Zearn by Rena Marks [Review]

Zearn (Stranded with an Alien) by Rena Marks
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: January 5, 2023

Stranded with an Alien
Frost
Sinta
Baki
Taliz
Zearn - Paperback | Kindle
Sakar
Vixin

Rena Marks
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

A mysterious alien planet celebrates their own version of merry holidays. Their wonderful gift-giving idea? Earth ladies as stocking stuffers.

Alyssa: As one of the few female Earthians who works in space, I’m not about to give up my career for marriage and babies. I scorn the idiots who created the podcast “Earth Girls Are Horny.” Unfortunately, they’ve gone viral in a whole new way, calling unwanted attention from galaxies far, far away.
The planet Thropian is one secretive and unknown planet who are paying big money to have a bride shipped in a pod to drop down in time for their holiday gift-giving games. And our horny Earth girls? The volunteers are a mile long, even when it’s unknown what the mysterious Thropians look like.
But not me. No, my job is to test the pod before the actual prize is sent. I’ll earn a boatload of money for not being a bride.

Zearn: A mate is the last thing on my mind, especially those from a dismal planet who offer themselves to complete strangers as prizes. The utter arrogance is astounding. But when a female lands in the danger zone of our competitive Twelve Days of Cheneca, I’m dispatched as the lead hunter to track her down and to keep her safe. I do not expect a female who is as much a warrior as me.
A female who is worthy of me. A prize who marries me in the traditional way during the celebrations of our holidays.

It does not matter that she does not know.

Thoughts on Zearn: A planet looking for brides (but who put some pretty stringent rules in place for those visiting) and a human female just trying to do her job. Too bad things go sideways and doing her job turns into trekking across a (somewhat) dangerous planet with an alien she can't quite communicate with.

Well, wait. They do SOME communicating. Mostly of the physical variety. They communicate very well that way. That said, Zearn keeps a few things hidden from his new travel companion that results in a blowup down the line.

BUT...he's also a good match for Alyssa. He's not intimidated by her fighting skills and he likes her warrior spirit. Which is a big plus for a human lady who tends to scare human males off.

An explosive encounter, a BFF who jumps into action when things go south, a journey across a dangerous world, a few mistruths, and a lady who goes after what she wants. *thumbs up*