Too similar to the previous stories but still quite enjoyable.
3.5 stars

Far less typos than in the first book. :)

Although this is book two in the series, it takes place before Grim and tells us how Wray, who is the emperor, found his Empress and fell in love.
The beginning was dragging and a bit unbelievable. What was the chance of them crashing near a cave with both hot and cold water and surviving more than a week with only a few energy bars. Really? 
It also wasn't believable how quickly Kim got over being raped for two weeks. Yes, she had her reason to trust Wray but it was still far-fetched. 
The story told more about Tornian empire, the Goddess and the curse and all this information was really interesting. I liked how Kim found herself, got more independent, but she also annoyed me because of what she thought about her sister's fate and how she constantly stressed how much she wanted to be a better person. Wray wasn't as fascinating as a main character but I liked him. I even understood his reasons for lying at the beginning of the story.

This book needs serious editing, but the storyline and characters were really good.

About the plot:
500 years ago Tornian emperor did something so awful their Goddess cursed the whole race. As a result less and less females were born. At first it was celebrated because Tornians were warriors, but then they realized something needed to be done to prevent extinction. 
So, nowadays females are protected at all cost. There are Joining Ceremonies where females can choose the warrior they want to join with. There's no love or affection, just things male has to give, so that his bloodline could continue. After the birth warrior gets the child and the female can leave to choose another male, who has enough wealth to give her things she desires.
Things change when a compatible race has been found and twelve unprotected females are taken. Yes, you guessed correctly. The women are snatched from Earth.
Lisa is a widow with two small children, who is taken while visiting her husband's grave. When she wakes in a spaceship and the other women find out that the aliens separated mother from her children Tornians have a mutiny in their hands. But then a scarred warrior Grim, who is actually a king and emperor's brother, offers to retrieve Lisa's children if the woman is ready to join with him. Lisa is not stupid. She knows these bastards will never release her, so, she accepts Grim's offer, when the warrior promises that he will be the only male she has to join with. 
But there are several problems - because of his scars no female sees Grim fit and worthy to join with. Tornian females think that because Grim got scarred in a battle, he is not capable of protecting them. Therefore, Grim taking Lisa and her children is against the law and brings a heap of problems in its wake. And of course, Lisa's children are daughters. Something Grim discover not until he goes with Lisa to get the children. Now Grim has three females in his care and there a quite a lot of males in Tornian, who see it as a big mistake.

My thoughts:
The story was fast-paced, exciting, and even though there were some obvious turns in a plot, it never got boring. It had a fairytale or historical romance kind of feel - living in castles, training in fields. But the story was also about the empire - its history, technology, and achievements. The more I think about it, I guess, I would say it was steampunk in space? I also wouldn't categorize it as an erotic romance. Sure, there was sex in the story, but it was never as explicit as in other alien romances I've read. It's definitely an adult romance but not an erotic romance. 

I liked how bright Lisa was. She had a lot of spunk. Her daughters were just charming. It was so much fun to read what these three brought to Grim's life. At times his confusion was hilarious, but always sweet. Lisa and Grim had quite a lot of misunderstandings but the author never let them drag. These main characters actually communicated and solved their problems. 
All the secondary characters had their own voices and I hope some of them are going to get their own stories. The villains had quite a decent plan and action scenes were great.
I really want to give it 5 stars, because the story actually deserves it, but I can't because of the countless typos. The editing was non-existent.

As the Squad Leader of the Elite Warriors, Nikhil Kozar was the largest warrior in the Kaliszian Empire. When a shuttle crashes on one of their planets the search and rescue mission turns into something much more complicated.

Mackenzie 'Mac' Wharton had agreed to guide a group that had wanted an adventure on her mountain. They got more than they bargained for when they were all abducted by a group of aliens called the Ganglians. Badly beaten and barely alive Mac finds herself in the arms of the largest male she’s ever seen. She should fear him, should be fighting to get away from him, but there was something about the massive male that called to her.

A traitor threatens the Empire... Someone wants Nikhil dead.... The Zaludians want Mackenzie back... And then there was the secret she's keeping.... Would it be the one thing that finally brought down the Kaliszian Empire? Or would it be the first step in its rebirth?

Review

Yum. Yum. Alien Romance Candy. Clearly, I am on bender. 

I like this spin off series. The hero is sweet and the heroine is resourceful. The culture clashes are a bit overwrought but it is fun way to spend an afternoon.

Can't wait for the next one.

Ynyr was a third male, and while he was a fit and worthy Warrior, he had always known that no female would ever Join with him. Too many looked down on his family because of his mother’s refusal to leave his manno. He knew Ull would be able to overcome this because he was a first male and would one day be a Lord. Maybe even Vali, since he was a second male, but neither Ynyr nor his younger brother Zev would ever be acceptable to a female. The most they could hope for was to serve their House with honor... that all changed with the arrival of the females from Earth.

Abby's life had not been an easy one, especially after the death of her family when she had been sixteen, but she had thought things were finally looking up. She was a year away from achieving her dream of becoming a teacher. Soon she would be making a difference in the lives of children others had given up on... that all changed when she was abducted by the Tornians.

Ynyr and Abby had come together in the most unusual of ways, but that was just the beginning of their unique relationship. Together they had to do something no other Lord and Lady had... They had to take a House that had been destroyed by deceit and evil and turn it into the shining example demanded by the Emperor.

Will the secrets left behind by Bertos and Risa tear them apart? Or will it be Abby's secret and Ynyr's reaction to it that does?

Review

The strong world building and good romance continues in this third book. This book has some great twists and turns. The HEA is well earned.

There are some dark parts of the culture of the world that are confronted and I hope systematically changed in the rest of the series.

Happy Reading!