What do you think?
Rate this book
Mecha Mates #1
Mecha Mates: Imprint
Three elite pilots, and the stowaway girl who imprints on their mecha.
Space is a hostile environment, but I’m a survivor. That’s why I’ve lasted this long on the Odessa—the biggest interplanetary starship ever built. Everyone aboard is celebrating the end of the Kraw War, and the elites are too busy patting themselves on the back to notice me.
Especially Xavier, Ryker, and Ansel—a team of elite pilots the entire galaxy hails as war heroes.
That is, until I accidentally ‘sabotage’ their mecha, Hades.
It was a complete accident, believe me. The last thing I want is a gigantic robot imprinting on me, or to trespass into its pilots' telepathic link. But when the Kraw ambush the Odessa, I’m suddenly grateful for my hidden talent. It’s the only thing I can rely on when the war heroes and I crash land on an uninhabited planet.
Now all that matters is survival. Though there's no way I'm revealing my abilities (or that I can hear every thought they share about me). I'm willing to work together with them, but the plan was always to part ways for good.
So why do I get the feeling, that when the time comes… they might not let me go?
Space is a hostile environment, but I’m a survivor. That’s why I’ve lasted this long on the Odessa—the biggest interplanetary starship ever built. Everyone aboard is celebrating the end of the Kraw War, and the elites are too busy patting themselves on the back to notice me.
Especially Xavier, Ryker, and Ansel—a team of elite pilots the entire galaxy hails as war heroes.
That is, until I accidentally ‘sabotage’ their mecha, Hades.
It was a complete accident, believe me. The last thing I want is a gigantic robot imprinting on me, or to trespass into its pilots' telepathic link. But when the Kraw ambush the Odessa, I’m suddenly grateful for my hidden talent. It’s the only thing I can rely on when the war heroes and I crash land on an uninhabited planet.
Now all that matters is survival. Though there's no way I'm revealing my abilities (or that I can hear every thought they share about me). I'm willing to work together with them, but the plan was always to part ways for good.
So why do I get the feeling, that when the time comes… they might not let me go?
239 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 28, 2022
58 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
![Profile Image for Namera [The Literary Invertebrate].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1647896333i%2F31792110._UX200_CR0%2C96%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
January 29, 2022
⤅ 3.5 stars, rounded down.
There was definitely a lot to like here, and I vacillated for a long time over whether to give this three or four stars. At one point I even considered just flipping a coin, but I abandoned that because I don't like delegating things to chance - even something as minimal as a book rating. In the end, the number of typos tipped me down.
It's a real shame to see a book with a compelling premise and intriguing characters get let down by a number of basic typos. 'It's' was substituted almost universally for 'its'; 'off' for 'of'; and more. I certainly can and have enjoyed books with terrible typos - Cassandra Gannon's come to mind - but it's a draining process to have to do mental corrections in your head, and it saps away narrative immersion. Maybe I should start a proofreading service for indie authors...
Anyway, typos aside, this was a solid read. It's great to see what writers can come up with when they move away from the boring old 'academy/bully' tropes. Here we have Maia, an Earth girl implied to be hundreds of years old, who's (seemingly) woken up from a cryogenic sleep to find that everyone she knew is dead. She has no money, identity, or friends in the new world; she's a stowaway on the Odessa, a giant spaceship in service to some sort of intergalactic military called the AIA. While soldiers are gone, she uses their bedrooms - and right now she's bunking in the rooms of Ryker, Ansel and Xavier, the AIA's leading spaceship pilots. Their abrupt return heralds an end to her cosy existence.
Maia is left scrambling to find some place to live without tipping everyone off to her existence. Not only is she from old Earth, she's capable of manipulating technology with her thoughts, a handy gift that sets the boys on her trail. When she accidentally bonds with Hades - the semi-sentient spaceship, or 'mecha', piloted by the boys - it crashes them all onto an uninhabited planet. Now she's pretending to be just a harmless fangirl while plotting ways to escape them. Meanwhile, they're suspicious of her sudden appearance, and unaware she can actually listen to them communicate though their mind-links.
✔️ I LOVED this concept. I know I've said this before, but I loved it. I've seen the whole 'space fiction, humans bonding to mechas' thing done before, but never so well in an RH context.
✔️ The writing style is very nice. Maia's chapters are told in first person, the boys' chapters in third; this is my all-time favourite way of narrating a story, since I prefer feminine first person and masculine third. When there are no typos, the prose flows easily and it's a breezy read.
✔️ Maia is a great heroine. No TSTL moments like 'let me tell these strangers I've just met all about my secret past!' Nope, she maintains a healthy sense of self-preservation, and I hope that continues. It's a pleasant contrast to e.g. the WITSEC books, where a girl in FEDERAL WITNESS PROTECTION of all things made it so obvious she had a secret identity that I was banging my head against the table. I enjoyed how manipulative Maia is too - her main aim is to survive with the boys, then flee them. Oh, and she's Asian - a plus for sure.
✔️ While Xavier, Ansel and Ryker aren't as well-defined as Maia, I really liked the clearly close relationship between them. Ansel and Ryker's banter amused me, and their dynamic is solid. In fact, many things in the book amused me - e.g. the whole 'Maia can hear their thoughts but is pretending she can't, then they realise she can but are pretending they don't know'... It was very layered in a way I like. Also I don't generally enjoy heroes being added suddenly to the harem, but in this instance the surprise fourth hero was someone who intrigued me, and I think he makes a nice foil to the other heroes.
✔️ I note another review complains that the romance feels 'dub-con' to her, but a) I wouldn't go so far as to call it that and b) to me personally, the more dub-con the better. YMMV but in any case, it's a slow-burn romance, which is nice.
❌ Typos, typos, typos. Did I mention there are even tense-change typos? I give Hollis kudos for being aware of the pluperfect tense, something with which (in my experience) authors are often sadly unfamiliar, but sometimes Maia's chapters were told in an uneven mix of present and past tense. Thankfully not too much, otherwise I would have DNFed, but enough to be noticeable.
❌ The world-building is really pretty poor. There's a basic 'good guys fighting aliens' set up, but that's about it. Like, when and how did humanity learn about space travel? Is Xavier's blue hair dyed, the natural result of human evolution, or the natural result of being part alien? Where is mecha technology from and how did it start? Little is described in the way of scenery either. We didn't learn Ansel had red hair until like 60% in, same with Xavier's appearance.
❌ Linked to the above: you learn very little about the characters' pasts, even Maia's. I appreciate that this is to match the slow-burn romance - they don't even trust each other properly by the end of the book - but I figure that inside her own head, Maia could tell us a little more about what happened to her.
⤅ Overall
On the one hand, I'm excited for book two. On the other, I note its blurb already features multiple typos...
There was definitely a lot to like here, and I vacillated for a long time over whether to give this three or four stars. At one point I even considered just flipping a coin, but I abandoned that because I don't like delegating things to chance - even something as minimal as a book rating. In the end, the number of typos tipped me down.
It's a real shame to see a book with a compelling premise and intriguing characters get let down by a number of basic typos. 'It's' was substituted almost universally for 'its'; 'off' for 'of'; and more. I certainly can and have enjoyed books with terrible typos - Cassandra Gannon's come to mind - but it's a draining process to have to do mental corrections in your head, and it saps away narrative immersion. Maybe I should start a proofreading service for indie authors...
Anyway, typos aside, this was a solid read. It's great to see what writers can come up with when they move away from the boring old 'academy/bully' tropes. Here we have Maia, an Earth girl implied to be hundreds of years old, who's (seemingly) woken up from a cryogenic sleep to find that everyone she knew is dead. She has no money, identity, or friends in the new world; she's a stowaway on the Odessa, a giant spaceship in service to some sort of intergalactic military called the AIA. While soldiers are gone, she uses their bedrooms - and right now she's bunking in the rooms of Ryker, Ansel and Xavier, the AIA's leading spaceship pilots. Their abrupt return heralds an end to her cosy existence.
Maia is left scrambling to find some place to live without tipping everyone off to her existence. Not only is she from old Earth, she's capable of manipulating technology with her thoughts, a handy gift that sets the boys on her trail. When she accidentally bonds with Hades - the semi-sentient spaceship, or 'mecha', piloted by the boys - it crashes them all onto an uninhabited planet. Now she's pretending to be just a harmless fangirl while plotting ways to escape them. Meanwhile, they're suspicious of her sudden appearance, and unaware she can actually listen to them communicate though their mind-links.
✔️ I LOVED this concept. I know I've said this before, but I loved it. I've seen the whole 'space fiction, humans bonding to mechas' thing done before, but never so well in an RH context.
✔️ The writing style is very nice. Maia's chapters are told in first person, the boys' chapters in third; this is my all-time favourite way of narrating a story, since I prefer feminine first person and masculine third. When there are no typos, the prose flows easily and it's a breezy read.
✔️ Maia is a great heroine. No TSTL moments like 'let me tell these strangers I've just met all about my secret past!' Nope, she maintains a healthy sense of self-preservation, and I hope that continues. It's a pleasant contrast to e.g. the WITSEC books, where a girl in FEDERAL WITNESS PROTECTION of all things made it so obvious she had a secret identity that I was banging my head against the table. I enjoyed how manipulative Maia is too - her main aim is to survive with the boys, then flee them. Oh, and she's Asian - a plus for sure.
✔️ While Xavier, Ansel and Ryker aren't as well-defined as Maia, I really liked the clearly close relationship between them. Ansel and Ryker's banter amused me, and their dynamic is solid. In fact, many things in the book amused me - e.g. the whole 'Maia can hear their thoughts but is pretending she can't, then they realise she can but are pretending they don't know'... It was very layered in a way I like. Also I don't generally enjoy heroes being added suddenly to the harem, but in this instance the surprise fourth hero was someone who intrigued me, and I think he makes a nice foil to the other heroes.
✔️ I note another review complains that the romance feels 'dub-con' to her, but a) I wouldn't go so far as to call it that and b) to me personally, the more dub-con the better. YMMV but in any case, it's a slow-burn romance, which is nice.
❌ Typos, typos, typos. Did I mention there are even tense-change typos? I give Hollis kudos for being aware of the pluperfect tense, something with which (in my experience) authors are often sadly unfamiliar, but sometimes Maia's chapters were told in an uneven mix of present and past tense. Thankfully not too much, otherwise I would have DNFed, but enough to be noticeable.
❌ The world-building is really pretty poor. There's a basic 'good guys fighting aliens' set up, but that's about it. Like, when and how did humanity learn about space travel? Is Xavier's blue hair dyed, the natural result of human evolution, or the natural result of being part alien? Where is mecha technology from and how did it start? Little is described in the way of scenery either. We didn't learn Ansel had red hair until like 60% in, same with Xavier's appearance.
❌ Linked to the above: you learn very little about the characters' pasts, even Maia's. I appreciate that this is to match the slow-burn romance - they don't even trust each other properly by the end of the book - but I figure that inside her own head, Maia could tell us a little more about what happened to her.
⤅ Overall
On the one hand, I'm excited for book two. On the other, I note its blurb already features multiple typos...
February 1, 2022
A quick, fun read!
Sometimes a girl just craves a sci-fi romance. Throw the promise of a reverse harem, a cool semi-sentient mecha, some decidedly interesting thought-sharing abilities and you have a refreshing recipe for entertainment.
We still know very little about our protagonist's past but I hope that is something that will be solved in the later installments.
All-in-all, I can't wait to see where this story takes us next.
Sometimes a girl just craves a sci-fi romance. Throw the promise of a reverse harem, a cool semi-sentient mecha, some decidedly interesting thought-sharing abilities and you have a refreshing recipe for entertainment.
We still know very little about our protagonist's past but I hope that is something that will be solved in the later installments.
All-in-all, I can't wait to see where this story takes us next.
November 30, 2022
Original rating: 3.5-4 stars
Rating after confirming the fear I had about the direction the book was going: 1 star.
I don't fuck with romanticizing men who facilitate gang rapes. I feel like that should just be a universal thing, but apparently not?
*Original Review*
I really liked this book, It felt unique and refreshing! And I LOVE a slow build RH and I can't wait to further delve into her connections with Tec and The Mech as well!
I didn't pick up the second book because of something that happens towards the end of the book, up until that point I would have been chomping at the bit to read more, but It really threw me off, lowered my overall excitement for the series, and made me take a HUGE step back.
I hope I'm wrong, because I really really loved everything else, but there are a lot of things pointing to this being the plan from very early on in the book. So I think I'll try the second one out at some point, and if that turns out to be the case I'll DNF and move on.
EDIT: I was not wrong, the gang rapist bad guy is confirmed a love interest in the second book. Huge nope from me fam.
Rating after confirming the fear I had about the direction the book was going: 1 star.
I don't fuck with romanticizing men who facilitate gang rapes. I feel like that should just be a universal thing, but apparently not?
*Original Review*
I really liked this book, It felt unique and refreshing! And I LOVE a slow build RH and I can't wait to further delve into her connections with Tec and The Mech as well!
I didn't pick up the second book because of something that happens towards the end of the book, up until that point I would have been chomping at the bit to read more, but It really threw me off, lowered my overall excitement for the series, and made me take a HUGE step back.
I hope I'm wrong, because I really really loved everything else, but there are a lot of things pointing to this being the plan from very early on in the book. So I think I'll try the second one out at some point, and if that turns out to be the case I'll DNF and move on.
EDIT: I was not wrong, the gang rapist bad guy is confirmed a love interest in the second book. Huge nope from me fam.
March 5, 2022
3.5 stars
I went back and forth on this one but the concept of the story and the plot development kept me really engaged. The story is told in first person POV for the FMC and third person POV for each of the guys. No ow/om drama, one of the guys has video chat sex with ow before he meets the FMC and sexual histories for the others aren’t discussed that I can remember, FMC is a virgin. Trigger: attempted sexual assault.
I’m hoping as the series continues that more depth is shown to the characters (backstories for example) and world building. Everything takes place in space and there’s also a space war happening, but details are vague for the overall world. The FMC is purposefully a mystery which I was ok with since she’s an intriguing character with a lot of personality and it’s set up, I think, as a slow reveal because of her past. She’s survived some trauma and she has a rare power to communicate with technology. We mostly see how much of a survivor she is in book 1.
Three of the guys aren’t intended to be mysterious, but while we get some characterizations and info on them, I felt like we need more. There’s a self-contained general’s son, a rock star, and a grumpy engineer who are all also pilots in the alien war. Then there is one guy, who I think will be part of the final group, that is purposefully mysterious like the FMC. The latter guy appears to be an anti-hero of some sort, but also with a tragic backstory. There’s also so much mistrust and wariness between the characters, even by the end, so quite a bit of groundwork to go before the romance can begin.
I loved Hades and the tech side of the story. I was a bit confused trying to visualize the size and layout of the Mecha but I’m not the best at visualizing. I can’t wait to see how Hades and the connections formed with and through him play out.
A couple reviews mentioned dub-con or not dub-con and I’ll say that, personally, I was wasn’t entirely comfortable with the scene, but I think that was the intention given the situation. How it came about, using mental powers/connections to create physical sensations, brings some interesting possibilities for the future, hopefully with clearly consensually enthusiastic scenes.
The book ends with plot points unresolved but I don’t consider it a cliffhanger. I’ll be checking out book 2 when it’s released to see how the story continues.
I went back and forth on this one but the concept of the story and the plot development kept me really engaged. The story is told in first person POV for the FMC and third person POV for each of the guys. No ow/om drama, one of the guys has video chat sex with ow before he meets the FMC and sexual histories for the others aren’t discussed that I can remember, FMC is a virgin. Trigger: attempted sexual assault.
I’m hoping as the series continues that more depth is shown to the characters (backstories for example) and world building. Everything takes place in space and there’s also a space war happening, but details are vague for the overall world. The FMC is purposefully a mystery which I was ok with since she’s an intriguing character with a lot of personality and it’s set up, I think, as a slow reveal because of her past. She’s survived some trauma and she has a rare power to communicate with technology. We mostly see how much of a survivor she is in book 1.
Three of the guys aren’t intended to be mysterious, but while we get some characterizations and info on them, I felt like we need more. There’s a self-contained general’s son, a rock star, and a grumpy engineer who are all also pilots in the alien war. Then there is one guy, who I think will be part of the final group, that is purposefully mysterious like the FMC. The latter guy appears to be an anti-hero of some sort, but also with a tragic backstory. There’s also so much mistrust and wariness between the characters, even by the end, so quite a bit of groundwork to go before the romance can begin.
I loved Hades and the tech side of the story. I was a bit confused trying to visualize the size and layout of the Mecha but I’m not the best at visualizing. I can’t wait to see how Hades and the connections formed with and through him play out.
A couple reviews mentioned dub-con or not dub-con and I’ll say that, personally, I was wasn’t entirely comfortable with the scene, but I think that was the intention given the situation. How it came about, using mental powers/connections to create physical sensations, brings some interesting possibilities for the future, hopefully with clearly consensually enthusiastic scenes.
The book ends with plot points unresolved but I don’t consider it a cliffhanger. I’ll be checking out book 2 when it’s released to see how the story continues.
January 17, 2022
This first installment of a sci-fi RH romance by a new to me author was great! The world building was vivid. The inclusion of the heroine’s techno-mage abilities added a lot of interest to the plot, and the mystery of how she came to be present in the far future when it sounds like she is from contemporary Earth made me turn the pages rapidly. There was plenty of action, danger, and intrigue to keep the stakes sky high throughout. The writing was gripping and quite skilled, too. I look forward to following this series and seeing how it develops. I REALLY appreciated the fact that this book ended on a natural lull or pause point instead of a f***ing cliffhanger, too. An all around excellent read which I highly recommend.
I received a free copy of this book, and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book, and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 25, 2022
I received a free copy from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.
I loved the idea of a scifi romance book with a mecha in it, so I decided to request an ARC of this book. Unfortunately this book ended up being a bit of a mixed one for me. I liked the concept with the mecha and how a girl imprints on it and gets connected to it's 3 pilots. It also was a fairly easy to read book with enough going on that it was easy to keep reading. The female main character has an unique power to interact with technology which was really cool and I wish we had seen more of it.
After reading the first chapter I almost DNF'd it right away as the way the romance starts off I felt like I wouldn't enjoy this book. And that did seem to be true when it comes to the romance. I decided to give it another try and started to enjoy the book more after that first chapter. There is some mystery about the female main character Maia and I was a bit confused at first as I didn't really get what she was doing there and where she came from, but slowly we get a few more hints about that. I guess it's supposed to be a mystery for the reader as well, but I rather would've known a bit more about her from the start.
My biggest issue with the book was that I had trouble really connecting with it and caring about the characters. The story kept moving forward and kept me reading, but I was never as pulled into it as I would've liked. It just felt like the book was missing something, most parts where okay, but none really wowed me. There were a few scenes that made me uncomfortable. The steamier scenes all felt like dub-con to me as none of them actually involve consent, but the female main character was into it from what I could tell, but those scenes didn't work for me. They aren't actual sex scenes in the usual sense, but I still felt a line got crossed in all of the steamier scenes.
I struggled with the romance. The three guys are quite wary of Maia for most of the book and I just didn't really feel a connection between them and Maia, except the mental bond they share. I had hoped the misunderstanding and suspicion would've been clearer up faster, but Maia doesn't open up, keeps secrets and the guys stay suspicious. There is some mutual attraction and I liked seeing two of the guys believe she wasn't as bad at the end, but I would've liked a bit more. The guys where pretty different from one another and easy to remember who was who. Although I did feel that the guys all fell into a certain personality type and I would've liked to get to know them better besides that. And all of them did things I didn't like at some point of the book.
I would've liked more world building, we get enough information to understand what's going on, but the world didn't really come alive to me. I wanted to know more about the mechas and see them in action and understand how this galaxy worked and the reason why there was a war with some aliens. I also had hoped for more from the action scenes, they were pretty short and not as cool as I would've hoped for with the fact it involves an actual mecha. I am glad the action scenes weren't as gory with the monsters they're fighting later on.
To summarize: I really liked the concept and the set up for the book, but the actual execution didn't quite work for me. I liked the mecha and the cool tech related power the female main character had. The story moved with a good pace and there was enough going on, but I never got fully pulled into the story. I didn't really feel the romance as most of this book the guys are wary of the girl and the girl is keeping secrets from the guys. There are some a few scenes that made me uncomfortable due to the lack of consent involved even though the female main character seemed to be okay with it I think. The characters were okay, but I didn't find them as likable or really cared for them. There's some mystery in the past of Maia the female main character and I felt like we didn't get to know her as much due to that. The world building is sufficient to understand the plot, but didn't really come alive for me.
I loved the idea of a scifi romance book with a mecha in it, so I decided to request an ARC of this book. Unfortunately this book ended up being a bit of a mixed one for me. I liked the concept with the mecha and how a girl imprints on it and gets connected to it's 3 pilots. It also was a fairly easy to read book with enough going on that it was easy to keep reading. The female main character has an unique power to interact with technology which was really cool and I wish we had seen more of it.
After reading the first chapter I almost DNF'd it right away as the way the romance starts off I felt like I wouldn't enjoy this book. And that did seem to be true when it comes to the romance. I decided to give it another try and started to enjoy the book more after that first chapter. There is some mystery about the female main character Maia and I was a bit confused at first as I didn't really get what she was doing there and where she came from, but slowly we get a few more hints about that. I guess it's supposed to be a mystery for the reader as well, but I rather would've known a bit more about her from the start.
My biggest issue with the book was that I had trouble really connecting with it and caring about the characters. The story kept moving forward and kept me reading, but I was never as pulled into it as I would've liked. It just felt like the book was missing something, most parts where okay, but none really wowed me. There were a few scenes that made me uncomfortable. The steamier scenes all felt like dub-con to me as none of them actually involve consent, but the female main character was into it from what I could tell, but those scenes didn't work for me. They aren't actual sex scenes in the usual sense, but I still felt a line got crossed in all of the steamier scenes.
I struggled with the romance. The three guys are quite wary of Maia for most of the book and I just didn't really feel a connection between them and Maia, except the mental bond they share. I had hoped the misunderstanding and suspicion would've been clearer up faster, but Maia doesn't open up, keeps secrets and the guys stay suspicious. There is some mutual attraction and I liked seeing two of the guys believe she wasn't as bad at the end, but I would've liked a bit more. The guys where pretty different from one another and easy to remember who was who. Although I did feel that the guys all fell into a certain personality type and I would've liked to get to know them better besides that. And all of them did things I didn't like at some point of the book.
I would've liked more world building, we get enough information to understand what's going on, but the world didn't really come alive to me. I wanted to know more about the mechas and see them in action and understand how this galaxy worked and the reason why there was a war with some aliens. I also had hoped for more from the action scenes, they were pretty short and not as cool as I would've hoped for with the fact it involves an actual mecha. I am glad the action scenes weren't as gory with the monsters they're fighting later on.
To summarize: I really liked the concept and the set up for the book, but the actual execution didn't quite work for me. I liked the mecha and the cool tech related power the female main character had. The story moved with a good pace and there was enough going on, but I never got fully pulled into the story. I didn't really feel the romance as most of this book the guys are wary of the girl and the girl is keeping secrets from the guys. There are some a few scenes that made me uncomfortable due to the lack of consent involved even though the female main character seemed to be okay with it I think. The characters were okay, but I didn't find them as likable or really cared for them. There's some mystery in the past of Maia the female main character and I felt like we didn't get to know her as much due to that. The world building is sufficient to understand the plot, but didn't really come alive for me.
June 20, 2022
Just no. Nope. Avoid.
I love sci-fi. I love Mecha. I enjoy well done RH. This is none of that. This is rape fantasy in space through Mecha links. I at first admired Maia, her survival skills and independence. But she was more interested in looks than survival the majority of the book. I held on, hoping to get the original Maia back. But no. She plays stupid instead of couching her responses. For someone hiding her abilities and past she's completely unobservant of what's going on around her. And then, the last death knell, the author has her physically responding to the a**hole that threw her to his crew to be raped before assaulting her himself. She saved herself from the crew by feeding him to monsters, but gets hot by the jerk that ordered her rape? Because he's good looking? Oh. H**. No. Just no. Nope. Gross.
I said rape a lot but seriously. One of the pilots knows about her link and creates a fantasy in his head that he forces her to watch. The other 2 witness it and don't stop it. Then the pirates that are told to basically rape her to death. And keep going if it doesn't bother them that she's dead. And then another link scene forced on her that spills into reality. That's too much for anything that tries to label itself as romance. More like horror. Which ironically features less rape than most of the newer "romance" released lately. And not a single warning in the blurb.
I love sci-fi. I love Mecha. I enjoy well done RH. This is none of that. This is rape fantasy in space through Mecha links. I at first admired Maia, her survival skills and independence. But she was more interested in looks than survival the majority of the book. I held on, hoping to get the original Maia back. But no. She plays stupid instead of couching her responses. For someone hiding her abilities and past she's completely unobservant of what's going on around her. And then, the last death knell, the author has her physically responding to the a**hole that threw her to his crew to be raped before assaulting her himself. She saved herself from the crew by feeding him to monsters, but gets hot by the jerk that ordered her rape? Because he's good looking? Oh. H**. No. Just no. Nope. Gross.
I said rape a lot but seriously. One of the pilots knows about her link and creates a fantasy in his head that he forces her to watch. The other 2 witness it and don't stop it. Then the pirates that are told to basically rape her to death. And keep going if it doesn't bother them that she's dead. And then another link scene forced on her that spills into reality. That's too much for anything that tries to label itself as romance. More like horror. Which ironically features less rape than most of the newer "romance" released lately. And not a single warning in the blurb.
January 11, 2022
Maia has learned how to be silent as a mouse and how to stay hidden in places where she isn't supposed to be. But feeling safe on the Odessa for six months has made her a bit complacent, and when Xavier, Ryker and Ansel come back she has a hard time staying hidden. Once Murphy's law kicks in and everything around her starts to go to hell, only one thing matters: survival. Until the moment feelings come out to play...
I have to say I really enjoyed this first book in the "Mecha Mates" series. This is a multiple POV, providing insight in all the important characters, but it's also clear that a lot of answers about all of them stay hidden to be revealed at a later time. I like Maia as an fmc; she's a survivor who hasn't turned jaded or angry. She has learned to make use of her own strengths, but still hungers for a place to belong. Maybe that's why I like the connection she has with Ryker so much; both of them have a similar hunger that makes them a good match. Unfortunately a lot of misconceptions create a lot of mistrust between all these characters.
This was a real good start of a new sci fi reverse harem series, and I'm curious to find out what will happen next.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I have to say I really enjoyed this first book in the "Mecha Mates" series. This is a multiple POV, providing insight in all the important characters, but it's also clear that a lot of answers about all of them stay hidden to be revealed at a later time. I like Maia as an fmc; she's a survivor who hasn't turned jaded or angry. She has learned to make use of her own strengths, but still hungers for a place to belong. Maybe that's why I like the connection she has with Ryker so much; both of them have a similar hunger that makes them a good match. Unfortunately a lot of misconceptions create a lot of mistrust between all these characters.
This was a real good start of a new sci fi reverse harem series, and I'm curious to find out what will happen next.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 30, 2022
It's so frustrating when you know you reviewed this originally, but when you go in for a re-read there is no review! Grrr.
This was a pretty great book. The writing, pacing, world building was all on point (imo) and it was enjoyable.
There was one thing though that brought the book down for me ... It hit me even harder with the re-read. Spoiler below
**Spoiler**
Ok, so the men discover that she's listening over their Neuro link and as a way to prove it Xavier basically mind rapes her. I'm super annoyed she wasn't more upset with him, even though there wasn't really any time for her to actually process with all the action happening. It was basically rape and the author just swept it under. I would have liked to see him have more of a comeuppance.
This was a pretty great book. The writing, pacing, world building was all on point (imo) and it was enjoyable.
There was one thing though that brought the book down for me ... It hit me even harder with the re-read. Spoiler below
**Spoiler**
Ok, so the men discover that she's listening over their Neuro link and as a way to prove it Xavier basically mind rapes her. I'm super annoyed she wasn't more upset with him, even though there wasn't really any time for her to actually process with all the action happening. It was basically rape and the author just swept it under. I would have liked to see him have more of a comeuppance.
May 6, 2022
3 stars
Great concept, very different from the sci fi fantasies I usually read and I love that. I just wanted better plot structure, more meaningful interactions between Maia and her harem, more interactions betwern Maia and Hades, more background info on the key players, more explanation as to some of the issues and mysteries that arose, and more action & suspense. I'd still try book 2 though.
Great concept, very different from the sci fi fantasies I usually read and I love that. I just wanted better plot structure, more meaningful interactions between Maia and her harem, more interactions betwern Maia and Hades, more background info on the key players, more explanation as to some of the issues and mysteries that arose, and more action & suspense. I'd still try book 2 though.
November 29, 2022
While I thought the world-building and setup were interesting, this book seemed more like an introduction rather than a full story arc. We learned who everyone was and their basic situation, but none of the mysteries were explained, and the sudden introduction of a 4th romantic interest came out of nowhere in the end.
The story was definitely slow-burn so far, but it doesn't sound like they really tried to get to know each other at all. I'm not sure how fast (or slow) we will actually see relationship progress.... And speaking of which, most of them seemed like irredeemable assholes to me so far - at least two of them basically sexually assaulted her (or set her up to be).
I'm still interested in seeing where the relationship goes and some more answers to the questions raised to check out the next book.
------
Ratings - abandoned series:
#1 Mecha Mates: Imprint (this book): ★★★☆☆
#2 Mecha Mates: Rebirth: ★★★☆☆
The story was definitely slow-burn so far, but it doesn't sound like they really tried to get to know each other at all. I'm not sure how fast (or slow) we will actually see relationship progress.... And speaking of which, most of them seemed like irredeemable assholes to me so far - at least two of them basically sexually assaulted her (or set her up to be).
I'm still interested in seeing where the relationship goes and some more answers to the questions raised to check out the next book.
------
Ratings - abandoned series:
#1 Mecha Mates: Imprint (this book): ★★★☆☆
#2 Mecha Mates: Rebirth: ★★★☆☆
January 29, 2022
Absolutely incredible
This book is what I didn't know I was waiting for. The MFC is awesome. She's strong and capable and doesn't just fall for the guys. This is a slow burn so they are building their relationships. The world building is also really great but not overwhelming. Also I liked the lack of a cliffhanger. I'm going to be waiting for the next book but I'm not left in suspense. Thank you so much Ember Hollis for taking me on this journey and I can't wait for the next book. Definitely a one click for me from now on.
This book is what I didn't know I was waiting for. The MFC is awesome. She's strong and capable and doesn't just fall for the guys. This is a slow burn so they are building their relationships. The world building is also really great but not overwhelming. Also I liked the lack of a cliffhanger. I'm going to be waiting for the next book but I'm not left in suspense. Thank you so much Ember Hollis for taking me on this journey and I can't wait for the next book. Definitely a one click for me from now on.
January 30, 2022
💜💙💚💛
OMMFG I'm in love with this book and cannot wait for the next book to come out!! Maia is an absolute hoot, and I am going back and forth about the guy's. Really hoping they don't betray her. Caspian is a 😋😈💀 surprise.
OMMFG I'm in love with this book and cannot wait for the next book to come out!! Maia is an absolute hoot, and I am going back and forth about the guy's. Really hoping they don't betray her. Caspian is a 😋😈💀 surprise.
February 1, 2025
2.5 stars
January 30, 2022
An innovative, exciting, and fast-paced story. Looking forward to the next one!
January 17, 2022
Mecha Mates . . .
This is a science fiction action story. The story is well written, easy to read with a fast-paced plot that grabbed me at the start and didn't let go. The setting is well developed with lots of nuances to it that provide a little surprise around every corner. The characters are also excellent, particularly our heroine, Maia. I like strong female leads and our heroine exemplifies that. She has stayed successfully hidden onboard the Odessa for 6 months, but now she got a little careless. Sabotaging their mecha, Hades, was a complete accident! But when Maia and the war heroes Xavier, Ryker, and Ansel, a team of elite pilots, crash on an uninhabited planet, she needs to rely on her secret talent to survive with them.
The story has twists and turns along the way to keep the suspense level high, so you won’t want to miss this one. Overall, a highly enjoyable story and I look forward to the next book in the series.
This is a science fiction action story. The story is well written, easy to read with a fast-paced plot that grabbed me at the start and didn't let go. The setting is well developed with lots of nuances to it that provide a little surprise around every corner. The characters are also excellent, particularly our heroine, Maia. I like strong female leads and our heroine exemplifies that. She has stayed successfully hidden onboard the Odessa for 6 months, but now she got a little careless. Sabotaging their mecha, Hades, was a complete accident! But when Maia and the war heroes Xavier, Ryker, and Ansel, a team of elite pilots, crash on an uninhabited planet, she needs to rely on her secret talent to survive with them.
The story has twists and turns along the way to keep the suspense level high, so you won’t want to miss this one. Overall, a highly enjoyable story and I look forward to the next book in the series.
January 15, 2022
Slow-burn Romance, but High Action
This slow-burn sci-fi reverse harem story starts off with plenty of distrust, one perilous moment after another, and some seriously disgusting monster. I’m excited to see how this series pans out - there’s plenty going on and I have no idea how things are going to work out. An exciting start to an anticipated action-packed series.
This slow-burn sci-fi reverse harem story starts off with plenty of distrust, one perilous moment after another, and some seriously disgusting monster. I’m excited to see how this series pans out - there’s plenty going on and I have no idea how things are going to work out. An exciting start to an anticipated action-packed series.
April 25, 2022
I absolutely devoured this book!
I am already dying for the next installment!
I loved the concept and the characters and can’t wait to see how things further develop. The world created is super interesting and I am excited to get some more answers and explanations to the questions that are raised by the plot. I just know there are going to be a lot of twists and turns as the series continues.
I would have liked to see a tiny bit more of Maia and some of the guys developing real connections beyond the lies to increase the tension and angst but otherwise loved how things unfolded. No insta-love which is nice!
Some gripes:
I did find myself getting a little frustrated with how careless Maia got sometimes when it came to maintaining her lies/cover. We don’t know her full story yet but I would think she’d do a bit better of a job protecting herself than she does. Less is more when it comes to telling lies and too often she’d give way too many details that eventually lead to suspicion.
Also, not super happy with the Xavier illusion situation and how Maia reacted to it. That was a *huge* violation imo and it wasn’t treated as such at all, which didn’t really sit right with me. I would personally describe the scene as dub-con. Xavier sort of hinted at feeling guilty about it but otherwise it was super brushed over. It was a complicated situation but definitely questionable. I’m not necessarily upset that it happened because there was no malice behind anything, it doesn’t even make me dislike the guy…I’m mostly upset it wasn’t really acknowledged as any kind of real issue or ultimately given much thought by any of the characters.
There are a good handful of spelling /grammar mistakes but not enough to totally take me out of the book.
Overall, I loved it and any mistakes/criticism I have is majorly overshadowed by how much I enjoyed the story.
I am already dying for the next installment!
I loved the concept and the characters and can’t wait to see how things further develop. The world created is super interesting and I am excited to get some more answers and explanations to the questions that are raised by the plot. I just know there are going to be a lot of twists and turns as the series continues.
I would have liked to see a tiny bit more of Maia and some of the guys developing real connections beyond the lies to increase the tension and angst but otherwise loved how things unfolded. No insta-love which is nice!
Some gripes:
I did find myself getting a little frustrated with how careless Maia got sometimes when it came to maintaining her lies/cover. We don’t know her full story yet but I would think she’d do a bit better of a job protecting herself than she does. Less is more when it comes to telling lies and too often she’d give way too many details that eventually lead to suspicion.
Also, not super happy with the Xavier illusion situation and how Maia reacted to it. That was a *huge* violation imo and it wasn’t treated as such at all, which didn’t really sit right with me. I would personally describe the scene as dub-con. Xavier sort of hinted at feeling guilty about it but otherwise it was super brushed over. It was a complicated situation but definitely questionable. I’m not necessarily upset that it happened because there was no malice behind anything, it doesn’t even make me dislike the guy…I’m mostly upset it wasn’t really acknowledged as any kind of real issue or ultimately given much thought by any of the characters.
There are a good handful of spelling /grammar mistakes but not enough to totally take me out of the book.
Overall, I loved it and any mistakes/criticism I have is majorly overshadowed by how much I enjoyed the story.
April 26, 2022
Great plot!
This was a fun surprise! An RH, slow burn, space sci-fi space opera? Yes please! In this book we find ourselves with quite a bit of mystery surrounding the fmc and why she has such a connection to technology. She doesn't seem to really know what she is fully capable of either. I found the fmc super likeable and relatable. She's spirited, smart, sneaky. Trying to survive but she's also a hero when the moment calls for it. The mecha suit kind of reminds me of those huge metal suits/machines in the movie Pacific Rim but I LOVE that the mecha appears to have his own personality and is almost a separate character in this story. Each of the three guys are well defined and stand out as separate characters though I Disney in feel particularly connected or attracted to any of their characters, at least yet. That may be because we haven't gotten to know them individually as well as we are starting to know the fmc. For that reason I sincerely appreciate this is a slow burn as I personally really like to see character chemistry grow to a roaring fire before the smexy times ensue. 😉 Towards the end we are introduced to a group of "space pirates" and the leader - Caspian - I can already tell he's a character I'm going to love to hate. He does something rather unforgivable shortly after meeting Maia (fmc). I really hope she doesn't just "get over it". He should have to seriously redeem himself to have any hope with her trusting or befriending him in the future. We're left on a moderate cliffhanger. I'm definitely going to be stalking book two to see how this story continues. I was thoroughly entertained and hoping this great plot continues on!
This was a fun surprise! An RH, slow burn, space sci-fi space opera? Yes please! In this book we find ourselves with quite a bit of mystery surrounding the fmc and why she has such a connection to technology. She doesn't seem to really know what she is fully capable of either. I found the fmc super likeable and relatable. She's spirited, smart, sneaky. Trying to survive but she's also a hero when the moment calls for it. The mecha suit kind of reminds me of those huge metal suits/machines in the movie Pacific Rim but I LOVE that the mecha appears to have his own personality and is almost a separate character in this story. Each of the three guys are well defined and stand out as separate characters though I Disney in feel particularly connected or attracted to any of their characters, at least yet. That may be because we haven't gotten to know them individually as well as we are starting to know the fmc. For that reason I sincerely appreciate this is a slow burn as I personally really like to see character chemistry grow to a roaring fire before the smexy times ensue. 😉 Towards the end we are introduced to a group of "space pirates" and the leader - Caspian - I can already tell he's a character I'm going to love to hate. He does something rather unforgivable shortly after meeting Maia (fmc). I really hope she doesn't just "get over it". He should have to seriously redeem himself to have any hope with her trusting or befriending him in the future. We're left on a moderate cliffhanger. I'm definitely going to be stalking book two to see how this story continues. I was thoroughly entertained and hoping this great plot continues on!
January 17, 2023
Mecha who mecha what?
I've been on a sci-fi binge lately, and was excited to run across this gem...
Setting: Spaceship (aka floating cruise ship), uninhabited planet (or so they think)
Heroine: Smart, tech savvy, naive, hiding a secret
Heroes: Yes, plural (hoo-rah)
Similar characterizations occur in an already used storyline:
Heroine with limited memories and doesn't know what she is or is truly capable of.
Hero with major tech smarts but zero social skills, sexy hero with superstardom (rock star musician and rock star mecha pilot), and uber rich hero from oh-so-connected family with scary, powerful father.
Do they work? Absolutely. The plot is interesting and engaging. The characterization is well done -enough so, more than one hero engenders a love-hate relationship for/with readers. I enjoyed the creative world building. I disliked some of the heroes' personality traits. Kudos to the author for hitting both plot and characterization for me. The poly aspect at this point shows potential...sort of. Wouldn't say slow burn since there's nothing to point to or define a relationship.
I LOVE Hades. What a machine...
Maybe I'm misreading subtext, but I'm expecting things to heat up in book two!
I've been on a sci-fi binge lately, and was excited to run across this gem...
Setting: Spaceship (aka floating cruise ship), uninhabited planet (or so they think)
Heroine: Smart, tech savvy, naive, hiding a secret
Heroes: Yes, plural (hoo-rah)
Similar characterizations occur in an already used storyline:
Heroine with limited memories and doesn't know what she is or is truly capable of.
Hero with major tech smarts but zero social skills, sexy hero with superstardom (rock star musician and rock star mecha pilot), and uber rich hero from oh-so-connected family with scary, powerful father.
Do they work? Absolutely. The plot is interesting and engaging. The characterization is well done -enough so, more than one hero engenders a love-hate relationship for/with readers. I enjoyed the creative world building. I disliked some of the heroes' personality traits. Kudos to the author for hitting both plot and characterization for me. The poly aspect at this point shows potential...sort of. Wouldn't say slow burn since there's nothing to point to or define a relationship.
I LOVE Hades. What a machine...
Maybe I'm misreading subtext, but I'm expecting things to heat up in book two!
June 19, 2022
Ugh, why do I do this to myself? I started this without ever really know anything about it, let alone that it’s a series and the second book hasn’t been written yet! I wish I had put this on my TBR shelf instead and waited for the next book to come out before starting this.
This is my first book by this author and gotdamn she’s good! I frickin love her writing and the originality of this book! I love everything about it except that the story isn’t complete, and I want to know what happens next.
My advice: Don't read anything about this book going in. Anything you read may spoil the mystery! Go into it blind and enjoy! Oh, and maybe wait for the second book to come out if you're like me and prefer to binge the whole series in one go rather than actually be patient and wait.
This is my first book by this author and gotdamn she’s good! I frickin love her writing and the originality of this book! I love everything about it except that the story isn’t complete, and I want to know what happens next.
My advice: Don't read anything about this book going in. Anything you read may spoil the mystery! Go into it blind and enjoy! Oh, and maybe wait for the second book to come out if you're like me and prefer to binge the whole series in one go rather than actually be patient and wait.
February 8, 2022
“This story was absolutely fantastic. The whole time the story gave me Pacific Rim vibes and I loved every second of it. It was a little bit confusing at the beginning not gonna lie about that but soon I was lost in the pages. The guys were incredible! Complicated? Yes! That’s for sure but still it felt like there’s so much about them we’re missing and I’m dying to discover it! Talking about slow burn romances and this lol though ‘that’ not moment was pretty H*T though I’m looking forward to intense *wink wink* moments. The ending cliff was so unexpected! I kept turning pages but they were over so I’m here not so patiently waiting for the next part.”
January 11, 2026
This book had a quite unique premise, especially in the realm of RH which was pleasantly surprising. Unfortunately, the world building was kinda lackluster, which made things confusing at multiple points of the story. I would’ve appreciated e.g. a short prologue explaining the state of the world.
I found characters interesting although the guys remained somewhat shallow. The overall plot kind of dragged and the whole thing was the slowest slow burn lol. A lot of the book could’ve been edited down without losing much of the story.
In the end I felt intrigued enough to perhaps read the next installment, but since the series seems to be abandoned I think I’ll spare myself
I found characters interesting although the guys remained somewhat shallow. The overall plot kind of dragged and the whole thing was the slowest slow burn lol. A lot of the book could’ve been edited down without losing much of the story.
In the end I felt intrigued enough to perhaps read the next installment, but since the series seems to be abandoned I think I’ll spare myself
February 5, 2026
This is the third absurdly shitty book I’ve read today.
Absurd is the main word here because I was having a perfectly good time until the fourth love interest sent the FMC to be GANG RAPED.
Are you kidding me?? What the fuck was this author thinking? I’m furious because I wasted hours of my life for no reason at all.
It isn’t a kinky dark romance thing. I’m fine with kinky dark romance.
No, this is gang rape by men other than the MMCs. It’s not dub con. He literally threw her to his pirate crew and the escape was all on her.
I’m sorry but no?
Im unreasonably mad but it really isn’t fair that three authors had to be morons on the same day.
Absurd is the main word here because I was having a perfectly good time until the fourth love interest sent the FMC to be GANG RAPED.
Are you kidding me?? What the fuck was this author thinking? I’m furious because I wasted hours of my life for no reason at all.
It isn’t a kinky dark romance thing. I’m fine with kinky dark romance.
No, this is gang rape by men other than the MMCs. It’s not dub con. He literally threw her to his pirate crew and the escape was all on her.
I’m sorry but no?
Im unreasonably mad but it really isn’t fair that three authors had to be morons on the same day.
April 2, 2022
not sure if I liked it as a whole
There were some great action and suspense parts to the story that had me glued to my phone. I liked those parts because it was fresh a different from other stories I’ve read recently. But The FMC is so mistreated and borderline raped by one of the guys that I’m not sure I like the story as a whole. A similar situation almost happened again with nether character and she can’t protect herself from it. We don’t quite know what imprinting means for Hades and her and he doesn’t help her either. Again, not sure I like this story :/
There were some great action and suspense parts to the story that had me glued to my phone. I liked those parts because it was fresh a different from other stories I’ve read recently. But The FMC is so mistreated and borderline raped by one of the guys that I’m not sure I like the story as a whole. A similar situation almost happened again with nether character and she can’t protect herself from it. We don’t quite know what imprinting means for Hades and her and he doesn’t help her either. Again, not sure I like this story :/
January 8, 2024
DNF@85% I could have just finished, I only had 40 pages left. But there's no way I'm giving this the time of day anymore. One of the love interests, who isn't introduced until the very end, leaves our FMC to be raped by his ship crew.
I also went to read other reviews and there's just nothing here to keep me reading. There is no way to redeem your character after that point. No way in hell.
I also went to read other reviews and there's just nothing here to keep me reading. There is no way to redeem your character after that point. No way in hell.
September 9, 2022
Would you drive a gigantic robot with your…’self’?
Great story w ‘pilots’ of the mechanical beast and a stowaway in space. Mental powers, pirates and…perhaps…feelings. A first for me from this author. ❤️😍
Great story w ‘pilots’ of the mechanical beast and a stowaway in space. Mental powers, pirates and…perhaps…feelings. A first for me from this author. ❤️😍
August 7, 2023
Not really a RH as there is barely any sex. However, a very fun and fast paced adventure in the future. Nonstop action, interesting world building, and intriguing characters. Left off on a cliffhanger.
September 8, 2024
good book
I loved the concept of this book. The book had such a unique twist about our future. The story has such an interesting storyline developing for the characters. Good writer
I loved the concept of this book. The book had such a unique twist about our future. The story has such an interesting storyline developing for the characters. Good writer
April 1, 2025
Quit reading this when I realized the series isn’t finished and the last book was released in 2022. Really sad because it was a great story, but I hate to be left wondering. Will definitely pick it back up if it ever looks like the 3rd book is going to be released.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews