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Kwarq
I only came to this planet for a scavenger hunt, a ridiculous child's game, arranged by my twin brother to celebrate our birthday. From the moment we step from our pod, I'm not impressed. Humans are kind of miserable, which is hard for a species like mine that thrives on giving and receiving pleasure. This makes it even more shocking when I catch the sweet scent of the woman on the bus. The flashing glimpse of her beautiful, brown face beneath a halo of curling hair. If I were a foolish, I would deny that the woman of my heart could exist on such a planet, but I am not a fool. No, from the moment I see her, I am a Lyqa on a mission. And I'm not leaving this planet without her.
I only came to this planet for a scavenger hunt, a ridiculous child's game, arranged by my twin brother to celebrate our birthday. From the moment we step from our pod, I'm not impressed. Humans are kind of miserable, which is hard for a species like mine that thrives on giving and receiving pleasure. This makes it even more shocking when I catch the sweet scent of the woman on the bus. The flashing glimpse of her beautiful, brown face beneath a halo of curling hair. If I were a foolish, I would deny that the woman of my heart could exist on such a planet, but I am not a fool. No, from the moment I see her, I am a Lyqa on a mission. And I'm not leaving this planet without her.
279 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2017
266 people are currently reading
430 people want to read
About the author
Nikki Clarke
38 books188 followersNikki Clarke is a poet and writer who’s always loved a good love story in books and on film. Her favorite on screen love declarations in no particular order are: Darius and Nina under the viaduct, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth in the field (Knightley and MacFadden version), and Dwayne and Whitley at the wedding. Nikki doesn’t mind a little weird (or raunch) mixed in with her romance and hopes to contribute to more happily ever afters of all shades and styles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
December 26, 2020
Really unique take on alien romance. I enjoyed the blending of black culture and a made up alien culture. I didn’t love the many misunderstandings.
August 5, 2024
I really enjoyed the first half of the book that had the culture clash and rough meeting each other. Amina was an interesting character and relatable in a lot of ways. She was cautious and able to roll with the punches. Kwarq was great in the first half of the book. He was awkward, smitten, and had difficulty communicating. But the second half of the book was rough. The moment she felt devastated because of something he did was frustrating because she basically gaslit herself into agreeing that what he did was just a culture difference thing. She was so quick to forgive and repeated this several other times. And he pissed me off because he kept saying she was being irrational when she had perfectly valid concerns. So basically the second half of the book was gaslighting central.
I did enjoy the author’s writing style and the story flowed well. I just wasn’t feeling the love story.
Spice: 4/5
SPOILERS IN TRIGGER WARNINGS
Triggers: accidental pregnancy, near miscarriage, birthing, cheating - MMC makes out with previous lover because it’s “rude” to not kiss her back, mention of absent parent (side character’s ex husband)
I did enjoy the author’s writing style and the story flowed well. I just wasn’t feeling the love story.
Spice: 4/5
SPOILERS IN TRIGGER WARNINGS
Triggers: accidental pregnancy, near miscarriage, birthing, cheating - MMC makes out with previous lover because it’s “rude” to not kiss her back, mention of absent parent (side character’s ex husband)
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October 2, 2018💝FREE on Amazon today (10/2/18)!💝
Blurb:
Kwarq
I only came to this planet for a scavenger hunt, a ridiculous child's game, arranged by my twin brother to celebrate our birthday. From the moment we step from our pod, I'm not impressed. Humans are kind of miserable, which is hard for a species like mine that thrives on giving and receiving pleasure. This makes it even more shocking when I catch the sweet scent of the woman on the bus. The flashing glimpse of her beautiful, brown face beneath a halo of curling hair. If I were foolish, I would deny that the woman of my heart could exist on such a planet, but I am not a fool. No, from the moment I see her, I am a Lyqa on a mission. And I'm not leaving this planet without her.
Blurb:
Kwarq
I only came to this planet for a scavenger hunt, a ridiculous child's game, arranged by my twin brother to celebrate our birthday. From the moment we step from our pod, I'm not impressed. Humans are kind of miserable, which is hard for a species like mine that thrives on giving and receiving pleasure. This makes it even more shocking when I catch the sweet scent of the woman on the bus. The flashing glimpse of her beautiful, brown face beneath a halo of curling hair. If I were foolish, I would deny that the woman of my heart could exist on such a planet, but I am not a fool. No, from the moment I see her, I am a Lyqa on a mission. And I'm not leaving this planet without her.
October 13, 2017
3.5 points
Not badly written but I have to confess to a bit of an aversion to the first person present tense writing so I am probably wrong person to review this. It grates on me, always seems like a bit shallow and easy way out. I have read VERY few books in that style that I have actually added to the "Keeper" pile.
This one will remain firmly in "Okay-ish but won't be re-reading" stack.
The alien is very much human-looking, only faster and stronger and bigger of course. Cause why would an earthling ever fall for a male that is smaller, weaker & slower....
There is the fated mates/instalove theme - also not my favorite.
What there isn't much of is a plot, sadly. Alien lands, stalks, has a lot of conversations, a lot of nookie etc. You can see from far away that next books in series are planned and who are going to be the heroes.
There is a big anti-racism theme (heroine is black). Addressed in a bit aggressive and talking-not-showing manner but kudos to author for addressing it at all!
All in all I would have given about 2.5 stars but I am adding an extra star because the hero (big speedy alien) is not an aggressive alphole but is coming from culture where openness, touch and intelligence are valued above physical prowess.
Not badly written but I have to confess to a bit of an aversion to the first person present tense writing so I am probably wrong person to review this. It grates on me, always seems like a bit shallow and easy way out. I have read VERY few books in that style that I have actually added to the "Keeper" pile.
This one will remain firmly in "Okay-ish but won't be re-reading" stack.
The alien is very much human-looking, only faster and stronger and bigger of course. Cause why would an earthling ever fall for a male that is smaller, weaker & slower....
There is the fated mates/instalove theme - also not my favorite.
What there isn't much of is a plot, sadly. Alien lands, stalks, has a lot of conversations, a lot of nookie etc. You can see from far away that next books in series are planned and who are going to be the heroes.
There is a big anti-racism theme (heroine is black). Addressed in a bit aggressive and talking-not-showing manner but kudos to author for addressing it at all!
All in all I would have given about 2.5 stars but I am adding an extra star because the hero (big speedy alien) is not an aggressive alphole but is coming from culture where openness, touch and intelligence are valued above physical prowess.
June 29, 2022
Who knew aliens were where it's at???
This was so unexpected. I loved how funny, lighthearted but then deep and sweet this story was. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. I needed a reading partner while reading this because there were way too many moments where I laughed out loud or covered my face blushing and wished I had someone to share these moments with. Absolutely loved it.
This was so unexpected. I loved how funny, lighthearted but then deep and sweet this story was. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. I needed a reading partner while reading this because there were way too many moments where I laughed out loud or covered my face blushing and wished I had someone to share these moments with. Absolutely loved it.
February 15, 2023
This was an interesting story. However, Amina got on my last nerve. I know Kwarq was an alien, but her constant second-guessing every situation got a little annoying after a while.
November 26, 2025
3.75 ⭐️
This was my first alien romance, and it was cute. I enjoyed Kwarq and Amina’s story. It was a great journey from their meeting to when Amina discovered he was an alien, and how they worked through their differences. I can’t wait to continue the series.
This was my first alien romance, and it was cute. I enjoyed Kwarq and Amina’s story. It was a great journey from their meeting to when Amina discovered he was an alien, and how they worked through their differences. I can’t wait to continue the series.
July 2, 2020
Well, that was...interesting!
Some of my favorite book genres are:
Kwarq and his twin brother Bati find themselves on Earth, in the Windy City of Chicago, on a Ta'ani Maul (scavenger hunt) to celebrate their birthday. Initially, Kwarq is annoyed at his brother for bringing him to a place that feels so drab and around humans who collectively seem to be down and unhappy with life–for what is supposed to be a birthday celebration. That is until he feels an intense pull of energy that overwhelms the drab and dreadful aura of the humans around him. Sweet energy that feels like everything he's never had the imagination to dream up. Tender energy pulling at him from a moving bus. The source? A woman who he's never met but suddenly has every desire to get to know, protect, love, and cherish... Amina–His future, his heart-beat, his leht
I will say...while Kwarq didn't fully hit all of the marks for me (exposition, character development, world-building, relationship building, tertiary character development, etc.) it toed the line in executing just enough on each of those things that I was able to genuinely enjoy the story at its most basic level.
Clarke didn't go into too much about who Amina and Kwarq were before they met each other–the only thing I definitively know about Amina outside of who she is in her relationship with Kwarq, is that she likes to go to the movies–but Clarke did provide just enough insight into who Amina was as a character that I cared about what happened to her in the story. Similarly, Clarke didn't really build out the world of Lyqa much beyond surface-level descriptions, but she gave just enough in terms of the different customs and cultures, that I could easily picture a different world than Earth when those scenes came about. We were given just enough information and insight into some of Kwarqs family and friends to pique an interest in carrying on in the series, but not enough to feel like you HAVE to read the subsequent books.
Overall, this book was really just a story that, featured a fast-paced whirlwind romance facilitated by physiological chemical changes causing heightened feelings between Kwarq and Amina, packed the events of several novels into one, and barely escaped being labeled a PWP for me (my fan-fic peoples know what that is - google it if not 😉).
And maybe this is a preference thing! I'm fully okay with owning that the issue in this case might be ME and not the book. Because I liked it! I laughed, I got heated, I was confused at times, and I was invested. But I just wanted more. In my fantasy books, I prefer a high level of detail and focus on world-building and exposition. I'm perfectly fine with authors taking their time to flesh out characters and settings before even thinking about delving into romance.
Oh, you want to spend the entire first book on exposition? HAVE AT IT! You want to devote several chapters to providing back story on the main character that will explain their actions and how they perceive the world they live in? BRING IT ON! And as i'm writing this...i'm thinking that this series being called the "Planet Lovers" series, might have clued me in on the fact that this story was going to lean more on the romance side than the fantasy side...
But nah though...I said what I said! lol. And I said all of that to say, i'm 85% sure i'm going to read at least the next two books in this series because while this story wasn't everything I wanted it to be, I still enjoyed everything that was. 😊
Some of my favorite book genres are:
- FantasyAs you can see, my favorite genres are dominated by some form of fantasy - and my hope is to find solid authors who write Fantasy (not YA) that features Black Characters. It's tough out here in these streets! So I'm on a quest if you will...to find these books. To find the equivalent of the Mercy Thompson series or the Kate Daniels series, that features characters that look like me. Which is why when I saw Kwarq I had to give it a shot!
- Urban Fantasy
- Paranormal Fantasy
- Contemporary Romance
- Black Contemporary Romance
Kwarq and his twin brother Bati find themselves on Earth, in the Windy City of Chicago, on a Ta'ani Maul (scavenger hunt) to celebrate their birthday. Initially, Kwarq is annoyed at his brother for bringing him to a place that feels so drab and around humans who collectively seem to be down and unhappy with life–for what is supposed to be a birthday celebration. That is until he feels an intense pull of energy that overwhelms the drab and dreadful aura of the humans around him. Sweet energy that feels like everything he's never had the imagination to dream up. Tender energy pulling at him from a moving bus. The source? A woman who he's never met but suddenly has every desire to get to know, protect, love, and cherish... Amina–His future, his heart-beat, his leht
I will say...while Kwarq didn't fully hit all of the marks for me (exposition, character development, world-building, relationship building, tertiary character development, etc.) it toed the line in executing just enough on each of those things that I was able to genuinely enjoy the story at its most basic level.
Clarke didn't go into too much about who Amina and Kwarq were before they met each other–the only thing I definitively know about Amina outside of who she is in her relationship with Kwarq, is that she likes to go to the movies–but Clarke did provide just enough insight into who Amina was as a character that I cared about what happened to her in the story. Similarly, Clarke didn't really build out the world of Lyqa much beyond surface-level descriptions, but she gave just enough in terms of the different customs and cultures, that I could easily picture a different world than Earth when those scenes came about. We were given just enough information and insight into some of Kwarqs family and friends to pique an interest in carrying on in the series, but not enough to feel like you HAVE to read the subsequent books.
Overall, this book was really just a story that, featured a fast-paced whirlwind romance facilitated by physiological chemical changes causing heightened feelings between Kwarq and Amina, packed the events of several novels into one, and barely escaped being labeled a PWP for me (my fan-fic peoples know what that is - google it if not 😉).
And maybe this is a preference thing! I'm fully okay with owning that the issue in this case might be ME and not the book. Because I liked it! I laughed, I got heated, I was confused at times, and I was invested. But I just wanted more. In my fantasy books, I prefer a high level of detail and focus on world-building and exposition. I'm perfectly fine with authors taking their time to flesh out characters and settings before even thinking about delving into romance.
Oh, you want to spend the entire first book on exposition? HAVE AT IT! You want to devote several chapters to providing back story on the main character that will explain their actions and how they perceive the world they live in? BRING IT ON! And as i'm writing this...i'm thinking that this series being called the "Planet Lovers" series, might have clued me in on the fact that this story was going to lean more on the romance side than the fantasy side...
But nah though...I said what I said! lol. And I said all of that to say, i'm 85% sure i'm going to read at least the next two books in this series because while this story wasn't everything I wanted it to be, I still enjoyed everything that was. 😊
February 24, 2023
3.25 stars. This book has a lot of the familiar alien tropes sci-fi readers like myself love. You get soulmate tropes, miscommunications, getting familiar with each other’s culture, an extremely loving MMC and the FMC living on a new planet. I liked this book. The only downside was I didn’t love the FMC. She annoyed me at times. Early on a lot of her hesitance/ overthinking panicking was understandable, but further into the book it was just plain annoying. This book left me wanting more. I’m really interested in the MMC’s older brothers story and his coworker’s story.
April 14, 2023
Yeah not a huge fan but points for originality
January 26, 2023
Miscommunication station
Amani is a single woman who enjoys seeing movies. Kwarq is new to humanity altogether, being an alien and all. But he scents her while visiting and suddenly the treasure hunt he'd planned with his brother became a different kind of treasure hunt as he started following her. It took him 2 months to speak to her, one night to bind with her, and it will take them a lifetime to learn how to communicate.
Spoilers ahead.
So parts of this were adorable and some were enough to make you want to rip out your hair. Some of the misunderstandings were so contrived. The guy could send a text across the galaxy so her mom and sisters didn't worry but couldn't remember to text his ex? And honestly, the brother came back home without him, probably explained, at the very least, that Kwarq had met his beat and was wooing her. Two months he was gone. His beat answers the door smelling like him. They're supposed to have super senses. She couldn't smell it? She couldn't hear 2 hearts beating in sync? There were a couple scenes similarly done that didn't match the abilities they were supposed to have. And human anatomy isn't designed to stretch so fast so quickly. Pregnancy strains the body, and a uterus is designed to expand. But not several month's worth in a couple week span. Skin tears during a normal pregnancy. It would darn near rupture during what she went through. She wouldn't have gotten the protein she'd need as only veggies were mentioned for food, no legumes or such. No super medical lotion mentioned to help prevent skin pulling apart during a doubly expansive pregnancy done in a third of the normal timespan. I can't express my joy at not once reading about some body part or another being described as creamy, though. I loved the no touchy my hair dress down, too. Although, no one told him how to care for natural hair for during her long sleeps. Unless that was filled under learning via YouTube, too? I have to think on this one some. Like I said, there's things I loved about it. But there's things that didn't add up, too.
Amani is a single woman who enjoys seeing movies. Kwarq is new to humanity altogether, being an alien and all. But he scents her while visiting and suddenly the treasure hunt he'd planned with his brother became a different kind of treasure hunt as he started following her. It took him 2 months to speak to her, one night to bind with her, and it will take them a lifetime to learn how to communicate.
Spoilers ahead.
So parts of this were adorable and some were enough to make you want to rip out your hair. Some of the misunderstandings were so contrived. The guy could send a text across the galaxy so her mom and sisters didn't worry but couldn't remember to text his ex? And honestly, the brother came back home without him, probably explained, at the very least, that Kwarq had met his beat and was wooing her. Two months he was gone. His beat answers the door smelling like him. They're supposed to have super senses. She couldn't smell it? She couldn't hear 2 hearts beating in sync? There were a couple scenes similarly done that didn't match the abilities they were supposed to have. And human anatomy isn't designed to stretch so fast so quickly. Pregnancy strains the body, and a uterus is designed to expand. But not several month's worth in a couple week span. Skin tears during a normal pregnancy. It would darn near rupture during what she went through. She wouldn't have gotten the protein she'd need as only veggies were mentioned for food, no legumes or such. No super medical lotion mentioned to help prevent skin pulling apart during a doubly expansive pregnancy done in a third of the normal timespan. I can't express my joy at not once reading about some body part or another being described as creamy, though. I loved the no touchy my hair dress down, too. Although, no one told him how to care for natural hair for during her long sleeps. Unless that was filled under learning via YouTube, too? I have to think on this one some. Like I said, there's things I loved about it. But there's things that didn't add up, too.
June 5, 2025
Wow......just wow
That was a wild ride. I went into this book blind and I've never read this author's work before. I'll tell you one thing for certain, I did not expect ANYTHING that happened in this book. Still processing and shook. I teared up at the end too. What an insane unserious ride.
That was a wild ride. I went into this book blind and I've never read this author's work before. I'll tell you one thing for certain, I did not expect ANYTHING that happened in this book. Still processing and shook. I teared up at the end too. What an insane unserious ride.
August 7, 2019
Sweet
This was an amazing love story. I really enjoyed reading this book and couldn't put it down. If your interested in something different and new, I highly recommend this book.
This was an amazing love story. I really enjoyed reading this book and couldn't put it down. If your interested in something different and new, I highly recommend this book.
February 1, 2025
Good story
This book was a book club pick and I enjoyed this book. I read a couple of books by this author and I look forward to reading more books by this author.
This book was a book club pick and I enjoyed this book. I read a couple of books by this author and I look forward to reading more books by this author.
January 29, 2018
Unexpectedly good...
I was not expecting a lot from this book, but I was surprised by how good it read. There were minor grammatical errors but the story was enjoyable.
I was not expecting a lot from this book, but I was surprised by how good it read. There were minor grammatical errors but the story was enjoyable.
May 27, 2022
This was my very first alien romance and I saw it recommended on TikTok by blackromanceconnoisseur (she gives great recs by black indie authors 👌🏾). If you’ve never read alien romance but are curious I highly suggest you start off with this book because it really comes across as a light easy intro into the genre. The main female character is Amina, a black woman living in Chicago who becomes the”lehti” (soulmate) of Kwarq, an alien. What made this easy to accept was that the author basically mimicked the Lyqa after humans but taller and bigger , if you get what I mean 😂, with some differences here and there. Overall I think the author did a good job with setting this up as an intro to alien romance in general and the rest of the series. Now I’m curious about the rest of the books in the series which follow Kwarq’s brothers and I’m hoping to get more detailed descriptions of the Lyqa planet and their culture.
June 20, 2021
My first
I love paranormal, but this is my first book that doesn’t have a werewolf, vampire or some other preternatural character. I wasn’t sure about aliens, but I would go to lycas and not come back since they are all gorgeous and they are nice people. I loved the insecurities that Amina had regarding her personal safety and her trusting of men. I liked that Quarq was opposite of what she expected, although I was not sure what was going on when his ex showed up and he acted as if Amine was not even there. Ms. Clarke did an excellent job of making her heartbreak palpable both times. It felt like the only thing that kept her from completely fall apart was because she hadn’t surrendered to their love because she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I recommend this book
I love paranormal, but this is my first book that doesn’t have a werewolf, vampire or some other preternatural character. I wasn’t sure about aliens, but I would go to lycas and not come back since they are all gorgeous and they are nice people. I loved the insecurities that Amina had regarding her personal safety and her trusting of men. I liked that Quarq was opposite of what she expected, although I was not sure what was going on when his ex showed up and he acted as if Amine was not even there. Ms. Clarke did an excellent job of making her heartbreak palpable both times. It felt like the only thing that kept her from completely fall apart was because she hadn’t surrendered to their love because she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I recommend this book
February 7, 2021
if you’re into a little sci fi romance, I truly recommend it.
Kwarq finds his soulmate on Earth (in Chicago) while out for a birthday trip. He instantly knows Amina is his true love and spends the book proving it to her. Amina is an anxious woman who has been hurt in the past and has some trust issues with being seen as desirable as a Black woman. It’s interesting to see how Clarke mixed Black culture with Lyqa culture. Kwarq loves her wholeheartedly and makes sure that Amina wants for nothing. It has a happily ever after and is incredibly sweet.
Can’t wait to read the stories about the brothers. :)
What would you do if you found your perfect man but he wasn’t from this world?
Kwarq finds his soulmate on Earth (in Chicago) while out for a birthday trip. He instantly knows Amina is his true love and spends the book proving it to her. Amina is an anxious woman who has been hurt in the past and has some trust issues with being seen as desirable as a Black woman. It’s interesting to see how Clarke mixed Black culture with Lyqa culture. Kwarq loves her wholeheartedly and makes sure that Amina wants for nothing. It has a happily ever after and is incredibly sweet.
Can’t wait to read the stories about the brothers. :)
What would you do if you found your perfect man but he wasn’t from this world?
April 1, 2022
Relatively Realistic
Kwarq comes to earth for a scavenger hunt, but finds Amina instead. Amina finds Kwarq to be a little weird, but will she also find love?
First off, I have always been BlackGirls/Anybody, so aliens are right up my alley. I also like that Kwarq’s family is phenotypically black, because I don’t know what the sci-fi situation is in Black Romance but more black leads is always a good idea to me.
That being said, I felt some of those conflicts were too easily worked through. I would have liked some more world-building, but this is the first in the series.
If you think that there should be more black sci-fi Romances, this is definitely for you.
Kwarq comes to earth for a scavenger hunt, but finds Amina instead. Amina finds Kwarq to be a little weird, but will she also find love?
First off, I have always been BlackGirls/Anybody, so aliens are right up my alley. I also like that Kwarq’s family is phenotypically black, because I don’t know what the sci-fi situation is in Black Romance but more black leads is always a good idea to me.
That being said, I felt some of those conflicts were too easily worked through. I would have liked some more world-building, but this is the first in the series.
If you think that there should be more black sci-fi Romances, this is definitely for you.
December 9, 2022
What a good read.
The author combined IR and Aliens in a realistic way. Yes, Amina was freaked out and reacted like most AA women would, that is on point. I like the promise of a world where love is important and valued like this. A place where empathy and apology for hurt is the norm. I wish I could go there. I loved the emotional growth of the characters and the complete acceptance the Lyqa had for Amina even in her very American way of distrust and cynicism. Already bought the next book. Great job.
The author combined IR and Aliens in a realistic way. Yes, Amina was freaked out and reacted like most AA women would, that is on point. I like the promise of a world where love is important and valued like this. A place where empathy and apology for hurt is the norm. I wish I could go there. I loved the emotional growth of the characters and the complete acceptance the Lyqa had for Amina even in her very American way of distrust and cynicism. Already bought the next book. Great job.
November 24, 2022
Consent is sexy y'all
Consent, respect, kindness are a sexy trifecta encased in the perfect speciman that is Kwarq, but he is not alone, born on a planet were all these things and all matter of compassion and social good are valued, all the man wants to do is make Amina, his Li'aht, happy, to provide for her, to protect her, to make her laugh, he is breath of fresh air in a genre overwhelmed by those alpha "romantic" male leads brimming with toxicity.
I enjoyed this book, I enjoyed the characters and I am on my way to read the second installment.
Consent, respect, kindness are a sexy trifecta encased in the perfect speciman that is Kwarq, but he is not alone, born on a planet were all these things and all matter of compassion and social good are valued, all the man wants to do is make Amina, his Li'aht, happy, to provide for her, to protect her, to make her laugh, he is breath of fresh air in a genre overwhelmed by those alpha "romantic" male leads brimming with toxicity.
I enjoyed this book, I enjoyed the characters and I am on my way to read the second installment.
March 6, 2023
This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. The only think I didn't like was the miscommunication issue more then once. I loved seeing a women like me in an alien romance and that is didn't include the slave situation like so many alien romances. I love the detail of the characters and surrounding which really help me to picture everything. On to the next book!
July 7, 2019
I loved this book.
I enjoy such romance. I was great to find one with one that had a Black female as the lead, that was real. I also loved the way the story wasn't rushed or just about the sex. I can't waiting to read the next book in this series.
I enjoy such romance. I was great to find one with one that had a Black female as the lead, that was real. I also loved the way the story wasn't rushed or just about the sex. I can't waiting to read the next book in this series.
October 17, 2024
I LOVED IT
The story was great, the characters endearing and the love as INTENSE! This writer has made a FAN! I'm so glad black girls are picking up the pen and making fantasies for US!
The story was great, the characters endearing and the love as INTENSE! This writer has made a FAN! I'm so glad black girls are picking up the pen and making fantasies for US!
October 29, 2018
Cute Read
It’s your basic alien romance. The protagonist is an African American woman. It’s fairly well written and an entertaining read.
It’s your basic alien romance. The protagonist is an African American woman. It’s fairly well written and an entertaining read.
March 20, 2022
LOVE LOVE LOVE
I absolutely loved this book. Black woman being loved cherished and protected is exactly what I wanted to read and this delivered.
I absolutely loved this book. Black woman being loved cherished and protected is exactly what I wanted to read and this delivered.
October 22, 2023
Finally!
This story is one I’ve been waiting to find for a long time! It’s nice to see more black girls in space! I’m most definitely going to read the complete series!
This story is one I’ve been waiting to find for a long time! It’s nice to see more black girls in space! I’m most definitely going to read the complete series!
December 14, 2025
*****Spoilers*****
Some consistency issues and skipping events lead to confusion reading this book, but I liked the story. Amina and Kwarq meet when he starts going to the movies she does. Kwarq is an alien being close in anatomy to humans and recognized Amina as his leh'ti which is his heart. His people are Lyqa and they have two hearts, the first one only beats after they meet their heart, essentially the being they love. The second heart prepares Kwarq's body to mate with his lehti. After having sex Amina is pregnant almost instantly which is normal for Kwarq's biology.
Kwarq eventually takes Amina to his planet and home and installs her in a compound with his family all living together. There are some customs and misunderstandings that make Amina uncomfortable so she tries to leave before she can be rejected a couple of times but they end up together in the long run.
There is a part in the book where Amina and Kwarq are alone, about to be intimate with anticipation of a kiss but then the chapter ends. The next chapter picks up with Amina talking about Kwarq's tongue and him asking to perform oral sex. I flipped pages back and forth a couple of times to see what I missed. I missed nothing, the details just weren't there in the book. There are a few more errors in the book with grammar and repeated words. One thing I still don't understand now that the book is over is how Kwarq was able to have sex before Amina if his first heart beating helps prepare him to have sex and it didn't start beating until he met Amina.
Kwarq was patient to Amina's dramatic but it worked. He was the calm to the storm of her emotional dramatics and her misunderstandings were easily overcome. I didn't really get the explanation for the enthusiastic greeting between Kwarq and his former lover for so many reasons. Plus, it's much too convenient that beings with extraordinary hearing didn't know that his lover came by the house. It's also far fetched that the lover didn't smell Kwarq on Amina since the others could scent not only her pregnancy but her tie to Kwarq. I felt like the parts with the ex were unnecessary. There were some other parts that I was confused on but I'll stop there. Kwarq was really sweet and devoted which is never a bad thing.
Some consistency issues and skipping events lead to confusion reading this book, but I liked the story. Amina and Kwarq meet when he starts going to the movies she does. Kwarq is an alien being close in anatomy to humans and recognized Amina as his leh'ti which is his heart. His people are Lyqa and they have two hearts, the first one only beats after they meet their heart, essentially the being they love. The second heart prepares Kwarq's body to mate with his lehti. After having sex Amina is pregnant almost instantly which is normal for Kwarq's biology.
Kwarq eventually takes Amina to his planet and home and installs her in a compound with his family all living together. There are some customs and misunderstandings that make Amina uncomfortable so she tries to leave before she can be rejected a couple of times but they end up together in the long run.
There is a part in the book where Amina and Kwarq are alone, about to be intimate with anticipation of a kiss but then the chapter ends. The next chapter picks up with Amina talking about Kwarq's tongue and him asking to perform oral sex. I flipped pages back and forth a couple of times to see what I missed. I missed nothing, the details just weren't there in the book. There are a few more errors in the book with grammar and repeated words. One thing I still don't understand now that the book is over is how Kwarq was able to have sex before Amina if his first heart beating helps prepare him to have sex and it didn't start beating until he met Amina.
Kwarq was patient to Amina's dramatic but it worked. He was the calm to the storm of her emotional dramatics and her misunderstandings were easily overcome. I didn't really get the explanation for the enthusiastic greeting between Kwarq and his former lover for so many reasons. Plus, it's much too convenient that beings with extraordinary hearing didn't know that his lover came by the house. It's also far fetched that the lover didn't smell Kwarq on Amina since the others could scent not only her pregnancy but her tie to Kwarq. I felt like the parts with the ex were unnecessary. There were some other parts that I was confused on but I'll stop there. Kwarq was really sweet and devoted which is never a bad thing.
January 2, 2023
I really enjoy Nikki's writing. There is very little fluff, so reading her work is light and fast paced.
I want to say that this book is probably my favorite. I love her werewolf series cause I'm bias to the supernatural genre. I really enjoyed the fantasy of her god series because she added depth to magic by giving them to real deities, most of which are of African decent. This series is the most refreshing cause that last time I let an author take me out of space was Octavia Butler...and it has been well over a decade since I read Lilith's brood.
Nikki shines a light on the controversies of human interaction by creating a universe where super affectionate aliens exist. They don't speak in metaphors or beat around the bush. They hold compassion to the highest regard to the point where they don't fully start to live UNTIL they find the being that makes "their heart beat".
Its also nice to see the black experience brought to such a universe. What's wonderful about Nikki, is that she gives her characters the happily ever after we all wish we could have. For example, Amina disappears from earth for about two months and comes back 9 months pregnant and has to face her family. Nikki gives her a family who is openminded and already informed of her circumstances. In turn Amina doesn't have to stress about backlash and can enjoy the glow of her last moments of pregnancy knowing her family fully supports her.
Nikki's writing is almost comfort food. Warm and fuzzy writing that is rich with great sex scenes that leave you wanting a cigarette! The only reason why I don't give her stories 5 stars is because of her instant love + great sex = pregnancy formula. The first main character of each series (I've read three so far) revolves around their format.
Overall I cant stop reading her work. I'm really enjoying this lyqa planet series.
I want to say that this book is probably my favorite. I love her werewolf series cause I'm bias to the supernatural genre. I really enjoyed the fantasy of her god series because she added depth to magic by giving them to real deities, most of which are of African decent. This series is the most refreshing cause that last time I let an author take me out of space was Octavia Butler...and it has been well over a decade since I read Lilith's brood.
Nikki shines a light on the controversies of human interaction by creating a universe where super affectionate aliens exist. They don't speak in metaphors or beat around the bush. They hold compassion to the highest regard to the point where they don't fully start to live UNTIL they find the being that makes "their heart beat".
Its also nice to see the black experience brought to such a universe. What's wonderful about Nikki, is that she gives her characters the happily ever after we all wish we could have. For example, Amina disappears from earth for about two months and comes back 9 months pregnant and has to face her family. Nikki gives her a family who is openminded and already informed of her circumstances. In turn Amina doesn't have to stress about backlash and can enjoy the glow of her last moments of pregnancy knowing her family fully supports her.
Nikki's writing is almost comfort food. Warm and fuzzy writing that is rich with great sex scenes that leave you wanting a cigarette! The only reason why I don't give her stories 5 stars is because of her instant love + great sex = pregnancy formula. The first main character of each series (I've read three so far) revolves around their format.
Overall I cant stop reading her work. I'm really enjoying this lyqa planet series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2022
I enjoyed it. The sexual relations scenes were good. My favorite was the tongue. The one thing that really kept pissing me off or annoying me, is when the heroine kept comparing everything to what she's seen in movies when it's clearest day that nothing by far has happened that appeared in the movies that she's seen about aliens. Her butt was just way too scary for me and the constant questioning of him and his culture and love was also annoying as idk what. She overthought a lot of things for my taste. I almost couldn't deal with her at all. It's clear she had trust issues with him but still. How many times must he spell it out? I wasn't too happy about how her butt wanted to get an abortion. I personally don't believe in that. I feel like she should've taken the responsibility and made it work. You made yo bed, now lay in it. you opened yo legs without a condom and agreed for him to come inside of you so deal with the consequences. whether she ready or not. And then force him to go along with it when she knew good and well that wasn't what he wanted at all. smh. But other than that, there wasn't much drama at all really beside her ish. You had like two scenes dealing with his ex-lover and that was it. Everything else was pretty much smoothing in a sense. The different hues of black men and their hair color were very fascinating. Even though you had a very pale woman giving birth to a black baby was interesting, to say the least. And what are the odds with her sister and his twin brother being mates (they have their own book. It's the second one in the series.) The twin babies, in the end, were beautifully described.
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