Alien Romance Holiday Spectacular, Volume 2 by Grace Goodwin

These reviews will be short and sweet, but if you're someone who enjoys mushy scifi romance, these stories are for you.
This collection gave me a sample of some of this author's series and a glimpse of how much I'd enjoy them.
I did skip one of the books, Mated to the Cyborgs, because I knew right away that it wasn't for me.

Enjoy!

Assigned a Mate

dual pov, explicit heat, arranged marriage

When a potential threat against her life forces Eva Daily to seek shelter on another world, she has only one option available to her. She must offer herself to the Interstellar Bride Program. After a deeply humiliating assessment of her suitability, Eva will be assigned a mate and transported to his world to become his bride.

Upon arriving on the desert planet Trion, Eva soon learns that things are quite different than she is used to on Earth. Her assigned mate, the powerful, handsome High Councilor Tark, makes it clear that she will be expected to submit to him completely, and she quickly discovers that disobedience will earn her a painful, embarrassing spanking on her bare bottom.

An intimate examination from her new mate leaves Eva blushing crimson, but to her surprise Tark’s mastery of her body arouses her beyond anything she could have ever imagined. Soon enough she finds herself naked, bound, and unable to resist the urge to beg for more as his skillful lovemaking brings her to one shattering climax after another.

It doesn’t take long, however, for Eva to realize that there is much more to Tark than just a dominant brute who will not hesitate to take his misbehaving wife over his knee and redden her bare bottom thoroughly. But just as her passion for him begins to blossom into love, events back on Earth threaten to tear her away from him forever. Can Eva find a way to remain at Tark’s side and in his bed, or will she be left with nothing but memories of the man who has claimed both her body and her heart?

Rating -

While this was heavy on the smut and not so much the romance, I enjoyed it. It's a short and dirty read, perfect filler when you're done with a plot heavy book. I liked both Eva and Tark and would have loved to spend more time with them. That's a good sign.

His Virgin Mate

dual pov, explicit heat, instant connection, arranged marriage

Twenty-one and single, Alexis Lopez hopes her lackluster response to men is a problem she's eager to solve by volunteering for the Interstellar Brides Program. One look at the large, dominant alien who claims she belongs to him sets her body on fire. When he tells her, in explicit detail, how he'll claim her in every way, she is eager to give her mate everything, body and soul.

Von of Everis is a ruthless and high ranking Hunter who's spent years fighting in the Hive wars. But his bed, and his life, are empty until Alexis arrives. One look at his innocent little bride and he knows she belongs to him.

Simple, right? Nope. The match is challenged by one of the most feared warriors on the planet and stolen kisses and mind-numbing pleasure won't save Von from a deadly duel. But Von is a Hunter, a warrior, a protector, and someone is trying to take what belongs to him. Only him. He will do whatever it takes to protect, save and claim his virgin mate.

Rating -

I liked that Alexis held all the power when it came to deciding how far she would take things with Von. If she wasn't really feeling him or found someone more enticing, she could simply walk away. So cool. Lucky for Von, he was everything she could possibly want in a man and the shared dreams and experiences only served to cement their bond. There was just enough juicy bits (aside from the sex) to keep this story interesting.

Maid for the Beast

dual pov, explicit heat, fated mates

An Atlan Warlord in Mating Fever with two choices: Be the latest bachelor beast on an Earth reality television show to find his perfect mate or face certain death in an Atlan prison. Braun's not sure which is worse... until a female enters his hotel suite with towels and cleaning supplies.

She isn't part of the television show.

She isn't available.

She isn't interested in mating with an alien.

She isn't his.

Try telling that to his beast, because one look at the maid and Braun knows he will do anything... anything, to claim her.

Rating - 1/2

Okay, if you read this book and don't immediately fall into instant like with Braun... I don't even know what to tell you. This alien was amazing and Angela got really lucky. Hot and entertaining, if all of Goodwin's books are like this, I'll be reading her entire list.

The First Starfighter

dual pov, descriptive heat, instalove

It was just a game. The newest, hottest video game release of the year. Choose a role. Build the perfect hero who joins you on missions to save the Vega star system from the evil Queen Raya and her merciless Dark Fleet.

Play for hours? Check.
Obsess over the in-game romance between your avatar and the sexiest alien you've ever seen? Check.
Win? Beat the heck out of the game? Check and check.

Open your door at 3:00 in the morning to find that smoking hot alien you thought you made up in your head standing there? Um... okay.

Wake up on the other side of the galaxy with that same alien insisting you're his... and that you haven't been playing a video game, but completed the training program to become the first Starfighter from Earth?

Holy sh$t.

Rating -

This story stretched my imagination too far and I've got a pretty great imagination.

Jamie plays a video game with some online friends. She created her online companion, they go on missions together, and she beats the game. Then her online companion shows up at her place because he's actually a real person (alien) and the game she was playing was actually a training simulation. She's this alien world's best hope of beating back their ruthless enemy.

Are we being for real?

She's supposed to be able to fly and fight based on a game. And she excels at it.

BFFR.