Safe Harbor

Zone Cyborgs #3.5

by Jessica Marting

Cyborg Adam Johnston’s rescue and escape from Omega-Three-Omega didn’t come without devastating losses. Wanting to get his life back on track, he returns to his home world of Gamma-10 and his childhood sweetheart, Esme.

But a surprise is in store for him: Gamma-10 has been destroyed in his absence, and Esme is living in its ruins, raising the daughter he didn’t know he had.

SAFE HARBOR is a sweet short story set in the Zone Cyborgs Series between OASIS (Book 3) and SANCTUARY (Book 4).

51 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 10, 2020

About the author

Jessica Marting is a sci-fi and paranormal romance author, art enthusiast (not quite an artist, despite all that time in art school), an avid reader, and makeup collector. She lives in Toronto.

Reviews

[Kristiej · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why I keep forgetting about this author. I have a thing for cyborg romances and Jessica Marting has written some great ones. This is a short novella book with Adam as the hero this time. We met him in the previous book, Oasis where he was held against his will along with several other cyborgs. He was rescued at the end of the book and this one picks up letting us know what happens to him now that he's free. That's about all I'm going to say but although short in length, I did enjoy it and now that the author is front and center, I'm continuing on with the next book. I'm really enjoying this cyborg world Ms. Marting has created.

[˚✧₊⁎ѕαи∂у⁎⁺˳✧༚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet starting new life 🤗 💕

Glad this was suggested by my kindle. On way home, was wondering 💭 what to (text to speech) next. By the time I got home, this Novella felt like a full novel. Well written. The way writer describes the devastation on Gamma-10 caused by war, gives you a sense of life there.

Short and adorable. ☺️

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cyborg Corporal Adam Johnston’s rescue and escape from the frozen Omega-Three-Omega where he had been trapped for 4 years didn’t come without devastating losses. His body’s organic systems were enhanced and replaced during his time there, making his physical responses difference now. But the ability to grieve was still raw and strong as he grieved for his fallen companions. All of them had been under the control of Dr. Garrett Jacoby who performed illegal cyborg experiments until the captain of the Grey Ghost came to rescue them and blow up the military base facility. Adam, Captain Jason Formosa, and Lieutenant Rordan Alexander were the only surviving cyborgs.

To get his life back in order, he returns to his home world of Gamma-10. He didn’t really expect to find his childhood sweetheart, Esme Hammond, figuring she probably moved on. But he wasn’t expecting all the destruction and ruin on his home world. Now he wondered if she was even still alive! Her two-room row house looked like a bomb had hit it. He knocked and she opened the door, then passed out at the sight of him. He hated how he calmly processed her vital signs, but she was fine though unconscious. Her eyes flickered open. She had thought he was dead when she hadn’t heard from him in so long.

A small voice called for her mom and Esme brought out a little 3-year-old girl – his daughter! He saw his family features in the child. She approached him, touched his uniform, then his face, and commented about his strange eyes before she went back to her mom. But at breakfast, she sat in his lap as she ate and he began to tell Esme what he was now, how he became a cyborg. Before they could talk at length, Captain Carrier from next-door came by with eggs he had always shared with Esme. He had his own plans for Esme and was furious that Adam had returned. He insulted him in front of Rosie, and told Esme he was lying to her. It was obvious he would be checking up on Adam – and Adam didn’t know what the military had put in his record when they discharged the cyborgs, about where he served and what fictitious information they wanted on his record during his captivity. What damage would Captain Carrier try to do to Adam’s relationship? Would he tear Adam and Esme apart before they even had a chance to reconnect their lives?

This was a good prequel, the author doing a wonderful job at describing the devastation of the war and setting the tone and environment for the story. Grab your copy and let it get you in the mood for this book series that promises to be exciting!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella was well written and edited, with few if any typos that I caught in the ARC version of this manuscript. The world building of this war-torn planet was excellent. The characterization in this novella was top-notch, with both the hero and heroine of this story being sympathetic, vibrant individuals. The development of the romantic relationship used the perfect trope and story setup for a believable short novella romance. The plot and pacing was exciting, with me turning the pages rapidly. There was little angst in this story and fairly high stakes, which tends to be one of my preferred narrative structures for a romance novel. This romance used the Secret Baby and Second Chance tropes. The world building, plot, and pacing of this novella was four stars. The characterization and development of the romantic relationship also rated four stars. Therefore, the combined score of this story was four stars. This novella ends on a Happy Ever After ending instead of a cliffhanger, so that is a big plus for this novella. I recommend this story to readers who would enjoy a short, sweet sci-fi romance to liven up their afternoon. I will not be buying myself a keeper copy of this novella, though I enjoyed it very much.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kristine L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. It's the first story I've read by this author. Esme and Adam had a great chemistry and they interacted well with each other. The plot kept you interested and turning pages. I will check out some more books from this author. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Juanita E. Arp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, the interaction and chemistry between the characters of Esme and Adam is wonderful. I can't wait for more from this author. I received this book as a FREE ARC copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Safe Harbor is a very good sci-fi romance with an exciting plot. Not a real steamy story but still pretty hot. Good characters.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sara Munoz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written cyborg story with good characters. There is a good plot with realistic interactions of the characters.. A good read

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 3.5 in the Zone Cyborgs series a well written story story that kept me turning pages. I want to read the next book. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kathleen Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not having read any of the previous books, it wasn't too hard to get into this story. The main issue I had was with the overreaction that Esme had towards her neighbor. It seemed excessive and off-putting.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a marvelously sweet story. It was short, but packed with romance and love. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book in exchange for a free copy.