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Garrison Earth #4
Saved
Her body belongs to everyone, but her soul is mine.
Patrons call her leska, female, using her body in ways that leave the human in bruises and blood. Each night, I stitch her back together, tend to her wounds, only to watch another male tear them open with pleasure.
Sophie. That’s what I call her when no one is listening, that human female abducted from Earth to be seeded by many. I want to save her, but I can barely save myself, chasing my next score with no consideration for anyone — not even her.
Each day I pledge I’ll save her.
Each day I let her down.
I mean every promise I make her, but I don’t keep a single one.
Until an opportunity arises, bringing us face to face with our worst enemy: myself.
Saved is the fourth book in this interconnected romance series, bringing you an alien invasion in its most authentic way. If you enjoy strong women, devoted aliens, fated mates, and hard-earned happily ever after’s with no insta-love, Stockholm syndrome, or cliffhangers, you’ll love Garrison Earth.
Author Note: The entire Garrison Earth series touches on subjects such as captivity, drug abuse, forced prostitution, loss of loved ones, human trafficking, rough handling, and violence. Any reader uncomfortable with the harsh realities of an alien invasion should please consider before purchase.
Patrons call her leska, female, using her body in ways that leave the human in bruises and blood. Each night, I stitch her back together, tend to her wounds, only to watch another male tear them open with pleasure.
Sophie. That’s what I call her when no one is listening, that human female abducted from Earth to be seeded by many. I want to save her, but I can barely save myself, chasing my next score with no consideration for anyone — not even her.
Each day I pledge I’ll save her.
Each day I let her down.
I mean every promise I make her, but I don’t keep a single one.
Until an opportunity arises, bringing us face to face with our worst enemy: myself.
Saved is the fourth book in this interconnected romance series, bringing you an alien invasion in its most authentic way. If you enjoy strong women, devoted aliens, fated mates, and hard-earned happily ever after’s with no insta-love, Stockholm syndrome, or cliffhangers, you’ll love Garrison Earth.
Author Note: The entire Garrison Earth series touches on subjects such as captivity, drug abuse, forced prostitution, loss of loved ones, human trafficking, rough handling, and violence. Any reader uncomfortable with the harsh realities of an alien invasion should please consider before purchase.
287 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 25, 2020
150 people are currently reading
210 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
August 26, 2021
This was a very hard book to read.
Whilst I dont have triggers, reading about a young 18 yr old woman, kidnapped and sex trafficked and then her daily rapes is pretty gruesome even for those of us that love twisted n dark reads.
Add into that Adeas the H is a drug addict and we go through his drug abuse highs n lows. I have a low tolerance for drug addiction - can't stand it.
But this is what's so great about this author because amidst all that she manages to make us see the souls of the two mcs and their yearning for more.
Great plot and storyline!
I also have to take issue with some of the reviews of this book calling Sophie a whore. Whores choose to be that and they get paid for their services. They also choose who they have sex with. SEX SLAVES HAVE NO CHOICE, they dont get paid and the sex they have is by definition non consensual ergo rape! So don't call her a fucking whore, she's a fucking abused sex slave ffs!!! This makes me so angry.
Amazing book but not for the faint hearted.
Whilst I dont have triggers, reading about a young 18 yr old woman, kidnapped and sex trafficked and then her daily rapes is pretty gruesome even for those of us that love twisted n dark reads.
Add into that Adeas the H is a drug addict and we go through his drug abuse highs n lows. I have a low tolerance for drug addiction - can't stand it.
But this is what's so great about this author because amidst all that she manages to make us see the souls of the two mcs and their yearning for more.
Great plot and storyline!
I also have to take issue with some of the reviews of this book calling Sophie a whore. Whores choose to be that and they get paid for their services. They also choose who they have sex with. SEX SLAVES HAVE NO CHOICE, they dont get paid and the sex they have is by definition non consensual ergo rape! So don't call her a fucking whore, she's a fucking abused sex slave ffs!!! This makes me so angry.
Amazing book but not for the faint hearted.
Read
August 26, 2021This wasn't for me.
I didn't like the premise.
I was confused as to what was going on.
I liked the series so far but not this one. Sorry.
Heroine is a prostitue, not by choice, she was trafficked into the slavery, so intimate scenes other than the Hero.
HEA.
I didn't like the premise.
I was confused as to what was going on.
I liked the series so far but not this one. Sorry.
Heroine is a prostitue, not by choice, she was trafficked into the slavery, so intimate scenes other than the Hero.
HEA.
November 20, 2023
This book, while well-written, was hard to get through. I admittedly skimmed through much of the suffering. Like other reviewers, I was disappointed that we didn’t get to see the couple happy or know what they were truly like after they overcame their trauma.
January 24, 2023
Triggers for this review: sexual assault, slavery, drug addiction
Is it possible for an author to plagiarise their own work? Because if so, I think V.K. Ludwig has an excellent case against V.K. Ludwig for this one. Seriously. This book is basically the same as Matched, book 2 of the series, except with the angst and grit dialled up about ten notches.
Firstly, the setting is the exact same: a brothel on the planet Odheim where most of the workers are ex-warrior Jal’zar females.
Secondly, Adeas, like Melek, is a healer and sgu’dal (addict). Ludwig, hun, ya can't give the MMC the same profession and character flaw as another MMC from two books ago. And especially not while the story plays out in a near-identical location!
Thirdly, Sophie's character trauma comes from the same place, fundamentally, as Katie's character trauma. They are both women who are exposed to the "ugly side" of the Vetusian Empire first - and part of this "ugly side" includes sexual assault. As such, both Sophie and Katie are FMCs who are dealing with sexual trauma on-page and (justifiably) slow to trust the MMC because of this.
Like I mentioned earlier, the primary differences between Saved and Matched seem to be the grit-and-angst-factor being dialled up. Instead of a fair brothel owner and family-like environment, we have an abusive one. Instead of Adeas being a recovered addict, he is still in the thralls of his addiction. Instead of Sophie's sexual assault being a one-time thing, she is a sex slave.
Which brings me to one of my main issues with the book (aside from the self-plagiarised premise): there was way too much angst. And when I say this, I'm not necessarily saying I have an issue with the expected angst that comes with a drug addict and a sex slave finding love and trying to plan their escape. That part was fine. But where I took issue was how long we spent with the characters at their low point.
Which is to say, the whole book. A solid 90% is spent with these two characters going through awful experience after awful experience. Let downs, betrayals, abuse, etc. It is really only in the last two chapters that we finally get to enjoy some earned happiness for Adeas and Sophie.
The narrative spent far too much time dwelling on these low points and completely neglected the "high points" that are necessary for showing why they love each other in the first place. For example, the "fettuccine scene" was really cute and I would have liked to see some more of those genuine connections and interactions. But, more so than any other book by Ludwig, I feel like the Gaia-link (aka mating bond) was relied on too heavily instead. Which felt odd, considering Saved comes directly after Rosie and Balgiz's story, which does the exact opposite.
Really, I think Adeas and Sophie's time at the brothel should have ended at around the 50% mark, with the next 50% being dedicated to a combination of:
1) Adeas's rehabilitation
2) Sophie's emotional recovery
3) Getting to know who Adeas and Sophie are once they have the time and safety to do things like talk properly and/or have hobbies
But, as it stands, I don't really know who Adeas and Sophie are at all. What do their lives look like now that they are no longer an addict and a sex slave? How did they find their way back to each other after their shared traumatic experience? What did their first proper date look like? Or their first overseas trip? How do they interact now that their lives are their own again?
I really have no idea, despite reading a couple of hundred pages about these two, what "normal" looks like between them. I don't even know who "recovered" Adeas is. Does he make jokes? Or is he the quiet, studious kind?
And, a final gripe of mine, but I think some of the language and descriptions used to describe Sophie's situation was... uncomfortable. Adeas disliking her for "walking around like she owned the place" and initially wanting to "humiliate" her really didn't sit right with me, especially since everyone knew she was abducted and forced into sex work. It made me dislike Adeas right away and, considering his amount of fuck-ups following that, I really struggled to warm up to him afterwards. I found myself feeling like Sophie deserved better, especially since she already grew up with an addict for a mother.
I almost gave Saved 1-star, but it did recover somewhat during the final third, so I'll give it a 2. I think the final line of the book was brilliant thematically and - if there had been more narrative time spent post-Odheim fleshing out this theme of "names" and showing what reclaiming them actually looks like - I could have easily given this a 3 or 4-star rating.
Is it possible for an author to plagiarise their own work? Because if so, I think V.K. Ludwig has an excellent case against V.K. Ludwig for this one. Seriously. This book is basically the same as Matched, book 2 of the series, except with the angst and grit dialled up about ten notches.
Firstly, the setting is the exact same: a brothel on the planet Odheim where most of the workers are ex-warrior Jal’zar females.
Secondly, Adeas, like Melek, is a healer and sgu’dal (addict). Ludwig, hun, ya can't give the MMC the same profession and character flaw as another MMC from two books ago. And especially not while the story plays out in a near-identical location!
Thirdly, Sophie's character trauma comes from the same place, fundamentally, as Katie's character trauma. They are both women who are exposed to the "ugly side" of the Vetusian Empire first - and part of this "ugly side" includes sexual assault. As such, both Sophie and Katie are FMCs who are dealing with sexual trauma on-page and (justifiably) slow to trust the MMC because of this.
Like I mentioned earlier, the primary differences between Saved and Matched seem to be the grit-and-angst-factor being dialled up. Instead of a fair brothel owner and family-like environment, we have an abusive one. Instead of Adeas being a recovered addict, he is still in the thralls of his addiction. Instead of Sophie's sexual assault being a one-time thing, she is a sex slave.
Which brings me to one of my main issues with the book (aside from the self-plagiarised premise): there was way too much angst. And when I say this, I'm not necessarily saying I have an issue with the expected angst that comes with a drug addict and a sex slave finding love and trying to plan their escape. That part was fine. But where I took issue was how long we spent with the characters at their low point.
Which is to say, the whole book. A solid 90% is spent with these two characters going through awful experience after awful experience. Let downs, betrayals, abuse, etc. It is really only in the last two chapters that we finally get to enjoy some earned happiness for Adeas and Sophie.
The narrative spent far too much time dwelling on these low points and completely neglected the "high points" that are necessary for showing why they love each other in the first place. For example, the "fettuccine scene" was really cute and I would have liked to see some more of those genuine connections and interactions. But, more so than any other book by Ludwig, I feel like the Gaia-link (aka mating bond) was relied on too heavily instead. Which felt odd, considering Saved comes directly after Rosie and Balgiz's story, which does the exact opposite.
Really, I think Adeas and Sophie's time at the brothel should have ended at around the 50% mark, with the next 50% being dedicated to a combination of:
1) Adeas's rehabilitation
2) Sophie's emotional recovery
3) Getting to know who Adeas and Sophie are once they have the time and safety to do things like talk properly and/or have hobbies
But, as it stands, I don't really know who Adeas and Sophie are at all. What do their lives look like now that they are no longer an addict and a sex slave? How did they find their way back to each other after their shared traumatic experience? What did their first proper date look like? Or their first overseas trip? How do they interact now that their lives are their own again?
I really have no idea, despite reading a couple of hundred pages about these two, what "normal" looks like between them. I don't even know who "recovered" Adeas is. Does he make jokes? Or is he the quiet, studious kind?
And, a final gripe of mine, but I think some of the language and descriptions used to describe Sophie's situation was... uncomfortable. Adeas disliking her for "walking around like she owned the place" and initially wanting to "humiliate" her really didn't sit right with me, especially since everyone knew she was abducted and forced into sex work. It made me dislike Adeas right away and, considering his amount of fuck-ups following that, I really struggled to warm up to him afterwards. I found myself feeling like Sophie deserved better, especially since she already grew up with an addict for a mother.
I almost gave Saved 1-star, but it did recover somewhat during the final third, so I'll give it a 2. I think the final line of the book was brilliant thematically and - if there had been more narrative time spent post-Odheim fleshing out this theme of "names" and showing what reclaiming them actually looks like - I could have easily given this a 3 or 4-star rating.
January 8, 2025
Saved is similar in a few ways to Matched from the same series in that it follows a Vetusian MMC that suffers from a soul dust addiction and the discrimination that comes with it. Adeas, the MMC, is also in extreme denial of his addiction, which you don't find out the reasons for until later in the book.
It also follows an 18 year old human girl named Sophie who was mentioned in previous books because she was kidnapped and sex trafficked. Most of her chapters involve rape, abuse, and manipulation, so check your trigger warnings for this one.
The premise and plot for this one was interesting, but the execution was poor. With such a horrific turn of events for both characters, I expected much more impactful writing. In the end, I felt like most of the emotions and heartache were skimmed over, and the book felt lacking because of it.
It also follows an 18 year old human girl named Sophie who was mentioned in previous books because she was kidnapped and sex trafficked. Most of her chapters involve rape, abuse, and manipulation, so check your trigger warnings for this one.
The premise and plot for this one was interesting, but the execution was poor. With such a horrific turn of events for both characters, I expected much more impactful writing. In the end, I felt like most of the emotions and heartache were skimmed over, and the book felt lacking because of it.
October 3, 2022
The heroine is a human woman who was kidnapped from Earth and brought to a distant planet where she is forced to work as a prostitute. She earns no money from that job and is very much a sex slave there.
The hero is a junkie in deep denial about his addiction.
It's a hot mess.
The hero is a junkie in deep denial about his addiction.
It's a hot mess.
Read
November 15, 2023This one was much better than the last in this series. It’s the second book in this as of now 5 book series that has a souldust addicted healer as the male love interest. The book was heavy and dark and I really couldn’t put it down.
I really kinda hated how the climax went down but I will say it was far from predictable. I think one of my issues with the series these last two books is that the Vetusians just aren’t alien enough and just feel like bodybuilding human men (mostly virgins). It leans a lot on interplanetary politics and wars and bureaucracy when I find sci fi such a ripe creative field where literally anything goes, I want to see some non-humanesque shit, ya know? I also kinda hate the trope of the human female being so special and rare and desired then the Jalzar women always get the shaft and are often the coolest characters in the books. This story has a Jalzar male who plays an important role and I was kinda hoping it would go one way but went totally the opposite way and felt like a waste of an interesting set up. Everything after the climax was just a bit disappointing in my opinion. I get the desire to represent addiction in a realistic way but also we read sci fi romance to escape said reality so a little more lightness and fun would’ve been appreciated.
I will read the next one but I’m gonna need a breather first because it looks like a doozy from the book description.
I really kinda hated how the climax went down but I will say it was far from predictable. I think one of my issues with the series these last two books is that the Vetusians just aren’t alien enough and just feel like bodybuilding human men (mostly virgins). It leans a lot on interplanetary politics and wars and bureaucracy when I find sci fi such a ripe creative field where literally anything goes, I want to see some non-humanesque shit, ya know? I also kinda hate the trope of the human female being so special and rare and desired then the Jalzar women always get the shaft and are often the coolest characters in the books. This story has a Jalzar male who plays an important role and I was kinda hoping it would go one way but went totally the opposite way and felt like a waste of an interesting set up. Everything after the climax was just a bit disappointing in my opinion. I get the desire to represent addiction in a realistic way but also we read sci fi romance to escape said reality so a little more lightness and fun would’ve been appreciated.
I will read the next one but I’m gonna need a breather first because it looks like a doozy from the book description.
March 15, 2021
I think the author really wanted to write this story after the one with Katie and her daughter. Its really a very dirty/grimy book that doesn't pull punches. The love between the two at the end is really fantastic but there was a bit of a lag in pace about mid book. Over all a really good story. I think this entire series could be trigger inducing to some that see romance as ONLY hearts and rainbows. Its definitely a bit more raw. Think HBO. HBO isn't for everyone either. Much grittier story telling, more truthful. I like it.
August 5, 2020
I enjoyed reading this. It’s angsts and roller coaster of emotions. This story is not for faint a heart. If you have triggers like drug addiction and prostitution, this won’t be your jam.
h is a prostitute, not by choice but by circumstance. The H is a drug abuser and made poor life choices. They both have issues but together they are perfect. Together they managed to survived and thrived.
I highly recommend.
h is a prostitute, not by choice but by circumstance. The H is a drug abuser and made poor life choices. They both have issues but together they are perfect. Together they managed to survived and thrived.
I highly recommend.
November 25, 2022
This one was tough for me to get through. Not because it was a bad book. But because it was so hard for me not to jump in and help save those two. The way he kept denying the addiction was heartbreaking
May 7, 2021
I had a very love hate with this book. As someone with druggy parents I related to Sophie. I wanted more for her but understood that was her match. That is the trope of these books. My heart hurt for her. This was the first VL book I struggled with.
Sweet Sophie is sassy. I really liked her as we went on towards the end I questioned if Adeas was going to get his life together.
Sweet Sophie is sassy. I really liked her as we went on towards the end I questioned if Adeas was going to get his life together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2023
This one was DARK! And I gobbled it up.
I loved the struggles these characters went through, it was not an easy read but it was nice to get characters that were so flawed and struggling. The only thing I struggled with was believing that Sophie would be able to enjoy sex with Adeas so much while trapped in her situation. I really liked the last third of the book and how much Adeas struggled with forgiving himself and the time him and Sophie spent apart. That felt very real.
I loved the struggles these characters went through, it was not an easy read but it was nice to get characters that were so flawed and struggling. The only thing I struggled with was believing that Sophie would be able to enjoy sex with Adeas so much while trapped in her situation. I really liked the last third of the book and how much Adeas struggled with forgiving himself and the time him and Sophie spent apart. That felt very real.
June 26, 2020
The writing was gorgeous and clean, with pretty sentences in the ARC version of the manuscript. The world building was vibrant, with the culture and environment of the brothel and drug lab coming to grim life. The characterization was top-notch, with a vibrant, complex picture drawn of the behaviors of an addict and a young woman forced into sexual slavery. Where the novel failed for me was in the development of the romance between these characters. I think I would have had an easier time seeing the hero as a believable romantic partner if he had gone clean and dried out much earlier in the novel, so that I as the reader could get more of a handle on his true personality under the drug addiction. Was this a masterfully written dark sci-fi novel? Absolutely. However, for me, it did not quite succeed as a romance novel because of the lack of space given to the characters' recovery and triumph over their trauma. The plot and pacing was exciting, making me turn the pages rapidly to find out what was going to happen next for these two. The angst was epically high, but it was also thoroughly justified, so I was able to enjoy it somewhat. I will admit to enjoying this novel the least out of the four in the series because the angst was so incredibly high with very little break. The stakes were very high, so I thoroughly enjoyed that. This novel used the Enemies to Lovers trope and the Fated Mates trope, which tends to be one of my favorite trope combinations. It also used the Mars Needs Women trope. The world building, plot and pacing were all five stars. The characterization was also five stars. The development of the romance, however, rated three stars for me. The combined score of this novel was therefore four stars. This novel ended on a Happy Ever After instead of a cliffhanger, so that is a big plus to the whole series so far. I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy angsty dark romance. I will eagerly read the next book in this series, even though this novel was my least favorite of the series so far. It was still excellently written, even if it did not quite personally work for me. I plan to buy myself a keeper copy of this novel, because I have loved the rest of the series so much.
April 19, 2023
Liked it better than the last book but this far into the series I would like to see some more of the side characters I already met. I ended up liking the MMC but my initial reaction was "whodafuq is THIS guy?"
July 6, 2020
This was a 3 and a half star review for me, the repetitiveness and drawn out actions of many of the events is what dropped it from a 4 star.
This is not your typical love story this is a very dark raw story with leska/Sophie and Adeas both struggling to maintain who they are in some very unsavory conditions.
Sophie is a sex worker that wants to runaway before she loses everything about herself and becomes just a shell and Adeas is a drug-addicted healer in denial of his addiction.
There is equal parts loathing in the beginning of the story towards each other as time goes on they learn that there is a lot more to the other than meets the eye.
Seeing the growth and eventual salvation is what originally kept me turning the pages. The beginning of the story I was very invested after a while it just felt like we had already read about the characters doing something similar. Then out of the blue the book shifted and now we had transitioned to a new development that didn’t really seem to make much sense, then again another shift where things are drawn out and repetitive again and for me it seemed to cheapen the struggles that Sophie and Adeas went through already in the book then we have a very anti-climatic ending.
There is a rawness and uncomfortableness to the beginning of the story that made me really want to see how the author would bring Sophie and Adeas to their eventual HEA after all of the lows and near highs they had.
At least for me it felt like about midway through either the author was unsure how to move the characters forward, things got too dark and they lost momentum or they were not comfortable continuing in the way the story was unfolding and kind of kept circling back to find a way out of how they may have painted themselves into a corner. So for me from midway to the rest of the book I started flipping pages and just lost my initial connection with the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is not your typical love story this is a very dark raw story with leska/Sophie and Adeas both struggling to maintain who they are in some very unsavory conditions.
Sophie is a sex worker that wants to runaway before she loses everything about herself and becomes just a shell and Adeas is a drug-addicted healer in denial of his addiction.
There is equal parts loathing in the beginning of the story towards each other as time goes on they learn that there is a lot more to the other than meets the eye.
Seeing the growth and eventual salvation is what originally kept me turning the pages. The beginning of the story I was very invested after a while it just felt like we had already read about the characters doing something similar. Then out of the blue the book shifted and now we had transitioned to a new development that didn’t really seem to make much sense, then again another shift where things are drawn out and repetitive again and for me it seemed to cheapen the struggles that Sophie and Adeas went through already in the book then we have a very anti-climatic ending.
There is a rawness and uncomfortableness to the beginning of the story that made me really want to see how the author would bring Sophie and Adeas to their eventual HEA after all of the lows and near highs they had.
At least for me it felt like about midway through either the author was unsure how to move the characters forward, things got too dark and they lost momentum or they were not comfortable continuing in the way the story was unfolding and kind of kept circling back to find a way out of how they may have painted themselves into a corner. So for me from midway to the rest of the book I started flipping pages and just lost my initial connection with the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 10, 2020
The good news is that this writer is extremely skilled at bringing a story to life so that the reader feels each and every thing that is occurring in vivid detail, almost as if the reader is right there inside the story. The bad news is the same… when it gets brutal, it’s just like being there and it just may make the reader squirm.
Sophie was captured and sold as a sex slave at Taigh Arosh. She is used over and over sexually in brutal ways by the Vetusian warriors, and has been there for more than a year already. It’s difficult to hold onto hope when there seems to be none at all available, but she thinks always of escape. Adeas is a healer for the sex slaves who tends to the multiple wounds and damage she sustains while servicing the rough males. He knows he should help her, should rescue her from this debauchery, but he has his own drug addiction that holds him captive in its own way. Yet both need desperately to be saved. Adeas tries to rescue her as well as himself, but can she depend on him? He makes so many promises that he means when he says it, but he can’t complete them. Can they find a way to help each other? If not, survival here for the long-term is not very likely.
As stated at the beginning, the writing is awesome and makes it sometimes difficult to get through some sections of the book. But the graphic, vivid experience of reading this story is something you won’t want to miss, unless it is too much to deal with. The world building is amazing and you will feel many emotions as you read this, but it is an experience that may surprise you and keep you coming back for the next book.
Sophie was captured and sold as a sex slave at Taigh Arosh. She is used over and over sexually in brutal ways by the Vetusian warriors, and has been there for more than a year already. It’s difficult to hold onto hope when there seems to be none at all available, but she thinks always of escape. Adeas is a healer for the sex slaves who tends to the multiple wounds and damage she sustains while servicing the rough males. He knows he should help her, should rescue her from this debauchery, but he has his own drug addiction that holds him captive in its own way. Yet both need desperately to be saved. Adeas tries to rescue her as well as himself, but can she depend on him? He makes so many promises that he means when he says it, but he can’t complete them. Can they find a way to help each other? If not, survival here for the long-term is not very likely.
As stated at the beginning, the writing is awesome and makes it sometimes difficult to get through some sections of the book. But the graphic, vivid experience of reading this story is something you won’t want to miss, unless it is too much to deal with. The world building is amazing and you will feel many emotions as you read this, but it is an experience that may surprise you and keep you coming back for the next book.
January 14, 2024
This series is dark and sad and yet I can't get enough. This one follows Sophie who was briefly shown in Matched as one of the first abducted women. She has been barely surviving as a sex slave, building a hard exterior to protect herself. Meanwhile Adeas has been barely surviving as a drug-addicted healer who works at the brothel. I really appreciated Ludwig's portrayal of addiction. While I don't have a personal experience with it, the fact that he was an unreliable narrator kept me guessing and really put me into the story. I thought I was sad at the last one but this was gut-wrenching, but it was done well. I didn't really like how toward the end Adeas Overall a well worth it emotional roller coaster.
July 13, 2020
Lovers with a dream of escaping from the lives they lived.
by sewsummore
After the invasion of Earth, Sophie was sold to a pleasure house on a distant planet. It wasa life that was slowly destroying her as each night passed. Adeas was once a surgeon, now an addict working as a healer in the same pleasure house. Two inhabitants who were surviving yet never truly living. Then one-day Adeas was able to warn her of a danger she was facing, and thanks to the warning, she saw him for who he once was. From that time on, they became friends in secret, watching and comforting each other in times of need until they became lovers with a dream of escaping the lives they lived. This was an emotional love story of two lovers fighting against circumstances beyond their control. However, help did come from an unexpected source, and Sophie and Adeus did escape, but their story does not end yet. You will have to read the book to discover what happened up to and after their escape. They have to survive more pain before they can be together forever.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
by sewsummore
After the invasion of Earth, Sophie was sold to a pleasure house on a distant planet. It wasa life that was slowly destroying her as each night passed. Adeas was once a surgeon, now an addict working as a healer in the same pleasure house. Two inhabitants who were surviving yet never truly living. Then one-day Adeas was able to warn her of a danger she was facing, and thanks to the warning, she saw him for who he once was. From that time on, they became friends in secret, watching and comforting each other in times of need until they became lovers with a dream of escaping the lives they lived. This was an emotional love story of two lovers fighting against circumstances beyond their control. However, help did come from an unexpected source, and Sophie and Adeus did escape, but their story does not end yet. You will have to read the book to discover what happened up to and after their escape. They have to survive more pain before they can be together forever.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
July 8, 2024
Adeas + Sophie
Hoofta, so this is another one in the series with tough subjects. Sophie is one of the young humans who was stolen from earth and forced to be a sex slave on another planet we have seen in other books. She was taken at 18, was a virgin, and has been gone for over a year with no hopes of being rescued. She is known as Leska, the human woman all the aliens desire, and has formed this hard shell to protect her soul.
Adeas is a drug addicted healer that works at the brothel. He is in denial of his drug addiction, claiming he uses for the medical benefits and can quit every time which sadly is not the case. He decides to help Sophie hide her extra credits and to help sneak her off planet and get back to Earth.
This like all the others in the series is a hard fought HEA. We see both characters get beat and broken down individually and together. It can be very hard to read, but was very emotional and fulfilling in the end of course. Ugh I love this series so much. These are two very flawed very broken characters that hurt and are hurt by each other, trying to do their best and support and love each other.
Hoofta, so this is another one in the series with tough subjects. Sophie is one of the young humans who was stolen from earth and forced to be a sex slave on another planet we have seen in other books. She was taken at 18, was a virgin, and has been gone for over a year with no hopes of being rescued. She is known as Leska, the human woman all the aliens desire, and has formed this hard shell to protect her soul.
Adeas is a drug addicted healer that works at the brothel. He is in denial of his drug addiction, claiming he uses for the medical benefits and can quit every time which sadly is not the case. He decides to help Sophie hide her extra credits and to help sneak her off planet and get back to Earth.
This like all the others in the series is a hard fought HEA. We see both characters get beat and broken down individually and together. It can be very hard to read, but was very emotional and fulfilling in the end of course. Ugh I love this series so much. These are two very flawed very broken characters that hurt and are hurt by each other, trying to do their best and support and love each other.
July 9, 2020
Garrison Earth is probably one of my favorite alien/human romance series...ever. Adeas is a disgraced healer and drug addict working at a brothel to keep the sex slaves working and making money. He's convinced himself he's not an addict, he just needs the drugs for his nerve damage and can quit whenever he wants. Sophia is a rare human sex slave, kidnaped from Earth to work in the brothel. She is desperate to get out before she loses all of herself and engages in truly risky behavior to get the currency to find her way out. Both are desperate, both try to control their lives as much as they can, both have a bleakness in themselves that is heartbreaking. He feels something for this "leaka" and needs to help her and in the effort to do that, can he save himself? I loved the book, it was a page-turner from start to finish. The story is a wrenching depiction of addiction, desperation, and hope. Great addition to the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 19, 2021
I really loved Saved!
Each character holds a nugget of who they are in a secret spot where no other can get to and spoil. The heart-wrenching truth is those of us who have suffered trauma and survived know how achingly poignant the reality of survival matches the fictionalized characters self-loathing. It is so much easier to forgive others than to forgive yourself for being unable or unwilling to save yourself due to fear or believing you are not worthy of that love. For an alien fantasy this story struck a chord with me that quite frankly shocked me. It was well written and insightful. I highly recommend it. Be aware there are triggers and the content is unsettling at times, but if you are not hindered by this, it is uplifting and inspiring. Hope is a beautiful thing you should hold on to in any way until you find your way through the treacherous waters you find yourself in. Keep bailing the water and stay afloat!
Each character holds a nugget of who they are in a secret spot where no other can get to and spoil. The heart-wrenching truth is those of us who have suffered trauma and survived know how achingly poignant the reality of survival matches the fictionalized characters self-loathing. It is so much easier to forgive others than to forgive yourself for being unable or unwilling to save yourself due to fear or believing you are not worthy of that love. For an alien fantasy this story struck a chord with me that quite frankly shocked me. It was well written and insightful. I highly recommend it. Be aware there are triggers and the content is unsettling at times, but if you are not hindered by this, it is uplifting and inspiring. Hope is a beautiful thing you should hold on to in any way until you find your way through the treacherous waters you find yourself in. Keep bailing the water and stay afloat!
June 23, 2024
Tough Fate With An HEA
This was a hard story to get through for me. The author was so realistic in setting a mood of life as a prostitute and also separately as a drug addict that if left me wondering if she had experienced either of those in her own life. Things did work out at the end of the story, so the HEA was there for me.
I would recommend this book for people not triggered by drug addiction , human trafficking and prostitution. Otherwise stay away. Even those things have never been a part of my life, thank goodness, it was still a difficult read for me.
I probably wouldn't have stuck with it as a low level empath, but I have a reading goal and am a beta reader on Amazon so I kept going to add another book to my total of books read this year.
Might not be as difficult of a reading experience for those less sensitive to moods set by authors in their stories. This author is very good at creating moods in her settings!
This was a hard story to get through for me. The author was so realistic in setting a mood of life as a prostitute and also separately as a drug addict that if left me wondering if she had experienced either of those in her own life. Things did work out at the end of the story, so the HEA was there for me.
I would recommend this book for people not triggered by drug addiction , human trafficking and prostitution. Otherwise stay away. Even those things have never been a part of my life, thank goodness, it was still a difficult read for me.
I probably wouldn't have stuck with it as a low level empath, but I have a reading goal and am a beta reader on Amazon so I kept going to add another book to my total of books read this year.
Might not be as difficult of a reading experience for those less sensitive to moods set by authors in their stories. This author is very good at creating moods in her settings!
July 12, 2020
★ Slaves to Taigh Arosh and souldust ★
—>>> Nicknamed “the sun of Taigh Arosh (house of flowers),” Sophie is the sole human sex worker at the establishment, and she is desperate to get free from the life after she was abducted by Vetusians and then enslaved at Taigh Arosh to serve their wealthy patrons, no longer deemed suitable for breeding purposes. Sophie enlists the help of Adeas, one of the Vetusian healers who tends the workers and the best bet she has, putting all her thinning hope on this one male whose aliens species she despises. Developing feelings for him was not what she wanted, but something about him drew her hopelessly to him. The lengths Sophie goes to to escape and the various challenges ahead for both before Sophie becomes lost to herself becomes a journey with danger lurking behind every corner they look.
—>>> Nicknamed “the sun of Taigh Arosh (house of flowers),” Sophie is the sole human sex worker at the establishment, and she is desperate to get free from the life after she was abducted by Vetusians and then enslaved at Taigh Arosh to serve their wealthy patrons, no longer deemed suitable for breeding purposes. Sophie enlists the help of Adeas, one of the Vetusian healers who tends the workers and the best bet she has, putting all her thinning hope on this one male whose aliens species she despises. Developing feelings for him was not what she wanted, but something about him drew her hopelessly to him. The lengths Sophie goes to to escape and the various challenges ahead for both before Sophie becomes lost to herself becomes a journey with danger lurking behind every corner they look.
June 21, 2021
Sophie...Dude...this girl is a survivor. SAVED: This one was more difficult for me to read than all the ones before. I didn't think it would bother me, but it did. Drug addiction is hard to live with as an addict, but it's just as hard on the people who love them. I didn't think I had a trigger since I was never addicted, but addiction really does affect a whole family. This book brought back all of those old memories and feelings for me even though he's been gone for almost twelve years. I almost stopped reading in the middle, but I knew that V. K. would wrap it up nicely in the end as she always does. Even past that though, Sophie, her whole story just broke my heart. I love this author for keeping things real in her make believe worlds, but I'd really love to read a lighter kind of crazy from her mind sometime, lol, you know, just to even things out
May 8, 2022
Dark plot with a drug addicted hero and a whore for a heroine. The book is well written, but I struggled to care about a hero that was fairly useless and destructive. His addiction was a real problem, he hated Sophie at first, and he never really (until the very end) seemed to have a problem with her being a whore and fucking other men, let alone her having been forced into it a year ago. Sure he wanted to help her escape once she came to mean something to him, but there was never that sense of horror or rage from him that other men were using her that I was expecting. And he kept failing her over and over because of his addiction. He was a good guy at heart, but fairly useless thanks to his addiction. I’m sympathetic to people in this plight in real life, but had a hard time respecting or lusting over this supposed hero.
June 7, 2022
Is love stronger than addiction
This book has triggers: rape, sex slavery and physical abuse
It's also a powerful love story set on the roller coaster of loving an addict. Sophie was kidnapped from Earth, sold as a breeder then as a pleasure slave with few limits on what's done to the slaves. Adeas is a healer addicted to soul dust. Both Sophie and Adeas have significant emotional baggage. Her mother was a user and while Adeas denies he has a problem, his drug use was forced on him. Initially he thinks she's stuck up. She doesn't want to give him the time of day but he's the only one in a position and willing to help her. Despite their rough start and plenty of stumbles along the way, they're blessed to be fated mates. Now they just have to survive escaping the planet and him getting through rehab. Plenty of action and despite the circumstances a tender romance.
This book has triggers: rape, sex slavery and physical abuse
It's also a powerful love story set on the roller coaster of loving an addict. Sophie was kidnapped from Earth, sold as a breeder then as a pleasure slave with few limits on what's done to the slaves. Adeas is a healer addicted to soul dust. Both Sophie and Adeas have significant emotional baggage. Her mother was a user and while Adeas denies he has a problem, his drug use was forced on him. Initially he thinks she's stuck up. She doesn't want to give him the time of day but he's the only one in a position and willing to help her. Despite their rough start and plenty of stumbles along the way, they're blessed to be fated mates. Now they just have to survive escaping the planet and him getting through rehab. Plenty of action and despite the circumstances a tender romance.
June 15, 2021
My expectations and fears were met and beyond. This author can be trusted when she says in the blurb that it will be messy, unvarnished and unfiltered and you should really be sure yourself that you are up to the reading and have an open mind.
It took me almost a year to be sure I could enjoy and consume this heavy fare and desperately beautiful romance. Perfectly developed, sensitively and directly written with remarkable characters, even on the sidelines.
Bottom line: relentless in all its dark moments and corners but also so deeply emotional and scintillating in its attempt to trust and love and move forward safely with absolute uncertainty!
For a better understanding it is recommended to read the previous books in the series.
It took me almost a year to be sure I could enjoy and consume this heavy fare and desperately beautiful romance. Perfectly developed, sensitively and directly written with remarkable characters, even on the sidelines.
Bottom line: relentless in all its dark moments and corners but also so deeply emotional and scintillating in its attempt to trust and love and move forward safely with absolute uncertainty!
For a better understanding it is recommended to read the previous books in the series.
March 30, 2022
Love Conquers All
VK Ludwig had a way of writing stories that focus on real life issues, and showing each character humanity. Which makes reading these stories hard at times because they tend to pull at your heart strings, but the outcome tends to outweigh the heartache.
Sophie and Adeas’s story was a tough read because it was not a typical romance. It was one filled with real life issues addiction, enslavement, and abuse, but it was also filled with perseverance, love and redemption. I really enjoyed reading this story because it taught us to remove the judgement and accept people for where they are in life, and even in doing that you are giving that person room to grow and change. Definitely worth reading despite the hard story it told.
VK Ludwig had a way of writing stories that focus on real life issues, and showing each character humanity. Which makes reading these stories hard at times because they tend to pull at your heart strings, but the outcome tends to outweigh the heartache.
Sophie and Adeas’s story was a tough read because it was not a typical romance. It was one filled with real life issues addiction, enslavement, and abuse, but it was also filled with perseverance, love and redemption. I really enjoyed reading this story because it taught us to remove the judgement and accept people for where they are in life, and even in doing that you are giving that person room to grow and change. Definitely worth reading despite the hard story it told.
June 20, 2022
Read : June 20, 2022
Rating : 3,5 Stars
What I liked was the perseverance of both mc's and that I didn't shy away from the very heavy issue of addiction and what it does to people but also their environment, turning a person you know, you can trust into a lying stranger almost.
I also liked that the author didn't make Sophie be all apologetic about the fact that she had been an enforced prostitute, instead finding strength in the fact that all that shit happened to her but that it didn't make her less than.
What I didn't like was that there was a loooot of drama and I like my drama in small increments.
And oh man wtf is up with that warden Zavis dude, seems to me his story is either going to be wild af and cool to read or mega über overly dramatic.
Rating : 3,5 Stars
What I liked was the perseverance of both mc's and that I didn't shy away from the very heavy issue of addiction and what it does to people but also their environment, turning a person you know, you can trust into a lying stranger almost.
I also liked that the author didn't make Sophie be all apologetic about the fact that she had been an enforced prostitute, instead finding strength in the fact that all that shit happened to her but that it didn't make her less than.
What I didn't like was that there was a loooot of drama and I like my drama in small increments.
And oh man wtf is up with that warden Zavis dude, seems to me his story is either going to be wild af and cool to read or mega über overly dramatic.
November 12, 2023
I liked this story, which was dark and angsty and features human woman who is forced into prostitution and a Vestuvian drug addict. Their friendship then romance is born out of their mutual struggles.
My main issue with this book is that I found it hard to get into the romance side. All of their intimate encounters are after she’s forced to service five dudes during her shift. I don’t care how much I love a guy, he’s not going to make my come by fingering me after multiple daily rapes. I almost wish this book hadn’t had any sex in it between the two leads until after they escape.
My other issue is that it focused a lot on the drug addiction recovery, but not much at all on Sophie’s recovery from sex slavery.
My main issue with this book is that I found it hard to get into the romance side. All of their intimate encounters are after she’s forced to service five dudes during her shift. I don’t care how much I love a guy, he’s not going to make my come by fingering me after multiple daily rapes. I almost wish this book hadn’t had any sex in it between the two leads until after they escape.
My other issue is that it focused a lot on the drug addiction recovery, but not much at all on Sophie’s recovery from sex slavery.
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