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Burning Metal #1

Cyborg Heat

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They'll challenge what it means to be human and test the limits of love.

Amanda is a scientist for the military's cyborg program. Programming and repairing once-human soldiers is a lot easier than trying to date, so she buries herself in her work. She'll never admit that the cyborgs often seem like more than machines to her - especially the handsome AD-214.

Even though Cyborg Sector has erased his memories and turned him into a killing machine, AD-214 is aware of Amanda and her kind, gentle nature. When he starts to remember his former life, his system malfunctions, and only Amanda can save him. Then things go horribly wrong, and his squad of cyborgs - along with Amanda - become fugitives hunted by the military.

As the rogue cyborgs' memories come flooding back, their human personalities begin to re-emerge. Amanda's bond with AD-214 intensifies and she discovers that none of the cyborgs is merely a robot. After she's captured by the military, AD-214 and his squad risk everything to rescue her. He and Amanda must fight not only for their survival, but the chance to prove that love is possible, even for a machine.

Cyborg Heat is Book 1 in the Burning Metal series and a STAND-ALONE, full-length science fiction romance. There are no cliffhangers, and a happy ending is guaranteed!

220 pages, Paperback

First published August 6, 2016

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183 people want to read

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Lisa Lace

93 books255 followers

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
Profile Image for Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️.
2,980 reviews2,688 followers
July 23, 2025
Cyborgs Gone Rogue!



The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💚💜❤️
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: ☺️🙁😍🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Solo Narration

👸🏻 The Heroine: Amanda
Amanda is a brilliant scientist working for Cyborg Sector, a military-affiliated division tasked with advancing cyborg technology. Her passion for ethical innovation fuels her long hours, often staying well past her peers. Though her coworker Jake repeatedly asks her out, she brushes off his advances—she’s not interested in being someone’s weekend distraction. Amanda chose cybernetic research with a mission in mind: to improve lives. Her quiet crush on her boss, Dr. Alex Feldman, adds a dash of complexity to her otherwise pragmatic demeanor. The lab she works in houses cyborgs in charging mode, locked in artificial comas between missions.

🤖 The Hero: AD-214 (aka Adam)
AD-214 is an advanced military-grade cyborg, enhanced with an artificial right hand and left leg. His capabilities range from delicate precision to terrifying strength: he can pluck a single grain of rice—or crush a man’s throat with ease. Following an OS update, Adam’s mental processing spikes beyond expectation, awakening him from sleep mode while others remain offline. Piece by piece, fragments of his erased human memories resurface, shifting him from obedient machine to something far more dangerous—and human.

📖 The Story
The project’s goal is ambitious: make cyborgs fully autonomous and able to function as cohesive squads, even if cut off from command though within the confines of their programming. Amanda spearheads efforts to implement facial recognition and artificial intelligence into their systems. Unlike most of her colleagues, she views the cyborgs as more than programmable tools. But when Adam begins to deviate from protocol—and upgrades his squad with sentience using nothing but his mind—the military brands them as threats. After Amanda is knocked unconscious during the upheaval, Adam takes her with him as the squad goes rogue.

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👍 Highlights

• Cyborgs are an instant win—strength, intelligence, and sleek tech make them a compelling cast.
• Adam’s ability to issue silent commands and mentally transfer his OS upgrade was both cool and chilling.
• Dr. Feldman makes a solid antagonist with just enough menace.

---

👎 Room for Improvement

• Adam repeatedly calls Amanda “sir” early in the story—odd, given her gender and rank. Surely “ma’am” would be more appropriate?
• Amanda internalizes guilt for the cyborgs becoming sentient, treating it as a programming flaw. But isn’t reclaiming memory and autonomy a breakthrough, not an error?
• Even after bonding with the team, Amanda still refers to them as “not human,” undercutting the emotional stakes of their transformation.

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🎙️ Narration Notes
Narrated solo by Michael Pauley, this audiobook presents alternating POVs with a single voice. Normally I prefer dual narrators for dual perspectives, but Pauley’s deep tone worked well in samples—though he veers toward monotone occasionally. Still, my love of cyborgs pulled me in, and I gave this one a shot despite the single-narrator format.

💬 Quote

“I wonder if something is wrong with me. My stomach feels full, but my mouth won’t stop eating.”


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Profile Image for Alexandra.
1,895 reviews10 followers
January 26, 2018
Interesting to see for once a story where the romance takes time to develop. The plot is interesting and the ethics about the cyborgs well written.
Profile Image for Laini.
150 reviews3 followers
August 20, 2016
I recieved a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This author's writing is easy to read. I never have a problem with difficult language or an awkward flow of words. I enjoyed reading about her take on cyborgs. The explanations for how donors were obtained and then how cyborgs were stored and worked on.

I also enjoyed seeing them come to life but I kept feeling that there could have been a little more actual romance. Most intimacy only happens in the minds of the main characters. While it's awesome to wait 'til the end for a sex scene and build a meaningful relationship through out the book, a meaningful relationship was not built I think.

Things I didn't like...
Amanda was attracted to her boss at the beginning of the book. Even during working on the cyborg she saw him like nothing more than a machine in the beginning which is justifiable but I felt awkward during the parts of the book where she fantasised about her boss.

Amanda pretends to want to have sex with her boss to give the cyborgs time to rescue their captains. The lengths to which she went distracting Alex though, I didn't enjoy.

There was a scene of Adam stopping to give an old man water. I don't yet understand the relevance of the scene and I have completed the book.

Finally, the sex is dirty. Lol. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but I would have liked to see their individuality and spiciness in more scenes than just the sex scene. It felt like these one dimensional characters all of a sudden were swapped out for two horny teenagers. The characters at the end of the book didn't quite match the ones at the beginning.
Profile Image for ValerieC.
1,343 reviews56 followers
October 16, 2016
2.5 stars

Pretty good until they get to the sex scene, then the inane chatter, spanking, etc. didn't seem to fit with a guy just becoming animated again as a human.
Profile Image for Crysa James.
Author 2 books9 followers
July 16, 2018
Okay, I expected a lot based on previous reviews. The reviews promised some serious sci-fi with an equally serious romance. On that point-high five. I did love that about this book. Therefore, three full stars. Yet, even though I liked the plot and the tension between the characters, the use of 'dirty sex' disrupted the story-line. I kept wanting the book to 'get to the point'. Still, all in all, am glad I read it. I really did like the story, and the concept of a human/cyborg love story.
Profile Image for Angela.
1,894 reviews
October 28, 2016
So this book was really good up until the point when they finally get their big romantic scene...and it turns out to read like a really bad porno. The story itself was engaging and suspenseful and I was connected to the characters from the beginning. I just couldn't believe it culminated in a sex scene that was neither romantic nor hot. The author works in a number of positions and acts but there is absolutely no emotion, no chemistry coming from the couple. The relationship had reflected a lot of sweetness and devotion up until then, to have it so tawdry just felt completely wrong. I wound up skimming the last few paragraphs of the lengthy scene in order to get back to the story, only to discover that that was it. The author leaves us with a bunch of questions and unresolved issues from the actual plot. The claim that this isn't a cliffhanger is definitely not true. It's also not an HEA but instead a HFN. To add insult to injury, the page count on my ereader reflected a long book but this was actually followed by a bonus book that bloated the length. I've had some other disappointment with Lisa Lace and this is the straw that broke the camels back; she's definitely off my reading list.
Profile Image for Erin.
1,922 reviews64 followers
November 21, 2017
Okay, I don't know if it was the audiobook's fault (meaning the narrator), or if this just really is an awful book.

I'm pretty much half way through it, and I just have to stop.

The narrator is bad. More often than not he sounds like a robot, and that's NOT when he's speaking as one of the cyborgs. Which those voices are awful unto themselves. Like really bad aggressive growling and that's it.

I made it to the point where the doctor person in charge is very aggressively coming onto the main female literally moments after 'rescuing' her from the escaped cyborgs. When she 'giggled' after being prompted to 'call him Alex', I decided I was done.

This is not holding my attention enough to care. I don't know if I'll ever pick it back up.
Profile Image for Maria.
26 reviews2 followers
October 16, 2016
Very small book

It is to small for the really be interesting , this book have a great promise but unfortunately the promise does not get fulfilled. All the sex scenes , apart for the last one , are totally unnecessary for the continuation of the story , it is just fluff . This book could have been great , I wished the author had spend more time and really work it , the idea is great with so much opportunity for character development but because of the small size off the book you only have a shallow idea about the people. I will give a pass on the next ones of the series.
Profile Image for Dawn.
141 reviews6 followers
October 28, 2016
I don't know how I went from aliens to cyborgs, but that happens when you're on Kindle Unlimited and bored with whatever you're reading.

I felt like this could have been so much better.

First, did the author think that if Amanda was being held practically like a prisoner, they would let her have some sort of press conference? No, not going to happen.

Second, the cyborg becomes aware and falls in love in days. OK. That's cool. (Not really).

But hey, if you like hot cyborg men (ok, they're human with mechanical implants), then this will be for you.
Profile Image for Nike.
304 reviews
May 18, 2017
This book did not do it for me, I did not feel any connection between the main characters, there was no passion or love, and the only sex scene was tasteless and cheap; at least for a couple that supposed to be in love and having sex for the first time. I read another book from this author, "water warrior" (the Terra mates), and even though I was not interested in the series, I really like the book; this on the other hand is a no no. At least for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Nikki Brooks.
3,561 reviews55 followers
October 4, 2017
Amanda has always seen the Cyborgs as more than just bits of machinery. Especially AD214, he was the first she worked on and she likes to check on him regularly. But when she provides an update to his memory banks, she unwittingly opens a door to his previous memories. As old memories and his current predicament war with each other AD214 updates his squad and leads them away from their lab, ensuring that he takes along Amanda as he latches onto her being important to him.

Cyborg Sector does not take Blue Squad leaving well and send out drones to recover their "property". But Amanda soon realises that her boss has been lying to her and she aids the cyborgs.
But will she be able to survive when Cyborg Sector capture her and holds her captive within the facility?

Short, sharp, fast paced read. Some bits were a bit far fetched - prisoners having press conferences?
But this is a sci fi romance so I don't give a damn if it makes sense or not, it's not supposed to be real life! I'll definitely read more of this series.
Profile Image for Amanda.
326 reviews14 followers
November 16, 2019

Out of the cyborg books I’ve read this one was pretty good. I liked that I didn’t come into the story after cyborg were made and fought to be free after being found to be sentient beings. Good story I did feel it was a little rushed and I felt jumbled at times but I did enjoy it.

Some cyborgs are made and some are made from down soldiers that signed their body away in death to maybe fight another day for their country...... I want to know about the cyborgs that didn’t have human lives and memories and how they will be....

I like that characteristics that the human sides will still be there. As human we can have some amazing traits, we also can have crappy ones. There was the one cyborg you can see that obviously having human trait draw backs since he used to force himself on women and still will try now. (Emphasis on the word TRY)
There are good and bad people obviously he was the latter.

I’m curious to what the next book holds.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Miranda.
441 reviews40 followers
August 12, 2017
Great start for the cyborg series. I didn't read this series in order(this was the last book i read for this series ha!) so they can definitely be read as standalones.
AD-214 gets an upgrade and his chip starts malfuctioning causing him to remember bit and pieces from his past. Now that he is finally awake all he knows is him and his Blue Squad need to be free.
Amanda has worked on AD-214 since the beginning. Although a scientist who is not supposed to get attached to her subjects, she feels a connection to Blue Squad but mostly to AD-214. Once she realizes what is happening to them she is determined to help them.
Through a kidnapping and prison breaks the Blue Squad along with Amandas help takes the first steps to cyborg freedom and learning to live again.
Profile Image for Mom2three.
2,030 reviews16 followers
December 29, 2017
I read this series totally out of order, and while I don't usually enjoy doing that, I found that it didn't ruin anything with this series. That being said, I loved seeing the beginning, and I'm going to read the series in order now.
This story is about Amanda, a scientist who works on the Cyborgs, and AD-214, one of the Cyborgs Amanda programs. She does the unthinkable when she messes with the software that removes the Cyborg's memories. The story is fast-paced, action-packed, and full of twists and turns. The romance is everything I expect from Lisa Lace, with a strong, alpha male who will stop at nothing to protect the female who holds his heart, and the perfect HEA. I loved it!
Profile Image for Alarna.
2,289 reviews
January 22, 2018
DNF. I read about 80% of this then I had to stop, I did not like this book at all. There was no emotional connections between the charaters and it felt like they only wanted sex from each other and that's all. The plot was not good either. >:(

I'm not sure if this is really a spoiler or not.
It seem the hole book ( what I read of it) was just focused on sex even when it's not between the MC's like we read about to of the other scientists doing it and H Waugh 2 other women and these aren't just passing comments there is a lot of detail in them and personal I don't like reading about the H's of my story's doing it with someone else.
Profile Image for Julia Handley.
413 reviews8 followers
July 29, 2017
I finally got round to reading the first of this series. Yes I kind of read them in a weird order, but I finally read how it started.

I enjoyed Amanda the human scientist and AD-214 the Cyborgs story. She wanted to help them and he was confused and wanted to help his squad. How the rest of the Cyborg squad reacted to the truth was interesting too. As always you always get a couple that was not all right in the head hahahha.  A sweet story of Cyborg and Human love and the drama that surrounds them.
Profile Image for Vivian Chrisman.
2,811 reviews4 followers
August 27, 2017
Having read book 4 in this series first, I felt I needed to go back and read the series from the beginning. I was right. This is definitely a series you need to read in order. Having the backstory helps you understand the Cyborg/human relationship better. It also helps you understand how the Cyborgs came to be "free". I liked the characters in this story much better than I did in book 4. Did not see the twist with Dr. Feldman coming- very interesting. On to the next book...

* I received an Advance Readers Copy of this book which I am voluntarily reviewing*
Profile Image for Vicki.
1,707 reviews
May 8, 2018
Right now I have a Cyborg addiction. Reading and more reading about Cyborgs. This was a very exciting 1st in series. It didn't spend a lot of time setting up or giving history. The author worked it in nicely through out the story. Action starts right off and keeps you wanting more. Watching the Cyborgs become aware again is touching and in some cases so sad and it makes you wonder more about who created these Cyborgs and why. So you want to read more to find out. I really am going to enjoy reading this series.
Profile Image for Jana.
42 reviews
August 19, 2019
I almost gave this book 2 stars but reminded myself that the first half and the world building were actually pretty good. When I started the book I couldn't figure out why this book had such low ratings.?. I thought the world building and the character building were pretty good. Then about half way through it's like someone else started to write the story. It felt disjointed and I found it harder and harder to keep reading. I think the story idea was a good one, but the execution and conclusion left me uninspired.
Profile Image for Alexis.
581 reviews6 followers
March 18, 2021
Amanda is a scientist for the military’s cyborg program. Who is always trying to improve them never knowing that they can be and are more than what they appear to be. Everything is brought to a head after Amanda implements a new update to AD-214 cyborg's software who then uploads it to all the cyborgs. Their memories are returning and what does any sentient being want...freedom. Now on the run from the military Amanda has gone with them to help piece their memories back together. Only the only thing her supervisor the man who started the program wants are weapons.
Profile Image for Ilia.
405 reviews3 followers
March 29, 2022
I read book #4 in the series first, and then decided I was interested in a cyborg-based romance so I got my hands on book #1. This one was much better not only because you get to know how it all started but also because it was generally written a bit better compared to the fourth book. The couple comes together towards the end which was much more digestible for me, plus it means I was spared the cringey passionate exercises until the end of the book. So my tip is to start with book #1 and maybe stay there.
Profile Image for Amy.
314 reviews
May 5, 2018
I enjoyed reading Cyborg Heat. It has a story line that I found interesting and not like any other I've read. My only complaints are that the villain was a bit predictable and the final "love" scene had all of the potential of being really sweet, but was instead - I don't know - cheapened maybe. It just seemed out of character for both characters involved. But seeing as that is the last scene in the book, it doesn't diminish the story. It's a good read.
Profile Image for Delta.
1,959 reviews24 followers
dnf
September 5, 2020
Ugh. I tried twice to stay with this book and just couldn’t do it. Something about the writing just did not draw me in. There was no real emotional connection between the characters. H/h seemed to evaluate one another clinically and logically—without pesky feelings coming into play. It seemed like the world building was a little lacking, and there was a lot of telling vs. showing—hard to put my finger on it, but just not for me. DNF at 22%.
Profile Image for DeAnn.
955 reviews7 followers
July 31, 2021
Entertaining

A cyborg becomes a man again. He defends his woman and his squad against an evil, mad scientist. That is the basic premise. It's a good read, and it kept me coming back for more. The sexy loving doesn't happen til the end, but I felt the writing of it was stilted and formulaic. The author attempted to create heat with all the right moves, but I didn't connect to whatever passion there was. I thought the scene with the mad scientist had more sex appeal, actually.
Profile Image for Jessica Mitchell.
2,051 reviews20 followers
March 20, 2017
Cyborg Heat
Lisa Lace

Adventure, romance and mayhem all rolled up in a pretty bow.

A company of cyborgs are on the loose and they took a scientist captive, her name is Amanda. What will she do? How will she survive?
Amanda is use to working long nights at the cyborg sector on her pet project AD-214. But her program seems to not be working right. So until it's done, she can't give it to the other cyborg soldiers. But since installing the program, it seems her cyborg AD-214 is doing things that he shouldn't like turning himself on and offline....Then the unthinkable happens. He breaks free, frees his comrades in the squad, abducts her and kills a fellow scientist to escape. From what she is not sure. But she wants to help them all, even if it gets her hurt. She knows that they are remembering themselves from the past and its hurting them. How will she be able to get them the help they need and fast?
329 reviews3 followers
December 20, 2018
Inconsistencies throughout, crude sex scenes

Rather a disappointmnet, not for those who enjoy well written sci-fi romance with cyborgs. The villain was easy to identify early on as not-human, there was nothing except physical interest on the behalf of the h to the H, and the whole cyborg program advancement was written in what read like modern day America.
Profile Image for Daryl.
1,151 reviews2 followers
August 1, 2020
Ok, so I want to give this 3.75 stars, but I can't be that obnoxious...(and my spreadsheet won't allow it.) Sooooo, I think I'll give it a 3.5. I really liked it. I enjoyed how much attention to detail Lace included about cyborgs. This is obviously a romance, but a slow burn and had so much more than just smuttiness. I recommend giving this a shot.
Profile Image for Shyla.
717 reviews3 followers
July 25, 2022
Cyborg Heat

Amanda was one of many scientists who worked on the cyborg project when she programmed a new upgrade that would forever change history. AD-214 was programmed to listen to orders when the new update caused an awareness of sentient life. How can they find a compromise to live with? Recommend this book
2,374 reviews20 followers
November 1, 2016
Amazing first book to a new series

This author is very talented and creative author? Loved the chemistry of the characters and there's enough action, fear, passion, and steamy love scenes to keep you on your toes. A must buy and keep them coming.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews

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