aliciaface's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this simple engaging fun read. It was funny, romantic, steamy at times, and did have a plot underneath it all.
audiobookmel's review against another edition
4.0
Review originally posted at BooksOfMyHeart.net.
This is the second book in Cara Bristol’s Alien Mate series. This series takes place on a remote planet of Dakon. Dakon was hit by an asteroid that changed everything. Now the planet is a frozen wasteland. There is also a severe lack of women on the planet. They believe there was a virus on the asteroid that affected women more than men. What Dakon does have a lot of, illuvian minerals which are used for power on Terra (which is basically Earth). So Darkon and Terra created an exchange program. In the first book, they sent women who were criminals to Dakon, unbeknownst to the Dakonians.
So the Dakonian males, which are large, have horns which are mostly hidden by their hair. They selected a few men who could then pick the amongst the women. The women were given the right to refuse, but once you say yes, it is kinda a done deal. The men are so excited to have a mate, they do tend to do whatever they can to keep the woman happy. There hasn’t been anything mentioned so far about a divorce, but people are just starting to get together. I don’t know if there is a way for women to leave the men if they are happy (or vice versa for that matter). In the first book, Alien Mate, they do resolve the whole, sending women who didn’t volunteer. Now there are women lining up to go to this new-to-them planet.
So, in Alien Attraction, we have Sunny. She is a reality TV star. She’s done pretty much whatever the producers can find to throw her into. She’s trudged through swamps and worked on a pig farm. Now they want her to go to Dakon and pair up with a guy for a year. She really isn’t given much of a choice. They hold her contract over head. Not to mention they offered a large bonus, which she really needs to help her nephew who needs a new heart (he will get a mechanical heart, which pretty much makes him a cyborg, which he is really excited about).
Darq is the brother of the hero of the first book. He is really excited about finally getting to meet his mate. Imagine his surprise when he isn’t one of the people chosen to get a bride in this second batch of women. He is devastated, but things start to look up when he finds someone else’s “chit” which is the numbered disc which tells him where he is in the line to pick a female. He should turn it in, but he wants a mate so badly, he picks in place of the guy who lost his.
So you can imagine the issues since both of these two have secrets. Both do wrong things, but it is a sweet story of how they come together. It is also interesting to see how these two react to different issues because of their cultures.
I really like this world Cara Bristol has created. It is pretty primitive, but is slowly getting more technology as more people from Terra arrive. It is also interesting to see how the cultures are merging. My favorite thing about this series are the characters. You really do fall in love with the characters. I keep rooting for them, no matter how flawed they might be. You really want to see them find happiness.
This is a science fiction romance, but has that kind of paranormal romance feel. The biggest thing that makes it science fiction is that it takes place on a different planet and there are aliens. There isn’t a huge amount of techiness like you see in most sci-fi stories. This planet it very primitive, because they lost almost everything when the asteroid hit. Even computers and snow machines are new to Dakon. Now on Terra, things are a little more sci-fi, like Devon, the nephew’s mechanical heart, and these bug sized flying cameras that Sunny’s producers use to film her.
You can read this book without having read the first book in the series. However, I’m a person who prefers to start with the first book in a series (it is just a thing for me). I feel like I get more about the world and even the people. I will also say, I loved Alien Mate, so it is worth a read, so you might as well start there anyway. 🙂 I’m excited for the next book, which I believe comes out soon. I can’t wait to see where this series goes from here.
**Book was provided to me by the author. This review is my opinion and was not requested or provoked in anyway by the author.
This is the second book in Cara Bristol’s Alien Mate series. This series takes place on a remote planet of Dakon. Dakon was hit by an asteroid that changed everything. Now the planet is a frozen wasteland. There is also a severe lack of women on the planet. They believe there was a virus on the asteroid that affected women more than men. What Dakon does have a lot of, illuvian minerals which are used for power on Terra (which is basically Earth). So Darkon and Terra created an exchange program. In the first book, they sent women who were criminals to Dakon, unbeknownst to the Dakonians.
So the Dakonian males, which are large, have horns which are mostly hidden by their hair. They selected a few men who could then pick the amongst the women. The women were given the right to refuse, but once you say yes, it is kinda a done deal. The men are so excited to have a mate, they do tend to do whatever they can to keep the woman happy. There hasn’t been anything mentioned so far about a divorce, but people are just starting to get together. I don’t know if there is a way for women to leave the men if they are happy (or vice versa for that matter). In the first book, Alien Mate, they do resolve the whole, sending women who didn’t volunteer. Now there are women lining up to go to this new-to-them planet.
So, in Alien Attraction, we have Sunny. She is a reality TV star. She’s done pretty much whatever the producers can find to throw her into. She’s trudged through swamps and worked on a pig farm. Now they want her to go to Dakon and pair up with a guy for a year. She really isn’t given much of a choice. They hold her contract over head. Not to mention they offered a large bonus, which she really needs to help her nephew who needs a new heart (he will get a mechanical heart, which pretty much makes him a cyborg, which he is really excited about).
Darq is the brother of the hero of the first book. He is really excited about finally getting to meet his mate. Imagine his surprise when he isn’t one of the people chosen to get a bride in this second batch of women. He is devastated, but things start to look up when he finds someone else’s “chit” which is the numbered disc which tells him where he is in the line to pick a female. He should turn it in, but he wants a mate so badly, he picks in place of the guy who lost his.
So you can imagine the issues since both of these two have secrets. Both do wrong things, but it is a sweet story of how they come together. It is also interesting to see how these two react to different issues because of their cultures.
I really like this world Cara Bristol has created. It is pretty primitive, but is slowly getting more technology as more people from Terra arrive. It is also interesting to see how the cultures are merging. My favorite thing about this series are the characters. You really do fall in love with the characters. I keep rooting for them, no matter how flawed they might be. You really want to see them find happiness.
This is a science fiction romance, but has that kind of paranormal romance feel. The biggest thing that makes it science fiction is that it takes place on a different planet and there are aliens. There isn’t a huge amount of techiness like you see in most sci-fi stories. This planet it very primitive, because they lost almost everything when the asteroid hit. Even computers and snow machines are new to Dakon. Now on Terra, things are a little more sci-fi, like Devon, the nephew’s mechanical heart, and these bug sized flying cameras that Sunny’s producers use to film her.
You can read this book without having read the first book in the series. However, I’m a person who prefers to start with the first book in a series (it is just a thing for me). I feel like I get more about the world and even the people. I will also say, I loved Alien Mate, so it is worth a read, so you might as well start there anyway. 🙂 I’m excited for the next book, which I believe comes out soon. I can’t wait to see where this series goes from here.
**Book was provided to me by the author. This review is my opinion and was not requested or provoked in anyway by the author.
lyshreads's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
deannasworld's review
4.0
Alien Attraction is a light, fun, steamy story with a desperate reality show star, an equally desperate horned alien, an unscrupulous show producer, and a lottery for gaining a mate on an icy, barren planet. What could possibly go wrong?
I am so glad Ms Bristol decided to turn Alien Mate into a series. After reading the first book, I felt Torq's brother, Darq deserved a story too., and here we are with Alien Attraction. Another fun installment to the alien mail order bride trope.
Poor Sunny. She's been put into an impossible position. Her detestable producer has signed her up to be the mate of an alien on a distant planet to boost show ratings and put her on another "excellent adventure". Sunny doesn't think it's so excellent and only does it because of her love for her family. The fact that she has to deceive a poor, unsuspecting alien who is hopeful of a true mate doesn't sit well with her at all since she will be leaving as soon as her contract is up. I liked that Sunny tried many times to confess the truth to Darq even as she was thwarted time and again by her producer. That went a long way in making me feel a lot more positive towards her. Sunny is a genuinely nice person. She loves her family and will do anything for them, and she cares about Darq and his feelings. It helped that she eaten up by guilt over the deceit she had to pull over Darq. And when she's faced with a dangerous, difficult situation, we learn she's also strong, resourceful, and determined.
QuotesI had to remain aloof, couldn’t allow myself to become attracted to an alien, or to allow one of them to become emotionally attached to me. They deserved mates whose intentions were as honest as their own. What I was doing wasn’t right. It didn’t matter I hadn’t had a choice, that Apogee had forced me—or that I had to do this for Devon. As much as possible, I had to avoid misleading my alien.
Darq is a sweetheart, but he's so lonely he'd do anything to gain a mate. As a result, like Sunny, he's not so squeaky clean himself. He did do something rather underhanded to get Sunny. But aside from that, he's warm, caring, funny, and protective. And gorgeous! Let's not forget gorgeous because he's called Mr Tall, "Darq," and Handsome for a reason. *smirk* He's intent on caring for Sunny the best way he knows how. Like Sunny, his guilt at what he's done eats at him, and I was glad when they cleared the air between them. He's responsible enough to accept and deal with the consequences of his actions which cranked him up several notches in my estimation of him. Most of all though, I loved that he's such a big, cuddly bunny. His affection and charm completely won me over. I'm totally okay with him looking after me.
Quotes“Thank you for dinner. It-it was wonderful.” My mouth had dried. “You’re welcome. I enjoy taking care of my mate,” he said. “You don’t need to take care of me.” I’d taken care of myself for as long as I could remember. What if I leaned on someone else? The idea beckoned with insidious seductiveness. Even if I had wanted to rely on a Terran man, I could never trust he would be dependable. He’d vanish when I needed him most. I sensed Darq wouldn’t do that. He looked surprised. “Of course I do. It is my job—but also my pleasure. It’s only natural.”
This story hit the spot for me after a few rather stressful reads. Even though it touched on topic I particularly disliked, it was handled well, and I didn't get put off by Sunny's deception towards Darq and vice versa. I liked that they both struggled with their guilt and keeping secrets from each other, and came clean at the first possible opportunity. For someone who has not finished books in the past because of the deception theme, how Ms Bristol handled this contributed a great deal to my enjoyment of the reading experience. And bonus points to Ms Bristol for simply telling a good story I can enjoy without bringing politics and social issues into it.
From what I can tell at the end of this book, Stormy, Sunny's sister's story is next. I'm super excited to see who picks her or who she picks in the mate lottery, and I sincerely hope it's not the Dakon she had her eye on.
See more from Deanna's World
I am so glad Ms Bristol decided to turn Alien Mate into a series. After reading the first book, I felt Torq's brother, Darq deserved a story too., and here we are with Alien Attraction. Another fun installment to the alien mail order bride trope.
Poor Sunny. She's been put into an impossible position. Her detestable producer has signed her up to be the mate of an alien on a distant planet to boost show ratings and put her on another "excellent adventure". Sunny doesn't think it's so excellent and only does it because of her love for her family. The fact that she has to deceive a poor, unsuspecting alien who is hopeful of a true mate doesn't sit well with her at all since she will be leaving as soon as her contract is up. I liked that Sunny tried many times to confess the truth to Darq even as she was thwarted time and again by her producer. That went a long way in making me feel a lot more positive towards her. Sunny is a genuinely nice person. She loves her family and will do anything for them, and she cares about Darq and his feelings. It helped that she eaten up by guilt over the deceit she had to pull over Darq. And when she's faced with a dangerous, difficult situation, we learn she's also strong, resourceful, and determined.
QuotesI had to remain aloof, couldn’t allow myself to become attracted to an alien, or to allow one of them to become emotionally attached to me. They deserved mates whose intentions were as honest as their own. What I was doing wasn’t right. It didn’t matter I hadn’t had a choice, that Apogee had forced me—or that I had to do this for Devon. As much as possible, I had to avoid misleading my alien.
Darq is a sweetheart, but he's so lonely he'd do anything to gain a mate. As a result, like Sunny, he's not so squeaky clean himself. He did do something rather underhanded to get Sunny. But aside from that, he's warm, caring, funny, and protective. And gorgeous! Let's not forget gorgeous because he's called Mr Tall, "Darq," and Handsome for a reason. *smirk* He's intent on caring for Sunny the best way he knows how. Like Sunny, his guilt at what he's done eats at him, and I was glad when they cleared the air between them. He's responsible enough to accept and deal with the consequences of his actions which cranked him up several notches in my estimation of him. Most of all though, I loved that he's such a big, cuddly bunny. His affection and charm completely won me over. I'm totally okay with him looking after me.
Quotes“Thank you for dinner. It-it was wonderful.” My mouth had dried. “You’re welcome. I enjoy taking care of my mate,” he said. “You don’t need to take care of me.” I’d taken care of myself for as long as I could remember. What if I leaned on someone else? The idea beckoned with insidious seductiveness. Even if I had wanted to rely on a Terran man, I could never trust he would be dependable. He’d vanish when I needed him most. I sensed Darq wouldn’t do that. He looked surprised. “Of course I do. It is my job—but also my pleasure. It’s only natural.”
This story hit the spot for me after a few rather stressful reads. Even though it touched on topic I particularly disliked, it was handled well, and I didn't get put off by Sunny's deception towards Darq and vice versa. I liked that they both struggled with their guilt and keeping secrets from each other, and came clean at the first possible opportunity. For someone who has not finished books in the past because of the deception theme, how Ms Bristol handled this contributed a great deal to my enjoyment of the reading experience. And bonus points to Ms Bristol for simply telling a good story I can enjoy without bringing politics and social issues into it.
From what I can tell at the end of this book, Stormy, Sunny's sister's story is next. I'm super excited to see who picks her or who she picks in the mate lottery, and I sincerely hope it's not the Dakon she had her eye on.
See more from Deanna's World
vickylou's review
2.0
Garrghh... reality (especially scripted reality ) shows... worst thing that happened to TV.
nikkisbooknook's review
4.0
Sunny is a reality star (think Kardashian level!). But her adventures are getting weirder, more dangerous and all done in the name of ratings. She is ready to throw in the towel when the producers tell her the new twist - she is going to marry an alien! She really needs the money to take care of her sick nephew but can she really get married, and to an alien at that? One who will have no idea that he is the star of the show, or that when her year is up, she intends to leave.
Darq was not lucky enough to win a slot from the lottery for a mate. But luck was looking out for him and he ...acquires a chit which he intends to use. when he first glimpses Sunny he knows she is the one for him. But his innate sense of responsibility is eating at him for stealing someone else's shot at matehood.
Between flying nano cameras, bloodcurdling producers and sick nephews poor Sunny has a lot on her plate. I loved the way these two gelled together, even when keeping secrets from each other. I cannot wait to see what happens with Stormy and her grumpy alien!
Darq was not lucky enough to win a slot from the lottery for a mate. But luck was looking out for him and he ...acquires a chit which he intends to use. when he first glimpses Sunny he knows she is the one for him. But his innate sense of responsibility is eating at him for stealing someone else's shot at matehood.
Between flying nano cameras, bloodcurdling producers and sick nephews poor Sunny has a lot on her plate. I loved the way these two gelled together, even when keeping secrets from each other. I cannot wait to see what happens with Stormy and her grumpy alien!
tweetatweet1's review
4.0
It was nice to revisit this world. I really love the world and how primitive it was but still comfortable. I liked the honor and integrity of the tribes. I was disgruntled at first when Darq did what he did. I loved the cool technology introduced by Sunny and the Terrans. I'm not sure about the protagonist, He had every right to be mad but he just went about things the wrong way. There where several times I laughed out loud at Sunny. It was nice to see the couple from the first book. I really liked them. I'm really interested in how Stormy is going to do when she and her little cyborg arrive.
ladywithaquill's review
4.0
Alien romances aren't my typical go-to genre, although I have to say that in recent years I have read a number of really excellent books with an alien as the hero. This book is no exception to that trend whatsoever, and I am once again eager to read more books by Cara Bristol! She does an amazing job of worldbuilding, creating realistic and intriguing characters, and the romance is very sweet. I was a bit apprehensive considering the heroine's occupation, and I was worried the secret she kept would drag the story down too much for me to enjoy. One of my biggest pet peeves in romance is when a lie between the two main characters is dragged out for too long. However, the way it was written in Alien Attraction made it totally bearable, and I loved how the heroine kept trying to tell the hero the truth. Thwarted time and time again! Lots of humor all around.
Sunny Weathers is in a bind. Threatened with the loss of her tv show contract and faced with her nephew's need for a mechanical heart, she is forced into deceiving an innocent Dakon male into taking her as his bride. Resistant at first but desperate to save her nephew's life, she agrees to marry him for one year and keep the fact that their relationship will be televised a secret. However, things become even harder when she realizes how easy it would be to fall in love with her alien mate, Darq. Now she wants to tell him the truth, but as tiny cameras zoom around filming and watching her every move, she must be careful that she reveals the truth without risking her contract and therefore her nephew's life.
Sunny and Darq were a really cute couple, and they almost beat the first book's couple in terms of compatibility. I really enjoyed that they both kept secrets from each other as well, as it made their interactions humorous as both tried desperately not to let the other know. Darq was a sweetheart, so it was easy to like him as a character. He genuinely cared for Sunny and went slow with their relationship, even though he wanted her love so much. Sunny almost instantly fell for Darq, and she fought her feelings so much in the beginning. Her character was really kind and generous at heart, so you were rooting for her every time she broke one of the tv show cameras. Fun preview - Darq thought the cameras were insects and "killed" them for her. Her hero!
I am so excited to read the next book in the series, which I assume will feature Sunny's sister. It should be interesting to see how she interacts with her mate, given his history with Sunny (you'll see why once you've read Book 2). Can't wait to read it!
**I received a free copy from the author and this is my honest review.**
Sunny Weathers is in a bind. Threatened with the loss of her tv show contract and faced with her nephew's need for a mechanical heart, she is forced into deceiving an innocent Dakon male into taking her as his bride. Resistant at first but desperate to save her nephew's life, she agrees to marry him for one year and keep the fact that their relationship will be televised a secret. However, things become even harder when she realizes how easy it would be to fall in love with her alien mate, Darq. Now she wants to tell him the truth, but as tiny cameras zoom around filming and watching her every move, she must be careful that she reveals the truth without risking her contract and therefore her nephew's life.
Sunny and Darq were a really cute couple, and they almost beat the first book's couple in terms of compatibility. I really enjoyed that they both kept secrets from each other as well, as it made their interactions humorous as both tried desperately not to let the other know. Darq was a sweetheart, so it was easy to like him as a character. He genuinely cared for Sunny and went slow with their relationship, even though he wanted her love so much. Sunny almost instantly fell for Darq, and she fought her feelings so much in the beginning. Her character was really kind and generous at heart, so you were rooting for her every time she broke one of the tv show cameras. Fun preview - Darq thought the cameras were insects and "killed" them for her. Her hero!
I am so excited to read the next book in the series, which I assume will feature Sunny's sister. It should be interesting to see how she interacts with her mate, given his history with Sunny (you'll see why once you've read Book 2). Can't wait to read it!
**I received a free copy from the author and this is my honest review.**
bookgyrl's review
4.0
Oops, I totally forgot to review this book! I read it last month and enjoyed it a lot. The first in the series remains my favorite, but this is a close second.
Sunny is the star of a reality show where she has to do the strangest things. When the producers want her to go to another planet (where Torg and Starr from book 1 reside) she refuses, but then she needs the money urgently for her nephew's operation so she caves. Her 'adventure' will be filmed and she does not intend to stay on the planet forever. Her 'new man' is Darq, brother of Torg. I enjoyed their blossoming relationship. But then it becomes clear that Darq has cheated to get a bride.
I always enjoy the sci-fi romances by Cara Bristol. They are rather short but funny. I really liked Sunny and look forward to the next book about her sister.
Sunny is the star of a reality show where she has to do the strangest things. When the producers want her to go to another planet (where Torg and Starr from book 1 reside) she refuses, but then she needs the money urgently for her nephew's operation so she caves. Her 'adventure' will be filmed and she does not intend to stay on the planet forever. Her 'new man' is Darq, brother of Torg. I enjoyed their blossoming relationship. But then it becomes clear that Darq has cheated to get a bride.
I always enjoy the sci-fi romances by Cara Bristol. They are rather short but funny. I really liked Sunny and look forward to the next book about her sister.
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