Solid Action and Friendship, but the Repetition Drags It Down
Blurb:
Being taken prisoner by ravenous green-skinned aliens was not cool, but when the Raxxian ship fell under attack, breaking apart and crashing on a planet in a galaxy far from home, Maureen realized that was only the beginning.
There was one bright side though. She had made a friend. A thickly muscled, blue-skinned hunk of a friend at that.
Stranded and alone, the pair’s attraction was obvious from the start, but much as they wanted to see where things might go between them, a new ordeal was spoon thrust upon them. One that threatened to separate them just as things were getting interesting.
It would be a struggle, but with their attraction growing by the minute it was a fight worth having. It would be hard, but if they managed to succeed, perhaps life as a survivor on an alien world wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all. Judging by the chemistry between the human woman and rugged alien male, it looked like it could be quite enjoyable indeed.
I liked the first book in the Infala series enough to continue, so I picked up The Prisoner’s Gambit. Right away, though, I noticed a fair amount of repetition—whole sections from the first book reappear nearly word for word, which was frustrating. It made the beginning feel like déjà vu instead of a fresh continuation.
That said, I still really like the overall premise of this series. The Infala universe, with its living pigments and tattoo-based abilities, remains an interesting and original concept. It’s one of the more creative takes on alien technology and culture I’ve read in a while.
I appreciated the friendship-first relationship between Maureen and Bodok. Their bond develops with a nice emotional foundation before turning romantic, which makes them believable as partners. I also found the action scenes engaging and well-paced—Kira Quinn does a great job with movement and tension in those moments.
Where the story falls short, again, is in the romantic and sexual writing. The sex scenes are short and lack emotional or verbal connection; there’s little dialogue, which tends to be the most compelling part for me. The repeated use of the same descriptions and the constant, almost comedic number of orgasms for the FMCs pull me out of the moment. It’s not sensual so much as redundant.
Overall, The Prisoner’s Gambit continues an imaginative series with solid action and likable leads, but the repetition—both in reused content and sexual phrasing—keeps it from standing out. I’m still curious enough to continue to book three and hope the storytelling balances out a bit more there.
Contains graphic sex scenes.
Occasional foul language.
3rd person past tense, omnipresent voice.
Errors: 5 – 2 misspelled words, an extra word, a repeated word, and a missing ending quotation mark. Totally readable.
A Promising Start with Unique World-Building, but an Unbalanced Finish
Blurb:
As if alien abduction wasn’t bad enough, it seemed Darla’s captors didn’t want her for something as simple as breeding or even experimentation. The Raxxians were nasty pieces of work, and they had other plans in mind. Namely, they wanted to eat her, and not in the fun way. But the universe, it seemed, had other plans.
Spared a gruesome fate when the Raxxian ship crashed on a distant world, Darla found herself suddenly free. Free but on an alien planet with only the company of another former prisoner.
An alien.
A tall, muscular, impossibly alluring alien.
One who didn’t seem thrilled about taking the little human woman under his protection, at least not at first. Little did either of them know just how hot their time together on this new world would become, and in a way that had nothing to do with the planet’s blazing sun.
I really enjoyed the beginning of this story and the slow evolution of Darla and Heydar’s relationship—from irritation, to respect, to love. The emotional pacing early on worked beautifully. Unfortunately, the ending felt rushed and overly focused on the sexual aspects rather than the story itself. Too many questions were left unanswered, and since the following books center on different couples, I’m not sure if we’ll ever get closure.
Character development, particularly for Heydar, felt thin. We learn very little about him beyond what serves the romance, which left me wanting more depth.
That said, the world-building is fascinating. Instead of the usual tech-heavy alien sci-fi, Quinn introduces a culture that relies on living pigment and rune-like tattoos to grant abilities—translation, strength, healing, and more. It’s an original, organic twist that I haven’t seen before and one of the novel’s strongest elements.
The story is told in omniscient narration, which I usually dislike, but it’s handled fairly well here. The perspective mostly stays close to Darla, so it doesn’t suffer from that jarring “head-hopping” effect some romances fall into.
Where it stumbled most for me was in the repetitive language of the intimate scenes. “Again and again” appears three times in the first encounter, and “bliss” shows up five times on one page. Darla’s nearly nonstop orgasms strain believability a bit and undercut the otherwise emotional tone of those moments.
Overall, Infala: The Alien’s Bond is a solid beginning to a series with imaginative ideas and sincere emotion. I just wish the ending had been given more narrative attention instead of sexual repetition. Still, I’m curious enough to pick up Book 2 and see where the Infala universe goes next.
Contains graphic sex scenes.
Occasional foul language.
3rd person past tense, omnipresent voice.
Errors: 1 – an extra quotation mark on page 27. So a fantastic job editing!
Debut Author Delivers a Slow-Burn Sci-Fi Romance with a Thrilling, Intimate Core
Blurb:
Across light-years, two strangers are forced into the deepest intimacy imaginable—and hunted for it.
Dr. Mira Tian has built her career on discipline and control. A scientist aboard Aris Station, she has mastered the art of keeping her emotions contained, her focus sharp, and her private longings buried beneath layers of precision.
Rafe Anders has built his exile on silence. Living on the remote mining outpost Sigma-9, he has resigned himself to isolation, convinced that distance is the only way to survive his past mistakes.
But when a violent solar event ripples through deep space, something impossible happens. Through their neural interfaces, Mira and Rafe make contact—mind to mind, thought to thought, feeling to feeling. At first it’s fragile, like a whisper in the dark. Soon it becomes undeniable. Addictive. Irresistible.
For Mira, the connection is the most profound intimacy she has ever known. For Rafe, it is the first chance at redemption. Together they share memories, regrets, and hopes as if they are two halves of the same soul. Yet every moment of closeness leaves traces in the system—traces that the wrong people are trained to find.
Cognixis, the corporation that built their neural technology, sees the bond not as intimacy but as opportunity. To them it is a resource—something to isolate, dissect, and replicate. Under the scrutiny of Camille Thorne, Director of Neurodevelopment, and Vosk, Head of Applied Neurosecurity, Mira and Rafe’s secret lifeline becomes the center of a ruthless corporate campaign. To survive, they must hide their tether, maintain the façade of normality, and outwit a surveillance machine designed to expose them.
But hiding isn’t enough. The deeper the connection runs, the harder it is to conceal. Mira and Rafe are pulled into a high-stakes struggle that tests not just their survival, but the very definition of self, trust, and love. If discovered, they won’t just lose each other—they’ll lose their freedom, their identities, and perhaps even their lives.
The Pulse Between Us is a gripping blend of sci-fi romance and psychological suspense. It explores what it means to be truly known by another person, the risks of radical vulnerability, and the lengths we’ll go to keep the one person who sees us fully.
Perfect for readers searching for: sci-fi romance adult stories that blend intimacy and suspense star-crossed lovers romance where connection is both salvation and danger telepathy romance that explores what happens when two minds—and hearts—collide
If you love star-crossed lovers navigating impossible odds, if you crave sci-fi romance that balances futuristic ideas with raw human intimacy, and if you want a slow-burn bond that feels both dangerous and irresistible, The Pulse Between Us is for you.
In the ink-black void of space, they found each other. But in a universe built on control, love may be the most dangerous anomaly of all.
Set in a corporate-dominated dystopia, The Pulse Between Us delivers one of the most unique sci-fi romance concepts I’ve read in years. While telepathic connections in fiction aren’t new, B.K. Brown takes it to an entirely different level—one that feels intimate, immersive, and emotionally real.
Instead of exchanging thoughts like text messages, Mira and Rafe share physical sensations, involuntary emotions, and even memories. There’s a visceral richness to this portrayal that’s deeply engaging. When Rafe feels the rough scratch of his uniform, Mira instinctively sends back the sensation of her soft lab coat. Their connection quickly evolves beyond intentional messages, and their deepest, most private experiences begin to bleed through.
What happens, his thoughts came slowly, deliberately, when we can’t tell the difference between your sensations and mine?
The question hung between them, unanswerable. Neither spoke the obvious follow-up:
What happens when we can’t tell the difference between you and me?
This slow emotional burn is incredibly well-crafted. There’s vulnerability and fear, but also recognition and trust. One of my favorite moments beautifully captures the raw power of being seen:
He’d stepped into her most vulnerable moment and simply stood beside her, offering neither judgment nor pity. Just recognition.
I see you.
The structure of the book mirrors this deepening connection. It begins with alternating third-person chapters focused on Mira and Rafe individually—standard for romance. But as their bond intensifies, chapter breaks disappear. The POV shifts seamlessly without formal cues, brilliantly illustrating how their minds (and lives) begin to merge. It’s a subtle, masterful storytelling device.
While the sci-fi backdrop is rich and well-developed, the emotional core always stays front and center. When romantic tension finally surfaces, it’s tender and awkward in the most human way—more like best friends tiptoeing toward something more than lust-driven passion. This makes the eventual intimacy feel earned and powerful.
There are broader thematic undercurrents too: corporate surveillance, digital ownership of identity, and the commodification of connection. Mira and Rafe’s fight to stay hidden—when even their thoughts are no longer private—echoes real-world concerns about data privacy and digital autonomy. Their rebellion is quiet but desperate, and it had me rooting for them every step of the way.
Additional Notes:
Pacing: Excellent. A fast, immersive read without feeling rushed.
Tone: Emotionally grounded with a strong sci-fi framework.
Genre Blend: Sci-fi romance with psychological depth and slow-burn tension.
POV & Tense: 3rd person close (alternating), past tense.
Editing: Very clean. A few small errors were noted and reported to the author.
Steam Level: Contains sex scenes, but they’re tastefully blurred rather than explicit.
Bottom Line: If you’re craving a sci-fi romance that dares to explore what happens when two people are truly seen—flaws, traumas, desires and all—The Pulse Between Us is a must-read. It’s a love story that is equal parts cerebral and soulful, and it lingers long after the final page.
I loved this book and highly recommend it. It’s SAFE (no cheating, no triangles, no abuse), emotionally satisfying, and delivers a true HEA. I look forward to seeing what B.K. Brown writes next—because I’ll be first in line to read it.
I was given an advanced review copy by the author and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
V. B. Law 