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SERIES REVIEW: Galactic Alliance Books 1&2 by K.C. Burn
Galactic Alliance by K.C. Burn is an oldie but goldie sci-fi romance series about intergalactic love affairs with far-reaching consequences. Published in 2011, three interconnected books can be read as standalone but better experienced by reading them in order.
It’s too bad that the series is short. The stories are pretty enjoyable. The way the world-building is conceived and with many intriguing side characters, the potential for more books are endless.
I’ll be reviewing the first two books.
Galactic Alliance: Spice n’ Solace – K.C. Burn
Every year, Jathan One-Moon faces increasing pressure that he marry and have children. What Jathan really wants is a male mate that can enjoy both playful sex and his more dominant nature. To tame his stress, Jathan orders a male escort from Spice ‘n’ Solace, the premier male brothel in the Galactic Alliance–and is thrilled to be sent a man whose air of innocence and obvious desire for Jathan arouse him like never before.
Jathan doesn’t know he has mistaken Kazha Deinos, the owner of Spice ‘n’ Solace, as his escort. Kaz doesn’t intend to pleasure Jathan personally, but his powerful masculinity is irresistible. Kaz has dreamed of a man who’d take charge and indulge his hidden cravings–a man just like Jathan.
With their explosive passion and unexpected tenderness, Jathan and Kaz soon want to stay together–if Jathan’s position and Kaz’s secrets don’t tear them apart…
Spice ‘n’ Solace opens the series in Elora Ki, a frontier planet hosting the most important event in the galaxy, the yearly negotiations between the Ankylos Empire and the Galactic Alliance. The Empire and the Alliance have previously been at war, and the most important human in all the galaxy, Jathan One-Moon, is tasked to negotiate on behalf of humans and prevent another war at all costs.
With the fate of humanity on his shoulders, Jathan’s only stress reliever is the submissive rent boys from the top brothel of the planet, Spice ‘n’ Solace. However, brothel owner Kazha Deinos encountered problems with supply and so went to Jathan’s headquarters to talk to him about it. Neither had met before, but the moment they did, BAM! Pants flew off!
This employs the mistaken identity trope to steamy results. But this is not just about dominance and popping butt cherries. It also deals with brothel business woes, homophobic friends, sneaky competitors, familial pressures to produce an heir and how Kaz’s presence in Jathan’s life is affecting the tense negotiations.
The plot is straightforward. The lust was so intense and insta it zinged. The romantic development was equally lightning-fast but executed satisfyingly. These are the best parts and offset the many things glossed over. The negotiations itself barely had page time, the ending was rushed, and how people can still be homophobic at a time where you can fuck all manner of alien lifeforms is beyond me.
Jathan’s a great character. Son of a famous war general, a man of his word and a considerate dom, he’s the perfect match for Kaz. But my favorite character in the entire series will always be Kaz! He appears down-trodden most of the time. The man is too hard on himself and doesn’t seem to recognize his value but he’s actually a very savvy businessman.
Kaz created a certain mystique about him whether he intended to or not. I liked how everyone knows his name but couldn’t put a face to it. The only people who do recognized him are the high-ranking members of society who patronized his business. So, of course, he knows all their dirty secrets. It’s like this guy is sitting on a goldmine of information. Imagine what he can do with all that power!
Sadly, this was not the focus here but I would loved to read a story about something like that. I did get a thrill when Kaz put a scheming politician in his place with his dirty secret when the man was pressuring Jathan. Overall, Spice ‘n’ Solace is engrossing, gritty, sizzling, and sometimes cute.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Solace
Artist: Feint & Laura Brehm
Album: Solace
Galactic Alliance: Alien n’ Outlaw – K.C. Burn
R’kos, son of the Ankylos Emperor, is expected to settle down. But he’s much more attracted to human males than to his own species. Eager to explore his forbidden longings, he steals a ship and heads to Elora Ki to see if he can find the right human guy.
Darien robs the corrupt to give to those in need, but now he needs a ride off Elora Ki, stat. Pursued by drug lords, he accepts help from the amorous stranger who calls himself Ricky. As they fly together along Darien’s route, their friendship quickly turns into passion.
But when Ricky is injured, Darien must contact the embassy to get his alien lover the medical care he needs. As Darien finds himself accused of kidnapping, and Ricky fears his family’s disappointment, can the two protect their growing relationship? Or are their differences just too great?
Alien ‘n’ Outlaw stars R’kos, one of the many princes of the Ankylos Empire. This year, it’s his turn to be the negotiator. He’s hanging at an Elora Ki bar incognito, looking for a human hookup, when he saw Darien. Liking how the man smelled, R’kos followed the man out to the back. It became apparent Darien was on the run, and R’kos decided then and there to help him.
R’kos’s species are a hive-minded people who mate in triads, usually a female and two males. They are lavender-skinned, some have horns, have keen sense of smell, but with light-sensitive eyes. As a prince, R’kos’s three parents already arranged who he will marry.
R’kos is different in that he prefers to be alone, and he’s attracted to males only, specifically human males. How would the Ankylos Empire react to such a union? Not to mention, another catastrophic war might erupt should the prince’s affair with a human go sour.
R’kos is more familiar with humans because of the negotiations. Darien was a complete fish out of water among R’kos’s people. I loved how these two are all about patience, trust and open communication. R’kos and Darien’s romance is gentle yet passionate. They navigate their similarities and differences and made it work.
The plot is a road trip across the galaxy, visiting cult-dominated planets, doing some Robin Hood side hustle, fighting off space pirates and meeting R’kos’s sprawling family. The most fun part is witnessing Darien’s culture shock at how spectacularly oblivious the Ankylos are to the concept of privacy. From throuples blithely having sex in corridors to open space unisex lavatories where your business is everyone’s business, Darien was gob smacked and just a liiiittle bit scared.
With a suspenseful space fight, much-appreciated cameos from Jathan and his crew, and a happy reunion, the ending was much better than the first book. While I didn’t enjoy the visit to the cult, the story as a whole was highly entertaining. Overall, Alien ‘n’ Outlaw is a thrilling space adventure, an eye-opening cultural experience, and an endearing alien romance.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Run With You
Artist: Middle Kids
Album: Today We’re The Greatest
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GALACTIC ALLIANCE: Kindle | Audiobook
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BLOG TOUR: Beside the Darker Shore by Patricia J. Esposito (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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REVIEW: Pretty Policeman: The Case of the Suspicious Stripper by Fifer Rose
Pretty Policeman: The Case of the Suspicious Stripper – Fifer Rose
Going undercover at a strip club owned by your mafioso boyfriend without running it past him first? Not the best idea. (Then again, a few spankings never hurt anyone… much.)
Micah Hart had learned a few things the first few months of officially dating Damon Romano, a vicious mafioso/ridiculously rich billionaire, infamous throughout New York City for his cut-throat “business”
1. Damon was soft for nothing and no one… except Micah (and maybe his sisters).
2. His domineering tendencies definitely extended to the bedroom.
3. Damon didn’t trust him – not completely.That last one shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did. After all, there were bound to be certain obstacles to overcome in a relationship when one person was a mafia don and the other was a police-detective-turned-PI.
Damon keeps Micah far away from anything related to his “work”, and Micah allows it… at least until a stripper named Ginger waltzes into his struggling detective agency, claiming that her boyfriend – also a stripper – is trying to kill her. Ginger just so happens to work at Lust, the most infamous of a chain of clubs Damon has specifically warned Micah away from.
Taking the job would require him to go undercover at Lust, and he should say no.
But Damon is out of town for the weekend.
And Micah’s been salivating for an actually worthwhile case for weeks now.
What’s the worst that could happen?
(Psst. Spankings.)
Pretty Policeman is a fantastic brain candy written in the vein of Pretty Woman but with an undercover cop posing as a rent boy and a ruthless mafia don hellbent on being his sugar daddy. Against all odds and common sense, the two made it work.
Fast forward to the present day, former detective Micah Hart is now working as a private investigator with his partner, also former detective, Tessa Gallagher. One particularly interesting case came their way, and the two were eager to jump on it.
Pretty Policeman: The Case of the Suspicious Stripper has Micah and Tessa investigating claims by Ginger, a stripper, that her boyfriend and fellow stripper, Tommy, is trying to kill her. To do this, the detectives have to work undercover as employees of the club owned by Damon Romano and managed by his sister Joelle. And Micah has to do it secretly because everyone knows Damon’s possessive caveman tendencies.
As with the first book, its best to suspend disbelief, grain of salt, etc. Also, read Pretty Policeman before diving into this to get the lay of land, so to speak, because this installment assumes you had done just that. The plot moves fast and doesn’t waste time explaining who’s who. Previous events were vaguely referenced, as well.
The new case is interesting but can hardly hold water. It runs on the miscommunication gag where a character says one thing, and Micah thinks another. The people involved could have sorted it out themselves had Joelle not been scheming about Micah and her brother.
Micah is still our lovable TSTL hero with spectacularly bad self-preservation instincts, has a look of wide-eyed innocence only seen in lambs, and a heart of gold as bright as his smile. The doofus still makes me laugh with his internal dialogues, this time written with less mini-explanations in parentheses. I kinda miss those because they show how Micah’s mind works.
The story is in Micah’s POV. One of the things that makes it entertaining is that there is a constant sense of impending disaster, or anticipation of the other shoe dropping, whenever Micah makes god awful decisions or is talked into doing dumbass things. We as the reader see the approaching trainwreck a mile away while Micah doesn’t or does but forges on anyway.
Our boy is all good intentions and saving the people, and we root hard for him, but also, yikes! As cute as he is, I would l love to see Micah’s character develop. When he was still a detective, he convinced me he was good at what he does. Here, his investigations skills were a joke.
Damon, on the other hand, effortlessly kept the growly, possessive, soft-for-no-one-but-you moments as delicious and swoony as possible. The romance focused more on Damon being a Daddy rather than a Sugar Daddy, though he still loves pampering his precious tesoro. Fuck knows why the man latched on to Micah the way he did, but the mafia don had some of the most intensely romantic lines in the book!
“You’re my heart, tesoro, and it’s terrifying having to watch it walk outside my body.”
My favorite part is Geoffrey’s POV. He is Damon’s loyal chauffer and bodyguard who notes the changes in his boss since Damon had Micah. Through him we see a different side of Damon, the much-feared mafioso part, and the more recent besotted boyfriend side that few ever see. Geoffrey’s internal dialogues were more cynical than Micah’s but no less hilarious.
Pretty Policeman: The Case of the Suspicious Stripper is a shorter read than its predecessor. The plot may be thin, our hero might lack common sense, but the writing made me chuckle, and the romance is high on squees. All in all, fun, light-hearted, and super swoony!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Treasure
Artist: Port Duo feat. Jonathan Ogden
Album: Far AwayP.S.
Pretty Policeman the series is should be read in order. Find out how the unlikely pair of a mafia don and police detective came together in Book 1, Pretty Policeman.
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PRETTY POLICEMAN: THE CASE OF THE SUSPICIOUS STRIPPER: Kindle
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REVIEW: Pretty Policeman by Fifer Rose
Pretty Policeman – Fifer Rose
Detective Micah Hart wasn’t sure when his fairly safe, predictable life became something more closely resembling a dumpster fire.
But if he had to pinpoint an exact moment, he would say it was the first time he went undercover as a prostitute in an attempt to bait the notorious serial killer who was stalking New York City’s streets – the media-dubbed Hooker Hunter.
It’s when Damon Romano plows into his life, with his fierce protective energy, and those thick thighs, and the bluest pair of eyes Micah has ever seen.
If only he wasn’t also a temperamental mafioso in charge of running one of the city’s largest criminal empires.
Damon fixates on Micah, obsessing over feeding him and making sure he always has a coat. He spoils him rotten with gifts and insists on taking Micah on as his personal escort – a “boyfriend” to get his nagging sisters off his back.
It’s weirdly sweet, and Micah doesn’t know how he’s become a soft spot in the ruthless man’s otherwise hardened exterior, but it would be a lie to say he didn’t want even more: a real relationship with Damon.
There was just one teensy, tiny problem with that.
Despite what Damon thinks, Micah isn’t actually a prostitute. He’s a cop for the NYPD.
Pretty Policeman is an MM billionaire/mafia romance, sprinkled liberally with rom-com elements, served with a side helping of sugar daddy kink and mistaken identity trope.
I’m not a fan of Pretty Woman because I don’t find Julia Roberts and Richard Gere attractive or appealing as actors. But I could see that the trope could be hella romantic if done correctly.
Pretty Policeman is a take on Pretty Woman, but instead of a sex worker, we have an undercover cop, Micah Hart, playing rent boy in order to catch a serial killer. He was rescued from an abusive john by billionaire Damon Romano, who then fed and clothed the underdressed, underage-looking Micah. And showered him with presents without expecting anything in return.
Micah tried several times to reject the care and the presents, but the older man sincerely and quite firmly wants to help get him off the streets. Thing is, Micah has a case to solve. Later, Damon gave him an offer he can’t refuse. And it turned out the caring billionaire is also a ruthless mafia don.
The premise grabbed me immediately, and I didn’t initially realize what trope it was referencing. Author Fifer Rose sold me the fantasy and spiced it up with forbidden love between an undercover cop and a mafia boss, and I bought it hook, line, and sinker.
And she made it so much fun! Written in Micah’s POV, his internal dialogues were hilarious, especially with how clueless he is in many situations and how we, as the reader, could see disaster written all over it. The writing also tends to use cutesy mini-explanations in parenthesis. It could have been annoying, but it worked with the tone of the story.
Both characters have a duality to them. Our boy Micah, lovable as he is, is a total himbo, suffers from verbal diarrhea, prone to making spectacularly bad decisions, and should avoid vodka at all costs. As a newly minted detective, he is surprisingly good at his job. Micah is eager to prove himself, works his cases with dedication and diligence, and has good instincts he utilizes to maximum effect during investigations.
Damon is known to Micah as a kind, protective, and generous man with a sugar daddy kink. He is a total gentleman, respecting Micah’s virtue even when the dork came on to him while completely smashed. Unknown to our boy, Damon is a much-feared mafia don whose wetwork makes even his hardened chauffer, Geoffrey, queasy.
We never see Damon’s POV, which I wanted so badly. On the other hand, seeing him through Micah’s eyes enhances his mystique. And boy, does he cut a dashing figure in his sharp suits and greek god good looks! Not to mention all that TLC he showers Micah.
In the last scene, we are teased with Geoffrey’s POV of his boss, where he comments on the changes to Damon’s character (“pep in his step” among them). While he secretly thinks Micah is an idiot, he couldn’t deny the dork’s good for the don. Heck, their chemistry sizzled and zinged! Even a grizzled mafioso could see that.
I hope we get Geoffrey’s POV again in book two because I am intrigued by a third person’s POV of the mismatched pair.
The trick to this book is to suspend disbelief, take it with a heaping pile of salt, and just let the romance sweep you away. The plot is OTT ridiculous but the case is actually interesting and is woven well with the crazy, implausible sugar daddy shenanigans, family drama, and workplace woes. I haven’t had this much fun with a book in a while!
Pretty Policeman isn’t the kind of literary masterpiece people rhapsodize about. But to me, it is a masterful take on a classic romance trope, a novel of pure escapist fun, and a swoony fantasy of dark knights sweeping pretty boys off their feet. It doesn’t get more perfect than that!
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: Sugar
Artist: Tonic
Album: Sugar
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Pretty Policeman. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
PRETTY POLICEMAN: Kindle | Paperback
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COVER & EXCERPT REVEAL: Fakers With Benefits by Willow Dixon (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Wayward Stripper by J.B. Buell (Excerpt)
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Follow Spot by Brenda Murphy (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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COVER REVEAL: Stepbrother Dearest by Willow Dixon (Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: No Man’s Land by Courtney W. Dixon
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Almost Famous by Jim Elledge (Excerpt & Giveaway)
