Stellar

The Portal Connection #1

by Jade Thorn

Being revealed as a Portal was like finding out you had the plague.

Nobody wanted to be anywhere near you, especially if you were as strong as Jacinta was proving to be. As if she didn’t have enough things on her plate already.

Raised by a cult, malnourished and ripped from the first place she'd ever felt safe, Jacinta's world had been turned on its head.

To make matters worse, there was the Pure Human movement who saw all Portals as mutants who should be destroyed. At least her protective detail was on her side. They weren’t friends, but they seemed to have her best interests at heart.

As for the rest? Well, who knew if she'd live long enough to even think about it.

Jacinta was in a race against time to manage her ability before it tore her apart - mind, body and soul. Could her team protect her from not only the unseen dangers around her, but from her own ability?


This is a slow burn Reverse Harem series where the female lead will have more than one love interest and will not be required to choose.

Stellar is a book, packed with action and tension and contains scenes that may cause distress to some viewers, including but not limited to gun violence, assault and mentions of severe family dysfunction. This book is not suitable for readers under the age of 18 years.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Why Choose, Slow Burn

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 4, 2021

About the author

Hi!
I'm "Jade" (pen name only). I'm a stay at home mother to three gorgeous young children. I've been writing stories since I was a little girl, but I have never had the confidence to share them. Finally a friend talked me into publishing something, so, "Siren" was born.

I ask you to be kind in your reviews. I know that you may not like what I write, but it doesn't mean that you have to be nasty about it. I don't understand people who feel the need to do that. My books cost less than a cup of coffee. If you didn't like the coffee, would you abuse the person who served you?

I like to "meet" my followers and get to know them. You can find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jade.thorn.944/

I look forward to sharing my journey with you.
Jade
xoxo

Reviews

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I read this in one sitting, it was THAT good. I love Jade Thorn's work. After doing a reread of Beneath Contempt, I saw that she had this series and decided to give it a go. I LOVE the plot of this story. Jacinta "Jack" was an amazing FMC. It was great to see that she didn't take any crap from anyone. Hammer is probably my favourite out of all the guys.
Ugh, I was so mad when I reached the end of the book; I was that emersed into what was happening. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series!!!!!!

[Nan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good. It covers some dark themes that hit a bit close to home this year like terrorism and prejudice, but I always love a story in which the MC has a great support network that care because they're good people. I really like that for all that there's some really hateful things said and done in the book, there are also people that are totally disgusted by how things went down, too, and not just the main cast.

The premise of the story is really interesting and fresh! The MC is diagnosed with what's basically seen as a terminal or chronic illness (depends on severity) that makes her randomly start emitting radioactive radiation, light, and heat that would kill everyone around her and maybe even herself. This is obviously a serious national security issue, and the military is involved in protecting and studying these individuals, called portals. There's also a terrorist organization that thinks that portals should be killed before they accidentally kill those around them. I was pretty uncomfortable that I understood where the terrorists were coming from, even if I don't agree with them. At least in regards to portals to an extent...

I'd be willing to bet that in later books, the MC learns to control or manage her "events", but in this entire book her being a portal was only seen as a tragedy and a danger for those around them. I'm glad that she didn't get diagnosed and immediately find the solution. There are hundreds of thousands of portals in the US alone and have been to for at least 100 years, so it would be pretty annoying to me if the answer was that easy to obtain. I like that the MC has to struggle, even though it totally sucks for everyone in story.

As a RH it stands out for a few reasons. Each ML clearly has his own personality and motivations, although I'm sure this will be explored much more in depth in later books. There are several potential MLs, but I'm not sure if all of them are going to get with her, or if some are going to be just friends. I like that they weren't all just a sure thing and totally head over heels right off the bat; it keeps it interesting as they explore their relationships with each other and we get to know more about each character. She also has a female friend! Having relationships outside of your romantic one(s) is really important and healthy, so I was excited to see this.

This is also a slow burn, as in, no sex in this book at all, which allows the emotional relationships a lot more time to develop. I personally don't mind if characters jump right into sex and long as its consensual and all that, but I'm really really glad that this book didn't do that. Mainly because, as the book points out, the power disparity between the MLs and FL makes consent impossible in their circumstances. I'm so glad that the author recognized this and that they held off on the physical development of their relationship. Even if there wasn't a power dynamic, though, I think the slow burn aspect fits well with the story, their circumstances, and their personalities. They are working through a lot of other issues including past trauma, military politics, and navigating what is effectively viewed as a terminal illness, so there is plenty going on that would make jumping straight into sex a bad move for everyone.

I'm looking forward to the next books in this series! I really want to know more about this really interesting universe and the characters.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (1/4/2023)! 🎁

[Mettesknit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was refreshing and new!

Loved it 😍

[Paranormal Kiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique story line. I found engaging and interesting with likeable characters. I like the slow burn romance and I look forward to the next book.

[Sarz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Unique.

I read a lot of fantasy, PNR and some sci-fi, and I haven't read anything quite like this before. Really grabbed me, I finished reading it at 3.30am! I really like the fmc, she is _strong_ but not snarky or 'kick ass', she's a survivor. Really liking the guys as well, and very much looking forward to the rest of the story!

***Already reread it ***

**Accidental third read, after I opened it to look for a particular detail, and ended up reading the whole thing. Oops 😅 **

**Fifth reread. Still love it hard. **

Sixth....

[Helle Gade · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH.MY.GODS I need book two NOW!!!! GIVE IT TO ME!!!! *Stomping my foot* Okay, this is the bookhangover talking... But seriously, with that ending no one can blame me. *sigh*

I loved this book so hard. The characters were well developed and engaging. There's enough action and mystery to choke cow. I have so many questions that I need answered. I'll just crawl under the cover of my bed and wait for the next book.

[KLynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good, but very slow moving with not a lot of revelations. However, at the very end (last 3-5%) there was something revealed that makes me want to continue the series? I don't know. .. maybe I'll take a break and come back? We'll see.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED IT

Wow that was so unique!! I'm excited end intrigued! I really enjoyed it and can't wait to read the next book!!

[Taylor Chitwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would definitely reread

[Eileen Troemel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorn has a slow start on this. After the first bit I had more questions than answers. Her writing is imaginative, creative, and entrancing. Jacinta is a portal. This is clear from the beginning. What's not clear is what the hell a portal actually is. Thorn develops her characters, her plot, and her world with a skill few others can match. I LOVED this story. The first half is easy - hey here's these guys their soldiers and their sole job is to take care of Jacinta who is a portal. She crafts unique men who surround and care for Jacinta. They help her adjust to her knew state of being while giving her the space she needs to figure things out. The interpersonal relationships in this book are complex. Jacinta seems a bit of a weak woman at first. She's pissed and alone and meh to start with. Then she's not. Thorn shifted her in subtle ways you barely notice until she's an incredible character who I want to know more about.

The second half of this book speeds along with men being stupid and getting what they deserve.
The plot speeds up and goes from speedy to light speed to I need more to read. I'm not giving anything away but things happen in the second half of the book that make you go - Wait... what?
Holy F*ck! Did I read that right?

This is a great book. I enjoyed reading this book so much I want the next book. Problem is - next book seems to still be in Thorn's head. I hope she writes more in this series soon so I can see what happens next to Jacinta and her men!

[theappleisledreamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐
0🌶️

Such a great read and so glad I picked it up!

This book hooked me from the get go and had me so invested in the whole story that I read it really quickly! The character development in this book was absolutely phenomenal and the storyline was so interesting and action packed!

Shocking statement for me... but I loved the slow burn. The build up of the relationships between these characters was really important to the story and I am glad that the author took their time to develop these and didn't have them go straight into the spice in book 1. Each character was introduced and developed extremely well throughout the entire story, and their backgrounds and personalities unravelled along with the storyline seamlessly!

I cannot wait to dive into the rest of the series!!

Topes: Forced proximity, slow burn, who did this to you, bodyguard romance, amnesia, stuck together, protector/nurturer dynamic, banter, nicknames, dystopian, first contact, identity crisis, discovering hidden powers, dealing with loss/grief, self discovery journey, found family

Triggers: abandonment, abuse by a medical professional, alcohol, anxiety, attempted murder, blood, burning, confinement, control, cults (mentioned from past), death, death of a loved one, facing your own inevitable death, fear, fighting, forced imprisonment, gore, graphic death, guns, hate crimes, hospitalization, incest (mentioned) mass deaths, medical problems, military service, needles, nudity, pain, PTSD, radiation, scars, suicide (off page), threats, violence, weapons

I Choose in the Why Choose: Hammer... what a big muscular teddy bear he is!

[Kei ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being revealed as a Portal was like finding out you had the plague. Nobody wanted to be anywhere near you, especially if you were as strong as Jacinta was proving to be. Raised by a cult, malnourished and ripped from the first place she'd ever felt safe, Jacinta's world had been turned on its head. To make matters worse, there was the Pure Human movement who saw all Portals as mutants who should be destroyed. At least her protective detail was on her side. They weren’t friends, but they seemed to have her best interests at heart.

Stellar is a fresh new idea entering the why choose world. With that being said, there isn't a lot of that why choose element involved in this first book just yet - with this book being the beginning embers of a long and torturous slow burning romance. The story itself has been left open, not a lot is being explained at this point, but not in a negative light. The questions I am being left with has me desperate to move on to the next book in the series almost immediately. Jade has penned a quick and interesting read, perfect for those who love a single sitting binge.

[Mrs R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series, is a slow burn RH and does end with a cliffhanger.
I loved this story, its something completely different. For me it was definitely a case of 'just one more chapter' which ended up with me finishing the book at 2am!
Jacinta is a portal, which means she pretty much turns into a potential nuclear bomb when she has 'events'. She also emits radiation and extreme heat so she's been added to the government Portal programme, for both her own safety and the public. She even gets her own military protection team.
I loved Jacinta, she was really entertaining to read, full of sarcasm and humour, she didn't let her situation get her down too much, no matter how scared she was. The protection team feel a connection with 'Jack' and are very protective of her, Hammer was super sweet with carrying her places.
I am loving the direction this book seems to be going in and I can't wait to read book 2.

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very unique concept.

In terms of concept I haven’t read anything like it before. I do feel like some of the world building is missing. The book is marketed as a slow burn in terms of romance but it’s also a slow burn in terms of plot.

A lot of background feels missing. There’s no explanation of what/why. It does feel like maybe it’s been set up to be explained in book 2.

Sci fantasy is a favourite of mine and the sci fi/military aspect is fun in this book.

Personally I’m not a fan of Insta love/lust which is prevalent here. If it’s your jam tho there is a lot of it and it is quite sweet in places.

Characters are very black and white. The good guys all have x, y and z traits. The bad guys then have the opposite. Everyone falls on a side and there isn’t any room for a grey area. Emotionally they haven’t drawn me in yet.

All in all, the book is a fun, light read. There were jokes that make me laugh. The ideas are good and it’s made me curious to find out what happens next.

[TipseyBookReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story, but I do feel like the blurb is a little misleading. The story starts with Jacinta just having found out she is a portal and is moving into her new home. While unpacking she is attacked and nearly killed. Her new protective detail shows up just in time, although I think Jacinta was pretty resourceful herself, and there are some sparks :) This book follows Jacinta and her team as they try to protect her from the Pure Human Movement and also try to understand her portal powers. The boss thing mentioned in the blurb doesn’t happen until later. I really liked that Jacinta has an unusual background - or at least not one I’ve read about before. The guys are great - I love Hammer, Bowie, Doc, Tones. Leo and Shondra are awesome too. I can’t wait to see what happens next now that Jacinta has gotten some new info about her powers.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I wasn’t the biggest fan of this read and the main reason is that it was pretty unbelievable and I don’t mean regarding the whole event thing aka people turning into an atomic bomb or nuclear reactor. That was what it was and the writer is allowed to whatever creativity in fiction they want. What I found so I relatable was the way the military personal, as in our main characters protective detail, dealt with her. Some examples:
- they were immediately overly familiar. Using words like sweetheart and sweetly and baby.
- insta lust that was really out of place
- all military personnel seemed to be below the age of 35 for some reason and except her protectors also all assholes.

It just very much felt out of touch with how I would incision it if this was actually reality.

Additionally, I just found that overall the story wasn’t very engaging and I started to roll my eyes more and more as well at all the drama.

[Bloody Blogger Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. I enjoyed the charaters', banter, the plot, there is danger, action and drama. Jacinta is young but she is a beautiful woman with a special issue.(no spoilers, but you'll love this book) An issue that threatens everyone when it happens. The government is aware of her issues. There are more that have the same situation and they want to know what it is and provide protection to her because of a group that hunt people with her issue. I especially loved the team they assigned for her protection. The way they are like a family and very handsome. The story develops and then it goes fast paced for me. I couldn't put it down. A great first in a series book. I can't wait for the next installment‼Thank you Jade Thorn, I think you have a new bestseller‼📖

[Anika · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was certainly an interesting concept and I was interested in seeing what happened next, so have picked up book too. However there was a lot of confusing aspects, where was the book set? Some of the language seemed to indicate England but then it looked like the US. At times the story seemed to drag. The lack of military discipline, the nicknames and the way the main character was allowed to change nicknames that have been years in the making was frankly odd. It was an interesting and unique concept to me, I wasn't entirely convinced by the execution. The author says it is a slowburn reverse harem but she should make clear that there is little to no romance and certainly no reverse harem.

[Louise Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Book

Stellar follows Jacinta as she adjusts to life being a Portal, a human with the ability to give of extreme heat and radiation when they have what is called an ‘event’. Honestly, I wasn’t sure about this book when I started reading it, I had stumbled across it as a recommendation in a group and thought I’d give it a go and I’m glad that I did. I really enjoyed the story and found it quite intriguing, which kept me turning pages to find out what happened next. This book is a good introduction to the world it’s set in and allows you to get to know the characters who are surrounding the FMC. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend giving it a read.

[Natasha Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness... this book is phenomenal

Ok I am not exaggerating when I say this book absolutely blew me away. It is original, beautifully written, and so unbelievably intriguing that I literally couldn't put it down. The only negative thing I have to say about this book is GIVE ME MORE!!! I WANT TO KEEP READING IT. Oh, the relationship development, the back story, the characters, the plot, all of it is fantastic. This is like the perfect cross between contemporary fiction, fantasy and science fiction. I would LOVE to see this made into a show or movie. It would blow my mind. Well done Jade Thorn for another wonderfully written book.

[Kathy L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes you on quite a ride! It starts out looking at a rather mundane life of a young woman, kind of like the beginning uphill start to a roller-coaster. And then, bam! Off you go, sliding down and around, with a few corkscrews and loops. Jacinta isn't sure what the h*** is happening to her, needing to place trust in a team assigned to assist her life transition. But they've never had such a powerful protectee, nor have they been so powerfully drawn to one. You're not meant to know everything before, or even as, it occurs. You're on the ride, and what an addictive, enjoyable ride it is!

[TJ | TheEclecticBookFairy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an incredible start to the series. Army crew/ lone MFC/ SciFi style heaven.
As someone who hasn't read SciFi books before this may go into my top 20 books. Multiple POV story with some third person narrating throughout.

While having freedom taken away at first the main character fights for a normal life with the help of her army detail who are a close knit family style crew that are emotionally invested in her well being more than they should.

This book Ends on a cliff hanger post plot twist.

Straight to book two.

[Krissie (Kiki's Bookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love love love! and this isn't the usual genre I read.
It took me a few chapters before I was hooked, but I think that was because my brain was trying to figure out the setting (asd)
It's very hard to describe the book because the best part of it was learning more, along with the main protagonist, as their journey unfolds. You don't want any spoilers!
The only thing that felt jarring to me was that one of the males had an instant insane attraction... maybe it had just been a while for him 😂
Cannot wait to start book 2!

[Danitta Stocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put it down!

When you read consistently over time you begin to see a lot of similarities between the pages different authors have released and yet Stellar provided a unique and refreshing take on an almost post-apocolypse meets X-Men shuffling along the floor boards type twist that I couldn't put down.
This fresh take on a new world environment had me riveted from the get-go and I'm sonexcited to see what else Jade Thorn has in that brilliant mind of hers. Bring on the next instalment!

[Annettesbookbanter · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up.

This wasn't for me. The idea of the magic and plot was interesting but felt overshadow by the unrealistic aspects of the book. I am not a huge fan of insta love and the fact that these are meant to be experienced military men and yet are behaving and speaking the way that they do especially to someone who is their protectee felt unbelievable. Also there was a lot of decisions that were supposedly made by the government or military that just didn't make sense to me, it is hard to go into detail without giving spoilers.

[Jenn H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book one of a new series and I for one can’t wait for the next book!! Jacinta just had her whole world turned upside down and ripped away from her after finding out she’s a portal. Now the government has relocated her, the pure human movement is out to try to make her life difficult and her observation team is hand on. I do t want to give away any spoilers but I couldn’t put this book down until I was done it. It left me burning up the pages.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was incredibly unique and I’m intrigued to see where the series goes. Jacinta is seems to have a long road ahead of her. Her team of protectors seem to be invested in her and I liked that she felt comfortable with them from the start. While she fell in easily with her group she doesn’t take any crap from others. I can’t eat to see where things go from here.

I did wish the book was a little longer and there was a little bit more relationship development in this one.

[Sandi Devlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this!

This is the first book I have read by this author snd now I must read them all!!!

I loved this book. The concept and world building was so good. I love Jacinta she is a great character. Her protectors are all great and I can’t wait to see their interactions going forward.

I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series and definitely recommend this book!!

[Heather Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and different. I love a good sci-fi. Jacinta just found out she’s a portal, someone who has catastrophic nuclear episodes. She’s in danger constantly. And not from the fact she could go boom at all times. Nope pure human people are after her. The team who responds to her aid seem to be some of the only kind people she’s had in her life. I love the mystery added in when she has a really bad event. Can’t wait to see what happens next