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The Pleasure Program #1
Catastrophe: The Pleasure Program
My rent was raised, my boss fired me, and I live on this cesspool called Earth. Yay, me.
If you would've told me years ago that humans would be living among aliens, I would've laughed, slapped a CRAZY sticker on your forehead, and shipped you off to an insane asylum.
Now, in order to survive, we must keep our heads down to not draw any attention to ourselves. Just because we now kiss the ass of red-skinned aliens called The Grinphs and live with aliens, doesn't mean things are for the better.
So what do I do in order to survive?
Join a sleazy place called The Pleasure House .
When my first client is a hulking lion with soft white fur, a wicked smile, and an intense burning gaze, I start to feel things. Naughty things. Indescribable things.
Things that terrify the living hell out of me.
-----------------------------------------
CATASTROPHE is the first book in THE PLEASURE PROGRAM. You do not have to read any of these books in order, but the story will be more pleasurable if you do! It's highly preferred to read them in order.
-----------------------------------------
Warning! This book's triggers
A hell of a lot of smut
Sex Workers
Monster Peens
Dark/Abusive Scenes
Kidnapping
Foul Language
Size Difference
Belly Bulging
Scenes of violence
Depictions of Traumatic injury
Fast Paced Romance
If you find other triggers you don't like in this book and want them to be addressed, feel free to reach out to me so I can add them.
-----------------------------------
Thank You and Welcome to The Pleasure House!
If you would've told me years ago that humans would be living among aliens, I would've laughed, slapped a CRAZY sticker on your forehead, and shipped you off to an insane asylum.
Now, in order to survive, we must keep our heads down to not draw any attention to ourselves. Just because we now kiss the ass of red-skinned aliens called The Grinphs and live with aliens, doesn't mean things are for the better.
So what do I do in order to survive?
Join a sleazy place called The Pleasure House .
When my first client is a hulking lion with soft white fur, a wicked smile, and an intense burning gaze, I start to feel things. Naughty things. Indescribable things.
Things that terrify the living hell out of me.
-----------------------------------------
CATASTROPHE is the first book in THE PLEASURE PROGRAM. You do not have to read any of these books in order, but the story will be more pleasurable if you do! It's highly preferred to read them in order.
-----------------------------------------
Warning! This book's triggers
A hell of a lot of smut
Sex Workers
Monster Peens
Dark/Abusive Scenes
Kidnapping
Foul Language
Size Difference
Belly Bulging
Scenes of violence
Depictions of Traumatic injury
Fast Paced Romance
If you find other triggers you don't like in this book and want them to be addressed, feel free to reach out to me so I can add them.
-----------------------------------
Thank You and Welcome to The Pleasure House!
204 pages, Paperback
Published August 20, 2022
28 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Blincoe
25 books87 followersMelissa Blincoe is a Sci-Fi writer who loves to escape to other worlds. Whether it's in her head or in a book. If she's not doing that, you can find her reading, watching Jurassic Park movies, writing her books, or spending time with her family.
If you like the worlds she creates, feel
free to leave a review. It is appreciated!
If you like the worlds she creates, feel
free to leave a review. It is appreciated!
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
December 27, 2022
TLDR;
The good: the story has promise
The bad: the execution wasn’t there
The ugly: the lack of editing is making me question if the right copy has been uploaded
The author also apparently has a history of screenshotting negative reviews to post them on her socials, as well as reporting them. If you're out there reporting critical reviews just because you don't like what they're saying, maybe you should stay out of the review section. Just food for thought.
Before this review, a disclaimer: I saw this book being promoted on social media and wanted to read it despite not having enjoyed a previous book of this author’s (for multiple reasons) as I had hoped to give her work another shot. To also not be swayed by existing reviews left by other readers, as well as the author herself (who has a tendency to invade the comment section of negative reviews), I’ve also chosen not to look at any other feedback until after my review is written.
First of all, I’m disappointed that there have been no improvements as far as spelling, grammar, random switching of tenses, and dialogue tags go from the other book I read to this one. As I’ve said in my review of that previous book, I’m not usually picky when it comes to typos here and there, but these issues are still RAMPANT in this book. Instead of ellipsis (“…”), a random number of periods is used each time, and it’s also a hit or miss whether the possessive form is used properly.
Similar to the author’s previous book I read, dialogue tags are either omitted entirely (which makes it really hard to understand who’s talking during some chunks of text), or are used almost always incorrectly. This is especially a big letdown to me as in a review for that previous book, I left an actual list of examples of incorrect dialogue tags and how to correct them (and I know the author saw the list as she was in the comments of that review…). The random changing of tenses, which I also pointed out in my prior review, also doesn’t seem to have improved. To me, this shows laziness on the author’s part, as well as an unwillingness to learn and grow.
Aside from dialogue tags, the presence of these numerous errors makes this seem less like a published copy and more like a draft that hasn’t been through edits yet — again, I understand everybody is human and there are bound to be some errors regardless of how many eyeballs have been on a manuscript, but to essentially treat paying readers as editors to correct this sheer volume of mistakes leaves a bad taste in my mouth. This was exactly what happened in the previous book I read by this author, and despite the author saying she’s continuing to correct “grammical” errors (which isn’t even a word in the first place), it doesn’t feel right that she seems to be banking on her readers to catch them for her after publishing. As a reader, this was a poor experience as I kept being distracted by all of the errors and it was very hard to understand who was talking at points because of the neglect to use proper dialogue tags. This is also an extremely confusing message to me — is the expectation for me to now go back and read the “corrected” version after I’ve already paid to read the flawed one?
Getting to the story itself: it was a pretty quick read, but I think I would’ve breezed through it even faster if the aforementioned errors hadn’t tripped me up. It seemed like a standard, run-of-the-mill “girl is in a tough spot and an alien helps her out” kind of situation, but parts of it were confusing, parts of it dragged, and yet somehow, parts of it felt rushed. I’m not sure if I fully believed the chemistry between Charlotte and Zhrui, especially since so much of it came from deceit. Additionally, I found the depiction of sex work in this a bit problematic — Charlotte has an extremely negative view of it, which can be understandable as an individual, but it felt like the overall commentary on the industry as a whole in this work was very condescending. I’m not sure if the author intended to portray it this way, but there were no warnings of it in the “Triggers” list included at the beginning of the book. While this might be a fantasy, I believe authors should put in their due diligence to at least include a disclaimer or something at the beginning as sex work is already very stigmatized, and this could be perceived as harmful.
All-in-all, I really did intend to go into this with an open mind, but the only word I can use to sum up my experience is: disappointment. I’m sad to say that this author’s works really aren’t for me, and I just hope she can take constructive feedback and use it to improve her writing rather than inserting herself in the comments of those more critical reviews, which I’m sure I will see after posting this one.
Oh, and for the record — at the time of posting this review, the author spelled the title of the book itself incorrectly on this Goodreads listing (“Catastophe”). So there’s that.
The good: the story has promise
The bad: the execution wasn’t there
The ugly: the lack of editing is making me question if the right copy has been uploaded
The author also apparently has a history of screenshotting negative reviews to post them on her socials, as well as reporting them. If you're out there reporting critical reviews just because you don't like what they're saying, maybe you should stay out of the review section. Just food for thought.
Before this review, a disclaimer: I saw this book being promoted on social media and wanted to read it despite not having enjoyed a previous book of this author’s (for multiple reasons) as I had hoped to give her work another shot. To also not be swayed by existing reviews left by other readers, as well as the author herself (who has a tendency to invade the comment section of negative reviews), I’ve also chosen not to look at any other feedback until after my review is written.
First of all, I’m disappointed that there have been no improvements as far as spelling, grammar, random switching of tenses, and dialogue tags go from the other book I read to this one. As I’ve said in my review of that previous book, I’m not usually picky when it comes to typos here and there, but these issues are still RAMPANT in this book. Instead of ellipsis (“…”), a random number of periods is used each time, and it’s also a hit or miss whether the possessive form is used properly.
Similar to the author’s previous book I read, dialogue tags are either omitted entirely (which makes it really hard to understand who’s talking during some chunks of text), or are used almost always incorrectly. This is especially a big letdown to me as in a review for that previous book, I left an actual list of examples of incorrect dialogue tags and how to correct them (and I know the author saw the list as she was in the comments of that review…). The random changing of tenses, which I also pointed out in my prior review, also doesn’t seem to have improved. To me, this shows laziness on the author’s part, as well as an unwillingness to learn and grow.
Aside from dialogue tags, the presence of these numerous errors makes this seem less like a published copy and more like a draft that hasn’t been through edits yet — again, I understand everybody is human and there are bound to be some errors regardless of how many eyeballs have been on a manuscript, but to essentially treat paying readers as editors to correct this sheer volume of mistakes leaves a bad taste in my mouth. This was exactly what happened in the previous book I read by this author, and despite the author saying she’s continuing to correct “grammical” errors (which isn’t even a word in the first place), it doesn’t feel right that she seems to be banking on her readers to catch them for her after publishing. As a reader, this was a poor experience as I kept being distracted by all of the errors and it was very hard to understand who was talking at points because of the neglect to use proper dialogue tags. This is also an extremely confusing message to me — is the expectation for me to now go back and read the “corrected” version after I’ve already paid to read the flawed one?
Getting to the story itself: it was a pretty quick read, but I think I would’ve breezed through it even faster if the aforementioned errors hadn’t tripped me up. It seemed like a standard, run-of-the-mill “girl is in a tough spot and an alien helps her out” kind of situation, but parts of it were confusing, parts of it dragged, and yet somehow, parts of it felt rushed. I’m not sure if I fully believed the chemistry between Charlotte and Zhrui, especially since so much of it came from deceit. Additionally, I found the depiction of sex work in this a bit problematic — Charlotte has an extremely negative view of it, which can be understandable as an individual, but it felt like the overall commentary on the industry as a whole in this work was very condescending. I’m not sure if the author intended to portray it this way, but there were no warnings of it in the “Triggers” list included at the beginning of the book. While this might be a fantasy, I believe authors should put in their due diligence to at least include a disclaimer or something at the beginning as sex work is already very stigmatized, and this could be perceived as harmful.
All-in-all, I really did intend to go into this with an open mind, but the only word I can use to sum up my experience is: disappointment. I’m sad to say that this author’s works really aren’t for me, and I just hope she can take constructive feedback and use it to improve her writing rather than inserting herself in the comments of those more critical reviews, which I’m sure I will see after posting this one.
Oh, and for the record — at the time of posting this review, the author spelled the title of the book itself incorrectly on this Goodreads listing (“Catastophe”). So there’s that.
July 9, 2022
Ok a few things before I start. This is the first book by this author that I have read. This was an ARC and as such this is an honest review. I adore reading ARCs because it lets you read books before other people not for any other reason.
The premiss of this story is good. Woman down on her luck joins a swanky brothel to pay the bills. Meets her fated monster mate and the wooing commences. Totally my bag when it comes to books.
So the world building. It’s sketchy. You get a backstory as to why Earth is this way but it isn’t fleshed out and the lines used are repeated a lot. Sometimes in places that don’t add anything to the story. Also totally confused are these aliens we are dealing with or monsters? Are they monstrous aliens? Or alien monsters? I’m still not sure. All sorts of creatures are thrown in but I don’t know where they come from and why they are there.
The main character is 2D. She is painted as feisty and plucky but there is no depth. She doesn’t want to be a sex worker. It’s built up as a big deal that she is having to do this and she hates it but we don’t get to see her dealing with those feelings. One minute she’s gritting her teeth and lamenting having to sign her name to join up and get the cash and the next minute she’s turning tricks like a pro without a second thought. Where was the angst? The emotional element? Hell where were the sexy times even? She also hints at previous abuse but again this is very 2D there is no depth of how this affected her in her job choice and very little in her relationship with her mate. It’s brushed aside very quickly with a “you’ll tell me when your ready”.
The main male in the story is mercurial. One minute he is a swaggering cad calling her doll and chit and the next he is a prince and a captain. I know we all want our males to be everything but it was giving me whiplash as he went from one aspect to another. Again his characters back story is confused and muddled. He’s searching for long lost members of his world while also avoiding his position as Prince while catching space pirates. He’s a very busy kitty.
I felt this story was trying to be too many things to too many people. There were hints of dark undertones and dodgy dealings in the brothel which went nowhere. Maybe they will be picked up in the next book but honestly it felt like they were just forgotten about. Then she gets kidnapped and finds the lost people of her mate. She starts a feminist rebellion in a couple of days with no thought for the people she was interacting with. It was very human way is the best way let me show you. She gets hurt intimately by jumping on an animals back and lets a random person rub healing salve on her. I know she had amnesia at that stage but it just felt gratuitous. It really didn’t add anything to the plot.
There was also a bdsm element. This felt token and the way it was done made me uncomfortable. Not because I am against bdsm at all but it didn’t feel respectful to the community.
Finally the last few chapters felt like a last minute tack on. I don’t know what was trying to be achieved with this but it didn’t add anything imo.
There were some grammatical errors and syntax changes. These are still being picked up by beta readers and an arc squad. It threw me at times but didn’t detract from the story.
The premiss of this story is good. Woman down on her luck joins a swanky brothel to pay the bills. Meets her fated monster mate and the wooing commences. Totally my bag when it comes to books.
So the world building. It’s sketchy. You get a backstory as to why Earth is this way but it isn’t fleshed out and the lines used are repeated a lot. Sometimes in places that don’t add anything to the story. Also totally confused are these aliens we are dealing with or monsters? Are they monstrous aliens? Or alien monsters? I’m still not sure. All sorts of creatures are thrown in but I don’t know where they come from and why they are there.
The main character is 2D. She is painted as feisty and plucky but there is no depth. She doesn’t want to be a sex worker. It’s built up as a big deal that she is having to do this and she hates it but we don’t get to see her dealing with those feelings. One minute she’s gritting her teeth and lamenting having to sign her name to join up and get the cash and the next minute she’s turning tricks like a pro without a second thought. Where was the angst? The emotional element? Hell where were the sexy times even? She also hints at previous abuse but again this is very 2D there is no depth of how this affected her in her job choice and very little in her relationship with her mate. It’s brushed aside very quickly with a “you’ll tell me when your ready”.
The main male in the story is mercurial. One minute he is a swaggering cad calling her doll and chit and the next he is a prince and a captain. I know we all want our males to be everything but it was giving me whiplash as he went from one aspect to another. Again his characters back story is confused and muddled. He’s searching for long lost members of his world while also avoiding his position as Prince while catching space pirates. He’s a very busy kitty.
I felt this story was trying to be too many things to too many people. There were hints of dark undertones and dodgy dealings in the brothel which went nowhere. Maybe they will be picked up in the next book but honestly it felt like they were just forgotten about. Then she gets kidnapped and finds the lost people of her mate. She starts a feminist rebellion in a couple of days with no thought for the people she was interacting with. It was very human way is the best way let me show you. She gets hurt intimately by jumping on an animals back and lets a random person rub healing salve on her. I know she had amnesia at that stage but it just felt gratuitous. It really didn’t add anything to the plot.
There was also a bdsm element. This felt token and the way it was done made me uncomfortable. Not because I am against bdsm at all but it didn’t feel respectful to the community.
Finally the last few chapters felt like a last minute tack on. I don’t know what was trying to be achieved with this but it didn’t add anything imo.
There were some grammatical errors and syntax changes. These are still being picked up by beta readers and an arc squad. It threw me at times but didn’t detract from the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2022
I got my first arc and I was so excited to read it. Aliens and humans? Fated mates? Sign me up. The smut was absolutely hot AF 🔥🌶 And Charlotte being a dominatrix and Zhrui submissive? 🥵🥵🥵 Though the drool scene was a bit weird. The plot was intriguing and I can't wait for the next book especially after that cliffhanger and Charlotte wanting to tell Zhuri something 😉🤭🥰
July 17, 2022
♥An honest ARC review♥
This was my first time reading anything by Melissa, and I found the story cute! ^_^
Zhrui is my favorite, and he's such a good kitty! ♥
People reading this: Really that's it?
Me: NO! Hang on!
Without spoiling things TOO much, here are some more thoughts!
***
****
***
****
***
****
***
****
***
There were grammatical errors and shifts in past/present voice in the story, but it didn't deter me from reading!
(I'm also not a hard-to-please reader, and I mean that respectfully, of course!)
I read it and enjoyed it!
It kept me engaged in futuristic earth; I'll be honest, it was my first alien romance!
(Totally not complaining about that either!)
The main character is moody in the sense of "wow, I don't want to work today but I have to pay these bills and do what I need to do-this sucks and it's expensive to live."
I can see that there is alien racism due to the nature of the planet being invaded and taken over, so some of the opinions in there give some realism to the futuristic societies of earth.
(I don't support racism, so don't be misled, I'm just saying that I can see it as a problem in the story background that the humans deal with.)
I know that with sex work the main character comes off judgy, and the FMC, Charlotte, complains about it the whole time, and there's already a stigma on sex work, to begin with.
But keeping in mind, that it is fiction, I can distinguish in my mind that just because Charlotte is weird about what she has to do to survive, it doesn't necessarily reflect that the author is also biased.
Anyway, enough of Charlotte and her shenanigans, let's talk about MY FAVORITE CHARACTER: Zhrui!
Like, MA'AM! *fans herself*
I absolutely lOVE how he is portrayed as this sexual lion-humanoid big mush and his interactions with Charlotte are totes adorbs.
And when someone else comes onto him, which THEY DO, he's like "gross, go away. I got my baby right here." <- (not a direct quote!)
Can't forget the monster dongs either ;)
hehe!
Thank you for letting me read Melissa, as an ARC reader! *big hugs and high fives*
(sorry that my review is all over the place!)
I'm definitely interested in seeing what happens next!
♥
This was my first time reading anything by Melissa, and I found the story cute! ^_^
Zhrui is my favorite, and he's such a good kitty! ♥
People reading this: Really that's it?
Me: NO! Hang on!
Without spoiling things TOO much, here are some more thoughts!
***
****
***
****
***
****
***
****
***
There were grammatical errors and shifts in past/present voice in the story, but it didn't deter me from reading!
(I'm also not a hard-to-please reader, and I mean that respectfully, of course!)
I read it and enjoyed it!
It kept me engaged in futuristic earth; I'll be honest, it was my first alien romance!
(Totally not complaining about that either!)
The main character is moody in the sense of "wow, I don't want to work today but I have to pay these bills and do what I need to do-this sucks and it's expensive to live."
I can see that there is alien racism due to the nature of the planet being invaded and taken over, so some of the opinions in there give some realism to the futuristic societies of earth.
(I don't support racism, so don't be misled, I'm just saying that I can see it as a problem in the story background that the humans deal with.)
I know that with sex work the main character comes off judgy, and the FMC, Charlotte, complains about it the whole time, and there's already a stigma on sex work, to begin with.
But keeping in mind, that it is fiction, I can distinguish in my mind that just because Charlotte is weird about what she has to do to survive, it doesn't necessarily reflect that the author is also biased.
Anyway, enough of Charlotte and her shenanigans, let's talk about MY FAVORITE CHARACTER: Zhrui!
Like, MA'AM! *fans herself*
I absolutely lOVE how he is portrayed as this sexual lion-humanoid big mush and his interactions with Charlotte are totes adorbs.
And when someone else comes onto him, which THEY DO, he's like "gross, go away. I got my baby right here." <- (not a direct quote!)
Can't forget the monster dongs either ;)
hehe!
Thank you for letting me read Melissa, as an ARC reader! *big hugs and high fives*
(sorry that my review is all over the place!)
I'm definitely interested in seeing what happens next!
♥
July 18, 2022
This book explores the uncomfortable parts of female sexuality. Often we are told that we ought be the submissive partner, and if we stray from that, we aren’t respectable as women.
Charlotte has to take on a role as an escort to make ends meet, but finds herself hopelessly attracted to one of her clients, a white male lion. This man gives Charlotte the room to regain that control through bedroom play and respecting her boundaries (well mostly).
If you are looking for something a step away from typical romance while wanting to retain that entertainment value, this is the best way to go. I don’t often read, and it’s even less often when I consume 220+ pages of content in the span of five hours.
Romance: 10/10
Spice: 10/10
Rereadability: 10/10
Charlotte has to take on a role as an escort to make ends meet, but finds herself hopelessly attracted to one of her clients, a white male lion. This man gives Charlotte the room to regain that control through bedroom play and respecting her boundaries (well mostly).
If you are looking for something a step away from typical romance while wanting to retain that entertainment value, this is the best way to go. I don’t often read, and it’s even less often when I consume 220+ pages of content in the span of five hours.
Romance: 10/10
Spice: 10/10
Rereadability: 10/10
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2022
As a scifi fan, I was delighted by all the world building behind the Earth that Charlotte lives on. The plot is really good, yes there's plot. I was anticipating less plot but I'm glad that it's what drove the story.
I read this in about three hours and I'd do it again. Personally I wouldn't hesitate to fly off into space with a lion looking alien claiming to be my mate, but I'm glad Charlotte accepted the journey in the end.
The spice is exquisite 👌 however I don't read the spice genre much so idk where the spice in this story falls on the spice scale.
The "in public" stuff was my favorite.
I read this in about three hours and I'd do it again. Personally I wouldn't hesitate to fly off into space with a lion looking alien claiming to be my mate, but I'm glad Charlotte accepted the journey in the end.
The spice is exquisite 👌 however I don't read the spice genre much so idk where the spice in this story falls on the spice scale.
The "in public" stuff was my favorite.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2022
I'm officially obsessed with ANYTHING Melissa writes lol
The way she portrayed the industry in the book is heart felt and doesn't cross any unwanted boundaries, and her MC Charlotte is amazing as a dominatrix LOL. I love the story line and how the characters grow with each other.
Overall, well done and I'm totally looking forward to book 2 <3
The way she portrayed the industry in the book is heart felt and doesn't cross any unwanted boundaries, and her MC Charlotte is amazing as a dominatrix LOL. I love the story line and how the characters grow with each other.
Overall, well done and I'm totally looking forward to book 2 <3
July 5, 2022
So good!!! I loved Charlotte and zhrui!! I want more!!!
November 10, 2023
- BDSM, semi-light, including a gag
- Woman in charge
- Belly bulging, and bucket-loads of fluid
- Size difference
- Sex workers and not so great opinions on it
- Cliffhanger
- Interconnected with other books in the series
- Monsters in every shapes aka aliens
Charlotte's rent has been raised, she lost her job trying to ask for more pay, and she really really doesn't want to sink so low as to apply to the brothel she sees plastered on billboards. But if she wants to eat and have a roof over her head she has to, because in seedy futuristic Earth after aliens invade, jobs for humans are sort of hard to come by. After signing a contract with a fake name, Zhrui is her first client and he apparently paid a lot to make it so. What he wasn't expecting was for this small human to be his fated mate.
The concept that the "monsters" of our myths and such are really just aliens from other worlds in this universe. Which is something I haven't read a lot of but always enjoy; ties in the fact that our "magic" is just glimpses of other planets. It's different, interesting, always happy to see that pop up in books.
Charlotte's views of sex workers is ick at best and doesn't align with my own, but it's a view a lot of people have on them. Intentional or not, it touches on how far we have to come still to view such things as not disgusting and the workers themselves as not less-than. It is the oldest profession on earth as they say, and while it's not something everyone would do...sex sells. Look around in everyday media, even in stuff meant for younger viewers. Normalizing sex work is a step to protecting the people who have no choice. Making it safer in so many ways. For Charlotte, it is a roof over head head and food in her belly, but it also turns into a sign of empowerment for humans, especially women. So kudos to that one.
Zhrui is a doll; as he likes to call Charlotte. He is a huge, alpha-type guy, aggressive, possessive and demanding. But for this tiny girl who looked at him in fear one time, he lets it all go. He gives her complete control, bending to her whims and commands so she feels safe, so she has that control for the first time in her life. I love him for that because as someone who has had that power taken away, it can be a very powerful thing. They both discover something about themselves they didn't know before. Doll turns into Mistress.
Technically it is a standalone within a series and the author says you can read one without the other. Writing this review after reading both out in the series I would agree. However, it would be so much better to read them all in order. The books tie in together in an interesting webby sort of way. We meet Tracy, the female POV of the next one, in this book, as well as the Orc twins which has been teased as book three. There is mention of Anubis, which is the male POV of the next book. It's fun and interesting to see the characters intermingling.
- Woman in charge
- Belly bulging, and bucket-loads of fluid
- Size difference
- Sex workers and not so great opinions on it
- Cliffhanger
- Interconnected with other books in the series
- Monsters in every shapes aka aliens
Charlotte's rent has been raised, she lost her job trying to ask for more pay, and she really really doesn't want to sink so low as to apply to the brothel she sees plastered on billboards. But if she wants to eat and have a roof over her head she has to, because in seedy futuristic Earth after aliens invade, jobs for humans are sort of hard to come by. After signing a contract with a fake name, Zhrui is her first client and he apparently paid a lot to make it so. What he wasn't expecting was for this small human to be his fated mate.
The concept that the "monsters" of our myths and such are really just aliens from other worlds in this universe. Which is something I haven't read a lot of but always enjoy; ties in the fact that our "magic" is just glimpses of other planets. It's different, interesting, always happy to see that pop up in books.
Charlotte's views of sex workers is ick at best and doesn't align with my own, but it's a view a lot of people have on them. Intentional or not, it touches on how far we have to come still to view such things as not disgusting and the workers themselves as not less-than. It is the oldest profession on earth as they say, and while it's not something everyone would do...sex sells. Look around in everyday media, even in stuff meant for younger viewers. Normalizing sex work is a step to protecting the people who have no choice. Making it safer in so many ways. For Charlotte, it is a roof over head head and food in her belly, but it also turns into a sign of empowerment for humans, especially women. So kudos to that one.
Zhrui is a doll; as he likes to call Charlotte. He is a huge, alpha-type guy, aggressive, possessive and demanding. But for this tiny girl who looked at him in fear one time, he lets it all go. He gives her complete control, bending to her whims and commands so she feels safe, so she has that control for the first time in her life. I love him for that because as someone who has had that power taken away, it can be a very powerful thing. They both discover something about themselves they didn't know before. Doll turns into Mistress.
Technically it is a standalone within a series and the author says you can read one without the other. Writing this review after reading both out in the series I would agree. However, it would be so much better to read them all in order. The books tie in together in an interesting webby sort of way. We meet Tracy, the female POV of the next one, in this book, as well as the Orc twins which has been teased as book three. There is mention of Anubis, which is the male POV of the next book. It's fun and interesting to see the characters intermingling.
July 18, 2022
🦁 “The air I breathe, the blood running through my veins, my very existence belongs to you.”
~~~
Charlotte’s life hasn’t been easy but I liked that, despite everything thrown her way, she doesn’t back down and is always standing up for herself. Even more, I loved her feistiness. And now, to pay the bills, she’s forced to apply for a job in the very place she’d sworn to never go near - the Pleasure House. Little did she know how this decision and her first client would change her life.
All Zhrui wants is to captain his ship and travel the Universe. But he has so many responsibilities being the heir to the throne. I really liked him - he’s intense, possessive and fiercely protective. Even more, he might appear scary, but he’s such a sweet cinnamon roll. Zhrui is one incredible lion man and I liked him very much.
The development of Zhrui and Charlotte’s relationship was great! From the moment they met, Zhrui was insanely attracted to her, but, with her past, Charlotte was unwilling to accept him. Nevertheless, they were such a fantastic match and the passionate moments they shared were very hot. I loved their chemistry. But what I loved most was that Zhrui, being such an alpha male, was willing to give up control and be at Charlotte’s mercy so that she could feel protected and cherished and never feel helpless again.
In addition the worldbuilding and storyline were quite interesting. The Earth is not an easy place to live with all the aliens and monsters living among humans. Even more, the Pleasure House is not what it seems and I hope we get to unravel its secrets in the future.
Overall, the story is a great start of the series and I really enjoyed it! And with all the discoveries and revelations, I’m curious to see what will happen next!
~~~
Charlotte’s life hasn’t been easy but I liked that, despite everything thrown her way, she doesn’t back down and is always standing up for herself. Even more, I loved her feistiness. And now, to pay the bills, she’s forced to apply for a job in the very place she’d sworn to never go near - the Pleasure House. Little did she know how this decision and her first client would change her life.
All Zhrui wants is to captain his ship and travel the Universe. But he has so many responsibilities being the heir to the throne. I really liked him - he’s intense, possessive and fiercely protective. Even more, he might appear scary, but he’s such a sweet cinnamon roll. Zhrui is one incredible lion man and I liked him very much.
The development of Zhrui and Charlotte’s relationship was great! From the moment they met, Zhrui was insanely attracted to her, but, with her past, Charlotte was unwilling to accept him. Nevertheless, they were such a fantastic match and the passionate moments they shared were very hot. I loved their chemistry. But what I loved most was that Zhrui, being such an alpha male, was willing to give up control and be at Charlotte’s mercy so that she could feel protected and cherished and never feel helpless again.
In addition the worldbuilding and storyline were quite interesting. The Earth is not an easy place to live with all the aliens and monsters living among humans. Even more, the Pleasure House is not what it seems and I hope we get to unravel its secrets in the future.
Overall, the story is a great start of the series and I really enjoyed it! And with all the discoveries and revelations, I’m curious to see what will happen next!
October 20, 2022
This book is honestly just the title... A catastrophe.
I love similar books and I love the genre, but this is simply unreadable. Grammar errors, always change in the tenses (which drove me insane) and ridiculous scenes.
Nothing made sense, there was no character depth, the heroine was insufferable, and I wanted to strangle her. She was bipolar and didn't know what she wanted.
And let's not start on the plot!
If the author ever edits it, I would gladly give it a second chance, but until then, this will be a DNF!
I love similar books and I love the genre, but this is simply unreadable. Grammar errors, always change in the tenses (which drove me insane) and ridiculous scenes.
Nothing made sense, there was no character depth, the heroine was insufferable, and I wanted to strangle her. She was bipolar and didn't know what she wanted.
And let's not start on the plot!
If the author ever edits it, I would gladly give it a second chance, but until then, this will be a DNF!
July 20, 2022
When I saw the cover of this book I jumped and added it to my TBR because there's not enough male submissive books in the paranormal/alien romance genre, in my opinion. Or maybe they hide them really well because I can't find them 🙈
Zhrui is very possessive and protective over her. He is also someone that is willing to step back in his anger to not hurt her. The sweetest thing was what he did to make her not afraid in his presence after that angry moment and to chase away the fear in her eyes.
Charlotte is a very strong woman to be able to survive all the things that she survived. She also has a great moral compass and doesn't let any kind of fame get to her head. I love when she said "For doing something I believe in? Yes. For this? Hell no!"
Since this is the first book in this series there is a lot of world building in. I'm glad because it was well done and it set everything up for the next book. It also introduces a cast of possible characters to keep the series going for a while. I love me a good series with one book for each couple and guessing who the couple will be.
Totally recommend you read this book if you like paranormal/alien romance, fluffy alpha male character that adores his mate, a strong human female that's willing to do what it takes to survive, a sprinkle of submission and a new author to stalk on social media for their next book 🤣
Disclaimer: I received and advance readers copy of this book from the author. This is my unbiased opinion about it.
Zhrui is very possessive and protective over her. He is also someone that is willing to step back in his anger to not hurt her. The sweetest thing was what he did to make her not afraid in his presence after that angry moment and to chase away the fear in her eyes.
Charlotte is a very strong woman to be able to survive all the things that she survived. She also has a great moral compass and doesn't let any kind of fame get to her head. I love when she said "For doing something I believe in? Yes. For this? Hell no!"
Since this is the first book in this series there is a lot of world building in. I'm glad because it was well done and it set everything up for the next book. It also introduces a cast of possible characters to keep the series going for a while. I love me a good series with one book for each couple and guessing who the couple will be.
Totally recommend you read this book if you like paranormal/alien romance, fluffy alpha male character that adores his mate, a strong human female that's willing to do what it takes to survive, a sprinkle of submission and a new author to stalk on social media for their next book 🤣
Disclaimer: I received and advance readers copy of this book from the author. This is my unbiased opinion about it.
August 30, 2022
I stumbled unto an opportunity to review this series on a Facebook group and jumped on it.
Conventional, day to day, classic tropes have not been able to pick my interest these days so I was glad to have a total change of scenery.
-
Earth isn’t only for humans anymore and the co-habitation isn’t going that smoothly.
With new species walking amongst us and the economic and industrial landscape of the planet ever changing, human struggle.
Charlotte is trying to make do with an average job that basically pays minimum wage, barely enough to keep her decrepit apartment.
When costs go up she’s forced to accept THE job she swore she’d never take, escorting. Escorting for the aliens.
Zhrui is one of those aliens. Prince of his planet. Captain of his ship.
Making a stop on earth was supposed to only give him an opportunity to restock his shop and give his crew some relaxation time at the Pleasure House.
But seeing Charlotte threw a wrench in those plans.
At first she isn’t really sure about the humanoid Lion the House gave her as a first client but he is determined to make her his.
-
My only little itch with this book is that they’re is a little too much happening.
I’d have preferred some part to be more in depth and others skipped just to keep you more into the story.
It was however a very entertaining read, funny, cute, sexy and side characters make you interested in knowing their stories too.
I’m onto the next one … :)
Conventional, day to day, classic tropes have not been able to pick my interest these days so I was glad to have a total change of scenery.
-
Earth isn’t only for humans anymore and the co-habitation isn’t going that smoothly.
With new species walking amongst us and the economic and industrial landscape of the planet ever changing, human struggle.
Charlotte is trying to make do with an average job that basically pays minimum wage, barely enough to keep her decrepit apartment.
When costs go up she’s forced to accept THE job she swore she’d never take, escorting. Escorting for the aliens.
Zhrui is one of those aliens. Prince of his planet. Captain of his ship.
Making a stop on earth was supposed to only give him an opportunity to restock his shop and give his crew some relaxation time at the Pleasure House.
But seeing Charlotte threw a wrench in those plans.
At first she isn’t really sure about the humanoid Lion the House gave her as a first client but he is determined to make her his.
-
My only little itch with this book is that they’re is a little too much happening.
I’d have preferred some part to be more in depth and others skipped just to keep you more into the story.
It was however a very entertaining read, funny, cute, sexy and side characters make you interested in knowing their stories too.
I’m onto the next one … :)
July 30, 2022
I wasn’t too sure what to expect when I picked up this book. I haven’t driven super deep into the monster smut game, even though there are some on my TBR. When I was approached to read an ARC of this book, I was excited to move it up in my queue. One thing I’ve noticed in this subgenre is that there is a fine line that exists between sexy and creepy. I think that the author did a good job at setting up the world to make the relationship work. The alien invasion fit well in my mind and just made sense. The possibilities are endless here and I think the author did a great job with creating a believable world in our future. Also, I liked that the author played up the mystery behind the missing group of Zhrui’s race. I think it makes the story more interesting.
However, there were a few points in the storyline that had me wanting more. I think there could have been more explanation behind why Charlotte believed the establishment she worked for had something to hide. I was very confused at how one conversation with limited context made her think things were wrong behind the scenes. I also thought the last third of the book was rushed and could have made a bigger impression being explored in another installment in the series.
Overall, I think the book was an interesting read, and I’m definitely glad I read it. Special thanks to the author, Melissa Blincore, for an ARC copy of the book, in return for an honest review!
However, there were a few points in the storyline that had me wanting more. I think there could have been more explanation behind why Charlotte believed the establishment she worked for had something to hide. I was very confused at how one conversation with limited context made her think things were wrong behind the scenes. I also thought the last third of the book was rushed and could have made a bigger impression being explored in another installment in the series.
Overall, I think the book was an interesting read, and I’m definitely glad I read it. Special thanks to the author, Melissa Blincore, for an ARC copy of the book, in return for an honest review!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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September 5, 2022DNF’d @ 20%
Unfortunately, the grammatical errors and changing of tenses is something I just couldn’t get past. It’s one of my biggest pet peeves in a book and screams laziness. The fact it was published full of errors, despite being pointed out by ARC readers, is really disappointing. The writing feels a bit amateurish - there is unnecessary repetition throughout, as though a word count needed to be met and the general tone is too conversational for written word in my opinion.
I didn’t like the FMC or the MMC. She was rude, immature, judgemental and overly dramatic. She screamed and shrieked at the drop of a hat. She punched her boss in the face when he wouldn’t give her a raise for no reason other than that her rent went up. She thinks the succubus is a bitch because she said “most like to shower while they wait. Feel free to if you want.” Apparently that’s a rude way to tell her she smells - it’s not. I don’t like that Charlotte was watched showering without her knowledge or consent. The MMC was just a bit creepy to me.
I’m disappointed that nothing about this worked for me, as the premise sounded promising. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.
Unfortunately, the grammatical errors and changing of tenses is something I just couldn’t get past. It’s one of my biggest pet peeves in a book and screams laziness. The fact it was published full of errors, despite being pointed out by ARC readers, is really disappointing. The writing feels a bit amateurish - there is unnecessary repetition throughout, as though a word count needed to be met and the general tone is too conversational for written word in my opinion.
I didn’t like the FMC or the MMC. She was rude, immature, judgemental and overly dramatic. She screamed and shrieked at the drop of a hat. She punched her boss in the face when he wouldn’t give her a raise for no reason other than that her rent went up. She thinks the succubus is a bitch because she said “most like to shower while they wait. Feel free to if you want.” Apparently that’s a rude way to tell her she smells - it’s not. I don’t like that Charlotte was watched showering without her knowledge or consent. The MMC was just a bit creepy to me.
I’m disappointed that nothing about this worked for me, as the premise sounded promising. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.
January 12, 2023
The premise was promising, but the execution fell flat. The author says aliens, but they read as monsters (goblins, minotaurs, etc), and not actual aliens, in my opinion. The non-monster aliens are animal based, like the doctor is a buff alligator in a lab coat. Her first customer is just 'a lion'. Completely lackluster not enjoyable to read.
Charlotte comes off as completely dismissive, condescending, and completely rude about the escort job and the other characters. She seems completely unredeeming of any positive qualities.
DNF.
Charlotte comes off as completely dismissive, condescending, and completely rude about the escort job and the other characters. She seems completely unredeeming of any positive qualities.
DNF.
August 6, 2025
Did not enjoy
I had such high hopes for this story after several people recommended but I ended up only making it to page 65 before I decided I just couldn't keep going. The female main character is absolutely annoying. For someone supposedly living with aliens for 14 years she is over the top disgusted by them. The spice is lackluster at best and for someone working in a pleasure house there's almost no smut and definitely no scenes involving the other clients she's apparently seeing. Additionally the plot is too rushed for a 200+ page book while also having nearly zero details to explain what's going on. Literally a scene jumps from her waiting to service a client to being told by another human that she's the cause for a women's rights revolution! And I cannot stress this enough, the FMC is brutally annoying! Did not finish.
I had such high hopes for this story after several people recommended but I ended up only making it to page 65 before I decided I just couldn't keep going. The female main character is absolutely annoying. For someone supposedly living with aliens for 14 years she is over the top disgusted by them. The spice is lackluster at best and for someone working in a pleasure house there's almost no smut and definitely no scenes involving the other clients she's apparently seeing. Additionally the plot is too rushed for a 200+ page book while also having nearly zero details to explain what's going on. Literally a scene jumps from her waiting to service a client to being told by another human that she's the cause for a women's rights revolution! And I cannot stress this enough, the FMC is brutally annoying! Did not finish.
February 3, 2023
Okay, let's get the bad stuff out of the way first. This author should seriously look into getting an editor. I noticed a lot of grammar mistakes in this book. However, it is an old book that the author wrote. I had read her newest work(s) and she had improved a bit.
This whole story was a fun read. In the beginning, it felt like the Ren and Stimpy cartoon show. The first few sex scenes were lackluster. Like, Lion dude was three pumps and done. Not impress. Thankfully, the sex scenes improved later on in the story. Especially, with Charlotte dominating her lion lover.
Overall, this book was a fun fantasy/sci-fiction adventure. Remind me of the old future cartoons and 80s fantasy films I would watch as a kid.
I do plan to read the second book in The Pleasure Program series.
This whole story was a fun read. In the beginning, it felt like the Ren and Stimpy cartoon show. The first few sex scenes were lackluster. Like, Lion dude was three pumps and done. Not impress. Thankfully, the sex scenes improved later on in the story. Especially, with Charlotte dominating her lion lover.
Overall, this book was a fun fantasy/sci-fiction adventure. Remind me of the old future cartoons and 80s fantasy films I would watch as a kid.
I do plan to read the second book in The Pleasure Program series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2022
So, I would like to preface that this was my first time pre reading a story for someone so my review won't be as in depth as some others. I gave this 4 stars because The story is good and the characters potential is there and i can't wait to see how the author expands on them in their next book and after edits. The story seemed rushed in some places and it needed more angst in my opinion. However, the story is the perfect girl down on her luck story rags to riches kind and I adore it. The ML, Zhrui, is absolutely adorable and sexy. I love Charlotte's moxy and drive to better her circumstances and others. She is more of a hero FML than saved princess and i like it.
November 5, 2022
Loved It!
Being a BIG cat lover, I knew I'd enjoy this tale. This is my 2nd read by this author. Starting to get all her books to enjoy.
The first in this series and a fun afternoons read.
Charlotte is one tough, no nonsense woman. But you learn just why as you read on. When life gets rough, she resorts to working at a Pleasure Resort! This is also scifi, with gorgeous aliens. On her first day, she is discovered by Zhrui, a lion being. He decides she will be his and as you read on, you learn why and how. Their journey has its fair share of hiccups, with a kidnapping, but it all ends well. I look forward to reading the next book and others. :)
Being a BIG cat lover, I knew I'd enjoy this tale. This is my 2nd read by this author. Starting to get all her books to enjoy.
The first in this series and a fun afternoons read.
Charlotte is one tough, no nonsense woman. But you learn just why as you read on. When life gets rough, she resorts to working at a Pleasure Resort! This is also scifi, with gorgeous aliens. On her first day, she is discovered by Zhrui, a lion being. He decides she will be his and as you read on, you learn why and how. Their journey has its fair share of hiccups, with a kidnapping, but it all ends well. I look forward to reading the next book and others. :)
October 17, 2025
This book doesn't have chapters. You go to the table of contents and there's the title page and the next line is 200 pages later, after the story has ended. What it does have is POV shifts (which I could deal with if they were treated like chapters and listed in the table of contents). I got through 1 each of the FMC and MMC before I DNF'ed with a bad taste in my mouth.
Bad writing and worse opinion on the sex industry. Yikes
Celestial Reader's review did have me extra convinced I made a good call in not finishing 😬
Bad writing and worse opinion on the sex industry. Yikes
Celestial Reader's review did have me extra convinced I made a good call in not finishing 😬
July 20, 2022
Catastrophe was a hot, sexy story that sure lit my fuse! I don't usually dig a dominant heroine but when it came to the hot and wicked stuff, I was definitely surprised and pleased with our heroine!
I wasn't expecting such steam. I mean honestly the steam level in this book was a SOLID FIVE! Our hero was pure sex on the stick with a side of YUM. This book was a worthy read and I give it a FIERY HOT FIVE STARS!!
I wasn't expecting such steam. I mean honestly the steam level in this book was a SOLID FIVE! Our hero was pure sex on the stick with a side of YUM. This book was a worthy read and I give it a FIERY HOT FIVE STARS!!
July 20, 2022
Soooo I got this book as an ARC reader (my very first!) and honestly I loved it! There are great steamy bits and honestly some funny bits where I found myself laughing out loud. This book was definitely more than I expected it to be!
However I don’t find it very high on the spice level I might give it a 🌶🌶/5 for spice. Which isnt a bad thing!
All in all I will definitely be giving some of her other books a read.
However I don’t find it very high on the spice level I might give it a 🌶🌶/5 for spice. Which isnt a bad thing!
All in all I will definitely be giving some of her other books a read.
September 26, 2022
I absolutely enjoyed this book. Melissa created a wonderful dystopian world with two great characters: Charlotte and alien, tiger and heir to the throne, Zhuri. Charlotte was relatable, funny and brave. Zhuri was sexy, intense, a little overbearing at times but it only came from a good place. This was definitely instant lust and I personally love that in books. The attraction and possessiveness in both characters was so sexy. The smut was 🔥🔥🔥. Im really looking forward to reading more of Melissa's work. Please be sure to check the trigger warning ⚠️
July 8, 2022
This is an excellent start to Melissa Blincoe's new series. Charlotte's desperate need for money finds her working in a place she never wants anyone to know about! Through this place she meets Zhrui. Cue lots of steamy scenes and story building. Overall, a fun steamy romance.
August 8, 2022
Interesting book. Has some pacing issues and some other things that probably should have been caught in editing but otherwise pretty interesting book if you're looking for something more erotica than romance
August 14, 2022
Wow! I loved this book! I devoured it in 3 hours, and absolutely could not put it down! Charlotte and Zhuri are so perfect together, and the steam was so dirty, I loved it even more! Fated mates, dual POV, and possessive alpha with a submissive side make this a book to read over and over.
July 9, 2024
I love Melissa Blincoes work!
However, this book fell a bit flat by the end imo, I enjoyed the first part when she started working at the place.. (avoiding spoilers)
But the end and stuff just weren't for me, I'm also just not into Lion's, unfortunately
However, this book fell a bit flat by the end imo, I enjoyed the first part when she started working at the place.. (avoiding spoilers)
But the end and stuff just weren't for me, I'm also just not into Lion's, unfortunately
August 1, 2022
indescriptible
From the first word I was captivated. If you like books that have that otherworldliness definitely read this book. And the s_m_u_t is
*chefs kiss*
From the first word I was captivated. If you like books that have that otherworldliness definitely read this book. And the s_m_u_t is
*chefs kiss*
August 7, 2022
What a great read! Loved it and the H was amazing.
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