights had been completely forgotten. A hundred years of progress shot down. Mates stolen were condemned because they lost any money they might have made. I had some hopes up to book 3 because alien races were upset over heavy fines and extortion. But it's like the author forgot that fight and just focused on each mating instead. The various worlds are all interesting. Although, every human male is a cheat, and sometimes abusive to boot. Even when a female ambassador is chosen later on, the extortion continues. If you read it as a fluff read it's ok. Kidnapped human is traumatized but finds love and happiness in the arms of a cat/yeti/dragon like alien. But even that story has flaws when looked at closer.
*Humans are never given a voice by the court they go before. The human ambassador speaks for them, horribly so. The judge only asks if they want to stay where they are. Which they do. Nothing else is asked. Do they want to see/contact family and/or friends? Any possessions they'd like to collect? None of it matters. And while he sets up protection for future humans he leaves enough loopholes to be exploited by Earth's representatives. It also does nothing to get back the 89 lost. If they want freedom they have to escape their rapists and jailors, decide if they are bringing the babies forced on them, and find their own way off a planet that wants to hold them hostage, has superior technology and has aliens that are larger and more brutal that have beaten them down. Grrr...
*VaDoroks shun most technology but aren't opposed to medical advancements. They tend to live tribally and have decidedly different social structures. One of them involves mate challenging. With few women, a common problem apparently, offworld mates can be challenged by tribe females to see if they can win the male away. But the way they do it basically amounts to, at best, molestation. If not flat out attempted rape. They see what happened to the women as wrong, but they think forcing a male is ok? These thoughts don't go together.
*Not a single human ever had any problems with food. Ever. Well, not till book 6, anyways. No way that every human went through various alien foods, between the lab and the village, without so much as a case of the hiccups.
*If this planet is so cold, why aren't the humans bundled up a lot more? This is an ice planet. Humans are running around outside in robes, not a scarf, hat, glove or face covering in sight. Sara, an Alaskan native, about freezes to death. But a couple chapters later she's participating in an outside market?
*A supposedly advanced race, in thinking if nothing else, is surprised when tribe members lie?
*When said tribe member lies, he leaves his kids with her. The attempted rapist of his person, who has come after his mate and generally been ugly? Not a trusted female, say another human or the chief's wife? Really? Not a bit of suspicion?
*Human DNA is completely suppressed by alien DNA? And they're compatible with every species out there? That means every woman is basically just an ambulatory incubator. Lovely. I'd think that, if nothing else, the hybrid vigor would be praised as it would bring up fertility rates. But that factor is overlooked.
I have a lot more issues but I don't want it to seem like I'm shredding the author's work completely apart. The baseline plot is good. Even the escape and rescue is decently done and plotted out. It's just some of the other stuff didn't quite gel. Contradictions in thinking, behaviors, little things, but to me catching. Some smoothing out, a few tweaks, and the series could become something really great. And I'd really love a storyline where those poor 89 managed to escape. It's been 6 books already, and several years. Let them go, and maybe get revenge on their tormentors?
December 12, 2020
I don't get why other women didn't run away. Be raped and tortured or take a chance in the snow? It was horrible when Sara had to listen to women being forcibly raped, bitten, and clawed up. I was glad that Sara escaped.
I wasn't impressed with Vidok in the beginning. He slept around with as many women as possible. He also had instalove too quickly for my taste. I like a little build up. He assumed she wasn't intelligent but didn't care and fell in love at first sniff. But, he is alien so I guess he could have a pass.
Sara had instalust immediately upon waking up to him. After being enslaved, abused, close to being raped, witnessing multiple women being brutally raped, it just seemed to quick. She should have been traumatized. But, we later learn he gives off hormones so I guess she gets a pass too. I did like her spunk in how she dealt with the tribesmen treating her like a piece of meat.
I had a hard time with all of Vidok's pleasure mates coming around and bragging about their excessive sexual past. Not.cool.at.all. Sara didn't like it but she accepted it easily. I was reading a blurb for book 2 and the heroine first runs into her mate while he is screwing someone in an alley.. Not sure if I want to finish this book or the series so started to skim.
I did not like that Ita was going to challenge Sara for mating rights and Vidok lied to Sara about it. By Ita challenging Vidok's mating, he had to let her be intimate with him and try to arouse him. She grabbed and rubbed his penis.. She rubbed her bare vagina on him.. WTF. Poor pregnant Sara WATCHED while her mate got naked with another woman with no heads up.. It was just thrown in her face right before the act happened.. She along with 2 witness watched this... ehhhhh!!! Then she instantly forgives him and they go to a party and have fun!?!! What if a male wanted to challenge their mating? Would the tribe force Sara down while some male got naked and forced himself on her??? He could have refused but didn't.....I AM DONE. Not a fan. I need to read about unicorns and rainbows now to wipe this crap from my mind. Book pissed me off. Dnf 56%. Will not continue series or this author. Disgusted!!!!
As the so-called priest, he could have changed things. By allowing this to happen, he encouraged his mate and future people to be hurt by this stupid tradition. Days later and I still hate this book...
I wasn't impressed with Vidok in the beginning. He slept around with as many women as possible. He also had instalove too quickly for my taste. I like a little build up. He assumed she wasn't intelligent but didn't care and fell in love at first sniff. But, he is alien so I guess he could have a pass.
Sara had instalust immediately upon waking up to him. After being enslaved, abused, close to being raped, witnessing multiple women being brutally raped, it just seemed to quick. She should have been traumatized. But, we later learn he gives off hormones so I guess she gets a pass too. I did like her spunk in how she dealt with the tribesmen treating her like a piece of meat.
I had a hard time with all of Vidok's pleasure mates coming around and bragging about their excessive sexual past. Not.cool.at.all. Sara didn't like it but she accepted it easily. I was reading a blurb for book 2 and the heroine first runs into her mate while he is screwing someone in an alley.. Not sure if I want to finish this book or the series so started to skim.
I did not like that Ita was going to challenge Sara for mating rights and Vidok lied to Sara about it. By Ita challenging Vidok's mating, he had to let her be intimate with him and try to arouse him. She grabbed and rubbed his penis.. She rubbed her bare vagina on him.. WTF. Poor pregnant Sara WATCHED while her mate got naked with another woman with no heads up.. It was just thrown in her face right before the act happened.. She along with 2 witness watched this... ehhhhh!!! Then she instantly forgives him and they go to a party and have fun!?!! What if a male wanted to challenge their mating? Would the tribe force Sara down while some male got naked and forced himself on her??? He could have refused but didn't.....I AM DONE. Not a fan. I need to read about unicorns and rainbows now to wipe this crap from my mind. Book pissed me off. Dnf 56%. Will not continue series or this author. Disgusted!!!!
As the so-called priest, he could have changed things. By allowing this to happen, he encouraged his mate and future people to be hurt by this stupid tradition. Days later and I still hate this book...
March 25, 2022
3.5 Stars
Sara and her fellow humans were tricked into volunteering for an inter-species study. Now the reality she faces is so much worse now down to the last few humans if Sara doesn’t find a way out soon she will be forcibly hunted and bred by her alien captors the Agraak. imprisoned in a lab on a planet of ice Sara decides her only way out is to try and flee escaping into the cold harsh terrain which is where Vidok a native to this planet discovers the small dying female.
I always enjoy this author her imaginative stories featuring inhuman heroes are just my jam. I did mostly enjoy this one but unfortunately, there were some small niggles that dragged my rating down slightly. So I wasn’t a fan of the mating challenge issued by Ita I found it incredibly disrespectful especially considering Sara’s condition which actually speaks for itself since VaDorok males can only impregnate their mates. I also felt for Vidok so much I mean it was such a distasteful violation. I then didn’t like how much of a man ho he’d been in his youth even knowing it was his people's culture. But my biggest peeve was when Vidok acted like a complete dolt and trusted that she-devil I mean talk about male density when it comes to the fairer sex it’s obviously universal. Other than the above the rest was good. Vidok I found was a complete purring sweetie at least with Sara yes this was very insta but this did work mostly due to them being mates.
There was some intrigue and danger a rescue mission and dealings with an intergalactic council there was also a sense of community and the building of bonds. Obviously, Vidok is very different looking from his small human mate and I loved how alien it all was he in custom as well as appearance. I found this well written and an interesting beginning to the wider series. There were definitely breadcrumbs dropped for future books and I’m glad that the series is being flung open to encompass different species. Overall this whetted my appetite and I’m intrigued for what’s to come it’s not my favourite to date by this author but it was still a decent and imaginative read.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
March 28, 2019
Rapey and odd typos
Terrible rape breeding in the beginning, then an alien custom where a male can be molested to prove he won't respond sexually to anyone other than his mate, then kidnapping and being sold back to beginning rapist made this alien romance a disappointment. The writing is repeatedly interrupted with brackets containing letters and numbers that have no meaning besides other punctuation typos. Gratuitous use of the c word for female privates.
The Alien races were imaginative, the mating sweet and sexy. I might try another story in this series but the constant plot devices to tear the couple apart in this story make me uncertain about future plots.
Read in KU, Mature content
Terrible rape breeding in the beginning, then an alien custom where a male can be molested to prove he won't respond sexually to anyone other than his mate, then kidnapping and being sold back to beginning rapist made this alien romance a disappointment. The writing is repeatedly interrupted with brackets containing letters and numbers that have no meaning besides other punctuation typos. Gratuitous use of the c word for female privates.
The Alien races were imaginative, the mating sweet and sexy. I might try another story in this series but the constant plot devices to tear the couple apart in this story make me uncertain about future plots.
Read in KU, Mature content
February 25, 2019
This was a KU read. Earth girls are being held prisoner and experimented on by evil aliens on an frozen planet. Sara escapes and is rescued by warrior priest Vidok. He instantly recognizes Sara as his mate. I wasn't feeling the relationship between Sara and Vidok. I felt as though the world building took precedence over their relationship. I think the book could have had better editing and some of the sub plots could have been eliminated. They may have added some angst and describing the VaDorkok's customs but didn't add meaningfully to Sara and Vidok's story. This is a new author and I plan to check out her future books. I think she'll become better with more experience.
December 29, 2019
This was supposed to be a fun light reading and it was, except I only felt its heaviness after finishing the book, so bye bye light effect. It wasn’t supposed to leave me debating and wondering about galactic morals and ethical dilemmas.
If other planets in the universe or galaxy have extinction level shortage of females, and it turns out that Earth women can be universal breeders,
“…the Agraak discovered that human biology is extremely recessive, to the point where fertilization erases all expressions of any human phenotypes. Any young born, more or less, will express purely the traits of the nonhuman parent.... They have indexed human compatibility as nearly universal.”
Should Earth be expected to “assist or aid” the other civilisations with the problem they are facing? If yes, is Earth allowed to treat this as any intergalactic trade and profit from it or should it be a humanitarian aid? If they don’t want to assist, what will this mean for the habitants of the 3rd rock from the sun, does it become a “visitors from out of space” hunting ground for women, especially if Earth is known to be technologically inferior to its galactic counter parts? Whose decision is this suppose to be, is it Earth governments, corporates, public or should it be left to the unbiased Intergalactic Council?
I don’t think I was supposed to take it this seriously, but I sort of went there and like I said the whole relaxing effect that the book had while I was reading it went out the window. On top of the above, I am also facing the following two unintended issues.
1. I am never going to be able to watch Doc Who’s other worldly encounters with the same innocent eyes, ever again. I read a lot of alien books but they have never left me with this feeling before. I think the number of different species and some scenes in this book made me think of Doc Who, but with a lot of inter-species hot steamy sex.
2. I wasn’t planning to read the second book but even without any cliffhanger, I feel I must, otherwise I will not be able to concentrate on my next book. I hate (love) when this happens. It feels like this book was setting a stage for a major Earth vs Galaxy showdown. If this doesn’t come to pass, I am going to be really pissed.
I love it when a book surprises me and this is a small one, less than 200 pages. The story is actually a light ready, its just that my mind did not want to stick to the surface.
I am not sure if this still counts as a review.
If other planets in the universe or galaxy have extinction level shortage of females, and it turns out that Earth women can be universal breeders,
“…the Agraak discovered that human biology is extremely recessive, to the point where fertilization erases all expressions of any human phenotypes. Any young born, more or less, will express purely the traits of the nonhuman parent.... They have indexed human compatibility as nearly universal.”
Should Earth be expected to “assist or aid” the other civilisations with the problem they are facing? If yes, is Earth allowed to treat this as any intergalactic trade and profit from it or should it be a humanitarian aid? If they don’t want to assist, what will this mean for the habitants of the 3rd rock from the sun, does it become a “visitors from out of space” hunting ground for women, especially if Earth is known to be technologically inferior to its galactic counter parts? Whose decision is this suppose to be, is it Earth governments, corporates, public or should it be left to the unbiased Intergalactic Council?
I don’t think I was supposed to take it this seriously, but I sort of went there and like I said the whole relaxing effect that the book had while I was reading it went out the window. On top of the above, I am also facing the following two unintended issues.
1. I am never going to be able to watch Doc Who’s other worldly encounters with the same innocent eyes, ever again. I read a lot of alien books but they have never left me with this feeling before. I think the number of different species and some scenes in this book made me think of Doc Who, but with a lot of inter-species hot steamy sex.
2. I wasn’t planning to read the second book but even without any cliffhanger, I feel I must, otherwise I will not be able to concentrate on my next book. I hate (love) when this happens. It feels like this book was setting a stage for a major Earth vs Galaxy showdown. If this doesn’t come to pass, I am going to be really pissed.
I love it when a book surprises me and this is a small one, less than 200 pages. The story is actually a light ready, its just that my mind did not want to stick to the surface.
I am not sure if this still counts as a review.
August 27, 2019
Earth girls kidnapped and experimented on by horrible, ugly aliens....
3.5 Stars cause it was entertaining and I love alien love stories...but it just missed that special something...could have used more polish.
I do recommend it. The hero is sweet and strong and very protective. His people are wonderful. The earth girls were smart and brave and wounded. And I am intrigued enough to read the next book.
3.5 Stars cause it was entertaining and I love alien love stories...but it just missed that special something...could have used more polish.
I do recommend it. The hero is sweet and strong and very protective. His people are wonderful. The earth girls were smart and brave and wounded. And I am intrigued enough to read the next book.
October 30, 2019
You know what, surprisingly I really enjoyed this story. It was suggested reading from friends in a Ruby Dixon fan club. Great world building and funky alien characters. An overall great, short sci fi romance.
April 10, 2020
Wonderful story line, sexy strong alien race, great steamy scenes
November 24, 2019
What an interesting twist to first contact. I really enjoyed reading this first book in the series. These two were so sweet together.
February 20, 2019
The first book from this author and the first book in the series (based on the author’s note), it was pretty good, I like the H-h interaction and relationship, it has some typos, which it was somewhat distracting when trying to follow the storyline but, overall it was pretty good. I will definitely follow this series. Looking forward to the next book.
with proper edits, this book would have a solid 4.5 stars
with proper edits, this book would have a solid 4.5 stars
June 30, 2019
While this work needs some editing, the world building and plot are wonderful. If all the editing issues are fixed, I'd give this five stars. I will read any following works by this author.
The story starts after the humans leave Earth, thinking they are going for anthropological research into the wider universe. They've been lied to by the particular group of aliens that made first contact. We first meet our heroine after she's been in captivity for a few months. Her escape sets her on course to meet her mate. Sara is the only human woman who is comfortable in a freezing tundra environment as she was from Alaska.
Sara's initial meeting with Vidok was quite amusing. Their relationship was actually sweet and just what each needed. I did enjoy the obvious backstory contained within the brief snippets of history that Sara learned in her early days with Vidok.
Vidok - an interesting looking alien for those who like aliens who look like aliens - is an older male, in his prime edging towards older prime age (i.e. I believe 30's for humans) and he is lonely.
If you liked Amanda Milo's works, you'll probably like this one!
The story starts after the humans leave Earth, thinking they are going for anthropological research into the wider universe. They've been lied to by the particular group of aliens that made first contact. We first meet our heroine after she's been in captivity for a few months. Her escape sets her on course to meet her mate. Sara is the only human woman who is comfortable in a freezing tundra environment as she was from Alaska.
Sara's initial meeting with Vidok was quite amusing. Their relationship was actually sweet and just what each needed. I did enjoy the obvious backstory contained within the brief snippets of history that Sara learned in her early days with Vidok.
Vidok - an interesting looking alien for those who like aliens who look like aliens - is an older male, in his prime edging towards older prime age (i.e. I believe 30's for humans) and he is lonely.
If you liked Amanda Milo's works, you'll probably like this one!
October 26, 2021
I got 45% of the way through before I dropped this. But I had good reason. So the one thing they make amazingly clear is that the mating bond is sacred. And yet at 40% through the mate/wife (Sara the female MC who is pregnant at the time) has to watch another female force her mate/hubby (Vidok the male MC) to lounge naked while a naked female tries to have sex with him. The culture with the big emphasis on the sacredness of the mating bond basically allows forced intimacy (Vidok has zero interest in the woman not his mate). The inconsistencies between what is said and done are terrible. If a writer is going to make it very clear that the mating bond is sacred (Vidok gives this whole speech about how he will never be interested or with another because they mate for life and it's a bond that cannot be broken and so on) then having forced intimacies when someone is already mated with a kid on the way is just too out there. Is it sacred or not? Who would want to marry into a culture like this? Between that and no character development its just not a book I could bring myself to finish.
May 26, 2019
Enjoyable start to a series.
The characters were fascinating and original. I thought the different species and planets were well developed and believable. I am moving on to the second book in the series because I am anxious to see what comes next.
The characters were fascinating and original. I thought the different species and planets were well developed and believable. I am moving on to the second book in the series because I am anxious to see what comes next.
August 17, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a very good, well-developed alien/human romance! The world-building felt solid, and the VaDorok culture was fascinating. The two main characters were interesting, and I really enjoyed the believable interplay not only between them but also with the wider cast.
Sara and several hundred others from Earth have been lied to and find themselves part of a “compatibility study” (translation: matchmaking experiment with aliens). That setup gave the story a nice mix of tension, survival, and slow-burn connection. Watching Sara navigate her situation while trying to hold onto her independence kept me invested, and the romance grew in a way that felt both emotional and realistic.
The story had a nice balance of romance, drama, and alien intrigue. My only small critique is that some sections felt a little long, but it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment. If you’re into alien romances with heart, heat, and well-thought-out storytelling, this one is worth picking up!
This was a very good, well-developed alien/human romance! The world-building felt solid, and the VaDorok culture was fascinating. The two main characters were interesting, and I really enjoyed the believable interplay not only between them but also with the wider cast.
Sara and several hundred others from Earth have been lied to and find themselves part of a “compatibility study” (translation: matchmaking experiment with aliens). That setup gave the story a nice mix of tension, survival, and slow-burn connection. Watching Sara navigate her situation while trying to hold onto her independence kept me invested, and the romance grew in a way that felt both emotional and realistic.
The story had a nice balance of romance, drama, and alien intrigue. My only small critique is that some sections felt a little long, but it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment. If you’re into alien romances with heart, heat, and well-thought-out storytelling, this one is worth picking up!
August 17, 2024
DNF at 60% This is HORRIBLE.
The human women get rescued from a breeding farm by the planet’s alien natives who turns and breeds them instead. All of the human women are extremely weak willed and ruled by instalust. Being so immediately horny for these native aliens who saved you from a life of rape and being a brood mare is wild to me.
The native women also have practice of “challenging” the alien males and other women for the mating rights. GROSS- like why would yall wanna fight another woman for a man clearly devoted to another pregnant woman through a SACRED mating bond??? Not to mention this cultural practice involves RAPING the man in front of “witnesses.”
I hate this book. This is my third book by this author and I really should’ve stopped at the first.
The human women get rescued from a breeding farm by the planet’s alien natives who turns and breeds them instead. All of the human women are extremely weak willed and ruled by instalust. Being so immediately horny for these native aliens who saved you from a life of rape and being a brood mare is wild to me.
The native women also have practice of “challenging” the alien males and other women for the mating rights. GROSS- like why would yall wanna fight another woman for a man clearly devoted to another pregnant woman through a SACRED mating bond??? Not to mention this cultural practice involves RAPING the man in front of “witnesses.”
I hate this book. This is my third book by this author and I really should’ve stopped at the first.
June 4, 2019
Good book
Sara is a pretty strong character, smart, caring. Suprisingly okay with situations, maybe her captivity inoculated her to the stress.
Vidok almost made a really stupid decision in the end. The Earth government acts like a jerk, same as now. The leader of the Council was okay though, actually used the women what they wanted. Kind of wierd how humans can breed with just about everyone.
Guys, if your tribe has a test involving you potentially being sexually assaulted by a jealous chick, tell them. (Not the mistake referenced earlier)
Sara is a pretty strong character, smart, caring. Suprisingly okay with situations, maybe her captivity inoculated her to the stress.
Vidok almost made a really stupid decision in the end. The Earth government acts like a jerk, same as now. The leader of the Council was okay though, actually used the women what they wanted. Kind of wierd how humans can breed with just about everyone.
Guys, if your tribe has a test involving you potentially being sexually assaulted by a jealous chick, tell them. (Not the mistake referenced earlier)
January 2, 2020
To easy
I wanted to like this book. I kept pushing forward when my mind was telling me to just give up. The author is a good writer, as far as flow of story. However the ease with which the heroine community and with her rescuer right from the start was silly. The fact that these native creatures live on this planet and did not realize a big metal facility was being built on their planet is also ridiculous. The fact that these animals think they can defeat the aliens in the laboratory who obviously are capable of space travel and have weapons just ludicrous. It’s really too bad because I like this writer style but the story is just silly.
I wanted to like this book. I kept pushing forward when my mind was telling me to just give up. The author is a good writer, as far as flow of story. However the ease with which the heroine community and with her rescuer right from the start was silly. The fact that these native creatures live on this planet and did not realize a big metal facility was being built on their planet is also ridiculous. The fact that these animals think they can defeat the aliens in the laboratory who obviously are capable of space travel and have weapons just ludicrous. It’s really too bad because I like this writer style but the story is just silly.
May 23, 2020
I really enjoy interspecies romances where the male is not always super humanoid...it adds novelty and spice to the relationship. It's also cool to learn all about new species mating habits and intriguing body parts.
This new to me author has hooked me and I'll definitely read the whole Mate Index series. The VaDorok are gentle giants that can kick ass when required. I could have done without Vidok being a priest...religion takes away from the romance, for me anyways.
Another thing that bothered me a little was that
This new to me author has hooked me and I'll definitely read the whole Mate Index series. The VaDorok are gentle giants that can kick ass when required. I could have done without Vidok being a priest...religion takes away from the romance, for me anyways.
Another thing that bothered me a little was that
July 22, 2022
this was so badly written (and poorly edited), literally the only saving grace is the multitude of alien biology and how unique that bit was. i'm not a particular fan of either so uhhmmm yeah. not my cup of tea unfortunately
March 7, 2019
Will review when I clear my head!
October 24, 2019
what fun! rollicking good sex scenes in an interesting world with a really well-created alien lovah.
May 5, 2019
It's okay.
The overall story was very good. I will keep reading the next books. But there's about three things I need to point out. Needs proofreading. To many times a sentence was now done correctly. Example: Adding "ing" to words in a sentence which makes the sentence make no sense: ("It is fortunate he chose to not "leaving" (instead of "leave") immediately") another problem I have is the mate challenge. It was use and just hurt everyone involved. The VaDorok cannot impregnate any female that is not their true mate or uluska. Even within their own species. Sarah was already pregnant at the time of the challenge so it should have voided the challenge. And then when Sarah gave birth she had to squat the whole time? At first her mate was supporting her but then he was catching the baby and cutting the umbilical cord. Sorry not possible at the same time. And no way would a woman squat while giving birth without being in a pool for that long to deliver one baby much less two babies. Other than those detail issues the story was pretty good. I'll give the next one a shot. There is a rape in this book but not in detail. The main character female only heard it happen. So just beware any sensitive readers. Although the mate challenge could be considered rape of a male. He did not respond to the seduction but he was definitely sexually harassed. I'll leave it up to y'all to decide.
The overall story was very good. I will keep reading the next books. But there's about three things I need to point out. Needs proofreading. To many times a sentence was now done correctly. Example: Adding "ing" to words in a sentence which makes the sentence make no sense: ("It is fortunate he chose to not "leaving" (instead of "leave") immediately") another problem I have is the mate challenge. It was use and just hurt everyone involved. The VaDorok cannot impregnate any female that is not their true mate or uluska. Even within their own species. Sarah was already pregnant at the time of the challenge so it should have voided the challenge. And then when Sarah gave birth she had to squat the whole time? At first her mate was supporting her but then he was catching the baby and cutting the umbilical cord. Sorry not possible at the same time. And no way would a woman squat while giving birth without being in a pool for that long to deliver one baby much less two babies. Other than those detail issues the story was pretty good. I'll give the next one a shot. There is a rape in this book but not in detail. The main character female only heard it happen. So just beware any sensitive readers. Although the mate challenge could be considered rape of a male. He did not respond to the seduction but he was definitely sexually harassed. I'll leave it up to y'all to decide.
March 8, 2019
Yeti planet and all that jazz.
For a new author, this book is very detailed. She opened up a new door to the universe. So many new civilizations, traditions and mating rituals. So unique but still the heart of the romance is strong with Vidok and Sara. The version i read is a little rough with edits but the plot is easily devoured and fulfilling. Give it two chapters before saying bleck.
For a new author, this book is very detailed. She opened up a new door to the universe. So many new civilizations, traditions and mating rituals. So unique but still the heart of the romance is strong with Vidok and Sara. The version i read is a little rough with edits but the plot is easily devoured and fulfilling. Give it two chapters before saying bleck.
February 12, 2019
What's next
So I gave this book a 4 because it had loads of potential and I hope we get more of this series. There was also plenty of things that we true lovers of aliens that are alien will find to enjoy whether it's the creative development of the different aliens, the story arc or little Easter egg references to other alien things a lot of us hold dear. For the most part I loved vidok and he was definitely and alien that was alien while staying true to being just humanoid enough. He was strong and you could tell he had a clearly defined personality. Sara was good too i loved her background story and the little glimpses we got of that and overall she was a strong likable female lead. I also thought it was good that through this couple we got glimpses into a variety of other characters/species to give us ideas of what we may see in the future. I only had a couple problems but nothing that should really stop anyone from giving this book a shot. First there was a noticeable amount of grammar issues, where I had to insert missing words in my head or take a minute to figure out what a sentence was trying to say. Second was I would have loved to see more personal quiet moment type dialog between our two leads so we could really learn about them while they learn about each other and not just have some of the smaller but still important in my opinion bonding just be assumed and not experienced. Neither of these things should discourage anyone though because it was still a very enjoyable story. I can't wait to see this author grow and really find their groove because I see a lot of goodness and creativity just waiting to explode onto future pages. I'm exited to read about the edoka and the vori those are 2 alien species in excited to get their own stories hopefully. And I hope This author stays true to keeping her aliens alien and keeps letting the creativity flow because I can't wait to see what's next. Good book would recommend.
So I gave this book a 4 because it had loads of potential and I hope we get more of this series. There was also plenty of things that we true lovers of aliens that are alien will find to enjoy whether it's the creative development of the different aliens, the story arc or little Easter egg references to other alien things a lot of us hold dear. For the most part I loved vidok and he was definitely and alien that was alien while staying true to being just humanoid enough. He was strong and you could tell he had a clearly defined personality. Sara was good too i loved her background story and the little glimpses we got of that and overall she was a strong likable female lead. I also thought it was good that through this couple we got glimpses into a variety of other characters/species to give us ideas of what we may see in the future. I only had a couple problems but nothing that should really stop anyone from giving this book a shot. First there was a noticeable amount of grammar issues, where I had to insert missing words in my head or take a minute to figure out what a sentence was trying to say. Second was I would have loved to see more personal quiet moment type dialog between our two leads so we could really learn about them while they learn about each other and not just have some of the smaller but still important in my opinion bonding just be assumed and not experienced. Neither of these things should discourage anyone though because it was still a very enjoyable story. I can't wait to see this author grow and really find their groove because I see a lot of goodness and creativity just waiting to explode onto future pages. I'm exited to read about the edoka and the vori those are 2 alien species in excited to get their own stories hopefully. And I hope This author stays true to keeping her aliens alien and keeps letting the creativity flow because I can't wait to see what's next. Good book would recommend.
April 12, 2019
First in series and first read by this author.
I really enjoyed this book, it was a great new story on a well used and well loved sci fintrope...abducted brides...to repopulate the many ‘femaleless’ species of the universe. Human women are discovered to be able to breed with most species and as a result are a hot commodity.
The authors spin on this, world building and writing style was a pure enjoyment and I really liked the yeti/cat/dragon-esq Vadorok. Who doesn’t like a Gruff furry beastie as a love interest.
My only grumble is a minor bug bear.. there was a lot of time jumps ( and happenings within that I would have loved to have ‘witnessed’) yes yes yes I know we can’t have every minutia... but I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for the human interviews with chancellor.
Trigger warnings for those who need them..and minor editing problems, that I found, didn’t impact on the story..as I was too engrossed in it to care.
I’m very much looking forward to continuing this series and reading more from this author.
I really enjoyed this book, it was a great new story on a well used and well loved sci fintrope...abducted brides...to repopulate the many ‘femaleless’ species of the universe. Human women are discovered to be able to breed with most species and as a result are a hot commodity.
The authors spin on this, world building and writing style was a pure enjoyment and I really liked the yeti/cat/dragon-esq Vadorok. Who doesn’t like a Gruff furry beastie as a love interest.
My only grumble is a minor bug bear.. there was a lot of time jumps ( and happenings within that I would have loved to have ‘witnessed’) yes yes yes I know we can’t have every minutia... but I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for the human interviews with chancellor.
Trigger warnings for those who need them..and minor editing problems, that I found, didn’t impact on the story..as I was too engrossed in it to care.
I’m very much looking forward to continuing this series and reading more from this author.
June 14, 2019
*WARNING* contains explicit adult sexual situations, violence, and rape
Sara got more than she bargained for when she signed up to leave Earth. Sara did NOT volunteer to be a pris and unwilling breeder to some disgusting aliens.
Vidok was out hunting when he heard the saddest most soul rendering cry he had ever heard. Vidok had to go see if there was anything he could do to help the poor creature that was so distressed.
This is such a great start to a series. The characters are wonderful. There are one that you'll love to hate of course. The world building for the VaDorok is so good, you'll want to shiver! I like this mostly because the way these aliens are described would make them seem vicious, but they are mostly peaceful. It's the Earth leaders here that do the "highway robbery" in the end (go figure). This is also a beautiful story of how much beings will give up for love and far beings will go. RECOMMENDED!
Sara got more than she bargained for when she signed up to leave Earth. Sara did NOT volunteer to be a pris and unwilling breeder to some disgusting aliens.
Vidok was out hunting when he heard the saddest most soul rendering cry he had ever heard. Vidok had to go see if there was anything he could do to help the poor creature that was so distressed.
This is such a great start to a series. The characters are wonderful. There are one that you'll love to hate of course. The world building for the VaDorok is so good, you'll want to shiver! I like this mostly because the way these aliens are described would make them seem vicious, but they are mostly peaceful. It's the Earth leaders here that do the "highway robbery" in the end (go figure). This is also a beautiful story of how much beings will give up for love and far beings will go. RECOMMENDED!
September 20, 2019
Not quite 2 & 1/2 stars
There were a lot of inconsistencies to the plot that pulled me out of the story & into my head with questions about things that didn't make sense. It had potential, but fell short for me. Some of the story seemed to ramble on and other parts seemed to speed on by. The main characters were ok, definitely not memorable, as a day later & I can't remember their names. I really didn't feel the connection between the characters, and I really didn't feel like I knew them when I finished the book. This isn't the worst book out there, & I didn't hate the story, or regret reading it, but it definitely didn't make me want to continue with the series. The original cover is awful (used here on Goodreads), I wouldn't have picked it up if it was still using that on Amazon -with KindleUnlimited. Yes, I'm a cover snob, I like a good cover, it can determine if I will pick up a book to read or not, more so than the blurb.
There were a lot of inconsistencies to the plot that pulled me out of the story & into my head with questions about things that didn't make sense. It had potential, but fell short for me. Some of the story seemed to ramble on and other parts seemed to speed on by. The main characters were ok, definitely not memorable, as a day later & I can't remember their names. I really didn't feel the connection between the characters, and I really didn't feel like I knew them when I finished the book. This isn't the worst book out there, & I didn't hate the story, or regret reading it, but it definitely didn't make me want to continue with the series. The original cover is awful (used here on Goodreads), I wouldn't have picked it up if it was still using that on Amazon -with KindleUnlimited. Yes, I'm a cover snob, I like a good cover, it can determine if I will pick up a book to read or not, more so than the blurb.
April 20, 2020
Although parts of this book were interesting, there were a lot of elements that I did not feel were dealt with sufficiently or well Additionally, parts of the story just didn't make sense. Perhaps another reader would enjoy it more, but I found myself unable to get over the absences of certain things and disjointedness.
I did find the concept of what it might be like for a humanoid baby to be grown in an eggshell an interesting thought experiment.
I did find the concept of what it might be like for a humanoid baby to be grown in an eggshell an interesting thought experiment.
May 23, 2019
Needs editing, otherwise awesome
So I waited to read this one figuring that the next edition would be edited, but either it wasn't finished or done at all. I found 15 instances of missing or duplicate words, 14 spelling errors and 10 spots where the sentence structure needed working to make it sensible. There were some other minor issues with the story continuity or subplots that could have easily been left out.
On the positive note: I have read stories about many diverse alien species, but never a cross between a dragon, cat and yeti. It made for some very interesting observations. Vidok and Sara are flawed as any of us are, but determined to make things work. The world building was phenomenal, such detail has been put into the book which should pay off as the series progresses. I would give this a 4.5 stars if the proofreading/editing is accomplished.
So I waited to read this one figuring that the next edition would be edited, but either it wasn't finished or done at all. I found 15 instances of missing or duplicate words, 14 spelling errors and 10 spots where the sentence structure needed working to make it sensible. There were some other minor issues with the story continuity or subplots that could have easily been left out.
On the positive note: I have read stories about many diverse alien species, but never a cross between a dragon, cat and yeti. It made for some very interesting observations. Vidok and Sara are flawed as any of us are, but determined to make things work. The world building was phenomenal, such detail has been put into the book which should pay off as the series progresses. I would give this a 4.5 stars if the proofreading/editing is accomplished.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews