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Venora Mates #3
Awoken from the Deep
One touch was all it took to show him they were everything he needed.
Life inside the dome is nothing like Kythea imagined it would be. She finds herself struggling to let go of her past and the duties she was forced to leave behind, but the decision of one small human female entangles their fates and leads them to a male who will change their lives forever. Now, with her first heat fast approaching, Kythea must choose between the family who raised her, and the family the goddess has blessed her with.
They say you’re a villain in at least one person’s story, but with the things Xuvri has done in the past, he’s sure he is the lead in more nightmares than he can count. With his body broken and infection setting in, Xuvri thinks it is end, but fate has other plans. He’s unstable, violent, and possessive, but can he ensure the safety of his family while keeping the madness that plagues him at bay?
Esme lost the one thing that made her time in captivity with the Grutex bearable and even now, after her escape from the labs and her tormentor, the memory of those days haunt her. Yet from the depths of her darkest dreams, something precious calls out to her; something she thought she would never have. Esme will risk everything, even her own life, to answer the call and find out what fate has in store for her.
Can these broken, lost, and scared fated mates make it through the tumultuous storm to the rainbow at the end?
This book includes a LGBTQ+ relationship from authors who are LGBTQ+ themselves. It is an FFM romance novel. There are dark tones throughout the book. If you have triggers this may not be the novel for you. We understand if that is the case and hope that you find what you are looking for!
Life inside the dome is nothing like Kythea imagined it would be. She finds herself struggling to let go of her past and the duties she was forced to leave behind, but the decision of one small human female entangles their fates and leads them to a male who will change their lives forever. Now, with her first heat fast approaching, Kythea must choose between the family who raised her, and the family the goddess has blessed her with.
They say you’re a villain in at least one person’s story, but with the things Xuvri has done in the past, he’s sure he is the lead in more nightmares than he can count. With his body broken and infection setting in, Xuvri thinks it is end, but fate has other plans. He’s unstable, violent, and possessive, but can he ensure the safety of his family while keeping the madness that plagues him at bay?
Esme lost the one thing that made her time in captivity with the Grutex bearable and even now, after her escape from the labs and her tormentor, the memory of those days haunt her. Yet from the depths of her darkest dreams, something precious calls out to her; something she thought she would never have. Esme will risk everything, even her own life, to answer the call and find out what fate has in store for her.
Can these broken, lost, and scared fated mates make it through the tumultuous storm to the rainbow at the end?
This book includes a LGBTQ+ relationship from authors who are LGBTQ+ themselves. It is an FFM romance novel. There are dark tones throughout the book. If you have triggers this may not be the novel for you. We understand if that is the case and hope that you find what you are looking for!
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 28, 2021
67 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
About the author
Octavia Kore
11 books213 followersBorn in the Sunshine State, Hayley and Amanda are cousins who have come together to write under the name Octavia Kore. Both share a love for reading, a passion for writing, and the inclination toward word vomiting when meeting new people. Ecstasy from the Deep (From the Depths Anthology version) was their very first published work. Hayley and Amanda are both stay-at-home-parents who squeeze in time to write when they aren’t being used as jungle gyms or snack dispensers. They are both inspired by their love for mythology, science fiction, and all things extraordinary. Amanda has an unhealthy obsession with house plants and Hayley can often be found gaming in their downtime.
Both authors are part of the LGBTQIA2S+ community and as such tend to write LGBTQIA2S+ characters.
Both authors are part of the LGBTQIA2S+ community and as such tend to write LGBTQIA2S+ characters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
September 1, 2022
Story - 5++++ Stars
Story - 4 Stars
Story - 4 Stars
January 26, 2022
Which one is more damaged?
I like how honest Xuvri is about his past. He makes no excuses. But despite everything, this just feels like a repeat of the same as the previous book in the series. It doesn't seem like there is any novel story to be told.
I like how honest Xuvri is about his past. He makes no excuses. But despite everything, this just feels like a repeat of the same as the previous book in the series. It doesn't seem like there is any novel story to be told.
May 30, 2021
I loved this book, and could not put it down. I received the book free, but I after the first two book in this serie, I was sure that I have to read it. I found this book to be so real, the emotions were so touchable, that it was so easy to feel yourself in the book, like you are one of the caracters.
The heroine Esme was a bit of antiheroine in the earlier books, we found out that she has lived through so much trauma, that she needs time to heal. In Awoken from the Deep, she managed to get throuth her fears, open up to her partners and find love and a family that she wanted so much.
The other heroine Ky progressed so much too, she grew up to be a mother and a good partner in this love triangle. She helped, and shielded Esme as soon as they met, always trying to understand the other woman’s fear. I think Ky was the perfect partner for Esme, I was not sure Esme was ready for a male partner for a good time in the book.
Our hero, Xuvri, he was a bad guy, real bad guy in the previous books. But after hearing his sad story, I knew we have to found his happy ending! I’m a sucker for this type of guys… He slowly lost his bad attitude, after dicovering his mates, his family. He was in his a heart a sweet guy for his partners, and I think this it what matters. Everybody has a past, that feel sorry about it. Xuvri tried to amend things, tried to leave his past, and warrior side behind and I think it is a big thing. He was patient, and eager to learn this new chapter in his life. After almost dying, I think he understood, that it is his last chance getting his happy ending.
In conclusion, the story is great (better than great!), it looked so natural how these people found each other, and with time they got to know each other, started to trust each other. There was adventure in the book too, I was so excited how they will survive it, how they solve the mistery. My favorite part is the book all together 😊 And we got more information about the original Godess and her life, what changed the life of her people, how they drifted away. More plus points! Maybe we could get a book about the goddess too? ;)
Thank you ladies for this book, It was so captivated, I can not wait the next one 😊 Make it quick 😊
The heroine Esme was a bit of antiheroine in the earlier books, we found out that she has lived through so much trauma, that she needs time to heal. In Awoken from the Deep, she managed to get throuth her fears, open up to her partners and find love and a family that she wanted so much.
The other heroine Ky progressed so much too, she grew up to be a mother and a good partner in this love triangle. She helped, and shielded Esme as soon as they met, always trying to understand the other woman’s fear. I think Ky was the perfect partner for Esme, I was not sure Esme was ready for a male partner for a good time in the book.
Our hero, Xuvri, he was a bad guy, real bad guy in the previous books. But after hearing his sad story, I knew we have to found his happy ending! I’m a sucker for this type of guys… He slowly lost his bad attitude, after dicovering his mates, his family. He was in his a heart a sweet guy for his partners, and I think this it what matters. Everybody has a past, that feel sorry about it. Xuvri tried to amend things, tried to leave his past, and warrior side behind and I think it is a big thing. He was patient, and eager to learn this new chapter in his life. After almost dying, I think he understood, that it is his last chance getting his happy ending.
In conclusion, the story is great (better than great!), it looked so natural how these people found each other, and with time they got to know each other, started to trust each other. There was adventure in the book too, I was so excited how they will survive it, how they solve the mistery. My favorite part is the book all together 😊 And we got more information about the original Godess and her life, what changed the life of her people, how they drifted away. More plus points! Maybe we could get a book about the goddess too? ;)
Thank you ladies for this book, It was so captivated, I can not wait the next one 😊 Make it quick 😊
June 1, 2021
Beautiful Cosmic Romance
This is the third book in the series and it definitely did not disappoint! Beautifully written with dynamic with a fated Trio that were so meant to be that they called to each other across the cosmos. This book is darker than the first two and I do recommend reading the trigger warning at the beginning of the book, but the authors do a wonderful job with writing with regards to these triggers. I was enthralled by this book and the simply divine world that the authors created and could not put it down. Xuvri and Ky are such amazing partners and how they assist and love Esme through her trauma while they also teach each other that they all deserve love and be a family. The spice builds and oh boy does it explode beautifully within the written word of these pages. Definitely a must-read. HEA! Cannot wait for the next book in the series.
This is the third book in the series and it definitely did not disappoint! Beautifully written with dynamic with a fated Trio that were so meant to be that they called to each other across the cosmos. This book is darker than the first two and I do recommend reading the trigger warning at the beginning of the book, but the authors do a wonderful job with writing with regards to these triggers. I was enthralled by this book and the simply divine world that the authors created and could not put it down. Xuvri and Ky are such amazing partners and how they assist and love Esme through her trauma while they also teach each other that they all deserve love and be a family. The spice builds and oh boy does it explode beautifully within the written word of these pages. Definitely a must-read. HEA! Cannot wait for the next book in the series.
March 18, 2023
Going into this, I thought for sure this was going to be a hard sell and I would be writing a review at the end debating on whether they redeemed Xuvri or not.
Instead, this is easily my favorite of the Venora Mates books, I absolutely loved Kythea, and came to really enjoy Esme and Xuvri. Xuvri was actually very cute, sweet, and loving??? He did everything right in his attempts to make up for his behavior and redeem himself. I liked him even better than Nuzal, especially given that Xuvri has the injections partially to blame for his behavior in addition to the terrible sociocultural brainwashing.
Kythea was a BADASS!! Wow, what a great character. She was a healer and priestess from her village and a gentle, caring soul but when need be, she was immediately ready to kick ass and take names. She was also the bossy dominating one of the triad, which worked wonders for the early dynamic in getting Xuvri and Esme to find common ground and Esme to feel remotely safe and comfortable enough to even consider the relationship. It worked so well and I was very pleasantly surprised. It made sense that she, as someone who is confident in who she is, would need to be the strong one in the group since the other two are learning about themselves and going through very big transitions in their life. She never had to sacrifice one partner or one of her strengths for the other or any nonsense like that, either.
I wasn't sure how we'd see Esme from the last book but it's clear she's been through some Extra Trauma (tm) above and beyond the awful experimentation everyone went through and is having a rough time. She goes through some healing but her relationship doesn't magically heal her trauma and she clearly will need more time and energy put into that as time goes on. I appreciate that other alternatives for healing from trauma are mentioned, like animal therapy. It was a bit of a bummer that this trauma largely defines her character but she did get some other moments and peeks into who she is beyond what has happened to her, especially as she starts looking forward into defining and thinking about who she COULD be in this new unexpected future.
Xuvri. Hoo-boy, Xuvri is a lot. He battles his own demons throughout the story, both internal (learned behavior, the brainwashing, self-doubt and insecurities) and external (the injections, facing the people he's hurt). It was handled pretty well and we also get to see glimpses of Xuvri struggling to establish a clear picture of who he is outside of his role assigned to him by the Kaia. My favorite parts of Xuvri were when he was starting to take steps towards that new life. I surprised myself when I ended up teary eyed at the end of the book.
My one gripe is that, although it's made clear that Laurie was more consenting than Amanda had assumed from her perspective, we still 1) don't see anything from Laurie's perspective (why couldn't she have kept a journal or written letters home or something so we could get her side of the story?) and 2) I disliked that Xuvri's redemption had to come at the cost of the death of a female character. (It kind of ties into the trope of the suffering male character and his manpain born from some kind of violence, trauma, or death of a female character in his life.) It's not used in quite the same way as I'm used to seeing it in tv shows and movies nor is it as egregious, but it still low-key annoyed me that it existed. I felt like it was at least balanced by having this triad feature two female characters.
SPEAKING OF THAT - I was also pleased that the spice scenes involved the two female character engaging in sex with one another and not just the male character. Given the lack of the male characters really interacting with each other sexually in the first two books (which also made no sense canonically) then I wasn't sure what to expect here. There wasn't anything that made me wince or do a double take and both Kythea and Xuvri were very patient and considerate of Esme.
I'm hoping characters introduced and events started in this book imply a book five and possibly hints at a wider cultural paradigm shift among the Grutex and Venium. We shall see!
Instead, this is easily my favorite of the Venora Mates books, I absolutely loved Kythea, and came to really enjoy Esme and Xuvri. Xuvri was actually very cute, sweet, and loving??? He did everything right in his attempts to make up for his behavior and redeem himself. I liked him even better than Nuzal, especially given that Xuvri has the injections partially to blame for his behavior in addition to the terrible sociocultural brainwashing.
Kythea was a BADASS!! Wow, what a great character. She was a healer and priestess from her village and a gentle, caring soul but when need be, she was immediately ready to kick ass and take names. She was also the bossy dominating one of the triad, which worked wonders for the early dynamic in getting Xuvri and Esme to find common ground and Esme to feel remotely safe and comfortable enough to even consider the relationship. It worked so well and I was very pleasantly surprised. It made sense that she, as someone who is confident in who she is, would need to be the strong one in the group since the other two are learning about themselves and going through very big transitions in their life. She never had to sacrifice one partner or one of her strengths for the other or any nonsense like that, either.
I wasn't sure how we'd see Esme from the last book but it's clear she's been through some Extra Trauma (tm) above and beyond the awful experimentation everyone went through and is having a rough time. She goes through some healing but her relationship doesn't magically heal her trauma and she clearly will need more time and energy put into that as time goes on. I appreciate that other alternatives for healing from trauma are mentioned, like animal therapy. It was a bit of a bummer that this trauma largely defines her character but she did get some other moments and peeks into who she is beyond what has happened to her, especially as she starts looking forward into defining and thinking about who she COULD be in this new unexpected future.
Xuvri. Hoo-boy, Xuvri is a lot. He battles his own demons throughout the story, both internal (learned behavior, the brainwashing, self-doubt and insecurities) and external (the injections, facing the people he's hurt). It was handled pretty well and we also get to see glimpses of Xuvri struggling to establish a clear picture of who he is outside of his role assigned to him by the Kaia. My favorite parts of Xuvri were when he was starting to take steps towards that new life. I surprised myself when I ended up teary eyed at the end of the book.
My one gripe is that, although it's made clear that Laurie was more consenting than Amanda had assumed from her perspective, we still 1) don't see anything from Laurie's perspective (why couldn't she have kept a journal or written letters home or something so we could get her side of the story?) and 2) I disliked that Xuvri's redemption had to come at the cost of the death of a female character. (It kind of ties into the trope of the suffering male character and his manpain born from some kind of violence, trauma, or death of a female character in his life.) It's not used in quite the same way as I'm used to seeing it in tv shows and movies nor is it as egregious, but it still low-key annoyed me that it existed. I felt like it was at least balanced by having this triad feature two female characters.
SPEAKING OF THAT - I was also pleased that the spice scenes involved the two female character engaging in sex with one another and not just the male character. Given the lack of the male characters really interacting with each other sexually in the first two books (which also made no sense canonically) then I wasn't sure what to expect here. There wasn't anything that made me wince or do a double take and both Kythea and Xuvri were very patient and considerate of Esme.
I'm hoping characters introduced and events started in this book imply a book five and possibly hints at a wider cultural paradigm shift among the Grutex and Venium. We shall see!
June 11, 2021
This was everything!
This novel is a heart-gripping tale of three beings who come together to make an unconventional family. It is also an F/F/M triad which was another breath of fresh air when it comes to alien abduction romances. I loved Ky the most because she was the anchor and badass with a knife.
I read it out of order, and it was still amazing. It's a great standalone too
This was beyond enjoyable!
There are TRIGGERS of rape, PTSD, death during birth, death of a baby.
This novel is a heart-gripping tale of three beings who come together to make an unconventional family. It is also an F/F/M triad which was another breath of fresh air when it comes to alien abduction romances. I loved Ky the most because she was the anchor and badass with a knife.
I read it out of order, and it was still amazing. It's a great standalone too
This was beyond enjoyable!
There are TRIGGERS of rape, PTSD, death during birth, death of a baby.
June 24, 2024
4.5 stars
This book dealt with HEAVY topics. Esme had gone through it before meeting her mates. She was combative, skittish, and utterly overwhelmed by her past and present. She needed Ky’s protective and supportive nature and the challenge that Xuvri provided to her world view. She had valid reasons for all of her hang ups. Xuvri also had an incredibly difficult journey, with processing his long history of being brainwashed, addiction, and regret for past actions. Ky had lost her home, closeness with her loved ones, and key parts of her faith. She needed someone to protect and also a soft place to land. Their relationships were messy and full of growing pains and unreal challenges, but had a very satisfying resolution because of how hard they all had to work. The epilogue? Yeah, I cried.
Spice: 3.5/5
SPOILERS IN TRIGGER WARNINGS
Triggers: repeated rape and physical abuse (off page), pregnancy (off page), miscarriage (flashback of), infertility, PTSD flashbacks, captivity (off page), involuntary medical experimentation (off page), brain death of side character, traumatic C section of brain dead side character resulting in death, breast feeding difficulties, violence, gore, infection, crash (off page), dubcon (drug induced, pressure to continue from MMC), drug addiction, brainwashing (off page), infant abduction, estranged family (mention of), alcoholic father (mention of), mention of homophobia, child death (off page)
This book dealt with HEAVY topics. Esme had gone through it before meeting her mates. She was combative, skittish, and utterly overwhelmed by her past and present. She needed Ky’s protective and supportive nature and the challenge that Xuvri provided to her world view. She had valid reasons for all of her hang ups. Xuvri also had an incredibly difficult journey, with processing his long history of being brainwashed, addiction, and regret for past actions. Ky had lost her home, closeness with her loved ones, and key parts of her faith. She needed someone to protect and also a soft place to land. Their relationships were messy and full of growing pains and unreal challenges, but had a very satisfying resolution because of how hard they all had to work. The epilogue? Yeah, I cried.
Spice: 3.5/5
SPOILERS IN TRIGGER WARNINGS
Triggers: repeated rape and physical abuse (off page), pregnancy (off page), miscarriage (flashback of), infertility, PTSD flashbacks, captivity (off page), involuntary medical experimentation (off page), brain death of side character, traumatic C section of brain dead side character resulting in death, breast feeding difficulties, violence, gore, infection, crash (off page), dubcon (drug induced, pressure to continue from MMC), drug addiction, brainwashing (off page), infant abduction, estranged family (mention of), alcoholic father (mention of), mention of homophobia, child death (off page)
December 29, 2021
'They’d all come into this mating broken in their own ways, but together, Esme, Ky, and Xuvri were whole.'
This was the best but also the messiest but maybe that's what made it so good?? Could have also been the fact that it was a F/F/M triad instead of the previous few M/M/F triad pairings, so that was nice. Also really gave a big depth to loss and abuse and the healing that happens afterwards . . . in a rather tangled, realistic way. Wish it had been a bit longer & perhaps a bit less steamy parts in order to tackle the other elements? But still, another powerful and rather well-written installment in the series.
This was the best but also the messiest but maybe that's what made it so good?? Could have also been the fact that it was a F/F/M triad instead of the previous few M/M/F triad pairings, so that was nice. Also really gave a big depth to loss and abuse and the healing that happens afterwards . . . in a rather tangled, realistic way. Wish it had been a bit longer & perhaps a bit less steamy parts in order to tackle the other elements? But still, another powerful and rather well-written installment in the series.
December 20, 2022
This is my favorite book so far in the series!! Think this book did a great job describing when dealing with grief and loss.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2021
This is a new author to me. I started to read and was hooked! If you like your heros/heroines to be alien but humanoid this book is not for you although you never know if you don't try it?! The world and its inhabitants are wonderful. The descriptions are so well done that you can see them all in your mind's eye. There are struggles to see that someone is not who you thought and how preconceived notions can have such a far reaching ripple effect. Things Xuvri has done in the past do not show him in the best light but you can see how he slowly changes. Ky is a stable and reassuring presence to them both and at the start the only thing that seems to be able to keep them together. While Esme is hugely traumatised, with good reason, she doesn't automatically discount the link that they share which is testament to her character. A wonderul book. Here's to rainbows.
May 1, 2022
This might really just be a case of “it’s not you, it’s me” because there were just a lot of storytelling choices that didn’t vibe with me.
A super dominating and overprotective alpha male who’s like “I will breed you” 24/7 was killing me, dear lord.
A romance that features FFM poly yet still somehow reads as aggressively straight. Probably due to the severe gender essentialism baked into the world-building tbh.
Babies. It’s all about the babies. Every single female character wants to have lots of babies and a big family and is super excited about making babies. I get that for people who really want kids and have experienced that kind of love, this kind of thinking often becomes de facto, but LORD it was testing me.
I do think the worldbuilding is interesting and that the characters struggling with their c-ptsd was compelling, but this time the romance in general just got on my nerves. It’s just not for me, really.
Hope that book 4 ends up being more my speed.
A super dominating and overprotective alpha male who’s like “I will breed you” 24/7 was killing me, dear lord.
A romance that features FFM poly yet still somehow reads as aggressively straight. Probably due to the severe gender essentialism baked into the world-building tbh.
Babies. It’s all about the babies. Every single female character wants to have lots of babies and a big family and is super excited about making babies. I get that for people who really want kids and have experienced that kind of love, this kind of thinking often becomes de facto, but LORD it was testing me.
I do think the worldbuilding is interesting and that the characters struggling with their c-ptsd was compelling, but this time the romance in general just got on my nerves. It’s just not for me, really.
Hope that book 4 ends up being more my speed.
July 16, 2021
I really liked this one. The hero is the 'villain' from the first book and his redemption is well done. Now, the end climax is a little too convenient, but I'm forgiving it since it worked overall.
I like this author. They mix scifi romance/erotica and give it plot and substance. Us old folks used to call it porn with plot which is a rarity in fanfic or pubfic.
I like this author. They mix scifi romance/erotica and give it plot and substance. Us old folks used to call it porn with plot which is a rarity in fanfic or pubfic.
May 30, 2021
This was a simply beautiful story of loss, family and learning to love again. Add in some truly out-of-this-world alien species and technologies, and the result is a spell-binding story that gripped my imagination and my heart. I loved how Xuvrin, Kythea and Esme came together as a triad and as a family to heal each other and to find love. This is my first Octavia Kore book, but I’ll definitely be looking for more Venora Mates books in the future.
June 7, 2021
Absolutely loved this story. This is book 3 of the Venora Mates series. So so happy I was able to read this one. I’ll admit this is the first book I have read that was FFM. Usually I don’t like to read anything f/f. But I actually really enjoyed story. Storyline was very well written. Author did a great job with this story. No spoilers here. Definitely recommend. Will absolutely love all the characters.
June 9, 2021
*I received a free copy of this book*
I cried and laughed throughout the book. I cheered the main characters on and was SO invested in all of them. The writing is gorgeous and really pulls you in. It's a beautiful continuation of this universe and I was hooked from beginning to end. I highly, highly recommend!! Real, human moments are addressed with dignity and respect that pull at your heartstrings and bond you to the characters. I can see this being a re-read for me.
I cried and laughed throughout the book. I cheered the main characters on and was SO invested in all of them. The writing is gorgeous and really pulls you in. It's a beautiful continuation of this universe and I was hooked from beginning to end. I highly, highly recommend!! Real, human moments are addressed with dignity and respect that pull at your heartstrings and bond you to the characters. I can see this being a re-read for me.
May 29, 2021
This is a fantastic dark sci-fi romance.. I liked it very much! The darker aspects make the sweet parts shine all the brighter.. Really well done!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 31, 2021
The third book in the Venora Mates series a well written F/M/F story that held my interest until the end. Esme, Kythea and Xuvri's story of suspense, drama, danger, twists, turns, villains, and romance. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 1, 2021
*I received a free copy of this book*
I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. I expected to mostly get through it, but these characters grabbed me and pulled me in. They truly belong together, and the way they worked together and loved each other was beautiful. I actually cried while reading this.
I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. I expected to mostly get through it, but these characters grabbed me and pulled me in. They truly belong together, and the way they worked together and loved each other was beautiful. I actually cried while reading this.
June 9, 2021
Xuvri and redemption
Esme is running toward a dream of a baby that needs her. Ky is chasing her to keep her safe from dangers that can lurk in the forest. Esme runs into a wrecked ship and sees a Grutex laying in his own blood. He is almost dead but Ky shows up and they both attempt aid.
Esme is running toward a dream of a baby that needs her. Ky is chasing her to keep her safe from dangers that can lurk in the forest. Esme runs into a wrecked ship and sees a Grutex laying in his own blood. He is almost dead but Ky shows up and they both attempt aid.
June 1, 2021
This book touched my heart and soul.
June 17, 2021
Absolutely Speechless
I just knew I was going to love this the minute I read it. Ky was a breath of fresh air the minute Eden met her and I immediately loved her. I loved her in Gulzars story, but for her to have her own & WITH ZUVRI? I was so stoked. Thank you guys so much for writing something SO AMAZING.
I just knew I was going to love this the minute I read it. Ky was a breath of fresh air the minute Eden met her and I immediately loved her. I loved her in Gulzars story, but for her to have her own & WITH ZUVRI? I was so stoked. Thank you guys so much for writing something SO AMAZING.
Read
November 16, 2023DNF 25% - I put this down months ago and have now forgotten the story. It wasn’t holding my attention apparently and I don’t see myself circling back around.
September 14, 2021
Absolutely amazing
Really great story line
Great Characters and relationship development.
The way the author touched on sensitive subjects and kind of turning it into a learning moment is really well written.
I was up to till like 4 in the morning reading.
Really great story line
Great Characters and relationship development.
The way the author touched on sensitive subjects and kind of turning it into a learning moment is really well written.
I was up to till like 4 in the morning reading.
September 29, 2021
Sweet story of love and redemption
This is a story of a triad of male - female - female. All the characters are well developed but flawed in someway by their past. Yes, triggers are all over the book, abuse, loss of life, etc. but they are not egregious and relate back to the story. Each lead character has been abused in their past. It is heartbreaking to read as each person reveals themselves and their past horrors. This triad, although broken, works together to build new life and fight the villain from Esme’s dreams. Each lead character is a different race so this book covers relevant topics. There is a happy ending but you have to read through some things to get there. Read On!
This is a story of a triad of male - female - female. All the characters are well developed but flawed in someway by their past. Yes, triggers are all over the book, abuse, loss of life, etc. but they are not egregious and relate back to the story. Each lead character has been abused in their past. It is heartbreaking to read as each person reveals themselves and their past horrors. This triad, although broken, works together to build new life and fight the villain from Esme’s dreams. Each lead character is a different race so this book covers relevant topics. There is a happy ending but you have to read through some things to get there. Read On!
May 3, 2022
I really enjoyed the first two books in the series, but this one hit me right in the feels. The situations faced by these characters and the emotions they experienced had me grabbing tissues more than once. It was a really powerful story that dealt with overcoming tremendous trauma and loss, and coming out together as survivors, not victims.
Be sure to pay heed to the author's disclaimer/TW at the beginning of the book; there is some heavy material here. And when you're finished with the book, be sure to read the author's note at the end.
You can read this as a stand-alone, but I think it's a much richer experience if you read the books in order.
Be sure to pay heed to the author's disclaimer/TW at the beginning of the book; there is some heavy material here. And when you're finished with the book, be sure to read the author's note at the end.
You can read this as a stand-alone, but I think it's a much richer experience if you read the books in order.
June 8, 2022
My review is certainly not the gospel and I recommend all readers to give this book a chance and make up their minds themselves. This book is extremely well written and anything less than three stars should be a crime lol. The plot is easy to follow, but also complex. You really get the sense that this is a well-thought-out world.
The reasons I couldn't go higher in ranking:
(all my own, you might feel differently)
1) I don't think two broken people should be together. Even if it's on an alien planet lol. The human had ptsd from rape and captivity and the male alien was dealing with pseudo drug addiction. They kept accidentally setting each other off. He kept reacting badly to her because of the drugs --->it kept reminded her of the men that took her and this keeps happening until their just tossing the trauma ball back and forth. That left the female alien playing band-aid and it's what led to my second nope.
2) The female alien was just so lovely. Ky was her name. She was acting as their emotional support animal. Meanwhile, she taking care of them, I'm wondering who's taking care of her. She deserved so much more from both of them. It's so easy to take advantage of people like her who are natural caregivers. Maybe if they thought about her more and did more to show they appreciated her, I might feel different. But I just felt like she was the water constantly putting out their emotional fires.
3) It was exhausting living in Esme's head. There was so much turmoil and tension in every word. And rightfully so, I must add. She couldn't breathe outside those events and neither could I and I was just a reader. That might be a plus for many. I just didn't enjoy it. She felt this way for 90% of the book with no let-up. It's why I wasn't satisfied with the sex scene at the end. It amounted to, this is a thruple, so let's have sex as a thruple. No, Ky wasn't the one who you cut off from your body to erect a wall. Alien dude deserved that attention on his own when she was finally ready to give herself to him. It should have just been the two of them at least for the first half of the sexual event before Ky joins in.
The reasons I couldn't go higher in ranking:
(all my own, you might feel differently)
1) I don't think two broken people should be together. Even if it's on an alien planet lol. The human had ptsd from rape and captivity and the male alien was dealing with pseudo drug addiction. They kept accidentally setting each other off. He kept reacting badly to her because of the drugs --->it kept reminded her of the men that took her and this keeps happening until their just tossing the trauma ball back and forth. That left the female alien playing band-aid and it's what led to my second nope.
2) The female alien was just so lovely. Ky was her name. She was acting as their emotional support animal. Meanwhile, she taking care of them, I'm wondering who's taking care of her. She deserved so much more from both of them. It's so easy to take advantage of people like her who are natural caregivers. Maybe if they thought about her more and did more to show they appreciated her, I might feel different. But I just felt like she was the water constantly putting out their emotional fires.
3) It was exhausting living in Esme's head. There was so much turmoil and tension in every word. And rightfully so, I must add. She couldn't breathe outside those events and neither could I and I was just a reader. That might be a plus for many. I just didn't enjoy it. She felt this way for 90% of the book with no let-up. It's why I wasn't satisfied with the sex scene at the end. It amounted to, this is a thruple, so let's have sex as a thruple. No, Ky wasn't the one who you cut off from your body to erect a wall. Alien dude deserved that attention on his own when she was finally ready to give herself to him. It should have just been the two of them at least for the first half of the sexual event before Ky joins in.
July 29, 2024
The villain, the priestess and the extreme PTSD human as a Triad, how?
This is a story centered around trauma. Mainly it centers on Esme’s brutal treatment under the Grutex scientist Vodk that repeatedly raped her. Then blamed her when she miscarried their son after her uterus erupted from his experiments on her. Vodk is a scheming, narcissistic, mean, and petty male who is also the one who abused Brin and sterilized him.
The other traumatized being is Xuvri the villain who terrorized Amanda in book 1. It turns out there is a reason for Xuvri’s obsession and actions. It turns out that the Grutex warriors were told before they went to earth that human females want to be hunted down and the more they struggled was a sign that they were attracted to the male. This misinformation was confirmed for Xuvri when the first female he went after liked the hunt and it excited her. Laurie told him she would be his surrogate and have a child then return to earth.
Laurie suffered many miscarriages and after his premature son died in his arms he didn’t want to ask her to try again. Before the scientist could force them to conceive again Laurie died. This anguish drove him to madness. Then he remembered there was a second female he noticed when he captured Laurie. This began his obsession with Amanda which led to him being found near death by Ky and Esme.
It turns out the Tachin scientist kept a brain dead Laurie in a gel tank on that ship. He experimented on her using Xuvri’s sperm and Tachin insect like DNA to create a female embryo. Esme has been dreaming about this child and it is what led her to Xuvri’s crashed ship.
These two damaged souls are the Mates Kythea has longed for since she became an adult. She must try and piece this two back together. While developing their mate bound, helping care for Xuvri’s surprise daughter Eina and fighting the forces that are trying to tear apart her new family.
This is a story centered around trauma. Mainly it centers on Esme’s brutal treatment under the Grutex scientist Vodk that repeatedly raped her. Then blamed her when she miscarried their son after her uterus erupted from his experiments on her. Vodk is a scheming, narcissistic, mean, and petty male who is also the one who abused Brin and sterilized him.
The other traumatized being is Xuvri the villain who terrorized Amanda in book 1. It turns out there is a reason for Xuvri’s obsession and actions. It turns out that the Grutex warriors were told before they went to earth that human females want to be hunted down and the more they struggled was a sign that they were attracted to the male. This misinformation was confirmed for Xuvri when the first female he went after liked the hunt and it excited her. Laurie told him she would be his surrogate and have a child then return to earth.
Laurie suffered many miscarriages and after his premature son died in his arms he didn’t want to ask her to try again. Before the scientist could force them to conceive again Laurie died. This anguish drove him to madness. Then he remembered there was a second female he noticed when he captured Laurie. This began his obsession with Amanda which led to him being found near death by Ky and Esme.
It turns out the Tachin scientist kept a brain dead Laurie in a gel tank on that ship. He experimented on her using Xuvri’s sperm and Tachin insect like DNA to create a female embryo. Esme has been dreaming about this child and it is what led her to Xuvri’s crashed ship.
These two damaged souls are the Mates Kythea has longed for since she became an adult. She must try and piece this two back together. While developing their mate bound, helping care for Xuvri’s surprise daughter Eina and fighting the forces that are trying to tear apart her new family.
June 9, 2022
“Run, females,” Xuvri said as he pulled back. “Go now, and when I catch you, I’m going to fill this whole damned village with your cries of pleasure.”
This book was a bit of a challenge for me to read. It did contain trigger warnings that I normally do not read but in the end I am glad that I chose to read it anyway. The story is one of great loss and trauma but also great recovery. Esme is a human who was abducted from Earth and used as an experiment for an evil scientist. After all the trauma that she goes through she no longer trusts aliens or anyone really. Kythea is an alien priestess who goes after a human female who is running away. She has the urge to protect and help the wounded female. Xuvri is an alien who is near death after a crash. He wakes up to find one of his mates trying to help him and the other mate scared to death of him. The three of them go through an intense journey of learning to trust each other and overcoming the horrible circumstances they have gone through. This was a great read and I would suggest it for those who are looking for alien romance, mates, found family, overprotective aliens, and spicy three way scenes. Please take note of the triggers before reading.
This book was a bit of a challenge for me to read. It did contain trigger warnings that I normally do not read but in the end I am glad that I chose to read it anyway. The story is one of great loss and trauma but also great recovery. Esme is a human who was abducted from Earth and used as an experiment for an evil scientist. After all the trauma that she goes through she no longer trusts aliens or anyone really. Kythea is an alien priestess who goes after a human female who is running away. She has the urge to protect and help the wounded female. Xuvri is an alien who is near death after a crash. He wakes up to find one of his mates trying to help him and the other mate scared to death of him. The three of them go through an intense journey of learning to trust each other and overcoming the horrible circumstances they have gone through. This was a great read and I would suggest it for those who are looking for alien romance, mates, found family, overprotective aliens, and spicy three way scenes. Please take note of the triggers before reading.
March 24, 2023
This is my second read by Octavia Kore. Immediately after finishing the first Venora Mates book, I skipped book two only because the villian in the first novel, Xuvri, had a great teaser epilogue and I had to make sure he had his HEA.
I love redemption stories, and while the complexities of his story are made known in the first book, expanding on the backstory and character development of Xuvri was well done.
For anyone who has experience with pregnancy loss, sexual / intimate partner violence this book may be a tough read. Esme's perspective was challenging at times. It was emotional, but empowering.
Reading Ky's love story, when introduced to her in book one was a great way to end her HEA.
The series follows the love stories of triads. This is a F/F/M triad, which is far less common than it should be in mainstream alien abductions than MMF romances.
While it is clearly a stand alone story, I don't think you could jump into this novel without reading at least one of the prior entries. I'll definitely keep this author on my reading list.
I love redemption stories, and while the complexities of his story are made known in the first book, expanding on the backstory and character development of Xuvri was well done.
For anyone who has experience with pregnancy loss, sexual / intimate partner violence this book may be a tough read. Esme's perspective was challenging at times. It was emotional, but empowering.
Reading Ky's love story, when introduced to her in book one was a great way to end her HEA.
The series follows the love stories of triads. This is a F/F/M triad, which is far less common than it should be in mainstream alien abductions than MMF romances.
While it is clearly a stand alone story, I don't think you could jump into this novel without reading at least one of the prior entries. I'll definitely keep this author on my reading list.
January 3, 2026
I loved the triad in this instalment, especially since it was a FFM, which is rarer in fiction. The book deals with some heavy topics, considering that Xuvri is a villain in the first book, and Esme has faced a lot of trauma at the hands of the Grutex. I think these topics were handled as well as they could, since the focus of the book is the romance after all. I also really liked Kythea and the way she was a pillar of strength for the other 2.
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