Hot Alpha Alien Husbands – Book 2: Zane and Tanya was truly a fantastic read and a perfect follow-up to Book 1: Daxx and Jetta. I loved everything about it.
Where to start? Overall impressions:
The writing was strong, the plot was engaging, and the world-building was so vivid it exploded off the page. The characters were beautifully written with depth and complexity. Starkleigh successfully did something many authors fail to do well, which is to write two books with a parallel trajectory without the story becoming repetitive. In fact, Book 2 built on Book 1 in a clever way, expanding the story and the world, not rehashing things the reader already knew.
I also liked that the author infused some of the plot elements the reader was already aware of in Book 1, such as human women must have sex with their new mates in 70 hours or succumb to a deadly space flu. In both books, it was a factor and part of the overall plots, but from completely different angles, which added enormously to the story and drew the reader in emotionally. Nice job, Ms. Starkleigh.
Another note-worthy observation is Starkleigh’s approach to this genre (hot male aliens and human female mates), which is unique, multi-dimensional and intelligent. I’m a fan of this genre but there is a somewhat repetitive theme of human women kidnapped and sold at slave auctions and either bought by the hero or rescued. Hot Alpha Alien Husbands is a refreshing departure.
Plot and characters:
I encourage you to read the introduction to Zane’s and Tanya’s story. It provides a nice background on Phallyxian males and the planet Phallyx.
Earth did a bad thing, which wiped out almost all the female Phallyxians on the planet Phallyx. To atone for their misdeed, they agreed to send Earth woman to Phallyx to marry Phallyxian males in a bid to repopulate the planet.
Tanya’s and Zane’s story begins four years after the event that killed off most of the females on the planet Phallyx.
Zane needs a wife as well as a stepmother for his son, Ollie, who was born as his mother succumbed to the disease. The two of them choose Tanya because of her quiet nature, her love of books and her kindness.
Tanya was whisked off to the Phallyx with the first group of women (the experimental group) under false pretenses because of circumstances beyond her control. Zane and she click almost immediately, but Zane has more to consider than himself. He wants to take it slow and make sure Tanya is compatible with Ollie. He’s also distrustful of women based on past experiences.
Tanya is smitten with both Zane and Ollie, but also concerned that if she doesn’t have sex with Zane in 70 hours, she’ll die. There are several other plot elements woven between the burgeoning relationships of the three main characters that put Tanya’s life in danger. Clearly, not all Phallyxians like earth girls.
I was sucked into this book by Starkleigh’s development of the characters and their interactions.
Let’s start with Zane. Sexy, sexy, sexy. And hot! And also sexy. Seven feet tall, tan, corded muscular chest, dark curly hair, ice-blue eyes. To quote Tanya, “He looked like an earth man but about ten times better… as if he’d been Photoshopped to perfection.” Physically perfect and paired with those panty-melting masculine alpha traits, such as his subtle dominance, his possessiveness, his gentle, but forceful handling of Tanya both in and out of the bedroom. The relationship between Zane and his son was heart-warming, yet Starkleigh infused elements of the authoritative dad personality that meshed with his overall masculine nature.
Tanya has become one of my favourite fictional female characters. She is shy, contained and nurturing, but she tries to reinvent herself on Phallyx. Starkleigh did an amazing job of the transformation, allowing Tanya to grow, but not in a startling contrary way. She stayed the woman that Zane and Ollie initially wanted, but with a newfound confidence that was nurtured by her relationship with Zane and his extended family.
The sex scenes were on fire! The ‘almost sex’ scenes were just as engaging, and the sexual tension between Zane and Tanya was off the charts. They had tremendous chemistry.
To sum it all up, I loved this book. It makes me want to reread Book 1, followed by Book 2. And I do plan to reacquaint myself with all of DD Prince’s books. Seriously nice job, Scarlett!