Tag Archives: Mars Needs Women

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Book Review: The Power of Three, by Kate Pearce

Last winter, I laid out a huge winter-vibes reading challenge for myself. Then, I basically fucked off and forgot about it. So, instead of doing a new one this year, I have gone back and started trying to work on last year’s. Hey, it’s my own blog. I’m accountable to no one but myself. I can do that. LOL.

I picked up Kate Pearce‘s The Power of Three as an Amazon freebie in December of 2021. So, look at me, going back to work on an old reading challenge by reading an even older book. (Yeah, I’m easily amused.)

The Power of Three cover

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Soreya Lang has never met a male telepath before, let alone one who is willing to die for her on an interplanetary mission gone wrong. Risking everything, she acts on her instant telepathic and physical connection with Esca and encounters a level of psychic power she never knew existed.

Esca can’t believe he’s finally met the female who will complete his sexual and telepathic triad. He promises himself that if they survive, he’ll take her back home, introduce her to his enigmatic First Male, Ash and pray that biology will do the rest.

But nothing is ever that simple, and Soreya, Esca and Ash will have to find their own way through the ties of family and traditions to experience the full telepathic wonder of the power of three…

my review

I wanted to like this; I really did. It had an interesting premise, which could develop into an interesting world and characters that were likable enough. But it is just SO clumsily done that I couldn’t particularly enjoy it. There isn’t enough nuance; the plot isn’t developed enough (and it ends precipitously at an awkward point). The writing was pedestrian but functional, except for some clunky dialogue and any time the author had to discuss anything military. Then, it was shockingly amateurish. There were also some inconsistencies, and it needed another editing pass (which would also likely have caught some of the inconsistencies.) Mostly, the story it was trying to tell needed (and deserved) a defter hand.

Oh, and see how I said ‘fuck’ about. Yeah, I wish authors would just do that. This book did the annoying thing of using Frek instead of fuck and then littered it everywhere. Just curse, for god’s sake. It’s a polyamorous erotic novel. Anyone choosing to read such a thing should be able to handle a few dozen fucks in dialogue. (I hate when authors do this so much. So much.)

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Book Review: Veiled in Shadow, by Chloe Parker & Clarissa Bright

I picked up a freebie copy of Veiled in Shadow by Chloe Parker & Clarissa Bright.
veiled in shadow cover

Can one human woman seduce the most powerful males in the galaxy? I’m about to find out.

When the Aelyd mafia took my best friend, I decided to go looking for her. These aliens have been looking for brides – for vessels – and I know she must be in trouble.

Now I’ve found myself entangled with three alien crimelords, all of whom want me as their mate.

Keon, the Deviant Prince of the Ganivet Family.

Atlas, the Ganivet Boss, known as the Untouchable Man.

And Corvus, the stoic, deadly assassin playing them both.

I’ll have to tread carefully to trap these men in my web, but I’ll do it using my wits, my charm, and my body.

And hopefully I won’t get caught myself.

my review

OK, so this was pure smut and ridiculous smut at that. But it was also silly fun. You can’t go in expecting to take it seriously. The idea that any of these characters are actually the dangerous professionals that the authors tell us they are is a joke. As someone smarter than me once said, fiction doesn’t have to be realistic, but it does need to be believable (in the context of the plot). None of these characters are. Nor is the progression of the romantic element of the story believably paced. (Especially in the case of Corvus.) The BDSM aspect feels completely out of place. (Somehow, the aliens don’t know what a boyfriend is, but know what a sub is.) And the plot is paper thin, though not porn-with-plot thin. Just accept all of that in advance.

Because outside of the above, there is some fun banter, sweet moments, sword crossing, and a strong platonic female friendship. The book is fun. Just don’t think too deeply about any single part of it.veiled in shadow photo


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Book Review: Choosing Theo, by Victoria Aveline

I purchased a copy of Choosing Theo, by Victoria Aveline.

Choosing Theo cover
Being kidnapped by aliens is only the start of Jade’s problems. Thankfully, her rescuers, an alien race known as the Clecanians, are willing to protect her, but she has to stay on their planet for one year and respect the rules of their culture–including choosing a husband. Jade refuses at first but decides to play along until she can find a way back to Earth.

Theo, a scarred mercenary who prefers a life of solitude, is stunned when Jade selects him as her husband. After years of being passed over, he never imagined he would be chosen and neither did anyone else. Only one explanation makes sense…the curvy enticing female must be a spy, and Theo’s determined to break her cover using any means necessary.

As Jade and Theo are forced to spend time together, their chemistry becomes undeniable. But neither can afford to bring love into the equation, especially since Jade seems determined to go home. After all, she can’t possibly stay here, right?

my review

Meh, this was fine, I suppose. It’s just that I’d seen it recommended SO MANY times, and people rave about it. So, I expected a lot more than it delivered. It’s pretty standard Mars Need Women sci-fi romance. It’s not bad, per se. But it isn’t particularly special either. As fluff, it’s enjoyable; anything more, it is not.

The H/h don’t meet until past the 30% mark. Then there’s a lot of contrived angst based on mistrust anchored in the frankly ridiculous premise that no one in this planet’s administration apparently shares important information. There’s some didactic, moralistic rhetoric and an attempt to be transgressive.

It’s here Aveline really fails, in my opinion. She tries to paint the aliens’ forcing women into procreation as doing their best to save their species and, therefore, not like the patriarchy that similarly pigeon-holes women in the real world. Except that the arguments she presents are the choosing theo photoexact same ones said patriarchy lays out regularly. Maybe she gave it prettier window dressings, but it’s still the exact same thing she tries to pass off as something different (read: excusable). And, hey, I’m not reading Mars Needs Women tropes expecting a bastion of feminism. But when it’s pretty clear that the author is trying to accomplish something she’s not, it’s a bit cringe (as the kids say).

All in all, as long as I didn’t think too deeply about the plot, I enjoyed the characters and story—it gets very sweet—as predictable as it all is.


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Review: Choosing Theo by Victoria Aveline