AROKHI broke the rules and stole an auction item from her buyers.Because somehow, they’d managed to abduct a Gryfala princess.Though… she doesn’t look, or act, or sound quite like I thought one of her kind would.But I’m merely a Rakhii gladiator; this is the closest I’ve actually ever been to a princess.I’d be considered lucky indeed if she chose me to guard her.Instead, I want more.I need her to … her.
Instead, I want more.
I need her to claim me.
Because she doesn’t know it, but now I can’t let her go.
ANGIE
Woke up in a freaking auction pen.
With no coffee.
But there were aliens. And they didn’t bid on me out of the goodness of their hearts.
FML.
Then this nice alien showed up in the nick of time, but he keeps referring to me as “Princess” and I’m starting to worry what he’ll do when he finds out that there’s been a little case of mistaken identity, that I’m not royalty – see, I’m not even whatever alien he mistook me for…
I’m just a human.
****Content warning: For readers 18 years and older Contains explicit sexual situations, dark themes, sensitive subjects, and violence. Despite happenings inside this story not being entirely sunshine and roses, this couple gets their sweet Happily Ever After ♥
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Love this series! I remember when this was first recommended in the “aliens that look like aliens” romance thread and the original title gave me pause, but the book was wonderful, and the hero truly alien in appearance and behavior! I’m so glad I took a chance on it and found a new “must-buy” author in the process!
So this was an interesting sci-fi romance read and this is one for the aliens that look like aliens crowd.
This story centres on Arokh a gladiator prime of the Rakhi and Angie who has been kidnapped from earth and taken to be sold on a slave planet.
So in a case of mistaken identity or in this case species, Arokh mistakes Angie for an abused gryfala a princess his kind have an almost instinctual trust with despite there lower status.
He rescues her from her buyers and vows to keep her safe while escaping from the planet.
There’s a language barrier and with this part of the story, its all instinct and trust as the two gradually become acquainted and learn about the other.
he is fascinated by Angie as she, in turn, returns this sentiment.
So this part of the story was my favourite and I loved it.
Especially when he went all primal scent-marking Angie, what should have been Ewww was so very much Ahhh.
Now the second half of this I has some slight issues I felt that Angie had somewhat of a personality transplant.
She was forever making mountains out of molehills and acting erratic.
I had questions like why didn’t she reveal the truth about herself when she realised they had mistaken her actual species.
I also thought she should have set firmer boundaries with the added hobs and I was slightly worried that this was maybe heading down a reverse harem route.
Thankfully it wasn’t and to clarify I have nothing against reverse harem itself this just didn’t give off that vibe initially and it didn’t feel right for this story and the character dynamic.
I just felt that Arokh was getting a pretty raw deal and Angie should have been completely team Arokh and show more trust and loyalty towards him.
I was definitely team Arokh all the way and thought Angie needed to step up.
So I adored the pure alienness of the hero and how he was utter gaga for his girl.
I read this in one sitting and this was a great start to this series with some fabulous world-building.
I will certainly be checking out more from this author in the future.
Final thought bloody adore the new cover of this and I would have picked this up for that reason alone its visually stunning.
This one gets my seal of approval as despite some nitpicks from me I still really enjoyed it.
got this one with my Kindle unlimited subscription.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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Milo deserves huge kudos for creating an alien hero who’s both very different and very relatable (and hot).
I just LOVED this story and I for one could not believe that this was the first book released by this author all I can say is WOW AWESOME JOB keep them coming!!! Second book already bought and will not sit in my “TBR” pile for long, You’ve heard of the sayings, such as never judge a book by its cover or beauty is skin deep then these definitely apply to this book, you only have to look at the cover , maybe the first time I came across it I dismissed it because of the cover., My mistake and so glad I rectified it, But last night I wanted something different, (after reading a rash of books were women are abused and then forgive their abusers, so getting fed up with these books ) After reading the blurb I decided to give it a try and I’m so glad that I did, Pulled another straight through for this incredibly awesome book, I just couldn’t put it down!
The story begins with our leading alien male Arokh a Rakhii gladiator who while on an auction planet hears a woman’s distressed screams and goes to her rescue. Upon rescuing her he believes her to be a kidnapped Gryfala princess and he assumes the responsibility and role as guard and protector but all is not what it seems as Angie our leading lady is really just a human. Arokh was just the most amazing ,sweetest, kindest, adorable, loving, caring, affectionate male leads I’ve ever read. I was blown away by him and fell in love with his character from the very beginning, he was literally a knight in shining armor (or scales lol). Saving her in her time of need without asking anything from her in return, he went above and beyond to keep her safe and try to get her back to her home planet. A wickedly Delicious fantastic alpha male and so very sexily possessive the way he had to constantly touch her, smell her. The constant licking her, his need to have her close ticked all my fantasy male qualities leaving me feeling all warm and gooey inside; he was absolute the best leading male I have read in very long time. In my opinion if more authors wrote their leading men like this, instead of the horrid scumbags we seem to be inundated with, I would love it. There would definitely be happier women and couples if men actually read these books and got a good glimpse on what women truly need and want from their men at least that’s my take on the subject. The wonderfully intimate moments between Arokh and Angie HOT DAMN it wasn’t dick this or dick that, yet managed to raise my blood pressure, get my heart racing it wsn’t overly graphic but yet managed to leave you needing a cold shower ASAP! Then panting for more, Their chemistry was undeniable, their passion intense, their depth of love for one another palpable a heart warming tale. Our leading lady Angie was so sweet, kind, caring, brave and funny too. The things that came out of her mouth sometimes had me laughing, she had a great personality, beauty and brains the complete package. She was able to look past our heroes appearance (not an easy fete considering he has scales, horns and a tail) to see the kind wonderful alien he truly was proves just what a woman needs is not actually external but has to come from within, This is an epic SY-FY-tale full of action, adventure, love, passion, drama and suspense their was never a dull moment in this book and even though their are some silly grammar mistakes which normally ticks me off and its strange cover but nothing and I mean nothing can put a damper on this beautiful story. The secondary characters in particular the two hops one in particular the scene had me in tears, no spoilers, I promise, The Character and scene setting on this book are incredible. for me this is the Science Fiction book of the Week.
Well done Amanda Milo
Holy horns..there was me thinking I would settle in a read a few chapters from another alien book… slap me sideways…this is NOT another alien book it’s a really really great, original book.. a bloody great book!!! My couple of chapters turned in to a night long read fest and I have not one regret to give about that fact.
Loads of action, really fast paced,and loads of humour ( THE STABLE!! Cracked me up!! And the dwarf name references!! ) and oh Lordy there were some massive massive feels in this bad boy too!!!
Such a great story. I desperately want to know more of the brother and weepy!!
I’m off to see if I can find out more about this author.
One of my all time favorite stories.
The world building is detailed and well thought through. Couple this with more in-depth character building than normal, and you have a great book. I am really happy to have discovered this author, as this book gives me lots of confidence her other ones will be great as well.
You know some times I just p**s myself off I’ve had this on my TBR shelf for ages and I’ve even had it in my KU stack to read for at least a month, I have to say the cover wasn’t appealing which was one of the problems but I’m glad I got over it this book was fantastic, it was funny you can’t help fall in love with the characters and was well worth the 400 or so pages, I had planned a lot of things for my birthday sitting at home reading a book all day wasn’t one of them, but I’m so glad I did thank you Amanda Milo for making my day so much better
Fantastic read -I am SO very happy I stumbled onto this little gem! Good lord, fans of scifi romance -read this!
I’m not going to go to into a synopsis description, that’s already available. I feel, post read, much like I felt the first time I read Demon’s Captive, Venomous or Alien Mine -excited, a bit giddy and wishing so hard I could read this again for the first time. Torn between scouring the Internet for ANYTHING else by this author and re-reading my personal “best-of” parts. Fear not, both will happen for most of the day.
Great character development -fully developed and with depth. Wonderful world building -with more than enough, well thought out, details. Fantastic never ending and surprising storyline -I was RIGHT THERE for it all.
I’m not sure if the publication date is the original, or if this was updated with the title change, but I hope on all that’s holy there is more where this one came from. Looking at you, Ms. Amanda Milo.
I borrowed it on KU, absolutely bought it and am now following this author for future releases.
Amazingly funny alien romance
This book (series, actually) just captures my heart so much! Amanda Milo’s writing is so good, funny, etc, that it’s easy to get so lost in her book(s) that when you look up at your clock, you realize that it’s 2:30 in the morning, that you have to get up in 3 hours; however, in mid groan you realize that it was just so worth it! Then when you add in the audio and this sexy beast of a voice (Nick Cracknell), who can make you melt in a puddle with the first sentence… you have the recipe for an amazing alien book adventure! Yum!
This is a first in a series of related books that can be read out of order but are better read in order. You will want to drink in every word, to capture the nuances. At times, I’ve had to reread a few sections to figure out what was going on, so it’s not a fast read, but it certainly is a captivating one!
The beginning of this series lays a great deal of groundwork for the complex cultures and societies the abducted women encounter. The Rakhii and Gryfala in particular have a solid set of traditions, beliefs and practices and have some sort of connection that makes the Rakhii genetically predisposed to wanting to protect the Gryfala at all costs. Not only are the culture and practices well developed, but the unique physiology and anatomy is well developed. The alien species aren’t just basically humans with a couple of random odd features with no rhyme or reason, but they are unique in physical aspects, their abilities, and how they do things. Their chemical make-up is even different, though not entirely incompatible.
The Gryfala hold a great deal of resemblance to female humans- so much so that Arokh senses when a nearby human is in distress, as he would have been had a nearby Gryfala been in distress. When he rescues Angie after having been sold at an auction, he is incredibly patient, gentle, considerate and sweet with her. Totally swoon worthy. Though the Rakhii revere the Gryfala, as the story progresses we learn that perhaps the Gryfala aren’t quite deserving of the reverence they are given. Arokh is constantly reflecting on how unique Angie’s kind, caring and thoughtful personality is compared to other Gryfala.
This book does a good job of highlighting misunderstandings that might occur between an alien and someone from earth might have, especially with the barrier of the lack of method of verbal or written communications. Much of their body language is similar, or easy for each other to figure out. But that just provides a small base for their attempts to communicate, as their historical and cultural differences and their own perspectives on the world lead to often comical misunderstandings. After all, how is one to know if an alien has reached the age of consent? Or how is an alien to know that offering a human woman a pond to lay her eggs in is NOT the best response to give her when she goes into labor!
Once their communication channels are open, the misunderstandings don’t end. Angie is nervous that if she is discovered to not be a revered Gryfala, she may loose what little assistance she has in getting to safety. But when this fact is discovered by two hobs also trying to court her (persistently and irritatingly), their devotion does not waver. And the single-minded hobs each get a chance at redemption, and a happy ending. And if Arokh isn’t beheaded for violating the strict taboo against Rakhii bonding with a Gryfala – or a human – he and Angie may also be able to negotiate a happy ending for each other.
5- I wish there were more stars to give- stars
What an amazing book that was. I just finished it and oh! The feels!!! I can’t believe that the author has only 2 books under her belt. These series has to continue. It has to!!! Please 🙂
I’m not saying anything else. I don’t want to spoil it for anybody and hopefully going in blind will make them love it more ( as it happened to me).
It was funny, sexy, full of action… It was everything.
I’m diving in the second one now and keeping my fingers crossed that this is not the last one.
So not really sure what made me get this book but so glad I did. The cover and title not really grabbing your attention . The story is great kept me glued until I finished in one sitting. I can’t wait to read the next one.
I have become obsessed with Sci-fi Romance of late, and this book definitely took me in, especially when I was looking for something to read after the wonderful “Venemous.” So, I hope others loved this as much as I did.
This is my first book by this author and it won’t be my last. This is a whole new take on the Alien Abduction stories that are out there.
I really enjoyed Arokh as the male lead characters. he had his own moral code and did everything he could think of to protect and take care of Angie. I loved all the different characteristics of his body.
Angie was very down to earth and took things in her stride. She was realistic which I enjoyed.
The world building was good and different. I really enjoyed this book.
One of my favorites. 3 in the series. All great HEA reads
Excellent characters and very interesting story. Loved it.
Absolutely loved this book- the characters, storyline, plot, world building, EVERYTHING! I have read both books in the series and I am SO anxious for the next book to come out!!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read this book, I can’t get enough of this universe. It’s one of my absolute favorite ‘go-to’ and it’s one of the few universes that I say continuously day dream about.
And it’s a wonderful palate cleanser!
Love this book & world so much!!
And now I finished the Audiobook version!
I Give this Book a 5/5 Star Rating, Plain & Simple.
Formats Read: Ebook & Audiobook (Audiobook at bottom)
HEA(?): Yes
Relationship Type: MM
Heat: 4/5
Romance: 4.5-5/5
Pacing: Mid.
Drama: 4/4
Suspense: 3.5/5
*Due to the Many Various type of Language Barriers I will put them in One of Three Categories.
Language Barrier(?): Yes!
Language Barrier – Temporary, Semi or Permanent(?): Temporary.
*Permanent is where >both main characters/significant others< speak their own languages but cannot understand each other so they have to rely on using either various basic words, sounds or gestures to get a point across, and there is no mechanical solution or it’s unable to be used. *Semi Permanent is where one or both teach each other their language and can at some point speak near fluent and may or may not have a mechanical solution at some point, but in the end can go without mechanical help but the option is there. *Temporary is where there IS a mechanical solution to fix the language barriers between significant others permanently. No future issues. Audiobook Review: Overall: 5/5 Story: 5/5 Performance: 5/5 Narrator: Nick Cracknell I was honestly a bit hesitant on getting the audiobook, but my gut always kept saying buy it. And Thank Goodness I finally listened! This was soo good and even made the book even better, Nick’s sound effects were really enjoyable as well The way he narrated the voices turned out even better than I was expecting!