If you haven’t yet set foot aboard the sci-fi alien romance spaceship, you may be curious as to the appeal of these stories. To be quite blunt, it’s probably because there’s something particularly erotic in reading about relationships that aren’t restricted by the rules of Earth.
In these alien romance books, anything is possible.
Yes, this may mean that green alien lizard men with lengthy tails are the romantic leads of the story rather than the ordinary fellows of our world. Sometimes these books are enemies-to-lovers abduction stories, where a human woman is taken against her will but eventually realizes that being captured by a superior species from mere mortals might have its unexpected upsides. While other novels feature gorgeous aliens whose main mission is protecting and ensuring the female protagonist’s happiness and overall pleasure. You get the idea.
But putting aside the provocative aspect of alien romances for a moment, these books can also be—perhaps shockingly—adorable and wholesome.
Think about it. Finding long-lasting love here on Earth is a rare and beautiful thing; now imagine how special discovering love would be despite not initially residing on the same planet, speaking the same language or being a supposedly incompatible species.
In these eight alien romances, you’ll read about how two souls found each other against all odds and across millions of miles of space.
Kinsman's Oath
Ronan VelKalevi is a Kinsman, a human telepath who was kidnapped as a child by the Shaauri, a catlike alien race. Now an adult, he has fled from his life of captivity and is shown mercy by Cynara D’Accorso, the captain of the spaceship Pegasus.
Could Ronan be a traitor in disguise, secretly loyal to the aliens who raised him? Cynara has her suspicions, but as the two become inextricably connected, they’ll have to see if the power of their bond will be strong enough to survive amid immense political upheaval.
A continuation of the story first introduced within the Out of This World novella, author Susan Krinard explores an exhilarating, intricately developed universe centered around two telepaths’ powerful bond.
Alienhated: A feel-good paranormal romcom
If you’re a sci-fi lover who also can’t get enough of romance books featuring road trips, forced proximity and an enemies-to-lovers plot, then pick up this endearing and humorous novella with an extremely delightful alien and human relationship.
Josephine, or “Jo” for short, has a very peculiar, but undeniably handsome, neighbor named Ray Smith. He also happens to be too clumsy for his own good, which surprisingly isn’t the most interesting of his quirks—Jo comes to find out that Ray is also an alien.
After Ray makes a huge mistake with one of his experiments that accidentally causes the two of them to become stuck in an alternate dimension, they are forced to work together and travel to a hidden base located in a remote desert to fix his blunder so he can get Jo back to her typical everyday routines. Yet maybe the unknown and unfamiliar are what Jo has been missing all along.
Choosing Theo
Abducted by aliens, Jade is understandably terrified and concerned about how she will fare on a planet so unlike her own. Lucky for her, she is soon rescued by a kinder alien race known as the Clecanians. Unfortunately, these aliens are unable to return her home, as their rules state she must remain on their planet for one year, but they do promise to guard Jade in the meantime, as they view women as sacred beings and treat them with the utmost respect.
However, she must be willing to abide by their traditions, one of which is claiming a husband and staying with him for at least three months, after which she can select another if her previous choice wasn’t suitable to her needs. All male Clecanians must attend husbandry school, where they learn to be doting partners in all areas of marriage, from cooking to childcare to female anatomy.
Biding her time while devising a plan to return home, Jade decides to go along with the marriage ritual and chooses the alien most appealing to her. Covered in scars, Theo is a stoic mercenary who has never been anyone’s first pick as a mate, which automatically makes him suspicious of Jade’s intentions. Certain that this tempting human must be working as a spy, Theo is resolved to protect his own heart, but the more time they spend together, the harder it is to imagine his world without Jade by his side.
Heart's Prisoner (Dark World Mates Book 1)
As a behaviorist scientist, Dr. Lana Hart is tasked with her most challenging assignment yet—she must study an alien known as Asset X or Xerus, a 7-foot-tall reptilian trained as a highly skilled killer on a secret mission.
Lana knows she must be cautious since her life, among many others, is at stake. But there’s something about Xerus that is indescribably inviting; though he’s an intimidating presence, one smile can weaken Lana’s defenses. Though she knows it’s certainly a ploy to escape, she would be lying if she didn’t admit some part of her hopes that his actions are genuine.
The Last Hour of Gann
Be forewarned that this space odyssey love story is irrefutably lengthy, graphic in its violence and unforgiving in its scenes of abuse. However, if readers decide to take on this endeavor, this story also promises to take them on a thought-provoking journey that may leave readers needing to assess their deep-rooted beliefs about faith and humanity.
It centers around Amber Bierce, a survivor on Earth who decides out of necessity to board a spaceship with her sister that will take them to a distant planet where they will work and live for the next five years to create a better life for themselves.
Instead of a fresh start, Amber and her sister awaken amid the wreckage of their spaceship, along with the remainder of the terrified survivors. All hope appears lost until Uyane Meoraq, a deeply devout lizard man known as the Sword of Sheul, takes on the responsibility of guiding and protecting these inferior, ugly humans.
Despite Meoraq and Amber’s stark differences, from their physical form to their innate worldview to their perception of identity, they will be pushed to understand one another in profound ways neither could have ever anticipated.
Contaminated: Cosmic Fairy Tales
A rampant genetic disease has caused life on Erreck’s planet to be miserable and lonely. As a “Carrier,” he appears destined to live a life without a mate, or he must be willing to deal with the consequences of potentially passing on the disease to his future child.
This is why Erreck and his lab partner Simmi must study and protect a precious carnivorous flower used as a treatment for the “Affected.” It’s during this vital work that an alien decides to cut the flower’s head and steal its bloom! Who is this strange feminine creature, and why does Erreck find her so ugly that she’s…beautiful? This sci-fi retelling of Beauty and the Beast is sweet and hilarious and will have you swooning over an unlikely pair.
Captive of the Horde King
On the planet of Dakkar, massive nomadic warriors with golden irises and long tails known as the Dakkari enforce laws that Luna and the other humans living on Dakkari land must follow. But in a desperate attempt to prevent them from starving and encourage crop growth, Luna’s younger brother breaks one of their rules and disrespects the Dakkari clan. They are unwilling to leave without retaliating for this fatal mistake.
With her brother’s life on the line and unable to come up with any other bartering tool, she offers up her own life in exchange. Luna finds the king of the Dakkari to be rather pleased with this new arrangement and realizes that she will have to spend the rest of her life acting in subservience to every single one of his whims. Although she is dreading her inevitable mistreatment, she resolves to carry out her promise. But before long, Luna realizes she has misunderstood the king’s intention—he isn’t looking for a concubine; he requires a queen.
I Married A Naga (Prime Mating Agency)
Hoping to pad her bank account, Serena accepts an invitation to participate in the First Hunt on the planet of Trangor, where she will kill creatures known as Flayers and be rewarded for her efforts. Instead, she finds herself forced to hunt in a restricted area punishable by death to save a female Ordosian and her child and must use a loophole in the Ordosian’s law stating that if she marries one of these snake-like aliens for six months, her crime will be pardoned.
Impressed by Serena’s hunting abilities and thankful for her heroics, the leader of the Ordosian’s, Szaro, agrees to take her as his wife. But after gradually falling for her, it’s up to him to convince Serena that he’s a valuable life partner who will do anything to please her and is undoubtedly worth remaining on his planet for.
Featured image: Felix Mittermeier / Unsplash
