Universal Love: Alien Romance

This genre (alien/scifi/fantasy romance) is normally categorized under "cheesy" and "ridiculous", but books that are fun and outrageous can be a true escape. If you're dealing with day-to-day stress, sometimes you need to be silly. Reading about smokin' hawt aliens is an easy way to find out-of-this-world release from our mundane, earthy problems.

VENOMOUS by Penelope Fletcher

3.5 stars
As you can tell from the cover, the guy in this novel is...textured. That is not the only, or most pressing, difference between his species and humans. Ms. Fletcher did an AMAZING job with the world-building, and the aliens in VENOMOUS are diverse and interesting. Culture, physiology, and language were all varied, and she used a generous dollop of scifi terminology to make readers feel like this was more than just an alien abduction (although that is part of the plot...). For those reasons alone, I'd recommend this novel. It's not often that I stumble across such a well-defined universe.

But, as much as I'd love only to sing VENOMOUS' praises, there were a few downsides to note. The editing wasn't as good as it could have been, and that did detract from my overall enjoyment. And, aside from that, I was a little disgruntled by the "lesser mate" aspect, especially since Lumen made her opinions/fears well known and she still was pressured into the ceremony. Felt a LOT like rape via coercion. Speaking of which, the scene in the beginning of this novel is also very uncomfortable, for similar reasons. There was no intent to harm, or malicious acts, but our gal Lumen still ended up in a situation that I do not envy--she reasoned her way through it, made the best of it, and ended up figuring our why it happened, but reading about her introduction to alien sex was uncomfortable. That said, the consensual sex throughout the rest of the novel was awesome.

I recommend to readers who enjoy life-mate type romance, but aren't particular about inter-species relations ;) Those who find multiple partners exciting will find this titillating, as Luman has more than one "husband", and female-led polygamy is kinda an on-going theme.

OBSESSION by Jennifer Armentrout

4 Stars
This is a spin-off of Ms. Amrentrout's LUX series, and I really enjoyed it. Although LUX is YA, this is more NA, and there is sexual content.

OBSESSION is the alien equivalent of opposites attract. Serena is a (semi)sweet human and Hunter is an alien asshole. His one redeeming quality is his love for her...though it takes him a while to figure that shit out. Personalities aside, they have awesome chemistry.

I recommend to readers who enjoy light scifi, dominant (alien) men, adventure, and HEAs (Happily Ever Afters).

GRACIE'S TOUCH by S.E. Smith

3.5 Stars
The cover lacks sophistication, but don't let that stop you from enjoying this light scifi romance!

There are a handful of editing issues, and the first couple of chapters need work, but this novel hits its stride after a few tiny stumbles, and I'm glad I stuck it out to read the whole thing. This whole novel can be summed up easily: Gracie sacrifices herself to save earth from alien invaders only to mysteriously end up on a deserted planet, and is discovered several years by her soul mate. Oh, and then she kicks those alien assholes in the gonads again.

Gracie is awesome.

Overall this was a satisfying read, and I'd recommend it to those who enjoy life-mate type romances, readers who like strong, smart female protagonists, and fans of light scifi.

GRIM by M.K. Eidem

3.5 Stars
Once again, the cover is less than appealing to those seeking romance...but don't be fooled.

The main character is Lisa, a widowed mom of two little girls; she's strong, smart, and kind. I was surprised by how much I liked her and her resiliency. Grim is...grim. He has very little sense of self-worth, but ends up being a fantastic husband/father. I enjoyed the dynamics of this family as they got to know one another. Lisa and Grim have communication/species differences that add frustration and angst to the story, but it all ends up resolved for a HEA.

I didn't give GRIM 4 stars because there are grammar issues--commas are thing, Ms. Eidem--and because readers need to suspend belief a few times. For instance, the kidnapped earth gals don't show a whole lot of anger at their situation. Other than Lisa, they are single and childless, but that doesn't mean they lack other connections to our blue planet...and yet, there was little mention of homesickness or frustration (except the anger aimed at the Empress, though that was simulated and part of a subplot--intriguing, hm?).

Still, I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to fans of light scifi, those who enjoy slow-building trust and love, and family-oriented romance (Lisa's kids play a role in this story).