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Love Beyond #1
Beyond the Next Star
An intolerable order. A desperate charade. A deadly secret.
Before Commander Torek Renaar can return to active duty, he’s ordered to purchase an animal companion to help relieve his PTSD symptoms. But having been a caretaker for and lost a loved one, keeping even one little human alive is a challenge he feels doomed to fail. It doesn’t help that his animal companion is the newest, most exotic breed on the market, demanding constant attention, daily grooming, and delicate handling. If she doesn’t die first in his incompetent care, she’ll be the death of him.
After witnessing the murder of her domestication specialist, Delaney McCormick allows her new owner to treat her like the pet he believes her to be. If anyone suspects she’s more intelligent than a golden retriever, her murder would be next. She endures the humiliation of being washed, the tediousness of being trained to “sit” and “come,” and the intrigue of hearing private conversations. But in Torek’s care, she finds something unexpected on this antarctic planet, something she never had in all her years on Earth while house-hopping between foster families: a home.
As companionship grows to love, must Delaney continue the charade, acting like an animal and hiding from the murderer waiting on her misstep? Or can she trust Torek with her secrets, even if the truth threatens everything he holds dear—and both their lives?
Before Commander Torek Renaar can return to active duty, he’s ordered to purchase an animal companion to help relieve his PTSD symptoms. But having been a caretaker for and lost a loved one, keeping even one little human alive is a challenge he feels doomed to fail. It doesn’t help that his animal companion is the newest, most exotic breed on the market, demanding constant attention, daily grooming, and delicate handling. If she doesn’t die first in his incompetent care, she’ll be the death of him.
After witnessing the murder of her domestication specialist, Delaney McCormick allows her new owner to treat her like the pet he believes her to be. If anyone suspects she’s more intelligent than a golden retriever, her murder would be next. She endures the humiliation of being washed, the tediousness of being trained to “sit” and “come,” and the intrigue of hearing private conversations. But in Torek’s care, she finds something unexpected on this antarctic planet, something she never had in all her years on Earth while house-hopping between foster families: a home.
As companionship grows to love, must Delaney continue the charade, acting like an animal and hiding from the murderer waiting on her misstep? Or can she trust Torek with her secrets, even if the truth threatens everything he holds dear—and both their lives?
378 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2020
238 people are currently reading
1486 people want to read
About the author
Melody Johnson
12 books342 followersMelody Johnson is the author of the “out of this world” Love Beyond series and the gritty, paranormal romance Night Blood series published by Kensington Publishing/ Lyrical Press. The City Beneath (Night Blood, book 1) was a finalist in the “Cleveland Rocks” and “Fool For Love” contests.
Melody graduated magna cum laude from Lycoming College with her B.A. in creative writing and psychology. Throughout college, she wrote contemporary love stories, but having read and adored the action and dark mystery of vampires her whole life, decided to add her fingerprint to the paranormal genre.
“The vampire sub-genre of paranormal romance has always been one of my favorites to read,” says Melody. “But it was just as important to me to explore the monster within the man as it was to reveal the man within the monster. The juxtaposition of good and evil and all the gray in between that composes a person is just as unique in my vampires as they are my human characters, and because of that, my heroine has more man troubles than she ever bargained for.”
Melody's unique perspective on vampires lends fresh bite to a classic paranormal genre. In addition to a reimagined transformation—the requirement of night blood—vampires have gargoyle-looking, vicious day forms, an orgasmic bite, and as the series progresses to Sweet Last Drop (book 2), a mindless, rampaging, zombie-like breed is introduced. Melody is constantly upping the stakes, and Day Reaper (book 4) is no exception.
Beyond the Next Star is an exciting branch from Melody's paranormal romance roots, keeping the dark grit from her Night Blood Series and taking it to new worlds. Told from the dual perspectives of both human pet and alien owner, Melody's story weaves a slow-burn romance that explores the bonds of love in all its forms, navigating the main characters’ relationship in delicate stages from oblivious ownership to woke, romantic love.
“Reading and writing romance is my life’s passion, but I’m particularly excited to add my voice to the sci-fi romance genre,” says Melody. “This book allowed me to explore the unconventional parameters that constitute home and family, something my heroine was denied in childhood and torn from in adulthood. But as she discovers through her adventure on Lorien, a home isn’t built with a foundation of concrete but of love.”
After moving from her northeast Pennsylvania hometown for some much needed Southern sunshine, Melody now works as a digital media coordinator for Southeast Georgia Health System’s marketing department. When she isn’t working or writing, Melody can be found swimming at the beach, reading at the pool, and exploring her new home in southeast Georgia.
Melody graduated magna cum laude from Lycoming College with her B.A. in creative writing and psychology. Throughout college, she wrote contemporary love stories, but having read and adored the action and dark mystery of vampires her whole life, decided to add her fingerprint to the paranormal genre.
“The vampire sub-genre of paranormal romance has always been one of my favorites to read,” says Melody. “But it was just as important to me to explore the monster within the man as it was to reveal the man within the monster. The juxtaposition of good and evil and all the gray in between that composes a person is just as unique in my vampires as they are my human characters, and because of that, my heroine has more man troubles than she ever bargained for.”
Melody's unique perspective on vampires lends fresh bite to a classic paranormal genre. In addition to a reimagined transformation—the requirement of night blood—vampires have gargoyle-looking, vicious day forms, an orgasmic bite, and as the series progresses to Sweet Last Drop (book 2), a mindless, rampaging, zombie-like breed is introduced. Melody is constantly upping the stakes, and Day Reaper (book 4) is no exception.
Beyond the Next Star is an exciting branch from Melody's paranormal romance roots, keeping the dark grit from her Night Blood Series and taking it to new worlds. Told from the dual perspectives of both human pet and alien owner, Melody's story weaves a slow-burn romance that explores the bonds of love in all its forms, navigating the main characters’ relationship in delicate stages from oblivious ownership to woke, romantic love.
“Reading and writing romance is my life’s passion, but I’m particularly excited to add my voice to the sci-fi romance genre,” says Melody. “This book allowed me to explore the unconventional parameters that constitute home and family, something my heroine was denied in childhood and torn from in adulthood. But as she discovers through her adventure on Lorien, a home isn’t built with a foundation of concrete but of love.”
After moving from her northeast Pennsylvania hometown for some much needed Southern sunshine, Melody now works as a digital media coordinator for Southeast Georgia Health System’s marketing department. When she isn’t working or writing, Melody can be found swimming at the beach, reading at the pool, and exploring her new home in southeast Georgia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 378 reviews
October 20, 2022
And the weirdest book award goes to... 🥁🥁🥁
This one.
Hands down, this one.
I read this book about a week ago, and I can't stop thinking about it. Not because it was good or bad... it was just plain weird. Bizarre. Baffling, even.
The hero, Torek, is a sasquatch-looking ice alien (the cover is MISLEADING - I imagined Chewbacca as the hero tbh), who is dealing with PTSD trauma. To help with his recovery, he adopts a pet as per his therapists advice. Unbeknowst to him, his pet is actually a sentient human being - the heroine, Delaney, who was kidnapped and abducted from earth. In order to survive, she has no choice but to act like an animal.
I don't think I've ever read a romance book with a pet and owner dynamic, so kudos to the author for writing something unique. I don't think I'll ever read one again though. Even though the romance is definitely more of a slow burn and you could see Delaney falling in love with Torek - pet to lovers though??? Wack AF. (Just FYI: Torek doesn't have feelings for Delaney until after he realises that she is a sentient human being...)
I felt like I spent the majority of the book cringing, and feeling sorry for Delaney, especially her visits to the vet and all the dehumanising things that happened to her. Her loss of autonomy was integral to the story, and while I liked that it was dealt with in a realistic and respectful manner... it was uncomfortable for me to read.
Despite the wacky storyline and the plot holes, Beyond the Next Star had a pretty legit plot and a good balance of humour. However, I think the more serious themes should have been explored in more depth (TW: PTSD, self harm, past sexual assault and abuse). This book was also a bit too wordy, and I found the ending to be largely unsatisfying.
Rating: 2.5/5
This one.
Hands down, this one.
I read this book about a week ago, and I can't stop thinking about it. Not because it was good or bad... it was just plain weird. Bizarre. Baffling, even.
The hero, Torek, is a sasquatch-looking ice alien (the cover is MISLEADING - I imagined Chewbacca as the hero tbh), who is dealing with PTSD trauma. To help with his recovery, he adopts a pet as per his therapists advice. Unbeknowst to him, his pet is actually a sentient human being - the heroine, Delaney, who was kidnapped and abducted from earth. In order to survive, she has no choice but to act like an animal.
I don't think I've ever read a romance book with a pet and owner dynamic, so kudos to the author for writing something unique. I don't think I'll ever read one again though. Even though the romance is definitely more of a slow burn and you could see Delaney falling in love with Torek - pet to lovers though??? Wack AF. (Just FYI: Torek doesn't have feelings for Delaney until after he realises that she is a sentient human being...)
I felt like I spent the majority of the book cringing, and feeling sorry for Delaney, especially her visits to the vet and all the dehumanising things that happened to her. Her loss of autonomy was integral to the story, and while I liked that it was dealt with in a realistic and respectful manner... it was uncomfortable for me to read.
Despite the wacky storyline and the plot holes, Beyond the Next Star had a pretty legit plot and a good balance of humour. However, I think the more serious themes should have been explored in more depth (TW: PTSD, self harm, past sexual assault and abuse). This book was also a bit too wordy, and I found the ending to be largely unsatisfying.
Rating: 2.5/5
January 31, 2021
4.5 STARS!
And before you turn your nose up at the premise below, make sure you read to the end:
Plot in a nutshell: Delaney is taken from Earth and classified as an animal species. Eventually she's bought by Torek to serve as a PTSD animal companion.
So, I know what you're thinking: Melanie is reading trashy, kinky, weird alien smut again . . . pet play no less.
But no!
There wasn't a sexual component to the story until about the 70% mark. But don't let that turn you off either. 😂 Torek and Delaney's relationship was fascinating.
Note: like many have mentioned, the cover is not indicative of just how alien Torek was. When I say looking for something different, I really mean it. 😂
"Our hearts would beat as one."What a unique breath of fresh air!
And before you turn your nose up at the premise below, make sure you read to the end:
Plot in a nutshell: Delaney is taken from Earth and classified as an animal species. Eventually she's bought by Torek to serve as a PTSD animal companion.
So, I know what you're thinking: Melanie is reading trashy, kinky, weird alien smut again . . . pet play no less.
But no!
There wasn't a sexual component to the story until about the 70% mark. But don't let that turn you off either. 😂 Torek and Delaney's relationship was fascinating.
Why would she stand by after being abducted by aliens and allow those aliens to enslave her under the mistaken assumption that she was an animal? The answer to that question was a death sentence.The plot was very intriguing and the author did such a good job with the characters here.
She closed her gaping mouth and forced her eyes to wander away from the stunning sight of her owner's battle-hardened body before he noticed that her stare had thoughts and fears and curiosity behind it.Torek's panic attacks and his desire to provide his pet with the best care possible made him an alpha with a heart of gold. And I loved Delaney and the way the emotional toll of pretending to be an animal wasn't glossed over.
Dwelling on the past merely poisoned the future.If you're looking for something different, I highly recommend!
Note: like many have mentioned, the cover is not indicative of just how alien Torek was. When I say looking for something different, I really mean it. 😂
February 12, 2021
I have a gut feeling my first foray into the alien trope is going to be delightfully weird. I’m almost jealous that she gets to be a pet aptly named Corkscrew (thanks to her hair). As a semi crazy cat lady, I’ve always been a little jealous of my babies lifestyle.
Surprisingly, it just sucks you in. I don’t think I ever really considered what it might be like to be a pet. In every sense, from nurturing to visiting a vet. It’s incredibly fascinating how captivity books irk me beyond rational thought but this doesn’t. It probably has everything to do with the affection and care that Torek gives. But also he doesn’t know that she’s not an animal.
I already liked Torek but after he found out she could talk and he proved himself to basically be the ultimate feminist/humanitarian I realized I fucking adore him. I love him for all his second thoughts and hesitations. For all of his regrets (even though he couldn’t have known).
And then the sex ... I know this is gonna surprise people but I enjoyed they’re interactions before it got to that. This was definitely a slow burn but once they got to it, they were all in. One or two things were a little disturbing and a few things made me a little jealous of those loroks (Lorien ladies). For the most part it was hot and I could feel the almost desperate emotions between them so that more then made up for an awkward moment or two.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed my first alien romance. And I look forward to immersing myself into a new trope. Special thanks to Lana Reads for all the awesome recommendations! 💚
Surprisingly, it just sucks you in. I don’t think I ever really considered what it might be like to be a pet. In every sense, from nurturing to visiting a vet. It’s incredibly fascinating how captivity books irk me beyond rational thought but this doesn’t. It probably has everything to do with the affection and care that Torek gives. But also he doesn’t know that she’s not an animal.
I already liked Torek but after he found out she could talk and he proved himself to basically be the ultimate feminist/humanitarian I realized I fucking adore him. I love him for all his second thoughts and hesitations. For all of his regrets (even though he couldn’t have known).
And then the sex ... I know this is gonna surprise people but I enjoyed they’re interactions before it got to that. This was definitely a slow burn but once they got to it, they were all in. One or two things were a little disturbing and a few things made me a little jealous of those loroks (Lorien ladies). For the most part it was hot and I could feel the almost desperate emotions between them so that more then made up for an awkward moment or two.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed my first alien romance. And I look forward to immersing myself into a new trope. Special thanks to Lana Reads for all the awesome recommendations! 💚
January 27, 2023
Well, this one was a complete surprise and I really enjoyed it a lot, it’s not incredibly graphic it’s a slow-build romance that was so sweet and poignant in places.
It was really well done and felt believable if that even makes sense this being sci-fi.
So the backstory is that Delaney is taken from earth by the Lorienoc mistakenly classified as an animal companion.
Her domestication specialist swiftly realises his mistake and attempts to rectify the matter with tragic results that leave Delaney stuck with her current status.
so plan B it is which means her embracing the mantle of her pet status if she wants to survive her new reality.
This is all past stuff and we actually start this with Lorien commander Torek as he is adopting an animal companion to assist in his recovery from PTSD he’s slightly reluctant and it’s against his better judgement but he decides to adopt Delaney renamed Reshna an exotic and one of its kind breed.
So this is a more serious pet-trope than we usually get with these type of reads less fun and more hard-hitting and it focuses and hones in on the harsh realities of Delaney/Reshna’s current situation.
Torek well he was such a kind individual and I did like him a lot.
He’s a widower who grieves his late wife and he really does try to be a good and considerate master to his new pet companion.
He doesn’t always get it right but his intentions do shine through and he comes to care greatly for his exotic new companion.
once he does realise Delaney's intelligence which is actually quite far on in this he’s mortified and also embarrassed that she is a person and he has treated her thus.
He’s also can’t understand why she still wants to pretend to be less than she is.
Delaney/Reshna is living quite the ordeal her past on earth also wasn’t great so she also has deep scars from that add in seeing her handler and only supporter murdered before her very eyes she is understandably hesitant to reveal who she is.
And as I said this focuses less on the fun aspects and more on the fear and emotional impact of Delaney's situation.
So we get to see some real fear, upset and lots of confusion from Delaney/Reshna.
I did feel for her on so many occasions and when she was having to visit the vets the sheer humiliation she felt and then later Torek himself when he realises the implications of it all was profound.
There’s also some danger which is the main reason our girl is hiding her true self.
Her self-preservation is strong and with her prior trust issues she’s not one to confide her circumstances anyway, it takes a great build-up of trust on her part triggered by a dire situation to get her to that point.
So this one is very slow burn and I did adore the eventual intimate scenes.
There was such a hesitant eagerness on both sides that I found really charming and warm.
I definitely believed the connection and care between these two and this was also incredibly well done.
And finally ignore the book cover it’s not a representative of the hero at all though humanoid he’s described as a seven-foot Sasquatch with curved horns, he does shed the majority of his fur in the summer but he is definitely alien-looking and even has retained anatomy in a pouch rather than the human type.
It also mentions his muzzle and fangs here so the book cover is definitely all wrong and not a true representative of the hero at all, A small thing but worth mentioning.
This is also incredibly well written and was so engaging I enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting to.
I went in thinking I was going to get the usual alien pet-trope and what I got from this was so much deeper and emotional I’m actually very impressed with this one.
It was quite a long read but I raced through it in record time my first experience with this author but I will definitely be picking up another from her no issue.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
February 11, 2021
It was a different read for sure!! I couldn't look at my cats the same for a while there...
Yet it was well written (even if too long at times) and I believed the characters. There were some practicality and probability issues I struggled with but all in all, I'm sure I will be reading more by the author.
PS. Just to be clear: there was nothing sexual between the main characters before she came out as a person. So it wasn't that kind of different read.
Yet it was well written (even if too long at times) and I believed the characters. There were some practicality and probability issues I struggled with but all in all, I'm sure I will be reading more by the author.
PS. Just to be clear: there was nothing sexual between the main characters before she came out as a person. So it wasn't that kind of different read.
March 8, 2023
*** 𝟐.𝟐 ⭐𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 ***
What a bizarre story it was... my god!
Certainly, the author did an excellent job of creating a unique world for this alien-sci-fi novel, and it was also very well described. However, whether it's chemistry or any kind of spark whatsoever, none of these things are firmly established here. So, the romantic aspect seemed a lot duller and flatter! Even some other parts in this book were so weird that I really don't know what I should feel about them.😕
What a bizarre story it was... my god!
Certainly, the author did an excellent job of creating a unique world for this alien-sci-fi novel, and it was also very well described. However, whether it's chemistry or any kind of spark whatsoever, none of these things are firmly established here. So, the romantic aspect seemed a lot duller and flatter! Even some other parts in this book were so weird that I really don't know what I should feel about them.😕
August 6, 2021
This was good. I love this trope, where the alien thinks the human is a pet and not sentient. But what this lacked was the cute, funny, quirky elements that can happen with this trope. Instead most of this novel had an impending sense of doom.
I loved Torek, but he was depressed and battling PTSD for most of the novel. I also loved Delaney, and felt bad for all the trauma and abuse she had dealt with in her life, and now was doing whatever necessary to stay alive. I was happy they figured out who was plotting against them, and got their HEA but overall the book was so heavy it ended up with a somber depressing feel. Maybe I'm just in a funk, but this was just kinda a bummer. I couldn't even enjoy his weird alien 'junk', lol.
I loved Torek, but he was depressed and battling PTSD for most of the novel. I also loved Delaney, and felt bad for all the trauma and abuse she had dealt with in her life, and now was doing whatever necessary to stay alive. I was happy they figured out who was plotting against them, and got their HEA but overall the book was so heavy it ended up with a somber depressing feel. Maybe I'm just in a funk, but this was just kinda a bummer. I couldn't even enjoy his weird alien 'junk', lol.
August 6, 2021
I have read a lot of alien romance, but never something like this. There are lots of books out there where the H buys the h and treats her like a pet (in a weird BDSM way). In this book, the h has to pretend to be a legit animal to save her life. The premise is that when it was discovered that the scientists captured a sentient being and not an animal, the head scientist was killed to keep him quiet, and the h witnessed it. She knows she must act like a Labrador if she wants to stay alive. So she pretends to be unintelligent and clueless even though she has learned to speak their language and understands everything going on around her.
I really liked this story. The H is suffering from PTSD from an event where he had to kill one of his citizens, and has been ordered to get an animal companion and he picks the h. She is always messing up his precious schedule but they soon become close and she helps him in ways he doesn't see or understand. When the inevitable happens, (he discovers her secret) the story moved forward with them learning to trust each other and falling in love. The big baddie was never much of a secret, but was a baddie nonetheless.
Another great KU find.
Safety
I really liked this story. The H is suffering from PTSD from an event where he had to kill one of his citizens, and has been ordered to get an animal companion and he picks the h. She is always messing up his precious schedule but they soon become close and she helps him in ways he doesn't see or understand. When the inevitable happens, (he discovers her secret) the story moved forward with them learning to trust each other and falling in love. The big baddie was never much of a secret, but was a baddie nonetheless.
Another great KU find.
Safety
October 29, 2023
Beyond the Next Star by Melody Johnson
Love Beyond series #1. Science fiction romance.
Commander Torek Renaar is ordered to purchase an animal companion to help relieve his PTSD symptoms. He purchases an exotic new breed called a “human” that has an extensive manual on care and feeding of the delicate creature. Torek is determined to get back to active duty and diligently grooms, trains and cares for his new pet.
Delaney McCormick was kidnapped and has no way back to Earth. She witnessed her owner being killed and knows she can’t be anything other than a pet while she hides and lives in her new world. Acting like a pet entails “sit” and “stay” commands and enduring vet visits. As long as her new owner reads her manual, she should be warm, fed and relatively comfortable.
I loved the premise of this book if a little squeamish during the vet visits! Torek and Delaney were amusing getting to know each other and while it was inevitable that she would have to eventually show him that she was smarter than an average dog in our world, it was fun to read along as they tried to train each other. Loving comes naturally but also dangerously as she is exposed to the outside world that is totally foreign to her.
The training was amusing and the reveal wonderful. It took longer than expected to get to the killer but the suspense when it did was well done.
Overall enjoyed this sci-fi adventure and look forward to seeing the world expanded.
Love Beyond series #1. Science fiction romance.
Commander Torek Renaar is ordered to purchase an animal companion to help relieve his PTSD symptoms. He purchases an exotic new breed called a “human” that has an extensive manual on care and feeding of the delicate creature. Torek is determined to get back to active duty and diligently grooms, trains and cares for his new pet.
Delaney McCormick was kidnapped and has no way back to Earth. She witnessed her owner being killed and knows she can’t be anything other than a pet while she hides and lives in her new world. Acting like a pet entails “sit” and “stay” commands and enduring vet visits. As long as her new owner reads her manual, she should be warm, fed and relatively comfortable.
I loved the premise of this book if a little squeamish during the vet visits! Torek and Delaney were amusing getting to know each other and while it was inevitable that she would have to eventually show him that she was smarter than an average dog in our world, it was fun to read along as they tried to train each other. Loving comes naturally but also dangerously as she is exposed to the outside world that is totally foreign to her.
The training was amusing and the reveal wonderful. It took longer than expected to get to the killer but the suspense when it did was well done.
Overall enjoyed this sci-fi adventure and look forward to seeing the world expanded.
September 21, 2021
A sweet story.
An alien acquiring the h as a pet suggests a smutty read but this is more an exploration of rights, wrongs and emotions rather than sex. Sex, even the suggestion of it comes later.
An alien acquiring the h as a pet suggests a smutty read but this is more an exploration of rights, wrongs and emotions rather than sex. Sex, even the suggestion of it comes later.
April 5, 2021
Huge props to Melody Johnson for originality. I've read a few novels where humans are considered pets to aliens, but this one focused more on their relationship rather than treating her like a brood mare.
I laughed when Torek thinks:
I really enjoyed the storyline and character growth. Looking forward to book two!
I laughed when Torek thinks:
Wasn’t an animal supposed to be stress relieving?I remember feeling this way after cleaning up after a new puppy. The stress relief was found once he was asleep and snoring!
I really enjoyed the storyline and character growth. Looking forward to book two!
December 4, 2021
She’d been dealt a shit hand, no question, but crying about it didn’t change it. She’d have to play it through to the end.
Could you pretend to be a pet for the rest of your life to an Alien with PTSD who purchased you as a companion in order to protect your life? ...And exactly how far would you go with that ruse to keep your intelligence under wraps and your "owner" from discovering how dangerous your mere existence is?
x----------------------------------x
So, I really enjoyed this sci-fi romance, and I liked the characters both individually and as a couple!
Also, I don't know if I could have kept up the pet rouse as long, and as well as Delaney did with out losing it. Kudos to her in that crazy situation- while it was demoralizing at times- I also did have some laughs at the shenanigans and lengths she went to to act like a pet.
What might a golden retriever do with a book? She tore out a page and popped it into her mouth. Torek lunged forward and squeezed her chin, forcing her mouth open. “No, Reshna! Bad girl! Spit that out before you choke!”
And also
I just...no further comments haha.
January 21, 2021
Way too wordy!
This book could have been fifty percent smaller, still covered all the events and it likely still wouldn’t have been that exciting though.
Male main: Think Sasquatch with horns and a muzzle.
This cover does not resemble the book AT ALL. The male is a furry alien and the female has tight ringlet blonde hair.
One, the time to travel between the alien planet and earth was FIVE years each way. In reality, that’s buyable. But for a story, it was too long to be reasonable.
The alien planet is nothing but ice basically. Super cold. So super depressing.
The H, Tarek, left a lot to be desired. He wasn’t JP, not very bright, not a badA$$ and rather boring.
The heroine, Delaney, she let fear determine all her actions. She allowed this to further her embarrassment and humiliation. Basically, she allowed herself to be treated as a pet and probed in rear for temperature checks weekly at the alien planet veterinarian in front of tons of people. That’s just one example. And when she could have spoken up multiple times in front of tons of people so there’s no denying she was sentient intelligent life form, she remained mute.
I was bored.
It was soooooo wordy. Just blah blah blah. Nothing to move the story on.
It was a struggle to finish this read.
No intimacy until after 70 percent. At that point I just wanted the book to hurry and be done.
And the H’s loyalty to the villain female made it seem like he still thought of Delaney as an animal.
Would not recommend.
This book could have been fifty percent smaller, still covered all the events and it likely still wouldn’t have been that exciting though.
Male main: Think Sasquatch with horns and a muzzle.
This cover does not resemble the book AT ALL. The male is a furry alien and the female has tight ringlet blonde hair.
One, the time to travel between the alien planet and earth was FIVE years each way. In reality, that’s buyable. But for a story, it was too long to be reasonable.
The alien planet is nothing but ice basically. Super cold. So super depressing.
The H, Tarek, left a lot to be desired. He wasn’t JP, not very bright, not a badA$$ and rather boring.
The heroine, Delaney, she let fear determine all her actions. She allowed this to further her embarrassment and humiliation. Basically, she allowed herself to be treated as a pet and probed in rear for temperature checks weekly at the alien planet veterinarian in front of tons of people. That’s just one example. And when she could have spoken up multiple times in front of tons of people so there’s no denying she was sentient intelligent life form, she remained mute.
I was bored.
It was soooooo wordy. Just blah blah blah. Nothing to move the story on.
It was a struggle to finish this read.
No intimacy until after 70 percent. At that point I just wanted the book to hurry and be done.
And the H’s loyalty to the villain female made it seem like he still thought of Delaney as an animal.
Would not recommend.
January 29, 2023
4.5 rounded up because I was addicted. Had I started this on a Friday night, not Thursday, I probably would have stayed up til dawn in order to read it all in one sitting.
February 28, 2022
This was different in an offbeat way that still managed to hook me right in.
I found I needed to work a bit to keep my suspension of disbelief active. It was hard to believe she could be mistaken as a pet but still look so similar to the aliens. The same way those books where a woman supposedly disguises herself as a man... successfully, make my eyes roll. And yet I still enjoy those stories if they are well done, and this one was.
Delaney has been abducted by aliens and brought to their planet as an exotic pet. Somehow she was mistaken for a much less intelligent species, and now it's a matter of life and death that she keep up that facade.
This will be harder and harder when stuck at home alone with her new owner, who happens to be the head of the guards for the city. He's a kind owner but not easily fooled.
I loved the way the author really tried to build an interesting culture for the aliens, but I can't say as it was successful in the end. It still felt a little too simplistic and convenient to the story.
When the truth is finally revealed I felt that sex followed too soon. But I guess it'a a short book.
I skimmed the last bit with the action, but the rest of the story was a fun ride, with a cute epilogue.
Safety is good.
I found I needed to work a bit to keep my suspension of disbelief active. It was hard to believe she could be mistaken as a pet but still look so similar to the aliens. The same way those books where a woman supposedly disguises herself as a man... successfully, make my eyes roll. And yet I still enjoy those stories if they are well done, and this one was.
Delaney has been abducted by aliens and brought to their planet as an exotic pet. Somehow she was mistaken for a much less intelligent species, and now it's a matter of life and death that she keep up that facade.
This will be harder and harder when stuck at home alone with her new owner, who happens to be the head of the guards for the city. He's a kind owner but not easily fooled.
I loved the way the author really tried to build an interesting culture for the aliens, but I can't say as it was successful in the end. It still felt a little too simplistic and convenient to the story.
When the truth is finally revealed I felt that sex followed too soon. But I guess it'a a short book.
I skimmed the last bit with the action, but the rest of the story was a fun ride, with a cute epilogue.
Safety is good.
November 30, 2022
There is no hiding the fact that this is a weird tale. It was never going to be anything else given the ridiculous premise! This was my first true dip into the alien romance genre and I’ve no doubt I picked one of the sub-genres weirder entries. I knew from the blurb this tale would either be a ton of fun or an absolute disaster in need of an early dropping. The good news is this ended up being weird but fun! Sure it had a few cringey moments but Melody Johnson committed to taking the ridiculous set-up 100% seriously and just about made it work.
The premise was flat out weird. Delaney McCormick has been abducted from Earth by aliens. Unfortunately for her they misclassify the intelligence of humans and she finds herself classified as a rare breed species suitable for being a pet companion! By the time the blunder is discovered too much has happened and her initial domestication specialist alien companion is murdered to cover up the massive and scandalous disaster! Delaney has to hide her true intelligence and play along as a pet in order to survive. Which is how she finds herself with a new master in the form of Lorain commander Torek Renaar. Torek is on medical leave with PTSD after a mass shooting at his estate. The court has mandated he take an animal companion to help him on the path to healing. He is less than impressed by the command but wants to get back to his duties so picks a weird new alien pet as his companion after feeling she was being mistreated in the pet store!
The set up is weird and ridiculous but it works as Melody Johnson 100% commits to the nonsense. I always appreciate that. If I’m going to be thrown into an absolutely ridiculous story then the characters had better be treating it like it is full on reality and that is what we got here!
I do not foresee pet-to-lover catching on as a popular romance sub genre but this one just about worked for me despite a fair few cringey moments in the early stages. It offered some opportunity for humour to go with the cringe and slowed down the pacing of the romance which was no bad thing.
What helped this story work was the fact that the characters were fairly likeable, Johnson had an engaging writing style, and the slow burn romance was weird but I could buy into it as it developed slowly over the course of the story and Torek himself only stated feeling anything romantic towards Delaney after it got out she was as sentient and intelligent as he was.
The alien world was a weird but fun ice planet. The Lorains were like a cross between humans and Wookiees from Star Wars! They lived on a weird but well drawn ice planet.
Despite the weird premise what we got was actually a fairly tame slow burn romance with likeable characters and the usual mix of romance, humorous moments, drama, and heartfelt moments. Well, tame outside of one fairly lengthy erotica scene towards the end of the tale.
All in all this was super weird but still fun and enjoyable. It had plenty of plot holes and some cringe inducing moments but none of those hindered my ability to enjoy the story. I can see how this would not work for some folks but I’m happy it did for me. I’ll admit to having read and watched some weird tales in my time and tend to have a soft spot for the tame but fun ones. This was not my weirdest tale by a long shot but it possibly is my weirdest romance book so far!
Rating: 4 stars.
Audio Note: The audio had a few weird production moments but Michelle Sobeski did a good job with the audio. It was a crazy tale at times but she did an excellent job of brining the story to life and making the emotional scenes work.
The premise was flat out weird. Delaney McCormick has been abducted from Earth by aliens. Unfortunately for her they misclassify the intelligence of humans and she finds herself classified as a rare breed species suitable for being a pet companion! By the time the blunder is discovered too much has happened and her initial domestication specialist alien companion is murdered to cover up the massive and scandalous disaster! Delaney has to hide her true intelligence and play along as a pet in order to survive. Which is how she finds herself with a new master in the form of Lorain commander Torek Renaar. Torek is on medical leave with PTSD after a mass shooting at his estate. The court has mandated he take an animal companion to help him on the path to healing. He is less than impressed by the command but wants to get back to his duties so picks a weird new alien pet as his companion after feeling she was being mistreated in the pet store!
The set up is weird and ridiculous but it works as Melody Johnson 100% commits to the nonsense. I always appreciate that. If I’m going to be thrown into an absolutely ridiculous story then the characters had better be treating it like it is full on reality and that is what we got here!
I do not foresee pet-to-lover catching on as a popular romance sub genre but this one just about worked for me despite a fair few cringey moments in the early stages. It offered some opportunity for humour to go with the cringe and slowed down the pacing of the romance which was no bad thing.
What helped this story work was the fact that the characters were fairly likeable, Johnson had an engaging writing style, and the slow burn romance was weird but I could buy into it as it developed slowly over the course of the story and Torek himself only stated feeling anything romantic towards Delaney after it got out she was as sentient and intelligent as he was.
The alien world was a weird but fun ice planet. The Lorains were like a cross between humans and Wookiees from Star Wars! They lived on a weird but well drawn ice planet.
Despite the weird premise what we got was actually a fairly tame slow burn romance with likeable characters and the usual mix of romance, humorous moments, drama, and heartfelt moments. Well, tame outside of one fairly lengthy erotica scene towards the end of the tale.
All in all this was super weird but still fun and enjoyable. It had plenty of plot holes and some cringe inducing moments but none of those hindered my ability to enjoy the story. I can see how this would not work for some folks but I’m happy it did for me. I’ll admit to having read and watched some weird tales in my time and tend to have a soft spot for the tame but fun ones. This was not my weirdest tale by a long shot but it possibly is my weirdest romance book so far!
Rating: 4 stars.
Audio Note: The audio had a few weird production moments but Michelle Sobeski did a good job with the audio. It was a crazy tale at times but she did an excellent job of brining the story to life and making the emotional scenes work.
January 5, 2023
What a lovely and unique addition to the alien romance genre!
I've seen this type of trope attempted in quite a few stories. The "human pet" trope is one that has always interested me, but is seldom handled correctly (I.E.: the way I would like it). Johnson wrote this trope out beautifully! This book had everything I wanted and so many things I didn't even know I wanted!
Too many times in stories like these it just devolves quickly into a sexual relationship, an almost instant awareness of how sexually attractive the "pet" is ect. Thank GOD not in this book. This is the first time I have read this situation playing out so life like, and just all around in the correct manner.
Delaney is treated like a pet, when our hero first sees her he notices how beautiful she is, but its all through the lens of a pet owner. How high maintenance her gorgeous hair will be, how hard it will be to protect her beautifully delicate skin from the planets cold temperatures. Not a sexual thought in sight and I couldn't be happier! Everything just felt so real, and the situations that they are put through are just so hilarious and believable. I just couldn't get enough! Our Heroines constant worry about whether or not she's truly acting like a pet or not was great, weighing your decisions based on "Would a golden retriever do this?" is absolute gold.
We get an in-depth look into what it would really mean to have to act like an animal when you are an intelligent being. Being cooed at by every one you meet with that baby talk so many people use when addressing cute animals, and the endless "who's a good girl?". What it would mean/feel like to go to the vet. What having to forcibly dumb yourself down, and the self imposed silence, would do to you mentally. It was all just so well done and interesting!
This slow burn romance is just what the doctor ordered. I loved watching their relationship blossom. There were no eye rolling moments, nothing felt contrived or forced. It was just so natural. A lovely and unique read, something I have been hoping to find for months of going through books in this genre.
My only gripes are a bit minimal. First: The ending felt pretty rushed to me, and wasn't quite as satisfying/well done as the rest of the book. and Second: Torek's full name was just SO long that any time past the first mentioning of it I just ended up skipping past it all together. I mean, that bitch is like 8 names long! and you'd be surprised how many times its spoken in its entirety! When ever it came up my inner voice would just end up going "Torek jebfhrfbhjwfhjberhbwref"
Edit: A few weeks after reading
I can't tell you how many times I've almost redownloaded this book to read again. and that's special. wanting to reread almost right after reading a book means a lot about the writing, the characters and the situations I want to relive. Just thought I needed to mention that haha.
I've seen this type of trope attempted in quite a few stories. The "human pet" trope is one that has always interested me, but is seldom handled correctly (I.E.: the way I would like it). Johnson wrote this trope out beautifully! This book had everything I wanted and so many things I didn't even know I wanted!
Too many times in stories like these it just devolves quickly into a sexual relationship, an almost instant awareness of how sexually attractive the "pet" is ect. Thank GOD not in this book. This is the first time I have read this situation playing out so life like, and just all around in the correct manner.
Delaney is treated like a pet, when our hero first sees her he notices how beautiful she is, but its all through the lens of a pet owner. How high maintenance her gorgeous hair will be, how hard it will be to protect her beautifully delicate skin from the planets cold temperatures. Not a sexual thought in sight and I couldn't be happier! Everything just felt so real, and the situations that they are put through are just so hilarious and believable. I just couldn't get enough! Our Heroines constant worry about whether or not she's truly acting like a pet or not was great, weighing your decisions based on "Would a golden retriever do this?" is absolute gold.
We get an in-depth look into what it would really mean to have to act like an animal when you are an intelligent being. Being cooed at by every one you meet with that baby talk so many people use when addressing cute animals, and the endless "who's a good girl?". What it would mean/feel like to go to the vet. What having to forcibly dumb yourself down, and the self imposed silence, would do to you mentally. It was all just so well done and interesting!
This slow burn romance is just what the doctor ordered. I loved watching their relationship blossom. There were no eye rolling moments, nothing felt contrived or forced. It was just so natural. A lovely and unique read, something I have been hoping to find for months of going through books in this genre.
My only gripes are a bit minimal. First: The ending felt pretty rushed to me, and wasn't quite as satisfying/well done as the rest of the book. and Second: Torek's full name was just SO long that any time past the first mentioning of it I just ended up skipping past it all together. I mean, that bitch is like 8 names long! and you'd be surprised how many times its spoken in its entirety! When ever it came up my inner voice would just end up going "Torek jebfhrfbhjwfhjberhbwref"
Edit: A few weeks after reading
I can't tell you how many times I've almost redownloaded this book to read again. and that's special. wanting to reread almost right after reading a book means a lot about the writing, the characters and the situations I want to relive. Just thought I needed to mention that haha.
July 26, 2021
Yowza! I loved his one! This was very well written and paced. If you like alien books where the H is more alien-looking than “blue body builder with a tail” then this is for you.
The premise was actually weirdly intriguing and devastating at times (in that she subjected herself to being treated like an animal). Oof. But the heavy parts had a light touch, with Delaney’s trauma (pre abduction) unfolding organically for the reader. I especially appreciated how I’ll definitely pick up another book by this author!
The premise was actually weirdly intriguing and devastating at times (in that she subjected herself to being treated like an animal). Oof. But the heavy parts had a light touch, with Delaney’s trauma (pre abduction) unfolding organically for the reader. I especially appreciated how I’ll definitely pick up another book by this author!
September 20, 2021
*** Book Q & A***
* How did the book make you feel?: I really had to suspend my disbelief on this book. There were a lot of things that didn’t seem very logical. I also wasn’t feeling the chemistry.
* How do you feel about how the story was told?: I thought the pacing of the story was sort of slow. When the characters finally came together, I thought that occurred very quickly!
* What did you think about the main characters?: I thought the h should’ve trusted the H sooner. I can’t imagine condemning myself to a life of being a pet like that. I’d rather not exist. The H seemed kind of dense. It took him a long time to notice clues that she was an intelligent being. I didn’t understand how their race was so ignorant about the species they were testing and harvesting.
* Which parts of the book stood out to you?: I thought the world building was fascinating.
* What themes/tropes did you detect in the story?: Alien romance, pet is really a person, alien abduction romance
* What did you think about the ending?: I thought it was predictable once they got together, but I was not really feeling their chemistry throughout the whole book. There was no sexual tension because he was viewing her as a dumb pet the whole time.
* What is your impression of the author?: I would certainly give this author another chance.
Possible Triggers and Safety: assault and rape (off-page), humiliation, invasive medical exams
* How did the book make you feel?: I really had to suspend my disbelief on this book. There were a lot of things that didn’t seem very logical. I also wasn’t feeling the chemistry.
* How do you feel about how the story was told?: I thought the pacing of the story was sort of slow. When the characters finally came together, I thought that occurred very quickly!
* What did you think about the main characters?: I thought the h should’ve trusted the H sooner. I can’t imagine condemning myself to a life of being a pet like that. I’d rather not exist. The H seemed kind of dense. It took him a long time to notice clues that she was an intelligent being. I didn’t understand how their race was so ignorant about the species they were testing and harvesting.
* Which parts of the book stood out to you?: I thought the world building was fascinating.
* What themes/tropes did you detect in the story?: Alien romance, pet is really a person, alien abduction romance
* What did you think about the ending?: I thought it was predictable once they got together, but I was not really feeling their chemistry throughout the whole book. There was no sexual tension because he was viewing her as a dumb pet the whole time.
* What is your impression of the author?: I would certainly give this author another chance.
Possible Triggers and Safety: assault and rape (off-page), humiliation, invasive medical exams
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2021
Commander Torek Renaar adopts a human pet to recover from PTSD. The only problem is that the "pet" is an actual sentient being, Delaney McCormick a human who is living in hiding pretending to be a dumb animal to hide from a killer.
The author did a too realistic job of depicting the pet and owner relationship between Torek and Delaney almost passing the point of credibility. In that sense, the transition from pet/owner to lovers was a bit icky and could have been grotesque but the author did a decent job allowing for a situation for Torek to realize her sentience and the "romance" to follow more gradually.
Not the worst in the alien romance genre, but would be willing to read more of her books.
The author did a too realistic job of depicting the pet and owner relationship between Torek and Delaney almost passing the point of credibility. In that sense, the transition from pet/owner to lovers was a bit icky and could have been grotesque but the author did a decent job allowing for a situation for Torek to realize her sentience and the "romance" to follow more gradually.
Not the worst in the alien romance genre, but would be willing to read more of her books.
May 23, 2023
Really enjoyed this. I'll most likely write a longer review later, but this was a good, sweet romance. I don't typically read many sweet (non-dark) romances, but this was one of the good ones which held my attention for the whole book through. The dynamic was strange at first, but once I got into it and Torek realized Delany was sentient, it didn't feel as weird. The romance was believable and I liked how both Torek and Delany found each other and helped one another heal from their past traumas.
Looks like the next book is about a new set of characters set in the same universe. I don't think I'll be jumping into that one right away, but I'll definitely be checking it out in the future, as this author does a great job of crafting a heart-warming and believable romance.
Looks like the next book is about a new set of characters set in the same universe. I don't think I'll be jumping into that one right away, but I'll definitely be checking it out in the future, as this author does a great job of crafting a heart-warming and believable romance.
August 2, 2024
This was a cross between an interesting theory and weird as hell. Some people will love this and some will be totally turned off. That was me. Spice is high.
I had this one in the hopper and GR said, “Did you read this year?” I’m like, I hadn’t planned to admit to that, but I have this stupid challenge I signed up for…
I had this one in the hopper and GR said, “Did you read this year?” I’m like, I hadn’t planned to admit to that, but I have this stupid challenge I signed up for…
February 1, 2026
January 2021 - DNF
After reading the book blurb, I decided to give it a try. What's not to like about a big, furry alien falling for his little human pet? The idea was fetching, but unfortunately, it tripped and fell flat on its face.
The story started off engaging (I even chuckled a couple of times), but it quickly became a ho-hum read.
🥱 There are many pages of dull events.
For example, Delaney's medical exams—about 20 pages for the first exam and 12 for the second.
There’s little action or excitement. One of the few scenes is when Delaney gets hurt and needs rescuing.
The book is 378 pages. At least a hundred pages could've been cut to improve pacing and keep my interest. Instead, I found myself skimming more often than not. I was hoping for more cute, funny, or sweet interactions between the alien and his human pet, but sadly, those moments were few and far between.
Eventually, I lost all interest.
🇩🇳🇫
It seems the author didn't learn from this—Book 2 is over 500 pages! 😦 No surprise, it didn't do well.
After reading the book blurb, I decided to give it a try. What's not to like about a big, furry alien falling for his little human pet? The idea was fetching, but unfortunately, it tripped and fell flat on its face.
The story started off engaging (I even chuckled a couple of times), but it quickly became a ho-hum read.
🥱 There are many pages of dull events.
For example, Delaney's medical exams—about 20 pages for the first exam and 12 for the second.
There’s little action or excitement. One of the few scenes is when Delaney gets hurt and needs rescuing.
The book is 378 pages. At least a hundred pages could've been cut to improve pacing and keep my interest. Instead, I found myself skimming more often than not. I was hoping for more cute, funny, or sweet interactions between the alien and his human pet, but sadly, those moments were few and far between.
Eventually, I lost all interest.
🇩🇳🇫
It seems the author didn't learn from this—Book 2 is over 500 pages! 😦 No surprise, it didn't do well.
June 11, 2022
Sasquatch ice aliens? Okay bet. FMC is human, abducted from her planet to be sold as a pet on an alien planet. Torek is everything you’d ever desire from a Sasquatch alien: strong, powerful, tall, noble, sweet, kind, endearing. He’s a softie who acts like an alphahole at times but can’t even keep up the alphahole charade since he’s too dang sweet and respectful. Heart of gold that one. His kindness and patience were my favorite parts of him. Would highly recommend if you’re looking for a sweet alien romance. HEA assured.
January 22, 2023
A slow burn intergalactic relationship.
October 11, 2021
4.5 stars! In this alien romance, Delaney is thought to be an animal (since she's a new species, aka human) and is "adopted" out as a pet companion for General Torek to help with his PTSD. Her previous caretaker was murdered for his knowledge that she was actually a person, so Delaney has to maintain the act of being a pet in order to protect herself and her new grumpy, but sweet caretaker. This book was filled with cringe moments because obviously she's a human and he's treating her like a very beloved pet (brushing her, washing her, taking her on runs, LOL), but it's also absolutely hilarious.
Torek had no idea how to care for a pet, but he paid close attention to her *extensive* care manual and was very attentive. There's also no weird sexual attraction since he genuinely sees her as a pet and for his part, he kind of looks like a yeti. Once it becomes apparent that she's much smarter and aware of things than he initially thought, he begins to see her differently. So it's a great slow-burn and really very sweet!
Were there plot holes? Sure! But this alien romance was just so entertaining and unique, I didn't really care.
TW:
Torek had no idea how to care for a pet, but he paid close attention to her *extensive* care manual and was very attentive. There's also no weird sexual attraction since he genuinely sees her as a pet and for his part, he kind of looks like a yeti. Once it becomes apparent that she's much smarter and aware of things than he initially thought, he begins to see her differently. So it's a great slow-burn and really very sweet!
Were there plot holes? Sure! But this alien romance was just so entertaining and unique, I didn't really care.
TW:
January 24, 2021
Not the best
I think this could have been a lot better if more was explained, throughout, or even written in. I guess I'm still not understanding how they hadn't known she was a person? Yes she was taken from earth, but how exactly? didn't they look at every other human walking around, clothed, looking like the intelligent species we are? no research in a planet's occupants before taking one? It was just Rocky and to far fetched. I could understand if another alien species had taken her and these others had no idea, but not the main alien species. I also seemed to got a little twisted up on who was talking since it just jumped pov a few times. Now don't get me wrong it was ok, but it had the potential to actually be a good book, but I think a lot less work went into this and that's kinda a bummer. Even the building romance? There wasn't any at all, just a pet one day, then when our alien realized she could speak and think and he grabbed her and she ended up straddling his body does sex finally get involved. Then it's like they are a caring couple. It's totally weird and a bit forced and you really don't fell it. Then the ending if you can call it that? we get no information how anything truly pan's out? It was a happy ending sure, but a half a*** one at best, just trying to tie it all up with no real finesse. Not my favorite, but not the worse I've read either
I think this could have been a lot better if more was explained, throughout, or even written in. I guess I'm still not understanding how they hadn't known she was a person? Yes she was taken from earth, but how exactly? didn't they look at every other human walking around, clothed, looking like the intelligent species we are? no research in a planet's occupants before taking one? It was just Rocky and to far fetched. I could understand if another alien species had taken her and these others had no idea, but not the main alien species. I also seemed to got a little twisted up on who was talking since it just jumped pov a few times. Now don't get me wrong it was ok, but it had the potential to actually be a good book, but I think a lot less work went into this and that's kinda a bummer. Even the building romance? There wasn't any at all, just a pet one day, then when our alien realized she could speak and think and he grabbed her and she ended up straddling his body does sex finally get involved. Then it's like they are a caring couple. It's totally weird and a bit forced and you really don't fell it. Then the ending if you can call it that? we get no information how anything truly pan's out? It was a happy ending sure, but a half a*** one at best, just trying to tie it all up with no real finesse. Not my favorite, but not the worse I've read either
August 23, 2022
A strange settings, but the romance was incredibly sweet. The world building was lacking, and some aspect of the story weren't clear, but the writing was good. My main complaint was the about hero. I had a hard time picturing him, and then when he "shaved" off all his fur I just couldn't imagine it.
May 28, 2023
Right,ok. This might not be everyone's cuppa tea but I really enjoyed it!!
Long story short. Delaney is abducted from Earth and classified as an animal species. She does everything she must in order to survive captivity and if that means behaving like the animal they classified her that what she does. Torek is an alien that comes from a frozen planet and he buys DElaney to serve as his PTSD animal companion.
Again , this was weird to begin with, but there's no chance you won't fall in love with both mcs.
Nothing sexual happens until about 60/70% in the book,but even so the relationship between then is so great and fascinating.
Another winner for me !🙂
Long story short. Delaney is abducted from Earth and classified as an animal species. She does everything she must in order to survive captivity and if that means behaving like the animal they classified her that what she does. Torek is an alien that comes from a frozen planet and he buys DElaney to serve as his PTSD animal companion.
Again , this was weird to begin with, but there's no chance you won't fall in love with both mcs.
Nothing sexual happens until about 60/70% in the book,but even so the relationship between then is so great and fascinating.
Another winner for me !🙂
August 23, 2023
Probably 3.5 stars rounded up. Next up on my mini "humans kepts as pets by aliens" journey is Beyond the Next Star. Judging by the cover alone, I would have expected this to be a lot more soap operaesque drama filled but, thankfully, the cover is irrelevant.
Anyway, PTSD riddled Torek has like 12 names that indicate he's a schmancy fancy military type leader with command over multiple units and locations. He's ordered to get an animal companion and since he can't do anything without seeing it a challenge or overachieving out of spite, he gets the most complicated animal companion available: the one and only human who's been living in a lil cage in the pet shop.
Delaney's story is a bit different from most of the rest of the "humans as pets" stories I've been reading where the humans are assumed to be non-sentient out of ignorance, neglect, or malice. In Delaney's case, she's intentionally pretending to be a pet to keep undercover and try to not get herself killed. The intentional efforts at behaving like a pet would are very clear throughout her time as an animal companion with her often thinking WWAGRD? Would Would A Golden Retriever Do? and literally doing the same thing. Her time as an animal companion is also clearly not all sunshine and rainbows (you know, with the whole lack of autonomy).
The transition from pet to lover probably could have been a bit smoother but it did at least 1) take a bit of time (like, a week, but in these stories I'll take it lol), 2) involve the development of feelings and not solely pure attraction to a pet that turns out to be sentient because yikes, and 3) self reflection about their respective lives, the relationships they've had with others, and how much they've grown to care for one another.
This bad boy has a murder mystery kinda weaved into it. Sort of. It doesn't take up much of the story and there isn't a ton of mystery to it (the killer is identified by coincidence, they weren't actively looking for the murderer) but I'm still calling it that. The mystery thread about what was going on there was a nice addition to the romance plot.
I side-eyed Torek pretty hard when he learns that Delaney can talk and still doesn't put two and two together that it means Delaney is a sentient being until it's literally spelled out for him. Like bro. It's not even that she's speaking a language, it's that she's fluently speaking HIS language. It'd be like if my cat suddenly reveals she can speak English and talk to me in complete sentences about anything and everything. That's totally different from mere mimicry that some animals are capable of.
There is one thing above all that I have to take to task here and go on a mini-rant. The shedding of ALL fur in the "warm" season was kinda ridiculous and really annoyed me for two reasons.
1) I'm here for the ALIENS. The ALIEN was described as appearing like a sasquatch or wookie ALIEN, which made sense for the "Metropolitan Antarctica" ALIEN planet they're from, and a significant part of what makes them so ALIEN compared to humans.
2) There's no way that makes any biological sense. The "warm" season doesn't sound all that warm (see the part about technologically advanced but medievial looking Antarctica metropolis city) and there's clear indicators that the lorienok people prefer or thrive best in colder environments (bathe in COLD WATER, dry off with FREEZING COLD AIR, consider a hot bath to be INTOLERABLE), suggesting their fur is a normal thing to have all the time. Why. WHY. the hell would it ALL shed? Some of it? An undercoat? Sure. BUT ALL OF IT SO THEY'RE NOW AS SMOOTH AS A BABY?? NO! That makes no sense!
It doesn't even make sense in terms of what happens when fur is shed. You ever shave a dog or cat? Unless you get in there with a razor, they're not smooth skin - they're still fuzzy. No matter how much fur my scraggly ass cat sheds, she doesn't have smooth baby-soft skin showing. Dogs I know with patches of fur missing? Yeah, that's not smooth either - it's wrinkly, gnarly looking skin because it's supposed to be protected by fur.
Anyway, last but not least I love the backwards acknowledgement:
"To my husband, Derek, for guiding us into the wrong nature trail in negative two degrees and refusing to admit it for five miles. Without you, or that day-long, ten-mile trek through the Appalachian Trail, the lorienok might never have been born."
Lol, love that for us.
Anyway, PTSD riddled Torek has like 12 names that indicate he's a schmancy fancy military type leader with command over multiple units and locations. He's ordered to get an animal companion and since he can't do anything without seeing it a challenge or overachieving out of spite, he gets the most complicated animal companion available: the one and only human who's been living in a lil cage in the pet shop.
Delaney's story is a bit different from most of the rest of the "humans as pets" stories I've been reading where the humans are assumed to be non-sentient out of ignorance, neglect, or malice. In Delaney's case, she's intentionally pretending to be a pet to keep undercover and try to not get herself killed. The intentional efforts at behaving like a pet would are very clear throughout her time as an animal companion with her often thinking WWAGRD? Would Would A Golden Retriever Do? and literally doing the same thing. Her time as an animal companion is also clearly not all sunshine and rainbows (you know, with the whole lack of autonomy).
The transition from pet to lover probably could have been a bit smoother but it did at least 1) take a bit of time (like, a week, but in these stories I'll take it lol), 2) involve the development of feelings and not solely pure attraction to a pet that turns out to be sentient because yikes, and 3) self reflection about their respective lives, the relationships they've had with others, and how much they've grown to care for one another.
This bad boy has a murder mystery kinda weaved into it. Sort of. It doesn't take up much of the story and there isn't a ton of mystery to it (the killer is identified by coincidence, they weren't actively looking for the murderer) but I'm still calling it that. The mystery thread about what was going on there was a nice addition to the romance plot.
I side-eyed Torek pretty hard when he learns that Delaney can talk and still doesn't put two and two together that it means Delaney is a sentient being until it's literally spelled out for him. Like bro. It's not even that she's speaking a language, it's that she's fluently speaking HIS language. It'd be like if my cat suddenly reveals she can speak English and talk to me in complete sentences about anything and everything. That's totally different from mere mimicry that some animals are capable of.
There is one thing above all that I have to take to task here and go on a mini-rant. The shedding of ALL fur in the "warm" season was kinda ridiculous and really annoyed me for two reasons.
1) I'm here for the ALIENS. The ALIEN was described as appearing like a sasquatch or wookie ALIEN, which made sense for the "Metropolitan Antarctica" ALIEN planet they're from, and a significant part of what makes them so ALIEN compared to humans.
2) There's no way that makes any biological sense. The "warm" season doesn't sound all that warm (see the part about technologically advanced but medievial looking Antarctica metropolis city) and there's clear indicators that the lorienok people prefer or thrive best in colder environments (bathe in COLD WATER, dry off with FREEZING COLD AIR, consider a hot bath to be INTOLERABLE), suggesting their fur is a normal thing to have all the time. Why. WHY. the hell would it ALL shed? Some of it? An undercoat? Sure. BUT ALL OF IT SO THEY'RE NOW AS SMOOTH AS A BABY?? NO! That makes no sense!
It doesn't even make sense in terms of what happens when fur is shed. You ever shave a dog or cat? Unless you get in there with a razor, they're not smooth skin - they're still fuzzy. No matter how much fur my scraggly ass cat sheds, she doesn't have smooth baby-soft skin showing. Dogs I know with patches of fur missing? Yeah, that's not smooth either - it's wrinkly, gnarly looking skin because it's supposed to be protected by fur.
Anyway, last but not least I love the backwards acknowledgement:
"To my husband, Derek, for guiding us into the wrong nature trail in negative two degrees and refusing to admit it for five miles. Without you, or that day-long, ten-mile trek through the Appalachian Trail, the lorienok might never have been born."
Lol, love that for us.
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