lured into reading by an instagram reel lol
Title: You’re Not My King!
Author: Eryn Hawk
Genre: MM Alien Romance
Ages: Adult
Publisher: Indie
Release: April 12th, 2024
Order: Amazon
Blurb:
Reuben Carter
Throwing myself in front of my estranged sister didn’t win me any brownie points. It did, however, grant me one alien abduction and a cozy cell on an actual-freaking-spaceship, where I’m being poked and prepped for relocation to some backwater trading planet, then sold to the highest bidder—how’s that for a hero’s reward?
My escape plans hit a snag when Vo’ak, the hot and arrogant lizard king, buys me the second I land. There’s no denying our serious chemistry, but I gotta get back to the familiarity of Earth, where free will kinda exists and I’m no one’s pet. However, chasing the comfort of old memories starts feeling like an unnecessary fixation, and I must decide what “home” really means before making any more stupid mistakes.
Vo’ak
As Great Leader of U’suhk, I am bound by duty to protect my kind and territory. The traitorous Northern Clan—a thorn in my side—forces me closer to war each day, but now, with the honor of a mate-bond stirring in my soul, there is an unexpected shift in my attention that cannot be resisted.
My tiny, fragile Roo-bin is a delight and, though lamenting a woeful past, must be claimed. However, his aversion to obedience and ignorance of our customs means protecting him proves a near-impossible task. If I cannot make the sweet, stubborn creature understand the dangers we face, even my plentiful strength and skill may not be enough to keep him safe.
Accidental Alien Abduction
Second-hand embarrassment: 3
I loved the concept of this book more than the execution. I’m a sucker for an alien romance, so it wasn’t hard to convince myself to try this one. However, I can’t stand an unironically unintelligent MC lol.
The whining is bad and constant. In his defense he was kidnapped… but the continuous whining and him being a dummy was just a horrid combo for me to read, personally.
What I liked
This is so random but I love when I don’t know immediately who the ML is gonna be. It’s established pretty quickly but there is a moment in the beginning where it’s not.
I liked that the aliens spoke some English and were somewhat already familiar with humans & that the town/village (?) already had another human. It helped the story stand out a bit amid other alien romances.
why
This author didn’t quite have the chops to write about the more serious topics covered in this book.
The worldbuilding is set up to be lighthearted with the aliens being called Ly’zard people, the ridiculous planet names, etc. all while trying to tackle Reuben’s past with drug abuse and domestic violence. Then at around 80%, this book has a rape scene (side character) that, in my opinion, didn’t add anything to the story besides shock value.
to conclude
The more I read, the more I disliked this book. It read like it didn’t know what it was (light-hearted vs dark romance) and wasn’t fleshed out enough to tackle or explore any of the darker themes with care.
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