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Beth and the Barbarian by Honey Phillips

Can an alien Outcast and a lonely human find happiness together?

Hypersensitive to the emotions of others, Beth is resigned to spending her life alone - until she is attacked by savage aliens. Rescued by a massive scarred warrior, she feels a connection for the first time. With a chance to finally escape her loneliness, she doesn’t hesitate when he informs her she must accompany him.

Dragar never expected to find the perfect female while tracking one of the saboteurs targeting his people. A former Outcast, he is scarred inside and out, and knows that he is unworthy of a mate. His instincts insist he protect the innocent female from all danger - even his own rampant attraction - but he can't resist her innocent allure.

Now Beth and Dragar are being pursued across the galaxy. The time on the run is only forcing them closer together. Can Dragar put aside his troubled past and give Beth the love she deserves? Or will they both end up alone again?



Two people, one human and one alien, who thought they would forever be alone. And then they weren't. One is scarred, inside and out and it takes the loving touch, the loving heart of the one he holds dear to finally start to heal him.

A former Outcast, Dragar never felt worthy. He believed he was destined for a life alone, helping to forge a new way for his people, but not really one of them. Beth was an empath, and because she felt too much, she removed herself from much of society. She also believed she would always be alone. And then Dragar came bursting out of the woods, killed her attackers, and took her on a journey among the stars.

Some favorite scenes: everything on Kievan's space station (does he get his own book?); Dragar standing up for Beth and what they share; all that Beth was willing to do to tie herself to Dragar; Beth and Rianen (does this warrior get her own book?); and Jakkar and Anna standing by their sides.

I loved the instant connection between these characters. I enjoyed seeing how, although they were supposed to be so different, they were so much alike. And their feelings for one another, their intimate moments, their bond... yeah, that's what I like to read.

There's a reason I once again took a chance on this author. Sweet romance with dominant heroes, soft yet fierce heroines, and happily ever afters. Gets me every time!


Honey Phillips writes steamy science fiction stories about hot alien warriors and the human women they can’t resist. From abductions to invasions, the ride might be rough, but the end always satisfies!

Honey wrote and illustrated her first book at the tender age of 5. Her writing has improved since then. her drawing skills, unfortunately, have not. She loves writing, reading, traveling, cooking, and drinking champagne - not necessarily in that order.

Visit https://www.honeyphillips.com/ for more information

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The Half-Orc's Maiden Bride by Ruby Dixon

Lady Iolanthe of Rockmourn Keep expects to be a spinster all her days. She is very tall. She is very poor. And she is thirty. What lord could possibly want her?

But then her father returns with news that he has found a bridegroom for her - one that is impressively tall. One that is strong, and bold, and wealthy. And best of all? He wants Iolanthe. It seems too good to be true.

And when Iolanthe gets her first look at her husband-to-be, she realizes why.

No one mentioned the 'orc' part of things...



I didn't know how this story was going to turn out, but I know what RD does, and that's deliver, so I wasn't even worried. So what if the hero was a half-orc? So what if I constantly wondered how his tusks didn't get in the way, especially when they came close to sensitive bits? This story gave me exactly what I was looking for — sweet, sexy, swoony fun!

I loved the way the author created this story. The relationship between the characters was so beautiful to me. Iolanthe had lived her life knowing she was unwanted. There was no one to tell her different. And Agakor believed that no human lady could ever come to love him. He was half-orc after all. But what neither of them could have expected... that there was someone who would be the absolute perfect someone for them. That's what they were for each other.

Agakor gave Iolanthe all of the love she had been missing and she did the same to him in return.

Loved it!

And now I'll leave you with some sexy Orcs...



When I imagined myself taking a human lady as a bride, I didn't think further than that. I wanted a son to cement my claim upon this land, and a bride to ensure that I would look legitimate in the eyes of the other lords. I want them to see me as just another lord, not a squatter or an interloper who bought his way to a lord's title and keep with coin. A bride was just another piece of the puzzle, another way to get respect. I imagined her as something to endure, someone that would be horrified at who she had to marry, but who would put up with me because of the gold I paid her father.

I never imagined someone like Iolanthe. Someone who would shyly meet me in all my desires, someone who is as fascinated at touching me as I am with her. Someone who looks at my run-down keep as her home and even now works to clean it from top to bottom and make it presentable. I didn't imagine that my wife would like me, much less be eager for my touch. From the moment she petted my cock like it was a puppy, she's held my heart in her hand.



Ruby Dixon is the secret penname of a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author. As Ruby, she writes sexy barbarian aliens, grumpy shifters, and domineering bikers.

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Rattle Some Cages by Lani Lynn Vale

It’s not every day that you see a dead body at the beach. Or the woman of your dreams sitting next to that dead body.

Price Crow first saw Sabrina Proctor in the middle of a hurricane.

She’d been sitting next to her dead best friend, who’d passed away on the beach, with no way to get her back home, thanks to the world’s worst luck, and one hell of a storm.

So Price does what any decent person would do: he carries Sabrina’s dead best friend to their beach house and doesn’t leave her side until he’s forced to.

He had every intention of bridging that gap, of checking up on her and making sure she was okay, but life is funny and has a way of making a mockery of the best-laid plans.

Despite one hell of a connection, under the worst of circumstances, they go their separate ways. At least, he tries to. But he can’t stop thinking about her, and it becomes apparent, very fast, that he has a decision to make.

Choose Sabrina, or live out the rest of his life making everyone else around him happy except for himself.



It was practically love at first sight when Price caught his first glimpse of Sabrina. He knew nothing about her, but she intrigued him. Whether it was a coincidence or some strange sort of luck, when he goes on a family vacation, Sabrina happens to rent the house next door. However, while he's there for fun in the sun, she's there to say a final goodbye to her best friend. And when she's at her lowest, it's Price who helps her pick up the pieces.

I had a lot of problems with this story and that's really saying something because everyone and their mama knows how much I adore this author. While reading it, I kept thinking... this is messy.

For what I think is the first time, I didn't like the heroine. I didn't care about what she was going through, I didn't care about her feelings, and I didn't care if she got her happy ending. The only reason she was even a factor for me is because of Price. I loved this man and was willing to put up with the woman he chose so he could be happy. But it wasn't easy.

My biggest issue with this woman was that she was supposed to be socially awkward and shy, but I didn't really get that. I got a person who made excuses for her problems and did nothing to change them. She kept looking to others for basic things. She seemed to know nothing about life and yet she had a job with the school board. Why didn't she ever seek out some therapy?

She was very judgy, which irked the ish out of me.


No. Really? Well, I've been living under a rock and didn't hear the news. Price is better than me. Why do I smoke? Hmmm... well I don't know you and guess what? Don't ask me stupid questions. Don't question me. Mind your damn business.

She was also nosey, presumptious, and kinda rude. I'm still wondering what she was doing with her life that she put up with her ex for so long. Where was her common sense?

And so, I had to average everything out... such as missing details, my intense dislike of the heroine, dangling plot points, etc., and give this book its due.

Again, I absolutely love this author and will read whatever she pushes out. This just happens to be my least favorite book yet.

About the Characters:

Main Characters: Price Crow and Sabrina
Children: Hercules & Faye
Price's Family:
Derringer Crow (father)
Reedy Crow (mother)
Tide "Rook" Crow (twin brother)
Haggard "Thief" Crow (brother) - found in Always Someone's Monster)
Callum "Shine" Crow (brother) - found in Make Me Your Villain
Bram "Reaper" Crow (brother)
Cannel Crow (sister) - found in Chalk Dirty to Me

Check out the other books from the series:

Lani Lynn Vale is married to the love of her life that she met in high school. She fell in love with him because he was wearing baseball pants. Ten years later they have three perfectly crazy children and a cat named Demon who likes to wake her up at ungodly times in the night. They live in the greatest state in the world, Texas. She writes contemporary and romantic suspense, and has a love for all things romance. You can find Lani in front of her computer writing away in her fictional characters world...that is until her husband and kids demand sustenance in the form of food and drink.

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Invaded by Lizzy Bequin

A planet of women invaded by an army of men.
A queen conquered by a warrior's obsession.

Like all women of Cytherea, Queen Lirilith had always believed men to be the stuff of fairy tales. Until the invaders came. Brutal warriors from beyond the stars.

It turns out men really do exist, and they are terrifying.

Their leader is Ultor, and he is the most terrifying of them all, a dark and dominating mountain of muscle and scar tissue. He has come to conquer Lirilith’s planet, but now she is the conquest he desires. Her womb is his obsession. He wants his baby inside her, and he’ll stop at nothing to put it there, even if he must destroy her entire world in the process.

Now Lirilith must decide. How much is she willing to surrender to save her planet from destruction?

Sometimes, the only way to best your enemy is on your knees.



I've never tried this author before, but this book was making the rounds and I had my reasons for trying it.

* it's scifi romance, one of my not-so-secret pleasures
* it mentions breeding kink — YUM!!
* sex, filthy sex, all the sex
* an actual plot

Did it deliver?

Why yes... Yes, it did!

I will warn you though... this book was long!!

Could it have been shorter? Probably. But then I'd probably complain about it lacking something 😝😝

I enjoyed it, which is all that matters. Will I read from this author again? You better believe it!





Hailing from the Deep South, Lizzy Bequin enjoys writing dark romance stories that explore the primal side of love and lust. When she’s not writing or reading, Lizzy is serving the whims of the two evil feline overlords who rule her home.