Left by his soulmate and forced to watch his brothers build lives with their true loves, Ah'dan finds new promise in the beautiful eyes of a human woman, Niya. Still bound to his lehti for life, Ah'dan hopes he isn't too broken for another kind of happiness. But when your heart isn't really yours, can you ever truly give the woman you love what she deserves?
Nikki Clarke is a poet and writer who’s always loved a good love story in books and on film. Her favorite on screen love declarations in no particular order are: Darius and Nina under the viaduct, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth in the field (Knightley and MacFadden version), and Dwayne and Whitley at the wedding. Nikki doesn’t mind a little weird (or raunch) mixed in with her romance and hopes to contribute to more happily ever afters of all shades and styles.
I’m generally a fan of the fated mates trope and love plot elements like the leht that is part of the Lyqa people’s dedication to their mates. But like with most fated mates-type tropes, sometimes I do wonder what would happen if for some reason, despite the biological urge to get together, the couple wasn’t compatible or maybe just emotionally loved other people. This 4th book in the Lyqa Planet series takes on this question with Ah’dan who was abandoned by his fated mate (called a lehti in this world) and who despite what he thought possible, falls in love with Niya, a human woman from earth. Ah’dan and Niya are perfectly compatible and completely in love with one another when Ah’dan’s lehti returns and he finds it difficult to reject a biological impulse to care for his fated mate however much she broke his heart.
This is vaguely love triangle but not quite and not in a gratuitously annoying way. But definite content warnings for that sort of emotional cheating content which may be potentially triggering as well as for terminal illness and death. This is probably the most emotional of the series so far and definitely my favourite book yet from the series. I’m enjoying this series and looking forward to the next.
This book was a full on emotional rollercoaster. It’s definitely the most heart wrenching book in the series and I can see it making some people ugly cry. The story was engaging and the characters are debatably some of the best written in this series.
I know after reading that you’re thinking if this book is all of the above and ends with a happily ever after what’s up with the three star rating? I have to be honest and say although this book is all those things I knocked off two stars because the MMC is incredibly selfish in my opinion. If you’ve read Lyqa books prior you are aware that the aliens males are bound to their soulmates stronger than the female aliens. Biologically they want to make them happy, love them in a way they cannot love others and even die when they die. With that being said this book tackles what happens when you are biologically bound to another, but fall in love with someone else.
I don’t fault the MMC for finding love after his soulmate left him, but I do fault him for how he handles it. He left the FMC in the dark about the significance of the bond and every bit of important information she gets about it happens because the MMC/another character has no other option but to tell her the truth. It painful to read at times and his excuses for not telling her are weak.
He doesn’t want her to feel like second fiddle, but the bond makes him treat her that way on multiple occasions when his soulmate reappears in his life. It was cruel to leave the FMC unprepared and it honestly felt like to me like the MMC didn’t want tell her. I get that it’s a hard conversation with a risk that she may not be interested, but it she should have been briefed beforehand.
What saved this book for me was that you can genuinely tell that the MMC loves the FMC and on some levels resents his biology. The ending was a full on hail mary to make readers happy and I was here for it. This was a good read if you are into the rejected soulmate finding new love trope and I can’t deny how beautifully it’s written, but not one of my favorites out of this series.
I don't write book reviews but the book here does something I have never seen. The author writes in a way that takes your emotions from happy, anger, sadness (I cried my eyes out btw), to a point you are praising black Jesus (if you read the other books you will understand). Wow I can say I'm not disappointed and the author put her all in this book. This book tops my favorite book from Nikkki. I would like to add its refreshing for me to see black authors write about black women in a scifi setting, its very hard to find these types a books and I'm glad I found another author that does this. Nikki thank you!
Where do I begin. This book takes you on an emotional rollecoaster. I laughed and cried so much. It is beautifully written love story that explores what it really means to love someone. I could not put this book down just like the other books in this series. I was recently introduced to this author from a Facebook post of another Sci-Fi author highlighting black Sci fi authors and glad this was a recommended series. It's refreshing to read something that highlights black women, black culture and love in a positive light. Nikki Clarke has a new forever fan.
Niya is truly one of God’s strongest soldiers cause babyyyyyyyyyy I’d be walking through the markets of Lyqa to find me a new man. Immediately!
In some of the earlier books from our introduction to Ah’dan, I was not a huge fan of his but he ~sort~ of redeemed himself in this. We got the background that explained a lot of his earlier moments and current behaviors.
There were too many secrets though and he would definitely need to get karate chopped or something. I know Niya was feeling like Rochelle from Everybody Hates Chris “Why am I the last to find out???”. He could have groveled more to seal the deal for me.
Overall this is a good read and has a different vibe than the others in the series before it.
So I'm a review reader and I kept reading about how sweet Ah' Dan is and he IS, but Kwarq is still my favorite and the sweetest! I love these Legroes so much. I also love the human women that are seasoning space with their BGM! This is such an incredible series. It follows the same theme but the storyline is so different and exciting. I'm in love!
Ok yes I cried a little but the fact still remains: Ah’dan is a selfish alien. He has two chances to tell her something important and both times he didn’t say a word!!! Like dang did you not learn from the first thing you withheld from her? Both times someone else had to fill her in. Niya is better than me because I would’ve been back to my planet as soon as I understood what was going on. 😒
I always find myself wish these books were longer and this one is. Definitely shed a tear or two on this one. This one had all the feels as well.
I thought T was the oldest. Okayyyyy for a little rough and controlling play! Love to see a different dynamic from a Lyqa. Ah’dan is being misleading. Not him saying she should share more with him but doesn’t disclose he’s leht or what it means. Not here for it. Or him calling her his heart cuz we know what’s up. Again, in the last book there was a difference in the term rotation. The same in this book. In a previous book, a turn was two weeks but in this book it’s day.
The emotions the emotions I tell you! Nikki first off I'ma need you not to play with my emotions like that! Every emotion you can think of you brought it out of me! Ah dan is my favorite Lyqa brother of all times! His ex lehti was bout to catch these hands. The Heffa took stuff wayyyyyyy to far more that a few time's. I was not prepared for this one but yet and still this was my favorite. What a beautiful story. True love always wins! Great job Ms. Nikki... What's up with Qim and ol girl across the hall though???👀👀👀
I enjoyed this book, the spicy moments were very much hot and I liked the pace of the story. I think it's my favorite so far from this series.
I wish Niya's character had more depth (likes, dislikes, fears (about love, etc.), needs, wants, etc.). It felt as though her existence/experience was solely connected with Ah'dan's situation.
Nikki Clarke deserve much credit for her creativity. Black women in space? I love and I especially love this book. It was definitely an emotional rollercoaster but it does not disappoint. I cannot wait to reread this again!
Oh my goodness! The author, Nikki Clarke, really did a number on my emotions with this excellent installment of the "Lyqa Planet Lovers" series—this is my favorite story from all the ones I've read so far! Nikki truly outdid herself! From the moment I first read about Ah'dan in the previous stories, I couldn't wait to dive into his narrative, and it did not disappoint! I honestly don't have many notes because I don't want to spoil any part of this story. However, I will say keep the following nearby: a glass of wine (or enjoyment beverage of choice) for the laughs, a glass of water for the sultry love scenes, and a box of Kleenex for the rollercoaster of emotions you'll undoubtedly experience while reading this incredible story!
I absolutely love Ah'dan, the male main character. He's sexy, sweet, gifted, caring, and so much more. I did have an issue with him not being forthcoming about specific information, but I understand why he chose to hold back. As for Niya, the female main character, I loved her as well; she was so understanding and incredibly sweet. She and Ah'dan are a perfect match. It was nice to catch up with the Bennett sisters, their Lyqa husband Legroes (Lol), and their families, along with Shay and her husband, Sol. I also enjoyed the introduction of new characters—except for one, because, honestly (insert eye roll emoji), she could have approached things differently. I definitely understood Shay's feelings about that character!
Additionally, I loved getting more of Qim in this story and can't wait to read his tale once I've recovered from the emotional high of this one. I genuinely mean it when I say I laughed, cried, and kicked my feet while reading! It's a fantastic story! I never thought a "Fantasy Alien Romance" could affect me like this, but here I am! I loved the world-building, and as a Black woman, I feel represented in these stories. The way the author intertwined some Black family traditions into the narrative was phenomenal! Even though this series has several installments, I hope the author continues with it. I had a wonderful, fun, and emotional experience reading this story!
PROS: ♡ This was a fun story to read, I really liked the alien world the author created. This is the 4th book in the series (but my first time reading any book in the series) so a lot of characters and the world building is already established and I really liked that. The alien world felt very believable. ♡ I enjoyed how cute the alien men were to their women, I always like it when alien male characters put women on a pedestal lol and a lot of their behaviors were funny. The Ice Planet Barbarians series is very similar to this as the women in these alien cultures are treated with respect. ♡ The author is very good at writing, the story flowed well and everything was well written
CONS: ♡ The male lead Ah'dan was not very considerate of Niya's feelings and him constantly withholding very important information from her made him come off as a coward and someone who is just stringing her along. I don't think she got the best pick of men. I do think he loves her but the constant avoidance of possible confrontation multiple times put Niya in distress. ♡ Saw a review that this is like fated mates in reverse and I definitely agree, fated mates/soulmates is one of my favorite tropes so the way the characters love story was written was not my favorite. ♡ Niya was treated by Ah'Dan as a glorified side-chick and puts up with so much that I didn't have a lot of respect for her. Definitely came off as desperate and willing to be walked over.
I'm squealing like a little girl! WOW! This was the best of them so far! That's true in part because of Ad'dan being Ad'dan, but Clarke did a number here in so many other ways.
The first thing I noticed was a difference in her writing. The growth showed up on the first page, and I'm here for writers maturing. Ad'dan's spicy scenes were different in comparison to his brothers. He's lucky Niya is who she is because I don't see anyone else who would have handled this with such grace and understanding. The best part is how it paid off in FULL. I did see the twist coming, but it's different when you read it. The other twist I didn't see coming, but it made me laugh so hard.
I'm not a spice reader (I didn't know before I started), so Clarke's ability to create relatable and likable characters, the effortlessness of her world building, engaging plots, and everything between is a testament to her creativity and writing.
First of all, the world building in this series is insane. Piece by piece, couple by couple this world comes together beautifully. I could NOT put this book down, as other readers have said it was an emotional rollercoaster and I was completely tuned in for every part. Ah’dan piqued my interest in book one so to finally start unwrapping his complexity was exciting and on time. Niya is beyond incredible because i was ready to give up on this Legro a couple of times (I don’t want to spoil anything but I’ll saying there were to TRYING part). Author please continue to write this series, you are so gifted. This is Science fiction that more than just acknowledges the existence of black people but highlights it/celebrates it and I am here for it.
OK this one by far has been the best! I was a little worried after reading Sol because I really wasn’t feeling that one but she has truly done more than redeem herself with this one. This book was so good I couldn’t wait to finish so I could write the review! I felt all the feels I could possibly feel while reading I laughed I was pissed off I was anxious I wanted to beat somebody’s A#@ and I cried and cried and cried! I can’t wait to read the next one but this one truly was my favorite! I love me some Nikki Clarke!! I think I’m loving this almost as much as I love the conjure boys…almost
This book is my favorite in the series so far and I’m not surprised as Ah’dan has been my favorite of the brothers since book one. I was shocked to learn he was already ledt in book 2 and was eager to learn what happened. All in all, I wasn’t disappointed.
I was angry a majority of this book but I loved it. I really wished that Ah’dan didn’t keep so much from Niya, because then she had to learn it from others, and that wasn’t fair to her. And after learning that Na’jah left him, I knew she would show up at some point but she made me so mad lol. I really enjoyed this story, and can’t wait to dive into Qim and Chris’!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Finally, Ah’dan’s backstory was explained and it was everything. Once again, Ms. Clarke produced a very engaging and complete novel. I wish more authors would take a page from her books and make them a standalone. It was suspenseful and engaging. The Lyqa men are all sweethearts. Niya was a welcome change from the ghettoness of the other human women. Her calm and mature nature was needed. I was starting to think that Ms. Clarke was going to depict every black women as loud, ghetto, foolish and uncouth. In addition, the ending was fantastic.
This book is my favorite so far of the series. Niya seemed the most mature of all the women and Ah’Dan is definitely the most dreamy. Niya needs to check the other women’s loyalty to her though. I can’t say much more without spoiling key parts of the book. I’m just saying that they withheld key info that you would keep from your friend. Anyway, this series is very different than anything I’d usually read, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised and totally invested in these characters! I look forward to reading more from Nikki Clarke.
I really enjoyed this book. Ah’Dah and Niya were an exciting couple. Niya was fearless. I like how she was open minded about life beyond earth. Ah’Dah was ready to show her that there was not too many differences between their cultures. I loved how beautiful and passionate the lovemaking was throughout the story. It definitely was 🔥🔥🔥🌶️🌶️🌶️. I was wondering how the situation was going to work out regarding Ze’lah. It was handled beautifully. I love the Lyqa men. I recommend this book.
Ah'dan and Qim are staying at a house on Earth when the basement floods. Ah'dan's sister-in-law, Tiana, asks her best friend and former SIL, Niya, to house the 2 aliens.
Ah'dan and Niya are attracted to each other. Ah'dan is somewhat surprised at his attraction since he is leht with Ze'lah. Ze'lah declined the leht, and they've been apart ever since.
Ah'dan feels he should let Niya go to find the love she deserves since his first heart is reserved for Ze'lah. But they both love each other, and he doesn't want to let go of Niya.
If you're familiar with Lyqa and the let and Ah'dan, you know this story is going to be a lot. if you're not familiar with any of those things, please go read at least book 1. Do not let this book be your introduction into this world. For those who know, I have to assure you this is a romance and there is an HEA. I almost gave this 3 stars because of the feelings, but I appreciate the story and I love seeing all of our girls from the previous books.
Niya just wanted to make sure her nephew was okay, Ah’dan wants to get to know Niya. Things are much more complicated than they seem.
I can honestly say that I didn’t expect this one to end the way it did. Clarke really had me guessing until the end. I had a range of emotions about this one, and I really appreciate Clarke’s decisions.
I think this one is for the second chance romance girls, because I think it counts.
I felt myself in niya, wanting to feel love to have that life of Mine, craving something and family with them , that only they can give to be apart of something of my own and relishing in that feeling of longing need and security and oneness... This Is my Favorite out of this series. YOU DID SO AMAZING.. I WANT THIS LIFE FOR MYSELF..ALL OF IT!!! BEAUTIFULLY DONE... One of my 5 fave authors!!!
This is by far my favorite my favorite brother! This had me going on an emotional roller coaster! I went from happy to mad to sad and back happy again! Nikki I fell in love with your books a couple of months ago and read every single one of them and this one did not disappoint! Good job!
I cannot get enough of these books. I love the Lyqa, the Bennette sisters and their friends. Each book is better than the last one. I can't wait for Qim's book.
This story really had me in my feelings and a little teary-eyed. I was hooked from beginning to end and I love how it all played out. Wonderful story and I can't wait for more.
Girrrrrrlllllllll...did you just try to make me cry?! Had me reading this ending biting my nails, pulling out follicles of my hair thinking "Lord don't let this be their ending!" How dare you write yet another great read! Got me hooked to these books like Bob Ross was hooked to his happy trees!
Another great installment in the Lyqa Lovers series
Keep your hankies out for this one. Even though I figured out how the main conflict would be resolved, I still appreciated the beauty of the writing. The author gave us glowing prose when other writers would have made it more cut and dried. I can’t wait for Qim’s book!
The mark of a good writer is the ability to take their reader into the book. I was mad, happy, aroused, irritated and everything in between. Ad’han isn’t MY man and I felt this story. Definitely one of my top 5 books of all time. #blackgirlmagic #maryjblijekindareallove
I love the stories and the characters are so relatable, even the aliens. I cried on my porch and was so angry but I knew it couldn't end that way. Now my eyes are puffy and my nose is running and I'm smiling. You almost made my heart stop. You are an amazing writer and I cannot wait to read the next installment. (I can't believe you made me cry...)