Review: Alien Attachments

Alien Attachments by Sabine Priestley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Space opera fans who enjoy protective alien lifeforms, this is the book for you. Ms. Priestley is a new to me author and I'm interested in reading more in this series. Dani is a photography by day and klutzy MMA cage fighter by night. She catches the eye of wealthy Ian Cavancent with her beauty, strength and photographic skills. I lied. Ian just wants to enjoy a night of horizontal dancing and move on. Still, there is something off about Dani which intrigues Ian. What Dani doesn't know is that Ian is more than just a billionaire. He is a leader in a security force to protect earth from other aliens.

Let's start with the world building. As far as world building goes, this is light. It is best for those who don’t enjoy the more sci-fi elements and prefer the romance. From a romance perspective, this story is a lukewarm for me. The reason why is because Ian is an immature idiot. For a decisive leader of an elite fighting force protecting Earth, he is surprisingly indecisive about his relationship with Dani. It is only when he can't fight the mating bond and another male threatens to take Dani's affection away that Ian finally makes a move. By that point, I'm wishing Dani could just chuck Ian out the window and go for the other sexier male.

The plot devices are fine for romance, not so good for those who read a lot of sci-fi/fantasy or urban fantasy. There were several times where a conflict is miraculous resolved too easily. I won't label it exactly deus ex machina only because it was sketchily built up to imply such an easy solution would materialize. For example, the predictable resolution between Ian and Dani felt both drawn out and resolved too quickly. The drawn out part is Ian lamenting how his love for Dani can never be no matter that she saved his life because she's human. It is forbidden to ever mate with a human and the reason is weak. Ian behaves in some asinine ways towards Dani because of this rule. Near the last 20 percent of the book, there is an answer which comes so quickly from Ian's mother it's predictable and a bit "magical" to resolve. Ian choosing to be with Dani because he wants to and doesn't care about what anyone else says would make Ian a stronger character. And it would help build more tension and ammunition for the enemies to fight want to defeat the Cavacents. Instead, this big secret reveal to condone Ian's bonding with Dani makes him look like a lily-livered pussy.

From a character building perspective, this is where I found it to be enjoyable. I liked Dani. She's sweet, loyal and tries her best. The human "caretakers" for the alien family, Cavacents are pretty nifty. Their names may be forgettable, but what they do for Dani and the other aliens is not. They are the Alfred to each of these aliens stationed on earth. Ian's uncle is also a character I'd like to learn more about. He's interesting and way more fun than Ian's arrogant and condescending father. As a first book written in a romantic sci-fi genre where readers prefer romance over plot development and world building, this book works. This space opera romance is recommended for romance readers who like handsome alien men sweeping women off their feet.

* Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.




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