What do you think?
Rate this book
Viraxian Mates #0.5
Claimed by the Aliens
A prequel novelette in the Viraxian Mates universe...
After civilization collapsed and Chicago was taken over by a Doomsday cult, Ashlyn McAlister's only escape is the Viraxian Breeding Program. All she's looking for is a safe place to stay, and she's more than willing to trade her body to three big viraxian males in exchange.
But when Ashlyn meets her triad, she realizes she's gotten more than she bargained for. The straight-forward arrangement quickly turns messy when Ashlyn finds herself falling for three powerful mates.
After civilization collapsed and Chicago was taken over by a Doomsday cult, Ashlyn McAlister's only escape is the Viraxian Breeding Program. All she's looking for is a safe place to stay, and she's more than willing to trade her body to three big viraxian males in exchange.
But when Ashlyn meets her triad, she realizes she's gotten more than she bargained for. The straight-forward arrangement quickly turns messy when Ashlyn finds herself falling for three powerful mates.
- GenresAliens
57 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 30, 2021
28 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Ren Hardwick
6 books39 followersRen Hardwick writes sexy reverse harem romances with heart. Her alpha heroes always have a sweet core and intense devotion when it comes to protecting and loving their heroines. A total romance junkie, Ren writes harems with mutual love and affection between all the participants, and so her stories always feature both MF and MM romance. (With plans for FF in the future!)
If you'd like to get updates about Ren's new releases, you can join her newsletter: https://www.renhardwick.com/newsletter
If you'd like to get updates about Ren's new releases, you can join her newsletter: https://www.renhardwick.com/newsletter
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 5, 2021
Wish it was longer
I liked it but I wish it was longer and had a more in depth description of the males. Very hot though.
I liked it but I wish it was longer and had a more in depth description of the males. Very hot though.
April 2, 2024
2.5 stars
First of all, if you haven’t read the first actual book/novella of the series (“Shared by the Aliens”), then stop what you’re doing and read that one first.
Tropes you will find in this story:
✅ Aliens need human female for breeding
✅ Voluntary involvement by FMC
✅ RH (3 MMC’s)
✅ MM action
This short story (it’s less than 60 pages) is 50% the exact same as the first book. Literally down to the same scenes. For example:
This book, p. 36: ““Do you require medical attention,” the droid inquires one day, hovering behind me as I pace. “You are exhibiting signs of distress.”
The next book, p. 56: “Are you in need of medical attention?” the droid asks when I’ve made my tenth circuit around the small space. “You are exhibiting signs of distress.”
The next book does a better job of explaining the “world” we find ourselves in, how the viraxians play into this, and explaining the breeding program. This book skims over a lot of the details, so I can imagine someone reading this for the first time might be a little confused. We meet “Ashlynn” (FMC from this book) at the 45% mark of the next book and literally the exact same scene is replayed from Ashlynn’s POV, in addition to a skim over the rest of the plot from the next book also (this book even has spoilers to the next one, but the next book tells it so much better).
Also, both FMC’s seem like cookie-cutter replicas of each other (both “haven’t had sex in so long” and are literally begging for it seconds after meeting their Triad, they both get stir crazy being “confined” to their rooms after a week or two, they tell their Triads they love them, have the exact same fears, take the exact same actions to talk to the breeding committee, etc). The Triads are also basically the same (including one submissive MMC).
In short: I really enjoyed the next book, “Shared by the Aliens” (that one is also a novella, at only ~150ish pages). If you finish that one and want some additional smut or to maybe get “behind the scenes” of some parts you missed in the next book, then maybe come back to this one. Or don’t (you wouldn’t miss much).
First of all, if you haven’t read the first actual book/novella of the series (“Shared by the Aliens”), then stop what you’re doing and read that one first.
Tropes you will find in this story:
✅ Aliens need human female for breeding
✅ Voluntary involvement by FMC
✅ RH (3 MMC’s)
✅ MM action
This short story (it’s less than 60 pages) is 50% the exact same as the first book. Literally down to the same scenes. For example:
This book, p. 36: ““Do you require medical attention,” the droid inquires one day, hovering behind me as I pace. “You are exhibiting signs of distress.”
The next book, p. 56: “Are you in need of medical attention?” the droid asks when I’ve made my tenth circuit around the small space. “You are exhibiting signs of distress.”
The next book does a better job of explaining the “world” we find ourselves in, how the viraxians play into this, and explaining the breeding program. This book skims over a lot of the details, so I can imagine someone reading this for the first time might be a little confused. We meet “Ashlynn” (FMC from this book) at the 45% mark of the next book and literally the exact same scene is replayed from Ashlynn’s POV, in addition to a skim over the rest of the plot from the next book also (this book even has spoilers to the next one, but the next book tells it so much better).
Also, both FMC’s seem like cookie-cutter replicas of each other (both “haven’t had sex in so long” and are literally begging for it seconds after meeting their Triad, they both get stir crazy being “confined” to their rooms after a week or two, they tell their Triads they love them, have the exact same fears, take the exact same actions to talk to the breeding committee, etc). The Triads are also basically the same (including one submissive MMC).
In short: I really enjoyed the next book, “Shared by the Aliens” (that one is also a novella, at only ~150ish pages). If you finish that one and want some additional smut or to maybe get “behind the scenes” of some parts you missed in the next book, then maybe come back to this one. Or don’t (you wouldn’t miss much).
April 19, 2021
It’s a prequel to a series that I haven’t read and short story as well. Also - I didn’t read the book description, just randomly downloaded a short story from KU because I was bored. So: maybe the main series gives more context or softens the BDSM breeding thing. And maybe I’m just not the intended audience for this series.
This story seemed like a nightmare to me. Escaping a handmaiden-type dystopia to be tied down (with collars, nipple clamps and other painful things) and f-Ed by 3 strangers (aliens in this case): this is an “out of the frying pan and into the fire” type of situation IMO. I’m not sure which sounds worse to me - slowly starving and having to shave my head and go to church, or having to be tied down and “bred” in order to have food and keep my hair (but still be locked down with little to no freedom). This is, however, a “romance” so the MC loved her breeding experience and her breeders and they loved her - HEA achieved ... but not a pleasant story to me.
This story seemed like a nightmare to me. Escaping a handmaiden-type dystopia to be tied down (with collars, nipple clamps and other painful things) and f-Ed by 3 strangers (aliens in this case): this is an “out of the frying pan and into the fire” type of situation IMO. I’m not sure which sounds worse to me - slowly starving and having to shave my head and go to church, or having to be tied down and “bred” in order to have food and keep my hair (but still be locked down with little to no freedom). This is, however, a “romance” so the MC loved her breeding experience and her breeders and they loved her - HEA achieved ... but not a pleasant story to me.
April 3, 2024
Review
The new world is a place where people are able to live their lives in a way that makes it possible to make a difference for everyone but also to have love and happiness. It was great
The new world is a place where people are able to live their lives in a way that makes it possible to make a difference for everyone but also to have love and happiness. It was great
April 29, 2022
I only wish it were longer! If you like these sorts of stories, you'll really like this one. It's an immersive world, away from a dystopian Earth, with three hot alien mates. Nothing to dislike!
November 2, 2025
Novella
3.5 This is a quick novella to introduce the Viraxian Mates series. It has steamy insta love with low angst.
3.5 This is a quick novella to introduce the Viraxian Mates series. It has steamy insta love with low angst.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews