Taken to Lemora

Xiveri Mates #6

by Elizabeth Stephens

Raingar
My horns itch and I hate it. I’m a Lemoran clan chief and I hate that I’m being forced to schmooze with the other Quadrant dignitaries.

Looking for a way out, I run into flesh peddlers. Pagh! I hate flesh peddlers and I’m not interested in what they’re selling!

Until I see her…

Half human, Essmira’s soft, and I hate that she’s so easy to break. I hate that her beauty makes my horns and heart both ache. And most of all, I hate that she has no idea that she’s my mate.

Essmira
A female must always smile. She must always aim to please. She must always obey.

A pleasure female, that’s what I’ve spent my whole life training to be. Now that I’ve been purchased by a Lemoran clan chief, I’m more than happy to please him. But his pleasure might be out of my reach.

Because he doesn’t want me to be a pleasure female anymore. He wants me to be…me.


Taken to Lemora is a full length (85k word) SciFi alien romance that features one grumpy alien and a hybrid human female just discovering freedom and eager to grab it by the horns. Literally. Lemora is the not-too-distant neighbor of Voraxia and while this book cameos a couple familiar faces, it focuses on a new couple in a new constellation and can easily be read as a standalone.

Genres: Romance, Aliens, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Romance, Adult, Fantasy, Audiobook

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 27, 2021

About the author

Top 10 USA Today Bestselling author Elizabeth Stephens writes books where beastly men—or sometimes just beasts—always get the girl.

A full-time hybrid indie and traditionally published author, Elizabeth is best known for her Supers in the City series (Montlake) and her indie works like The Bone King and the Starling and Dark City Omega. In all of her books, readers can expect diverse casts, epic world-building, quests with unexpected twists, and women of color being celebrated loudly, Black and biracial women in particular.

When she isn’t writing, you might find Elizabeth enjoying the outdoors of the Pacific Northwest or traveling and making adventures of her own with her husband, tiny humans, and doggo, King Louis.

Reviews

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series every book in it is so well written and feels slightly different in flavour.
The world-building is also top-notch and so easy to immerse yourself in this series is a definite one-click for me and not one story has disappointed.

This is Raingar and Essmira’s story, he’s a Lemoran a hard-skinned rock-like species with huge horns that start to flake gradually turning white when they meet their Xiveri mate he’s the chieftain of his village and he’s a big bumbling grumpy male in fact I found him completely adorable in all his interactions. He really doesn’t have a clue half the time bless him and meeting his mate sends his head into a spin.

Essmira is a hybrid equal parts human and Drakesh with no clue of her origins she has been raised by flesh peddlers trained and taught to behave a certain way all her life but she’s also been kept pure for her future master. When she finds herself sold to the Lemoran’s after Raingar realises just who she is to him her life is about to change in every way she’s previously known.

These two have a lot to learn about each other and their path together was not straight forward Raingar has zero experience in love and intimacy throw in his very different physique and there are natural stumbling blocks. Essmira is also still finding her sense of self after years of conditioning but what they do have is the yearning to be much more together.

This essentially was an adorable Sci-if story filled with action humour missteps a very grumpy male and lots of love I enjoyed it a lot and definitely recommend it.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of taken to Lemora (Xiveri Mates #6).



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

[Emms-hiatus(ish) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my least favorite of the series, thus far. While I liked our FMC well enough, I really didn't like the MMC. He's supposed to be the "grumpy" to her sunshine, but he really just comes off as immature and much too young mentally to be in a relationship of any kind. *shrug*

[Julie - One Book More · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taken to Lemora is the sixth book in the sci-fi romance series Xiveri Mates by Elizabeth Stephens. The story follows Essmira, who is preparing to be sold as a pleasure female, and Raingar, the male who frees her. Essmira is such a likable character, and she goes through so much throughout the story. She is a strong woman and a survivor, and I love that she slowly learns her worth. Her story is difficult, and her past is abusive and traumatic. However, when she gets to Lemora, Essmira experiences freedom for the first time, and she finds a new life with a variety of possibilities. Since Essmira was trained to be a pleasure female, she has spent her entire life learning how to please others. She has never considered what would make her happy. On Lemora, Essmira finally has a chance to figure this out. However, as she adjusts to her new and unexpected reality and freedom, she also has to deal with the trauma of the past and her growing feelings for Raingar. I think her growth throughout the story is immense.

On a side note, I would recommend reading any content warnings before starting the book, as some of Essmira’s experiences could be potential triggers for some readers.

Raingar is a bit more difficult to love than Essmira. He is grouchy and ornery. Often impatient and negative, he is a bit of a curmudgeon. However, he is also very kind, protective, and loyal. The youngest of all clan leaders, Raingar is an honorable male who always looks out for the best interest of others, and he is well respected among his people. This male yells and gets frustrated a lot, but it’s obvious that he is confused by his feelings and desires, which he’s never felt before. I like how Raingar learns and changes as the story progresses. Essmira becomes the most important thing to him, and I love how he shows her how deeply his feelings are. If you like a grumpy, stubborn alpha hero, then this is the protagonist for you!

Essmira and Raingar have a slow-building love story with many bumps and bruises along the way. They struggle with their feelings, fears, inexperience, and more. Plus, it appears that Essmira’s life might be threatened, which adds more conflict to their story. I love how determined Raingar is to keep Essmira safe and how they slowly face their feelings for each other. I also love how much his feelings for Essmira rocks Raingar. He knows that she is his Xiveri mate, and the depth and strength of that bond are so powerful. It absolutely rocks Raingar’s world and changes him for the better.

I enjoyed a lot of the side characters in the story, especially the varied beings Essmira meets on Lemora. The female clan leaders who, along with Raingar, rescued and freed her, the beings who hired her, Raingar’s best friend, and others add so much to the story and show Essmira what it feels like to be supported, respected, and cared for.

I also liked the setting. Lemora is an accepting and inclusive planet, and the inhabitants are so welcoming and trustworthy. They embrace Essmira as one of their own, much like they do everyone who lives there. The author does a great job of creating a unique and admirable society in which everyone is accepted no matter their differences.

Like the other books in the series, Taken to Lemora is a standalone and can easily be read without reading the other five books in the series. However, several of the characters from the other book do make appearances in this book, much to my delight! I always love seeing what beloved characters are up to, and they are woven so well into this story. I can’t wait to see what kind of adventure Elizabeth Stephens will take me on next and am so thankful for the copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super funny with a grumpy hero,Raingar and a somewhat shy heroine Essimara...until it wasn't .

The whole attempted consummation scene felt off and unfair to both characters, especially in the aftermath.

The author does a fantastic job with her world-building, incorporating different cultures and personalities to really make the main characters more realistic and memorable.

[Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting it to be better!



The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💜🩷💙
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗
World building: 🌏🌍🌎
Character development: ☹️😍😋
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration

The Hero: Raingar - he is a Lemoran clan chief, the only male, and the youngest clan chief. He is a severely grumpy male and hates just about everything and likes to say so loudly. He was one of the clan chiefs chosen to go to the trade conference in Quadrant one. His horns had been bothering him since he got near the planet and the itching has gotten worse as he walks around the conference. He talks with one of the Niahhorru space pirates who tells him that the flesh peddlers are selling a human female and want to trade for Qintar, which he and his people sell and is one of the most valuable things in the galaxy.

The heroine: Essmira - she was stolen as a child and raised by a couple, Igmora and Tito, who have trained her throughout her entire life to be someday sold as a sex slave. She had hoped that Igmora and Tito would want to protect her, since they were like the only parents she has ever known. Igmora calls her merchandise, and they let the buyers touch her in ways she doesn’t like. She is afraid that one of those males will end up as her new master. She has learned a few languages but speaks Lemoran the best and doesn’t understand many of the potential buyers.

The Story: Essmira wants to escape, she tries to get out of a golden window, she knows that Tito, with reptilian skin and a barbed tail, wants nothing more than to catch her running, so Igmora will give her to him and he can spend a lifetime punishing her with his tail like he has in the past. She cuts her hand on the window and is caught by a Lemoran male, the one that Igmora said would buy her. Essmira would much rather be bought by the Lemoran male than some of the other species that Igmora has trained her for, species that made her stomach lurch.

Igmora comes into the room accusing Raingar of all kinds of things, using the situation to her advantage to get the maximum price from the Lemoran which was Igmora’s plan all along. After a bidding war between Raingar and another alien, the other Lemoran clan leaders end up purchasing Essmira. It isn’t long before Raingar figures out that Essmira is his mate, which was why his horns were bothering him. I loved the fact that the female clan leaders were the ones that paid for Essmira, because they foresaw issues with Raingar purchasing and technically owning his own mate.

Essmira was a bit too meek for my liking, though she was raised to be a slave, I wanted her to have a bit more spunk and not be so accommodating, especially after finding she was now free. I also wasn’t too fond of the way she snorted when she laughed. Essmira's meekness was a bit frustrating, especially given her newfound freedom—though it did give her the potential for her to grow into a more assertive character, which she did.

Raingar on the other hand was hilarious. He was so grumpy and surly that you could not help but laugh when he was disturbed to find out that now he liked Essmira, he couldn’t say he hated everything anymore. And there was one scene when she walked into the room, and everything stopped for him. He shouts out “Am I deaf?” genuinely thinking he went lost all hearing. He also gets all worried that his pants don’t look good on him and freaks out when Essmira is looking at him. Raingar's grumpiness and his unexpected vulnerability seem like they brought some much-needed humor and charm to the narrative.

This book was not nearly as good as the last one. I was pretty bored for quite a while there. Essmira was working as a tailor, and there was a really long scene of her measuring and fitting him for new pants. Suffice it to say, it wasn’t quite the adventure I was hoping for. The story also used Lemoran words for yes (yeffa), no (nob) and a few other things and it was really annoying to me. There was also this weird thing that happened the first time they were intimate, he hurt her somehow, but it was unclear how and he spent a long time after that feeling guilty.

The audiobook is told in dual points of view in dual narration. Joy Beharie and Curtis Michael Holland narrated it. Neither of these narrators is on my list of favorites, but they both have good voices and do a fine job.

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[netty · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book- I have enjoyed others in the series but I just couldn’t finish it. I got to 56% and another misunderstanding and more yelling by Raingar and I’m just fed up. There isn’t enough chemistry or story to make me put up with the two characters. Raingar is supposed to be lovable but gruff but he comes off as ridiculous to me. The yelling ... etc. And the heroine is such a weird mix of subservience and attitude, I still don’t have any sense of her personality or voice.

I wish this Author had stuck with her original aliens. It’s confusing to get a new set of aliens each book and I’m just not keeping up with the language, customs, species differences etc.

[Juliana Philippa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I couldn't get into this book and decided to give in and DNF it 50% of the way in. I didn't like the hero or in fact the heroine much either. He was supposed to be grumpy but it was over the top and I didn't understand his reactions sometimes or appreciate him as one should a hero. She was a bit of a pushover and even though that's maybe understandable given she was raised to be a sex servant, I couldn't really get a feel for her. Read Books 1-5 instead!

[Arielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC for this book, and this one was just as fun as the last one.

I'll admit, I wasn't sure how the story would progress. It's not as action-packed as Kor was, but I was absolutely blown away by the ending! The pacing is a little slower, but don't let this deter you from reading it because it really picks up in the last few chapters! It has a great buildup and it connects the world-building from the previous books in a way that makes everything fit together.

Lemora features Essmira - a half-human half-Drakesh hybrid who was trained to be what is considered a "pleasure female" which is a nicer way of saying a prostitute, but also to be a consort. The people who own her are what they call "flesh peddlers", which is another way of saying they sell sex slaves. They acquired Essmira from birth through unknown origins, taught her everything she knows, and they weren't particularly kind to her in the process. This has left Essmira, for at least a third of the story, very meek and timid. But it soon becomes apparent that for all of the abuse she endured at the hands of her owners, there's a fire within her that they couldn't snuff out completely.

The H is a Lemoran clan chief named Raingar. As the description suggests, he's incredibly surly and foul-tempered and he, like all other Lemorans, looks like a brown version of The Thing from the original Fantastic Four, but with large, curling horns and without the exaggerated cracks in his skin. But for all his negative traits, he is deeply loved and admired by his clans folk and his fellow clan chiefs, and for good reason. Raingar and the other clan chiefs have left Lemora to conduct trading negotiations with other species. Lemora is the source of kintarr, a highly valuable crystalline substance with an extremely high energy output and used to fuel spaceships. Raingar's village happens to have the largest kintarr mine on the planet, and a chance encounter with one of Essmira's owners leads to him face-to-face with Essmira, proving that she is his Xiveri mate.

For the first half of the book, Raingar isn't too likable. Honestly, it's very reminiscent of Sasor when Neheyuu became increasingly out of control and nearly ruined things between him and Mian. Raingar, although a clan chief, doesn't have the best people skills and it shows when he nearly verbally berates a Walrey delegation looking to trade for kintarr after they only just arrived. Raingar hates attending trade negotiations off-planet (actually, he hates most things), but to make matters worse, his horns have been hurting him something fierce every since they entered the planet's orbit, and it's not until he sees Essmira that he realizes why. He spends the rest of the story learning from his many mistakes, and teaching himself to communicate with Essmira in a way that makes her feel comfortable, and Essmira spends the rest of the story not only discovering herself in a new world, but coming into her own from the abuse she endured and fully unleashing her inner fire.

Stephens has a way of writing characters that might not start out likable, but end up redeeming themselves by the end, which isn't an easy feat. In this case, both Raingar and Essmira have their work cut out for them. Essmira has literally been trained since birth to please males in more ways than one, but Raingar isn't a typical male, and is only interested in Essmira being herself, something she's never had to do so far in her life. Raingar also has zero sexual experience, and this leads to an unpleasant encounter between the two that nearly severs their budding relationship. After Essmira joins them on the ride back to Lemora, it becomes so apparent how much Raingar has to learn and grow, that another more mature clan chief immediately steps in to look after Essmira. The unpleasant incident that led to Essmira and Raingar having strained relations shows that While Raingar is clan chief, and his clans folk and fellow clan chiefs love and respect him, they all do so enough to let him know when he's crossed the line as no one had any qualms whatsoever about punching him square in the nose and condemning him when they saw him after they learned what had happened.

The setting for the story is unique in that Lemora is more of a medieval fantasy land than it is a futuristic alien world like Voraxia and Kor were and there's a specific scene straight out of Rapunzel that shows exactly what I'm talking about. Cobblestone pathways, fortresses, cozy inns, moats and drawbridges make up the majority of the structures in Lemora, to say nothing about the green mossy hills and dunes of sand that stretch out for miles. Even most technology found in other worlds like Voraxia and Kor exists very sparingly on Lemora, only in the possession of the clan chiefs in their keeps and used during emergencies.

I really loved the camaraderie between Essmira and the other inhabitants of Lemora the scene at Winter's End in particular was my favorite, it flew off the pages and could literally be felt and heard as if you were there, and I shared more than a few giggles at the aftermath when Essmira was sick and the partygoers were literally passed out stone-cold in various stages all over the inn. It was very endearing to see someone who had a socially isolated existence suddenly befriend an entire village, and at times my mind kept replaying Belle's opening scene in Disney's original Beauty and the Beast, where she's singing about wanting a life full of adventure, while the villagers were singing about how odd and peculiar she was. Only, Raingar's clan didn't see Essmira as odd or peculiar. They saw her as one of their own, they treated her like they had known her for years, and they absolutely adored her.

As I mentioned before, the story really picks up towards the end. By this time, Essmira has settled into Lemoran society like it's second-nature to her, and Raingar's clans folk have welcomed her with open arms. Raingar himself has learned from his mistakes and worked on making himself more open and accomodating to Essmira. He's soon called to action with the other clan chiefs after a battleship arrives on Lemora, with the occupants having been brutally tortured and mutilated when someone infiltrates their planet and abducts Essmira, which leads them to realize that Lemora isn't as immune to the violence from the other quadrants as they thought it had been for years.

Lemora was a lot of fun, and it builds up to an action-packed ending that you don't see coming, which has left me a little more hyped for the final book in the series than I'd like to admit since we have two more books before we get there. Lemora is an incredibly sweet story about overcoming past hardships, coming into your own and literally blooming as a result.

[Hot Mess Sommelière ~ Caro]

Elisabeth Stephens is actually secretly two writers.

one is really skilled and writes total bops with action and high drama like Lord of Population and Taken to Voraxia

but the other one is her evil twin whose writing sucks ass, the men need to be disposed of and I want to forget I ever encountered her writings, like Taken to Sasor.

The problem is they both write under the same name and sometimes in the same series, which makes it hard to guess if this will be good or not

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me this book was very hard to get into as both characters were rather annoying for a good bit of the book. Raingar kept shouting and yelling for a good portion of the story and there really wasn’t a reason for it. He was still shouting at 33% and I was more than ready to stuff a sock in his mouth.

Essmira was trained as a pleasure woman and we spent so much time in her head as she would tell herself she was more than that. She would go back and forth between timid and sassy.

One of my pet peeves is contrived angst. Raingar knew that Essmira was his mate and instead of telling her that, he kept it to himself which then added to her low self-esteem inner monologues. What made it more annoying was that he was aware of her issues and the abuses she had suffered and he still kept quiet about it.

For me the saving grace was the side characters. The other female chiefs were awesome and Raingar’s staff. By the time these two go together I had lost interest for the most part due to his constant shouting and her insecurities.

I left it at a 3 star for the other characters in the story and not so much the main characters.

I received an ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Cannoli this was good! (I also may have read it in one day...I'm not sorry for ignoring my adulting)

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Listen. I love me some grumpy males...mmmmhmmmm....So, when this one mentioned "the grumpiest Xiveri mate, yet"- I was dancing on the sidelines waiting for it.

Favorite line? "He looks at me like I'm real."
Well, I have a lot of favorite lines, but I don't want to give too much away. But this line? It struck my heart and made me go "awwww"-and it's just the beginning.

AND! We get to see some of our favorite past characters in this book, which makes me a happy little clam :)

I don't want to give away too much of the book, there are sooo many good bits. So, I will leave you with this before I spoil too much ;)

reread: paperback 2022

[Izzie d]

Really not for me.
Why all the constant shouting???

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an e-ARC by the author in exchange for an honest review. Review can also be found on *Milky Way of Books*

I am a sucker for heroines who discover their own strength after experiencing hardships. Essmira, a woman trained to become a pleasure slave, is rescued by Raingar, the Lemoran clan chief, and she is taken to the Lemora. A planet where anyone can be anything they want. And the loveliest part of this book was how everyone tried to give to Essmira a way of life far from being a slave.

I have to admit that Raingar was hilarious in his grumpy way and how much he adored Essmira. Of course, the cameos of characters from the previous books were welcome as also the mysterious Sky assassin and Ashmara.

I also liked how Essmira had to overcome her trauma which was completely understandable and how much she found support, even if Raingar was a little negative towards her and I wanted to smack some sense into him.

Overall this is yet another amazing sequel to the series which expands this world and makes you carve for the next book!

[Lindsey (30Something_Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐

Ohh I really liked this one! It is a little bit darker and has some heavier themes, however.

Plot: Essmira, a human-hybrid, has been raised her entire life to be a "pleasure female". On the day she is to be auctioned off, she decides she is going to make a run for it. During her failed escape, she meets Raingar, a Lemoran clan chief. He knows instantly that she is his mate so he buys her freedom and brings her back to Lemora. Essmira is drawn to this giant grump but doesn't know why and is now faced with the enormity of "freedom" and all that it entails.

Thoughts:Essmira and Raingar are so good. He is the grumpiest grump to ever have grumped and she is such a sweet (but tough) counterpart to him. I really loved how, despite him knowing up front that they were mates, it was not just blindly accepted. He had to work (and fail multiple times) and grow to prove that he could be a good match for her. I also love how EVERYONE on Lemora was instantly protective of Essmira. She was a GEM and they all knew it.

LOVE the additional details about Ashmara and Jerrock. That will be such a tasty story and I cannot wait.

TWs: Trafficking, Non Con, Mentions of past SA, grooming, and trauma. Brief mentions of torture.

[Nicki Carignan · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I received this ARC for my honest review.

I have not read the rest of the books in this series, but it wasn’t necessary to enjoy the book. I think characters from other books in the series popped up in this one.

I think if you enjoyed the rest of the books on this series you will enjoy this one. The book definitely lives up to the name “grumpy” because Raingar is the grumpiest male I’ve ever met. The female was tough and I liked that she was overcoming trauma.

At times it felt rushed in the story, but it is the style and it is a quick read. Honestly you should know what you’re getting into with this book and this specific genre and if you do then you’ll enjoy this book.

There are not as many romance scenes as I was expecting, but the characters came to love each other in their own way. Good quick read for alien romance genre.

[Lisa M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was freaking fantastic! This is now my favorite of the Xiveri Mates books! I just loooovvvveeeddd the grumpy Raingar! I laughed out loud from beginning to end with many other emotions being thrown in throughout! At first you will think Raingar is just a grump sourpuss but as you read you find he is where he is for a reason. Assmira learns her value quickly and they have to find the best way to be together. I don’t want to give anything always so all I will say is you don’t want to miss this story!

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure what it was about this book that through me off but i struggled to connect to the story and characters. The characters are new as is the world which normally intrigues me but I just couldn’t get there with this one and I wanted to love it. It might have been “ the grumpy one”. I could not lust after him as he came off like a spoiled child and I just wanted to smack him most of the time. I love Elizabeth however and her writing style so this one will not stop me from continuing to read everything she creates.

[Dini - dinipandareads · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Xiveri Mates series is a fun and out of this world (hah, I'm sorry) alien romance that I've been enjoying since last year, and Taken to Lemora was another entertaining and fast addition! I still haven't read many alien romances and neither did I think it'd be my thing, but this series is just too much fun. Out of all the locations so far, I think Lemora might be my favourite location because the city was a giant melting pot of alien races and cultures, and it felt so vibrant and alive! Everyone was extremely friendly, helpful and accepting of others and it just served pleasant and happy vibes that I was totally here for. ✌🏽

The story follows Raingar and Essmira and they were easy to like as individuals and as a couple. Raingar is your typical grumpasaurus hero who's actually soft and full of feels on the inside. He's the youngest and only male clan leader in Lemora and despite always scowling and shouting at those around him, his people love him because underneath it he provides well and they know he cares deeply. It was nice to see how he prioritizes his people but at times I felt that his (literally) shouty and flustered mannerisms made him come across as a bit... clumsily childish? I know it was probably meant to be endearing, and there were definitely moments, but after a certain point, it felt over the top. He's also a very solitary guy, which is fine, but we don't really learn much else about him and his relationships with people (like with the other clan leaders and with his friend who is also his advisor). So I wish that his character got a bit more development as it would've helped me understand him more.

On the other hand, Essmira experienced more growth and I felt more connected to her. I think the author writes smart and headstrong heroines really well, and Essmira was no exception. She was abducted as a child and raised to become a pleasure female, and suffered a lot of abuse at the hands of her 'carers'. Lemora was really the perfect place for her to heal and an open safe space where she could explore her own person outside of the 'pleasure female' role she was moulded into. I was totally living for the women-supporting-women vibes in this story! I loved the women clan leaders in this story because they were so supportive and nurturing, and not just to Essmira but they also helped Raingar examine his own actions and see how he did wrong. It was just awesome!

This also had small tie-ins to the other Xiveri Mates books towards the end, so we get to see some familiar and well-loved faces, as well as get introduced to some new faces that I think might star in their own story? At least, I'm hoping they will because now I'm super curious and want more!

[Kelly DeMarco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romcom alien steamy romance with plenty of otherworldly action and adventure
Taken To Lemora: A Grumpy Alien Romance (Xiveri Mates Book 6 by Elizabeth.. Is a very well written alien romance with strong notes of a romcom. This sixth book of the series features an exasperatingly adorable and grump alien clan chief, Raingar. This gruff alpha alien finds much to dislike while secretly loving his community and his world. His life and world gets turned upside down when he comes into contact with Essmira. Thinking he’d never be lucky enough or deserving of a mate, his bumbling and grumbling set these two up to learn about life, love and relationships together. Poor Raingar made me laugh out loud while Essmira had me cheering for her fortitude and bravery.
The plot morphs back and forth between the mating discovery and the unknown danger Essmira is in. The suspense of these characters being unaware make this a page turner. I really enjoyed this book and all it’s elements. The characters are so very appealing and charismatic with highly engaging storylines.
Overall, the grumpy yet adorable alien won my heart as assuredly as he won Essmira’s providing the HEA as bright (and hot!) as all the stars in the universe and then some.
I read an ARC of this book via Hidden Gems and voluntarily share my review.

[Tasha T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. This was the sweetest story of the series. There were moments of second hand embarrassment and a bit of cringing at awkward situations. I smiled throughout my reading sessions, because it was just so sweet. I don't want to spoil the story, but to me it was like a reverse of Taken to Heimo.

Raingar is very grumpy, which I think is from being the youngest clan chief. He's like the other chiefs little brother. Essmira is not really a damsel so much as a very motivated captive (before meeting Raingar). She is knowledgable about the universe and is ready to jump into her new life with both feet.

They were so sweet and awkward with each other, it was so nice to read. The road to their HEA was bumpy and surprising with several slip ups, mostly from Raingar. But when they finally got it together, it was just so lovely.

Also, I am so excited to read Ashmara's book. I have thoughts about she and Jerrock's connection. I'm sure he knows that she is his mate, and that's the reason he hasn't actually killed her yet. Ashmara's substance abuse might be a way to dampen some Voraxian parts of her and she may not know about her mate. I think it'll be fireworks between those two.

I am impatiently waiting for the next books.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

First thing I would recommend this entire series. It is a standalone so feel free to start with this book, but I recommend going back to the beginning because I do think they are all wonderful and you see the universe that the author is creating develop. This book like the others hits it out of the park with amazing world building and an in depth look at the different cultures that are interacting in these books. Her characters all tend to be real in the sense they actually have to deal with the trauma events in their lives and we see them grow and develop. I like the sense of humor that you see peeking through in this series as well.

As for this story we have Raingar and Essmira’s story. He is a Lemoran which is a hard-skinned species with huge horns. He is the chieftain of his village and has a personality hat is of a grumpy male but adorable at the same time. He often seems clueless and when meeting his mate this trait causes both humor and conflict.

Essmira is a hybrid equal parts human and Drakesh with no clue of her origins she has been raised by flesh peddlers. Raingar pushes her to not just be what she has been trained to but to find herself. Seeing Essmira's growth in this story is amazing and how the two of them develop their relationship.

[KM’s Bookshelf · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alright... So the first sexual encounter between these two protagonists involves the MMC coming in literally two seconds all over the FMC before he proceeds to finger-bash her so hard that he injures her and she bleeds everywhere and... doesn't come ?

Thank you, Elizabeth Stephens, for taking me back to high school with that one. I definitely read romance because I want to re-live the days when my sexual partners didn't yet understand pleasure nor consent. Fun timesss.

2 stars instead of 1 because I think Elizabeth Stephens has a cool sense of humour and that shines through in this novel best. But the romance/smut in this one was... PUGH! (iykyk)

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorites in the series simply because the tone is more lighthearted - I found it less serious and dire.

Raingar's "I hate everything" grumpiness and bumbling behaviour towards Essmira was very endearing and funny, I found myself snort laughing along with the FMC quite often.

Tropes: grumpy + sunshine
Both MCs are virgins
Found family

I had started the ebook version and ended up waiting until the audiobook to come out to finish it. I think it was worth the wait! The narrators did an amazing job!

[Simone Haeseler · Rating 5 out of 5]

It started so funny, he was such a pessimist and how he behaved and talked, so so funny. The way Raingar handled his mate and destiny was hilarious. And she, how she constantly had to rein herself in, just great. The only Problem i had was with the names, so hard to remember. I can not get over the fact, that he was so funny in his behavior,sorry! All in all was it a great read, witty, great word building, love, friendship, horrible people, an abduction and a HEA.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Childish Hero

So out of all the books in the series I like this one the least. Main!y because the hero isn't grumpy, he's a spoiled child needlessly shouting at everyone and overreacting to everything that happens. I only finished the book to keep up with what happens in the bigger plot...

[Alarna · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was ok. i didn't like the H. He didn't seem grumpy to me more like a toddler throwing a tantrum most of the time, with foot stomping and everything. and to star with he only really thinks about himself and not how the h must be feeling or what would be best for her, he does getter better about that by the end of the book. It takes awhile to understand what the characters are saying because a lot of the words are in some alien language or its not really explained what things are at first. :\

[Stacie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 "Mostly hilarious with just a touch of not funny at all." Stars!

[Tracy's Place · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 out of 5

[Hotmess Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I want to go to him, shout at him, and tell him I forgive him… I want to do all of this, and then I want to lay down and die."

The premise was TRICKYY, but Elizabeth stuck the landing of course. Raingar is mostly all bark as the most loving grumpy. Yelling at how incompetent people are while fixing every single problem for his clan expeditiously. He was a good rock man, but yikes did he fumble how to handle our girl. Essmira had to learn how to be her own person, and his impatience and lack of valuing this truth almost cost him everything.

Elizabeth is queen of a cast and this book is no different. The whole clan lining up to punch Raingar in the face and protect our queen from him? Excellent!

I was excited for my faves cameos! Nearing the end and sad, but have some incredible set ups to wrap this up!

[io greymoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I am writing a universal review for all 9 books in this series. This is one of the best acid I romance series ever. Everyone single full book and the novellas are all five stars. The audiobooks are also so well done! I relished to them all the time. Such as incredibly talented author.