Audiobook Review: First Contact by Kim Harrision

 

First Contact (Eclipsed Evolution #1) by Kim Harrison

Publication Date: April 2nd 2024 by Penguin Audio

Pages: 168

Audio Book Length: 5hrs 27 mins

Narrator: Xe Sands

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Dr. Renee Caisson is drafting into a military project without knowing aliens are at the center of her study. However, once she discovers them her insights help them to connect and communicate with them in a way they hadn’t before. The aliens came to Earth for help, but the higher-ups are concerned about their intentions, as would be expected.

 

First Contact was a quick listen and captured my attention from the beginning! There are good and bad players here and Renee is one of the good ones! I really liked and connected with her! She applied her smarts and instincts and I applauded her courage fighting for what’s right.  There is a potential for romance (I think) and I’m interested in seeing where that goes.

 

I’m eager to pick up with the next installment as this one ended in a “to-be-continued” situation.

 

I listened to an audio version and enjoyed Xe Sands’ performance of all voices.

4 Stars

Book Description:

In the wake of the solar eclipse, a portal between our world and a paranormal realm opens—and a scientist’s life will never be the same, in this thrilling serialized adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of The Hollows.

Dr. Renee Caisson knows there are worse things than an attractive man in uniform drafting her into a secret government project—especially when Major Jackson makes it clear that he isn’t bothered by her questionable past. But when her labs come back with decidedly odd results, the Major is forced to come clean over who the government is actually studying. Renee is shocked to learn her subjects are demonic-looking beings who call themselves “Neighbors”—refugees from a dying world, who arrived during the nation-wide solar eclipse.

The Neighbors’ technology is unlike anything Renee’s ever encountered. At first, she dismisses an injury that inexplicably heals as “just one of those things”. And surely August, the most gregarious Neighbor, begins to speak English overnight because of the team linguist’s skills?

Not until August begins evolving in real time to withstand Earth’s brighter, dryer atmosphere does she admit that the Neighbors’ “tech” feels less like science and more like magic—the same magic that brought them here in the first place, and the same they’re trying to rekindle with a mysterious labyrinth in order to return home and save their world.

At least, that’s what August claims they came for…

Review: Barbarian's Touch by Ruby Dixon

 

Barbarian's Touch (Ice Planet Barbarians #7)  by Ruby Dixon

Publication Date: January 2nd 2024 by Berkley (special edition) 

Pages: 339

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Barbarian’s Touch is book seven in the series. It’s best to start at the beginning, even though each book focuses on a specific couple. The human women and sa-khui have come together, but it’s been an ongoing process best experienced in order.

 

Kira, one of the Earth women, and the sa-khui men venture back to the crashed spaceship to awaken two of the women in stasis. Lila wakes up and has no idea where she is, but she can’t hear. Her cochlear implant is gone and she’s terrified. The situation is disturbing and not being able to communicate with the others adds to the panic. Fortunately, she has her sister Maddie to translate in sign language.

 

A few of the male aliens are focused intensely on Lila and Maddie, which is unsettling. Little do they know, the sa-khui men are anxious to find a mate and there are few females. The journey back to the tribal caves is cold and treacherous, so they both rely on the aliens for survival. In route, one of sa-khui males kidnaps Lila. She’s afraid he’ll start to make demands if she doesn’t do something soon, so she plans her escape. I was enraged in Lila’s behalf!

 

Each couple has had a unique journey with obstacles to overcome. Being deaf, Lila faced her own set of challenges, and I was impressed by how she handled it all! Rokan was amazing and supportive, giving Lila space to make her own choices and helping her learn to survive on her own. It was empowering and I love how it helped her confidence grow.  I adored both Rokan and Lila so much! This was a slow burn romance, but as with the previous books, this is extra-spicy, hot stuff!

There was a new, exciting discovery that I think is wonderful and should enhance living on “Not-Hoth”.

I felt like Barbarian’s Touch was a bit of a reset/refresh, as Lila and Maddie have just been awakened and are coming to grips with being taken from Earth.

I read/listened to the first few books a while back, so I was excited about the Berkley Special Editions. I love their new, gorgeous covers and extras! This copy had an extended epilogue and a special guide of characters with descriptions, which is helpful. I also really appreciated the author’s note describing her own personal experience with hearing loss.

4 Stars

Book Description:

The next novel in the Ice Planet Barbarians series, an international publishing phenomenon—now in a special print edition with a bonus new epilogue!

Lila has never been more frightened in her life, but when Rokan appears, everything changes.

When I wake up on the ice planet, I’m scared of This place is cold, silent, and the locals look more like blue devils than aliens. To make matters worse, one of the strangers decides I’m going to be his girlfriend and kidnaps me away from my sister. I’m completely and utterly alone. What’s a girl to do?

Well, this girl escapes.

Of course, that means I go from the frying pan into the fire, and my situation gets even more dangerous. Just when I have no hope left, a new hero shows up. Sure, he’s blue, horned, and has a tail. He’s also fierce, protective, makes me purr...and thinks I'm perfect.

But is what we have real or just a mating instinct?