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Clecanian #2
Freeing Luka
Luka has spent his life researching fertility in the hopes of discovering a cure for the Clecanians’ low birth rates. After years of working tirelessly with little progress, he becomes enraged when he uncovers a sinister plot to abduct compatible species from their home planets. But before he can tell anyone what he’s discovered, he’s captured, drugged, and thrown in a cell.
It’s just Alice’s luck that when she finally begins to get her life on track, she’s kidnapped by reptilian creatures and forced into a cell with a fierce incoherent alien for some kind of breeding experiment.
Even though they aren’t able to communicate, Alice and Luka find solace in each other’s company. As the days drag on, it becomes harder to keep her heart locked away, until she can’t help but wonder what a life with Luka might look like outside their dark prison. When an opportunity to free herself, Luka, and the other human prisoners presents itself, Alice takes it.
Once free, can Alice and Luka’s tenuous relationship survive on this planet? Will the evil men that held them prisoner ever see justice? And can they play a part in the rescue of the other women being held captive around this strange new world? Alice knows only one thing for certain—her life will never be the same again.
It’s just Alice’s luck that when she finally begins to get her life on track, she’s kidnapped by reptilian creatures and forced into a cell with a fierce incoherent alien for some kind of breeding experiment.
Even though they aren’t able to communicate, Alice and Luka find solace in each other’s company. As the days drag on, it becomes harder to keep her heart locked away, until she can’t help but wonder what a life with Luka might look like outside their dark prison. When an opportunity to free herself, Luka, and the other human prisoners presents itself, Alice takes it.
Once free, can Alice and Luka’s tenuous relationship survive on this planet? Will the evil men that held them prisoner ever see justice? And can they play a part in the rescue of the other women being held captive around this strange new world? Alice knows only one thing for certain—her life will never be the same again.
307 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 8, 2020
About the author
Victoria Aveline
11 books3,778 followersVictoria Aveline has always enjoyed immersing herself in a good romance. Alpha males are her weakness but, while possessive dominating heroes have always been titillating, she craved something more. So she decided to create a world in which devastatingly sexy men could be aggressive and domineering but still bow down before the matriarchy.
Victoria lives with her husband, dog, and about sixty thousand badass honey-making ladies. When not writing or fantasizing about future characters, she enjoys traveling, reading, and sipping overpriced hipster cocktails.
Victoria lives with her husband, dog, and about sixty thousand badass honey-making ladies. When not writing or fantasizing about future characters, she enjoys traveling, reading, and sipping overpriced hipster cocktails.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,847 reviews
May 29, 2023
Luka is like the ali-express version of Theo.
He's cute but just not as good as the original.
♡
☙ ⏤⏤⏤⏤ ❧
Back with my bic Cecelia againnn! 🩷🩷
☙ ⏤⏤⏤⏤ ❧
He's cute but just not as good as the original.
♡
☙ ⏤⏤⏤⏤ ❧
Back with my bic Cecelia againnn! 🩷🩷
☙ ⏤⏤⏤⏤ ❧
July 11, 2020
Not as good as Theo’s story.
What’s incredibly annoying about this author so far as I’ve only read 2 books by her, is that she takes forever to get the story going to when the H and h finally get together. More than 60% of the book has gone by and you could fit their total sum of interacts on a max of 5 pages. They barely interacted, barely anything happened, barely any investigation happened. Where’s the plot? Where’s the story? It’s there but minimally. I didn’t like Jade from last book and Alice was even worse. She kept comparing Luka to her past relationships, which I get can color your opinion on things, but what was frustrating was that LUKA IS NOT HUMAN and rather than learn more about how they work she was stuck inside her head preventing her from being with Luka. We get to about 70% or so when she finally starts softening her stupidity about her feelings for him.
So much of this book was boring.
Endless descriptions, but nothing in depth in terms of relationships, learning more about their world, learning history of these people, etc. so much could have gone further but really the major focal point is the romance. But there’s barely any romance. There’s barely any investigation. I’m intrigued by this different series but it doesn’t do enough for me. I’ll give her 1 more book to sweep me off my feet, but I’m not holding my breath.
Alice was stupid, annoying, dense, and illogical sometimes. Basing your feelings on not being a doormat, but not learning how these people court a mate or potential person they are into, is good but the wrong time. This was not the time for Alice to have a backbone she looked idiotic when we’d go to Luka’s POV and all he wanted was for her to acknowledge him.
We get a tiny taste of more in the whole smuggling of humans things, but barely. ALL the action happens at like the 90%-95% mark. You wait that long to have someone sabotage them or lure them to a trap or something and it’s just anticlimactic.
Honestly I prefer Brides of the Kindred series over this so far. I WANT to like it. There’s so much here to explore and it completely fell short.
Read with Gotta Have Romance with a Kick Goodreads Group.
What’s incredibly annoying about this author so far as I’ve only read 2 books by her, is that she takes forever to get the story going to when the H and h finally get together. More than 60% of the book has gone by and you could fit their total sum of interacts on a max of 5 pages. They barely interacted, barely anything happened, barely any investigation happened. Where’s the plot? Where’s the story? It’s there but minimally. I didn’t like Jade from last book and Alice was even worse. She kept comparing Luka to her past relationships, which I get can color your opinion on things, but what was frustrating was that LUKA IS NOT HUMAN and rather than learn more about how they work she was stuck inside her head preventing her from being with Luka. We get to about 70% or so when she finally starts softening her stupidity about her feelings for him.
So much of this book was boring.
Endless descriptions, but nothing in depth in terms of relationships, learning more about their world, learning history of these people, etc. so much could have gone further but really the major focal point is the romance. But there’s barely any romance. There’s barely any investigation. I’m intrigued by this different series but it doesn’t do enough for me. I’ll give her 1 more book to sweep me off my feet, but I’m not holding my breath.
Alice was stupid, annoying, dense, and illogical sometimes. Basing your feelings on not being a doormat, but not learning how these people court a mate or potential person they are into, is good but the wrong time. This was not the time for Alice to have a backbone she looked idiotic when we’d go to Luka’s POV and all he wanted was for her to acknowledge him.
We get a tiny taste of more in the whole smuggling of humans things, but barely. ALL the action happens at like the 90%-95% mark. You wait that long to have someone sabotage them or lure them to a trap or something and it’s just anticlimactic.
Honestly I prefer Brides of the Kindred series over this so far. I WANT to like it. There’s so much here to explore and it completely fell short.
Read with Gotta Have Romance with a Kick Goodreads Group.
July 23, 2020
Hmmm~
Did I enjoy this book? Yes, it was a fun time pass.
Did I finish it in one sitting? No, I could and did easily put it down.
Would I reread it? No . . .
Freeing Luka was absolutely no different from any other book in the genre. There wasn't even a single thing that was new or exciting. You could see every plot directions a mile off.
Now this is apparently a popular opinion when I say, this book had NONE of the elements that I really really LOVED in it's predecessor. Choosing Theo I would still smash into people's faces saying, READ IT! And reread it myself a couple times too.
But this one was a real dud in comparison.
TL;DR: The characters were nice, the miscommunications-not so and the plot was cookie cutter. I will still continue the series.
May 30, 2024
My love for this series transcends all reason.
The story lines are cheesy as hell and I can’t claim that the writing is particularly good, but I am eating these up. The only explanation I can give is that the author has tapped into some secret fantasy I didn’t even know I had. These grumpy men are bizarrely perfect and apparently I am fully on board with someone acting like a possessive caveman if it means they’re obsessed with me. (obviously I’m always the main character 💁🏼♀️)
I laughed out loud reading their relationship negotiations and thought all of his work arounds for her “rules” were hilarious. I can already guess at some of the future plot lines and I am fully here for all of it. I really hope they eventually make their way to earth. I’m imagining some sort of Bachelor style contest to be chosen which I think could be so funny. 😅
Go ahead and sign me up! 🙋🏼♀️🛸
_______________________________________________
I think I have to officially label these as a guilty pleasure because I was downright giddy when this dropped into my Libby account an hour ago. I immediately started it ahead of my other 8 downloads. 😅
The heart wants what it wants I guess. 🤷🏼♀️ Clearly, my heart wants more cheesy alien romance — who am I to deny it? 🙃😜
The story lines are cheesy as hell and I can’t claim that the writing is particularly good, but I am eating these up. The only explanation I can give is that the author has tapped into some secret fantasy I didn’t even know I had. These grumpy men are bizarrely perfect and apparently I am fully on board with someone acting like a possessive caveman if it means they’re obsessed with me. (obviously I’m always the main character 💁🏼♀️)
I laughed out loud reading their relationship negotiations and thought all of his work arounds for her “rules” were hilarious. I can already guess at some of the future plot lines and I am fully here for all of it. I really hope they eventually make their way to earth. I’m imagining some sort of Bachelor style contest to be chosen which I think could be so funny. 😅
Go ahead and sign me up! 🙋🏼♀️🛸
_______________________________________________
I think I have to officially label these as a guilty pleasure because I was downright giddy when this dropped into my Libby account an hour ago. I immediately started it ahead of my other 8 downloads. 😅
The heart wants what it wants I guess. 🤷🏼♀️ Clearly, my heart wants more cheesy alien romance — who am I to deny it? 🙃😜
August 28, 2022
Good, but not great!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Romance: 💚🖤💙💜
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌍
Character development: 😢🙃🙂☺️
The heroine: Alice - she was abducted from Earth and woke up to find that she was taken to another planet to be used in breeding experiments by an alien race called Clecanians whose females had very low birth rates and only gave birth to males. In order to save their species, a faction of insurgents started illegally testing members of their own society and females of other species.
The Hero: Luka - He is half Clecanian and is a scientist who has studied the infertility of his species and when he finds out that a group of insurgents led by his former coworker have a nefarious plot to take female captives of other races for unscrupulous breeding experiments, he wants to stop it, but is taken captive by the rebels, chained up, tortured and forced to take different drugs.
The Story: When Alice is taken captive and transported to the same laboratory as Luka, he sees her and his eyes change colors, meaning he recognized her as his mate. The insurgents are ecstatic about the fact that Luka recognized Alice and pump him up with drugs to increase his libido and put her in a room with him. They want to see if Luka’s mating marks appear on his wrists to show that he and Alice are a bonded pair.
Luka, Alice and some other human females escape from the facility in the mountains and Luka, still on the drugs, takes Alice away. Though they get separated very quickly. I liked the story as much as the fourth book in this series, Tempting Auzed which I read first. It was nice that this one takes place in a different setting with different local customs and a very different plot.
The book was told in dual points of view via solo narration. The narration was done by Stephen Dexter. I usually like romance books with both a male and a female narrator, though if there is only one narrator, I like males better than females and Stephen Dexter does a good job. I was able to focus on the story and not an annoying narrator voice. I didn’t think this story was quite as good as Tempting Auzed, but it was still a good one and like that book, the world building was terrific.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Romance: 💚🖤💙💜
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌍
Character development: 😢🙃🙂☺️
The heroine: Alice - she was abducted from Earth and woke up to find that she was taken to another planet to be used in breeding experiments by an alien race called Clecanians whose females had very low birth rates and only gave birth to males. In order to save their species, a faction of insurgents started illegally testing members of their own society and females of other species.
The Hero: Luka - He is half Clecanian and is a scientist who has studied the infertility of his species and when he finds out that a group of insurgents led by his former coworker have a nefarious plot to take female captives of other races for unscrupulous breeding experiments, he wants to stop it, but is taken captive by the rebels, chained up, tortured and forced to take different drugs.
The Story: When Alice is taken captive and transported to the same laboratory as Luka, he sees her and his eyes change colors, meaning he recognized her as his mate. The insurgents are ecstatic about the fact that Luka recognized Alice and pump him up with drugs to increase his libido and put her in a room with him. They want to see if Luka’s mating marks appear on his wrists to show that he and Alice are a bonded pair.
Luka, Alice and some other human females escape from the facility in the mountains and Luka, still on the drugs, takes Alice away. Though they get separated very quickly. I liked the story as much as the fourth book in this series, Tempting Auzed which I read first. It was nice that this one takes place in a different setting with different local customs and a very different plot.
The book was told in dual points of view via solo narration. The narration was done by Stephen Dexter. I usually like romance books with both a male and a female narrator, though if there is only one narrator, I like males better than females and Stephen Dexter does a good job. I was able to focus on the story and not an annoying narrator voice. I didn’t think this story was quite as good as Tempting Auzed, but it was still a good one and like that book, the world building was terrific.
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub
Shelved as 'pnr-aliens-monsters-and-gods'
May 26, 2023My PIC Anouk and I had so much fun, we had to continue the Clecanian party!
July 25, 2024
4 Stars
This second installment did not disappoint, and I liked it better than the first!
Continuing the unique storyline of an advanced alien race who shares a common ancestor with humans, it’s discovered that humans may be the answer to their dire fertility problems. Thing is, there are some rogue factions who will stop at nothing to save their people with little regard to basic rights and free will.
As in the first book, Alice is a human captive, and it's discovered she invoked Luka’s mate bond who was working undercover to find out more information and was caught. They’re both prisoners and are forced to carry out the whims of a mad scientist. Ultimately, they escape and must navigate the political and cultural ramifications of the newly returned fated mates phenomena, not to mention their own conflicting undeniable feelings.
I will say that Luka was the classic yummy alpha male. His alien nature makes him powerful, more aggressive, and a bit more dangerous, but he also had some well founded vulnerabilities and a tender center that made him even sexier. Alice cant help but fall for him but wonders if the bond is only sex fueled. She doesn’t want to jump blindly into an irresistible, but foundationless, relationship and be trapped, having had her share of abusive boyfriends in the past.
Again, this by no means breaks any barriers in the alien/human fated mates trope, but I’m finding that it’s currently quite addictive especially since the males are super duper sexy and the females so far have not annoyed me. The UST and spice are also very nice!
Overall, I call this a huge win on all fronts, and I’m off to read the next book! Wish me luck that it continues to deliver the goods!
Clecanian Series
1. Choosing Theo - 3.5 Stars
2. Freeing Luka - 4 Stars
3. Saving Verako - 3.5 Stars
4. Tempting Auzed - 4 Stars
5. Using Fejo - 4 Stars
5.5. Releasing Maladek - 4 Stars
6. Resisting Maxu - 4.5 Stars!
7. Ruling Sikthand - 4.5 Stars!
This second installment did not disappoint, and I liked it better than the first!
Continuing the unique storyline of an advanced alien race who shares a common ancestor with humans, it’s discovered that humans may be the answer to their dire fertility problems. Thing is, there are some rogue factions who will stop at nothing to save their people with little regard to basic rights and free will.
As in the first book, Alice is a human captive, and it's discovered she invoked Luka’s mate bond who was working undercover to find out more information and was caught. They’re both prisoners and are forced to carry out the whims of a mad scientist. Ultimately, they escape and must navigate the political and cultural ramifications of the newly returned fated mates phenomena, not to mention their own conflicting undeniable feelings.
I will say that Luka was the classic yummy alpha male. His alien nature makes him powerful, more aggressive, and a bit more dangerous, but he also had some well founded vulnerabilities and a tender center that made him even sexier. Alice cant help but fall for him but wonders if the bond is only sex fueled. She doesn’t want to jump blindly into an irresistible, but foundationless, relationship and be trapped, having had her share of abusive boyfriends in the past.
Again, this by no means breaks any barriers in the alien/human fated mates trope, but I’m finding that it’s currently quite addictive especially since the males are super duper sexy and the females so far have not annoyed me. The UST and spice are also very nice!
Overall, I call this a huge win on all fronts, and I’m off to read the next book! Wish me luck that it continues to deliver the goods!
Clecanian Series
1. Choosing Theo - 3.5 Stars
2. Freeing Luka - 4 Stars
3. Saving Verako - 3.5 Stars
4. Tempting Auzed - 4 Stars
5. Using Fejo - 4 Stars
5.5. Releasing Maladek - 4 Stars
6. Resisting Maxu - 4.5 Stars!
7. Ruling Sikthand - 4.5 Stars!
June 8, 2023
sleep? no
stay up till 1 am binge reading alien porn with fluff? yes
stay up till 1 am binge reading alien porn with fluff? yes
November 24, 2023
3.5 ⭐️ Luke is just so f*cking hot!
Summary:
Luka, Theo's brother, is a fertility researcher trying to discover a cure for the Clecanians' low birth rates. He uncovers a sinister plot by a fellow scientist to abduct compatible species. But before he can tell anyone what he discovered, Luka is captured, drugged, and thrown in a cell.
Alice is kidnapped by reptilian creatures and forced into a cell with a drugged and incoherent Luka for some kind of breeding experiment. Even though they aren't able to communicate, Alice and Luka find solace in each other's company. As the days pass, Alice starts to wonder what a life with Luka might look like outside of the prison. When an opportunity to free herself, Luka, and other human prisoners present itself, Alice takes it.
Once free, Alice and Luka have a hard time navigating their relationship. Is what they feel for each other real or is it because they shared trauma or is it the mating marks that appeared once they were free? Neither Alice nor Luka want to push the other into something they don't truly want, which leads to a lot of misunderstandings.
My Thoughts:
This was an entertaining story overall, and I mostly enjoyed how it expanded the abduction plot.
What I loved:
The world-building. We learn so much more about the Clecanians' history and planet!
Discovering more of the nefarious plot about abducting humans. Turns out these weren't random abductions, and it's widespread and led by a secret organization! I’m excited to see where this goes and who’s really behind it!
Luka and Alice��s playfulness with each other (once they finally overcome the relationship hurdles). They’re so damn cute. I love how Alice brings out his goofy side. ☺️
The sexual tension and spice. I would say there's more smolder than smut in this story, but it's good all the same. I especially loved when Luka calls Alice ‘mine’ and ‘good girl’. 🥵
What I didn’t enjoy:
The pacing. The beginning and end were interesting but the middle was a bit slow.
The miscommunication drama. How did Luka and Alice read the other so wrong once they got free? They’re both worried the other doesn’t like them, and instead of being vulnerable and just talking about how they feel, they get defensive and push each other away. Then, even after accepting the mate bond, Alice still doubts Luka’s feelings, believing he only wants her because of the bond and doesn’t really love her. Like come on, does she not comprehend wtf being mates means? If so, ask someone to learn more about it! Don’t make assumptions.
Alice’s annoying character crisis. Alice usually is a forgiving person but after being abducted, she’s done being a ‘pushover’ and forgiving because she decided to put herself first. So, instead of trying to understand Luka’s intense mated behavior towards her, she gets mad and stand-offish. It just seemed too convenient of a problem that’s only been added to create conflict.
Overall, it was a good addition to the story! I am still excited about the series and eager to start the next book, Saving Verakko!
Clecanian Series + Ratings
💎 = Favorites
1. Choosing Theo - 4.25/5
2. Freeing Luka - 3.5/5
3. Saving Verakko - 4.5/5 💎
4. Tempting Auzed - 4/5
5. Using Fejo - 5/5 💎
5.5. Releasing Maladek - 4.5/5
6. Resisting Maxu - 3.5/5
7. Ruling Sikthand - 5/5 💎
8. TBD
Summary:
Luka, Theo's brother, is a fertility researcher trying to discover a cure for the Clecanians' low birth rates. He uncovers a sinister plot by a fellow scientist to abduct compatible species. But before he can tell anyone what he discovered, Luka is captured, drugged, and thrown in a cell.
Alice is kidnapped by reptilian creatures and forced into a cell with a drugged and incoherent Luka for some kind of breeding experiment. Even though they aren't able to communicate, Alice and Luka find solace in each other's company. As the days pass, Alice starts to wonder what a life with Luka might look like outside of the prison. When an opportunity to free herself, Luka, and other human prisoners present itself, Alice takes it.
Once free, Alice and Luka have a hard time navigating their relationship. Is what they feel for each other real or is it because they shared trauma or is it the mating marks that appeared once they were free? Neither Alice nor Luka want to push the other into something they don't truly want, which leads to a lot of misunderstandings.
My Thoughts:
This was an entertaining story overall, and I mostly enjoyed how it expanded the abduction plot.
What I loved:
The world-building. We learn so much more about the Clecanians' history and planet!
Discovering more of the nefarious plot about abducting humans. Turns out these weren't random abductions, and it's widespread and led by a secret organization! I’m excited to see where this goes and who’s really behind it!
Luka and Alice��s playfulness with each other (once they finally overcome the relationship hurdles). They’re so damn cute. I love how Alice brings out his goofy side. ☺️
The sexual tension and spice. I would say there's more smolder than smut in this story, but it's good all the same. I especially loved when Luka calls Alice ‘mine’ and ‘good girl’. 🥵
What I didn’t enjoy:
The pacing. The beginning and end were interesting but the middle was a bit slow.
The miscommunication drama. How did Luka and Alice read the other so wrong once they got free? They’re both worried the other doesn’t like them, and instead of being vulnerable and just talking about how they feel, they get defensive and push each other away. Then, even after accepting the mate bond, Alice still doubts Luka’s feelings, believing he only wants her because of the bond and doesn’t really love her. Like come on, does she not comprehend wtf being mates means? If so, ask someone to learn more about it! Don’t make assumptions.
Alice’s annoying character crisis. Alice usually is a forgiving person but after being abducted, she’s done being a ‘pushover’ and forgiving because she decided to put herself first. So, instead of trying to understand Luka’s intense mated behavior towards her, she gets mad and stand-offish. It just seemed too convenient of a problem that’s only been added to create conflict.
Overall, it was a good addition to the story! I am still excited about the series and eager to start the next book, Saving Verakko!
Clecanian Series + Ratings
💎 = Favorites
1. Choosing Theo - 4.25/5
2. Freeing Luka - 3.5/5
3. Saving Verakko - 4.5/5 💎
4. Tempting Auzed - 4/5
5. Using Fejo - 5/5 💎
5.5. Releasing Maladek - 4.5/5
6. Resisting Maxu - 3.5/5
7. Ruling Sikthand - 5/5 💎
8. TBD
December 17, 2020
I enjoyed this one, but for some reason I didn't connect as much to the characters as I did in the first book.
Kinda felt like I had to drag myself to finish the story after they moved on from the facility.
But I will look out for the next book in the series because I still feel like theres potential!
Kinda felt like I had to drag myself to finish the story after they moved on from the facility.
But I will look out for the next book in the series because I still feel like theres potential!
April 22, 2023
Für alle SJM, Ruby Dixon und Black Dagger Fans! Romantisch, unglaublich spannend und mit tollen Figuren. Bin verliebt in die Reihe.
January 3, 2023
➥ 3.5 Stars *:･ﾟ✧
Originally, I set this book on hold when I was already 75% in - that's a little telling, I'd say. Although this novel was somewhat charming and I still enjoy the world that Aveline has created, I'd say this book's main weakness was its incessant dragging and its irritatingly theatrical qualities.
Considering the type of reader who reads saucy paranormal romance, are death and stressful scenes necessary? I understand that plot could form a coherent setup and therefore carry the reader through the love stories of side characters, but here, it is a) boring and b) badly executed.
Still, I this wasn't particularly bad, per se. It has some romantic moments that I actually found to be really touching.
Exhibit A:
However...there were also some moments that I hadn't anticipated to be so disgusting...
It's like quotes like these slip out of the author, and although I do think she has plenty potential, the "my weakness is alpha males" in her description of herself only heightens my concern. Unfortunately, this wasn't the only instance.
??? Cummulatively, throughout the novel, the author also writes the mmc as saying things like "Calm down, female!". Why is the mmc addressing the fmc so rudely and oddly??
Although I enjoyed the first novel in this series and was able to overlook those irritating details, I don't think I'd enjoy continuing this series. I'd love to give this author another try, though, in the future if she considers writing something a little varied and different - maybe a more dominant fmc with a softer mmc, or, of course, a sapphic romance. On that note, I do think it's only fair that I acknowledge and appreciate how, in this author's creation of the world, she included the existence of lgbtq characters, which is unfortunately uncommon in the paranormal romance genre - it's not held to a standard as high as contemporaries or fantasies in terms of diversity and inclusion. Overall, the mmc was just not good enough to me, and his redeeming characteristics were not enough for me to overlook his stark flaws. However, I would like to mention that I really liked the fmc. She was witty, sweet, but also logical and smart. She wasn't necessarily a Strong Heroine™, but I mean to say that she was not one of those substanceless, juvenile fmcs are most commonly occuring.
Instinctively, she stretched out her hand, then recalled Clecanians didn’t shake hands. Before she could lower it again, Luka snatched it, gently massaging it in his hands.
Stepping closer to her, voice as smooth as silk, he said, “You are more than welcome to touch me anywhere you want.” Bringing her upturned hand to his mouth, he slowly kissed her wrist, her pulse jumping at his touch.
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
Originally, I set this book on hold when I was already 75% in - that's a little telling, I'd say. Although this novel was somewhat charming and I still enjoy the world that Aveline has created, I'd say this book's main weakness was its incessant dragging and its irritatingly theatrical qualities.
Considering the type of reader who reads saucy paranormal romance, are death and stressful scenes necessary? I understand that plot could form a coherent setup and therefore carry the reader through the love stories of side characters, but here, it is a) boring and b) badly executed.
Still, I this wasn't particularly bad, per se. It has some romantic moments that I actually found to be really touching.
Exhibit A:
Luka grinned down at her again, the corner of his eyes crinkling, then pulled her into a hug. “You feel everything so deeply, don’t you? That’s wonderful.”
However...there were also some moments that I hadn't anticipated to be so disgusting...
His cock stirred to think how she might repay him if he found a way to help her friend.
It's like quotes like these slip out of the author, and although I do think she has plenty potential, the "my weakness is alpha males" in her description of herself only heightens my concern. Unfortunately, this wasn't the only instance.
My mate is hiding herself from me? He battled the urge to flip her, bend her over the table, and sink into her, proving she could keep nothing from him.
??? Cummulatively, throughout the novel, the author also writes the mmc as saying things like "Calm down, female!". Why is the mmc addressing the fmc so rudely and oddly??
Although I enjoyed the first novel in this series and was able to overlook those irritating details, I don't think I'd enjoy continuing this series. I'd love to give this author another try, though, in the future if she considers writing something a little varied and different - maybe a more dominant fmc with a softer mmc, or, of course, a sapphic romance. On that note, I do think it's only fair that I acknowledge and appreciate how, in this author's creation of the world, she included the existence of lgbtq characters, which is unfortunately uncommon in the paranormal romance genre - it's not held to a standard as high as contemporaries or fantasies in terms of diversity and inclusion. Overall, the mmc was just not good enough to me, and his redeeming characteristics were not enough for me to overlook his stark flaws. However, I would like to mention that I really liked the fmc. She was witty, sweet, but also logical and smart. She wasn't necessarily a Strong Heroine™, but I mean to say that she was not one of those substanceless, juvenile fmcs are most commonly occuring.
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
November 26, 2024
3.5 ⭐
Well, if I thought the first book was a slow burn, this one really took its sweet time. If I had realized I was diving into a MZ slow-burn pace story, I might have reconsidered picking this up. I'm not against it; I'm just not in the mood for something like that. 😅
Anyway, it's finally over, and I think it's okay-ish, but if I'm being honest, it feels like the story really kicked off around the 60% mark. The first 22% of the book focuses on Luka and Alice as captives, where they’re being forced to stay together, and for the signs of mating to show around Luka's wrist.
They managed to get out and were eventually rescued, but during that time, they were separated from 22% to 58% of the way. Alice stayed with the other women who had been rescued while Luka was on the mend for a few days. This part seemed like it was just there to fill space and didn’t add much to the overall story. I feel like this time could've really helped develop their relationship, but instead, they just spent it apart.
And when they finally see each other again, there's no freaking build-up; they went from 0-100, only for Alice to backtrack again, because she can't trust her taste in men. I do get her hesitation, but maaan, they've been apart for weeks now. Instead of getting to know Luka, she's putting him at arm's length, and that's no fun to read. If I were her and I had a handsome alien willing to dote on me, worship the ground I walk on, and protect me for the rest of his life, you can bet your ass I'm going to throw the caution out the window and gladly accept him as my mate. 😍
Moving on, the suspense at the last 10% got me nervous, and it was kinda brutal. But at least the bad guy got his comeuppance. It was still an okay read; I still had fun with it, though I would've wanted more couple time for them, as I feel like not satisfied with their moments together. Tbf, those scenes were sweet and hot. The chemistry and tension were so palpable; hence why I wanted more scenes with them as a couple. 🤷♀️
Anyhoo, let's get to the next book. 😂
Well, if I thought the first book was a slow burn, this one really took its sweet time. If I had realized I was diving into a MZ slow-burn pace story, I might have reconsidered picking this up. I'm not against it; I'm just not in the mood for something like that. 😅
Anyway, it's finally over, and I think it's okay-ish, but if I'm being honest, it feels like the story really kicked off around the 60% mark. The first 22% of the book focuses on Luka and Alice as captives, where they’re being forced to stay together, and for the signs of mating to show around Luka's wrist.
They managed to get out and were eventually rescued, but during that time, they were separated from 22% to 58% of the way. Alice stayed with the other women who had been rescued while Luka was on the mend for a few days. This part seemed like it was just there to fill space and didn’t add much to the overall story. I feel like this time could've really helped develop their relationship, but instead, they just spent it apart.
And when they finally see each other again, there's no freaking build-up; they went from 0-100, only for Alice to backtrack again, because she can't trust her taste in men. I do get her hesitation, but maaan, they've been apart for weeks now. Instead of getting to know Luka, she's putting him at arm's length, and that's no fun to read. If I were her and I had a handsome alien willing to dote on me, worship the ground I walk on, and protect me for the rest of his life, you can bet your ass I'm going to throw the caution out the window and gladly accept him as my mate. 😍
Moving on, the suspense at the last 10% got me nervous, and it was kinda brutal. But at least the bad guy got his comeuppance. It was still an okay read; I still had fun with it, though I would've wanted more couple time for them, as I feel like not satisfied with their moments together. Tbf, those scenes were sweet and hot. The chemistry and tension were so palpable; hence why I wanted more scenes with them as a couple. 🤷♀️
Anyhoo, let's get to the next book. 😂
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2023
Loved it 💜 Alice and Luka were great main characters in their own right. I was happy to see Jade again. She’s a queen 💜😂
The book had a different tone than Choosing Theo though.
In some ways I adored Alice and Luka even more than Jade and Theo. 😍 Their relationship felt more serious and less playful at times. I still enjoyed it, but for different reasons 😊
I was grateful they met so early in the book and connected on a mate level before they really got to know each other. I enjoyed reading about how they both fell for the other as a person. I always like that in a story if it’s done properly and here it really was.
I always really LOVED how after that first misstep Luke tried to be really respectful of Alice and her needs. Consent and being able to recognize and respect other people’s boundaries is my most fav trope 😍
A side note: So far the books aren't very spicy. The build-up and tension is good, but the spice is detailed like once or twice per book, and it's super tame.
The book had a different tone than Choosing Theo though.
In some ways I adored Alice and Luka even more than Jade and Theo. 😍 Their relationship felt more serious and less playful at times. I still enjoyed it, but for different reasons 😊
I was grateful they met so early in the book and connected on a mate level before they really got to know each other. I enjoyed reading about how they both fell for the other as a person. I always like that in a story if it’s done properly and here it really was.
I always really LOVED how after that first misstep Luke tried to be really respectful of Alice and her needs. Consent and being able to recognize and respect other people’s boundaries is my most fav trope 😍
A side note: So far the books aren't very spicy. The build-up and tension is good, but the spice is detailed like once or twice per book, and it's super tame.
October 22, 2021
DNF @54% boring with a long pointless separation and two people who seem to cringe away from each other like wilted flowers
Luka and Alice meet as prisoners in an illegal research facility where they Luka is drugged and chained and Alice is forced to touch him and talk to him. That's the part of the book which I liked best because back then it actually seemed like those two were building a connection.
But then they escaped and Alice is brought to live in a palace with other Earth women, while Luka (who was drugged and knocked out) was brought to his family to recover.
......... months later ................
Luka is invited to the palace by the queen, so he has to go and meet Alice. Good thing because if it were up to him I guess they would have never met again. Alice chats him up and anxiously probes him to figure out whether he hates her guts for what she was forced to do and Luka ..... rudely tells her he doesn't want to talk because his foot hurts (facepalm)
That's half the book.
So yeah, I don't think these two deserve to have a romance. Luka clearly needs human interaction classes and Alice should get a boyfriend who doesn't have his head up his own ass.
Luka and Alice meet as prisoners in an illegal research facility where they Luka is drugged and chained and Alice is forced to touch him and talk to him. That's the part of the book which I liked best because back then it actually seemed like those two were building a connection.
But then they escaped and Alice is brought to live in a palace with other Earth women, while Luka (who was drugged and knocked out) was brought to his family to recover.
......... months later ................
Luka is invited to the palace by the queen, so he has to go and meet Alice. Good thing because if it were up to him I guess they would have never met again. Alice chats him up and anxiously probes him to figure out whether he hates her guts for what she was forced to do and Luka ..... rudely tells her he doesn't want to talk because his foot hurts (facepalm)
That's half the book.
So yeah, I don't think these two deserve to have a romance. Luka clearly needs human interaction classes and Alice should get a boyfriend who doesn't have his head up his own ass.
June 30, 2023
“I hope this helps when you miss your home.”
“It doesn’t matter, though. I can’t miss home, because I am home.”
“You’re my home. I love you.”
Oh, I'm in deep for this series; tbh, I like this one better than the first one. Plot-wise, it's way better, like we know a lot more about the world they live in and what really happened behind all the kidnapping in more detail than the first book.
Also for the romance, I actually loved the way they didn't start it great but were working for it for both of them to be better for each other and find their happy ending💗
This series is very enjoyable, and I just couldn't stop💕
4⭐
“It doesn’t matter, though. I can’t miss home, because I am home.”
“You’re my home. I love you.”
Oh, I'm in deep for this series; tbh, I like this one better than the first one. Plot-wise, it's way better, like we know a lot more about the world they live in and what really happened behind all the kidnapping in more detail than the first book.
Also for the romance, I actually loved the way they didn't start it great but were working for it for both of them to be better for each other and find their happy ending💗
This series is very enjoyable, and I just couldn't stop💕
4⭐
December 6, 2024
Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖 (I wasn’t feeling this book in the beginning but then it turned around for me)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Fairly soon in. I didn’t note it but they are imprisoned together and the heroine catches site of the hero almost immediately
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: yes, one month later
Format: listened to an audiobook from the library (Hoopla)
Why I chose this book: My friend Heather has strongly encouraged me to read the series!
Mains: this is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero (alien) and heroine (human)
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
Ideally, yes. This series has events that unfold in order and you’ll understand the world and culture better if you read in order. If you’re okay with being thrown into the plot, the romances do stand alone though.
Basic plot:
Alice and Luka are held captive together and when they have the opportunity to escape they take it together.
Give this a try if you want:
- science fiction romance
- alien setting (Clecania)
- alien hero / human heroine
- fated mates
- some miscommunication elements
- size difference – hero is over 6 feet tall
- males go to husband school to learn to please their partners
- he can smell when she’s turned on
- researcher/scientist hero
- language barrier in the beginning
- medium steam – I think there’s 2 full scenes?? I might have missed something
First line:
Am I being carried?
My thoughts:
I am conflicted about this one! I think this one had a rough start for me. I was really uncomfortable with the beginning of the book with both of the mains being imprisoned and any kind of sexual tension that was kind of cringe because of the whole situation...once they left that setting, it got better for me.
This book had some aspects of miscommunication in the middle that worked for me because it created this uncertainty in their relationship and made them more uncertain of each other and I ate that up. The latter half I loved...the steamy scenes in this one were really great to me and hooked me.
So, overall I wish this one had gone a bit differently in a few parts, but overall I liked it!
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 2
Average rating: 4 stars
Favorite book: Choosing Theo
Cock/Hero Stats/World Building:
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdowns mean, where to find me, and book clubs
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖 (I wasn’t feeling this book in the beginning but then it turned around for me)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Fairly soon in. I didn’t note it but they are imprisoned together and the heroine catches site of the hero almost immediately
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: yes, one month later
Format: listened to an audiobook from the library (Hoopla)
Why I chose this book: My friend Heather has strongly encouraged me to read the series!
Mains: this is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero (alien) and heroine (human)
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
Ideally, yes. This series has events that unfold in order and you’ll understand the world and culture better if you read in order. If you’re okay with being thrown into the plot, the romances do stand alone though.
Basic plot:
Alice and Luka are held captive together and when they have the opportunity to escape they take it together.
Give this a try if you want:
- science fiction romance
- alien setting (Clecania)
- alien hero / human heroine
- fated mates
- some miscommunication elements
- size difference – hero is over 6 feet tall
- males go to husband school to learn to please their partners
- he can smell when she’s turned on
- researcher/scientist hero
- language barrier in the beginning
- medium steam – I think there’s 2 full scenes?? I might have missed something
First line:
Am I being carried?
My thoughts:
I am conflicted about this one! I think this one had a rough start for me. I was really uncomfortable with the beginning of the book with both of the mains being imprisoned and any kind of sexual tension that was kind of cringe because of the whole situation...once they left that setting, it got better for me.
This book had some aspects of miscommunication in the middle that worked for me because it created this uncertainty in their relationship and made them more uncertain of each other and I ate that up. The latter half I loved...the steamy scenes in this one were really great to me and hooked me.
So, overall I wish this one had gone a bit differently in a few parts, but overall I liked it!
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 2
Average rating: 4 stars
Favorite book: Choosing Theo
Cock/Hero Stats/World Building:
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdowns mean, where to find me, and book clubs
June 29, 2021
✨2.5 stars ✨
Meh. Not as good as book 1.
*audio listened on hoopla
Meh. Not as good as book 1.
*audio listened on hoopla
October 17, 2024
A spoiler-free review of Freeing Luka. Not suitable for readers under 18.
4.5 ☆
Freeing Luka is a sciene fiction romance novel and the second book in the Clecanian series, written by Victoria Aveline.
What is the book about?
Freeing Luka is about a Clecanian scientist, Luka, who uncovers a sinister plot to abduct compatible species for breeding experiments, only to be captured before he can expose the truth. Alice, a human kidnapped by reptilian creatures, finds herself in a cell with Luka.
Despite the language barrier, they form a deep bond. When a chance to escape arises, Alice takes it, freeing herself, Luka, and other human prisoners. But once free, they must navigate their relationship on an alien planet and seek justice for the horrors they've endured, while facing an uncertain future.
My thoughts on the book
I was a little bit skeptical to read this book because I saw that the rating was much lower than the other books in the series on Goodreads, but that didn’t stop me to start reading this book because the synopsis sounded exciting,and that cover looks hot as fuck. Did I enjoy it? Surprisingly yes! What also surprised me the most was how fast-paced it was! A slow reader like me usually finishes a book in about two weeks or more, but this book only took me 4 days to finish. Which is insane!
Luka is a nerdy scientist but a hopeless romantic when he’s with his mate, Alice! Sweet, sexy, patient, protective, possessive, playful, and even clumsy too! 😆
What I really liked about Luka was that he tried to make Alice to like him by gifting plants to her everyday, showing his love and affection to her, taking her to picnics, and introducing her to wildlife. He was adorable! The way he called Alice "love", and purred when he was with with her: stop it! ~ 😭
Shout out to Jade for being his guide when he thought that showing his weakness to Alice wouldn’t be attractive and had to appear strong and uncaring to her instead, and asked Jade to help him! 😤👏🙌
I didn’t find Alice annoying at all, expect that she compared Luka to her ex-boyfriends who had hurted her in the past. I even gave her a side-eyed look on that one because really girl? I was glad that her female friends were there for her. Especially Vanessa, when she pointed out that they weren’t on Earth but Clecania, Luka wasn’t a human but an alien who went to husbandry school to please his mate, and wanted Alice to give him a chance!
Other than that, she is a kind, caring, compassionate, intelligent and brave veteranian which made Luka fall even harder for her.
I liked the other characters such as Vanessa, Izzo, Daisy, Rhaego, Auzed, Verakko, Theo and Jade! Rhaego is a softie as ever. Miss Aveline! I hope that Rhaego will get his own mate soon, and that Izzo and Daisy will get their own book too! 😭🙏
I really enjoyed reading the interaction between Alice and Luka even though a miscommunication occurs between them. And yes, this book does have miscommunication trope in it, which I believe it is also one of the reasons why it got lower rates. As someone who is not a fan of miscommunication trope, I find this kind of miscommunication, in this book, acceptable to be honest because of the language barrier and different cultures. Other than that, it was cute and wholesome.
The sexual tension and spice between Alice and Luka though
The world building was amazing! We will also get to know more about the Clecanian culture, especially why the evil organization kidnapped females from Earth to Clecania. And: I also want to live in the Pearl Temple! 😭🪷
An last but not least: writing style. Victoria Aveline’s writing style was easy and understandable to read.
Overall
It was a great book and fun to read, and please: give this book a try!
I’ve already purchased Saving Verakko and Tempted Auzed a few days ago, and I cannot wait to start reading Saving Verakko and get to know more of Verakko very soon! I have a feeling that this series will be one of my favorite series soon because I might like the rest of the books in the series too! 💜
Originally I did give it a 4 ☆, but I’ve decided to change to 4.5 ☆ instead because I re-read some of my favorite parts and giggled a lot. 🤭
What does this book includes?
💜 Fated mates
💜 Forced proximity
💜 He falls first and harder
💜 Touch-her-and-you-die
💜 Miscommuication
💜 Husbandary school (only in Clecania 🪐🛸🌕✨)
💜 HEA
💜 Alpha males
💜 Tension & spice 🍆
Trigger warning(s)?
Kidnapping/abducting, torture, drugging, stalking, amnesia, and gore.
My ratings in the Clecanian series so far:
Choosing Theo - 4.5 ★★★★★
Freeing Luka - 4.5 ★★★★★
4.5 ☆
"Over the last few days, I’ve grown to like you more than I thought possible, but my soul knew it loved you even when I was drowning in the void of my mind. I’m humbled you feel I’m worthy of your love."
Freeing Luka is a sciene fiction romance novel and the second book in the Clecanian series, written by Victoria Aveline.
What is the book about?
Freeing Luka is about a Clecanian scientist, Luka, who uncovers a sinister plot to abduct compatible species for breeding experiments, only to be captured before he can expose the truth. Alice, a human kidnapped by reptilian creatures, finds herself in a cell with Luka.
Despite the language barrier, they form a deep bond. When a chance to escape arises, Alice takes it, freeing herself, Luka, and other human prisoners. But once free, they must navigate their relationship on an alien planet and seek justice for the horrors they've endured, while facing an uncertain future.
My thoughts on the book
I was a little bit skeptical to read this book because I saw that the rating was much lower than the other books in the series on Goodreads, but that didn’t stop me to start reading this book because the synopsis sounded exciting,
Luka is a nerdy scientist but a hopeless romantic when he’s with his mate, Alice! Sweet, sexy, patient, protective, possessive, playful, and even clumsy too! 😆
What I really liked about Luka was that he tried to make Alice to like him by gifting plants to her everyday, showing his love and affection to her, taking her to picnics, and introducing her to wildlife. He was adorable! The way he called Alice "love", and purred when he was with with her: stop it! ~ 😭
Shout out to Jade for being his guide when he thought that showing his weakness to Alice wouldn’t be attractive and had to appear strong and uncaring to her instead, and asked Jade to help him! 😤👏🙌
I didn’t find Alice annoying at all, expect that she compared Luka to her ex-boyfriends who had hurted her in the past. I even gave her a side-eyed look on that one because really girl? I was glad that her female friends were there for her. Especially Vanessa, when she pointed out that they weren’t on Earth but Clecania, Luka wasn’t a human but an alien who went to husbandry school to please his mate, and wanted Alice to give him a chance!
Other than that, she is a kind, caring, compassionate, intelligent and brave veteranian which made Luka fall even harder for her.
I liked the other characters such as Vanessa, Izzo, Daisy, Rhaego, Auzed, Verakko, Theo and Jade! Rhaego is a softie as ever. Miss Aveline! I hope that Rhaego will get his own mate soon, and that Izzo and Daisy will get their own book too! 😭🙏
I really enjoyed reading the interaction between Alice and Luka even though a miscommunication occurs between them. And yes, this book does have miscommunication trope in it, which I believe it is also one of the reasons why it got lower rates. As someone who is not a fan of miscommunication trope, I find this kind of miscommunication, in this book, acceptable to be honest because of the language barrier and different cultures. Other than that, it was cute and wholesome.
The sexual tension and spice between Alice and Luka though
The world building was amazing! We will also get to know more about the Clecanian culture, especially why the evil organization kidnapped females from Earth to Clecania. And: I also want to live in the Pearl Temple! 😭🪷
An last but not least: writing style. Victoria Aveline’s writing style was easy and understandable to read.
Overall
It was a great book and fun to read, and please: give this book a try!
I’ve already purchased Saving Verakko and Tempted Auzed a few days ago, and I cannot wait to start reading Saving Verakko and get to know more of Verakko very soon! I have a feeling that this series will be one of my favorite series soon because I might like the rest of the books in the series too! 💜
Originally I did give it a 4 ☆, but I’ve decided to change to 4.5 ☆ instead because I re-read some of my favorite parts and giggled a lot. 🤭
What does this book includes?
💜 Fated mates
💜 Forced proximity
💜 He falls first and harder
💜 Touch-her-and-you-die
💜 Miscommuication
💜 Husbandary school (only in Clecania 🪐🛸🌕✨)
💜 HEA
💜 Alpha males
💜 Tension & spice 🍆
Trigger warning(s)?
Kidnapping/abducting, torture, drugging, stalking, amnesia, and gore.
My ratings in the Clecanian series so far:
Choosing Theo - 4.5 ★★★★★
Freeing Luka - 4.5 ★★★★★
August 25, 2023
I was really excited to read this one after seeing what the premise was about.
FMC is abducted, wakes up in a cell, and is forced to get cozy with the prisoner MMC who's recognized her as his mate.
Buuuuuut, I had a couple problems with this.
First of all, the captive section was too low stakes and I don't think the author took advantage of the circumstances the characters were in. They could've really leaned into the shared trauma bonding. But it was if the whole being held captive by a rebel dude for weeks didn't affect either character at all. Make that make sense.
And then there's the fact that this main conflict takes place and gets resolved in the first third of the book. So once they get free, it's focused on the two getting to know each other (or more so Luka trying to court Alice) and it is admittedly boring.
And then there's Alice being told repeatedly, hey maybe you shouldn't view Luka through a human lens and understand he has different instincts, but she remained annoyingly stubborn.
Girl if I had a hottie alien who couldn't keep his hands off me, was protective and possessive as fuck, and was stalking me cause his instincts were riding him that hard, I'D PULL MY HAIR UP IN A PONY AND DROP TO MY KNEES SO FAST.
Speaking of my problems with Alice: what I enjoy about alien romances is the fish out of water, human adapting to the alien way of life montage. This one? Alice had no issues. At all. I'm not saying she should struggle, but it was if these humans were on holiday in a foreign country, not a whole ass different planet.
Luka was a nerdy, horny, sweetie though. I'm not entirely attached to him but I did enjoy his pet names and how domineering he could be.
Overall, this was low angst and low stakes with a bit more world building. It's decent but didn't have me chomping at the bit to binge it.
I will be continuing the series because I hear the later installments are gold tier and to be honest, I desperately need Rhaego to find love.
Rating: 2.5 rounded up to 3
FMC is abducted, wakes up in a cell, and is forced to get cozy with the prisoner MMC who's recognized her as his mate.
Buuuuuut, I had a couple problems with this.
First of all, the captive section was too low stakes and I don't think the author took advantage of the circumstances the characters were in. They could've really leaned into the shared trauma bonding. But it was if the whole being held captive by a rebel dude for weeks didn't affect either character at all. Make that make sense.
And then there's the fact that this main conflict takes place and gets resolved in the first third of the book. So once they get free, it's focused on the two getting to know each other (or more so Luka trying to court Alice) and it is admittedly boring.
And then there's Alice being told repeatedly, hey maybe you shouldn't view Luka through a human lens and understand he has different instincts, but she remained annoyingly stubborn.
Girl if I had a hottie alien who couldn't keep his hands off me, was protective and possessive as fuck, and was stalking me cause his instincts were riding him that hard, I'D PULL MY HAIR UP IN A PONY AND DROP TO MY KNEES SO FAST.
Speaking of my problems with Alice: what I enjoy about alien romances is the fish out of water, human adapting to the alien way of life montage. This one? Alice had no issues. At all. I'm not saying she should struggle, but it was if these humans were on holiday in a foreign country, not a whole ass different planet.
Luka was a nerdy, horny, sweetie though. I'm not entirely attached to him but I did enjoy his pet names and how domineering he could be.
Overall, this was low angst and low stakes with a bit more world building. It's decent but didn't have me chomping at the bit to binge it.
I will be continuing the series because I hear the later installments are gold tier and to be honest, I desperately need Rhaego to find love.
Rating: 2.5 rounded up to 3
July 23, 2020
Loved book 1....not this one
I couldn’t get into this book because it was like the first book didn’t happen and by 1/3 through I decided this one was too slow for me and made no sense.
It would make sense that Helas would already know of the mating of Theo and jade so the entire scenario in the beginning where he acted as if he was oblivious to the previous mating made no sense. This book seem to contradict the groundwork laid by the first book.
For e.g. The purring was noted in the first book as something that happened when happy or content, but in this book purring started as soon as people met, how the heck can you be shackled, drugged, imprisoned and beaten, but yet be happy and content?
In book 1 Jade had to be debriefed and told she needed to marry yet this book was taking the ladies directly to the temple. I stopped reading as I thought the story was going to be a contradicting jumbled mess.
I couldn’t get into this book because it was like the first book didn’t happen and by 1/3 through I decided this one was too slow for me and made no sense.
It would make sense that Helas would already know of the mating of Theo and jade so the entire scenario in the beginning where he acted as if he was oblivious to the previous mating made no sense. This book seem to contradict the groundwork laid by the first book.
For e.g. The purring was noted in the first book as something that happened when happy or content, but in this book purring started as soon as people met, how the heck can you be shackled, drugged, imprisoned and beaten, but yet be happy and content?
In book 1 Jade had to be debriefed and told she needed to marry yet this book was taking the ladies directly to the temple. I stopped reading as I thought the story was going to be a contradicting jumbled mess.
July 9, 2022
5 stars…
I put off reading this for so long because Theos book was so good and when I read the blurb for this one I didn’t think it gave the same vibe but it did. It was really enjoyable again. I love the will they won’t they and the whole insecure amazing guy vibes. Think I liked Theo better but Luka is pretty great and I will continue to read this series for sure.
2/5 on spice. 2/5 on kink. 1/5 on tears. I usually automatically give a kink score of at least 3 when aliens are involved but they are so human like I feel like it doesn’t count.
I put off reading this for so long because Theos book was so good and when I read the blurb for this one I didn’t think it gave the same vibe but it did. It was really enjoyable again. I love the will they won’t they and the whole insecure amazing guy vibes. Think I liked Theo better but Luka is pretty great and I will continue to read this series for sure.
2/5 on spice. 2/5 on kink. 1/5 on tears. I usually automatically give a kink score of at least 3 when aliens are involved but they are so human like I feel like it doesn’t count.
August 6, 2021
Still good but not as good as Theo. I'm giving it a four stars because the beginning made me so sad and fall in love with Luka more.
December 9, 2022
2.5 stars
This was not as good as the first one, but this did have a lot more world building so I’m rounding up instead of down due to the context. The romance itself did nothing for me, sorry folks. I am still loving this series concept though.
This was not as good as the first one, but this did have a lot more world building so I’m rounding up instead of down due to the context. The romance itself did nothing for me, sorry folks. I am still loving this series concept though.
August 23, 2020
2.5 - Came In With a Bang and Went Out With a Whimper - Stars
While I really enjoyed the first book in this series, this second one started out really exciting and then just kind of went blah. Once Alice and Luka, and the other women escaped, the story just kind of petered out and left me a little bored. It was more about Luka and Alice and their mating and getting to know each other. It was just kind of ho hum for me.
The book wasn't terrible but definitely could've been better. I didn't feel the connection to Alice and Luka like I did with Jade and Theo.
I do hope she writes more in this series but I hope future books have the pizzazz of the first one.
While I really enjoyed the first book in this series, this second one started out really exciting and then just kind of went blah. Once Alice and Luka, and the other women escaped, the story just kind of petered out and left me a little bored. It was more about Luka and Alice and their mating and getting to know each other. It was just kind of ho hum for me.
The book wasn't terrible but definitely could've been better. I didn't feel the connection to Alice and Luka like I did with Jade and Theo.
I do hope she writes more in this series but I hope future books have the pizzazz of the first one.
October 5, 2023
**2.9/5 stars**
When Alice wakes up in an unknown place, the only thing she remembers before losing consciousness is strange creatures abducting her. But where is she? She is a captive in a testing facility and she is required to do what they ask. She is not the only one; a strong and scary male who seems to have recognized her as his mate is also captive, and the people working in the facility sees a rare opportunity. They want the male to get his mating marks, and they want Alice to trigger them. Luka, the captive male, is constantly drugged and can never focus. The only thing keeping him grounded and focused is Alice. He doesn't have an updated translator, so they can barely communicate with each other, yet, they grow closer. When Alice gets the chance, she is able to free herself and Luka but also a group of human women who were also held captive...
I'm not going to lie, I was a bit disappointed by this one. And Alice was the one that ruined my mood most of the time. In the past, she'd had some boyfriends who would cheat on her and she would be the type to forgive them, only to be treated the same way again. Yes, she was a doormat. So technically, I should be glad that now that she is on a new planet, she finally decides that enough is enough with her doormat behavior and grows a backbone. The only problem is that, during her time in the facility, Luka did develop the mating bond, and Alice knows that being away from his mate is painful and maddening, yet, she keeps her distance from him. At first, I understood the point, she wanted him to get to know her and want her for her and not because she was his mate. That's fine. But the thing is, her push and pull was irritating. She seemed indecisive and pretty selfish at times. And it dragged way too long, literally starving Luka of the affection he needed and wanted. It even seemed manipulative at times, like she would reward a puppy for good behavior and that didn't sit well with me at all. I think I really liked her at the start because of the kindness she showed when she was in the cell with Luka but later on, her reasoning to keep him away from her was forced.
As for Luka, he was great. Obviously, not as great as Theo in my opinion but he was endearing and protective. I liked that he had a little stalking side to him, where he couldn't stay away from Alice and wanted to see her. He tried his best to accommodate everything Alice requested from him, even through pain. In a way, it made me sad that Alice was keeping him away from her, and for far too long. I think he deserved much better than her. At least, in the end, she did accept him but my opinion of her was already made.
Overall, I think they had a good chemistry but my dislike of Alice's behavior kind of ruined the romance for me. I was annoyed at how long it took them to become intimate. It didn't seem like they really spent a significant amount of time together. The story dragged a bit and bored me in the second half. I felt just as starved for romance as Luka was, and I'm surprised he never began to resent her. Only the last few chapters were more interesting.
I see what the author tried to do. I understand boundaries are important and I'm happy Alice found it in her to make sure she was being respected and really loved before fully committing herself. She'd had enough of shitty boyfriends. But since it wasn't Earth, and it was a different culture, it really sucked that it's only then that she decided to build up her walls and not let the sincerest and most amazing guy get to her. She would've been very happy with Luka, and deep down she knew that, but of course, she had to put obstacles in her own course because...I guess I'll never know. As a reader, it annoyed me a little, that's all.
✔️HEA
✔️Standalone
✔️Fated mates
✔️Dual POV
✔️MC's age
✔️Possessive/Protective H
✔️Sweet h
✔️No OW/OM
✔️No cheating
✔️Separation
✔️Slow burn
🔥 Steam level: 2.5/5
⚡Content warning
⚡Trigger warning
In this book, we get to see some hints of possible relationships between certain characters. For one, I'm very curious about Izor and Daisy. Sadly, it doesn't seem like they have their own book at this time, but I'm hopeful there'll be hints of their couple in the next books. Next in line is the story of Verakko. He seemed okay but didn't charm me here. Maybe getting to know him will make me like him! Either way, I'm looking forward to the next book...
When Alice wakes up in an unknown place, the only thing she remembers before losing consciousness is strange creatures abducting her. But where is she? She is a captive in a testing facility and she is required to do what they ask. She is not the only one; a strong and scary male who seems to have recognized her as his mate is also captive, and the people working in the facility sees a rare opportunity. They want the male to get his mating marks, and they want Alice to trigger them. Luka, the captive male, is constantly drugged and can never focus. The only thing keeping him grounded and focused is Alice. He doesn't have an updated translator, so they can barely communicate with each other, yet, they grow closer. When Alice gets the chance, she is able to free herself and Luka but also a group of human women who were also held captive...
“Do you want to feel my purr while I’m buried deep inside you?”-Luka
I'm not going to lie, I was a bit disappointed by this one. And Alice was the one that ruined my mood most of the time. In the past, she'd had some boyfriends who would cheat on her and she would be the type to forgive them, only to be treated the same way again. Yes, she was a doormat. So technically, I should be glad that now that she is on a new planet, she finally decides that enough is enough with her doormat behavior and grows a backbone. The only problem is that, during her time in the facility, Luka did develop the mating bond, and Alice knows that being away from his mate is painful and maddening, yet, she keeps her distance from him. At first, I understood the point, she wanted him to get to know her and want her for her and not because she was his mate. That's fine. But the thing is, her push and pull was irritating. She seemed indecisive and pretty selfish at times. And it dragged way too long, literally starving Luka of the affection he needed and wanted. It even seemed manipulative at times, like she would reward a puppy for good behavior and that didn't sit well with me at all. I think I really liked her at the start because of the kindness she showed when she was in the cell with Luka but later on, her reasoning to keep him away from her was forced.
“You are my mate. And even though your human body has learned to forget how to recognize me, I am yours. Deep down, you don’t want a normal guy, and I’ll prove it. I’ll give you your space, but I won’t give up. That’s a promise, Alice.”-Luka
As for Luka, he was great. Obviously, not as great as Theo in my opinion but he was endearing and protective. I liked that he had a little stalking side to him, where he couldn't stay away from Alice and wanted to see her. He tried his best to accommodate everything Alice requested from him, even through pain. In a way, it made me sad that Alice was keeping him away from her, and for far too long. I think he deserved much better than her. At least, in the end, she did accept him but my opinion of her was already made.
Her scent hit him again like a bag of rocks. The sweet, feminine aroma called to him, making him want to rub his head in the crook of her neck.
Overall, I think they had a good chemistry but my dislike of Alice's behavior kind of ruined the romance for me. I was annoyed at how long it took them to become intimate. It didn't seem like they really spent a significant amount of time together. The story dragged a bit and bored me in the second half. I felt just as starved for romance as Luka was, and I'm surprised he never began to resent her. Only the last few chapters were more interesting.
I see what the author tried to do. I understand boundaries are important and I'm happy Alice found it in her to make sure she was being respected and really loved before fully committing herself. She'd had enough of shitty boyfriends. But since it wasn't Earth, and it was a different culture, it really sucked that it's only then that she decided to build up her walls and not let the sincerest and most amazing guy get to her. She would've been very happy with Luka, and deep down she knew that, but of course, she had to put obstacles in her own course because...I guess I'll never know. As a reader, it annoyed me a little, that's all.
✔️HEA
✔️Standalone
✔️Fated mates
✔️Dual POV
✔️MC's age
✔️Possessive/Protective H
✔️Sweet h
✔️No OW/OM
✔️No cheating
✔️Separation
✔️Slow burn
🔥 Steam level: 2.5/5
⚡Content warning
⚡Trigger warning
In this book, we get to see some hints of possible relationships between certain characters. For one, I'm very curious about Izor and Daisy. Sadly, it doesn't seem like they have their own book at this time, but I'm hopeful there'll be hints of their couple in the next books. Next in line is the story of Verakko. He seemed okay but didn't charm me here. Maybe getting to know him will make me like him! Either way, I'm looking forward to the next book...
Clecanian Series
1. Choosing Theo
2. Freeing Luka*
3. Saving Verakko
4. Tempting Auzed
5. Using Fejo
5.5 Releasing Maladek
6. Resisting Maxu
7. Ruling Sikthand
July 21, 2023
This was fun. I wish we had more time for their feelings to grow for one another. It felt rushed and weird since most of the book they weren't together. Their time together and on dates is super cute though! I do hope we get more books!!
Also, will a certain pirate get a story?? ;)
------------
Before reading:
A new one! :D This is quite exciting and honestly? exactly what I'm in the mood for rn.
Also, will a certain pirate get a story?? ;)
------------
Before reading:
A new one! :D This is quite exciting and honestly? exactly what I'm in the mood for rn.
September 14, 2023
For my 3rd (4th?) reread, I had to knock the stars down to 4.5. Some of the world building and overarching plot doesn’t make logical sense.
That being said, imma need someone to get in contact with Alice and Luka for me and see if they would like to be in a throuple. Because OMG I love both of them.
Spice: 4/5
Triggers: abduction, captivity, drug forced masturbation (off page)
That being said, imma need someone to get in contact with Alice and Luka for me and see if they would like to be in a throuple. Because OMG I love both of them.
Spice: 4/5
Triggers: abduction, captivity, drug forced masturbation (off page)
January 1, 2021
DNF @ 71%. I was bored for all of the same reasons documented by others.
October 31, 2022
Started off so strong and then just kinda stalled for the last 40% of the book.
I’m also guessing that alien books are just not my thing.
I’m also guessing that alien books are just not my thing.
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