jurnee_reads's reviews
325 reviews

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.

Really just a sweet story, basically no drama with the main couple. I personally prefer a little drama though, so not my favorite. So sweet that I feel like I’ve eaten too much candy and my teeth hurt. I did appreciate the action close to the end, it was alluded to and I was happy to see it come to fruition.

Things I like: Harry Potter references, fat female lead, the humor, dealings with grief and loss of family, found family

Things I don’t like: drugging, treating female lead like a womb instead of a person, lack of proper communication, angry fat woman trope being used AGAIN

Calida is a fierce lady dealing with grief and resonance at the same time which is a really ugly mix. She doesn’t get the time to actually handle her grief before she’s thrust into resonance with a male who has very little consideration for her situation. M’Tok is funny and interesting to read about, but he’s not very empathetic. Don’t get me wrong, I love me a Slytherin, but he doesn’t have to be so “sly and cunning” that he completely ignores the wants and needs of his woman and isn’t able to properly communicate with her at some point.

I kept thinking it would get better, he’d be an ass for a while and then Calida would get vulnerable with him so he’d feel remorse for how aggressive he was with her. But that didn’t happen! He just stayed in the same state of mind. Even them bonding over losing their families didn’t change his thinking at all. He should understand how hard things are for her, he should feel bad for putting all that extra pressure on her, but he doesn’t. He’s just “resonance will fix it, let’s fuck” and that’s it.

One thing that sorta kinda pertains to the story I want to rant about… This is why I prefer Slytherins paired with Hufflepuffs as opposed to a Gryffindor. A Hufflepuff will at least be a good influence on the Slytherin, a Gryffindor will not! Calida even hates on Hufflepuffs at the beginning which is annoying as hell. Calida could have been a Hufflepuff type character and been more gentle and able to encourage empathy in M’Tok so he could see where he’d gone wrong, sort of like Ellie with Bek, but instead he just wears her down with his trickery and stubbornness… which is gross. She’s basically tricked and forced into giving consent which isn’t actually consent… so the ending of this was really unsatisfying. No character growth, just rewarded bad behavior.

Why Ruby keeps making her fat character angry every single time I have no clue… but it’s wearing me out. Fat women are gentle and sensitive too! We’re not all aggressive and angry at the world but portrayed as “feisty” for a more palatable experience. All the other smaller sized characters get depth, get to be different and diverse, but all the fat women are angry… it’s gross. I hope she does better in the future books.

Also… Calida may be depressed, she’s grieving, but she doesn’t actually have depression… there is a difference. It may not be a noticeable difference for those who don’t have depression, but there is one. We’re not just sad when things are bad, we’re sad all the damn time… even when everything is great.

This is in my list of top favorites for this series! S’bren is a diamond in the rough and will forever be a joy to my heart. Penny is the perfect partner for him, loving, open, affectionate, bold, and just everyone’s friend. She brings sunshine to this story in many ways. I love how she treats him and I love how she learned to treat herself better too. My absolutely favorite of the chunky girls thus far. As a chunky girl myself, I was waiting for a character with my body type that I could relate to… but the others all have a very abrasive personality which I just don’t get. Penny is different, she’s joyful and happy to be with others and still strong willed.

One of my favorite moments for her is when she realizes what S’bren has done… she scolds him but she doesn’t do it with malice, she stops when she knows he feels bad. I loved that. I also loved how she handled their return to the tribe and facing Raahosh and R’jaal. She speaks up when needed and she makes sense every time.

Such an easy read, I finished in one night. Not much action but the romance is nice and the conflict is relatable.

Megan is a people pleaser, which is escalated by the fact that she’s new to the tribe and feels the need to be useful. As someone with the same tendencies, I empathize with her a lot. Most people might think it’s silly that she doesn’t just tell Cashol about her worries, but it honestly makes the most sense. She’s so new there and doesn’t feel secure, sharing her worries would be a big step for her because with her mindset that makes her a burden which could make others not want her around.

I love that Cashol is so patient with her, he honestly just wants to help her feel safe and secure while also a bit selfishly wants her to love him for all he is as he loves her. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to make her comfortable and earn her love. The sakhui are no strangers to working for the things they want and need, so I imagine this isn’t a big inconvenience for him.

The parts that aren’t the flashback are really cute as well, I adore seeing more of Josie because she’s one of my favorites of the girls. Everyone is so happy with their lives and I love seeing them with their mates and kids and loving life.

A great closer to an amazing series (even if there is a spinoff)

I appreciate how Nora’s kinks were explained and portrayed, it felt very relatable to someone familiar with kink and understandable to someone not familiar. The way Dagesh has to learn how to be kinky with Nora to please her… was so beautiful. The back and forth in his mind, the struggle, it all makes the end result worth it. I also really loved the wedding, I actually cried a little.

For this to close out the series… makes me sad… because I just love these characters. But I also know that there simply had to me a last book and this was a great one.

Good read, deals with situations not yet discussed in this series so I’m always ready for something new. The ice planet books do get a bit repetitive but that wasn’t an issue here.

I truly appreciate T’chai’s personality. He’s steadfast and patient, and even when things are terrible and he wants to give up, he never stops trying. He’s also really considerate of everyone else around him. He understands struggle and wants everyone to live happily.