When it comes to romance, everyone has their sub-genre. Sure, I read vampire romance. Omegaverse. Fae. Fantasy. Shifter. The list goes on! But my number one go-to is aliens. Hey, I didn't choose aliens. They chose me. As a HUGE space geek and scifi nerd who will watch documentaries about space before she watches the latest episode of *insert popular TV show here* I can say without a doubt that space boys are my favorite. So, I've compiled a list of my favorite alien romance books (and series) that especially struck my fancy. I've left dozens out, either because they're in the same series or by the same authors, but these should get you started if you're an alien romance virgin or a veteran looking for new material! Enjoy 👽
1. Edge Of Eon (Eon Warriors #1) by Anna Hackett
I will always recommend these fun, fast paced, adventurous romance books to anyone looking for some spicy alien content. The heroines are tough and feisty and can usually take care of themselves (a little rare in romance books). And I MEAN they can take care of themselves. More often than not, they're military of some sort, which really got me hooked. As a 5'10" fitness enthusiast who grew up on an ostrich farm carting huge bags of feed around every day, I do love reading about the tough girls. Sure, a soft little damsel is fun, but getting to change it up with these stories was such a blast.And heir alien mates are big and strong and just as sassy! If the characters aren't engaged in a battle or a high speed space chase, they're dealing with their overwhelming attraction to each other. Sometimes they fight it and other times they give in and EVERY time, it's fun. And when they're forced to fight other aliens and simultaneously battle their urges, it just makes it that much better. For most of this list, I talk about a singular book in a series that I liked. In this case...just read the whole series!!
2. Warrior Prince (Dragon Lords #4) by Michelle M. Pillow
And here we have the lady who popped my alien romance cherry and it was a total accident. I first read Michelle M. Pillow's Dragon Lord series because I was looking for dragon shifters after publishing my first novel (a dragon shifter romance) in 2019. What I got was epic space travel. It was a happy accident. While the premise follows a commonly used "alien race of mostly men needs women for breeding" trope, in this case it didn't feel so cheesy to me. I love Michelle's world building and her characters and her ability to write multiple books that crossover the exact same timeline without getting things completely mixed up. Each book follows a different couple and I found #4 to be especially my style. A woman with a tragic background who isn't used to being pined after is paired with an alien prince who's about as fierce as they come. And I mean that. This girl needed a hug (even if she didn't want to admit it) and he was probably the last person expected to give one. They were both stubborn and their personalities clashed in the perfect way. They're complete opposites and the relationship was spicy as hell! I highly recommend the whole series.
3. Vrix (The Galaxos Crew #2) by Layla Nash/Juno Wells
Coming into these books, I honestly didn't even read the blurb. I just saw a cover and went for it. Sometimes it's a bad plan because more often than not, I run into cliches and put the book away right off the bat. The Galaxos Crew books, however, are such great fun! A crew of genuinely caring aliens adopts an able group of women after their commander basically tries to trade them as slaves to said aliens. Our hero accepts the trade, but only to get the female crew members away from their corrupt, lying commander. Of course, the ladies don't know the truth and fight these alien hunks almost the whole way. And what was refreshing was that this wasn't some mate hunt like I see in so many alien romances. One by one, the women attach themselves to the crew members of the Galaxos and the relationships seem built more on connection than "fate." This is yet another case of fierce ladies falling for equally fierce alien boys and I'm here for it. I chose #2 in the series simply because the characters were my style. Strong fighters butting heads and eventually finding that they're kind of perfect for each other!
4. Barbarian's Redemption (Ice Planet Barbarian's #13) by Ruby Dixon
Ok, you can't really start getting into alien romance without coming across Ruby Dixon. I have to admit, I started reading her books sort of as a joke (They were among my first alien romance reads and I can't say her covers and titles don't make you laugh a little half the time)...and then I got so intensely hooked I read almost all of her Ice Planet Barbarian series as well as many of her standalones. Ruby has a way of not taking things too seriously and I mean that in the BEST way. Her aliens are kind of ridiculous...but somehow insanely hot? There are so many books in her Barbarian series that anyone can find a character or a pair that they can relate to the most. This is one of my favorites, though. I enjoyed that the hero had to work hard to get his mate and at the same time, he was on a redemption journey that made it that much sweeter to get the goods in the end. Not to mention that Ruby has built this HUGE world with so many spinoffs, you could be at it forever and still be having a great time with new characters. As with all her ice planet books, mates are fated in a biological way and chosen depending on their genetic compatibility. As in, if you like someone and your body (or parasite in this case. Read it to know what that means😂) chooses someone else, you're kind of SOL, but things usually work out in the end. And also, the alien men have ridged...parts. And yes, after 20 or so books, I am not bored of hearing about it 😂
5. Claimed By the Alien Warlord (TerraMates #14) by Lisa Lace
This is another case of me saying "whatever" and basically randomly picking a book off Goodreads. Seeing as the Terramates books don't have to really be read in order, I picked the blurb I liked most and rolled with it. This one was just straight up fun. Like Indiana Jones mixed with romance and aliens and a little threat of galactic war. I found the characters to be kind of adorable. They end up having to work together in a situation neither of them really wanted to be in and along the way, they get to know each other and their backgrounds. It's not quite enemies-to-lovers and not insta-love, but just an action-packed ride that ends well. I haven't read any other books in the series, but as far as #14 goes, I was having tons of fun and enjoying the ride.
6. His Metal Maiden (Space Lords #3) by Michelle M. Pillow
Ok. Prepare yourselves. I LOVED this book. The Space Lords series is a spinoff of Michelle's Dragon Lord series and let me tell you...I was so damn attached to the characters here. Again, the books can be read out of order, but in this case, I have to recommend that you at least read The Stubborn Lord: #6 in the Dragon Lord's series. (Seriously, there should be a guide or a recommended order list for these books) In my case, I had already immersed myself so deeply in the world that I was incredibly attached to the characters of this novel before even reading it. That's saying a lot since we don't even MEET the characters until this book. Just the constant mention of them in previous works had me drooling over this before even reading the first page. As I said in another blog specifically about this book, I'd take a bullet for this couple! With a heroine whose past has warped her into a twisted, broken, and yet insanely strong version of herself and a hero who's intentions were first to redeem himself with his people and then to protect his woman, I was HOOKED. This is probably one of the only books I've wanted to read more than once.
7. Possessed (Raider Warlords of the Vandar #1) by Tana Stone
I was putting this book off for a while just because I'd read so many books about similar things in a short time that I was kind of burned out. However, I started this series anyway and have to say that I had great fun. Yes, she's a virgin. Yes, he's a big alien warlord. And YES, they were adorable. After the heroine, who thinks she's useless and burdensome to her human crew, surrenders herself to an alien raider to save her sister and her ship, all kinds of unexpected attractions shape an unlikely relationship. The warlord was big and hardened (pun intended) and eager, but thankfully, he was also pretty patient and respectful of the heroine, which I always love. Trust me, I like me some cuffs and ropes now and then, but boys don't ALWAYS have to be grunting "mine" four times on every page of a book.
8. Claimed by the Horde King (Horde Kings of Dakaar #2) by Zoey Draven
Alright, I almost gave up on this series after reading the first book and being a little disappointed in the relationship between the characters (Reminder: This list is purely made off my personal tastes and opinions). But I gave book 2 a try and I LOVED it. Lucky for readers who don't want to commit to a long series, these books also don't have to be read in order. I just enjoyed how these characters interacted. My expectations after the first book a bit low. Book one gave me a big animal guy and woman who can't resist him and a virgin sex scene that kind of irked me and felt shallow and unrealistic. In book 2, the woman is strong in so many ways and bold and shy and vulnerable at the same time and the horde king was patient and respectful while being a big bad warrior. He was also remorseful after his horde duties forced him to hurt her as punishment for crimes she owned up to but didn't commit during their first meeting. This is a guy torn between his duties to his people and his attraction to a woman of a different species that he admires. THIS is why I love series where the books are standalones because you can always find your couple and this was mine!
9. Adiron (Corsair Brothers #1) by Ruby Dixon
Aaaannndd we're back! Ruby Dixon strikes again and while I don't think I need to mention all of her books here (seeing as it would take up the whole list) this particular book had me laughing out loud. Space pirates? Come on. A busty heroine and a blue alien boy that knows what he wants and won't give up on making her his? Yes please. Spaceships? OF COURSE. Adiron, unlike characters of the same species in Ruby's other books, was street smart, witty, and not afraid to admit that he's kind of a dumb brute. But he's also so gentle and so considerate to our heroine, who is introduced as a reluctant leader to a few stranded females in space with trust issues. I don't think I need to say anything more. Ruby has a flare for the feel-good alien romances and she remains one of the queens of alien smut. This book was comical, adorable, steamy, and I am beyond excited to read the other characters' stories!
10. Vaant (The Galaxos Crew #1) by Layla Nash/Juno Wells
I realize I have multiple books in the same series here, but when I find something I like, I like it *shrug*. I've only read a few books of this series as well, so I can't recommend all of them, so I included the two I enjoyed most. Again, we're back on the Galaxos and this is the book that started it all. I had to include this because it's a very successful first book of a series that sets the stage for the following books. I mean, come on. Sexy aliens save a bunch of sexy girls who aren't afraid of anything? I'm completely here for it. Like I said before, I enjoyed that mating wasn't the initial goal right off the bat in these books, but more a result of some chivalrous acts. That and all the characters were great. I enjoy maturity these days, being in my 30s, and it's always refreshing to see an author write good, feisty ladies without falling back on the common trap of just making them whiny and immature and troublesome.
11. Var (The Omega Collective #1) by Mina Carter/Susan Hayes
Oddly, I don't have a lot of alien invasion stories here! Although, I've read a few. This one takes place long after aliens have taken Earth. Here, the authors combine omegaverse with aliens as these hunks are alphas looking for mates. After releasing a gene-altering substance into Earth's air, some women have become omegas and if you know anything about Omegaverse stories, you know that means that all the alpha boys go NUTS over it. Like...dangerously nuts most of the time. I also liked this book because the heroine was not some naive twenty-year-old (love those, too. Don't get me wrong) but she was actually a mother desperately searching for her daughter and there was even mention of her having a few grey hairs. So this lady has been around the block. She was fiercely determined and Var was fiercely possessive and when those two personalities clash, sparks tend to fly.
12. Captured (Garrison Earth #1) by V.K. Ludwig
I said earlier, the whole "we're out of women and we need yours" thing got old really fast. But I read this in my early days of alien romance lovin' and I was pretty into it. Here, aliens have captured Earth looking for mates. Our heroine is determined to NOT be one of those mates and...well...ends up one of those mates to a big alien who thought he'd never have one. There is no insta-love here as the hero basically bribes our heroine, telling her that she can leave if she has his offspring. See, offspring is the real goal here. Mating is merely a means to that end, so the "bond" didn't just make them fall in love like these things usually do in many alien fated mates books. After our heroine agrees, their relationship becomes strictly about impregnating her, which is a rocky road since our man has no experience with fragile human women. He's dealing with a bit of a dark past, too, so the tension is high. Of course, the two start to get to know each other over days and days of nightly mating and simply being in the same general space. So when the time comes for them to part ways, you can probably determine what happens😉
13. The Alien King's Prey (Royal Aliens #1) by Loki Renard
This started off with such a bang. There's no easing you into the action here. The story opens with the destruction of a village, which is witnessed by our heroine. Realizing there's someone outside the village, our king gives chase. It's a very intense one at that where our heroine is trying to outrun a king far stronger and faster than she is. For him, it's just a game. We have Archon, who is intent on shutting down a human rebellion. Then we have a human rebel who is about as resourceful as they come and twice as determined. Archon is authoritative and used to people listening to him and Iris is about as defiant as you can imagine and when they clash, it's like a damn lover's fist fight to see who will yield first.
14. Rexor (Stolen Warriors #1) by Ella Maven
I have a confession! I didn't read the main series that this book is apparently a spinoff for. I just saw the blurb, liked the cover, and picked it up and wasn't disappointed. Ahhh, gladiators. Another common concept in alien romance and one I can't stop reading. Rexor was fierce, but also needed so many cuddles and you know there's always a place in my heart for wounded bad boys. Rexor is fiercely protective and pretty much driven to the edge before deciding to protect Daisy, our heroine, who is initially offered up as a prize to a bunch of horny gladiators. I honestly couldn't get enough of this couple. I suppose I have a lot of catching up to do because I plan on reading the rest of this series and the main series!
15. Redeeming Zorus (Cyborg Seduction #6) by Lauranne Dohner
Last on my list, but hear me out.
I have to say something. I personally have a bit of an issue with the other books in this series. I thought the relationships were very...ehem...abusive in some cases. And I'm a sucker for really aggressive men, but it has to be done right and end well with that hard-earned alpha personality not being confused with straight up cruelty. It's important to know that there are A LOT of tastes out there when it comes to romance and I respect anyone who enjoys this series (there are a lot of you out there, so obviously this author is doing something right for her fans) but I found some interactions a little hard to stomach personally. There was a lot of forced consent that didn't really strike my fancy, but I read on looking for something to like and ended up finding it in book 6. Previously, Zorus is an absolute a$$ (but I love reformed jerks , so I decided to read it) and this book is exactly what it says. It's his redemption arc and I have to say I was glad to see a woman stand up to him and turn him around, especially when previously, this author's heroines were the "roll over and cry until I like it" types. I love nothing more than women bringing big, strong, angry men to their knees, especially when they deserve it. A cyborg man who hates humans and abuses the crap out of them qualifies. Zorus ends up being humbled when he is RESCUED by one of those "lowly" humans and she doesn't take his sh*t. Now, I also have yet to find a cyborg series that I love. I suppose I don't really jive with cyborgs like I do aliens, but I did enjoy this and I really liked seeing Zorus get pushed around a little😂😂 And yes, it was steamy ♥
Thanks for reading! More lists to come as I plow through my TBR lists this spring!! What are some of YOUR favorite alien romances?