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Can a weary alien warrior and a wary human widow learn to love again?

The life of a warrior is all Callum has ever known, but after a long, meaningless war he is tired of fighting. Instead, he chooses to accompany his brothers in arms to a new life on a backwater planet and finds an unexpected peace in the hard work of restoring their isolated ranch.

When his former commander finds a bride amongst the human settlers nearby, he has no intention of following in his footsteps. He learned long ago that females could not be trusted - not even the deliciously curvy female with the sad eyes who haunts his dreams.

Pearl married young - only to find out that the charming man she married was a monster behind closed doors. Although she stayed with him for the sake of her sister, now that he’s gone she has no intention of becoming involved with another male - not even the big, silent alien warrior who arouses long forgotten feelings.

When Pearl is forced to go to Callum for help, the two of them are trapped together. Is the overwhelming attraction between them enough to overcome the wounds of the past? And will an unexpected enemy destroy any chance of a future together?

138 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 22, 2022

288 people are currently reading
331 people want to read

About the author

Honey Phillips

192 books1,783 followers

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5 stars
1,366 (47%)
4 stars
944 (32%)
3 stars
506 (17%)
2 stars
65 (2%)
1 star
7 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
Profile Image for BookishKB.
837 reviews207 followers
October 22, 2025
Not my favorite of the series but still cute!
Profile Image for Erin.
3,902 reviews466 followers
April 24, 2023
Callum understood only too well the pain of losing the female you loved, even though in his case that love had not been returned.

It's official- Callum and Pearl are my favorite couple in the series so far!

The story in this novel picks up on the night that Callum told Artek that he would stop Benjar and Endark from stealing the town women. Unfortunately, something distracts him as he is headed in that direction. Meanwhile, Pearl realizes that her sister, Ruby, is missing and sets out to follow the sleigh tracks. She's headed to the ranch in hopes that a particular purple skinned alien with horns wiill help her out. However, when Pearl gets caught in an avalanche, it's Callum that rescues her.

Loved the back stories of Callum and Pearl. Their romance was sweet and passionate and there was plenty of material that kept me invested in the story.

Since all books feature a different pairing, all books can be treated as a stand alone. I chose all the books on Kindle Unlimited.


Goodreads review published 23/04/23
Profile Image for Mara.
1,949 reviews4,322 followers
February 14, 2023
3.5 stars... I love a snowed in, only one bed trope! Very cute and I liked the progression between the main characters
Profile Image for Lady Tea.
1,784 reviews126 followers
February 22, 2023
Rating: 5 / 5

As expected, Pearl and Callum's relationship is just about the sweetest thing set on paper! We have an older(ish) couple--relatively speaking, of course, just compared to the other couples--and they both have a past that has left them scarred and untrusting of others, especially with their hearts.

Except that...they're both undeniably attracted to each other as well, and therefore a bit more willing to open up--if only to convince themselves that just maybe, something will be different in a good way about their relationship.

It's a story of healing as well as of romance, and I'm all here for all the fluff!

Also, a bit of foreshadowing with one character who shows up near the end of the story, so I'm curious to know what that's about in the coming books.

Onward to the rest of the series!
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
3,680 reviews328 followers
September 11, 2023
I received this as an advanced reader copy.

This was absolutely adorable. I loved it. These two have darker pasts and are older than the others. But they are so sweet.

This is a FAST read so doesn’t go into much depth. But there’s enough there that I loved them.

He’s the wise older brother who is caring and willing to do what needs to be done. And he’s so caring with her. So gentle and considerate and concerned about her enjoyment and consent.

She has a little self consciousness about her body size that’s a little off putting but it goes by quickly and he’s so encouraging to her. And thinks she’s a hottie.

I love that they’ve both had little crushes on each other for a while.

Loved it so much. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Kimmylongtime.
1,305 reviews130 followers
September 26, 2024
Omg, I needed Callum’s story soo freaking bad !! This was top tier!! I’ve been waiting for his story since book one. That’s when Callum originally met Pearl while he and Artek were in the human town. I appreciate that Pearl and Callum had a slow budding romance that was built on trust. What a flipping amazing 😻 romance this was !!

I cannot wait for the next book with Drakkar our loner to find his mate !!!
Profile Image for Ivy Deluca.
2,378 reviews329 followers
September 29, 2022
Quick(ish) Review

The third book in this series has older MCs which I adore and was a soft, fluffy cinnamon roll of a romance. I could have used a bit more excitement, and this does deal with a FMC who was in an abusive relationship prior to this book, but overall it was a quick and easy read. Not my fave, not the worst, just cute.
Profile Image for Joque Bookreviewer.
228 reviews13 followers
September 23, 2022
Sweet Historical/Monster Romance

It reminds me of a snowy historical romance, from clothing and transportation to their old ideals, homesteading, and descriptive mountain scenery. (Yet in this series they know it's an outdated way of life, chosen by the town founder who wanted to revert to simpler times.)The monster romance is obvious, aliens having "fun-times" with their chosen mate.

Each book features a new couple and their HEA but also has an overarching storyline. They're uplifting and quick reads, lasting about 2 hours give or take.

You'll need some background if you're starting with this book (Skip if you've read prev books)

BACKGROUND:
A band of aliens, weary from war, purchased a rundown ranch and started fixing it up. They were hoping to heal their wounds and find peace. But something was still missing... love. In the first book, Artek goes to the town across the mountain pass and asks Nelly to marry him- she agrees and moves in. Nelly tells the band of brothers an old Earth tale about soldiers coming home from war and stealing brides from a dance while the women are smiling and happy. In the 2nd book, three brothers go to the town across the mtn pass and steal brides for everyone- then seal the mtn pass with an avalanche.

THIS BOOK: One of the bride's that were stolen had an older sister named Pearl. Pearl decided to go after her sister when she went missing, and followed the tracks up the mountain. The avalanche trapped her in the snow and Calum saved her. They must ride out the rest of the snow storm together, in a small storage shelter, without falling for one another.

OPINION: I really enjoyed this book. It was sweet and uplifting, and easy to read. Calum showed us a softer side by doting on his human, and both characters grew. The culture clashes and dry humor were so healing for me. Yet this book does deal with a little heavier subject than prev books (Pearl had an abusive ex husband) but it was handled with care and both characters healed their past wounds. The beautiful scenery descriptions and their survival techniques allow a true escape into the story. The HEA is always uber satisfying and extensive. Some readers are triggered by neg surprises, so that's why I mentioned the book alluding to past abuse. Other than that, it doesn't go to dark places and always had consent. Due to some sailor language, incredibly spicy scenes, and hilarious shenanigans- I suggest for adults only.

I recommend for fans of sweet monster romance. I can't wait for the next book in the series- it's about my fav character Drakkar. A winged alien who's extra grumpy, a total loner, and secretly vulnerable. Sigh.

Read through KU. Happy reading fellow romance enthusiasts!
Profile Image for Averie.
1,121 reviews1,726 followers
October 24, 2022
Pearl is trying to find her sister after what happened in book 2 of this series, but she ends up getting caught up in an avalanche. Callum, the alien she has been intrigued by, ends up saving her. They spend a few days in this warehouse while a snowstorm is raging outside. They try to keep each other warm & later realize that they cannot live without each other once the storm ends.

This was so sweet! These two characters have been through trauma due to past relationships, and I love how vulnerable they became with each other and ultimately healed from it.

TROPES: alien romance, forced proximity, kindle unlimited, plus size rep, snowstorm, "who did this to you?", widow
Profile Image for Laz the Sailor.
1,799 reviews80 followers
May 15, 2024
I binged all 7 of these short stories. They are cute and nicely interwoven. 4-stars may be generous, but these have all the ingredients of a classic forced-proximity romance. In addition, all 7 aliens are very different in looks and features, as well as attitude and sexual preferences. Obviously there will be some similarities in the plots, as the all happen in parallel, but it is well done.
26 reviews
February 20, 2023
Points for a decent handling of PTSD and anxiety during intimacy post-SA/abusive relationship. It felt maybe a bit rushed, but that's on writing a novella, and I think the author would have handled it well in a longer book, too.

Every woman in this series has climaxed immediately upon penetration by a penis and I just *cannot* with that, but it simply doesn’t hold a candle to how much I hate...

Spoilers below for epilogue-



Fuck everything. Maybe in the next book we'll find out women can't vote.

I'm still reading it, though, because I'm a mess.
Profile Image for Sara.
17 reviews
September 22, 2022
I live for Honey Phillips books and this series is no difference.
I have been looking forward to Callums story since book one and what better person for him then Nelly's friend Perl ! I had kinda hopped he would be book two before that was announced ! But I'm glad it's here now.


That being said Callum and Pearls story line did not disappoint. Wounded souls both broken by the one before. Phillips always has a way with their words and making you truly feel for these characters and their past present and futures.
If you love sweet wounded souls , HEAT, and a HEA like everyone of Honey's books this one is likely for you! Be sure to check out her other series and books as well if you love this as much as I did.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Alise.
210 reviews4 followers
March 11, 2024
It’s cute and sweet as most of the books. Adorable and loving aliens, what no to like. And Callum is smart and mature and caring and loving … and you get the idea 🤣.
The only thing I don’t really get why everyone refers to Pearl as an older woman… she is only 8 years older than her sister and I think that makes her 27 - that is nowhere old at all, but every single woman in one way or another has called her the older woman. It’s kind of ok when they call Callum an older alien, I think he is 43 or something. So there is a little bit of an age gap… not that it’s a crazy big one. But mentally they both really are in the same wave, more mature, more responsible, but still they love the same as the younger ones and the age doesn’t matter at the end. I just like to know it.
Profile Image for Lisa Bing.
6,173 reviews69 followers
September 22, 2022
This was a fun fast read that showcased two peeps that were used to being responsible and hiding their past hurts. Well, being snowed in allowed their distant crushes to flourish and romance bloomed between them. I loved Callum. He was beyond careful of her triggers and always looked for her consent. Pearl was flabbergasted that Callum wasn't married/mated due to how kind, considerate and hot he was. This made for a perfect pairing and I loved them together. I can't wait for more 'brothers' to find their HEAs :D
Profile Image for TaylorReads.
204 reviews12 followers
November 22, 2022
4.5 stars! I loved this book. Granted, the rating is relative to the type of book this is/was meant to be. I wish these were longer and had more detail in each scene. I thoroughly enjoyed Pearl and Callum’s relationship, it’s my favorite so far. This one was a smidge spicier than the other two (although maybe that just reflects my preferences).
Profile Image for Zero.
809 reviews24 followers
March 25, 2024
I really liked this one. Both main characters were good and I liked their relationship development.
Profile Image for Rachael.
2,279 reviews10 followers
January 10, 2023
Omg! I’ve been feeling the tension between these two for the last couple of books and waiting for their story. Totally worth it. I loved seeing Pearl reach for happiness and work through her trauma. Callum is the sweetest. I was totally obsessed with him and his patience for Pearl and her healing. This was an absolute treat to read.
Profile Image for Aldii - perfectioninbooks.
1,301 reviews
June 25, 2024
*3.5/5 estrellas*
Creo que es el que más me ha gustado hasta ahora, siento que tal vez como ya conocíamos un poco a ambos personajes eso permitió desarrollar más la relación entre ellos y no perder tanto en la introducción del mundo, personajes o el plot.
Profile Image for Dreximgirl.
1,485 reviews25 followers
March 12, 2023
This was almost my fave, they're both so sweet yet so traumatised.
Profile Image for Eve Culley.
Author 10 books5 followers
April 2, 2023
Love this series.
Good plot - well written.
1,603 reviews12 followers
March 31, 2023
This was a good sci-fi alien romance. It had some steam, but also some sweet moments as Callum and Pearl got to know each other. The way Callum looked was a bit different, but that didn't seem to bother Pearl. It gets 3.5 stars from me, rounded up to 4 stars.

I liked Callum a great deal, and loved that he was so careful with Pearl. He realized that her abusive marriage had left her with a fear of men, so he was willing to move slowly and gently with her. He realized that she wasn't actually afraid of him, but that her trauma caused physical reactions she couldn't control. He was attracted to her, but was willing to wait until she was ready for intimacy.

I liked Pearl, too, and thought her history of an abusive marriage was sad. She soon realized that Callum was different from her husband, though, and knew that he would never hurt her. I was glad when they fell in love, as they were perfect for each other.

Overall, I really liked this book. I did wish it had been a bit longer, to allow for more character development. I would have liked more backstory on both Callum and Pearl.

Other reviewers have noted that they dislike the covers on this book series, since they look like comic books. I'm not really a fan either -- but I suspect that was so that the alien men on the covers could look like they were described in the book. It would have been difficult, and possibly quite costly, to use actual male models and make them look like the aliens. I prefer comic book style covers to those where the models don't look like the descriptions of the characters in the books.

My rating system is below.
1 star -- Hated it, or did not finish. I usually only give this rating if some of the content is truly objectionable to me, like if one of the main characters does something really awful, and gets away with it.
2 stars -- Didn't like it. This rating usually means that I thought the writing wasn't very good, the editing was terrible, I didn't like the characters, or it had other major flaws.
3 stars -- I liked it, but had some minor issues with it. This rating means that there were minor editing issues, the story needed more character development, it was just too unrealistic, or had some other fairly minor issue. The majority of books I read get this rating – I do not consider it a bad rating.
4 stars -- I liked it a lot. This is a high rating for me, and I rarely give a higher one.
5 stars -- I loved it, and will probably read it again. Very few books are good enough to get this rating from me. The ones that do are usually classics.
Profile Image for Peggy M.
832 reviews8 followers
January 4, 2024
I would really recommend that you start reading this series from the beginning.

After reading Ruby and Benjar’s story, I was very curious about Phoebe’s story (Ruby’s older sister). How had Phoebe experienced Ruby’s kidnapping and what had happened between her and Callum during the snowstorm? I learned that and much more in this story.

Like the two previous stories, I really enjoyed this story. Once again we got both POV’s in the story. Caring for her younger sister from a young age gave Phoebe a great sense of responsibility and her marriage to bad man who liked to hurt her, made Phoebe distrust most men. Her main goal was to make sure Ruby was happy. But everything changed when she met the alien Callum, he made her feel things she had never felt before.

Callum had been hurt in the past, first by a woman and later by the war. One left scars on the inside and the other left scars on the outside. Both made him think that he would be alone forever. But since Nelly came to their ranch and he met her human best friend Phoebe, Callum has felt things he never expected again. A longing for a wife and family.

Phoebe and Callum were great together. Unlike the previous story where the main characters were young and impulsive, here the main characters were more mature and careful with their feelings. Perhaps their age also played a role in this. Callum was the eldest of the alien brothers. He was a Hartakan, an alien race that can sense a mate bond. Callum may be very big but he was very careful with Phoebe, he made her feel safe. He was very protective of her but also respected her wishes and ideas. He wanted nothing more than to make her happy and feel safe. Callum was a great guy, loyal, calm and intelligent. Phoebe was honest, strong, intelligent and caring. She was very protective of Ruby, but in the end she also realized that she had to let her sister make her own decisions. This was again a novella length story, it was both sweet and steamy. I was so happy that we got an epilogue again.

(For readers who are looking for a similar series, this series reminds me a bit of the ‘Risdaverse’ series by Ruby Dixon. Another alien series that I love very much.)
Profile Image for Tammy Moldovan.
1,974 reviews28 followers
January 4, 2024
Love and healing

I really enjoyed Callum and Pearl’s alien-human, forced proximity, snowed in, healing romance. Despite being short, the story was well written, the characters had dimension and the storyline was engaging with a good mix of sweet, steamy, and real life issues. Callum is an alien from the planet Harkatan. Two years ago, following the end of a long war, he and his six brothers in arms purchased a sprawling ranch and settled on the planet Cresca. Pearl is human widow who lives with her younger sister, Ruby, in the nearby town. Her deceased husband abused her. Some of Callum’s brothers misconstrue a human story to mean they should go to a dance and find/steal human brides who are enjoying themselves. Callum follows them to try to stop the bad plan. At the same time, Pearl realizes Ruby is missing and decides to see if she can follow the tracks. An avalanche and a blizzard trap them together in a large storage building near the ranch. Callum and Pearl had two previous encounters in the town and while they were attracted to each other, neither acted on it because of their painful past relationships. On the way to their HEA, I just loved the way Callum gently, lovingly, and beautifully helped Pearl come out of her trauma caused prison and begin to feel safe and loved and that she returned the favor. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the brothers’ love stories.
Profile Image for Carole.
2,007 reviews15 followers
September 21, 2022
The story of Callum and Pearl two wounded warriors at heart who have been shaped by events from their pasts and the spicy sweet and emotionally engaging story that unfolds is another treasure in this ongoing series of seven alien brothers in arms finding happiness on the planet Cresca with human females from the colony of Wainwright.
Callum finds Pearl in the winter’s snow after an avalanche has blocked the pass from the brother’s ranch to the town. Pearl had been seeking him for help in finding her sister Ruby (Her story was told in Benjar) who had been kidnapped from her bed at night after the town’s harvest dance and she suspected one of the alien brothers of the crime.
There has always been a spark of attraction between the two with dark past hurts holding each one back from exploring what could be. But fate has taken a hand in this scenario and produced another fantastic, extraordinarily satisfying read which as always is well written with its wonderfully crafted characters and super fabulous narrative.
I have fallen in love with this series and found Callum and Pearls story to be another WINNER!
Highly Recommended!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews

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