jurnee_reads's reviews
311 reviews

A little boring but I just wanted to get through it to understand the role this character plays in a later book. It was a fine short romance, but didn’t appeal to me completely because I prefer a little more action and suspense.

A truly lovely read. All of the action was really satisfying, especially with the end we got out of it. Mikko is fun lead but I really appreciated Rian the most. She has that fighting spirit that I really admire. She also softened quite a bit with Mikko, who softened after some time with her as well.

My favorite characters were the hilbobs and Meri, just wonderful additions to the cast.

This was the book I was looking forward to the most in this series! And it didn’t disappoint.

Fenix is an incredibly interesting character, with his struggles with a drug addiction and his pain from the experiments on his body, he’s continuously beat down by the world but still keeps fighting. I appreciate his dedication to his friends, like he was adamant that he wouldn’t leave Zecri behind. He also really shows himself as a strong and capable protector, like his demeanor slightly changed when he interacted with those who were keeping Jennie, he seemed more stern and powerful in those moments.

Jennie is also a great match for him. She’s observant, which makes sense with her studying psychology, and she’s able to pick up on the Kixx drug addiction situation without judgement just from watching the buyers come in. She was a great asset to Fenix, who needed someone to really believe in him and show him that he’s not worthless just because of the changes to his body. She’s also quite brave, matching him in the fact that she doesn’t really want to hurt anyone but is willing to stand up for herself and others.

Great read, I really loved it!

So this one actually really bored me… like it was a tad predictable. The one saving grace and why it got 4 stars instead or 3 is because it had one of my favorite tropes, found family. Also, Sybil was an amazing lead. She is probably one of my very favorites of the women so far. Riven is sweet too. Zecri just bored me a lot… I don’t know, the strong silent type just isn’t my thing I guess.

This one was just *chef’s kiss* too good! The chemistry between Bosa and Karina was adorable, they’re perfect for each other. I also enjoyed learning more about the Kaluma, after seeing them in the drixonian series I was super interested in their customs and life style.

All in all, a great start to this series and I’m looking forward to the rest!

While the characters are cute and the fact that the fl had lost her memories was a neat aspect, the story itself was kinda boring. It’s also quite short. The most interesting part was meeting Zuri, if you know you know. It also felt like the end was rushed. I wasn’t holding my breath because there really wasn’t any mystery or suspense.

This book told a captivating story! I barreled through it really quickly because I simply adored the cast. Bryn is a great lead, she’s interesting and deep and full of layers. I adore her stubborn and self sufficient nature with those occasional hints of vulnerability. Zurian makes a great mate for her, he’s such an honest man/alien and really expresses his true self without a hint of fear. I adore his nerdy nature, as did Bryn, and he really has no shame for that fact which is nice. He’s comfortable in himself.

The main action of the story being away from the battlefield was a good setup for these characters because it showned Bryn she didn’t have to rely on her military training to be helpful and important, instead it was her knowledge and compassion that lead them to survival.

I would like to point out one character I liked a lot was Cirnia, she was a great assistant to Zurian and I have a weird suspicion that they’re related somehow… like she’s his mother or sister or aunt. She seems to really care for him more than just as an assistant would. She also insists on calling him Zurian instead of “Lord” which makes me think she’s more familiar to him. Just a thought.

Not my favorite but not my least favorite of the series so far, middle of the road for me.

Ledos is a very interesting character and was fun to get to know. I especially adore the interactions he has with the other Destran Lords. He doesn’t have their series nature and that’s a good thing, he balances them all out I think.

Rayna’s part in this was overcoming her trauma which occurred in the first book. I can’t even imagine how horrible things were for her, and getting a peek into the aftermath was heartbreaking. She’s a very strong woman though and and is able to regain that strength with time and patience.

The relationship between the two of them starts off rocky, Rayna can’t stand Ledos, but it develops so beautifully into something that benefits them both. They balance each other nicely. While some may not understand Ledos’s actions, I do like how he handled things with Rayna. He was extremely sensitive to her feelings and comfort level while still trying his hardest to gain her trust and affections. She was in the front of his mind at all times, her needs came first.

I’m really looking forward to the next books in the series.

Well… this wasn’t great. The only reason I finished it was because I wanted context that may be needed for the rest of the series. Reid was awful… and Clara was boring and a little dumb. The only saving Grace was the last chapter and the epilogue. Not because of romance but because interesting things actually happened.

One of the worst parts of this book was the fact that there was so much talk about the dangers of Clara’s ex, Santino, but it never actually came to be! Like why build all of that up to do nothing with it? It was just boring. I kind of appreciated the interactions with the cop and her girlfriend, but even that was short lived.

The romance was just dead… like there literally was none. It wasn’t sexy… he basically forced himself on her and while I can get into some occasional non-con or preferably dub-con, this just wasn’t done well. I don’t know… I was quite disappointed. I usually love Naomi’s writing. This just didn’t do it for me.

Firstly, let me talk about the stuff I really like in this book! Abby is a relatable character and very interesting, I love how much of a mother hen she is and it’s clear her deepest desire is to help people. Hrebec is similar in the fact that he wants to help others, he wants to help his species continue as well as rescue other species from trafficking and slavery. He’s also very considerate of his crew, caring deeply for them as he would for family. The found family aspect of the book is probably my favorite part, I’m a serious sucker for that. Seeing all the women find happiness in different ways warmed my heart. I love how close knit the girls are and how much they rely on Abby, it’s clear there is a lot of love in that group.

Now on to the stuff I just didn’t like… Things moved way too fast in the romance department and Abby and Hrebec were made out to be literal hypocrites because of it. They were instructing their respective people not to do the things they themselves were doing, which is really bad in their part. But the one time Abby was actually really right in her decision making was with Molly. Yes, she’s pregnant, but she’s underage, and thus can’t consent to anything Ribel may have wanted to do with her. Abby stepped in between them but then she’s made out to be the bad guy for it when the girl is literally 16… and Ribel gets mad at her when Molly is sick, saying she separated them when in reality she simply informed them all that Molly was underage and he took it upon himself to do the right thing and separate himself. Abby gets shit on a lot for this situation but she handled it the best way she knew how. Mate bonds don’t exist in Earth, she couldn’t have known the result of them being apart.

The main thing I really fault Abby for is not communicating with the other girls about their situation, she could have simply asked them how they felt about going back to earth, especially after she realizes that three of them had already paired off with a Cire. The girls should have had a choice in the matter to begin with. Really a lot of these issues could have been solved with some basic communication. I mean Abby doesn’t even think to ask until TeShawna actually breaks down and cries because she wants to stay with Mekoi. All the time that was used for Abby and Hrebec doing “hanky panky” could have been used for the characters to actually discuss things with each other. Even Molly getting sick could have been avoided with some basic discussions, she could have been involved in the decision and said she just wanted to spend time with Ribel but there was no need to make things sexual. I mean give the girl a little bit if agency.

One thing that really really bothered me was that the Cires had like… zero knowledge of their own species. Since all their females died it makes it seem like the males are unfeeling and just plain stupid that they didn’t try something as simple as HOLDING THE BABIES WHILE THEY EAT! I mean come on! I get there was an issue with the virus and physical contact was lessened, but you’re telling me not one Cire male was overcome with emotion to the point that they just held a baby…? That paints a very bad picture of them, honestly, and I don’t like the misogynistic attitude that reminds me of.

Overall good story, not great, but it was really easy to finish because the chapters were short so I never felt like I was wasting time. Quick read for me.