Category Archives: Science Fiction Romance

Infala: The Prisoner’s Gambit – Kira Quinn

Infala: Prisoner’s Gambit
Mark of the Infala 2
Kira Quinn

Rating: 3 out of 5.

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.

272 Pages

$3.99 at Amazon and part of Kindle Unlimited.

Infala: The Alien’s Bond – Kira Quinn

Infala: The Alien’s Bond
(Mark of the Infala #1)
Kira Quinn

Rating: 3 out of 5.

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!

271 Pages

$3.99 at Amazon and part of Kindle Unlimited.

The Pulse Between Us – B. K. Brown

The Pulse Between Us
B. K. Brown

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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.
  • Language: Occasional mild cursing.
  • Tropes: Star-crossed lovers, forced proximity (mental/emotional), neural connection, dystopian surveillance, slow burn.
  • Length: 233 pages
  • Release Date: November 5, 2025
  • Price: $2.99 (Amazon)

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.

The Scorpion’s Mate (Iriduan Test Subjects Book 1) – Susan Trombley

The Scorpion’s Mate
Iriduan Test Subjects Book 1
Susan Trombley

Rating: 5 out of 5.

A very alien-looking and delightfully unique alien SciFi romance

Blurb:

Claire has never really fit in with everyone around her, but she’s carved out a life for herself using her own unique style and artistic ability to support herself on the Internet. The last thing she expects is to be abducted by aliens and dropped into a research facility, where a genetically-engineered alien soldier chooses her as his life-mate.

Thrax’s pheromones are compelling, and his status as a fellow unwilling test subject makes them allies, but Claire isn’t certain she can trust someone who is convinced she belongs to him, when all she wants to do is find a way to return home to Earth—a place that her devoted alien can never follow, because there’s no way the scorpion-like alien would ever be able to pass for human.

Still, she’ll accept help where she can find it, so she doesn’t hesitate to escape with Thrax from the facility, though their time running from their pursuers in the warrens beneath the research facility will forever change Claire, and could make it impossible for her to return to Earth.

But will there be anywhere else in the galaxy they can go where their love will be accepted?


This alien romance features an alien hero who actually looks alien, strong language, violence, and open door intimate scenes.

Claire is abducted from Earth and awakens inside a research facility. When she first sees Thrax, she thinks he is going to kill and possibly eat her. Turns out he only wants to eat her in the good way.

I loved that Thrax was very alien-looking. It is difficult for us humans to imagine things we haven’t seen before, but Susan Trombley does a very good job of it! As the title and cover art suggest, the closest thing we have to Thrax on Earth is a scorpion. But Thrax is as much different from a scorpion as he is like one. He was genetically changed by their captors to me more like them, more humanoid, more human. He has a human mouth and tongue, and a working man-part, which he wants to use with Claire.

The most hilarious thing in the book is that Thrax can feed Claire with oral sex. He can consciously change the molecular makeup of what comes out of him. One of the things he can make is a fluid that meets all a human’s nutrition and water needs. It’s not just protein! Yes, you can suck him like a straw and not need any other food or water. The latest in handy-dandy survival tools! There are many other funny moments, but this takes the cake (as it is not needed anymore).

I also really loved Claire. She was smart, level-headed, not prone to panic or acts of idiocy, and had a great sense of humor. She was not an unrealistic super-character. Her strengths were all mental and emotional. A strong character, but not a fighter. Not kick-ass, until she has Thrax at her side. Claire taught Thrax to truly feel emotion. They make a great and powerful combination.

Their story is very good, fast-paced with world-building, interactions between the couple, and action scenes. There wasn’t anything I would have cut, nothing that bored me. I particularly enjoyed discovering the world as Claire did. Nothing was front-loaded. There were no data dumps. I read this very quickly and didn’t want to put it down.

This reminded me of Amanda Milo’s Stolen By An Alien series. There isn’t as much humor in it but still a good bit. I loved Amanda’s books, and I loved this.

1st person past tense from Claire and Thrax.

Contains graphic sex scenes, but only two main long ones, both very hot. There is a lot more story than sex here. I really like that we get a sex scene from Thrax’s POV.

Occasional foul language.

It has been very well edited. I found only 9 minor errors (missing words, wrong words, words that should be hyphenated, wrong punctuation, spaces before the first letter of paragraphs, and a blank line that didn’t look intentional).

290 pages.

$0.99 at Amazon and part of Kindle Unlimited.

Further books in the series are $2.99 or $3.99.

Captive of the Horde King (Horde Kings of Dakkar Book 1) – Zoey Draven

Captive of the Horde King
Horde Kings of Dakkar Book 1
Zoey Draven

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Nomadic tribal alien scifi erotic romance

Luna’s brother brings the wrath of the Dakkari down on their little human village. Luna offers to serve the horde king that comes to punish them in exchange for her brother’s life. He accepts, and her life is changed forever.

This was a fast paced read with likable characters. Luna was strong, and I liked seeing her emotional growth along the way. The horde king was good and honorable. Lots of details like regularly used alien language and an alien version of horses made for great world-building. We don’t learn much about why humans are living on this planet as refugees, but I enjoyed the snippets of information I did get. The sex scenes were titillating but not scorching. The aliens were similar to humans but had tails and black and yellow eyes with no whites. They have a built-in, vibrating, clitoral stimulator, which had me laughing. Don’t all the best aliens have sex toy equipment?

The Dakkari instantly reminded me of the Dothraki in Game of Thrones. Those names are similar, they are a nomadic alien-horse-riding culture, and the men all have long hair. “Kalles” is their word for woman and the first the horde king calls Luna, which is close to khaleesi to me. It isn’t overwhelming, and there are plenty of differences, but I would guess the author is a fan.

I don’t want to give too much away, so how do I say this? The climactic action was too easy to foresee and cliché. But I was very happy that Luna fought for herself and didn’t just wait to be rescued by her man.

First person past tense, all from Luna. No cheating. No OW/OM drama. Several graphic sex scenes. The only foul language I noted was the occasional use of the F word when referring to sex. This is the first in a series of standalone novels. HFN.

Grammar: Error count 15 – wrong, missing, or misspelled words. Missing comma between two independent clauses, but it was consistent so accepted as style. Not terrible.

I enjoyed this and would read more books in the series. I don’t think I would read this one again, so 4 stars.

Beyond the Night (The Heroes of New Vegas Book 1) – Colleen Gleason

Beyond the Night
The Heroes of New Vegas Book 1
Colleen Gleason

Rating: 4 out of 5.

SciFi Mystery Romance

Mystery, action, and romance. Elliot and his friends woke up in a cave they had been exploring to find 50 years had passed and the world as they knew it was gone. This is more SciFi than post-apocalyptic as significant time has passed since the upheaval. It’s not so much about survival as the mystery of what happened to the world and these men. We don’t get the answer in this first novel, just clues. But it’s not a cliffhanger. Subsequent novels in the series take up the mystery with other couples as the main characters.

The beginning drew me in with a sense of mystery, making me want to understand what was going on. It’s not an action start but a teaser start – a creepy feeling. We aren’t given a load of backstory at the beginning. The setting and action slowly revealed the state of the world. Great writing with quick pacing kept me reading. Little things like new slang words and names not matching the genders they are currently most often assigned to helped add realism to the future setting.

There were good action scenes, very good descriptions of the environment, good world building, and some humor to relieve the tension. The women are strong and don’t wait for the men to save them. I don’t want to give too much away, so suffice to say I adored Jade’s action during the climactic action scenes.

3rd close, past tense. Chapters from different characters, most from the mains, but a few from secondary characters. We also get some journal entries written by a secondary character at the beginning of the upheaval. I liked the glimpses of the beginning.

Occasional foul language. Significant violence. There are some graphic sex scenes. A lot of it is described with scatterings of verbs or adjectives in a poetic way.

No cheating, OW/OM drama, or nonconsent.  HFN

Error count: 11 – Pretty good. These were missing, extra, or misspelled words and missing punctuation marks. Commas are not routinely missing, so I marked where they were for a total of 38 missing commas. Head-hopping occurs in only one chapter.

Overall, I really liked this. I don’t see myself wanting to re-read it, so 4 stars. I am going to read the next in the series.

Population and Saltlands – Elizabeth Stephens

Population
and
Saltlands
Elizabeth Stephens

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I’m combing the two reviews for these together here because they comprise one total book. Saltlands picked up exactly where Population left off. It’s like someone just tore the book in two along it’s spine, ala Bed Knobs and Broomsticks!

I liked Saltlands better, but that makes sense. Population is slow at the start because of necessary world building. Taken as one book, the action builds throughout, hitting a steady stream near where the book was broken in two, and goes on to the climax.

Over a decade ago, “the Others” arrived on Earth. They have since carved up much of the planet into private kingdoms. Humans remain in the leftovers, fighting over scraps. This is a post-apocalyptic romance.

I loved the strong female lead, Abel, her African and Spanish genetics, her ability with the sword and hand to hand fighting, her determination, and her emotional strength. I loved Kane, who is complex but honorable. The world-building was good and something I haven’t seen before. I enjoyed the “Others”. The pacing was good, most of the time, and there were some great action scenes. There was a good dose of violence, but it wasn’t described in gory detail. You can cut someone’s head off with a sword without describing blood sprays and such.

There is a cliffhanger ending, but the sequel is out. It’s basically one book split into two parts. I definitely want to read the next one, but I hate this modern tendency of splitting books. “The Stand” is hugely long but is one book!

Child molestation and rape is hinted at in some parts but not seen directly.

This is M/F. No cheating. No love triangle. It is written in 1st person pretense tense. I find this much less jarring than 3rd close present tense.

There are basically two sex scenes. They aren’t graphic but rather camera obscura. They lack detail, so the words could be taken to mean more or less depending on the reader. For example:

I tear his belt free and kick his pants off with my feet, then I tease him with my fingers and then again with my lips.

What is meant by this? Exactly where her fingers and lips go is up for interpretation.

Grammar and spelling: I found 13 errors in Population, including missing words, wrong words, and repeated words or phrases. Not bad at all. This is aside from the routinely missing commas between two independent clauses, missing commas after introductory clauses, and extreme run-on sentences that I have accepted as the author’s style of writing. This is fiction, not academia, so the rules are less rigid. I found this style distracting because my brain shouted “error” frequently, and the run-on sentences were confusing at times.

Unrealistic Timing: Abel is seriously hurt after the forest cult part in the beginning but seems mostly recovered 1-2 days later. She has never worn heels, wears and dances is stilettos for 48 hours, and no mention is made about swollen ankles or legs. There is definitely some almost instalove. It happens pretty fast. But I’m okay with it.

Confusion: Earlier in the book, Abel talks about having been raped or was it attempted rape that was thwarted? I thought two of a gang had actually succeeded until the second sex scene when blood is obliquely mentioned twice along with some pain. If she wasn’t a virgin, where do the pain and blood come from? At the least, it’s unclear. At most, there is a contradiction.

There were times when the story got too close to familiar fairytales. There was some “Beauty and the Beast” when Abel first gets to Kane’s estate and some “Cinderella” with the ball preparation.

I would have given this 4 stars, but the aforementioned problems drop it to a 3 for me. I will be reading the second half of this ONE book.

In the second half, action is almost nonstop with lots of gory fight scenes and drama. Each chapter has a black and white inkblot image above the chapter title, blood splatter, and they are appropriate! The violence is certainly amped up. Abel goes through hell, one desperate situation to another, and keeps her determination and resilience. It was a wild ride, very fast paced, and kept me reading very quickly. It made me laugh out loud a few times. The humor was appreciated amidst the intensity. It tickled my funny bone that the villain always sets up in dental office buildings. I liked the secondary characters, especially Mikey.

There are a couple of short sex scenes, not graphic. Romance is not the focus of the second half of the ONE book. There is some OM drama. I was very happy that our main couple dealt with this in a mature fashion, by talking it out. It didn’t cause anything stupid to happen except a ridiculous fight for fair maiden’s hand.

I found more errors in this half – 17. Mostly missing words, a few repeated words or phrases. As with the first half of the ONE book, commas are missing everywhere, but I accepted that as writing style long ago. At the opening of this half of the ONE book, I thought to myself, “Someone has a thesaurus.” Many words were used that just aren’t common enough to be in Abel’s thoughts since she hasn’t spent the last decade reading literature.

This is a 1st person present tense novel. One scene could be considered cheating, but wasn’t exactly consensual, so I don’t want to call it cheating. OM drama. Occasional foul language, but it gets as bad as it can. HEA.

A third book is hinted at called “Generation 1”. I couldn’t find anything when Googling this. If it is published, it will at least be a totally different book than this ONE.

Beth’s Stable (Stolen By An Alien #6) – Amanda Milo

Beth’s Stable
Stolen By An Alien #6
Amanda Milo

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Love it! Hilarious!

Beth is won at the auction by Ekan, a pirate. He takes her back to his ship with no intention to share, but his shipmates have other ideas. This is a reverse harem story, not a menage.

I love this series so much! When I saw this was out, I had to drop everything and read it. I was not disappointed. The world-building throughout this series is fantastic. I’ve loved how truly alien the aliens are. At first glance, Na’riths aren’t that different from humans, but their personalities, customs, and well… downstairs are quite different. As always, the writing itself is wonderful, great pacing, lots of humor, pop culture references, and I love love love the similes and metaphors the aliens use. It was great to have chapters from each of the characters. Whenever I’m reading these, I start thinking, “Tevek that!” instead of our English word hahah

Blind Fall – (Stolen By An Alien #5) – Amanda Milo

Blind Fall
Stolen By An Alien #5
Amanda Milo

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Cowboy romance mixes with SciFi romance like chocolate and coffee

Sanna wakes up in the auction pen with her guide dog, Kota. The two are bought along with Beth by Ekan. Ekan gives Sanna to Breslin as a present, but Breslin doesn’t treat her like a possession. They go to his planet where he raises carnivorous horse type creatures.

I love western/cowboy romances and I love SciFi romances, so this is like chocolate and coffee together! It is so wonderfully done! As always, I love Amanda’s writing style, imagination, and humor. Carnivorous horses! Love it!

Craved by an Alien (Stolen By An Alien #4) – Amanda Milo

Craved by an Alien
Stolen By An Alien #4
Amanda Milo

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Hilarious and so cute

I love Gracie’s humor and her interactions with Dohrein. They are so cute together. I also loved getting more information about this well-fleshed world. The bonus short story was very cute!