December 2019 – Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree

Rogue Cyborg (Interstellar Brides® Program: The Colony Book 6)

Makarios of Kronos is a rebel, a smuggler who reports to no one, not even those on Rogue 5. But one betrayal sends him to a Coalition brig, and to a fate worse than death—capture by the Hive. He escapes but exchanges one prison for another. He now lives on the Colony, contaminated and deemed a risk. He’ll do anything to regain his freedom, including agree to a bargain with a beautiful, cunning warrior with secrets of her own.

Gwendolyn Fernandez volunteered to defend Earth from the Hive menace. For four years, she was a valued member of Coalition ReCon, until the Hive caught up with her, and a strange Nexus creature took special interest in her integration.

Gwen escaped with super-human strength and a will to live that cannot be broken, until the governor of the Colony demands she choose a mate. A bargain with Makarios seems so simple until he conquers her in a way no other has—body and soul—yet the Hive Nexus who wanted her for himself won’t take no for an answer.

I love the fact that a woman has finally been taken by the Hive and been rescued. This is such a fabulous story. I can’t wait for the next one in this story line!

Cyborg Fever (Interstellar Brides® Program: The Colony Book 5)

I didn’t need a man telling me what I could or could not do. I was not ready to settle down and be a baby machine for an alien when there were people out there who needed me, people I could save.
The way I hadn’t been able to save my parents.
Goodwin, Grace. Cyborg Fever (Interstellar Brides® Program: The Colony Book 5) (p. 8). Kindle Edition.

Warlord Anghar survives hell as a captive of the evil Hive. Convinced he will never break free, he chooses death over dishonor. When the Coalition ReCon Team sent to kill him frees him instead, he begins the long, tortuous journey back to a true Atlan, a warrior proud of his beast, of his service.

But no amount of honor, of bravery, or strength of will can save Angh from a life alone, banished with the other “contaminated” warriors on The Colony. And no amount of prayer to the gods will save him when the fever in his blood grows beyond his will to control – and the Atlan Mating Fever steals his final shards of belief.

Imprisoned, awaiting execution, one hope is left; a woman brave enough to tame his beast – and strong enough to fight the demons inside both his head and his heart. Because he may have escaped the Hive…but they aren’t finished with him yet.

Unexpected! I remember Anghar from the previous story about Seth, Dorian and Chloe. It was so good to see them interacting with Kira and Anghar. This is fantastic!

Her Cyborg Beast (Interstellar Brides® Program: The Colony Book 4)

“What? What could be so terrible that you don’t want a mate?” The admission was like acid in my throat, but I forced the words past it.
“I can no longer become my beast. I can no longer claim my mate, and so I must allow you to choose another. I must ensure your happiness. You will be mated to a full Atlan. Strong enough to protect you.” Her grip on my hand tightened.
“No.”
“What?”
“I said no. N.O. As in, no. I do not agree to this.” Her soft voice was laced with steel, surprising me.
“I am unfit, Caroline.”
“It’s CJ,” she countered.
My eyes widened at her tone, realizing she wasn’t as meek as I’d assumed.
Grace Goodwin. Her Cyborg Beast (Kindle Locations 418-424). Grace Goodwin.

Caroline Jane (CJ) Ellison has a gift for analysis. When a Wall Street deal goes bad, the choice between prison or the Interstellar Brides Program is a no-brainer. She’ll go. She’ll leave Earth, her past, and her mistakes behind. The decision is logical, not emotional. Until she wakes up on another world with a huge Atlan Warlord, her matched mate, refusing to claim her.

Warlord Rezzer is contaminated. Weak. The Hive captured him and stole his soul, his very beast. A mate is out of the question when he can’t become what he was born to be, a beast, her mate, her protector. Forced into the Brides Program testing against his will, Rezzer has no intention of claiming the beautiful, sassy female who arrives on the Colony. The Hive stole his beast, but not his honor. He vows to give her to another, a worthy male, a beast who is whole — one not hunted by the Hive as part of a dangerous new experiment to win the war.

CJ takes one look at the wounded warrior before her and knows she will never be able to let him walk away. He’s hers now, her perfect match. And if that means she has to seduce the beast or face off with the Hive to save him…that’s exactly what she’s going to do. She lived her life following the rules. With everything on the line, it’s time to break them.

CJ just wasn’t what Rezzer expected, was she?! I absolutely love how couples from previous stories pop up in the current story. Although, given that this is set on the Colony, you would expect the mates from the earlier books to show up. But you never get the feeling that this is contrived in any way.