20% Stud 80% Muffin

What a fantastic book! I've never read this author before, but I'm a fan now. The world building was spot on, the characters were easy to engage with, and the storyline was very interesting.

Geo was the most unique Alpha that didn't know he was an Alpha that I've ever read. I loved Makir. He was the perfect omega and I really felt for his situation. These guys had a hard won HEA, but the journey was everything! The secondary characters were fun and I want their stories too. I highly recommend this book.

***

Chris Redd is a new author to me, but when I saw the blurb for this book it intrigued me. While it took me two chapters of the basic background info to completely get into the story, once I was reading I was hooked and couldn't put the book down until I finished.

Geo is a human architect and a latent alpha, something he never knew about. After some prodding from his best friend, he decides to go to planet Tern for a one-year contract to be the archbuilder of the only recolonizing settlement, Yurstille. Geo has a bad history with his cheating ex, and he looks at this as an opportunity to start over.

Makir is an omega alien prince from the planet Lorne. He had a very traumatic experience on his home planet during his heat (the story only hints at the trauma but does discuss the results), and he also looks at the move to Yurstille to open a hovercraft repair shop as a new beginning.

Their first meeting is intense and exciting, and the attraction they feel for one another goes way beyond the physical. Geo has a sixth sense about Makir being important in his future, but can't fathom how. Their attraction develops much deeper every time they meet. Then an incident triggers Makir's next heat, and he needs an alpha but not just any alpha.

The world building is intricate and fascinating. I felt like I could actually go visit a planet like Tern. The author has a very descriptive writing style which I enjoyed. The side characters all add so much to the story, both the good ones and the bad ones. There is a solid plot and lots of action to keep things interesting while we get a slow-burn love story. There is some miscommunication between Geo and Makir which was mostly based on the fact that they are two different species who don't know anything about the other's species, but partially based on relationship misunderstandings. I usually don't like to read a book when the miscommunication theme is the main point of the book, but here it was just done enough to keep the story going and even intersperse it with some funny situations.

For me, overall, the best part of this book was the deep love Geo and Makir have for each other. That's what made this book a great read. Their love, protectiveness and willingness to do anything to help the other was believable and poignant. I was sad to finish reading their story, and that is the greatest compliment I can give an author. I wanted more.