Review: Albaterra Mates: The Complete Box Set (Book 1-7) by Ashley L. Hunt 5 of 5 stars

Albaterra Mates: The Complete Box Set (Book 1-7): Paranormal SciFi Alien Romance by Ashley L. Hunt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rex 4*

Rex is the blue skinned warrior and Tribal Elder of one of the kingdoms on Albaterra. He is a fairly recent leader and his more modern ideas make them others wonder if he is really capable of his position. Tabitha is a feisty chef on the Paragon spaceship escaping Earth to start a new life exploring space. The Elders of Albaterra cause the spaceship to crash in a move to get rid of it and Rex finds Tabitha in the wreckage. They then have to work their way through secrets, prejudices, denial, duty and love. Can they work out how to prevent war, death and find a way for two people from separate species to also have love at the end too?

Lots of drama in this story of how two races can get over their prejudices to find a compromise, whilst two people (one from each race) can have a lasting love. There was a lot of passion in this story and it was nice to see the way the love crept up on Rex. Some of the trials became a little tedious but I also understand why they were needed. A lovely story of love against the odds between 2 people from different races.

Duke 4*

Duke is an A’li-uud Elder just like his father was. Everything is going well because there is peace in his kingdom and his warriors are well trained and deadly. However when they travel to Earth he finds he cannot kill one human woman called Emily because he is in love with her, even if that means he has to ignore his loathing for humans as well as betray his own troops.

This is a charming story on how love can strike at the most inopportune moments between two people who should be enemies. The story covered how he tried to not feel anything for her, but in the end had to give in. The ending nicely handed over to Duke who is in the next story and I hope there will be space for the rest of the story between Duke and Emily to be told as so much more can and probably will happen when they arrive on Albaterra. So it would have been nice for this book to contain more on that.

Dane 5*

Dane is new as an A’li-uud Elder even though his elder brother and father were Elders before him and has responsibility for his warriors on Earth as they at at war with the humans. However when he meets Roxanne the new Ambassador to Alien Relations who is sharp witted, has a resolve of iron, is hard headed and obstinate he feels he has met his match in more ways than one. Can they work together, come to some kind of accord between their races and handle the doubts and deceptions that surround what they are trying to achieve? Can he also handle the fact that she is the woman for him and he loves her?

Lots of action in this story whether that was against humans, the A’li-uud, or within the races themselves. The love story between Dane and Roxanne was fairly quick as it was between Duke and Emily but it was nice to see they had a few issues settling into their relationship. Well written and an enjoyable read. Looking forward to reading the next story about Lokos.

Lokos 4*

Celine is a nutritionist and is on the first ship of colonists travelling to to colonise Albaterra. Lokos is the War Chief of Albaterra’s mountain kingdom and a fearsome warrior. Then he meets Celine who enchants him with her defiant mood even though he tries hard to only help her with understanding the planet and it's customs but it is a battle he cannot win. Unfortunately her ship crashes as it arrives after being attacked by another race and they both become entangled in a fight to stay alive and stay together.

I liked this story where he was trying really hard to resist her but in the end the attraction was too much. There was plenty of danger and drama in the story with the Novai part of the story and I enjoyed the ending even though it was a little rushed.

Khrel 5*

Lena is a life coach and has travelled to Albaterra in order to find a new purpose in her life. Khrel is the War Chief of one of the kingdoms and is focused on his job until he meets Lena and finds himself out of his comfort zone needing to know her. The Novai colony nearby is a source of danger after some rogues attack Lena and Khrel has to babysit her. When she tries to escape the isolation to find her friend she ends up being kidnapped by the Novai. When Khrel rescues her is signals a possible end to everything he has worked for – can they both come out of this with everything they want?

I really liked this story which had a great mixture of danger, drama and love as it developed between Khrel and Lena. The story was well written and I really enjoyed the drama and danger involved in the parts involving the Novai. I could feel some of the emotions they were going through and could empathise with them.

Zuran 5*

Phoebe is a human nurse based in Ka-lik’et (which is in the Albaterran kingdom of Dhal’at) and is considered as one of the best. When she loses an important patient events quickly spiral into critically important events.

As a nurse, Phoebe has spent her career helping people. She knows it’s her calling and throws herself into tending to her patients heart and soul. In the city of Ka-lik’et, she is considered one of the best attendants amongst those in the human colony. When she loses the most important patient she’s ever had, though, a fuse is ignited that sends her spiralling into a course of events she never could have imagined. Zuran is a reformed criminal and the Interplanetary Affairs Officer for the Albaterran kingdom of Dhal’at. He meets the curvy, intelligent and incredibly compassionate Phoebe and is awestruck by how amazingly good a person she is. When the Novai who have also colonised Albaterra are struck with a unknown disease they are both thrown together in a desperate battle to save the colonists, ensure it does not spread to the other planet's inhabitants. As part of that journey they discover things about each other (and themselves) that had been hidden for a long time. As part of that journey can they saves their world, themselves, and find out that they actually need each other too?

I absolutely LOVED this story. You don't need to have read the earlier books in the series (however you may well find you have to go back and read them all). The story had lots of drama, danger, romance and mystery in this tale of love and how it can creep up on you when you are not expecting nor necessarily looking for it. Everything was well written and I could feel all the thoughts, frustrations and emotions felt by the characters in this story.

Venan 5*

Octavia is a hairdresser on Albaterra and part of her job is to make people feel good about themselves. Venan is the latest Elder to join the council and is finally at the head of the kingdom he has devoted his life to protecting - that would be great apart from the controversial death of his predecessor, his previous imprisonment for his murder, and subsequent clearing. However he still feels criticism and disgust from the people he now leads. All that changes when he meets Octavia with her dark hair, dark eyes and open mind. So he asks her to dance and is even more captivated. She helps him onto a journey of self discovery as he learns about the priorities in life and how to get confidence again in his worth and his abilities, even though she unwittingly ends up in the middle of a family crisis which could prove deadly.

Wow - LOVED this story. It had so much romance and tenderness, which is a lovely surprise considering the serious and boring nature of Venan in the previous book about Zunan and the start of this book. It was very enjoyable how their relationship slowly built into friendship, respect, a form of partnership before it moved to a state of love and certainty of their feelings for each other. Everything was well written and the thoughts and emotions of the characters were easy to understand and feel. I loved the ending, I'm just very sad that it is the last story.

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