Nice entry into the series. I liked that the woman had children back on Earth that she wanted to get back to. Most times the captured girls are all alone in the world so they have no one to miss which is just not too realistic. So a kangaroo type alien? Might have been a bridge too far for me. I appreciate that yes he was alien and at least he wasn't just another blue guy who otherwise looked human but still... ( )

2.5 stars
This one didn't work so well for me. The problem wasn't that this was a menage story, but that I didn't like Brax. If there are going to be 2 heros, I still need to like both of them and I need them to both be okay with the threesome (which is not the case for this book). Furthermore, the lack of ability to communicate with each other lasted way too long. I really don't mind an alien romance where we have the inability to communicate due to language barrier, but it needs to be resolved in a reasonable amount of time and preferably before they have sex. ( )

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series. It's a messy series and there are many problems but I can overlook them for the most part because it has a type of protectiveness that is like catnip for me. I don't like the level of "not like other girls" stuff and the fact that a lot of the female characters don't act like people but again, I'm willing to note those issues and then move on. There was a couple of reasons I couldn't do the same with this book.

The first major issue comes up very early on and I think is by far the most serious issue. Tara has been kidnapped and is being sold at what is essentially a slave auction. Tac, one of the love interests is there and purchases her. Through this we learn that Tac was also kidnapped and sold against his will and we learn that he had been purchased by Brax, the other love interest. Tac then explains

"I’d been taken, and although my buyer had eventually become my friend—as was common."

I really didn't like this at all. The idea that in this world most people sold into slavery becomes friends with their owner just doesn't not sit well with me at all, especially coming from a perspective of being an American and knowing the history of slavery in my country. This felt like an attempt by the author to sidestep the issue of slavery in this story but to me she just made it worse. I will not that it seems like Brax's ownership of Tac functions more like indentured servitude where Tac worked for Brax for seven years and then he gets to leave with some payment but all characters call it slavery and I read it as slavery. I really, really hated this and it colored my view of the whole book and the relationship.

The other issues are much more minor, at least to me. Tac is described as being half human, half kangaroo basically, which...what? I just cannot picture someone as I'm supposed to see as a love interest looking like this. His feet are described as being as long as Tara's legs and I just cannot see this as attractive at all. It's so weird!

The other issue is that they don't get a translator until 3/4 of the way through the story. The author does make it very clear that everyone understands yes and no before any sex happens and the consent is very clear, I never felt like that was an issue, that was not my problem. My problem was that I was just annoyed by their inability to communicate. I was not entertained by Tara's inability to tell them what she needs for so much of this book. Forced lack of communication like this almost always bothers me in romance, especially if it drags on for this long. I just end up wanting them to be able to talk very early on. I feel like this is just a way to force the introduction of conflict without doing any interesting plot work.

There is still protectiveness stuff that I liked and some side characters I enjoyed but all of these issues really colored my perception of this whole book and the issues were present through so much of this book. I would continue reading this series but honestly this book did turn me off from this series a bit. ( )