Book Spotlight on Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 (Review)

Fans of sci-fi and fantasy reads will find themselves drawn to this romantic anthology releasing today and featuring some of today’s favorite authors and readers favorite themes.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 by twelve amazing authors, along with my impressions of this anthology, as well as an excerpt from one of my favorite tales told by Cara Bristol.  Once you’re completely tempted you’ll want add this engaging collection to your bookshelf immediately as 10% of the first month’s sales will be donated to an organization that gives service dogs to veterans free of charge!

The pets are back! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, featuring twelve of today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors brings you a dozen original stories written just for you! Join in the fun, from the Dragon Lords of Valdier to a trip aboard award-winning author, Veronica Scott’s Nebula Zephyr to journeying back to Luda where Grim is King, for stories that will take you out of this world! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, Jessica E. Subject, Carol Van Natta, and Alexis Glynn Latner as they share stories and help out Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans!
***10% of the first month’s profits go to Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and trains service dogs and places them free of charge with US Veterans to improve quality of life and restore independence.

FIND AT GOODREADS here.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON (US)  |  AMAZON (UK)  |  AMAZON (CA)  |  AMAZON (AU)  |  BN  |  iBOOKS  |  KOBO  |  GOOGLE PLAY

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

I enjoy anthologies for the wide variety of storytelling contained within the pages.  There’s always at least one story for readers to rave about along with some that don’t quite achieve that level of greatness, but are satisfying nonetheless.  This collection is no different as it offers numerous novellas set amidst established series with vividly depicted world-building and action-packed scenes.  The romance may be light in these novellas but the HEAs are no less satisfying because of it.  What endeared this collection to me was the cleverly crafted inclusion of various pets into the narratives that was seamless and provided a unique perspective to the characters.

This anthology started out with Pearl’s Dragon by S.E. Smith and had me applauding its more seasoned heroine and hero who had both given up on love.  Pearl was feisty and had no trouble speaking her mind in her verbal tug of war with Asim.  The world-building was heavy in this story and left me a bit lost and frustrated but still drawn to the characters.  A Grim Pet by M.K. Eidem was equally detailed in its world-building with lots of characters that made it hard to keep track of, but the connection between the little girls and the raptor charmed me.  While these two stories were my least favorite, mostly because of my lack of familiarity with the series they spawned from, there were two others that were my clear favorites.  As a fan of Susan Grant I was immediately drawn to The Prince, The Pilot, and the Puppy which built upon her previous contribution to the first Pets in Space collection and was a delightful read.  From its sweet scenes told from the puppy’s perspective to the compelling romance of opposites attracting it kept me turning the pages with a smile on my face.  Trysh is a top pilot but has been bruised by love in the past, first by an absentee father and then by a man of a higher social class.  It’s left her leery of the attentions of Prince Rornn who does all he can to make her fall for him.  As third in line to the throne Rornn’s able to live life as he wants.  Women have always fallen at his feet in relationships that meant nothing, but with Trysh he’s finally found someone worth fighting for.  As the two of them awkwardly work their way towards HEA, with the help of their animal friend, it becomes a suspenseful journey that kept me on the edge of my seat.  Cara Bristol’s Cy-Ops Sci-Fi series expands its universe with the inclusion of Rescued by the Cyborg.  This is a gritty and action-packed tale that had me fully invested from the moment it started as I was immediately drawn to Guy and his past heartache that has him doubtful of finding his own HEA again.  The moment he finds Solia he’s only concerned with getting her to safety and helping her to heal which gives readers a glimpse into both of their cultures.  These glimpses made for a more fully fleshed-out tale and an immensely satisfying addition to her series.  Add in Mittzi the kitten and this was clearly my favorite novella in the anthology.

On a whole there’s a lot to like in this collection.  While I was drawn to some stories more than others there wasn’t one single story that I regret reading.  Fans of sci-fi will get a lot of bang for their buck with these twelve stories that gave me hours of enjoyment.  I especially like that a percentage of sales goes towards Hero-Dogs.org that provides veterans with service dogs free of charge.  It’s a worthy cause, a well-written collection of stories that will give readers hours of enjoyment, and is an anthology you’ll want to add to your bookshelf immediately!

My rating for this is a B+

*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

From Cara Bristol...

RESCUED BY THE CYBORG (Cy-Ops Sci-Fi Romance)

A cyborg’s haunted past and a Faria’s clouded future entwine...

Hostage and sole survivor Solia waits for death at the hands of vicious predatory aliens when Cy-Ops agent Guy Roarke disobeys orders and charges in. A former medic, he initiates emergency medical procedures before rushing her to Cybermed.

Guy is taken with Solia, but the guilt of a past mistake won’t allow him to plan for a future with the delicate, brave beauty. Life is so uncertain, he can’t even keep Mittzi, the kitten his niece gave him. What he can do is see to it Solia gets the help she needs for a full recovery. But when best intentions place her in greater danger, it’s up to a little kitten to make everything all right again.

EXCERPT:

He cocked an ear for the Ka-Tȇ then, hearing nothing, sprinted into the clearing. A shimmer revealed an electro-cage surrounded the Faria, the force field beamed from a half-buried unit. To his knowledge, the Ka-Tȇ didn’t have the technology to create a containment field—but Quasar did. Pressing his lips together, Guy fired his blaster at a molehill-sized mound. The energy field collapsed with a crackle.

Silvery, luminous skin had dulled to gray. Gaping wounds had bled into the dirt, darkening the soil around the Faria. There was no telling how much blood she’d lost. He cursed himself for not bringing an emergency medi-kit. Pressing his fingers to her throat, he sought a pulse. Too faint, but there.

He tucked his blaster into the holster so he could ease an arm under her shoulders. She moaned in pain.

“I know, sweetheart. I’m going to get you out of here,” he murmured. He hoped he wasn’t too late. When he started to lift her, her eyes flew open. She cried out and jerked, her good wing spasming. “Hey, hey, it’s okay,” he murmured. “My name is Guy. I’m here to help. What’s your name, sweetheart?”

The fear in her eyes muted. “So-Solia,” she answered. Silvery tears welled. “R-Rachel never gave up hope we’d be rescued until the end. B-but then she did...”

“There’s someone else here?” Had the computer missed one? Unusual, but possible, considering the density of the vegetation.He’d take Solia to the ship and then come back for the other survivor.

She shook her head. “No, they’re all dead. The Ka-Tȇ killed them, except for Rachel. She took her own life.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, recognizing her need to process the horrors she’d witnessed. “I wish we had time to talk, but we don’t. I’m going to carry you so we can move fast and get out of here. Okay?”

She nodded.

As he moved to scoop her up, the hair on his nape prickled. He whipped around. A Ka-Tȇ sprang at him out of nowhere like it had been catapulted.

AUTHOR INFO:

USA Today bestselling author Cara Bristol writes steamy science fiction romance with an emphasis on the characters and their romance, with a little humor, heat, and danger added for fun. She is the author of three science fiction romance series: sexy cyborg Cy-Ops Scifi Romance series, the dark erotic Breeder series, and the new humorous Alien Mate series. She likes to say that she writes science fiction for readers who don’t like sci-fi.  Cara lives in Missouri with her alpha hero, her husband, and Hannah, her cat, aka her writing supervisor.

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