Breathlessly - Heather Relken

If you’re fascinated by the strange and the unusual, this book is definitely one for you.

This standalone polyamorous Sci-Fi Romance was written as a full length novel based on an earlier short story by this author. It’s set in a not too distant galaxy and contains scenes of consenting interspecies sexual activity between two males and a female. There is a trigger warning for homophobia experienced by one of the main characters. 

I really enjoyed this book. Heather Relken has a very fluent style of writing which makes her work a pleasure to read. The characters are well thought out and her alien species are very detailed, right down to anatomy, culture and language. The world building is excellent and Relken paints a beautifully clear picture with her words.

The galaxy is a vast place, housing the strange and unusual. Amongst the strange and unusual are the Kholorua; a race of benevolent beings, more than 100 feet tall who like to collect other species as pets.

Milo is a human who wakes one day on an idyllic beach in what seems to be paradise. Definitely not where he fell asleep. He’s one of around seventy humans who have been collected by the Kholorua as a pet. Life is, for the most part, stress free and all his needs are catered for, except for one thing; it appears that Milo is the only gay in the village and most of the villagers do not approve. 

This is a story of how Milo learns to love himself and how he finds his place within a new family. After moving back to the beach, away from the toxic environment created by other humans, he is soon joined by two others of an alien aquatic species, who bond with him and accept him for who he is. This is very much a love story, with a secondary story arc about the villagers. It’s a reflection of how humanity can be both loving and terrible, accepting and intolerant. It shines a light on how damaging a narrow-minded way of living is and how life can be so much better all round with an open heart and mind.

There are scenes of a sexual nature. There are scenes which are openly homosexual and there are very descriptive scenes of interspecies sexual activity and alien genitalia. If you’re fascinated by the strange and the unusual, this book is definitely one for you.

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New Horizons (The Baron's Hand Saga, Book 1) - Heather Relken

An epic saga of Love, Loss and New Beginnings. Reach for the stars. You never know where life will take you.

This book is the first in a Reverse Harem Sci-Fi Romance series by Heather Relken. It is predominantly set on a spacecraft orbiting Earth and features human and alien beings. It can be read as a standalone novel. There is some violence and there are several descriptive scenes of consenting inter-species sexual activity between a trio of one human female and two alien males.

Heather Relken is a very talented writer. The story is well paced and flows beautifully. I didn’t want to put it down. The worldbuilding and descriptions of alien craft, creatures, cultures and traditions are vivid and feel realistic. The aliens in this book are technologically very advanced and not overly humanoid in appearance.

There are scenes of suspense, action and violence. There are also descriptive scenes of a sexual nature; with the exception of one where there is questionable consent due to language barriers, they are all consenting and they are part of the characters' bonding with each other, therefore are necessary to the plot of the story. 

Someone has discovered Earth; a previously unknown planet hidden away in the far reaches of the universe. Someone is kidnapping humans, stripping their memories and selling them for wildly high prices at auction. Humans were previously unknown in the wider galaxy. The Turukai have been tasked with monitoring Earth to find out more about them and who is taking them.

Lila Riley Reagan has taken herself off hiking in the mountains to distract her broken heart from the one-year anniversary of her break-up from a long term relationship. The last thing she expected to find herself doing was being caught up in a gunfight between alien beings and government agents. 

After falling from a cliff, breaking her legs, trying to rescue an injured alien, being unceremoniously dragged off to a secret facility for questioning along with that alien, then rescued from that facility by said alien, she could be forgiven for thinking that was enough drama for one day. 

She’d be wrong though. She wakes up on a spacecraft in a medical bay with newly repaired legs and surrounded by strange creatures. She’s hauled off and presented to the Exalt, the leader of this military operation, where she faces trial to test her worthiness and is subsequently claimed as a mate by the Exalt. That’s where her adventures really begin.

This is a long, action-packed novel and I really struggled to put it down. The characters are well developed, individual and deep. The story was really well thought out and interesting. I was thoroughly immersed in this world. I cannot wait to see what else this author produces. I want more of this universe.

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Breathless - Heather Relken

Two’s company but three’s a party in this steamy underwater ménage à trois

This is a short, standalone Sci-Fi Romance novella set somewhere in a not too distant galaxy. It is RH and LGBTQ. There are descriptive scenes of consenting interspecies sexual activity between two males and a female.

I love Heather Relken’s style of writing. She paints pictures with her words and they just draw me in. If steamy, consensual alien interactions are your thing, you will love this.

The galaxy is a vast place, housing the strange and unusual. Amongst the strange and unusual are a race of benevolent beings, more than 100 feet tall who like to collect other species as pets. They are often thought of as mythical beings; stories told to keep children compliant.

Milo, a human male, discovers just how real they are when he finds himself captured and wakes up in a seemingly idyllic beach side paradise. The complete opposite of his former home. Milo’s quiet life in his beachfront dwelling is interrupted by the arrival of Vano, a being who looks very much like the human description of mermaids, or a merman in this case. The two begin a passionate love affair until the arrival of Mri, a female of the same species as Vano, changes their dynamic. Milo has never been attracted to human females but mermaids are a different story. Two may be company but three's a party and all of them want to play.

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Stowaway (The Baron's Hand Saga, Book 1) : Heather Relken

An epic tale of abandonment and loss but above all, one of love and family

This book is the first in a Reverse Harem Sci-Fi Romance series by Heather Relken. It is set in a distant galaxy and features human and alien beings. It can be read as a standalone novel. There is some violence and there are several descriptive scenes of consenting inter-species sexual activity between all three males and one female.

Someone has discovered Earth, a previously unknown planet hidden away in the far reaches of the universe. Someone is kidnapping humans, stripping their memories and selling them for wildly high prices at auction.

Cinn is a human female who’s first memory is of waking up in a chaotic and crowded barn, with a group of humans being auctioned off to the highest bidders. She doesn’t recognise any of the alien species surrounding her. She doesn’t understand any of their languages. She is bought by someone who looks like an angel but feels like a devil. She has no idea if this is normal or legal but she knows she has to get away if she is to survive. 

At her first opportunity she escapes and hides herself in the storage area of a small vehicle, which happens to be an interplanetary craft belonging to a family of farming aliens. She is of course discovered by them mid-flight. What follows is a journey of her learning to communicate with four different species of aliens, coming to terms with having no family and not knowing her place in the universe, wanting to be part of this family and avoiding being reclaimed by the Angel.

This is an epic tale of abandonment and loss but above all, one of love and family. Each character is well thought through, deep and complex. Their interactions and behaviours feel real and almost tangible. As a reader, I could feel Cinn’s sense of loss and wanting to belong. I could feel her hope and her love for the family who had taken her in. I could feel her anxiety over being discovered by the Angel and her terror of being taken again. 

There are scenes of suspense, action and violence. There are trigger warnings where appropriate. There are also descriptive scenes of a sexual nature. They are consenting and they are part of the characters bonding with each other, therefore are necessary to the plot of the story. 

The worldbuilding and descriptions of alien landscapes are vivid and feel realistic. The aliens are not all humanoid in appearance and each species has defining characteristics and abilities which make them unique. Humans are rare and unusual.

Heather Relken is a very talented writer. She clearly has a passion for linguistics and this is evident in her attention to detail when it comes to alien languages. The book contains an index of the alien races, the languages spoken and which existing languages influenced them. The story is well paced and flows beautifully. I didn’t want to put it down. 

Although this is the first book in the series, it is the second one I have read. Each can be read as a standalone. I cannot wait to see what else this author produces. I want more of this universe.

Available from Amazon

Decadent Sins : Heather Relken

Sometimes it takes something darker than good to defeat what is truly evil.

I loved every minute of reading this book. It’s on my list of favourite books which I will read time and time again.

This book is a standalone dark paranormal romance with descriptive scenes of murder, torture and scenes of a sexual nature. There is a trigger warning for child endangerment and another for rape of an adult woman. It is within the context of the book and is essential to the story. Be warned. Here be monsters. 

Malah is a reluctant Princess, forced into marriage with an abusive Prince and living under the despotic rule of his father, the King; a ruler who tortures and kills his people on a whim. Life is not sacred in his kingdom. 

Malah is treated as a pariah in his castle, with no one to talk to and no one turn to, so after accidentally killing her husband during one of his bouts of rage, her only option is to call upon the man her husband had frequently paid to torture her. He takes her, for a price and she hides with him in fear for her life, hoping her past doesn’t catch up with her. 

When your enemy has dark magic at their disposal, just how long can you remain hidden?

This is a story of a fight for survival. Of finding home and family in the most unexpected of places. Of love born from pain and torment. Sometimes it takes something darker than good to defeat what is truly evil.

This book is full of suspense and so well written. I've been glued to this story. Malah came across as resourceful and intelligent. Her character continued to grow throughout the story. Crane, her unplanned love interest, is a dark man; morally grey and increasingly devoted to her. He reminds me a little bit of Loki and I love that. The many tense scenes were perfectly paced and I read them with a healthy dose of trepidation!

I originally read this book as a Beta read. It was the first book I’d read by Heather Relken but I guarantee it definitely won’t be the last. She’s straight into my list of favourite authors. I’ve already started on her back catalogue. 

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Unyielding Autumn (The Baron's Hand Saga, Book 3) : Heather Relken

An intense, wild ride through alien landscapes. Couldn’t put it down.

This book is the third in a Sci-Fi Romance series by Heather Relken. It is set in a distant galaxy and features humans and alien beings. This book can be read as a stand alone novel. There is some violence and there are scenes of consenting inter-species sexual activity.

Autumn is a human female who wakes in a crowded barn to find herself being auctioned off to alien bidders. She has no recollection of her life prior to that moment. What follows is an escape on foot, almost being eaten by a creature in the throes of blood lust, a cycle of rescues, murders, captures and interplanetary travel. Throughout all of this there is one constant; Equinox, an alien being who has taken it upon himself to help what he believes is a lost, abused and vulnerable mixed breed. 

As Autumn’s memories slowly start to return, she has to come to terms with her new life in unfamiliar settings and the feelings she is developing for the alien who has taken her under his protection. Could this be love? If it is, how would that even work? 

The world building is incredible, with vivid descriptions of alien life forms, planets, customs and languages. The author has a talent for linguistics; there are really well explained language structures and guides and it adds an extra dimension to the story as a whole. 

The book is beautifully written, intense and fast paced. There are scenes which are filled with suspense, action and violence, as well as some scenes of a sexual nature, which are relevant to the plot. I really struggled to put this book down. I can’t wait for the next book. 

Available from Amazon