Title: Fate Forged

Heat Level: 4/5

Genre/subgenre: SciFi Romance

Target audience (age group, reader type): Adult

Word count or page count: 79461/335

Release date: Feb-22

Publisher: Sevannah Storm

 

Series info: The Gifting Series #2

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Short blurb:  Lonely and single, Jacqueline’s unequipped to handle an alien man’s potent attraction. But everything isn’t all roses. There’s betrayal, battles, escapes, and his stubbornness to get through before she can finally claim her man. 

 

One-line hooks or taglines: She wanted a man who didn’t live with his mother. She got an alien warlord instead.
She trains cops. He commands galaxies. Compatibility is… complicated.
All Jack wanted was decent foreplay. She got a soulmate and a galactic rescue mission.
She makes his heart beat. He’d burn a planet to keep it that way.
A woman lost. A commander unchained. One galaxy-wide vow: bring her home.
She made him feel. Now he’ll make the stars bleed to find her again.
When she’s taken, he doesn’t call the cops. He declares war.
They messed with the wrong woman. And the wrong warlord.

 

Buy link: https://books2read.com/u/bMY09v

 

Excerpts:

“You tell me right now why we have five aliens in our house?” Jack faced her brother.
“And don’t think you can lie to me, either.
They’re drinking beer like it’s their first time.
They gathered around my solarcycle like it was a stripper parade, and they have bronzed skin.
And don’t get me started on Ulriq's eyes.
Where, on God’s green earth, does a man’s eyes change from dark-blue to ice-blue?”

Ulriq scowled at the thought of no Jacqueline in his life.
As he sat there, the soulmate bond formed between them, like tendrils of light curling around his cursed soul.
His priorities shifted with his thoughts and intuitions aligning to her needs.
The darkness and irritation that had consumed him of late were…gone.
Replaced by the glowing joy-filled life force of his female.

She smiled in greeting and raised her blue gaze to meet his. He admired her upturned face, her skin exquisite and dusted with a fine sprinkle of spots. The urge to press his lips to each one took hold of his mind. Parting his mouth to greet her, all he managed was a grunt.

“Am I speaking the truth when I say I would like to take you to my quarters, spread those beautiful thighs, and claim you?” His voice tore through his throat like coarse stone. He dared not look away. He kept his unblinking focus on her face, analyzing every emotion, known and unknown as it flitted across her expressive features.

But it was the way he spoke and looked at her that touched a part of her deep inside. She shivered in anticipation; excitement danced along her nerve endings like a spiced criminal dodging taser bolts.

"Um, shouldn’t you put on a shirt?” His laughter burst from him, filling him with intense and enjoyable warmth. Her heart danced as she stared at him, her mouth falling open; the dark pink tempting him again. “Do you not like my chest?” he teased without mercy.

He found her. She stood in the center of a cell, yellow light bathing her. Never had he seen a more beautiful sight. Firing on the gate locks, he pushed them open as she launched herself at him. He rumbled his approval, wrapping his arms around her, crushing her to his chest.

“Open your mouth for me," he commanded. With a deep growl, he slashed his mouth over hers, his tongue delving in, unrepentant in its demand. He groaned at the taste and silkiness of her, his appreciation vibrating through her. She trembled in his arms as he ravaged the contours of her mouth.

He pinned her to the bulkhead, breathing her in deeply. “Stay with me,” he whispered into her mouth, urgency peppering his plundering tongue. He begged her between soul-destroying kisses, “Forever. I need you forever.”

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Reader reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hot!
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2024
I enjoyed this book. The characters and world building are excellent. Jack is reunited with her brother in an unusual tale. In the process she ends up with a new life. The ending was perfect.

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent sci-fi romance.
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2022
This second entry in The Gifting series was much stronger than the first, primarily because in this one, the hero and heroine meet much earlier in the book and spend much more of it together and interacting. The hero was deliciously alpha in the honorable soldier, caretaker mold. The heroine was strong and sympathetic. I appreciated the subtle inclusion of the heroine’s faith, since it is unusual for a protagonist in a sci-fi romance novel. There was plenty of action, danger, and adventure to keep the pacing rolling along and my interest in continuing the novel high. I loved this particular version of the Fated Mates trope, and all the cultural details of the hero’s people was fascinating. I enjoyed the space opera tone and feel of this romance and look forward to reading the third book in this series when it releases. Recommended.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Second Book
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2024
Another hot alien romance in The Gifting series! I look forward to more books in the series.

5.0 out of 5 stars Strength and Honor
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2022
Need a strong heroine who can kick butt and still hug it out? Need a hero who wields a blaster and isn't afraid to kiss in the halls? Then you have found the right book. Adventure, love, and thinking/rational females what's not to LOVE!!!!!!!

 

Discussion or book club questions:

Jack is a strong, confident woman who intimidates most men. How does Ulriq’s reaction to her strength differ from the men on Earth? What does that say about him—and her?

Ulriq starts off as emotionally detached and dismissive of love. What does Jack awaken in him that shifts his mindset so drastically?

Do you think Jack truly believed in soulmates before meeting Ulriq? How does her view of relationships change throughout the book?

What does Jack risk by opening herself to Ulriq? What does Ulriq risk by defying his people’s beliefs for her?

The Ethera is a biological, unshakable bond. Do you think this enhances or undermines the concept of free will in romantic relationships?

Jack and Ulriq come from entirely different worlds—literally and culturally. What helped bridge the gap between them?

How does the story explore power dynamics between the sexes—especially when one partner is a Supreme Commander?

In what ways does the book challenge or reinforce traditional ideas of masculinity and femininity?

Ulriq goes to extreme lengths to rescue Jack. Do you think his actions were justified, romantic, or reckless? Or all three?

How did the pacing and stakes of the “rescue mission” shape your emotional investment in the couple?

What role do Ulriq’s people or political structures play in the conflict? Could Jack and Ulriq’s bond have sparked a rebellion?

If Jack had been the one to trigger the Ethera in Ulriq first—without knowing it—how do you think she would’ve handled it?

If you were Jack’s friend, what advice would you have given her when Ulriq declared she was his mate?

What do you think their relationship would look like ten years from now? Would Jack adapt to his world—or would Ulriq move mountains to keep her grounded in hers?

What scenes made you laugh, swoon, or shout at the book?

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Relevant tropes or keywords:

Soulmates
Kidnapped
He falls first
Alpha hero
Aliens on Earth
Happily Ever After