Reeled into a fake marriage with a merman...
How was I supposed to know my new boss was the owner’s nephew? Now, I’ve been fired for speaking up about his roaming hands. And if that isn’t bad enough, I get home early to find my boyfriend bumping the girl next door!
With nowhere to go, I decide to join the Starlight Lottery. The promise of fresh air and a job on an alien planet where no one knows me sounds just about perfect. I’m ecstatic when I’m accepted immediately.
But when I arrive at Aquaria, it’s not a job as a marine botanist that awaits me, but marriage to a triton! Cetius has a powerful tail and an upper body that puts the best bodybuilder to shame. But there’s a catch.
He doesn’t really want a wife. He just needs me to pretend to make his aging grandsire happy in his last days. After, I can choose between a pampered life under the waves or trying my luck on a small human settlement at the surface.
Too bad not everyone’s happy with the arrangement. Some would rather I end up as sushi for the sharks of this planet. And worst yet, I think I’m falling for my pretend triton mate.
Welcome to the Starlight Brides – where luck is optional, but the hot alien is guaranteed!
Mature Novella
Across galaxies and oceans of stars, the Starlight Brides series dares to ask what happens when fate takes human hearts light-years from home. Each story casts a different woman into the unknown—into alien cultures and unfamiliar planets—through a celestial lottery that promises more than adventure. What begins as an escape from Earth often becomes a reckoning of identity, trust, and connection in places where human rules no longer apply.
This isn’t your typical alien romance. The series pulses with intimate, character-driven narratives that explore how vulnerability can become a strength, even in worlds that seem harsh or strange. The aliens aren’t just love interests—they’re warriors, rulers, and guardians with their own scars, traditions, and secrets. The tension isn’t just physical; it’s emotional, cultural, sometimes political. And yet, somewhere between duty and desire, survival and surrender, something unmistakably tender begins to take root.
With vivid world-building, unexpected pairings, and slow-burn intimacy layered into science fiction adventure, these stories explore themes like interspecies understanding, autonomy, and the quiet courage it takes to choose love where it isn’t expected. Whether on water worlds, frozen outposts, or domed alien cities, each book immerses readers in a unique setting that feels fully realized without losing sight of the emotional core.
For fans of sci-fi romance who crave both depth and heat, Starlight Brides offers a universe where hearts are not only won—they’re transformed.
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What Risingshadow readers think about this book
I really liked this book by Lynnea Lee and enjoyed the world this book took place in as well as the characters. I thought Cetius & his human mate Vera were interesting characters as well as Cetius' sister Cetia and grandsire Cetion. The epilogue at the end was a nice way to leave off this story.
I received a free advanced reader copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
