I love scifi romance but this I couldn't even finish.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC from Netgalley.

Not and sexy with a hero to call in love with and a lady hero to respect, this was a great addition to the first book in the series!

D’zia’s Dilema by Keri Kruspe is hilarious. If you aren’t looking for a lot of laughs with your
love story, this one isn’t for you. The story is wild, fun and unpredictable. It is the perfect story to symbolize that life isn’t fair. But, it is a lot of fun. And you definitely get what you deserve in the end. Hurray for Karma.

Lora and D'zia just cannot catch a break! They don't just deal with one disaster after the other, but simultaneous disasters after the others!

When D'zia plans to go undercover to expose a threat to his planet's government and his family, he does it out of family loyalty, an appreciation for humans, and a bit of self interest in the form of attraction towards one particular human. What a coincidence that his undercover work leads him right to her!

Unlike his cousin, D'zia has studied earth cultures, eagerly interacted with humans, and has a strong appreciation for earth cultures. His combining of Zerin and Earth culture sets him up for a better Zerin/Human relationship! In addition, he's more socially competent and less self loathing. When he sets out to rescue the "helpless human," reality interferes with the fairy tale rescue, and he and Lora find themselves rescuing each other. They juggle each problem flying at them, leaning on each other for emotional support as well as working together on more physical problems.

Relationships are a joy in this book. We see the loving teasing between D'zia and his cousin. And we get more insight about the seemingly laid back and always joking D'zia and the weight he carries beneath the smiles and jokes of taking care of and protecting his cousin. Organic being relationships are not the only relationships, but a great deal of comic relief can be found in the delightfully dramatic AI's who quickly endear themselves to the reader.

The highlight of the series is the intercultural and world building that is subtly revealed through the intricate and fast moving plot. The nuances of these cultures are not immediately laid out for the reader, but rather are built up around the reader as they further immerse themselves in the story. And while there are not too many aspects that are stunningly different from structures among earth cultures (family structures and relationships, government, etc. are not unlike what can be found on earth), there is still a clear independent development of a new culture and cultural characteristics that are barriers to overcome in a Zerin/human relationship.

This was the first book by this author I've read, and it was very enjoyable. I liked the characters and plot. Being the second of a series I was worried there would be too much reliance on the first book to set up but this was a good stand alone. Looking forward to reading more.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Decent Sci fi romance. Both characters are fully fleshed out and their interactions are sensual and sweet. Lora is captured by aliens when she signs up to be an alien bride. Her hero comes to her rescue and their connection is undeniable. Great novel.