The Discovery Center

by Liz Hambleton

Love, ten years at a time.

In the City, relationships observe a unique set of rules. Its citizens are bound by contracts to marry only for a decade at a time. After ten years with her husband, Alaina is surprised when he doesn't choose to renew their contract, and she's suddenly thrust into the single life at The Discovery Center. The Center is full of excitement, but something sinister looms just beyond the borders of civilization.

She's immediately drawn to a handsome new stranger who feels oddly... familiar. But Killian's mysterious appearance is not by chance. He's been watching and waiting for the perfect moment to rekindle a decade-old romance - and this time, he'll make it last forever.

Alaina's faced with the decision between the comfort of what she has always known or the risk of losing it all trying to escape and find love for more than just ten years. Under the watchful eyes of the City, and those that believe in its cause, will they find their way to freedom?

Genres: Romance, Dystopia, Fiction

282 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2022

About the author

Liz Hambleton writes imperfectly beautiful romance. Her heroines are always strong-willed, and her heroes, resilient. Her characters live in alternate worlds and futuristic times, and putting yourself in their stories lets you escape reality while still feeling the power of true love.

If she’s not reading, she’s writing, and her deep adoration for the written word shines in everything she creates. Liz is married with two children, two large dogs, and a fish that refuses to die.

Connect with Liz on Social Media:

https://lizhambletonbooks.com/

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TikTok: @lizhambletonauthor

Instagram: @lizhambletonauthor

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into this book expecting it to be like Divergent or The Match but was a little let down. There were quite a few inconsistencies and random plot points that were mentioned once with no background, never to be brought up again. I also found both Alaina and Julie to be quite hard to like at times which I understand comes with layered characters but overall stopped me from connecting with them.
TW SA for this next part. I also had to put the book down several times and considered not finishing it as I struggled with some of the consent in this book. There is talk of forcing one character onto another even though it is later explained that it was wanted on both sides. There is also a scene where a male character removes the woman’s form of birth control without her understanding and explains it away with a few paragraphs about them wanting a family eventually. Withholding information about removing any form of BC, especially with the intention to impregnate someone, is not consent.

[Baylee Townsend · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fiiiine. The concept was fun, the story line was fun, I guess just for my taste the world building, characters, and relationships felt underdeveloped. I didn’t feel a real connection to anyone, and everything moved so quickly. But it was a fun, light read. Still debating if I’m going to read the second one or not

[Allison Diane Francis · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was just fine

Nothing crazy or explosive that captivated me like other books. The concept is super cool- giving divergent, hunger games vibe- but the flow is confusing. I was never sure how quickly or slowly time was passing which have the impression all of this happened over the course of 3 weeks. This flow issue then made character relationships confusing- spoiler below


Alaina and Charlie divorce, then she immediacy is attracted to Liam even though she is heart broken and goes on a date with him? Then Liam and Julie are suddenly in love? The pacing just messed with the other factors of the book. Spice is like a 1-2 peppers.



Def not a bad book by any means, just nothing groundbreaking. I enjoyed the overall story and concept of the coupling and city dome!

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good!

The Discovery Center by @lizhambletonauthor

If you love books like Divergent, The Giver and The Dome but Spicey, you will love this!

This book has me from the start. So many interesting concepts meshed into one intriguing story that kept you inthralled wondering how it was going to end! It has mystery, suspense and romance all in one!

Alaina finds herself at a loss when her husband decides he no longer wants to be her husband and she is having to pick up the pieces of a life she thought she would have forever. But forever is not a concept in this world. Partners come and go and everything is regulated and controlled by the City. So what happens when there are those who wish for more?

[Holly Monroe · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know what, I enjoyed this book. It had a very cool concept, a great story, and great pacing. I picked it up expecting like, a dark romance for some reason but instead I got a cool sci fi romance. This is definitely a book I could see made into a phenomenal tv show. I actually think visual media would be a better medium for this story.

Of course there are some typos and weird formatting issues. But like… it’s a self published ebook. Indie authors are out here working hard Yall!

[Serena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book, but not a great book. It’s definitely classic dystopian society vibes and I really enjoyed the premise. There were just a few things lacking, in my opinion, that made it a good book rather than a great book.

I liked the idea and everything about the story line I just wish there were more details and story building. We didn’t get much of a glimpse into how life in the city was, in my opinion. I thought the intimacy scenes were a little lack luster and I don’t love the Liam with both girls thing? I don’t understand that at all.

I also wish we would’ve gotten more insight and background on Alaina’s relationship with Killian because it almost feels random. Honestly this book probably would’ve been great if we got more backstory, if the story started earlier.

[Kristina McGee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the concept and found it to be a good read as someone who has enjoyed dystopian books, such as The Hunger Games and Divergent series but as adult fiction with a much more heavy sprinkle of romance and spice. I felt like this first book was a little rushed, and I wish we could have gotten more details about the world we were in. I will be reading the second book though, because I need to know how it ends.

[Adeline Blakesley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn’t bad but wasn’t good? Had potential

[Jessica Batis · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wasn’t the worst I’ve ever read. All in all I think there is a good story there, buts it’s very scattered. Like sometimes I would go back a paragraph or two to see if I’d missed something. I’m not super interested in reading the second one, but at the same time I’m not a quitter. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Ema · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really loved the ideas and concepts of this book but I was really disappointed in the character development. It was all very fast and something just didn't feel believable.

SPOILERS: The female main character started off super in love with Charlie and then we find out there is this huge back story with a past love. I feel like maybe if the author had told us of that history earlier in the book it might have been easier to swallow. Then they introduced Liam as her "safe" choice and I think it was just too much thrown at you without building and developing those relationships. BUT wait Liam is really into her best friend in a I hate you kind of way. I am sorry to say, I just feel like this book deserved wayyy more work put into it than it received. It had so much potential to be really cool but it fell flat to me.

[Ashley Reeves · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into this no knowing what to expect, I found it hard to follow, and very vage overall. I kept waiting for the tell all moment that explained everything, but it never came.

[Cassandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Updated from 1 star to 2 only because it is necessary to read before the sequel which is such a satisfying book it pulled the rating of this one up.

——————

The premise of this book is what drew me in, but for me it failed to deliver. I wasn’t aware that this was more spicy romance than dystopian so I found all of the sex scenes to be jarring as they were very fan service, didn’t flow with the story, and even detracted from it at times. None of the characters were developed enough for me to feel any real attachment to them or their outcomes. While the essence of the Center was fully revealed by the end, the plot holes made it hard to find believable. I will say I will skim read the second part to see if further information about the Center will answer the many question this first book left me with.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as it was released on Kindle Vella and could not wait for each new chapter to be released. As each chapter comes there is more action and suspense. You’ll find a little bit of steamy thrown in with all of it too. Such an exciting read.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3/5
Spice: 1/5
Spice/Plot Ratio: 10/90
Tropes: Dystopian society, second-chance romance
TWs: Murder, kidnapping (always check for more I may have missed)
Misc: Ends on a cliffhanger


I really wanted to love this book. The premise was very unique and piqued my interest immediately. I should have realized that with it originally being available on Kindle Novella, that I wouldn't be satisfied with the fleshing out of details. I wanted to know so much more about the Discovery Center, The City, The Rules, etc. The relationships between characters didn't have enough backstory for me to understand their dynamics. There was one or two spicy scenes but very little detail and heat. I plan to read the second book. I'm hoping for a more substantial plot but given the novella-esque size, I'm not too confident in that.

[Alisha Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted at https://bit.ly/3OLr7Oc.











Alaina's ten year mark with her husband is about to be reached. At the end of the term they must either both choose to remain in the relationship and begin the next term of their lives with the prospect of children or search out a new partner in The Discovery Center. When she is informed her husband decided against extending their relationship she was shocked and hurt, but with the attentions of her inductor at the center life begins to take an exciting turn. However, he isn't the only one interested as Killian has arrived with motives of his own. The choices she makes could have consequences she had never before even considered on her life and others.

I found a snippet of this book somewhere or other talking about how you got your partner for ten years and then you changed or remained. I was intrigued and as soon as I started this book I loved it. It is post-apocalyptic in a way. The world is controlled in every aspect, down to the weather, of anyone within the dome. Their entire worlds exist within the dome and everything is regimented. The world within the bounds works tirelessly to hide that their society is on a downward spiral with less and less women being born every year. Meanwhile, the world outside the dome is wild, untamed, and flourishing. Just so long as they are never found by the authorities.

The book is well-written and exciting. I loved her slowly carving out a place in the world while the story built in another way as well. Every choice was her own as we discovered her future and her past. Killian was immediately my favored choice, although there is always something about the morally grey choices in men. This is absolutely a book that I have added the next book in the series to my TBR, but who knows when I will be reading it considering BookTok is terrible for me ever completing said list.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 50%

I started this one based on a reel by the author about how all the characters she writes are 30+ and have life experience. Yay! Love that! Instant TBR addition.

But this MC might as well be 16. She’s a personality-free idiot. She’s the Live-Laugh-Love of characters (she literally bought a freaking inspirational quote art piece ffs). Life experience? We don’t know her.

And it’s not like we get character development in the form of paradigm shifts because she’s literally lived her whole life in a bubble. No, deep down, this beautiful moron knew all along that things were this way. Tension eliminated. So, naturally, her bff then has to go have implied grape with her bf to rebuild the tension. Classy! But don’t worry; she was into it after all.

Anyway, our MC may be (gasp!) old, but I’ve read plenty of books with U18 characters who were far more capable than this absolutely milquetoast broad.

And beyond that, she was completely inert until swept up in a badly-executed plot that doesn’t make a ton of sense. I assume somewhere around the 75% mark, it will be revealed she’s some kind of chosen one, but I respect myself too much to force myself into seeing how this one ends.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was more than just “fine”. And don’t come for me accusing me of not being well read. Not everything has to be an epic novel. I like a quick read and didn’t go into this book thinking it was the next great piece of literary fiction. I love the characters and got attached to them quickly. The concept and world is pretty straight forward. Every time I was like, “but why is it like that..” it was either eventually answered or made aware that the point was to keep you hanging. I immediately started the next book after finishing this one and am already 75% done. I love every page of it. The spice is delicious. It’s straightforward. The women are amazing, considering most of their roles. I like the fighting. You have any kind of man you could want. I think it’s definitely better than “fine” and will recommend it to anyone who wants an entertaining, quick read.

[C Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly this book was fine… it’s wasn’t bad but it wasn’t good.

It was an easy read, and the concept was really cool and promising but the story was underdeveloped and I wasn’t able to connect with the main characters. Their storylines felt rushed and fell flat.

I didn’t much care for Alaina and her POV but I liked Julie!! Her storyline made sense and her anger and facade and character development was in line with her experiences. I would be inclined to read book two solely based on her character however I don’t understand how she can go back without being killed and manage to be believable.

I may read book two I may not, we’ll see.

This concept would make a good movie or series though!

[Heather Goulart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had good expectations for this book as I love dystopian worlds and it sounded like an interesting idea but overall lacked in many ways. Not once could i picture the characters I was reading about since no descriptive scenes were ever given, all was stated was a few of the characters hair color or eye color. The pacing of the book was very fast with no setup for most of it but also felt like nothing at all happened at this fast pace? Very confusing, would give it a 2.5 if I could, overall I really like the idea of it but it was poorly executed. Still interested enough to finish the series but not any time soon.

[Liz Earl · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concept in this book has a lot of promise. But there's not enough build up to justify some of the actions of the characters and the plot. The pacing is off, so it's kinda hard to grasp what's going on. We don't get to really know our characters at all. Their relationships kind of seem to come out of nowhere. And Alaina, the FMC, is pretty passive in the book. She just exists and does whatever the people around her tell her to do.

With more in the book, I think this idea could have been really interesting. I also feel like this entire first book is just setting up the second book. Which I haven't started reading, but that's the feel of the book so far.

[Gabriela · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

It flowed well up until 50% in. I just feel like something was missing but can't quite put my finger on it. Like why did Charlie leave her and then come back at the end?? Some important details I think should have been included but too much time was spent on the stupid character of Liam. And I don't get why they were trying to keep her from Killian when she was younger? Like I know why they said they did but I didn't feel it, you know? No real angst. Love the concept though but missed the mark a bit.

[Aya Blackwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the 2nd. I feel like some of the characters and situations could have been developed a little bit more. There are a few things I would have liked to know more about. Two things bothered me a lot. I hope the 2nd book explains Jupiter is ok and the fact that in the kindle edition the pov isn't named at the beginning of the chapter. It was easy to figure it out after a paragraph or two but it was something that took me out of the flow of the story.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool setting

The setting and world is very cool and feels like the giver, and the Uglies series and maybe a few other systopian series combined. The plot itself is very intriguing and quick paced. I think the weak point of this one is the romance itself. It's basically insta love with some off screen romance but since it's off screen to the reader it jsut feels.. instant love and not terribly realistic.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so good I couldn’t stop thinking about it and read it fast! At the beginning when it switched to Julie I didn’t know who it was, then later on it clicked. I never could get why everyone thought Alaina was “special” besides her past relationship. Maybe the next book will explain that better. Killian’s love was perfect. I really felt Liam liked Alaina more than what it talked about. It didn’t explain his past a lot. So I couldn’t picture how him and Julie fit together.

[Bre Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must read!

The storyline of this book was really interesting.
It’s one of those books that you want to miss out on sleep just to keep reading.
In the beginning, there were some things that were written a little confusing. Once the story continued it was easy to put the pieces together though.
I wish this book had some chapters in Killians pov.
I do recommend it! Can’t wait to start the second book.

[Shelly Dobrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book when it was released on the Kindle Vella platform. WOWZA! I couldn't wait for each new chapter. If you love a little bit of suspense and a little bit of spice, this is for you. You are rooting for these characters and are left wanting more! Block out time, you'll want to read the whole thing in one swoop!

[Ashley Abboud · Rating 3 out of 5]

the premise was good

The premise was good. I loved the dystopian scene the author set up. I was totally intrigued but also confused. The characters lacked development and were pretty one dimensional. The FMC was as boring as toast. I couldn’t cheer for any love interest it was all so forced and rushed. Good idea, poor execution.

[Carly Jeffords · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. i was interested the whole time and the amount my jaw dropped was amazing. so many plot twisted and the plot was really good very original and i’ve never scene anything like it. the romance is very good along with a little smut sprinkled in it was a very good read. 5 stars is hard though for me to give sorry.

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marriage is only for 10 years then you're free to stay together or separate and find new partners.
The ratio of women to men is approximately 1 woman to five men.
Your relationship status is dictated by a bracelet on your wrist.
A man from your past suddenly comes back & your life is utter chaos.

Sound intriguing? Give this a try!

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a dystopian- lite Romance. Alaina is married to Charlie and in this society marriages last 10 years unless both partners want to renew for another 10. Alaina has an unrequited love and Charlie just wants to sow his wild oats. The book is a bit predictable but not terrible and it did not make me want to read the next one.