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adelesteger's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
anotherstoryreader's review
5.0
Sweet surprise!
What a sweet surprise this book is! Again I'm a sucker for arranged/ marriage of convenience with cultural differences. This fits perfectly. I wasn't sure how I felt going forward just by looking at the cover. But both main characters were perfect and I
loved that they found their way together. It had a great spice level beginning with a lizard man who doesn't know what a kiss or four play is and a human with very little experience herself. It was very sweet and had a great story line.
What a sweet surprise this book is! Again I'm a sucker for arranged/ marriage of convenience with cultural differences. This fits perfectly. I wasn't sure how I felt going forward just by looking at the cover. But both main characters were perfect and I
loved that they found their way together. It had a great spice level beginning with a lizard man who doesn't know what a kiss or four play is and a human with very little experience herself. It was very sweet and had a great story line.
xsparky126x's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
pearlwilson's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
_christinacreads's review against another edition
4.5
What an absolutely delightful book! I initially picked this up, thinking it was going to be just another one your run-of-the-mill monster romances and while the romance was in fact pretty formulaic featuring a cinnamon roll of an alien male and a human female, I was blown away not just by this book but by the series as a whole.
Only a couple of pages in, I was so taken aback by the depth of the world building and the very specific commentary that the book offers that I ended up researching just who exactly this author was. Finding out that the author is Black from Haiti and currently living in Canada had me rejoicing and plunging head first into this world as I truly have I been meaning to read more works by BIPOC authors in the monster / sci-fi romance genre, as well as reading more by authors from the Caribbean.
Only a couple of pages in, I was so taken aback by the depth of the world building and the very specific commentary that the book offers that I ended up researching just who exactly this author was. Finding out that the author is Black from Haiti and currently living in Canada had me rejoicing and plunging head first into this world as I truly have I been meaning to read more works by BIPOC authors in the monster / sci-fi romance genre, as well as reading more by authors from the Caribbean.
While most people may read this as just another smuttastic romance and may enjoy it as such, as a reader who primarily tries to uplift diverse voices, the parallels of the layered social commentary within this science fiction monster romance series offers a striking exploration into different historical and ethical topics.
The premise of the series as a whole is that a group called the Prime Mating Agency sets up arranges marriages between a human to one of the leaders of so-called “primitive” societies across the galaxies in the hopes of helping these groups of people advance for the better while assisting them with local issues, through an impartial United Planets Organization, which can be likened to the intergalactic version of the United Nations. Kayog, a birdman who is the Principal Agent of the Prime Mating Agency, sees who people’s perfect match is across the entire galaxy and is able to set them up for the best outcome.
The premise of the series as a whole is that a group called the Prime Mating Agency sets up arranges marriages between a human to one of the leaders of so-called “primitive” societies across the galaxies in the hopes of helping these groups of people advance for the better while assisting them with local issues, through an impartial United Planets Organization, which can be likened to the intergalactic version of the United Nations. Kayog, a birdman who is the Principal Agent of the Prime Mating Agency, sees who people’s perfect match is across the entire galaxy and is able to set them up for the best outcome.
In this first book, Susan, the third daughter in a family of farmers, is basically spare to the spare in inheriting farming land, and seeks to find her own way since there’s nothing left for her in her matriarchal home planet other than becoming an indentured servant. She gets matched to the Andturian clan leader Olix who, to Susan’s shock is this massive, grumpy lizardman.
Our main pairing has the sweetest romance with the most earnest of communications between them. Both Susan and Olix were so respectful of each others’ cultures and differences and there was so much beauty in how determined they were to make it work in spite of all the hurdles they went through. Abel’s prose was engaging and I truly never wanted to stop reading.
Opening the book to each and every dedication that Abel has chosen to write has thus far has been a joy as it truly shows exactly what she’s trying to impart in each book. The dedication in I Married A Lizardman reads:
Opening the book to each and every dedication that Abel has chosen to write has thus far has been a joy as it truly shows exactly what she’s trying to impart in each book. The dedication in I Married A Lizardman reads:
“To all those who dare to take chances and aspire to a brighter future. To those who approach challenging situations with an open mind. To those who understand that relationships depend on communication, the ability to listen, the strength to make concessions, and the willingness to try and see things from someone else’s point of view. Whatever our physical differences, the only true barrier that can keep two people apart is the wall we erect in our minds.”
Abel uses science fiction, which is traditionally a genre obsessed with and rooted in colonialism and imperialism, and flips the genre on its head and says no - respect for cultures and differences is important and expansion at the expense of native culture and indigenous people and their land is completely unacceptable.
In Susan and Olix’s story, we see the Andturians who are a peaceful people. They want to exist happily in their ancestral lands, which happen to be the most fertile land in the entire solar system, and yet they are facing famine because their forests are empty. The Andturian people are hunters, not farmers, and just a few years back the entire Andturian population was enslaved, tortured, and forced to work the farms as an early capitalist venture by foreigners who came in with the singular goal of exploiting their lands.
In Susan and Olix’s story, we see the Andturians who are a peaceful people. They want to exist happily in their ancestral lands, which happen to be the most fertile land in the entire solar system, and yet they are facing famine because their forests are empty. The Andturian people are hunters, not farmers, and just a few years back the entire Andturian population was enslaved, tortured, and forced to work the farms as an early capitalist venture by foreigners who came in with the singular goal of exploiting their lands.
Abel’s prose is phenomenal. The world she’s built is so damn interesting. I absolutely LOVE all these characters and their growth and how they really just grew to love each other so much. But not only that, I am blown away with the themes and social commentary layered within what I assumed was just another monster romance. I was stunned with just how exquisitely Regine Abel navigates romance with the "otherness" of aliens and just the amount of respect for different peoples and cultures she portrays in her writing.
This inter-galactic world of fated mates and arranged marriages across the stars is absolutely my favorite of romances. I can't wait to read everything and anything else by her. Highly recommend.
This inter-galactic world of fated mates and arranged marriages across the stars is absolutely my favorite of romances. I can't wait to read everything and anything else by her. Highly recommend.
sdemler14's review
4.0
Gender bent Pocahontas with aliens
What if John Smith joined Pocahontas in her life bringing with only the best of more advanced technology and worked to seamlessly integrate more advanced technology and his own customs with the hunter gatherer life of Pocahontas’s people and honoring her customs as well? Now gender bend it and have it be a human and an alien lizard species from different planets brought together by a matchmaking agency. It’s beautiful by the way. And full of a delicious spicy exploration between two different species.
What if John Smith joined Pocahontas in her life bringing with only the best of more advanced technology and worked to seamlessly integrate more advanced technology and his own customs with the hunter gatherer life of Pocahontas’s people and honoring her customs as well? Now gender bend it and have it be a human and an alien lizard species from different planets brought together by a matchmaking agency. It’s beautiful by the way. And full of a delicious spicy exploration between two different species.
ckeehn's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
birbpal's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 Stars
The cover made me nervous, but I surprisingly liked this book. I loved how intelligent and determined FMC Susan was. I also loved how she invited on keeping an open mind and an open line of communication with her mate, Olix.
As someone who is majorly lacking a green thumb, I had a lot of fun learning about farming. I also enjoyed the peek into the side characters' lives and their personalities. Although the book was short, the culture and worldbuilding was done beautifully!💖
I have two complaints that are pretty big and the reason why I am rating this book the way I did. Firstly, the romance felt lacking, in my opinion. Susan and Olix didn't spend enough time together bonding and falling in love. It took literally till the epilogue when the words "I love you" were finally expressed. I would have appreciated more quality moments between them, considering that this is supposedly a sci-fi romance. 👀
My second and biggest reason is that this gave me some "white savior complex" vibes. And I am not the only one to point this out. I wish the author didn't have everything riding on Susan's shoulders, making the natives of the planet look primitive and stubbornly set in their ways, all while Susan saves the day. Low-key reminds me of how Europeans tried to justify why they were taking over native lands back in the old days. Same with American settlers. I don't think at all that it was written that way intentionally, but it is something I hope the author keeps in mind for her future books so she can avoid that plotline!
Despite these issues, I enjoyed reading this book. I will be checking out the rest of the series to hopefully see improvements and better plotting/romance.🐥💕
The cover made me nervous, but I surprisingly liked this book. I loved how intelligent and determined FMC Susan was. I also loved how she invited on keeping an open mind and an open line of communication with her mate, Olix.
As someone who is majorly lacking a green thumb, I had a lot of fun learning about farming. I also enjoyed the peek into the side characters' lives and their personalities. Although the book was short, the culture and worldbuilding was done beautifully!💖
I have two complaints that are pretty big and the reason why I am rating this book the way I did. Firstly, the romance felt lacking, in my opinion. Susan and Olix didn't spend enough time together bonding and falling in love. It took literally till the epilogue when the words "I love you" were finally expressed. I would have appreciated more quality moments between them, considering that this is supposedly a sci-fi romance. 👀
My second and biggest reason is that this gave me some "white savior complex" vibes. And I am not the only one to point this out. I wish the author didn't have everything riding on Susan's shoulders, making the natives of the planet look primitive and stubbornly set in their ways, all while Susan saves the day. Low-key reminds me of how Europeans tried to justify why they were taking over native lands back in the old days. Same with American settlers. I don't think at all that it was written that way intentionally, but it is something I hope the author keeps in mind for her future books so she can avoid that plotline!
Despite these issues, I enjoyed reading this book. I will be checking out the rest of the series to hopefully see improvements and better plotting/romance.🐥💕
rosanarainhart's review
4.0
This was fun and exceeded my expectations both in world building and characterization