I didn't hate this book, but I didn't really begin enjoying it until about 81% through it. It didn't begin as a "bride capture" book - but once Monica is transformed into an alien female, she is given no choices or options - which works for me if the men doing the claiming really make her feel good and cherished....which these two jerks definitely do not do. (Until after 81% of the book)
PLOT:
The story begins with a room full of human doctors and Garathani soldiers watching a Garathani soldier have sex with an older human volunteer. As the two are having sex, there is a human doctor giving the room a play-by-play for the benefit of the human doctors to learn about the Garathani mating spur and how it works. During the "session" everyone in the room is getting aroused, and when the Garathani's get aroused, they give off a pheromone that makes the females of their species drunk.
Monica is a "goth" doctor in the audience watching the "session" and suddenly begins to feel and act inebriated. Commander Kellen notices & immediately makes the connection that Monica is a rare hybrid. He mentally connects to the ships computer and file's a petition to claim her as his mate. Annnnd since Garathani's have so few women, they must have multiple men per female, so Kellen mentally contacts Lieutenant Shauss and has him be the second Garathani in the mate claim he files. Meanwhile, Monica is not even aware of her status as a hybrid, but the concentrated exposure to so much of the male pheromone has triggered the start of her maturation into an adult Garathani.
When this begins, Kellen and Shauss are aware the process will be painful and possibly deadly for Monica - but although they have both claimed her as a mate...they don't really seem to care about her.
So over the next few weeks, Monica's change wreaks havoc on her body. Kellen has her assigned to his office without her consent so he can monitor her. He also has guards watching her constantly, which aggravates Monica.
Her body changes are like going through years of puberty in a few weeks.
She begins loosing her "baby" teeth, her legs hurt her so badly because she is growing taller. She has headaches constantly.
Monica confronts Kellen over several things. The Garathani have been kidnapping and experimenting on human women for decades. Monica is living evidence of that. When Monica confront Kellen for having to 'personally observe' every OB exam she gives the human women who have volunteered to be reproductive partners with the Garathani - she gets so upset that she begins to hemorrhage vaginally. Kellen has her 'beamed' to the Garathani ship in orbit above Earth, put into a medical coma until she heals enough to breed with him and Shauss.
When Monica wakes from her 10 day coma, she suddenly has D cup boobs & pubic hair. Oh, and they've surgically removed her hymen.
At this point, both Kellen & Shauss pull the "dominant unfeeling alpha male" crap. Monica is bullied, forced, tied up, restrained, spanked and generally discounted as any kind of adult. You learn about Monica's less than ideal youth in the foster system and in a home for girls when her Grandparents gave her up for adoption. Monica's father just happens to be on the Garathani ship and the guys tell her about it. He is the head honcho on this expedition - Minister Cecine.
Some mild action when Monica is kidnapped by the Garathani ambassador. He plans to rape her and force himself in as one of her "mates". Kellen & Shauss rescue her and somehow - everything they did before then is forgiven and she loves them.
After the rescue, Monica gives Shauss a hummer and sticks a finger up his ass. This causes him to come in her mouth, which they thought they were incapable of doing. Shauss feels emasculated & embarrassed even though he was planning on his first sex with his new mate being in her ass as well. So in a fit of 'stupid male ego' he severs his 'mate' status with Kellen and Monica. Kellen callously complains about how breaking in a new "second" won't be fun.
This is the 80% mark
Monica is having a crying breakdown when her "father" comes upon her. She tells him her men are hurting her. Father severs their mate bond, sends her back to the command center on earth back to her life and friends. He also forbids Kellen and Shauss from going near her. Which of course makes Kellen realize he loves her and hasn't been treating her right.
A series of terrorist events occurs on Earth that is made to look like the Garathani's have attacked Earth - which has Kellen snatching up Monica back to the Garathani ship in orbit before the dust clears.
In the end, Kellen makes a very public show of humility to Monica and tells her in a beautiful way how much she means to him and how he realizes he was an ass, promises never to treat her that way again etc... It was sweet.
Shauss rejoins them, but still feels very insecure about his place and if he is loved....so he's just going to screw Monica in the ass to make sure he doesn't give her any babies.
HEA.
(The last 20% gave me warm fuzzies....but I still wouldn't really recommend the book. The dominant guy telling the tied up girl "You will ask me nicely for my cock" BDSM wasn't really my cup of tea. Monica actually only receives oral sex once, from Shauss - even tho Kellen talks about doing it a lot. The mating spur and her clitoral shaft just kind of skeeved me out. It wasn't erotic to me.)