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Memories all stripped away, a nameless woman is sold at auction. Her buyer might be an angel, but he's no holy symbol--and he's clearly got bad intentions.
When the angels are evil and the demons won't help, what then?
Then you run like hell, you hide and do whatever it takes to stay alive. Even pick a fight with an alien twice your size.
*~*~*
Dae, Ilsuk, and Xuakai have been living together for a long time, finding love and companionship among one another and their young daughter, Minsie.
The sudden appearance of a fugitive in their storage bay isn't what they anticipated on this particular market run, and she may have been the first to draw blood...but Ilsuk has smelled this type of fear before and knows what sorts of things cause it.
The men will do whatever it takes to keep their daughter safe, but when little Minsie decides to make friends with the beast below deck, they have to reevaluate how they see the feral woman.
She may turn out to be exactly what they all needed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
18+ reader discretion is advised; themes of self-harm, suicide, assault, and rape.
When the angels are evil and the demons won't help, what then?
Then you run like hell, you hide and do whatever it takes to stay alive. Even pick a fight with an alien twice your size.
*~*~*
Dae, Ilsuk, and Xuakai have been living together for a long time, finding love and companionship among one another and their young daughter, Minsie.
The sudden appearance of a fugitive in their storage bay isn't what they anticipated on this particular market run, and she may have been the first to draw blood...but Ilsuk has smelled this type of fear before and knows what sorts of things cause it.
The men will do whatever it takes to keep their daughter safe, but when little Minsie decides to make friends with the beast below deck, they have to reevaluate how they see the feral woman.
She may turn out to be exactly what they all needed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
18+ reader discretion is advised; themes of self-harm, suicide, assault, and rape.
788 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 14, 2021
156 people are currently reading
513 people want to read
About the author
Heather Relken
7 books108 followersI've been writing since 7th grade and have always had a love for all things fantasy! My grandpa introduced me to Zelda and Lord of the Rings, and from there my interests just expanded! I developed a love for culture and anthropology, for linguistics and biology, and slowly I've managed to puzzle piece together that perfect blend of interests into something I believe makes my writing unique, vivid, and out of this world!
That's the goal, at least ;]
I love my writing most when I'm able to showcase the coming together of two separate cultures and how those cultures would clash and interact. I love showing language barriers, subverting expectations, and toying with social taboo. Sometimes I use these in a strictly fantasy setting, but my truest passion is when I'm able to let loose and really flex my worldbuilding in the science-fiction universe instead! I never seem to get away from the romance genre, though, because I feel like the world could always use a little more love <3
That's the goal, at least ;]
I love my writing most when I'm able to showcase the coming together of two separate cultures and how those cultures would clash and interact. I love showing language barriers, subverting expectations, and toying with social taboo. Sometimes I use these in a strictly fantasy setting, but my truest passion is when I'm able to let loose and really flex my worldbuilding in the science-fiction universe instead! I never seem to get away from the romance genre, though, because I feel like the world could always use a little more love <3
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
July 22, 2022
I really struggled with this 788 page book, even though It has all the components I enjoy in a story. Language barrier, first contact, human woman/alien men, inclusivity, farm life, and RH. It just didn't grab me and make me want to spend the day immersed in the pages. The main issue with the overall story was the pace and the flow.
This is first contact, so you expect a language barrier...but one that lasts over 400 pages?
It felt like the author tried to do so much with the story, that it dragged under the weight of all of those wonderful ideas. There are large sections describing farming, household chores, cooking, learning how to drive, and animal husbandry.
Our heroine first awakens being sold at an auction. She has amnesia, she doesn't even remember her own name. She escapes and ends up on a ship with three very alien looking aliens. (Which I love!) Each one having their own unique customs, language, and written word. They are in a m/m/m relationship, and are raising an adorable alien child, who is also a different alien than her fathers.
I applaud this author for her vision. The world building here was done well. The level of care put into the languages was amazing. However, it was odd when the aliens "spoke" they used American English and American slang. They even curse in English.
One if the biggest distractions was the h's selective amnesia. For a woman who can't even remember her own name, it was strange when she says things like, “Guys on Earth are very anti-make-up." Or “I don’t have memories but I know what a dildo is."
This is a gentle, slow burn RH, but the actual RH doesn't happen until near the end. It all feels very polite and lacking genuine intimacy.
Overall, this book had fabulous ideas, but the storytelling was awkward and combersome.
This is first contact, so you expect a language barrier...but one that lasts over 400 pages?
It felt like the author tried to do so much with the story, that it dragged under the weight of all of those wonderful ideas. There are large sections describing farming, household chores, cooking, learning how to drive, and animal husbandry.
Our heroine first awakens being sold at an auction. She has amnesia, she doesn't even remember her own name. She escapes and ends up on a ship with three very alien looking aliens. (Which I love!) Each one having their own unique customs, language, and written word. They are in a m/m/m relationship, and are raising an adorable alien child, who is also a different alien than her fathers.
I applaud this author for her vision. The world building here was done well. The level of care put into the languages was amazing. However, it was odd when the aliens "spoke" they used American English and American slang. They even curse in English.
One if the biggest distractions was the h's selective amnesia. For a woman who can't even remember her own name, it was strange when she says things like, “Guys on Earth are very anti-make-up." Or “I don’t have memories but I know what a dildo is."
This is a gentle, slow burn RH, but the actual RH doesn't happen until near the end. It all feels very polite and lacking genuine intimacy.
The whole foursome thing is honestly a drawn-out juggling act of making sure everyone has a turn and there’s no one sitting on the sidelines feeling unwanted.There were times the steam was tame and then others when the dirty talk rivaled a steamy contemporary novel,
“Would our resident cumslut like to have another sample, or is he thoroughly satisfied?”I felt like I had steam whiplash. Why are aliens using human words like cumslut?
Overall, this book had fabulous ideas, but the storytelling was awkward and combersome.
May 5, 2021
This was a really unusual read and definitely, a stand out one I’ve been dithering since finishing on whether this was a four or five star read for me and though I had some little niggles I think It only fair to give it the full five-stars despite there being some things that I would alter slightly.
This was so immersing and the world-building top-notch. It was totally different to what I was expecting and had such a depth and heart to it.
It’s a sci-if slow-burn reverse-harem but it’s unlike any reverse-harem I’ve tried before and I’ve consumed a fair few let me tell you.
This is not your run of the mill alien boys meet a girl and fall headlong into love it was much more subtle than that.
The story focuses on a young woman who wakes up at an auction where she’s being sold but she has no memories of any time before this not even her name.
She does know some basic everyday stuff like where she’s from but her personal memories nada.
Fleeing from her new buyer who gives her bad vibes she stows away in the hold of a departing vessel and this is where our story takes off.
Discovered hiding below deck and with an added language barrier, this is a very rocky uncomfortable ride on all sides.
The ship belongs to three aliens, all of different species and they are very alien-looking indeed.
There’s also a small child again another species she’s their adopted daughter Mimsie and she takes a real shine to our girl.
Equally suspicious of each other and with that added language barrier there is definitely nothing insta about this in fact the opposite is actually true.
Dae, Suk and Kai along with Mimsie are a family and they know that their little stowaway is most likely to be collected by the Justice sometime soon.
So they reluctantly on some of their parts take her back home to their farm until such an event comes to pass.
There’s lots of extra drama along this journey and for over half of this book there’s a massive communication barrier this also has some slight triggers but their baby ones really and I didn’t find this one especially dark either just occasional slight shades of grey.
This doesn’t have alpha males or even traditional gender expectations or roles this was all about acceptance and being free to be yourself.
The characters fell for each other at different rates and this focuses more on the feelings rather than the physical.
There are sexy times here but it does take a while to get to that point and again it felt uniquely done.
I think the established dynamic played a huge part in this, the fact that this is already a family unit one that Cinn as she is now called has to find her place in.
This one is less steam and more substance I’m definitely a steam girl usually but this had enough heat to satisfy and the experience itself was so good I was more than happy with what was on offer here.
Be aware the males in this story are very alien with some unique differences.
So it’s definitely not going to be for everyone but if this is your particular jam then you should enjoy it.
I did have some slight nitpicks with this one though, it’s a very long book and I did think at times it was maybe a little too lengthy and could have easily been condensed down whilst losing none of the story.
I also thought the slow-burn could have been speeded up slightly but if the book was slightly shorter then this wouldn’t actually be an issue.
Finally, I sometimes found the males slightly too passive in regards to keeping Cinn and wouldn’t have minded some chest-thumping total alpha rampaging occasionally.
Other than that we are grand this was just so fresh and unique and totally blindsided me.
It was very well written the narrative was beautifully wordy (not purple prose though) and the language used felt lyrical and authentic especially when combined with the elaborate world-building it just kind of fit.
I recommend this to anyone who wants to try something very different just throw your expectations out of the door when you begin.
It’s not even a very complicated story either but this author had such a way with words I couldn’t fail to be drawn in here.
Very impressed with this and definitely recommend what a hidden gem this was.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
September 15, 2021
Pages: 790
My rating: 4.5
This book was recommended to me by a gr friend and #cakeeater. Thank you C. I loved it.
This is a standalone book in a series of standalone books. But it should be read first, because it explains, why the aliens search for earth later and also about some of the other girls who are the FMCs of the other books.
The book is pretty slow with the relationship building, but there are some smexy times especially at the end of the book. I liked the slow relationship build in this story. Cinn the main female character is thrown in a world where she does not understand the languages and the others do not know her language. She flees from a guy who bought her but she knows that he is a bad guy. She has no memory of where she comes from or who her family is. But she has some instinctive knowledge about thinks she learned in her previous life. After fleeing from the guy, she jumps on a ship that takes her to another planet. On the flight she is found. But she is very scared and fights the guys at first. But then one of them tries to communicate with her and things get better. Of course it is a love story and luckily we get our HEA, even though there is a grain of salt in the HEA. I enjoyed the book. It is a long read but it is really good.
The Characters: Names and descriptions of the persons
Summery: detailed, lot’s of spoiler
May 23, 2021
STOWAWAY follows the story of Cinn, a human woman who has woken up with no memories on an alien planet. After being sold like cattle, Cinn runs away and sneaks aboard a spaceship owned by Dae, Kai, and Suk. Upon discovering her, the three alien men decide to keep he safe and she returns home with them to their farm. Eventually, Cinn's owner finds her, and Dae, Kai, and Suk do their best to protect her from him, even if it seems like the law is on her owner's side.
I recently got really into science fiction romance for the first time in my reading career. I especially like the creativity and ingenuity in sci-fi romance with non-humanoid main characters. However, I think this book took it too far and didn't have the writing skills to back it up. For most of this book, I was very confused with what the main characters looked like. The way that the author described them was in a way that I could not visualize their appearance. This meant that for most of the book I was imagining amorphous blobs in place of the main characters. Not fun.
I think a lot of this book's problems (save, of course, the aforementioned description problem) could have been solved if it was shorter. One of my favorite tropes in books is when the characters have to overcome a culture or language barrier. At first, I really liked the fact that Cinn and the three aliens couldn't communicate through words. But, once I got 50% through and they still couldn't speak to each other, I had had enough. At the 50% mark in the book, Cinn has been with the aliens for 4-5 months and she can only speak like 7 alien words/phrases (among them, hello, goodbye, It's okay, yes, no, and thank you). This makes absolutely no sense to me. You're telling me, in all that time, none of the aliens thought to sit her down and teach her the language or at least give her a book or something to teach herself? In all that time, she didn't pick up more than a few phrases? This decision by the author made zero sense to me.
I love a slow burn, but this book was too slow burn and not enough spice. The first sex scene isn't until past the 50% percent mark and, because of the aforementioned description problem, I couldn't really understand what was happening in it.
What I'm most upset about, however, is that I spent all of my free time before and after work for 2 days trying to read this book and I only got to 71%. When I went to sleep last night, I was determined to finish this book because I had spent so much time reading it and only had 29% left. However, I have made it my goal not to spend time reading books that I don't like and that don't make me happy. Because I spent so much time trying to get through this book, I am marking it as read on my Goodreads, but I will not be reading the last 29%.
I've been writing reviews for a while but this is my first time posting on Goodreads. If you want to read more of my reviews, go to: https://mfverb.wixsite.com/abookreviewer
I recently got really into science fiction romance for the first time in my reading career. I especially like the creativity and ingenuity in sci-fi romance with non-humanoid main characters. However, I think this book took it too far and didn't have the writing skills to back it up. For most of this book, I was very confused with what the main characters looked like. The way that the author described them was in a way that I could not visualize their appearance. This meant that for most of the book I was imagining amorphous blobs in place of the main characters. Not fun.
I think a lot of this book's problems (save, of course, the aforementioned description problem) could have been solved if it was shorter. One of my favorite tropes in books is when the characters have to overcome a culture or language barrier. At first, I really liked the fact that Cinn and the three aliens couldn't communicate through words. But, once I got 50% through and they still couldn't speak to each other, I had had enough. At the 50% mark in the book, Cinn has been with the aliens for 4-5 months and she can only speak like 7 alien words/phrases (among them, hello, goodbye, It's okay, yes, no, and thank you). This makes absolutely no sense to me. You're telling me, in all that time, none of the aliens thought to sit her down and teach her the language or at least give her a book or something to teach herself? In all that time, she didn't pick up more than a few phrases? This decision by the author made zero sense to me.
I love a slow burn, but this book was too slow burn and not enough spice. The first sex scene isn't until past the 50% percent mark and, because of the aforementioned description problem, I couldn't really understand what was happening in it.
What I'm most upset about, however, is that I spent all of my free time before and after work for 2 days trying to read this book and I only got to 71%. When I went to sleep last night, I was determined to finish this book because I had spent so much time reading it and only had 29% left. However, I have made it my goal not to spend time reading books that I don't like and that don't make me happy. Because I spent so much time trying to get through this book, I am marking it as read on my Goodreads, but I will not be reading the last 29%.
I've been writing reviews for a while but this is my first time posting on Goodreads. If you want to read more of my reviews, go to: https://mfverb.wixsite.com/abookreviewer
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2021
TW:
Hmm... well I really enjoyed the first half of the book and appreciated the diversity of characters and romance going on in all of the relationships- plus the attempts at trying to understand consent without being able to really speak to each other for the majority of the book was a good touch. Plus I liked Minsie's character---but....
But I just felt there was something missing, and I can't quite but my finger on it.
Maybe it was that I felt that the H's liked the h but there wasn't this...kind of want/need happening between any of them- or at least not to the extent that I felt the romance was something I enjoyed personally.
Also the book felt a bit long at certain points in the story and dragged on a couple of times throughout
Hmm... well I really enjoyed the first half of the book and appreciated the diversity of characters and romance going on in all of the relationships- plus the attempts at trying to understand consent without being able to really speak to each other for the majority of the book was a good touch. Plus I liked Minsie's character---but....
But I just felt there was something missing, and I can't quite but my finger on it.
Maybe it was that I felt that the H's liked the h but there wasn't this...kind of want/need happening between any of them- or at least not to the extent that I felt the romance was something I enjoyed personally.
Also the book felt a bit long at certain points in the story and dragged on a couple of times throughout
October 8, 2024
4 stars
This book got me out of a 3 month book slump and I could not be happier. Stowaway was giving me R. Lee Smith lite vibes and that's honestly the dream! Relken doesn’t deep dive into the darker aspects like Smith does, but everything else is very reminiscent of R Lees Style. Which is just what the doctor ordered, Relken is very much her own author and writer, I'm not saying she's copying, just that I've been searching high and low for another author like Smith and I think we've found a winner!
The world and alien races are fully fleshed out and feel so real and so thought out. Everything was so vibrant and odd and magnificent. Nothing was rushed, this book was a long one, but I love that. The story rarely dragged.
The romance was an adorable slow burn with all our characters, and I loved how their inability to communicate was handled. Very well thought out and believable. Not a lot of baseless guesses that are miraculously correct, and not a lot of misuse/over use of the "miscommunication" trope that runs so rampant in so many romance books. So it was really refreshing not to have to deal with that eye rolling trope in general, let alone in a book where the characters don't share a language. Huge bonus points for that! I would have loved a little more of an intense romance though, as their relationship progressed. I never really felt like they needed her. She was just kind of there and attractive and pursued. They are adorable and sweet to her, but I didn't get a since of intense or great love until the very end. I felt Kai and Dae were more into each other than into our main character, which is understood, they have been together the longest, but I prefer the main character to hold more of a centered role. That’s a gripe that’s purely personal though.
Over all, I loved this book!
This book got me out of a 3 month book slump and I could not be happier. Stowaway was giving me R. Lee Smith lite vibes and that's honestly the dream! Relken doesn’t deep dive into the darker aspects like Smith does, but everything else is very reminiscent of R Lees Style. Which is just what the doctor ordered, Relken is very much her own author and writer, I'm not saying she's copying, just that I've been searching high and low for another author like Smith and I think we've found a winner!
The world and alien races are fully fleshed out and feel so real and so thought out. Everything was so vibrant and odd and magnificent. Nothing was rushed, this book was a long one, but I love that. The story rarely dragged.
The romance was an adorable slow burn with all our characters, and I loved how their inability to communicate was handled. Very well thought out and believable. Not a lot of baseless guesses that are miraculously correct, and not a lot of misuse/over use of the "miscommunication" trope that runs so rampant in so many romance books. So it was really refreshing not to have to deal with that eye rolling trope in general, let alone in a book where the characters don't share a language. Huge bonus points for that! I would have loved a little more of an intense romance though, as their relationship progressed. I never really felt like they needed her. She was just kind of there and attractive and pursued. They are adorable and sweet to her, but I didn't get a since of intense or great love until the very end. I felt Kai and Dae were more into each other than into our main character, which is understood, they have been together the longest, but I prefer the main character to hold more of a centered role. That’s a gripe that’s purely personal though.
Over all, I loved this book!
April 6, 2021
This book is disappointing in so many ways. It’s tedious, and the tedium serves no purpose. I thought once she was able to speak to the others that things would feel more exciting, but nope. And how selfish are these men? They’re crushing on her but have her sleeping in the barn or on the couch. Like they are gods gift to women. And they’re so ready to give her up once the bad guy comes calling. They don’t think anything is amiss with her terror? And another complaint I have is how the daughter gets put in the background. She was the reason I picked up this book. It all just feels so pointless and I’m done. DNF.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2021
The might be one of my favourite books this year!
RTC
RTC
February 16, 2021
Not for me
This is a overly drawn out book that starts out so alien yet becomes less and less as you read on. The love interest are a tad to alien for me to even comprehend them all being together, or our human being attracted to them. the romance is way to farfetched to even be believable, or try as I might to even process or picture it. As I read on the conflict and obstacles are all there but they just seem like a second thought. The child, after a while, also seemed like a after thought. The ending is where we get the alien/human sex, and it just felt really weird and kinda just thrown in since we finally finished the entire book without showing any real development with this RH what so ever? Which is kinda funny since this book is ridiculously long. Not my favorite.
This is a overly drawn out book that starts out so alien yet becomes less and less as you read on. The love interest are a tad to alien for me to even comprehend them all being together, or our human being attracted to them. the romance is way to farfetched to even be believable, or try as I might to even process or picture it. As I read on the conflict and obstacles are all there but they just seem like a second thought. The child, after a while, also seemed like a after thought. The ending is where we get the alien/human sex, and it just felt really weird and kinda just thrown in since we finally finished the entire book without showing any real development with this RH what so ever? Which is kinda funny since this book is ridiculously long. Not my favorite.
May 6, 2021
I love this book so much
And I love several things.
1. One of the characters is trans, and not in a chaser or shameful kind of way and it is beautiful. Representation matters.
2. The trigger warnings before triggering scenes are so helpful. Thank you so much. Seriously so much.
3. I love Cinn and Minsie, and all the men. Seriously. I love that they are normal people and not really remarkable (ie royalty, super rich etc) family. Just farming and doing their thing until Cinn comes along.
And I love several things.
1. One of the characters is trans, and not in a chaser or shameful kind of way and it is beautiful. Representation matters.
2. The trigger warnings before triggering scenes are so helpful. Thank you so much. Seriously so much.
3. I love Cinn and Minsie, and all the men. Seriously. I love that they are normal people and not really remarkable (ie royalty, super rich etc) family. Just farming and doing their thing until Cinn comes along.
June 11, 2021
This story is one of the rare reads that seriously hit me in the feels! I actually teared up a few times! This was so well written, I was literally feeling what Cinn was feeling throughout the story!! It’s definitely a very slow burn, and doesn’t really include any sexy scenes until you are over halfway in the story, but I honestly didn’t mind that! If you are looking for smut, this story is not it! This story is to be savored and enjoyed like a fine glass of wine! You won’t regret it!!!
March 2, 2021
This one took me a while to get into. I had to really try. I literally reread many chapters almost 3 times in the beginning because I know this author is capable of great things. But it was hard to get into, even for me.
The opening catches your interest with the h on the run. The aspect of lost memories only enhances everything because now the readers are just as lost as the h.
After the opening incident, the story had a long lull. This is where I found myself re reading chapters. The world building is so vast that some things may or may not go over your head. I appreciate a good universe creation to get lost in. This is only one book though, so it had to get crammed in there for us to get the story flowing. Perhaps if this was divided into 2 or even 3 books, it may have been easier to assimilate?
Once the story picked up (I think around 40%), it started really picking up. A great story and told in a great manner. The love dynamic between the males was a bit on the sweeter side for me, but I understood it was how the story had to play out. The heroine needed this type of dynamic.
From the 40% mark on I couldn't put the story down. I wanted to know what happened next, how it would end. I honestly felt for the villain (but that's just me).
I am a dark reader. I tend to love my books to range from dark to pitch black (with the occasional sweet book thrown in, like this one). Because of this, I did not find the scenes we were warned about that dark. I rank it [possibly] dark grey/light dark on my dark scale.
*4.0/4.5 stars*, I think the book might have fared better split in two?
The opening catches your interest with the h on the run. The aspect of lost memories only enhances everything because now the readers are just as lost as the h.
After the opening incident, the story had a long lull. This is where I found myself re reading chapters. The world building is so vast that some things may or may not go over your head. I appreciate a good universe creation to get lost in. This is only one book though, so it had to get crammed in there for us to get the story flowing. Perhaps if this was divided into 2 or even 3 books, it may have been easier to assimilate?
Once the story picked up (I think around 40%), it started really picking up. A great story and told in a great manner. The love dynamic between the males was a bit on the sweeter side for me, but I understood it was how the story had to play out. The heroine needed this type of dynamic.
From the 40% mark on I couldn't put the story down. I wanted to know what happened next, how it would end. I honestly felt for the villain (but that's just me).
I am a dark reader. I tend to love my books to range from dark to pitch black (with the occasional sweet book thrown in, like this one). Because of this, I did not find the scenes we were warned about that dark. I rank it [possibly] dark grey/light dark on my dark scale.
*4.0/4.5 stars*, I think the book might have fared better split in two?
June 14, 2021
Nice, loooonngggg.......story. ;)
Kinda sad she never got to regain her memories, but loved the hea! Would also love to read more of min's story, as she grows - does she become a Valkyrie after all or ..??
Kinda sad she never got to regain her memories, but loved the hea! Would also love to read more of min's story, as she grows - does she become a Valkyrie after all or ..??
February 19, 2021
So far from home... wherever that is
Waking up in the unknown is scary enough. Waking up, with no memory, in the middle of an auction of human beings, held captive by bars of light, no way to escape the fate you see coming- that's so beyond terrifying. Bought by a leering angel, drugged, but she could see what was coming, she took off. Desperation, they name is...well, whatever it is, she's so outta here. She climbs into the first place she can find to hunker down in and hides. Turns out it's the cargo hold of a ship. Luckily it's owned by 3 dads traveling with their daughter. Even better, they're on their return trip to a very remote planet. But, she was property, and people tend to not like it when things get taken from them. Now the question is can she manage to communicate enough to tell them that she can't remember anything, and what she does she wants desperately away from?
Spoilers ahead.
I appreciate so very very much that this author doesn't shy away from hard subjects, but also allows the reader to skip triggers. You are warned not only in the preface, but also before the event in the book- just in case you forgot the chapter number to avoid. And while they are part of the story, they aren't hideously bludgeoned into the reader without mercy. But, Cinn (what she eventually calls herself due to a partial memory surfacing) is such a strong character. I liked Lila and was a little terrified, honestly, about this prequel that would explain the humans' discovery in the universe. We know from New Horizons that they were auctioned, and while some may find benevolent beings to keep them safe, others wouldn't. What should have been labor contracts, similar to indentured servitude for a set time- and with a safe word to release you from the contract, was taken advantage of by unsavory characters. Without her memory she can't escape. Without being able to communicate, she can't escape. But she was brave and did manage to escape. The guys don't know what she is, are worried because they have a child and farm to care for, and while wanting to help the poor woman realize that she is under a contract and someone will come looking for her. And they do. Realizing that the jerk is coming to get her is what leads to the self harming scene. Also, escape from him, again, almost led to another after the other scene warned against. I skipped it thanks to the warnings. We only get a few POVs from Dae, Suk and Kai, but they help fill in the blanks of Cinn's confusion. The relationship that builds, builds onto an already existing one. Dae is the heart of it, Suk and Kai each bonded to Dae, but not each other as more than co-partners and co-parents. Cinn can see that relationship, and their family bonds, and while needing a safe place and being willing to work for it, refuses to interject herself- no matter how much she's coming to care for them.
I would have liked to learn more about the the investigation process. Lila's story just mentioned the 1 ship observing. No mention of of traces were found that would tell who was behind it. And after their ship left, no mention of another standing guard to prevent more kidnappings. While Cinn's story is resolved, the premise behind it is barely nudged. I hope, since this is going back in time we get some answers (I know not many because during Lila's story they're still searching), but at least take down the illegal auction part of it and stop the flow of kidnappings. Although, in some ways, Earth may not be as happy to greet the ones keeping them from being taken after the shenanigans in New Horizons lol. There was some property damage. But I'm fascinated with this new author's style, as much the story as the consideration of the readers, and the fact that for roughly 50% of this story the 5 main characters could not do more than pantomime to each other, and even that had some cultural snags.
Waking up in the unknown is scary enough. Waking up, with no memory, in the middle of an auction of human beings, held captive by bars of light, no way to escape the fate you see coming- that's so beyond terrifying. Bought by a leering angel, drugged, but she could see what was coming, she took off. Desperation, they name is...well, whatever it is, she's so outta here. She climbs into the first place she can find to hunker down in and hides. Turns out it's the cargo hold of a ship. Luckily it's owned by 3 dads traveling with their daughter. Even better, they're on their return trip to a very remote planet. But, she was property, and people tend to not like it when things get taken from them. Now the question is can she manage to communicate enough to tell them that she can't remember anything, and what she does she wants desperately away from?
Spoilers ahead.
I appreciate so very very much that this author doesn't shy away from hard subjects, but also allows the reader to skip triggers. You are warned not only in the preface, but also before the event in the book- just in case you forgot the chapter number to avoid. And while they are part of the story, they aren't hideously bludgeoned into the reader without mercy. But, Cinn (what she eventually calls herself due to a partial memory surfacing) is such a strong character. I liked Lila and was a little terrified, honestly, about this prequel that would explain the humans' discovery in the universe. We know from New Horizons that they were auctioned, and while some may find benevolent beings to keep them safe, others wouldn't. What should have been labor contracts, similar to indentured servitude for a set time- and with a safe word to release you from the contract, was taken advantage of by unsavory characters. Without her memory she can't escape. Without being able to communicate, she can't escape. But she was brave and did manage to escape. The guys don't know what she is, are worried because they have a child and farm to care for, and while wanting to help the poor woman realize that she is under a contract and someone will come looking for her. And they do. Realizing that the jerk is coming to get her is what leads to the self harming scene. Also, escape from him, again, almost led to another after the other scene warned against. I skipped it thanks to the warnings. We only get a few POVs from Dae, Suk and Kai, but they help fill in the blanks of Cinn's confusion. The relationship that builds, builds onto an already existing one. Dae is the heart of it, Suk and Kai each bonded to Dae, but not each other as more than co-partners and co-parents. Cinn can see that relationship, and their family bonds, and while needing a safe place and being willing to work for it, refuses to interject herself- no matter how much she's coming to care for them.
I would have liked to learn more about the the investigation process. Lila's story just mentioned the 1 ship observing. No mention of of traces were found that would tell who was behind it. And after their ship left, no mention of another standing guard to prevent more kidnappings. While Cinn's story is resolved, the premise behind it is barely nudged. I hope, since this is going back in time we get some answers (I know not many because during Lila's story they're still searching), but at least take down the illegal auction part of it and stop the flow of kidnappings. Although, in some ways, Earth may not be as happy to greet the ones keeping them from being taken after the shenanigans in New Horizons lol. There was some property damage. But I'm fascinated with this new author's style, as much the story as the consideration of the readers, and the fact that for roughly 50% of this story the 5 main characters could not do more than pantomime to each other, and even that had some cultural snags.
June 30, 2021
Wow
It sucked me in and took me for a wild imagination ride. Couldn’t put it down. Would recommend, there are triggers but you’re told before hand
It sucked me in and took me for a wild imagination ride. Couldn’t put it down. Would recommend, there are triggers but you’re told before hand
February 17, 2021
Super Sweet Aliens/Human Romance
I really enjoyed this book. It had all of the things I love about Sci-fi romance and few of the things I don’t. Relationships develop naturally over time, no insta-love. The aliens are truly alien and have distinct personalities and character development, they’re not just grunting alphas.
The world-building is top-notch.
I’m going to read anything this author puts out because she’s an excellent storyteller.
I really enjoyed this book. It had all of the things I love about Sci-fi romance and few of the things I don’t. Relationships develop naturally over time, no insta-love. The aliens are truly alien and have distinct personalities and character development, they’re not just grunting alphas.
The world-building is top-notch.
I’m going to read anything this author puts out because she’s an excellent storyteller.
March 1, 2021
Oh my stars this book was so awesome!!!! I couldn't put the thing down. The story drew you in and kept you in its grasp until the end that had me on pins and needles.
It was so sweet and caring that you couldn't help falling in love with the people along the way.
The characters was well written and the story complex yet simple. I love that it's multiple POV. You get to learn about the characters both ways. Lets not forget that the author made several languages for the guys, wow!
It was so sweet and caring that you couldn't help falling in love with the people along the way.
The characters was well written and the story complex yet simple. I love that it's multiple POV. You get to learn about the characters both ways. Lets not forget that the author made several languages for the guys, wow!
August 3, 2021
An epic tale of abandonment and loss but above all, one of love and family
This book is the first in a Reverse Harem Sci-Fi Romance series by Heather Relken. It is set in a distant galaxy and features human and alien beings. It can be read as a standalone novel. There is some violence and there are several descriptive scenes of consenting inter-species sexual activity between all three males and one female.
Someone has discovered Earth, a previously unknown planet hidden away in the far reaches of the universe. Someone is kidnapping humans, stripping their memories and selling them for wildly high prices at auction.
Cinn is a human female who’s first memory is of waking up in a chaotic and crowded barn, with a group of humans being auctioned off to the highest bidders. She doesn’t recognise any of the alien species surrounding her. She doesn’t understand any of their languages. She is bought by someone who looks like an angel but feels like a devil. She has no idea if this is normal or legal but she knows she has to get away if she is to survive.
At her first opportunity she escapes and hides herself in the storage area of a small vehicle, which happens to be an interplanetary craft belonging to a family of farming aliens. She is of course discovered by them mid-flight. What follows is a journey of her learning to communicate with four different species of aliens, coming to terms with having no family and not knowing her place in the universe, wanting to be part of this family and avoiding being reclaimed by the Angel.
This is an epic tale of abandonment and loss but above all, one of love and family. Each character is well thought through, deep and complex. Their interactions and behaviours feel real and almost tangible. As a reader, I could feel Cinn’s sense of loss and wanting to belong. I could feel her hope and her love for the family who had taken her in. I could feel her anxiety over being discovered by the Angel and her terror of being taken again.
There are scenes of suspense, action and violence. There are trigger warnings where appropriate. There are also descriptive scenes of a sexual nature. They are consenting and they are part of the characters bonding with each other, therefore are necessary to the plot of the story.
The worldbuilding and descriptions of alien landscapes are vivid and feel realistic. The aliens are not all humanoid in appearance and each species has defining characteristics and abilities which make them unique. Humans are rare and unusual.
Heather Relken is a very talented writer. She clearly has a passion for linguistics and this is evident in her attention to detail when it comes to alien languages. The book contains an index of the alien races, the languages spoken and which existing languages influenced them. The story is well paced and flows beautifully. I didn’t want to put it down.
Although this is the first book in the series, it is the second one I have read. Each can be read as a standalone. I cannot wait to see what else this author produces. I want more of this universe.
This book is the first in a Reverse Harem Sci-Fi Romance series by Heather Relken. It is set in a distant galaxy and features human and alien beings. It can be read as a standalone novel. There is some violence and there are several descriptive scenes of consenting inter-species sexual activity between all three males and one female.
Someone has discovered Earth, a previously unknown planet hidden away in the far reaches of the universe. Someone is kidnapping humans, stripping their memories and selling them for wildly high prices at auction.
Cinn is a human female who’s first memory is of waking up in a chaotic and crowded barn, with a group of humans being auctioned off to the highest bidders. She doesn’t recognise any of the alien species surrounding her. She doesn’t understand any of their languages. She is bought by someone who looks like an angel but feels like a devil. She has no idea if this is normal or legal but she knows she has to get away if she is to survive.
At her first opportunity she escapes and hides herself in the storage area of a small vehicle, which happens to be an interplanetary craft belonging to a family of farming aliens. She is of course discovered by them mid-flight. What follows is a journey of her learning to communicate with four different species of aliens, coming to terms with having no family and not knowing her place in the universe, wanting to be part of this family and avoiding being reclaimed by the Angel.
This is an epic tale of abandonment and loss but above all, one of love and family. Each character is well thought through, deep and complex. Their interactions and behaviours feel real and almost tangible. As a reader, I could feel Cinn’s sense of loss and wanting to belong. I could feel her hope and her love for the family who had taken her in. I could feel her anxiety over being discovered by the Angel and her terror of being taken again.
There are scenes of suspense, action and violence. There are trigger warnings where appropriate. There are also descriptive scenes of a sexual nature. They are consenting and they are part of the characters bonding with each other, therefore are necessary to the plot of the story.
The worldbuilding and descriptions of alien landscapes are vivid and feel realistic. The aliens are not all humanoid in appearance and each species has defining characteristics and abilities which make them unique. Humans are rare and unusual.
Heather Relken is a very talented writer. She clearly has a passion for linguistics and this is evident in her attention to detail when it comes to alien languages. The book contains an index of the alien races, the languages spoken and which existing languages influenced them. The story is well paced and flows beautifully. I didn’t want to put it down.
Although this is the first book in the series, it is the second one I have read. Each can be read as a standalone. I cannot wait to see what else this author produces. I want more of this universe.
February 23, 2021
This book was a first for me in many ways: it was my first sci-fi reverse harem romance; my first m/m experience in the same genre; and my first official beta-reading opportunity. On all fronts, I would call it success.
First off, I’d just like to say that this really isn’t the type of book that I’d typically go for. However, something about the summary (and, not gonna lie, the cover) drew me in, and it was a very eye-opening experience that I’m glad I got the chance to undertake. I had the privilege of reading the beta-draft, and I’ve been told that a lot of things have since then been improved upon, but that the most important parts remain the same: namely, the characters, the incredible “alien” languages that just seems SO REAL, and the very interesting worldbuilding.
This book would be PERFECT for anyone who enjoys m/m, sci-fi and medium-to-fast burn relationships, but even as someone who does not typically enjoy ANY of those things, I can truly say that I enjoyed this book. No, it didn’t change my preferences, but it did leave me more open minded, and honestly, it was just so well-written that it was hard not to like the universe that Mrs. Relken created.
On the whole, I’d give it 4 stars if I only took my own preferences into account, but I just know that if someone who truly loves these tropes gave this book a shot, they’d easily end up giving it a 5 star review.
Again, I’m so thankful for this experience, and I urge all of you sci-fi, reverse harem lovers to give this book a shot. You won’t regret it!
First off, I’d just like to say that this really isn’t the type of book that I’d typically go for. However, something about the summary (and, not gonna lie, the cover) drew me in, and it was a very eye-opening experience that I’m glad I got the chance to undertake. I had the privilege of reading the beta-draft, and I’ve been told that a lot of things have since then been improved upon, but that the most important parts remain the same: namely, the characters, the incredible “alien” languages that just seems SO REAL, and the very interesting worldbuilding.
This book would be PERFECT for anyone who enjoys m/m, sci-fi and medium-to-fast burn relationships, but even as someone who does not typically enjoy ANY of those things, I can truly say that I enjoyed this book. No, it didn’t change my preferences, but it did leave me more open minded, and honestly, it was just so well-written that it was hard not to like the universe that Mrs. Relken created.
On the whole, I’d give it 4 stars if I only took my own preferences into account, but I just know that if someone who truly loves these tropes gave this book a shot, they’d easily end up giving it a 5 star review.
Again, I’m so thankful for this experience, and I urge all of you sci-fi, reverse harem lovers to give this book a shot. You won’t regret it!
March 23, 2022
Beautifully written. I was astonished to find moisture dripping from my eyes at about 10% of this book. The despair and loss and fear was touching as "Cinn" struggled with the loss of her memories. Her thoughts of a dad was especially touching.
This is a book/author recommended by one of my FB groups, I think R. Lee Smith. Because it definitely has hints of her style. Not the fearless debauchery, at least not until way later, but the way the story unfolds in it's stunning detail in another world with multiple languages and people. Very well done. The author certainly doesn't shy away from using creepy alien descriptions for her heroes.
We have the slow, slow unfolding of being in space as a stowaway then on the farm helping with chores. Then an accident that leaves Cinn scarred and the healing. Then relations with Dae, waiting for Minsie to awaken- all long and slowly drawn out.
Cinn's anguish that turns to wonder, the whole language barrier thing was used to develop character between the MC's in a new way. The farm sounds glorious, the sahir (sp?) so cool, and somehow even a foursome seems reasonable. It gets to the heat much later and I could feel the chemistry with Cinn, Dae and Kai but for some reason I felt Suk was kind of left out. Maybe not, but felt like he was on the fringes.
To me, the story was moving at the beginning but it didn't carry thru to the end, the ending kind of left me hanging. Once the trials with Alom were settled, it all kind of wrapped up. We get a sexy scene but not an emotional bonding time which left me kind of disappointed.
But still 4.5 stars for making me read a 12 hr. book, really well written.
This is a book/author recommended by one of my FB groups, I think R. Lee Smith. Because it definitely has hints of her style. Not the fearless debauchery, at least not until way later, but the way the story unfolds in it's stunning detail in another world with multiple languages and people. Very well done. The author certainly doesn't shy away from using creepy alien descriptions for her heroes.
We have the slow, slow unfolding of being in space as a stowaway then on the farm helping with chores. Then an accident that leaves Cinn scarred and the healing. Then relations with Dae, waiting for Minsie to awaken- all long and slowly drawn out.
Cinn's anguish that turns to wonder, the whole language barrier thing was used to develop character between the MC's in a new way. The farm sounds glorious, the sahir (sp?) so cool, and somehow even a foursome seems reasonable. It gets to the heat much later and I could feel the chemistry with Cinn, Dae and Kai but for some reason I felt Suk was kind of left out. Maybe not, but felt like he was on the fringes.
To me, the story was moving at the beginning but it didn't carry thru to the end, the ending kind of left me hanging. Once the trials with Alom were settled, it all kind of wrapped up. We get a sexy scene but not an emotional bonding time which left me kind of disappointed.
But still 4.5 stars for making me read a 12 hr. book, really well written.
August 10, 2021
Thick like molasses DNF 63%
This is a great example of an author getting so caught up in her own world building that she forgot that the point of a story is share an extraordinary series of events, not get caught in the quagmire of life in general. This story told the reader—in excruciating detail—about life on an alien ranch. The first 61% of the story, the characters cannot communicate with each other. This is unbelievably frustrating to the reader. You want an engaging story to go along with the awesome world building but all you get is a lot of a made up language you can’t possibly do anything with but skim over completely, a lot of necessary and tedious pantomiming, and characters you can’t connect with. And this is a RH, not connecting your characters is a death blow to a romance.
The few action scenes you get are jarring. You can’t tell what’s really happening because the main characters can’t talk and have little to no cultural roadmap to living on an alien ranch, but the scene plays out like you should know what’s going on, and is often told through flowery language and a weird coyness that makes it easy to get lost in what’s happening.
Also, because nothing of real significance happens for large sections of the book, it’s totally possible to search for the word “kiss “ and “Mimsie” and understand enough of the story to easily skip the first 50% of this book.
Sadly, I was drawn to this book because of the poly relationship. But don’t get excited. The relationship is dull, mostly smiles and glancing touches with a few kisses and words of endearment. The sex scenes are not hot. They’re written to tell you what’s happening, not to make you feel the same thing as the characters.
Here is a brief of the three males so you can decide if they are interesting enough to try this story. These are not their book names but the fact I don’t remember them 10 min after I gave up on the book should tell you something.
Jackalope—rabbit with antlers and a bone tail. He’s the farm wife of the story. The emotional connection. The other two males sleep with him but not each other. He’s more the dominate figure with the werewolf; and more the submissive with the faceless guy. He’s the one who gets emotionally attached and is kind to the heroine. He has a pig peen like a unicorn horn that separates like a spring—but that doesn’t seem to be put to any exciting uses at all and acts like a regular peen.
Werewolf—looks like a werewolf with wings and fire covering his body when he wants. Shy and reserved. He suffers from uncontrollable bloodlust that seems kind of pointless in the book and is mostly used to make him feel guilty. He loves and sleeps with the rabbit, but doesn’t sleep with faceless.
Faceless—used to be female, now male, don’t know how that happened. He has no face, just a mouth, and his senses all come from antennas on his head. He’s cold, reserved, talks very formally, logic before emotion, and cares more about physical beauty and sex than an emotional connection. He also holds a grudge. He’s definitely the dominate male but not because he’s physically aggressive. He is the aggressor during sleep time with the rabbit, but is more like the ranch owner to a ranch hand with the werewolf. Honestly, he’s kinda a jerk and I didn’t like him.
I can’t recommend this book. And after the numerous grammar errors and run away writing that demands a strong editor, I can’t recommend the author either.
This is a great example of an author getting so caught up in her own world building that she forgot that the point of a story is share an extraordinary series of events, not get caught in the quagmire of life in general. This story told the reader—in excruciating detail—about life on an alien ranch. The first 61% of the story, the characters cannot communicate with each other. This is unbelievably frustrating to the reader. You want an engaging story to go along with the awesome world building but all you get is a lot of a made up language you can’t possibly do anything with but skim over completely, a lot of necessary and tedious pantomiming, and characters you can’t connect with. And this is a RH, not connecting your characters is a death blow to a romance.
The few action scenes you get are jarring. You can’t tell what’s really happening because the main characters can’t talk and have little to no cultural roadmap to living on an alien ranch, but the scene plays out like you should know what’s going on, and is often told through flowery language and a weird coyness that makes it easy to get lost in what’s happening.
Also, because nothing of real significance happens for large sections of the book, it’s totally possible to search for the word “kiss “ and “Mimsie” and understand enough of the story to easily skip the first 50% of this book.
Sadly, I was drawn to this book because of the poly relationship. But don’t get excited. The relationship is dull, mostly smiles and glancing touches with a few kisses and words of endearment. The sex scenes are not hot. They’re written to tell you what’s happening, not to make you feel the same thing as the characters.
Here is a brief of the three males so you can decide if they are interesting enough to try this story. These are not their book names but the fact I don’t remember them 10 min after I gave up on the book should tell you something.
Jackalope—rabbit with antlers and a bone tail. He’s the farm wife of the story. The emotional connection. The other two males sleep with him but not each other. He’s more the dominate figure with the werewolf; and more the submissive with the faceless guy. He’s the one who gets emotionally attached and is kind to the heroine. He has a pig peen like a unicorn horn that separates like a spring—but that doesn’t seem to be put to any exciting uses at all and acts like a regular peen.
Werewolf—looks like a werewolf with wings and fire covering his body when he wants. Shy and reserved. He suffers from uncontrollable bloodlust that seems kind of pointless in the book and is mostly used to make him feel guilty. He loves and sleeps with the rabbit, but doesn’t sleep with faceless.
Faceless—used to be female, now male, don’t know how that happened. He has no face, just a mouth, and his senses all come from antennas on his head. He’s cold, reserved, talks very formally, logic before emotion, and cares more about physical beauty and sex than an emotional connection. He also holds a grudge. He’s definitely the dominate male but not because he’s physically aggressive. He is the aggressor during sleep time with the rabbit, but is more like the ranch owner to a ranch hand with the werewolf. Honestly, he’s kinda a jerk and I didn’t like him.
I can’t recommend this book. And after the numerous grammar errors and run away writing that demands a strong editor, I can’t recommend the author either.
March 19, 2021
I could really write en essay about this book... but I'll keep it short!
I loved the book, like really loved the book. A Sci-Fi RH with some M/M action. Interesting characters? Check. A solid plot? Check. Great world-building? Check. A story sweeter than honey? Double-check. Normally (almost always actually), I want a really heavy dose of steam in alien smut, and fast pace. But this? This was a first, and something else entirely. I didn't mind a bit that it was so slow-paced and slow-burn. We get to really see how the FMC builds slowly her relationship with each character and connects with them, and they are all so different... This story was like taking a stroll in the park, calming, soothing and relaxing, and loving. It is the first book I've ever read (Sci-Fi or else) where there is almost no action, no angst, no real suspense...just a story! This complete absence of those elements was refreshing. For the first time I didn't have to worry, bite my nails or stress over the characters' future, so I just enjoyed the ride. I thought I'd hate it, but sincerely I loved it. Also, I would like to see the characters from this book interact with the characters from New Horizons. :)
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved the book, like really loved the book. A Sci-Fi RH with some M/M action. Interesting characters? Check. A solid plot? Check. Great world-building? Check. A story sweeter than honey? Double-check. Normally (almost always actually), I want a really heavy dose of steam in alien smut, and fast pace. But this? This was a first, and something else entirely. I didn't mind a bit that it was so slow-paced and slow-burn. We get to really see how the FMC builds slowly her relationship with each character and connects with them, and they are all so different... This story was like taking a stroll in the park, calming, soothing and relaxing, and loving. It is the first book I've ever read (Sci-Fi or else) where there is almost no action, no angst, no real suspense...just a story! This complete absence of those elements was refreshing. For the first time I didn't have to worry, bite my nails or stress over the characters' future, so I just enjoyed the ride. I thought I'd hate it, but sincerely I loved it. Also, I would like to see the characters from this book interact with the characters from New Horizons. :)
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 27, 2023
Kind of a 3.5 for me. I usually complain about sci Fri fantasy romance not having enough world building but this author put in the WORK. Like, each species has its own language and customs and the legal system and everything was so thoughtful. I also really enjoyed each character - besides the main one unfortunately. I think this isn't the authors fault, but it's difficult to write memory loss/born sexy yesterday tropes while also giving the character a personality and I think I just didn't resonate with Cinn as a main character. I see the ice planet clones series having the same issue down the line; when everyone is a clone/has no memory, how do you differentiate from protagonists?
However, this book just put in so much work that I have to applaud the author. Not much can get me to devour 700+ pages in two days lol. The three main male characters and their daughter are so memorable and fun and lovable and fascinating. What a world, I can't believe this is a standalone technically.
However, this book just put in so much work that I have to applaud the author. Not much can get me to devour 700+ pages in two days lol. The three main male characters and their daughter are so memorable and fun and lovable and fascinating. What a world, I can't believe this is a standalone technically.
February 27, 2021
Impressed
This is my second book by this author and I am further impressed. She has a huge imagination and stellar world building skills. The amount of aetherchildren and animals just had me in awe. The languages were so complex. I was annoyed by the language problem after a while but I applaud the author for not taking the easy way out. The relationships were realistic. The bad guy was heinous. The only things that didn’t make sense was like the self harm incident. It seemed so out of character. She never did anything like that before. She’s have had some scars. Didn’t make sense. The incident that happened then afterwards there was a warning smh. I can’t let that affect my rating because this was an amazing book. I just wish there was a more comprehensive wrap up. The heroine is still an amnesiac after all that. After all the magic in the galaxy they can’t repair it. The sci-fi book challenge group put her on my radar. I highly recommend this book.
This is my second book by this author and I am further impressed. She has a huge imagination and stellar world building skills. The amount of aetherchildren and animals just had me in awe. The languages were so complex. I was annoyed by the language problem after a while but I applaud the author for not taking the easy way out. The relationships were realistic. The bad guy was heinous. The only things that didn’t make sense was like the self harm incident. It seemed so out of character. She never did anything like that before. She’s have had some scars. Didn’t make sense. The incident that happened then afterwards there was a warning smh. I can’t let that affect my rating because this was an amazing book. I just wish there was a more comprehensive wrap up. The heroine is still an amnesiac after all that. After all the magic in the galaxy they can’t repair it. The sci-fi book challenge group put her on my radar. I highly recommend this book.
February 23, 2021
Fascinating sci fi fantasy
First, there are trigger warnings; please pay attention to them. The ebook is listed as 788 pages of which a small number are sex scenes, including sex between multiple partners. The greater number of pages make up an excellent story of an abducted Earth woman and the aliens who decide to help her. I haven't been interested in sci fi fantasy recently, but I did enjoy this story and plan on trying the other book in the series. The world building is great, the aliens are fascinating, the alien creatures are fun, and Cinn is believable and lovable. And I'd love to meet a valkyrie.
First, there are trigger warnings; please pay attention to them. The ebook is listed as 788 pages of which a small number are sex scenes, including sex between multiple partners. The greater number of pages make up an excellent story of an abducted Earth woman and the aliens who decide to help her. I haven't been interested in sci fi fantasy recently, but I did enjoy this story and plan on trying the other book in the series. The world building is great, the aliens are fascinating, the alien creatures are fun, and Cinn is believable and lovable. And I'd love to meet a valkyrie.
May 6, 2021
An interesting story - very long and thoughtful pacing by the author.
I enjoyed it but at the same time I agree with other reviewers that it could have been cut significantly in places. I felt like the language barrier at first worked well however when 4+ months went by in the story with no interest from our main character to even attempt the language I felt it lost some of the believability for me.
I also felt like shift in our characters relationships once the language barrier was removed was also quite rushed - it was almost like a group of different people.
Overall it was a different book then what I've read in that the world building was excellent and the new species were very diverse (some were difficult to picture).
Not sure I'd pick up the next one just yet but worth exploring if you like the genre.
I enjoyed it but at the same time I agree with other reviewers that it could have been cut significantly in places. I felt like the language barrier at first worked well however when 4+ months went by in the story with no interest from our main character to even attempt the language I felt it lost some of the believability for me.
I also felt like shift in our characters relationships once the language barrier was removed was also quite rushed - it was almost like a group of different people.
Overall it was a different book then what I've read in that the world building was excellent and the new species were very diverse (some were difficult to picture).
Not sure I'd pick up the next one just yet but worth exploring if you like the genre.
February 18, 2021
An utterly captivating read
This truly is totally different from other alien captive mate romances - utterly different in all the best ways. The world building and character development in this book are captivating, the author creates new alien languages inspired by different human languages for crying out loud! This book is absolutely full to the brim with magic, love, heartbreak and so much joy, I truly cannot more highly recommend it. A brilliant, beautiful read.
This truly is totally different from other alien captive mate romances - utterly different in all the best ways. The world building and character development in this book are captivating, the author creates new alien languages inspired by different human languages for crying out loud! This book is absolutely full to the brim with magic, love, heartbreak and so much joy, I truly cannot more highly recommend it. A brilliant, beautiful read.
April 14, 2021
Best Alien RH I've read in a long time!
First and foremost the main reason why I loved this book is that the relationship between the characters developed naturally. It was not love at first sight, it was not fast passed nor was it abnormally developed. The character development was exquisite. I felt that the story moved naturally and at no point was boring even though it was slow in pace. I give the author a huge pat on the back and look forward to future books from her. Plus we share a first name so yea we're besties now. Give this book a chance, you won't regret it.
First and foremost the main reason why I loved this book is that the relationship between the characters developed naturally. It was not love at first sight, it was not fast passed nor was it abnormally developed. The character development was exquisite. I felt that the story moved naturally and at no point was boring even though it was slow in pace. I give the author a huge pat on the back and look forward to future books from her. Plus we share a first name so yea we're besties now. Give this book a chance, you won't regret it.
May 17, 2021
Stowaway
I really loved this romance. I read a lot of sci-fi romance and this is one of my favorites. So many these days are mostly humanoid looking like men and each one of these were completely unique. I loved reading the book. Watching their relationships grow with each other. Imagining everything happening and the unique creatures. It was a great story.
I really loved this romance. I read a lot of sci-fi romance and this is one of my favorites. So many these days are mostly humanoid looking like men and each one of these were completely unique. I loved reading the book. Watching their relationships grow with each other. Imagining everything happening and the unique creatures. It was a great story.
February 17, 2021
The world building here is really good. I don't usually read slow burn sci-fi but this worked (and I wasn't even tempted to skip pages). The diversity of the aliens and the family group dynamics was nice to read.
Spoiler: there is self harm by the h and a rape scene (the latter is not graphic and not really needed in my opinion for the plot). Author gives warnings just before both scenes.
Spoiler: there is self harm by the h and a rape scene (the latter is not graphic and not really needed in my opinion for the plot). Author gives warnings just before both scenes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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