
When they were together, they could be themselves.

The Cyborg's Secret Baby by Cynthia Sax
Standalone - In the Stars Romance
Release - September 25, 2018
Genre - SciFi Romance/secret baby/cyborg/second chance
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5
Format/Source - Kindle purchase
Length - 177 pages
Publisher - Indie
A fierce cyborg warrior and his curvy human female share a no-longer-so-little secret.
Stealth, a K Model cyborg, knows his passion for Zebrina, the commander’s human daughter, is forbidden, yet he can’t resist the curvy female. He craves her touch, cherishes her sounds of pleasure, would do anything to keep her safe.
When he’s faced with the choice of protecting his fragile human or living to see the next sunrise, he chooses her, always her, sending Zebrina halfway across the universe to safety. He doesn’t realize their stolen moments had consequences neither of them believed possible.
After hearing her warrior died in battle, Zebrina focuses on the last gift he gave her. Doing what is right for their child is her sole priority. She will put their son’s happiness first, even if that means choosing another male over the love of her life.
The Cyborg’s Secret Baby is a STAND-ALONE story loosely connected to the Cyborg Sizzle series.
It is also a Second Chance Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, often-violent universe.

A couple of years later, Zebrina is raising their son alone, separated from the other colonists due to heavy amounts of discrimination, and desperately clinging to the hope that Stealth is still alive. When he finally reaches her, they not only get the chance to rejoice in their reunion, but they have to learn each other again and figure out how to work as a family.
I enjoyed the fact that this story explored speciesism and didn't shy away from how ugly it could be. I loved how fierce these characters were in the face of such ignorance and irrational hate, how compassionate they were despite the negativity, and how their love grew so strong in the midst of it.
This was such an easy read. There is just something about Cynthia Sax's writing and the cyborgs she creates that I can't get enough of! Her stories are special, her characters are a wonder, and she's definitely earned her place on my must-read list.

Amazon
Kobo
Nook
iBooks

He had a smile on his face.
Being a K Model cyborg, he loved to fight. His brutal masters, the Humanoid Alliance, had manufactured him for that purpose. He and his brethren remained enslaved to them and couldn’t choose their opponents, but they could defeat them with zeal.
That wasn’t the reason for his joy.
After ten planet rotations of separation, he would finally return to the Humanoid Alliance base with his brethren. He would see his female, the one being genetically compatible with him.
From the moment, Zebrina, the commander’s daughter, had arrived on Ahki, he had been hers. He’d been standing outside with his fighting batch, being inspected for damage. She’d skipped down the ramp, her generous curves jiggling, her black curls bouncing against her brown cheeks.
His female had been a vibrant beam of hope in a gray and dismal world. Everyone, including himself, had been drawn to her.
Then her delectable scent filled his nostrils and that attraction multiplied exponentially. His circuits surged. His heart pounded. A part of him that had been deactivated came online. It had taken all of his willpower to keep his expression blank.
She said hi to everyone, her light, bubbly tone belying the keen intelligence in her big blue eyes. Stealth and his fellow cyborgs had been included in her greeting, much to their delight.
The commander, a harsh human she referred to irreverently as Daddy, told her not to talk to the machines. Zebrina giggled and said they looked like her dollies.
She then brushed her fingers across Stealth’s right shoulder, a light touch he felt to his metal frame, and he knew the attraction was mutual. Their relationship was doomed. She was human, the daughter of his tormenter, and he was a cyborg, designed to die fighting.
Every moment with her was a gift, a reward for having survived as long as he had.

She lives in a world filled with magic and romance. Although her heroes may not always say, “I love you,” they will do anything for the women they adore. They live passionately. They play hard. They love the same women forever.
Cynthia has loved the same wonderful man forever. Her supportive hubby offers himself up to the joys and pains of research, while they travel the world together, meeting fascinating people and finding inspiration in exotic places such as Istanbul, Bali, and Chicago.
To find out more about Cynthia Sax and her books, visit her website: http://cynthiasax.com/

When he'd intercepted that package, he'd been searching for revenge.
He'd been delivered salvation instead.

Forbidden Flame by Alison Aimes
Standalone - Ruthless Warlords #1.5
Release - February 8, 2021
Genre - SciFi Omegaverse Romance/revenge plot
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 4.5 out of 5
Format/Source - eARC provided by the author
Length - 138 pages
Publisher - Indie
He's out for revenge. She's out to escape. Neither intends to fall in love.
His instructions are simple: do not open the bag. To escape exile and enact revenge, crime boss Magnus Avitus agrees to play the part of errand boy. But when the volatile package he’s been tasked with delivering begins to squirm, he has to take a peek. He never expects to come face-to-face with her. Or to have everything inside him roar "mine."
Her plans are simple: escape the bag and those intent on using her. But when omega Amora Rose's prison is unpacked before she can free herself, she is claimed by ferocious, scarred warlord who makes her heart whisper "mine."
Except she has a secret that’s about to send all their simple plans up in flames.

I'm seriously in love with everything I've come across from this author. And again, Alison Aimes has delivered a must-read romance I have to recommend! I was in a huge book slump and this story was not only unputdownable, but easy and fun to read... oh and it was very, very hot!

Amazon
Nook
Kobo
iBooks
Google


During all her abductions -- and there'd been plenty -- she'd never encountered an Alpha like this one before. He was bigger and stronger than any she'd ever come across. More savage and wild too. He could really hurt her.
But it was hard to hold on to that worry when each of his rumbled commands only made her burn hotter.
Because he was also the most mouthwatering, sexy Alpha she'd ever seen.
Too much more of his scent and dirty promises, and she'd be in heat.
Then they'd both be in real trouble.
But it was hard to hold on to that worry when each of his rumbled commands only made her burn hotter.
Because he was also the most mouthwatering, sexy Alpha she'd ever seen.
Too much more of his scent and dirty promises, and she'd be in heat.
Then they'd both be in real trouble.

Find all of her information and other books on her site: https://alisonaimes.com/

"Pain and pleasure." His voice was a dark rasp against her ear. "That's how you know you're alive, fighter girl. That's how you know you've got something left to give."

Trapped by Alison Aimes
Standalone - The Condemned #1
Release - March 1, 2016
Genre - Dystopian SciFi Romance
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat - 3.5 out of 5
Format/Source - ebook purchase
Length - 236 pages
Publisher - Orchid Publishing
“Convicts don’t ask. They take.”
Marooned on a primitive prison planet , Bella West has one chance for survival until rescue arrives: trade her body for protection.
The ripped hulk who claims her is more beast than man. Convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, ex-soldier Caine Anders has lost his humanity after eight grueling years on a hazardous planet of dirt, rock, and treacherous inhabitants.
He looks out for himself and never grows attached. So, when the bold female offers him pleasure in return for protection, he takes the deal without hesitation. He never expects her touch to alter him. Or to feel something beyond lust.
But caring for someone on Dragath25 may be the greatest hazard of all. And, as the dangers multiply, it’s no longer certain whether she’ll be the key to his salvation or his destruction....
The first book in the Condemned Series, TRAPPED is a stand alone, action-packed, sexy sci-fi romance with a HEA, a strong heroine willing to do what it takes to survive, and a scorching hot, broken alpha hero you can’t help but fall in love with.

"You're everything to me, fighter girl. I'd die for you."
It's the year 9015 and Earth is destroyed. Desperate to find new resources to replenish all that has been lost, Earth has sent scientists and soldiers to their prison planet to see if there's anything there that can help. After their ship crashed, killing most of the crew, Bella makes the sacrifice that enables their survival - anything Convict wants, he can have. And oh how quickly obligation turns to love!
"I don't know what the future holds, but I do know nothing has ever felt as right as your hand in mine."
Her body to preserve the lives of her friends seems like a noble sacrifice. Dragath25 is a danger zone and she needs someone who knows the terrain to keep them going until rescue can come. However, surviving soon turns into thriving and Convict may just be the most honorable, most kind, and most amazing male she has ever met.
He liked her spirit. Her courage and the way she looked out for her colleagues and her siblings. He liked her toughness and her tenacity. Her resilience and her sense of fairness. Even her fierceness when he was being an ass.
Okay, so this story was steamily interesting and reaffirmed my love for all things Alison Aimes. I'm still new to reading from the scifi romance genre, but she has quickly earned a spot on my must-read list!

Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo

She whirled and discovered small bubbles on the surface of the water. An inky cloud of red and brown streamed in all directions followed by foamy white. Then a dark head broke the surface and he was standing before her, waist high in the water, a mud man no more.
Her mouth opened on a tiny o.
Without the dirt, dark, thick hair, shorn close to his scalp, was now visible. Along with olive skin, a wide forehead, low brows, firm lips, and a square jaw. Tiny droplets left his long lashes spikey while rivulets of water tracked over chiseled cheekbones down his sculpted chest and abdomen to a small trail of dark hair that snaked from his belly button to disappear into the water. Scars of various length and width tracked across miles of pure, hard muscle.
My God, mud man was a flesh and blood man—an incredibly masculine one. If she’d met him at the Academy or the barracks on Earth, she would have been unable to stop staring. He was that beautiful.
Then his hand shot out and her daze shattered.
With a hiss, she stumbled back.
One dark eyebrow rose. “Here.”
She looked down to see a small white bar in his hand.
“It’s soap.” His tone was brusque. “The drones dump trash from Earth. Use it.”
“Thank you.” It took all her courage to reach out and take the bar from his hand. “I—I’ve never used it before. The Academy only allows lasers for cleaning. The use of water was banned a long time ago.” She stopped short.
Of course, he knew that. He wasn’t from some distant galaxy. He was from Earth. He just wasn’t welcome there anymore.
His lips flat lined. “I’ve been here a while, but not as long as that.”
Was that a joke? His expression offered no clue.
“Of course.” Hands shaking, she took the soap and rubbed it against her arm. The blood stayed put. She rubbed harder.
She hadn’t expected this…this talking. Or the kindness of a bath—with soap. It was confusing.
“You need the water to make it work.” Rough hands reached out and took the soap, dunking it under the water, making that same foamy circle she’d seen before.
“Turn around.” His voice had gone husky again.
That overworked heart of hers started up double time once again. Her feet remained planted where they were.
He waited for longer than she would have expected before he spoke again, his jaw locked tight. “Anything?” It was a reminder. A reproach. A challenge.
And her last chance to change her mind.
Her eyes sunk shut. I can do this. I need to do this.
She whirled around, bracing for a grab. A strike. But the deliberate slow glide of a calloused fingertip down the bumps of her spine slammed through her with more force than any blow.

Find all of her information and other books on her site: https://alisonaimes.com/


The Young & the Sinner by V.T. Do
Standalone - The Entangled Past series
Release - February 15, 2021
Genre - Contemporary Romance/age gap
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat - extremely slow build/4 out of 5
Format/Source - eARC provided by the author
Length - 469 pages
Publisher - Indie
Mason:
Olivia Williams is everything I’m not supposed to want. Pure. Sweet. Young.
I know better than to seduce an innocent. I know better than to fall for my brother’s ward. There is just something about her that I can’t get enough of. Something I can’t stay away from.
I tried to resist her in the beginning. Tried to leave her alone—let her heal from her family’s mistake. Let her grow up in that happy existence she is trying so hard to build with my brother.
Then tragedy strikes, and I find I can no longer stay away from her. I want to protect her from every hurt in this world, protect that innocence in those deep, brown eyes. But can I protect her from myself? What happens when you’re the reason the girl you love is hurting? What happens when you are the villain in her fairy tale? Can she ever forgive me for my past sins? And more importantly, would she want to when all of my hideous secrets come to light?
Olivia:
Mason Kade is everything I’m not. Dominant. Confident. Beautiful…
Sinner.
I know better than to fall for that enigmatic smile of his. I know better than to fall for my guardian’s brother. There is just something about him that makes me want to sink in a little deeper each time. He is the one temptation I can’t abstain from. Even when he tries to resist us, I see the truth in those bottomless blue eyes of his. He wants me. And I will do whatever it takes to keep him.
I should have listened to his warning instead. I know better than to build my hopes and dreams on a fairy tale. Yet, I naively thought he would be my happily ever after.
That’s my mistake.

This read more like a coming-of-age romance than anything else. It took a long while for the relationship to build and to be. I think my biggest issue with this story was that it was too long. There was so much time spent on Olivia's repetitive thoughts and emotions that it felt like it took forever to get to the meat of the story. Slow build would be an understatement, however, when it finally came, it was hot and sweet and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked the writing, the main characters, and even the side characters proved to be interesting. I loved Max the most though. I know, I was surprised too. With someone like him in your corner, you can't help but be the best you can be. He was awesome!!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tr8SSr


Happy Tuesday and welcome to another TTT! I almost missed making this post (again) because I got all caught up in Animal Crossing. I know, I know... I'm addicted. Whatever! I've finally got a 5-star island and I intend to keep it that way!! Anyhoozits... This meme is hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl and this week's TTT theme is Books Written Before I Was Born. I decided to show you the books that were published in the year of my birth that I actually read. Can you guess what year I was born in?

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter

Tales of the Unexpected by Roald Dahl

Amelia Bedelia Helps Out by Peggy Parish

Oh Say Can You Say by Dr. Seuss

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

The Dead Zone by Stephen King
Have you ever read any of these books? I have a few of them slated as re-reads for some time in my life. Have you guessed my birth year yet?
xo, Natalie

I hope we all find amazing reads in February!
The Best of January

See my review HERE
The other books I've read this month, which were all pretty great, include:
Quintessentially Q by Pepper Winters
Twisted Together by Pepper Winters
Repeat Offender by Lani Lynn Vale
Girl Meets Boys by Ari Reavis
Captain by Lauren Rowe
Stolen by Alison Aimes
The Revelation of Light and Dark by Sawyer Bennett
Ball Peen Hammer by Lauren Rowe
Call You Mine by Claudia Burgoa
Quintessentially Q by Pepper Winters
Twisted Together by Pepper Winters
Repeat Offender by Lani Lynn Vale
Girl Meets Boys by Ari Reavis
Captain by Lauren Rowe
Stolen by Alison Aimes
The Revelation of Light and Dark by Sawyer Bennett
Ball Peen Hammer by Lauren Rowe
Call You Mine by Claudia Burgoa
Book Haul
Added to my TBR
Coldhearted Heir by Michelle Heard
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Heiress by Molly Greeley
Riot House by Callie Hart
The Songbook of Benny Lament by Amy Harmon
About a Dragon by G.A. Aiken
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Heiress by Molly Greeley
Riot House by Callie Hart
The Songbook of Benny Lament by Amy Harmon
About a Dragon by G.A. Aiken
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons