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5 star reads, Erotic Sex Scenes, Review, SAFE, Science Fiction Romance

The Pulse Between Us – B. K. Brown

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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.

5 star reads, Apocalyptic or Post-apocalyptic Romance, Erotic Sex Scenes, Review, SAFE

Wildflowers – Kylie Scott

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Wildflowers
An End of the World Romance
Kylie Scott

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Hot apocalyptic romance, no zombies, with fantastic snarky humor!

Blurb:

There’s only one person Dean Wallace wants to save from the end of the world: sunshine girl from across the street. She’s always smiling. Who knows, maybe she can teach him a thing or two about how to live? But saving her against her will is harder than he expected.

Astrid Hardy doesn’t know what to think when she wakes up in her hot neighbor’s basement. He says he wants to protect her from the deadly virus threatening to collapse society. But that sounds like paranoid conspiracy theory nonsense, and losing her sh*t seems like the correct response.

As they watch the downfall of the world play out online, hear approaching gunshots, and smell smoke from nearby burning buildings, it all starts to seem horribly realistic. With almost everyone they know dead, and law and order gone…how will they navigate this new world together?

Wildflowers starts off with Dean drugging Astrid, and Astrid waking up in a makeshift jail cell in Dean’s basement. On first glance, this may say “Dark Romance”, but it’s not. There is no forced touching, nothing sexual or evil about this captivity. Dean is saving Astrid from catching a virus at the real end of the world.

I absolutely adore the snarky humor in this!

My current position isn’t exactly one of strength, what with me sitting in an enclosure. Seems spending all of those hours watching cute animal videos and contouring tutorials instead of learning negotiation tactics and tips and tricks from escape artists might have been a mistake.

I never did like zoos as a child. All of the watching wild animals pace back and forth behind the bars. Having now been on the receiving end of just such a situation, I can confirm it is complete and utter bullshit. Zero stars. Do not recommend. Big jungle cats mauling their keepers makes so much more sense to me now. I am surprised it doesn’t happen more often.

It is exceedingly realistic with the credible speed at which society and all our modern civilization would break down. In a little over a week, Dean lets Astrid out of the cell, and it seems prudent to stick with someone who knows what they’re doing. At least for a while.

Dean is such a great character. He’s exactly the sort of man I would want at the end of the world – skilled with guns, knowledgeable on prepping, can cook, and he’s a contractor, so he knows about construction. All this, and he’s a genuinely good guy. He agrees to saving a child, instantly accepting a lifetime of responsibility, and agrees to saving a lap dog, not the kind of dog he wanted. He never forces Astrid to do anything romantic or sexual.

He stares down at me… and huh. He really is a prime example of a man. Tall, strong, and handsome. When I dreamed of meeting “the one,” he looked a lot like Dean. Guess the whole tall, dark-haired, and handsome ideal has always had me in a chokehold. Half-intelligent things often come out of his mouth. He can cook and shop. Ignore the whole kidnapping-and-caging thing and the man’s a miracle. I bet he even knows what to do with his dick.

But after everything he’s done, I do believe I have officially shelved all of the lust I previously felt for him. Which would honestly be the smartest decision to come out of me in forever.

There’s no expression on his face, but there’s this kind of knowing in his gaze. This all-consuming awareness of me. Like I am the only thing in the world that matters to him. The only thing he is thinking about and all that he’s living for.

I don’t know how to describe it. But it’s as if someone finally sees me, all of me, and is willing to accept me for who I am. The good and the bad. Including the frequently weird and occasionally cranky. Not a thing I honestly thought would ever happen. And the way this knowledge settles inside of me is honestly staggering.

Of course, he couldn’t just leer at my breasts and eye-fuck me. No. He had to go straight for my soul.

“That’s cheating,” I say.

And Dean is funny too!

Astrid: “I hate guns.”

Dean: “You wouldn’t believe the shit I heard it saying about you earlier. Some of it was downright mean and petty. I was surprised.”

Astrid’s philosophy on the end of the world and her sense of humor really endeared her to me. She’s hilarious and kicks arse when needed. She says what’s on her mind, which means no game playing or silly week-long fights from not communicating. She does a great job of teaching Dean how to live and be in an adult relationship.

I highly recommend this to everyone! It is SAFE.

Contains graphic sex scenes.

Occasional foul language.

1st person present tense from Astrid.

Errors: Zero! Brilliant!

262 Pages

$4.99 at Amazon.

4 star reads, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Sex Scenes, New Adult, Review

Vixens and Vipers, Greywood Legionaries: Book 2 – Rose Gravestone

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Vixens and Vipers
Greywood Legionaries: Book 2
Rose Gravestone

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Cathartic daydream of justice for RTC victims

Blurb:

Desire is my downfall. Vengeance is my weapon. And trusting him could be my ruin…

Vengeance fuels me, desire tempts me, and trusting him could be my greatest mistake…

Greywood University was never meant for someone like me. Getting in was a miracle; surviving premed unnoticed was the plan, but life had other ideas.

A lawyer approaches me with an astonishing offer to lead a lawsuit that could dismantle some of the most corrupt corporations in the country. Saying yes could change everything—saying no would mean forfeiting the justice stolen from me years ago.

Then there’s Seamus. The most dangerous student on campus, he’s feared and worshipped in equal measure. His voice is silk, his smile sunlight, but beneath the golden veneer lurks darkness. Seamus is part of a vigilante legion that thrives on chaos and wreaks havoc. He says he wants something real with me, but I know better. Falling for him isn’t just reckless—it could be deadly.

When a demon from my past resurfaces, threatening to drag me back into the life I barely escaped, the pressure around me builds. The walls close in. Yet every time I teeter on the edge of a breakdown, Seamus is there, promising I’m worth fighting for.

As the ghosts of my past collide with my present, I’m left with only one option. I give myself to Seamus, trusting his protection…

… even as I question if he’s the mistake that’ll cost me everything.

I love “The Beekeeper” movie and recommend it to anyone who has been scammed. This reminded me of that, a cathartic daydream of justice and revenge for victims of RTCs (Residential Treatment Centers) – horrific forced “rehabilitation” of “out of control” teens. We discover in the ending Author’s Note that Rose was trapped in one of these for most of her young adult life. I felt that in the realistic emotional journey of the FMC, Valerie.

My only previous knowledge of RTC’s was years ago, watching Dr. Phil shows where teens were often “transported” (kidnapped) and forced into vans heading to these places while tearfully begging and/or threatening their parents. So midway through this novel, I watched the documentary “The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping”. It was eye opening and horrifying.

I hope there are other cathartic release books without BDSM and explicit content for those who don’t enjoy reading these things. But this content did bring notice to the topic from me, someone who didn’t have much knowledge of it before.

Trigger Warning given at the beginning of the book:

Please be advised that this book contains some dark and triggering content. If any of the following triggers bother you, this book probably isn’t a good fit for your library.-Mentions and depictions of the abuses that take place at Residential Treatment Centers (RTC’s).-Obsessive anti-hero.-Mentions of sex trafficking (not perpetrated between MCs).-On-page depictions of anorexia nervosa.-On-page depictions of reactive attachment disorder (RAD).-Gun fights, knife fights, and gore. Seamus is a character with questionable morals and a skewed perspective of the world. Valerie has endured intense emotional traumas and struggles on a daily basis because of her past. Only proceed if you enjoy your MMC’s morally grey.

This contains explicit scenes of consensual BDSM. But I would not call it hard core. I’m not a frequent reader of this content, having wound up here because I liked the first book in the series. Book 2 focuses on two of the secondary characters in Book 1, so we get snippets of updates on the first couple.  I’m not a fan of pain, so I wasn’t excited by some of the acts depicted. But I was excited by the dialogue! And the acts didn’t bother me. They contained no degradation, which would have turned me off it.

The graphic content spiced up an otherwise terrific depiction of survival, emotional growth, and strength for Valerie. I really enjoyed this character. She’s far from perfect, which makes her realistic and relatable. Seamus is a bit less fleshed out of a character but an ideal rock for Valerie who pushes when he should and always supports. He comes up with a nickname for Valerie, which I loved:

“Valk is short for Valkyrie. Legendary female warriors known for slaying thousands of men. Seems appropriate.”

There is a lot of humor in this. Seamus is hilarious.

Valerie: I give my head a shake. “I’m… happy to see you.”

Seamus: He tilts his head to the side. “Why do you make it sound like such a surprise? I’m marvelous, I f–k like a god, and I make you smile.”

I like that these two don’t have instalove but have actually gotten to know each other a bit before feelings developed.

Valerie went through horrific abuse at a Troubled Teen Center that her mother sent her to. They have been slowly working on their relationship. While there, they broke her ankle and withheld proper medical care until she was sent to a hospital and her mother arrived. The story begins with Valerie speaking to a lawyer who is representing her case against the center.

I’m used to the disbelief of others; it’s one of the fears that was ingrained in me. After all, Wasatch staff members told me that nobody would believe me as they were abusing and neglecting me. At the time, I was a minor, and Wasatch was a reputable treatment center for troubled youth, protected under the umbrella of the Troubled Teen Industry, commonly referred to as the TTI. Their word would always be taken over mine.

The lawyer fortunately does believe her, and the case moves forward. It dregs up issues Valerie was previously fighting, including anorexia. Valerie believes she is incapable of having a serious romantic relationship because she can’t trust anyone enough. I found this storyline very believable and thoroughly enjoyed Seamus’ tempts, nudges, and fights with Valerie over it. Valerie has the chance to walk away but doesn’t take it. There is no dub-con here.

I don’t want to give spoilers, but I was thrilled at the ending. Valerie is a strong character who doesn’t require a man to save her. There is a partnership between Valerie and Seamus rather than a hero-victim dynamic.

Contains graphic sex scenes.

Frequent foul language.

1st person past tense from Valerie and Seamus.

Errors: There were a couple of contradictions in the text, frequent capitalization errors in the dialogue formatting especially towards the end, 2 misspelled words, 1 missing word, and an extra comma.

388 Pages

$4.99 at Amazon and part of Kindle Unlimited.

Received free from BookSirens for my honest review.

4 star reads, Dark Romance, Erotic Sex Scenes, New Adult, Review

Luminaries and Legionaries, Greywood Legionaries: Book 1 – Rose Gravestone

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Luminaries and Legionaries
Greywood Legionaries: Book 1
Rose Gravestone

Rating: 4 out of 5.

College mafia romance with good bad guys

Blurb:

A deadly secret. A dangerous captor. A dark love that teeters between obsession and salvation.

A simple night hike turned into a nightmare…

I stumbled upon something I was never meant to see—a deadly secret hidden deep in the forest. Before I could escape, Dorian Acheron—Greywood University’s notorious vigilante—chased me down. His hands pinned me to the cold ground, and his piercing gaze promised retribution for my unwelcome intrusion.

The choice he gave me was no choice at all: vanish into the grave he’d dug for someone else or become his temporary captive.

Now, I’m confined to his gothic home, and every breath I take is steeped in unease. Dorian watches my every move, a predator lying in wait. His unseemly roommates threaten me each time I cross paths with them, convinced that my silence can never be trusted.

Dorian promises I’ll be free after a week—as soon as he’s sure I’ll keep his secrets. But as the days drag on, I begin to see cracks in his icy armor. Beneath the terrifying façade lies a man capable of tenderness, even vulnerability. Against all logic, I find myself drawn to him. Yet his dark world suffocates me, so I yearn for the moment I can escape.

Unfortunately, my past resurfaces. When Dorian discovers that I’m far more than a quiet college student, his fixation on me transforms into a dangerous obsession.

Now, I no longer know whether he’s keeping me captive to protect his secrets… or because he’s claimed me as his woman.

Luminaries and Legionaries is a spicy dark college romance featuring a morally grey MMC and a shy, intelligent FMC. If you enjoy Rina Kent’s Legacy of Gods or Shantel Tessier’s LORDS, you’ll turn feral for the men in Greywood Legionaries!

It’s not the most realistic narrative, but I don’t think we expect that with a college mafia novel. It’s a fun, entertaining, spicy, quick-paced, escapist read. I enjoyed and recommend it, but I don’t think it’ll be something I want to re-read, so 4 stars from me. Well worth your time once, if you like this type of story. I intend to try the remaining books in this series.

It’s billed as “dark” and contains dubious-consent scenes. Unwanted touching of a sexual nature occurs but no actual rape. There is seduction but not coercion. The woman does not feel violated.

Warning Included:

Please be advised that this book contains some dark and triggering content. If any of the following triggers bother you, this book probably won’t be for you.-Dub-con.-Mentions and depictions of child abuse (flashbacks to abuse).-Alpha-hole, domineering hero. Dorian is a character with questionable morals and a skewed perspective on the world. Only proceed if you enjoy your MMC’s morally grey.

The FMC, Mira, is empathic, seeing energies on people and animals, and highly perceptive in an almost paranormal-genre way. It’s not totally realistic, but I’m okay with it. I loved The Mentalist and Medium TV series, so I’m not averse to believing someone could have these abilities. Wild animals are drawn to Mira, which I found very cool.

The alpha’s head lifts from the ground and he turns around to give me a narrow-eyed look, letting out a growl of warning. It’s as if he’s saying, “stay right the fuck where you are, and don’t you dare stop petting me.”

Mira is on her way to becoming a vet. She’s independent, strong, skilled in firearms, and damaged by previous abuse. She has her coping mechanisms and is usually very quiet. I found the believability stretched when this was contradicted by her word vomit and oversharing.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re fucking fascinating, love?” Brit questions, gazing at me with a deepening interest.

“Usually, they tell me that I’m insane.” I can’t exactly disagree, since I’m yet to meet anyone who can feel other people the way I do. Cara swears I’m an empath, but I don’t like the supernatural connotation around that word. It’s not like I see dead people or smell emotions, I just sort of… sense them.

The Brit walks behind me, and I feel his gaze burning a hole into the back of my head. I think he’s trying to figure me out—both men are—and that confuses me. Most people don’t care to figure me out. They catch a whiff of my brand of crazy and run in the opposite direction. I prefer it that way, since I’m not very good with people. I get along much better with animals.

“I think I like you,” Dorian says, sounding perplexed by the prospect.

“Please don’t. I’d rather you disliked me and wanted to get rid of me as soon as possible. Not in the permanent way, but in the Jesus fuck this girl is so annoying I’m gonna let her go back to her dorm room way.”

The MMC, Dorian, is billed as morally grey and that holds up. Murder when justified, theft, and drug business is okay, but hurting “innocents” is not. The organization he belongs to seeks to destroy sex trafficking operations. Dorian and his “legion” started out as vigilantes, cleaning up their college town. Overall, I found Dorian likeable.

There’s something panicked in her eyes that I really don’t like. I’m not a rapist, I’m not someone who will ever get off on forcing women. I have my fair share of kinks and taboo enjoyments, but desire on both sides is a must for me, otherwise I don’t have any interest.

It looks like other books in this series will have other dominant-submissive kinks, but Dorian’s is orgasm control. No beating or degradation required.

I live in a house with dominant guys. Connor is the type to spank a girl’s ass until she’s sobbing for mercy, then squeeze it while he’s fucking her—sadist through and through. He needs to deliver pain to really get his blood rushing. Seamus, on the other hand, likes scenes of all kinds—tying a girl up any number of ways and playing with her however he feels like in the moment. It changes from person to person and scene to scene. He leaves his bedroom door open, enjoys other people watching him work, so I’ve witnessed him do a whole range of shit with girls. I think the thing that really gets him off is begging.

As for me… I certainly have particular tastes, and all of them center around the pleasure of my partner.

“So many men are terribly unoriginal. Disappointingly so. A punishment is easy when you redden someone’s ass, but pain tolerances build. That gets old. Forced orgasms? Not so much, that’s an entirely different form of torture.”

Everyone is amazingly gorgeous, except the bad guys who always have oily hair. The sex scenes are hot and interesting. There are quite a few, but the story is definitely there and interesting in its own right. Dorian is built like a porn star god with the huge package to match, which felt farfetched. At least Mira has some scars to prevent her from being physically flawless.

This contains insta-love on part of Dorian and almost-insta-love on the part of Mira. I noticed it, but it didn’t bother me. The action scenes are pretty good but end too fast. They could use more suspense and detail. There is humor sprinkled throughout, which I appreciated.

Contains graphic sex scenes.

Frequent foul language.

1st person past tense from Mira and Dorian.

Errors: 10 – Misspelled words, 1 set where the space was in the wrong place between them, 1 missing space between words, 2 missing quotation marks, a few capitalization inconsistences, 1 subject-verb disagreement, the color of an object changes, and the name of the cat is spelled differently a couple of times.

406 Pages

$4.99 at Amazon and part of Kindle Unlimited.

Received free from BookSirens in exchange for my honest review.