Cynthia SaxCritiques

Erotica with thin plot and ridiculous characters. They look at each in a coffee shop and it's love/lust/sex at first sight. Katalina treats Henley like he's her soulmate to the point where she gets stuck in the stairwell (after ignoring the introduction saying they're emergency only and alarmed) and Henley comes to get her and Camille (who never even gets introduced) out and she jumps on him saying he rescued her. I mean they were in the stairwell for like five minutes. Very dramatic and over the top. She annoyed me. Katalina acted like a little girl the majority of the time - she has major daddy issues - and the rest of the time like an idiot. Well and a bit like a stalker. The sex happens immediately and continuously and publicly.

But here's my biggest issue. The dad's death. Okay he's dead and she misses him - but I found the constant mentions of him wrong. Because the whole book is driven by sex and her dad. Yeah I think you can see the problem. Like she has her dad's shirt hanging in the wardrobe of her hotel room. Fine. But then she makes a point of saying that Henley's shirt hangs next to that. And her suit next to both and it's like they're in some weird threesome.

The storyline is very weak but if you're only reading for the sex then sure it's great. There's a few funny lines and it's entertaining enough bar a few of the problems to do with what I mentioned under the spoiler. I just prefer more plot and character development.

Loses a point for the d/s elements. Good storyline.

short and somewhat choppy

good book. Totally not interested in the BDSM in the rest of the series. yuck. Ruined.

3.5 Stars

When I first started reading it I thought 'Wow, this is going to be great."
Then about 25% through I thought "This is going to be good"
By 50% I was like "Are you kidding me! Can we get some story here."
By the time I was at 75% I felt like saying, "Not tonight Hon. I've got a headache."

This had the potential to be a great story. Unfortunately it was pretty much all sex. Don't get me wrong, I love great sex scenes. But, I NEED MORE. I want a real story with suspense, build up, tension, character & world build. There was so many times that could have happened in this book. The mc's were interesting, the chemistry is there. What is going on around them is ripe for a great Sci-fi story. But nope, never happened.

What did happen. I lost interest. I, ME, the person who will not intentionally read a book WITHOUT adult sexy scenes, literally started skimming the sex scenes. They became boring.

There were some great side characters and they could have added so much depth to this.
All the elements were here to make this a fantastic read.
But they never were used. It turned cheesy and boring and predictable.

I don't know if I will try another in this series or not.
I definitely will not be in a hurry to get there.

[b:Dark Thoughts|34022035|Dark Thoughts (Refuge, #1)|Cynthia Sax|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1485499639l/34022035._SY75_.jpg|55021221] by [a:Cynthia Sax|3292466|Cynthia Sax|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1559516972p2/3292466.jpg]
Genres: Adult, Erotica, Romance, Sci-fi
3 Solid Stars

An interesting world and characters. The world build could have been better without a few of the odd terms that were used. Such as;
Ass Coverings = Pants
Body Covering = Some kind of full bodysuit
Solar Rotation = Day
Planet Rotation = Year
They just annoyed me.

I really liked both mc's. They were intriguing and fun to read about. Their interactions with each other often amusing and their intimate scenes were scorching hot. Definitely adult and often erotic.

Some of the dialogue was cheesy. The flow was off on occasion. Sometimes the story came off a bit to juvenile in actions and words. There are very few editing errors.

It could have been a great read if the writing had been a bit more mature throughout. There were just a lot of areas that came of like a child's fantasy. This was one of the problems with the flow of the story. Sometimes it read like an adult story, sometimes like a child's wild imagination.

At this point I don't think I will continue with the series. It was cute and I liked it, but it just had to many other elements that didn't work for me.

Sizzling cyborgs

Ghost has trapped himself in his own mind, and done it so that he can't remember all his failures. It was his mission to keep the females for his brother cyborgs alive, but it wasn't always possible.

Lethe survived her planet being bombed, but it didn't leave her unscathed. She had to do things that she wasn't proud of, and they make her feel guilty and worthless.

When these two broken beings get together, are they going to be able to help each other heal and make their HEA?

Such a great story. I think that it may be the most emotional, at least for me. The angst and sorrow and pain that both Lethe and Ghost have gone through and still manage to be functional is amazing to me. I love that Lethe is the name of the river in he'll that makes you forget, and while Lethe doesn't make Ghost forget, he uses memories of her to try to overwrite some of the bad memories. I don't know if Cynthia did it on purpose, but I love it anyway.

Never out of mind

Kralj has ruled the Refuge for a long time. He holds himself on a tight leash, afraid to let go.

Dita is a tiny female assassin on a mission which brings to the Refuge. When she meets Kralj, he knows that she is his mate.

I love Dita and her viewpoint on life. She's like the living embodiment of pure chaos. I think she is very good for Kralj. Good addition to this universe.

Hot

Vapor is a cyborg, created for battle. Mira is the daughter of his creator. They aren't supposed to want each other. Of course, that doesn't stop them.

I love these stories and this world. The HEAs are always great, the conflicts making the endings happier. Hot Alpha males, strong females, and steamy sex. Who could ask for more.

Finding an anthology where you want to read some of the authors is great. Finding one where you want to read all 23 authors in it is even better. That's what I found in Alien Alphas. I'm just going to touch on some of the stories because there just isn't enough room for me to talk about all 23.

Strangeways by Addison Cain 5*

Wow. That's about all I can say about this one. I really hope that some more books come out of this particular universe because I really liked it a lot.

OMG. The sex in this story? Completely out of the galaxy. I mean, yeah. I loved the descriptions of Phi's... equipment. Sounds mostly pretty hot. Great story.

You may think that you may not have an interest in tentacles, but really, this story will change your mind and make a believer out of you.

Finding Sitra by Jane Henry 4.5*

This is an interesting story with all kinds of layers in it. The title can be taken in so many different ways, which is totally awesome. I really loved that.

Cy and Sitra take a circuitous route to getting to their HEA. They had known each other for a long time, but then there was a year when they were wrapped up in their own pain and on issues and then they have to figure everything out.

I liked this story pretty well, especially the wordplay with the title. Clever wordplay is always highly appreciated.

Sold to the Enemies by Sara Fields 4*

Sara Fields brings us into a whole new scifi world for her offering.

Aubrie and Edogan's story is great. He rescues her from being sold as a slave. As the commander of the forces which destroyed her forces, not without losses of his own, he's well within his rights to take her as a slave and to punish her.

I like the fact that Edogan takes the time to learn about Aubrie and to help her figure things out. Aubrie is a strong character in herself, and Edogan lets her be that strong character. Good story.

Fated Possession by Cari Silverwood 5*

This story takes place in the same world as Cari's Machinery of Desire stories. It can be read without being familiar with the stories, but it's nicer to have the extra background of it.

Blue is a human dragged to another world for her blood. Sassik is a man who wants to find out what his destiny is. Neither one of them is what the other expects, but somehow they end up together and all is good.

I love all these books, so getting another little look into this world and another viewpoint on what's going on is excellent. I really liked Blue and Sassik's story.

Drakeon Rescue by Lee Savino and Lili Zander 4*

I love the Draekon universe. This book takes place in the same universe, at the same time as the other books, but isn't really connected with them in any other way.

Tin has been held by evil scientists and tested by them to try to find his mate. To that end result, they have abducted Dor from Earth and are going to test her. Cro is Tin's best friend and refuses to leave him as a captive.

I love these guys and them chemistry that flows between the 3 of them, and how protective they all are about each other. It's nice to have a different perspective as to what's going on in that 'verse.

Under Contract by Jaye Peaches 4.5*

We all know that keeping a contract, any contract, is really important. In Jaye Peaches' story, keeping a contract is everything. Breaking a contract totally ruins you, and no one will do any kind of business with you.

Brax is an extraction specialist. He signs contracts to go out and extract women from bad situations. Kleo is his newest job. He's supposed to go get her for her guardian.

Brax is intense. I like that a lot. He knows what he wants and he isn't afraid to get it. Kleo fights hard, first against herself and then for what she wants. I think they are a great pair with extremely extreme chemistry. Very hot, very lovely.

Her Zandian Masters by Renee Rose. 5*

I love Renee's big purple horned aliens. I mean, seriously, with that description, what's not to love?

Eslyn is one of the few Zandian women left in the entire universe. Her former "mates" forced her to do something horrible, and when she was brought before the prince, he sentenced her to rehabilitation. Granit, Laake, and Damon are the three guards who have been watching her, and now it's their job to teach her how to be a good Zandian.

Generally, Renee doesn't write menage in this series, because it turns out big purple horned aliens also tend to be somewhat possessive. However, it really works in this case, and it is hot af. The guys are awesome and caring, and they go out of their way to show Eslyn how much she matters. Totally awesome.

The Ghost in the Stars by Sophie Kisker 4.5*

This universe is going to be so good, I can just tell.

Siridin ends up rescuing Keelie, a human nectar slave. He's attracted to her even if he doesn't want to be, because he holds himself as responsible for horrible things that were out of his control. She hears voices while she's on the ship. But what does that mean for her?

OMG, this story is just so awesome. The idea behind it is so filthy and obscene but in such a good way. I can't wait to see where the rest of the universe goes and how filthy it gets.

If Cynthia Sax writes it, I'm going to read it. The equation is just that simple. Dark Strength just proves why that is true. Dark does fit this book. There are some very dark things that happen. And the heroine does need a lot of strength to handle them, so the book could not be titled any more appropriately than it is. It's an amazing book that takes us on an emotionally fraught journey.

Elyce has spent the last half solar cycle on a guided tour of every hell that has ever existed. A psychopath has kidnapped her because she looks like another woman and has done things that would make a grown man cry. Elyce may have cried too, but her spark never left her. That spark has kept her alive and gives her the energy to escape.

Balvan is the gatekeeper of the Refuge, that wretched hive of scum and villainy that is ruled by Kralj. Balvan, like Kralj, is a modified human. He's taller, stronger, and faster than humans. He's also green. He may look like a brute and vicious, but the truth is that Balvan is a very intelligent, very caring person. He takes care of small animals and helps them heal. That doesn't mean that he doesn't like to smash in skulls, though. When Kralj has Orol carry a small female who is nigh unto death to Balvan, he knows that she is his mate.

Elyce is an incredible character. What she has gone through would break a lot of people. The fact that she is able to get beyond all of that and connect with anyone is just amazing. Balvan is a rock. He's strong and stands between Elyce and everyone else. He's so incredibly careful and tender with her, doing things like carrying her everywhere so that no one can touch her, repeating over and over that he's Balvan and won't hurt her, and making sure that Elyce is able to have control over things. Having been a tortured prisoner himself, he knows what she needs in order to feel better. I love these two and I love their relationship. It's nice to see previous couples and see what they are up to and what's going on in their lives. I can't wait for the next one so that we can see how Elyce and Balvan are doing.

I love these cyborgs. And the C models are my absolute favorites. There's just something about those big primitive guys that just turns my crank.

Vengeance is a C model cyborg and on the council. He wants to get rid of any humans who live on the cyborg homeworld because he knows that they are up to something. They make their mates weak. Surely any cyborg can just avoid falling in love, even with the one genetically compatible fated mate out there. So he sets out to find his mate and prove it to everyone.

Astrid is also known as the Buoir Berserker. She is the only person left living on Buoir after the cyborgs killed everyone. She joined with the rebels to get her own back, and she's killed a bunch of cyborgs in revenge. She's tough and strong, think space Viking, and you might have the right idea.

Vengeance is a bit of a jerk for a lot of the book. He can't get past his own pre-conceived notions and it hampers him. Astrid though, isn't afraid to fight dirty to get what she wants, and she does. She's devious. I like that in my heroines. I think she might be in my top 2 favorite Cynthia Sax heroines.

Excellent story.

I love all of Cynthia Sax's cyborg books. This one is no different. It did make me a little teary in a couple of places, but overall, I totally loved this story.

Great story

Perfectly awesome. That's the best description I can come up with for this book. It's a great addition to the Cyborg universe.

Gisella is such a great heroine. Cynthia Sax writes such strong females. It makes the males have to step up to match, and I think that's awesome. I love how Oghul never tries to change her, and does everything he can to support her.

Perfect freaks

I haven't yet read a story in Cynthia Sax's cyborg universe that I haven't loved. This one doesn't break that record. It's a fantastic story and a great adventure.

I loved reading Nayan's journey toward acceptance and how Qualpa supports and encourages her. It's just beautiful.

Oh, the cyborgs. I love Cynthia Sax's cyborgs. I can never, ever get enough of them. This one is the start of a new series within the same 'verse. Our cyborgs are going to be going where no being has ever gone before. Or, something like that.

I love Chuckles. I've liked him since we saw him first, even if he wasn't a fan of humans. There's just something about the damaged warrior that was so appealing to me. (Even if he isn't a C Model).

Bettina just seems like such a fun and bubbly person, who is actually perfect for Chuckles. I think their dynamic is just what both of them need and such a great way to make everyone happy.

I can't wait to see what Cynthia Sax is going to do next with our cyborgs.

Great!

I do love Ace and Thraser's chemistry and when you add Carys into the mix, the story heats up even more. To top it off, it's a great adventure.

Warriors and barbarians, oh my!

I love this particular 'verse that Cynthia Sax has created. I'm glad that she has expanded the world out past the cyborgs, because it makes it a much better world.

Khan and Zeta are perfect for each ither, I think. They are both stubborn af, and they are really going to have an exciting life together.

Wonderful

I like Doc, a lot. He might think that he's broken, but I think he is much less broken than he thinks he is, otherwise he wouldn't care about his brothers as much as he does.

I like Allinen, she truly cares for all her people,no matter what. Plus I think she is really brave. She's definitely clever too.

Desperately Seeking Vector

Vector is a C model cyborg who has been tasked with tracking down a mysterious female who has accessed the cyborg transmission lines.

Kasia is a female who has spent years of her life watching over 1000 J model cyborgs. She's also spent that time accessing databases and info mining so that she can get more info on cyborgs to help them.

So what happens when these two get together? Well, they have some rather explosive happy fun times.

I love Kasia and Vector together. They are pretty awesome. Finding out more about Vector's history explains why he made some of the demands he did in the past. Kasia is a BAMF. Spending so many years isolated like that? That takes serious strength. Definitely a good story and a well-earned HEA

After escaping from the Humanoid Alliance with Rage and Joan, Crash and Gap are ready to go out and find their own females. Gap knows that his female is out there somewhere. When Crash finds his female, it turns out that she is wearing a scarf that smells like Gap's female. The three of them undertake a really dangerous rescue mission, with dire results.

I love all of the Cyborg Sizzle books. This one is no different. The attraction between the guys and their females is fantastic. There is a sad point in this story which makes me cry every time I read it. I'm always excited to read more of Cynthia Sax's books.

Love

I love the cyborgs. I want one of my own. I love how Surge and his brethren immediately adopted the female offspring as their own. It was so fantastic.

Awesome.

Berke is an idiot. I'm pretty sure that's the only explanation for some of his actions. Ellie is magnificent and I love her hard.

So hot

Rage is so protective and caring, even if no one knows it except for Joan. The C models are definitely the best cyborgs.

I've read all of the books in Cynthia Sax's Cyborg/Refuge universe, most of them multiple times. They all draw me in and hold me captive until I'm done reading them. I just can't put them down and can't not read them. When I saw that this one had showed up on my Kindle in the wee early hours, I had to start reading it and only put it down because my Kindle fell on my face when I fell asleep reading. The second I woke back up, I grabbed it so that I could finish it. There are very few books that I've ever done that with, but Faylee's and Dare's story was so all-enveloping that I couldn't do otherwise.

I think that part of it is that I can really relate to Dare for feeling like I don't fit in and that I'm an outsider. It really makes Dare be such a connectable character because we've all felt that way. And with Faylee, we've all felt like we have to hide some part of ourselves and that we won't find the person who can truly accept us. They are everything together and it makes us all feel so good that they are everything.

I think that this couple is now in my top 3 favorite couples in this verse by Cynthia Sax, and it's going to take a whole lot to knock them out of it.