Troy has one thing happen after another.  When a really bad situation turns good thanks to a new roommate, he tries to settle into a new routine.  If he finds his friend attractive, does that make him a bad person?

Alex was interested in Troy from the moment he saw him.  Getting him moved in was just a bonus.  He is hoping they can both overcome the past, and make a bright future together.

This book was really such a bright spot.  I was pleased the characters had such a banter, that they came across as a couple right away.  The main hero was just fun to read.  I loved the humor and the real pieces to the story that made it fit just right.  This author is always a go to purchase, and this was this author's best work yet!  I give this book a 4/5 Kitty's Paws UP!

***This ARC copy was given by Netgalley and its publisher in exchange for an honest review only.

So yes, I gave Cate Ashwood another try.  And I have to admit this one was far better than the others I have read...so that is definitely a plus!

But like the others, this one just lacks something.  It starts out strong, I like the two MCs and the first sex scene was off the charts HOT.  But then we kinda have nothing for about 40% of the book. I was borderline bored.

There is a mystery included in this which was a nice surprise and although the storyline disappeared as well for those 40%, it picked back up and left me still wondering "who dun it".  I have my suspicions so it will be interesting to see what unfolds as the story continues.

There is the ever present, stupid breakup in this but at least it was relatively short lived and honestly allowed Adam to get his head out of his ass.  I get why some choose not to come out of the closet but this situation just didn't really fly with me.  And once he does decide to come out, boy does he have a way of letting everyone know.  

They may have attacked each other...just sayin.

I did miss some followup between Adam and his brother, Jack, as this seemed like it was left rather unresolved.   

So again...the best of Cate that I have read so that is saying a lot and I am definitely continuing with this series as the mystery continues.  

As a paramedic, Alaina Stafford knew that every shift would have its surprises. But being abducted by alien slave traders? There’s no amount of preparation for that kind of surprise.

Before she can wrap her head around it, Alaina is sold at a high-dollar auction to be the new “donara” for a powerful, wealthy Errai family. It doesn’t take long to find out what a “donara” is…it’s the reward for the gladiator who wins in the Arena.

Alaina is to be the victor’s prize.

Vega is the House favorite among the slave warriors, and crowds come from across the galaxy to watch him in the Arena. Unlike the other fighters, he’s not swayed by the promise of winning this strange human woman. His real prize—his freedom—is within his grasp, and he won’t be distracted from the chance to return home by some fragile but exotic beauty from a planet called Earth.

But there’s a vicious political power play at hand, and both Vega and Alaina stand to lose everything. Thrown together and forced to rely on each other, they soon realize that love may actually be worth dying for.

Review

This title. Cringe. I look at these titles through my fingers when I click to buy this book or books like them. I remind my self that they aren't any worse that Harlequin Presents or some contemporary titles (My Bearded Billionaire Stepbrother) and that they are just trying to pick up on search hits. But still, so so awful. I feel like a trash picker looking for treasure.

This book is a find. It is really really good. Thank you, Kindle Unlimited. Thank you,  Science Fiction Alien Romance Craving and Binge.

Here is the things that could have been better: We get a nice Epilogue HEA but given the grimness of most of the story (slavery is ugly), I really think everyone had earned some chapters living on a free planet and adapting to this other cultural and space as a married couple.

The timeline of the plot is a bit scrunched for the falling in love. If it had been over months rather than weeks, the book would have been stronger. Yes, more horrors would have been likely to befall our leads (the heroine gets off relativity light which I am fine with but it isn't believable and could have been done off stage and the hero's and heroine's trauma could have been a great plot to deal with in later chapters set on the hero's home world)

Those things would have made this very good science fiction romance a read over and over book rather than a Wow, I really enjoyed that book.

What was so good?

The world building is well done. The heroine is taken from earth and sold into slavery into a three alien cultured space where proxy wars are fought in an Arena over all conflicts. The slavery is both indentured and chattel. The writer does a wonderful job of showing how power corrupts and the different ways slaves adapt. The gladiator culture and setting is detailed but the riveting aspect of the book is the psychological landscape of high and low slaves, owners, and freed people.

More time could have been spent on the distinct culture of each alien race of the other aspects of the world were well drawn.

The hero's struggles with his enslavement are particular well down. He has been indentured a good long time trying to free his planet and he does not escape all the webs of being an owned person internally or externally. He is a wonderfully cynical, pragmatic, and centered person.

I adore how there are secondary characters that seem evil but are really shown as products of the system. The owners being less complicated in this way than some other slaves that become allies.

As I said, because of the timeline the heroine suffers less from the system but she is stripped of personhood. Her fight against is impractical at times but true to her personality. She gets to remain a medic as well as being an exotic species and this grounds her.

The love story is believable if needing more time than a longer timeline would provide.

I am looking forward to reading more books by this writer who has such a fine hand for the heart of what it means to be human (or alien).

Savannah and Beau lived in harmony next door to one another.  Until Thanksgiving when an innocent, yet compromising position makes their families believe they are involved.  The attraction between them is already explosive.  So it is easily believed.

Beau is more attracted to Savannah with the more he finds out.  He is interested in her as a person, as well as a woman.  She is all he never was looking for.

Savannah wants to help him but is basically an honest person.  She is afraid she will slip and fall on the lie.  Can she warm the frozen heart of a man she wants more than physically?  It's going to take more than a kiss.

Such a sweet and funny story.  I loved the characters.  Even the secondary character of her sister was funny and enjoyable.  Hopefully she gets her own story too.  I thought this was a great start to the series.  I give this book a 4/5 Kitty's Paws UP!

***This ARC was given by Netgalley.com and its publishers for an honest review.

I really waffled between 3 & 4 stars. I wanna give it 4* for sentimental reasons because I like this couple. But really feeling 3* for execution. So I am going with 3.5 stars.

This is the sequel to Hearts in Darkness. The first book was a novella that ended in a HFN.

It was the first book by this author that I read and, imo, remains her best. I really enjoyed that one because it took a very simple premise and made it into an affecting and believable romance in a short space.

So I was very happy to know we were going to revisit Makenna and Caden and see how their romance was going. I was very happy as I was reading to see they were committed and still felt like the couple I met in that dark elevator.

Makenna is a great girlfriend who unconditionally supports Caden. I liked pretty much everything Makenna did in this book. She never was stupid. I am glad the author resisted the impulse to make her do some of the cliche romance novel things that too many heroines are made to do in their books. Makenna is rational and completely in it to win it with her guy.

Caden did most of the heavy lifting when it comes to the story's emotional center. He had a raft of issues in the first book and they are still there here in this one. Because things are going really well with Makenna and he is completely gone over her, his issues begin to surface with a vengeance. it is a case of 'everything is going so well, something is going to come along and screw it up' syndrome that some people who've suffered from deep misfortune seem to suffer from. Despite Makenna's best efforts to be his rock, Caden is the one who needs to confront his stuff inside him before they can move forward.

My two biggest reasons for not rating this higher are 1) I thought the author did too much of a good job convincing us of the seriousness of Caden's issues for him to have what felt like such a quick turn around in the end. And 2) There were a couple tv show level predictable moments that I knew would (but hoped wouldn't) happen. There was a little too much synergy in some things to not make me sigh a bit:

But aside from that, the book was a welcome revisit. And I liked how Caden interacted with Makenna's brothers and her father. Good family scenes there.