About the Book:
Title: Saving Verakko
Author: Victoria Aveline
Series: The Clecanian Series Book Three
Publication Date: Jan. 6, 2021
Synopsis: When Lily is freed from alien captivity, she refuses to wait for rescue—or recapture. She’ll take her chances in the forest. Navigating the exotic terrain won’t be easy, but it beats the alternative. Then, an enormous alien falls into her camp and makes her question everything. He’s rude, grumpy, and annoyingly sexy. Trusting him would be a mistake. And yet…the idea of leaving him behind hurts way more than it should.
Verakko was supposed to liberate the kidnapped humans, then return home to fulfill his obligations. Getting dropped into the forest at the feet of the most confounding female he’s ever met was not on the agenda. So, he’ll help her, then they’ll go their separate ways. That’s the plan…until he starts to suspect that Lily is his mate.
She doesn’t trust easily. He has secrets and responsibilities he can’t avoid forever. Only one thing is clear. If Lily and Verakko want their happily ever after, they’ll have to fight more than the dangers of the forest to get it.
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My Review:
Saving Verakko is the third book in the Clecanian series, and it is an immersive sci-fi romance. The story focuses on Lily and Verakko, a couple who meets while lost in the wilds of Verakko’s home planet. As the couple treks toward safety, they begin to care for each other. However, Verakko is hiding secrets about his life and responsibilities. Will his secrets ruin Verakko and Lily’s chance at love?
Victoria Aveline continues to grow the immersive world of her Clecanian series. Verakko’s home city is described in vivid detail, offering a new, bustling view of this alien world. Transportation, homes, shopping excursions, and even spas are introduced, as is the wilderness. The wilds that Lily and Verakko travel through are detailed and interesting and build upon the descriptions in Freeing Luka, the second book in the series. I love the rich descriptions and the ever-growing universe that Aveline has created and appreciate the detail that goes into creating such a fascinating setting.
I also love how many strong and powerful women are in this story. Lily, Verakko’s mother, and other females are portrayed as equals and superiors to the males. I love that women are held in high regard and are respected for their intellect, ambition, and strength, and I feel like this is something that Aveline highlights in all of her books. Lily is an excellent example of this.
A while back, I asked Victoria Aveline who she would want to be stranded with if she were ever stuck on desert island. She chose Lily, and I can see why. Lily is tough and smart, a survivor who keeps a cool head under the most stressful circumstances. She’s also independent and quick-thinking, which helps her on more than one occasion. Lily learned a lot about surviving from her unique upbringing with survivalist parents. This life-long knowledge contributes to her resilience, patience, and adaptability, as well as her determination to survive and thrive.
Verakko’s character is also quite interesting. He is super tech-savvy, intelligent, kind, and supportive. He is a hunk with a gruff and arrogant exterior, but he is so wonderful underneath that bravado. He is an honorable male who is curious, sensitive, and interested in the well being of others. His efforts to help the captives like Lily are beyond heroic, as are his actions when traveling with Lily.
The romance between Verakko and Lily is absolutely swoon-worthy! They have fantastic chemistry, and even though they are quite different, they complement each other well. They also challenge each other, which I love! They are fated mates (one of my favorite tropes!), and being from different planets and not understanding each other’s cultures, backgrounds, and societal expectations prove problematic for this couple. It’s interesting to see how they work through their obstacles. I also love that, even though Verakko is native to the world and is a dominant alpha-male who saves Lily on more than one occasion, Lily also saves Verakko. They are a well-matched pair!
Saving Verakko is a great addition to the series and is filled with action, suspense, conflict, and a wonderful (and steamy) romance. The dynamic characters, vivid setting, and plot that extends throughout the series make for a captivating read. Thanks so much to the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Rating:
Favorite Parts:
- The romance, of course. I love Lily and Verakko, and their chemistry is fantastic!!
- The vivid world-building. Victoria Aveline created a really dynamic setting for this series, and I find it fascinating!
- The strong female characters are prevalent in all of Aveline’s books.
Recommendations:
This is a great series for readers who like steamy sci-fi romance! Do you want to learn more about the first two books in The Clecanian Series? Take a look at my reviews:
Great review! I remember you recommending the first book in this series in one of your posts last year and I marked it to read. It sounds really good! The chemistry between the H/H sounds really great in this book 🙂
I’m really enjoying the series – great characters and swoon-tastic romances! 🙂
Thank you for your review! This sounds so interesting and I love strong female characters!
It’s an interesting series, and Lily is a fantastic protagonist! 🙂