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Revenge is best served sweet with a hot, horned alien.

Free-spirited pastry chef Lexi Sutterman has discovered that true love is pie in the sky. The only thing more difficult than finding an Earth man willing to commit is pleasing her wealthy, hypercritical family who view her as a failure. So she’s given up on both, focusing her energy on her new bakery. Now that her uber-successful little sister manages to nab a well-heeled fiancé, Lexi fights back by joining the Intergalactic Dating Agency. She plans to bring a huge, purple, tentacled alien as her plus-one to the wedding.

Darak of planet Dakon isn’t purple or tentacled -- he’s just seven feet of horned alien hotness. To get a woman on his world, a guy has to literally win the lottery. Tired of waiting for the Fates to send him a female, he joins the dating service to meet a nice Earth girl to call his own. He recognizes Lexi as his true mate, but realizes convincing her they’re meant to be together forever and not just a weekend will be no cake walk.

When a sweet-tart pastry chef and a horned alien hottie fall in love, everyone might get their just desserts…
* * * *

The Dakonian Alien Mail Order Brides is a new science fiction romance series -- and a spin-off from the Alien Mate series.
In the Alien Mate books, Earth women travel to planet Dakon to become the mail order brides of aliens.

In this new series, the Dakonians come to Earth through the Intergalactic Dating Agency to find their human mates.

Be sure to enjoy this new series:
Dakonian Alien Mail Order Brides
Book 1: Darak
Book 2: Aton
Book 3: CAID
Book 4: Sixx
Book 5: Kord
Book 6: Braxx
Book 7: KRASH (included in the "Loved In Space Anthology")

132 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 5, 2018

667 people are currently reading
733 people want to read

About the author

Cara Bristol

103 books939 followers
USA Today bestselling author Cara Bristol writes science fiction romance about tough alien and cyborg heroes who fall hard for sassy heroines.

Cara is a homebody who married a wanderer. When she’s not writing or being distracted by squirrels cavorting outside her office window, she enjoys reading and traveling the world with her husband. Topping her bucket list is visiting all seven continents and petting a squirrel.

Visit her website to get a free sci-fi romance.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
Profile Image for Mary Kirkland.
738 reviews30 followers
July 16, 2019
Lexi was never good enough fr her prim and proper high society mother. Nothing she ever did was good enough so she figured she would show up to her sister's wedding with an alien. When she signed up to the alien dating agency, she thought they would send her some weird looking alien that she could shock her mother with and then send him on his way. Lexi never envisioned that Darak would be gorgeous and nice. After meeting him, she almost calls off the wedding invitation but he comes with her much to her mothers dismay.

Darak kept getting passed over in the lottery to have a female on Dakon when they came so he decides to travel three months to Earth and hope the dating agency can pair him with his mate. When the dating agency tells him he has a match he goes out with her and knows right away she is his mate but all she wants is a date to her sisters wedding, at least in the beginning.

They travel to her parents house where they stay for several days leading up to the wedding. In that time they get closer and they fall hard for each other. Darak is really likable, he's so attentive and sweet. Lexi is exactly right for him, so when they do decide they're going to do more than kiss, the sparks fly.

Lexi's sister is a lot nicer than I thought she would be but their mother is just awful. I'm surprised they turned out as well as they did with a mother like her.

This book had me laughing and smiling throughout. I usually like this authors books but I really liked this one. The characters were great and Lexi and Darak were so great together.
Profile Image for Sophia.
Author 5 books392 followers
September 16, 2018
What could be more fun than a mash-up between the mail-order bride and alien romance! I was thrilled to learn that we weren't saying good-bye to Dakon's handsome and sexy horned aliens. Rather, we were welcoming the guys to earth for a bit of loving earth-style.

Darak is the first of the Dakonian Alien Mail Order Brides trilogy and also is part of the multi-author Intergalactic Dating Agency world.

Lexi Sutterman is a pastry chef and successful businesswoman, but that isn't enough for her snobby, demanding wealthy mother. She's the disappointing child with a sister making partner at a young age and a brother who is a surgeon. Now, the perfect, beautiful sister is getting married and Lexi decides she wants to shock them all. She enters the Intergalactic Dating Agency. Lexi is in for an overwhelming surprise when hot and adorable, sincere and determined Darak ends up as her match. For Darak, it takes only that first date to know what the vulnerable Lexi needs time to find out. But, will she wait too long and lose her change at love?

This was a fast moving, light and a blend of the heartwarming and sensual sci-fi romance. The dating service element brought them together paired with a fake date and fated mate thrown in to make for a good time. Both Lexi and Darak were engaging characters from the first moment. I was cheering for them both to find their way.

Darak's struggles were getting there, adjustment to a new culture, and being patient with Lexi. Lexi's issues were more complicated involving a demanding, ambitious parent and Lexi's own perceptions because her mother always tries to make her feel inadequate because she goes her own way. Later, the rest of the family is introduced and I enjoyed the wedding surprises and the exciting moments.

All in all, it was an enjoyable and light book that had me smiling and and swooning. I look forward to our next mail order Dakonian romance and can recommend these for those who enjoy light sci-fi alien romance with a strong pinch of spice.

My thanks to the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Kathy Heare Watts.
6,815 reviews175 followers
October 3, 2018
YOUR JUST DESSERTS—HAVING YOUR CAKE AND EATING IT TOO

Once again, Ms. Cara Bristol has spun an amazing sci-fi romance with humor. The new series is a spin-off from her Alien Mate series where human women were sent to Dakon to be paired up with Dakonian men. In this new series, the Intergalactic Dating Agency has evolved, allowing alien men and human women to use a computer match-making program to help match them up and the aliens will come to Earth.

Pastry chef and owner of Your Just Desserts, Lexi Sutterman, just received the invitation to her sister, Toni’s, upcoming wedding and needs to RSVP. She dreads going, and needs a date, and uses the Intergalactic Dating Agency to find her match. The only problem is, she only wants a temporary date, and the agency is for permanent placement of couples.

Darak travels three months from Dakon to Earth to be matched with a mate. The computer program matched him to Lexi Sutterman. From the moment he sees her in person, he knows the Fates have picked the perfect mate for him. Now getting her to believe it is the rest of the story.

The plot will have Lexi needing a date for her sister’s wedding and using the Intergalactic Dating Agency to bring shock and awe to her mother. She knows filling out the form she must make it sound believable—but what about the alien she will be matched with? She doesn’t want permanent, and he is expecting it—his time on Earth is counting on it too.

“I’m looking for true love, and I’m willing to search the galaxy to find it. The heart does not see differences; it sees only similarities.”

The story will have Darak and Lexi meeting, and there is chemistry, but she feels guilty when she realizes how she is using him. When he protects her, as a true mate should do, he is confused by her rejection. Does she know the implications of canceling her contract with the agency, and what will become of Darak? Maybe they can go ahead to the wedding, shock her mother, but have fun being with her sister.

What happens when the more time Darak and Lexi spend together, the closer they become? She is already the black-sheep of the family, and he doesn’t care how they feel about him, can they make each other happy? Maybe Lexi being a free-spirit will be an eye-opener for others, and maybe she will realize that her happiness isn’t contingent on making others happy, but what happens between her and her mate.

“I joined the Intergalactic Dating Agency for all the wrong reasons, but I got the best results.”

The story is entertaining with the cultural differences between Darak and Lexi. His ease of handling people, social graces, and doing what comes naturally gives her the push to step out of her straight-laced box determined by her mother and enjoy life and finding pleasure in simple things. During the visit she also learns with the exception of her mother, the rest of her family finds her bakery a success. Sometimes crazy plans result with happily ever after endings.

The story is the first of three in the Intergalactic Dating Agency series and will segue into the next story of Toni and Aton. I guess what worked out great for one Sutterman daughter, may work out for the other one. There are some sex scenes in the story, but they are not overly explicit.
Profile Image for Melanie.
1,223 reviews148 followers
October 5, 2018
Review originally posted at BooksOfMyHeart.net.

This is the first book in Cara Bristol’s Dakonian Alien Mail Order Brides series, which is a spinoff from her Alien Mate series. You can read this series without having read the Alien Mate series, but I don’t think this series really covers how life is on Dakon, which would make understanding Darak a little bit harder. It is covered, just not to the detail as in the original series.

Alexandra Sutterman is a successful woman if you judged her by her pastry business, Your Just Desserts. However, she was not successful in the eyes of her mother. Her mother considered her business to be little more than a hobby. She was also upset Lexi hadn’t found a man to marry. Lexi’s mother wouldn’t even let Lexi bake the cake for her own sister’s wedding, it was going to be done by a “professional”. So Lexi decided she would really upset her mom and bring an alien to the wedding as her plus one.

Why did you decide to seek an alien mate?
“Torqueing my mother’s gourd” probably wasn’t the right answer. Deferred adolescent rebellion? Ditto. I couldn’t be too honest, or I’d be screened out of the program.
“I’m looking for true love, and I’m willing to search the galaxy to find it,” I wrote. I didn’t think I had a snowball’s chance of finding amore with an extraterrestrial, but I’d give the agency a shot at helping me out. As long as I got a date for the wedding weekend, I’d consider this experience a win.
How open-minded are you? Are you aware aliens may differ physically, socially, and culturally from humans?
Well, I hoped so! What would be the point of bringing a button-downed preppie home to meet Mom?
“The heart does not see differences, it sees only similarities,” I wrote.


Darak arrived on Earth without a large amount of knowledge on the place. He did have a fair amount of money from the illuvian ore he traded for money. He quickly determined that Alexandra was his mate. He knew it from the first time he saw her. Now he just needed to convince her of that fact.

I did have a job to do: make her happy and bring a smile to her face. I glanced at her mother. And nobody was going to stop me.


This romance has a few bumps in the road, since they come together for different reasons, but the pair quickly comes together and starts to see eye to eye. Lexi also continues to stand up to her mother who tries her best to prevent this from forming into a full relationship. Lexi’s sister even sees the relationship for what it is, sooner than Lexi does.

Since this is the first story that really has a large family dynamic, it made me realize we don’t know a whole lot about Dakon families. Sure, the first two books, the heroes are brothers, but there is no mention of parents or elders. We also don’t know much about Dakonian lifespans. Are the similar to humans? Do they have multi-generational relationships, similar to how we do on Earth? Just something I didn’t really think about when reading the original series, set on Dakon. But, with this story set on Earth, with our normal family dramas, made me wonder about Dakon.

I continue to enjoy these light, sci-fi romances. The characters are enjoyable and likable. You really root for the couple to come together as they hit the small bumps in the road.

**Book was provided to me by the author. This review is my opinion and was not requested or provoked in anyway by the author.
359 reviews4 followers
September 3, 2018
Cara Bristol brings us another Intergalactic Dating Agency (IDA) tale as we meet alien Darak from planet Dakon and human Lexi. This book differs from previous ones because it takes place on Earth rather than Dakon. Lexi is a bakery owner whose mother thinks she is an underachiever and that her baking is a hobby and her sister wants a professionally done cake for her wedding! Slap in the face, anyone? For spite or mutiny, Lexi signs up with IDA in order to have an alien date for her sister’s fancy wedding and cause her mother to hopefully have apoplexy!!!

When Darak arrives and he’s sweet, hot, sexy and convinced that Lexi is his mate, can she go through with her weekend deception? Darak came with ‘forever’ intentions and she hadn’t given that a thought! What should she do? Would he be sent back?? He WAS hot and sexy and she liked him...
Profile Image for Twilla Wickedly Sweet and Synful Book Blog.
1,036 reviews12 followers
August 30, 2018
This was so dang cute and wonderful. It was so hot. I fell in love with Darak and Lexi. I loved the transition to Earth. So intrigued about Toni and Anton’s book! I highly recommend
193 reviews1 follower
March 31, 2023
Wonderful Story!

This is a great book! I couldn't put it down! I always love a happy-ever-after story!! I will definitely follow this author!
Profile Image for Emily Dickson.
1,087 reviews7 followers
October 19, 2019
When Lexi didn't measure up to her mother's standards she decided to sign up for an alien mail order bride program. Lexi was a pastry chef and was a great character. Darak was also a great character and I really liked him. Some action and plenty of humor along with all the feels. Loved it! I am voluntarily reviewing an arc.
Profile Image for Emily Pennington.
20.5k reviews354 followers
October 5, 2018
Lexi Sutterman eyed the hand-addressed, gold-embossed, perfumed envelope on her pile of junk mail, figuring anything that fancy could not contain good news. When she finally opened it, she knew she was right. Her little sister had snagged the founding member of the law firm she worked for, Phillip Edward Markham IV, and they were getting married. Her sister had been made partner, her brother had his plastic surgery residency, and her mother referred to her bakery business as “her little hobby”. She was looked on by the family as a failure. Her community college culinary arts degree did not count for anything. Owning her own home and her own business apparently didn’t count either. When her mother insulted her cakes as not being professional, she decided to poke her back a little – she would bring her “plus one” to the wedding through the Intergalactic Dating Agency. An alien would definitely shock her mother! Picturing her mother’s face when she showed up with an alien made the 45-minute application process a good investment after all!

The first date went very well. Darak’s orientation program said to bring flowers, so he picked dandelions he found along the way. Earth’s sun was so warm that both he and the flowers wilted by the time he walked the two miles to her home. Lexi took him to an Italian restaurant and he loved the food. He also identified her as his true mate – he just had to convince her of that, and the dating program warned that humans needed time to process that part of the relationship.

Darak asked to see the bakery and they shared cupcakes. Lexi liked him so much that she knew now she couldn’t “use” him like she planned to upset her mother at the wedding. He was too nice to hurt like that. The bakery door rattled and she yelled out they were closed. But when they exited at the back, the man held a gun on them. Darak made short work of overpowering him, but the man escaped. Ultimately Lexi took Darak to her sister’s wedding as her date, and it turned out to be the best decision she could have made!

I absolutely loved this book! I started laughing from the first page and chuckled continuously, sometimes just in anticipation of what would happen next! This was such a fun book and I loved Lexi’s personality! Perfect pacing, perfect story – grab a copy and settle in for a perfect read!
Profile Image for Meghan.
724 reviews114 followers
October 1, 2018
A continuation from the Alien Mate series, the Dakonian Alien Mail Order Brides series proves to be just as entertaining! This go-around, the aliens come to Earth to find prospective mates, and the learning curve is steep. It was a quick read, so it's a bit of a crash course in alien and human interactions on our home turf. I am excited to see where this series goes!

Lexi Sutterman is an eternal disgrace to her well-to-do family. Working as a pastry chef in her own business, Your Just Desserts, she has no degree, no letters to sit by her name, and no husband at her side. When her younger sister becomes engaged and her mother refuses to let her bake the cake, Lexi decides she's had enough. She's going to bring a +1, and with luck, it will be a purple, tentacled alien, courtesy of the Intergalactic Dating Agency. Darak from Dakon may not be purple or tentacled, but he is what Lexi gets. With the horns on his head twitching, he knows Lexi is his mate, but it will take some time to convince her of that. In the meantime, he will stay be her side at the wedding and prove to her that he's the mate she needs.

Lexi was such a sweetie, showing genuine kindness towards Darak and completely unfazed by his appearance from the start. She was really patient with him as he learned the ways of living on Earth, and I appreciated that she took his feelings into consideration once she met him. Darak was a wonderful partner for her, completely supportive and protective of her. Even when he had reason to complain about her awful mother, he remained silent and respectful, hoping not to upset her. It was a gentle relationship between the two of them, and their romance grew quickly.

The next book is coming out soon, and I can't wait to learn more about Aton, the Dakon who will be the next Dakon to arrive on Earth.

**I received a free copy from the author and this is my honest review.**
Profile Image for Dawn West.
538 reviews43 followers
September 23, 2018


**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book.**

Find an alien date to shock your snooty parents? Check. Fall in love with said alien? Wait, what?



When Lexi came up with a scheme to annoy her up-tight mother, she had no idea what she was really getting into. Because the alien she was matched with isn't like a human man. Darak recognizes her as his mate and he isn't looking for a fun fling. He's playing for keeps. But even if Lexi does decide to take their relationship seriously, their future depends on whether they can survive being an odd couple in a judgmental family.

This was a short and pleasant read. I loved both characters, immediately. I also appreciated the fact that Lexi took Darak's feelings into consideration when she realized how serious he was about finding his mate. This made me respect her more. And it was nice to see the alien react to the human world, since we've gotten to see the opposite in the other series. The romance was sweet with a dash of spice and there was a bit of suspense tossed in too.

In closing...
I can't wait to see how the next alien finds his mate. Five suns!

Review on blog: https://uptildawnbookblog.blogspot.com/2018/09/review-darak-by-cara-bristol.html
Profile Image for Boundless Book Reviews.
2,242 reviews77 followers
October 6, 2018
I was provided a copy of Darak for review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a spin-off to the Alien Mates series, so far it’s got all the heart, humor and sizzle and a bit of action in it that the original series has.

Lexi is the black sheep of her family, and her mother treats her as such. Even though she owns a successful bakery, she isn’t a doctor or lawyer, so it isn’t up to the right standards. She receives an invitation to her little sister’s wedding and has a horrible conversation with her mother. Lexi signs up for the Intergalactic Dating Agency out of spite. It will piss her mom off good showing up with an Alien.

Darak, being a Darkonian male believes in fate, and they mate for life when he sees Lexi for the first time he knows she is meant to be his. But things on earth work differently than his planet, so he has to go slow.

This story was for no other word cute. I smiled the entire time. The Darkonian’s are perfect, and they put our human men to shame. Sigh.  All I have to say is I’ll take one, please! I am giving it 5 Boundless stars, and it’s a blast.

http://www.boundlessbookreviews.com

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Profile Image for Emily Lindsey.
Author 4 books20 followers
August 28, 2018
You will love this book! AS a spin off from the Dakonian Mates stories, this one differs in that the aliens are coming to Earth for their mates. Lexi is bold and fun, and her character doesn't appreciate how strong she truly is. Most of the characters in her family are likable except for the one. Darak is cute in is quiet simplicity. His innocence is refreshing, and Lexi can't use him as she had planned, who likes to kick puppies after all? There are some amusing observations that Darak makes throughout his journey, like when he appreciates how friendly all the drivers are with each other, based on the hand signals and horn sounds they exchange, lol. The relationship between Lexi and Darak is sweet and refreshing, even after it gets steamy, it's a beautiful thing to witness as it develops. It's a relatively quick read, but so worth the time you'll spend with these people. I look forward to reading the next book in this series, I'm sure you will too!
Profile Image for Patricia Hoffstaetter.
3,160 reviews39 followers
September 6, 2018
This is a well-written enjoyable, entertaining alien romance.
It is about: a young woman (Lexi) who decides to shock her family by bringing an alien male (Darak) as her plus one to her sister’s (Toni) wedding, but she really did not realize what the repercussions would be in her life.
What you will find in this book is: twists & turns, humor, a judgmental mother, vengeful plans, doubts, laughter, misunderstandings, law enforcement, attractions, sisters bonding, rehearsals, attempted blackmail, threats, an unexpected announcement, shock, disbelief, conflict, interventions, contentment, happiness, love and some steamy scenes.
The story-line is interesting and keeps the reader's attention. The characters are quite well developed and engaging with distinctive, individual personalities.
I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it.
Profile Image for Paige.
1,255 reviews113 followers
October 19, 2021
2.5 stars rounded up.

Meh. Not bad, but not really good either.

I didn’t buy the connection between these two, emotional or physical

I don’t get how the heroine thought her entire family disapproved of her when it was literally just her mom, and both her sister and her dad were regularly placing large orders through her company

Darak was basically just a tall human with little horns. Maybe different colored skin, but if so it was only mentioned once or twice at the beginning and they didn’t even add that to the cover

Also the book ended at 75% in the kindle file which just really threw me

Steam 2.5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jo .
2,673 reviews68 followers
August 28, 2018
Lexi gets much more than she bargained for when she signs up with the Intergalactic Dating Agency. She just wanted a alien to take to her sister's wedding but what she finds is much more. This is a nice twist on the Dakonian brides series. This time the Darkonian comes to Earth to find a mate. Lexi not only finds a date but she also finds out that her family has given her more support than she thought. Fun story and the next one looks like even more fun.

I received a free copy fo the book in return for an honest review.
Profile Image for Miranda.
436 reviews40 followers
September 6, 2018
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a switch from the normal mail order brides. It should be called the mail order husbands. Lol. It was fun, sweet, and a good read.
Darak is so honest. I cracked up everytime he didn't get sarcasm. Why is it aliens are always so up front and honest about things in life and us humans have to complicate it so much?!
I love that Lexi, once acknowledged, accepted her feeling for Darak.
It was a quick read, pretty much insta-love, alien romance. Loved it!
61 reviews
October 5, 2018
An entertaining and creative new spin on the Alien Mate series. I love that the Drakonian's have now come to earth to seek their brides. This puts them at a disadvantage not only with the unknown environment but also the prejudices of human society. I loved Lexi. This strong and independent character is the underdog in her family, never being good enough at anything they deem important she still goes after what she wants making a success of her business and soon her love life. Taking Darak to her sister's wedding was supposed to be just a big lark to screw with her overbearing mother but it turns into so much more. A very enjoyable story with one protective and determined alien convincing his sweet and honest mate she can't live without him.
1,461 reviews8 followers
October 7, 2018
I highly recommend this great start to a new series. I am looking forward to the next one.
I loved this wonderful sweet brilliantly written story. Lexi is sweet and kind. Darak is strong and determined. And they need eachother. This is an unexpected family story. It's so sweet and cute. All the characters are well done. There are plenty of hot spicy sexy scenes and lovely interaction between the main characters. I highly recommend it. A great start to a new series. I am looking forward to the next one.
143 reviews2 followers
October 10, 2018
The Aliens of My Dreams are Back to Play!

This is the first novella in a spin-off series from the Alien Mate Series. I was so happy to see more opportunities to “meet” more Dakonian Men. YUMMY! They are the “aliens” of my dreams. Darak was just as luscious. In this series, the Dakonians come to Earth to find their Brides. Lexi is a wonderful young lady who is the “Black Sheep” of her Uber successful family. She and Darak quickly discover that they are a wonderful match for each other, confirming match the Intergalactic Dating Agency has made. Trouble is on the horizon as they meet with Lexi’s family who frown upon the addition of an alien to the family. But, love prevails, and a heart-warming happy ending is found. I’m ready for Book 2!! I received and voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
811 reviews15 followers
August 28, 2018
This book was really fun to read. Loved both Darak and Lexi. They showed both their harder and softer sides worked through the ups and downs with family had a good laugh at some parts and felt like crying for them on others. fast reading plenty of action really worth reading.
Profile Image for Caroline.
785 reviews9 followers
September 5, 2018
This was a most enjoyable book and I loved the interplay between all the characters! Lexi and Darak made an interesting couple and the scenarios were believable! I found the writing to be pretty good and the characters had depth.
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Profile Image for Saskia.
1,775 reviews56 followers
October 10, 2018
A book that takes place in the mail order bride universe, but the Aliens are from Cara Bristol - Alien Mate series

Instead of female bride going to alien planets in this book an Aline male comes to Earth to claim his mate.

I really enjoyed Lexi as a character. I loved how she made a life for herself and choose something that she enjoyed and made her happy.

Darak was actually really cute in trying to figure out Earth, but I loved his faith and encouragement to and how strong his believe in her was.

It was a book about finding yourself and doing what makes you happy. It was a sweet, funny and sexy read.
Profile Image for Linda Elliott.
1,470 reviews9 followers
April 18, 2024
This is perhaps 1 of the 1st alien books that I've really enjoyed

The story reads like a normal romance except the man's an alien. I like the characters. the characters they weren't so far out And were realistic. I like this story it was funny, endearing and yes sad in parts. I think I will be reading more of this author's stories They're easier to read, flowing with A gentle Love.
700 reviews1 follower
October 6, 2018
 
Loved it.
 
Lexi owned her own business but, her mother would never see her as a success. When she receives an invitation to her successful sisters wedding, she decides to take an alien with her to shock her mother. Darak knew that Lexi was his mate. Now he just had to convince...
 
Profile Image for Fran.
961 reviews10 followers
November 11, 2021
I feel like this had so much potential. The idea is very common but the characters had potential. they were not fully fleshed out though. and plots were not fully formed or cut off without any filling. like buying a pie and only getting the crust. I think the author could have fleshed out the characters and filled out the plot and made a great book.
1,695 reviews5 followers
October 5, 2018
Loved it!

This book was absolutely assume. It was entertaining and captivating. It was sweet and heartwarming. It was an unconventional love story with a little steam and a lot of love. It was a great read.
2,802 reviews3 followers
October 5, 2018
Sweet

Quick sweet alien romance read. We all have various reasons why we chose to go out with a new guy. Seeking an alien to have a wedding date is a unique reason but makes for a cute read. Nice way to spend a little of you reading time.
Profile Image for Lola.
1,922 reviews272 followers
October 11, 2018
I had read the first book in this author's Alien Mate series and I was curious about this spin-off series where the aliens come to Earth instead. So I decided to buy a copy of Darak. Darak was a fun read, I especially enjoyed the first date scene and seeing how Darak reacted to this new world. Lexi wants revenge on her mother and decides to sign-up for the Intergalactic Dating Agency and get matched with Darak, who signed-up as there aren't many females on his planet.

While I had only read the first book in the Alien Mate series of which this is a spin-off, I was hoping this series could work as a standalone. After reading it I can say I think it works great as standalone, so you don't have to read the Alien Mate series first to understand this one. There are a few short references to characters in the first series and the program with Earth where they send Dakon females, but that's about it. I think reading all or some of Alien Mate series first mostly helps to understand more about the Dakon home world as in this book we don't get as good of as feel for it as the story doens't take place there.

My favorite part of this book were the first few chapters that took place around their first meeting. I liked how new everything was for Darak and while he learned a few things about Earth, there are also things he doesn't know yet, which led to some funny scenes. There were some great scenes, like with the cheese. And it was fun to see him experience Earth. I also liked seeing the difference in how their species think, Dakonian's live a lot simpler and I liked how simple and clear cut some things were for Darak.

After the first date scene there is a bit of a time skip and I didn't care as much for the scenes around the wedding of Lexi's sister. And for some reason the story didn't keep my attention as much in that part. Lexi seemed to change her mind about Darak pretty sudden and the romance developed quite quickly. I wouldn't liked a few more dating scenes and seeing Darak experience Earth. There were some nice scenes surrounding the wedding of Lexi's sister and I liked the direction the story took.

Lexi and Darak both seemed nice enough characters. With the short length of the book it was hard to get to know them as much as I would've liked, but there's still enough to have a decent feel for their personalities. They did seem like a great couple and I liked seeing them together, I just would've liked a bit more build-up for their romance as things developed pretty quickly now. I also liked how Lexi was a pastry chef and had her own cupcake store. It wasn't a big part of the story, but I did like it. I also liked how Lexi felt bad for the reason she signed up to the dating agency, but in the end it did turn out well.

This book is the type of science fiction book book that place only on Earth, but it involves aliens. There isn't as much world building as Earth is still pretty similar to how it is now, with a few changes and additions like the Intergalactic Dating Agency about which we read a bit. I think this works great here and it was great to see the aliens coming to Earth now and how that worked.

To summarize: Darak was a fun read. There are some fun scenes as Darak doesn't fully understand Earth customs yet. He knows Lexi is his mate from the moment they meet, which has a bit of a fated mates feel. Lexi isn't sure yet, but quickly falls for the alien. I liked the chapters surrounding their first date the best. After that I wasn't pulled as strongly in the story and I cared less about the scenes surrounding Lexi's sisters wedding, but there were some nice parts there too. The book was a bit on the short side and I would've liked a bit more build-up for the romance and seeing more of the characters. I did like the characters and the romance, just would've liked a bit more. If you're looking for a fun romantic read with a hint of sci-fi, you might enjoy this one.
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