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lanabooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
heabooknerd's review
3.0
We finally have Vek’s story and I enjoyed watching him find his happiness. Vek’s past is sad and tragic but his resilience and strength shine through. This is a man who doesn’t give up and is fiercely devoted to those he cares for. Mia is equally devoted and compassionate and I liked her continuous support of Vek even when things got hard. Vek was a great character that I have anxiously awaited a story for. He has such tragic beginnings that you can’t help but feel for him and want the best for him. He is ever so slightly obsessed with Mia but it mostly stems from finally being treated like a man and not a monster. I liked how their relationship developed into something mutual and real.
Every time I think we’re moving toward the end of this series, Anna Hackett gives us more human survivors and I get excited all over again. I can’t wait for Neve’s story because she’s a badass!
There wasn’t one particular thing but I waffled back and forth on my rating and eventually settled on a star lower. I just didn’t get as invested in the story as I normally do, so it was likely my own mood and nothing wrong with the book itself.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Favorite Quotes:
“From the first moment you saw me, all you’ve done is stand in front of me and been my shield. You’re a protector, Vek, not a monster.”
Every time I think we’re moving toward the end of this series, Anna Hackett gives us more human survivors and I get excited all over again. I can’t wait for Neve’s story because she’s a badass!
There wasn’t one particular thing but I waffled back and forth on my rating and eventually settled on a star lower. I just didn’t get as invested in the story as I normally do, so it was likely my own mood and nothing wrong with the book itself.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Favorite Quotes:
“From the first moment you saw me, all you’ve done is stand in front of me and been my shield. You’re a protector, Vek, not a monster.”
angels_gp17's review against another edition
4.0
Beast is book seven in the Galactic Gladiators by Anna Hackett.
This was another entertaining read in this series. I devoured the Galactic Gladiators series one book at a time.
In Beast we get answers to one of the relative newcomers to the House of Galen, Vek.
Vek our blue alien who was also rescued from captivity. He’s wild, dominate, and pumped full of drugs like the human male. He’s the ultimate BEAST of an alpha. The only thing that seams to soothe his rage and bring some reason is Mia and her voice.
Mia was abducted by the alien slavers, rescued, then abducted again, and rescued. She’s sweet, tender, and thoughtful. When her friends and Vek are under attack she has a spine of steel.
Vek and Mia complemented each other. Vek’s a true hero and yet at times so fragile. My heart melted for him. Then bring in Mia a lover of music and we get to discover if music can feed the soul and heal. Their romance was sweet.
Theirs no shortage of action and adventure. The world keeps building and new characters keep popping up.
Beast is another enjoyable reading the Galactic Gladiators series. If you enjoy science fiction romance then Hackett is an author for you to try.
Rated: 3.5 Stars
This was another entertaining read in this series. I devoured the Galactic Gladiators series one book at a time.
In Beast we get answers to one of the relative newcomers to the House of Galen, Vek.
Vek our blue alien who was also rescued from captivity. He’s wild, dominate, and pumped full of drugs like the human male. He’s the ultimate BEAST of an alpha. The only thing that seams to soothe his rage and bring some reason is Mia and her voice.
Mia was abducted by the alien slavers, rescued, then abducted again, and rescued. She’s sweet, tender, and thoughtful. When her friends and Vek are under attack she has a spine of steel.
Vek and Mia complemented each other. Vek’s a true hero and yet at times so fragile. My heart melted for him. Then bring in Mia a lover of music and we get to discover if music can feed the soul and heal. Their romance was sweet.
Theirs no shortage of action and adventure. The world keeps building and new characters keep popping up.
Beast is another enjoyable reading the Galactic Gladiators series. If you enjoy science fiction romance then Hackett is an author for you to try.
Rated: 3.5 Stars
always_anxious's review against another edition
4.0
Just shut your brain off and enjoy the steamy,fluffy, action packed alien ride. This was the first book I’ve read out of the series and I didn’t have any problems reading it as a stand-alone. I’m assuming the other characters were from previous books and there seemed to be a set up for characters that will most likely have their own stories in future books. I’m sure you will probably get a lot more out of the story reading the previous books so keep that in mind if you’re looking for something more immersive.
This story isn’t as detailed or as intense as the stories I’m used to reading but I was in a book slump and just looking for something lighthearted and breezy to get into. This hit the spot for what I was looking for. Not angsty, drama is from outside the relationship and all the characters seem pretty competent in their own right. There’s also a nice use of music in the story ~
*Spoilers *
This story focuses on Mia and Vek. It seems like she’s the only one that can calm down his rage so they are already somewhat together from the start of the book. There’s no cheating, no drama, they’re all for each other 100% of the time. There’s a lot of consent throughout the steamy bits ( lots of steamy bits) and by the end they definitely make their relationship more concrete and get a HAE.
Checks all my boxes.
Aliens? ✔️
M/F? ✔️
MMCs 100% into each other ? ✔️
HAE/HFN? ✔️
ILYs? ✔️
Third person narrative? ✔️
Dual POV? ✔️
This story isn’t as detailed or as intense as the stories I’m used to reading but I was in a book slump and just looking for something lighthearted and breezy to get into. This hit the spot for what I was looking for. Not angsty, drama is from outside the relationship and all the characters seem pretty competent in their own right. There’s also a nice use of music in the story ~
*Spoilers *
This story focuses on Mia and Vek. It seems like she’s the only one that can calm down his rage so they are already somewhat together from the start of the book. There’s no cheating, no drama, they’re all for each other 100% of the time. There’s a lot of consent throughout the steamy bits ( lots of steamy bits) and by the end they definitely make their relationship more concrete and get a HAE.
Checks all my boxes.
Aliens? ✔️
M/F? ✔️
MMCs 100% into each other ? ✔️
HAE/HFN? ✔️
ILYs? ✔️
Third person narrative? ✔️
Dual POV? ✔️
kfemiani's review against another edition
5.0
Great read! Every character has so much life, so much to draw you in. Each and every one makes you want to know more as soon as possible. Can't wait for more!
loverofromance's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
fast-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? No
5.0
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨
First Impressions
Beast is the seventh book in the Galactic Gladiators series, and this is an installment that has been building throughout the series. It's a story that brings together a group of people that through a set of circumstances have formed a found family of sorts. In this book we have a set up where our pair get together early on in the book, their relationship has been building in the past few books, so there is already an established foundation to their bond. It features some challenging issues such a abuse, PTSD, and near death experiences, so keep that in mind and pay attention to the trigger warnings if those are needed for you.
First Line
An enraged road woke her.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Vek'ker
A blue colored humanoid warrior, with scars and tattoos that layer his skin, taken prisoner as a child, forced on drugs and to fight in underground battles and held prisoner most of his life. Finds peace in the singing voice of Mia.
The Heroine: Mia
A young earth woman, kidnapped from earth and then rescued from slavers on an alien gladiator world, adopted into the found family of the Galen Gladiators, with many talents including abilities to pilot aircraft and a siren like singing voice.
Summary
Both Vek and Mia have known the experiences of being held captive against their wills and have a strong core of iron wills at the heart. Mia is in a strange world, but has discovered a found family with a unique group of gladiators who help rescue innocent men and women. Mia was rescued by them twice and she now calls them her own even if she is one that could never fight in the gladiator fighting stadium. Vek has only known a life of being a prisoner. He doesn't remember his life before he was held prisoner. He was experimented on with drugs and forced to fight in the underground fighting rings, and even though he has been rescued and in a safe environment, sometimes is unable to control his more animalistic urges that were forced upon him. The only solace he finds is the singing melody of Mia's voice and her sweet compassionate nature. Vek and Mia form a tight bond and their relationship goes into deeper levels, when they go on the search for missing human women in the desert and find only strife, challenge and unforseen adversity that only together will they conquer in the end...
What I Loved
Beast is honestly my favorite book of the whole series, there was something so much more to this installment than what I have read so far. This is not to say that the previous books aren't entertaining or fun in their own ways, however, there is something in this story that resonates for the reader on a deeper relatable level. This relationship with Vek and Mia I have been aching for and seeing it finally come together was truly poignant at times. Their chemistry was stunning and they really know how to embrace each other and support one another when it matters most. There is an almost mystical feeling to their bond.
They also are so in for each other all the way. Vek and Mia always see the core of each other and only encourage one another. They have this 100% support system for each other, no matter what they individually struggle with. They work together as a team and always have each other's back even among the Galen group. Their faith in each other is truly humbling. And when the story pushes their limits, the moment when they need each other, is truly heartfelt. This story will have you in your feels in ways you won't expect or even see coming. I was not expecting this book to tear my heart apart, or to see the struggle be so relatable to the human experience. It strikes deeply to the heart and refuses to let you go. I want to applaud the author for being able to captivate the moment in such a way, you will feel like time stops.
While this story was built up through previous books, it was satisfying and worth the wait completely. I couldn't get enough of these two and they melted my heart from beginning to end. Never worry though that there isn't conflict in the story. The conflict though resides outside of the relationship, and loved the moments of partnership between Vek and Mia that we see built so steadily throughout the story.
What I Struggled With
There wasn't anything I struggled with. This one is a bit more serious than other books though, so keep that in mind as it won't be as fun feeling as some of the others have felt. Its also not long, its only a little over 200 pages so it builds fast. I would have liked to see a bit more about the hero's world though and maybe seeing more grief or loss aspects from the heroine, as she is close to her family and will never see them. We didn't really get much focus on that aspect. Of course, its shorter than your typical novel, so it didn't detract from my enjoyment as a whole.
Overall View
I found Beast to be a captivating installment that delivered in well thought out plot building, sizzling sensuality and moments of heart and emotion to satisfy you in the end...
Favorite Quote(s)
Everything I’ve suffered, I would suffer again for the chance to hold you in my arms.
I’ve searched my entire life for you. I traveled across the galaxy to find my place, and it’s with you. All I’ve ever wanted is to find the thing that clicks, that feels right, that feeds my soul. All I’ve ever wanted is a person to love me just as I am. A person I love just as they are. Vek, you’re my one thing. I love you.
And the future was laid out ahead of them, filled with freedom and bright shining opportunities. But most of all, it would be filled with love.
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Character Types: Alien Hero, Virgin Hero, Alphamellow Hero, Sweet Heroine, Gladiator, Pilot, Singer/songwriter, Tortured Hero, Warrior/Soldier/Fighter.
Themes: Elements of Danger, Heart/Touching Feels, Found Family, Couple Together Early On, Slave trade/Human Trafficking, Character Experimented On, Mental Illness, PTSD Trauma, Ship Faring Adventures.
Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Protector
Book Perspective
3rd POV
Recommendation For Reading Order
I do recommend reading this series in order due to the overall serial plot developments. For this one specifically, I recommend reading at least "Books 4-6" prior to reading "Beast".
Steam/Spice Explanations
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes. While there isn't a ton of sex scenes in this book, the ones that we have in this story are more explicit in nature.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨
First Impressions
Beast is the seventh book in the Galactic Gladiators series, and this is an installment that has been building throughout the series. It's a story that brings together a group of people that through a set of circumstances have formed a found family of sorts. In this book we have a set up where our pair get together early on in the book, their relationship has been building in the past few books, so there is already an established foundation to their bond. It features some challenging issues such a abuse, PTSD, and near death experiences, so keep that in mind and pay attention to the trigger warnings if those are needed for you.
First Line
An enraged road woke her.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Vek'ker
A blue colored humanoid warrior, with scars and tattoos that layer his skin, taken prisoner as a child, forced on drugs and to fight in underground battles and held prisoner most of his life. Finds peace in the singing voice of Mia.
The Heroine: Mia
A young earth woman, kidnapped from earth and then rescued from slavers on an alien gladiator world, adopted into the found family of the Galen Gladiators, with many talents including abilities to pilot aircraft and a siren like singing voice.
Summary
Both Vek and Mia have known the experiences of being held captive against their wills and have a strong core of iron wills at the heart. Mia is in a strange world, but has discovered a found family with a unique group of gladiators who help rescue innocent men and women. Mia was rescued by them twice and she now calls them her own even if she is one that could never fight in the gladiator fighting stadium. Vek has only known a life of being a prisoner. He doesn't remember his life before he was held prisoner. He was experimented on with drugs and forced to fight in the underground fighting rings, and even though he has been rescued and in a safe environment, sometimes is unable to control his more animalistic urges that were forced upon him. The only solace he finds is the singing melody of Mia's voice and her sweet compassionate nature. Vek and Mia form a tight bond and their relationship goes into deeper levels, when they go on the search for missing human women in the desert and find only strife, challenge and unforseen adversity that only together will they conquer in the end...
What I Loved
Beast is honestly my favorite book of the whole series, there was something so much more to this installment than what I have read so far. This is not to say that the previous books aren't entertaining or fun in their own ways, however, there is something in this story that resonates for the reader on a deeper relatable level. This relationship with Vek and Mia I have been aching for and seeing it finally come together was truly poignant at times. Their chemistry was stunning and they really know how to embrace each other and support one another when it matters most. There is an almost mystical feeling to their bond.
They also are so in for each other all the way. Vek and Mia always see the core of each other and only encourage one another. They have this 100% support system for each other, no matter what they individually struggle with. They work together as a team and always have each other's back even among the Galen group. Their faith in each other is truly humbling. And when the story pushes their limits, the moment when they need each other, is truly heartfelt. This story will have you in your feels in ways you won't expect or even see coming. I was not expecting this book to tear my heart apart, or to see the struggle be so relatable to the human experience. It strikes deeply to the heart and refuses to let you go. I want to applaud the author for being able to captivate the moment in such a way, you will feel like time stops.
While this story was built up through previous books, it was satisfying and worth the wait completely. I couldn't get enough of these two and they melted my heart from beginning to end. Never worry though that there isn't conflict in the story. The conflict though resides outside of the relationship, and loved the moments of partnership between Vek and Mia that we see built so steadily throughout the story.
What I Struggled With
There wasn't anything I struggled with. This one is a bit more serious than other books though, so keep that in mind as it won't be as fun feeling as some of the others have felt. Its also not long, its only a little over 200 pages so it builds fast. I would have liked to see a bit more about the hero's world though and maybe seeing more grief or loss aspects from the heroine, as she is close to her family and will never see them. We didn't really get much focus on that aspect. Of course, its shorter than your typical novel, so it didn't detract from my enjoyment as a whole.
Overall View
I found Beast to be a captivating installment that delivered in well thought out plot building, sizzling sensuality and moments of heart and emotion to satisfy you in the end...
Favorite Quote(s)
Everything I’ve suffered, I would suffer again for the chance to hold you in my arms.
I’ve searched my entire life for you. I traveled across the galaxy to find my place, and it’s with you. All I’ve ever wanted is to find the thing that clicks, that feels right, that feeds my soul. All I’ve ever wanted is a person to love me just as I am. A person I love just as they are. Vek, you’re my one thing. I love you.
And the future was laid out ahead of them, filled with freedom and bright shining opportunities. But most of all, it would be filled with love.
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Character Types: Alien Hero, Virgin Hero, Alphamellow Hero, Sweet Heroine, Gladiator, Pilot, Singer/songwriter, Tortured Hero, Warrior/Soldier/Fighter.
Themes: Elements of Danger, Heart/Touching Feels, Found Family, Couple Together Early On, Slave trade/Human Trafficking, Character Experimented On, Mental Illness, PTSD Trauma, Ship Faring Adventures.
Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Protector
Book Perspective
3rd POV
Recommendation For Reading Order
I do recommend reading this series in order due to the overall serial plot developments. For this one specifically, I recommend reading at least "Books 4-6" prior to reading "Beast".
Steam/Spice Explanations
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes. While there isn't a ton of sex scenes in this book, the ones that we have in this story are more explicit in nature.
ria_mhrj's review against another edition
3.0
Surprisingly sweet, Vek was adorable and I loved his relationship with Mia.
mountainblue's review
4.0
Just right amount of sweet fluffy romance and action/adventure!
I just want to bask in the sweet glow of this heartwarming romance! Everything was just right. The hero and heroine balanced and complimented each other and there was just enough plot to do with action and mystery and this balanced out the mushy gushy romance and passion. The side characters were great too! I don't remember reading the previous books in this series but I haven't missed anything by reading book 7 as each book can be read as a stand alone novel, but there are plot and character connection throughout the series. I can't wait to read more books in this Scifi alien romance series!
I just want to bask in the sweet glow of this heartwarming romance! Everything was just right. The hero and heroine balanced and complimented each other and there was just enough plot to do with action and mystery and this balanced out the mushy gushy romance and passion. The side characters were great too! I don't remember reading the previous books in this series but I haven't missed anything by reading book 7 as each book can be read as a stand alone novel, but there are plot and character connection throughout the series. I can't wait to read more books in this Scifi alien romance series!