A single malevolent prime minister governs the Earth – a perfect Utopia made possible by voiding the opposition and exiling the undesirables to another planet. Five years later, there is only one hope. With the way his life is going Chief Donovan Reese has seen better days, so when he’s captured by the Vladsets it’s no surprise but he’s shocked when the queen demands he wed her daughter. Her name, Celeka, means Wretched and that’s how her queen mother and everyone else sees her. She may be unsure of the Chief she’s bound to, but he’s her best chance of survival and hopefully he won’t discover what she had to do to save her sister.

This post-apocalyptic world is a complex but intriguing one that keeps readers on their toes and glued to the pages. The characters are strong, stand out and easily grab the readers’ attention while they try to stay alive long enough to save their respective worlds. The chemistry between Donovan and Celeka sizzles with lots of heat and the passion is hot and steamy but the relationship is anything but easy which keeps turbulent, gut wrenching emotions flowing from every page.

This steady to fast paced plot is full of thrills, excitement and a whole lot of adversaries in a futuristic setting that includes an extremely different Earth, space travel and alien worlds. The author has created a very intriguing world that readers that readers can’t help but be fascinated by and the story contains some world shattering and stunning twist that ensures that readers can’t possible predict what might happen next.

What a totally original premise for the story. Good writing and dialogue kept the story moving along quite well. enjoyed

Woohoo! This book had a freshness for an alien/human romance novel. I loved how honest the characters were. We saw their flaws and sometimes they got in the way of things but we still managed to love them!
It literally travelled through space and everywhere they went was so believable and thanks to the authors description I found it very easy to visualise!
Loved this book, absolutely loved it!!!!

Three and a half stars.

This is a difficult book to rate, there were bits I quite liked, bits I really enjoyed and bits I found excruciating.

This is set in a future when Earth has fallen under the dictatorship of the UN, then various rebels overthrew the UN but the power vacuum left everyone worse off. The rebels are branded traitors and anyone disfigured or disabled by the war is shunned. Chief Donovan Reese played a large part of the rebellion and holds himself responsible for the terrible injuries suffered by the men and women under his command but also for fighting on the wrong side for too long, for allowing the UN to take control of Earth.

Earth is part of the IgA, an interplanetary organisation which fosters cooperation and sharing between planets, provided they adhere to certain codes of behaviour (a bit like the real UN), Troon has failed to make the grade because of its aggressive behaviour and almost medieval conquest mentality, in fact it is under sanctions.

Now Donovan and his business partner/co-pilot Macie are bounty hunters and they have been captured and tortured by a violent and aggressive alien race called the Vladsets from the planet Troon. Then their captors drag Donovan before the Queen Vessa. The seven foot tall, blue-gray aliens with big black spines forces Donovan to marry her daughter, Celeka, and then sends the three of them off into space. Celeka is a mystery, some kind of pariah to the Vladsets she is covered from head to foot in cloths which hide every part of her.

Donovan and Macie support a large number of wounded vets by employing them as cargo carriers, in turn the profits they make are used to support what is left of the former US military while they try to find a leader.

While Donovan tries to find out about his new wife he is also trying to secure his next bounty and investigate what is going on with Troon and the IgA inspector.

This is old fashioned sci-fi, part Star Trek (complete with blue spiky aliens), part Firefly with lots of spaceships, docking bays, stasis sleep chambers etc. If it had stayed like that I would probably have given it the full four stars. Unfortunately, the pace and storyline were too often interrupted by alien erotica as Donovan teaches his new wife how to have sex. Pages and pages and pages of it. I nearly DNFd a couple of times because it was so tiresome, it wasn't even anything different (no tentacles) just regular old vanilla sex with a little mild BDSM.

Anyway, that's just my view, maybe I'm a sci-fi snob and like it unadulterated by sex, that may float your boat.

Ultimately, I definitely want to see what the story is with Macie and some of Donovan's other friends, I like the world that Cara Crescent has created and I would be interested in reading more in this series.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

An interesting book, the story was decent and the characters where well written and the story flowed nicely enough.

A fantastically creative adventure through space. This is a superbly written and creative literary adventure into romantic science fiction. The characters are outstanding; strong, yet vulnerable, with personalities that pull the reader into their lives. With a fantastic intergalactic setting and a background history that forms an excellent foundation for the storyline, this is an outstanding novel. Suitable for all fans of romance, science fiction, or paranormal futuristic drama, the only limitation to readers is the steamy adult content. Warning! Hot, hot, hot...

**I received a copy of Wretched from Net Galley in exchange for a voluntary and honest review. The opinions expressed are my own and not solicited**

Wretched by Cara Crescent is the second book in her Sci-fi series. I read this book as a stand alone and didn't have any issues but not that I finished this one I'd like to read the Last Marine. Even though this has 400+ pages Wretched will keep you turning the pages just to find out what Donovan Reese, Sorcha/Celeka and Macie/Mason will come up with in the quest to try and take down Queen Vessa on the planet Troon.

Even though the war weary Chief Donovan Reese was once the rebel who lead a rebellion against the UN when his partner in crime Mason starts shooting against the Vladsets they are taken hostage and tested against their warriors. What he doesn't expect is to be told he must marry Queen Vessa's. But surely their must be a sinister reason behind it. He doesn't expect that Celeka will look at his scars and announce they are Honor marks that he should be proud of, could he learn to care for her? There will be tall green tough to kill Vladsets, the Blue Helmets of the UN and CoreTech who all have very sinister plans for both Earth and Asteria, Donovan and his group of loyal men, Zeroes will do whatever it takes to save them.

Celeka is the heir apparent to lead Troon with her twin sister Mujara unless of course their mother succeeds in her battle to take over the universe. When she discovers her new husband Chief Reese will do anything to save her and his friends she'll gladly take on her mother with Reese and his Zeroes to stop her diabolical plans. Including using her secret power that makes her very dangerous. But can she show Donovan how much she loves him?

I loved this book. It was well written, the world building was unique and intriguing. the characters were well written and captured my attention. I also was left wanting to know more about the secondary and even tertiary characters.

In this book you have a forced marriage between Celeka and Donovan. What starts out as forced becomes the thing that binds them stronger. I liked that they had different customs and that it added to the chaos that surrounded them but that they were willing to compromise, apologize and talk it through. It was a unique perspective of two different cultures colliding and meshing.

Celeka starts out very meek but with Donovan she flowers and begins to stand for him and against him when need be. When the people pulling their strings are revealed it causes them to fight hard for the things that matter; their relationship, their lives and their beliefs.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense, intrigue, romance and HEA.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.
A tale of intense passion set in a futuristic, conflicted and very unstable world.
I loved how the author wrote the romance and passion between the main characters, who come from two different planets. The gradual sense of love and belonging between Donovan and Celeka/Sorcha was heartfelt, both sweet and sexy.
Sorcha and Donovan are such engaging characters; Sorcha is honest, kind, empathetic and curious. Her literalness is cute. Donovan’s alphaness is a mixture of protectiveness, possessiveness, gentleness and kindness. And he’s a great wounded hero, too, his scars a mark of honor.

I'm a big Sci-Fi Romance junkie and I'm glad I've found a new authors work to devour! This is the first book I've read by this author and I'm far from disappointed!

Donovan has a severe case of PTSD mixed with Survivors Guilt. He is so busy rescuing those around him, he forgets that he himself might need rescued...from himself! When he and Macie get trapped on a remote world, he finds himself married to the daughter of the Queen. But he can barely see her through all her bindings and veils. She must be even more scarred than him!

Celeka has always been alone in her world. She and her sister were separated when they were youngsters to encourage them to behave and undertake the tasks set by their odious mother. But when she is married to Donovan she begins to see a new life for herself. But will her husband be able to forgive her when he realises that they have met before and just what she has cost him?

I loved the way Donovan just sets about saving everyone he comes across! Celeka is so repressed it hurts your heart. The misunderstandings are many between these two. I loved unravelling the story and learning more about Donovan's past. Macie is a great partner in crime and I can't wait to see what awaits him in the love stakes!

WOW! This novel was incredibly well written and passionate. One of the best Sci fi romance novel I have read this year. It has adventure, a gorgeous, broken hero, tons of humor, an unbreakable friendship, off the charts, erotic romance and a brave, kiss ass heroine.

Donavan is a soldier driven by guilt and shame of his many emotional and physical scars. He's forced to marry Sorcha by her vindictive mother who mistreats and shames her for her "ugly appearance. Although Donavan has no clue what she looks like under the cover and veil she wears he stands up for her and protects her. He brings her back to his ship where he slowly gets to know her and eventually falls for her brave but sweet disposition. He teaches her to honor and love herself and shows her to be independent. I loved when he puts her in a deep sleep during a space travel leap, he records his voice saying how beautiful she is, how her opinions matter and how she can do anything she sets her mind to because she is strong. Just beautiful....
Sorcha learns a new way of life as she adapts to Donavan culture but she also teaches him to value himself and learn to let go of the guilt and pain he carries. Her love for him gives her the strength to confront her mother and the bravery to show him her physical self even at the risk of his disappointment which of course he isn't. From all that she's been through you would think she was meek and defeated but she has such amazing resilience and spirit.
Lastly I loved Donovans best friend Macie. He's also brave and loyal. He has his back no matter what. I had a few tears in my eyes when he imitates what Donovan did for Sorcha and records his voice telling him :
"“I, Donovan Reese, will live not only for myself, I’ll live for those I lost. I will live for them. I Donovan Reese, am worthy of my wife.”

Just a great novel all around. Can't wait for Macie story.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've received a ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know what I've stumbled into but I stumbled into something good! Never have I been a big fan of sci-fi romances, it just doesn't do it for me but since the moment I started to read this novel I was sitting at the edge of my seat! Celeka and Donovan relationship started off of unconventional do-or-die type of way (literally) and the struggle of power leads to a whirlwind action packed romance. A great stepping stone for readers who aren't been fans of sci-fi romance genres.