I LOVED this story, another excellent read from HH and a great start to a series. So maybe spoilers from here forward because I'm not sure I can keep them out, but you've been warned.
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I loved the set up; FMC Emma gets stranded on an alien planet, and her isolation and loneliness really comes across the page. You could just really feel the emotion, stress, and seclusion. You can't help but self insert and wonder how you would actually deal with it. And then our MMC Tor shows up, and enter lots of delicious tension. I love the dynamic of falling for a completely different species, however similar they may seem, and trying to wrap your head around the different ways they experience and express love/affection/pleasure. I liked that his thoughts present him as highly intelligent/evolved, and sort of from an advanced species (at least technologically more advanced than humans seem to be, which in this book is quite a bit more advanced than we are now in reality) yet his society seems to have to very outdated, archaic, and misogynistic views. It was a great character arc within this first book to see him come to terms with his feelings for Emma even though in his world, the way he was brought up, and the way his society seems to be structured, feelings are not discussed or presented in any way that makes them seem important, or understood. IE: Tor didn't even know love was a thing, so he has no label for the emotions he has for Emma, nor any skills for how to deal with them or process these new found emotions. I'm doing a poor job of explaining but I imagine it's it's like if you have only ever had your food supplied to you via feeding tube, and it serves it's purpose of keeping you nourished and healthy, but then you're suddenly shown that you can take sustenance through your mouth and that taste is a thing. You never knew it was even a possibility that there was another way, let alone that this newly learned way would be so gratifying, multi-dimensioned, pleasurable, favorable, and yet still nourishing you.
And while Emma may be less technologically advanced, she's grappling with the fact that she has feelings for him, and what it means, and oh yeah, never knew she was an Omega or that it was even a thing. The dynamic is just so intriguing with the lack of knowledge about each other but falling for each other anyway.
I also loved that when her heat struck he tried to stop things because he thought it wasn't something she wanted (CONSENT is so sexy), but she insisted anyway. Ultimately I think this was her moment of reckoning with her attraction to an alien being the she didn't even believe existed as well as her aloneness and preconceived prejudices and what wanting him means for herself and how she identifies with the world. He also won't mate her without her full knowledge of what that means, and again I just love the consent aspect of that especially as we learn more about his home planet, his dad, and how the Alpha's there seem to behave towards Omegas/females & betas in general. Tor is ultimately a good guy and I like him.
This ends on an "happily right now" versus a HEA, but I like the ending because even if there isn't a second book (though I believe there is supposed to be based on the book synopsis), an open/ambiguous ending leaves room for my imagination to take the story wherever. And there is the hope that their HEA continues onto whatever happens next, because I have to tell you, I'm scared for them. The fast pace of this story, and tension, and urgent-ness of them being stranded, needing to be rescued, but wanting to be together, left me worried throughout about approaching angst. There is so much potential for it, and while I trust HH to give us the HEA, it doesn't mean the road there won't be rocky and full of blocks. There was just enough with the drama that does happen in this story, and I won't spoil what that drama is, but it was the perfect conflict/climax with resolution in this story. Again, resolution for right now. Because even with a threat dealt with, and partnership (for lack of a better word; relationship doesn't seem right, 1, I think their connection goes deeper than that, but 2, there are still just so many unknowns; totally forgot to say too that I love that they seem to have been destined for each other, he was meant to find her, stranded as she was, and she, an Omega) formed, I'M SCARED FOR THEM.
I'm worried about his people/dad's response to her & their situation if they end up back on his home planet. I'm worried about what her existence as an Omega human means for the rest of the human race if Tor's people come looking for more humans. I'm worried about their relationship surviving all of the trials that are sure to come their way as they embark on this next chapter. But mostly, I'm sitting in excited anticipation for where HH takes Emma & Tor next.
All in all my review feels a little chaotic, so apologies, but I definitely recommend reading this one and cannot wait for the next book!