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Planet of Desire #2

Captive Desire

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Gahnin, a Ssedez general, hasn't had a woman since his first mate died a century ago. And since his kind can live for a thousand years, he's still bound by traditional mourning. If he breaks mourning, he could lose his position in the Ssedez military. His friends and family. Everything.

That means no falling in love. No lust. No sex. For another century.

Then he's ordered to guard Assura, a human woman and military special operative, on a planet whose atmosphere causes a sexual arousal so fierce, it drives people insane if it isn't satisfied.

Even though he tries to keep Assura at arm's length, he's hooked. Forbidden desire called to life by a human, the same species who killed his first mate. Assura needs his body if she is going to live. But if he gives in to his passion, it could destroy him.

Each book in the Planet of Desire series is
* Toxic Desire
* Captive Desire

242 pages, ebook

First published November 19, 2018

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About the author

Robin Lovett

16 books287 followers
ROBIN LOVETT enjoys writing romance to avoid the more unsavory things in life, like day jobs, housework, and personal demons. To feed her coffee and chocolate addictions, she can frequently be found overdosing on mochas. When not writing with her cat, she’s busy embracing untamable curly hair and adventuring in the outdoors with her husband.

Her newest sci-fi romance series on KU is ALIEN QUARANTINE RESCUE. Her other sci-fi series, PLANET OF DESIRE series features a sex planet, kick-ass heroines and, of course, ultra hot aliens.

Her dark romance thrillers STRANGER, DECEIVER, and KEEPER feature heroines who know what they want and sexy anti-heroes who know how to give it to them.

Check out her extra free stories available through her email list http://www.romancelovett.com/contact/
Find her on Twitter and Facebook @LovettRomance

For the writers, check out her weekly posts on #RWChat, a Twitter chat for romance writers every Sunday evening. She also writers a monthly romance writing column on diyMFA.com. She is represented by Rachel Brooks of BookEnds Literary Agency.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
December 20, 2021

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The Planet of Desire series is so weird that I kind of can't help but love it. Normally books that are all smut don't really do it for me (I'm just not super into that), but one thing I like about these books is the intense emotional connection that ends up building between the leads with some truly creative world-building in the background. It's kind of like X-rated Star Trek fic, in a way. Like, I could totally see this happening in one of those weird eps that fans prefer to think of as non-canon. "Oops, we landed on a horny planet and ended up fucking our way through the Sex Olympics while the pervy overlords watched and judged us" definitely feels like a Kirk move.



And it's exactly what happens here. Assura is part of the human crew of the ship that crashed on a planet whose toxic atmosphere makes everyone horny unless they take the antidote developed by the god-like and sex-loving Fellamana who reside there. Their ship was attacked by the Ssedez, gold scaled humanoids who were hunted to near extinction by the humans and have a lot of reason to hate our guts. But ever since their commander, Oten, mated with a human, he's become a lot more sympathetic towards the human cause.



So Assura is being guarded by Gahnin, whose mate was killed by humans. And it's hot and he's horny and you can imagine what happens. Although then he and Assura end up fighting and violence is not permitted on the Horny Planet, so they're dragged in for punishment: competing in the sex olympics (ha! bet you thought I was joking about that) so they aren't left to suffer without the antidote. And it seems like things might be pretty good except Gahnin has a lot of angst and mixed feelings about his attraction to a human and Assura has demons and past loves of her own that she needs to confront.



I actually liked this book a little more than the previous book. It wasn't as slow to start and it was a lot darker. There's a pretty twisted villain and some serious fucked-up shit. I saw some critical reviews taking issue with Assura's dark past and I guess how you feel about that will depend on whether you think people who have done bad things can be redeemed or even want to read about that. I don't mind it in fiction because fiction, to me, is a fantasy (and not, you know, something I have to think about in terms of real-world consequences), but I get that people who have maybe dealt with abusers might find that sort of storyline triggering. So, that's something to keep in mind when picking this up, I guess.



Overall, this series is pretty fun. It's porn with plot (PWP) and I'm okay with that. I'll probably read the next book soonish because I waited too long between #1 and #2 and forgot a lot of what happened.



3 to 3.5 stars
Profile Image for Lydia.
491 reviews58 followers
April 29, 2020
All praise hot aliens and that freaking planet! Desidre is a god-send for us to enjoy this awesome series, and you can't convince me otherwise! I'll fight you, don't try me!

So, remember Gahnin? The Ssedez who had lost his mate? Didn't I tell ya guys he'd find another HEA?! Well, not easily, mind you. Because it seems that his instincts are trying to point him towards Assura, one of the humans that crashed on that lust-crazed planet, and of course he's not too keen about it. Her, too. She'd rather die than sleep with him! But guess what, dearies? You can't escape your hearts' true desires for long!

Honestly, this series keeps getting better as it goes on. One would think that one book about a chemical in the atmosphere of a planet causing aliens and humans to sleep together unless they want to suffer would be enough, but really, it only escalated from there. The second book was even more complex, and had more action, and tension, and sooooo many twists! And the emotional heartbreak was out of this world!!! (also, let no one tell you that the sexy festival scenes are nothing short of a masterpiece!)

I simply cannot praise this book and the series enough! Assura's past and all that inner turmoil she was going through, plus Gahnin and his own past and problems because of Ssedez traditions, it all added to the pressure! Plus, those bad guys that Nemona and her crew were talking about? Yeah, they're here, people! Which means the humans, Ssedez, AND Fellamana are in danger! Time to buckle up!

I just love how this series works in a way that makes you thirst for the next book, without leaving you hanging or feeling unsatisfied! A total recommendation, all around!

Next up is Koviye, and let me tell you, I've been waiting for this blue boy for a looong time! His sarcasm and lack of restraint, plus the fact he's clearly set on Jenie, will surely not disappoint!

***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***

Read this and other reviews at: http://cupcakesandpopcorn.wordpress.com/
Profile Image for Maria Rose.
2,557 reviews265 followers
April 6, 2019
A title like Captive Desire may put you in mind of a 1980s old school romance with a Fabio cover, but this book dates from 2018 and is the the second erotic science fiction story in Robin Lovett’s Planet of Desire series. It’s an opposites attract romance featuring two species previously at war who are stuck on a planet where desire can be deadly. While sex is definitely a big highlight of the book, combine it with some unique world building and intriguing character dilemmas and you’ve got an enjoyable read.

Assura is a military operations specialist, recently defected from the human Ten Systems brutal regime. Along with her crewmates, she stole a ship, the Origin, and crash landed on the planet Fyrian after a fierce battle with the Ssedez, a golden skinned alien species seeking revenge for the human decimation of their race over a hundred years before. For both species, the air is toxic and makes them crazed with lust that is barely slaked by sexual acts (solo or otherwise).

Ssedez General Gahnin was widowed when his first mate was killed by humans during the disastrous war that caused his people to obliterate their home planet to fool humans into thinking they’d been exterminated while escaping to a new home. He’s expected to observe another traditional century of mourning before looking for a new mate and his attraction to the enemy human is more than just disturbing – it could ostracize him from his people. But like Assura, he is powerless to stop the urge to relieve the lust. Forced to work with Assura as the human crew works to repair The Origin, they agree to use each other to keep the madness at bay. There is an antidote to the atmospheric poison that helps in some circumstances, but isn’t enough for Gahnin’s mating urge not to be triggered. Is Assura his real destiny or is fate playing a cruel trick on two strangers forced to work together to survive?

The sex scenes in this romance are plentiful and not only provide some erotic titillation (especially the ‘sex games’ that Gahnin and Assura have to participate in for the pleasure of the planet’s local inhabitants) but are a useful device for keeping our main characters attached by various body parts. It’s an extreme version of a forced proximity romance. When Assura and Gahnin aren’t making out, they are sharing their life experiences with each other and discovering that labelling someone ‘an enemy’ is a lot easier when you don’t see them up close and personal. Having hated humans for so long, Gahnin reluctantly comes to admire Assura for her strength and courage, more important to him than his physical attraction to her body. Developing real feelings for her, the stirrings of the mating bond are alarming but when it comes to the point where he realizes he would risk his life to save hers, he can’t deny those feelings any longer no matter that his mourning period is not over. But these are extraordinary circumstances and his fellow Ssedez aren’t as quick to judge as he’d expect (especially since his commanding offer has also fallen for a human in book one of the series, Toxic Desire).

Assura’s feelings are more complicated, made so especially by her role on the starship Hades under the brutal leadership of General Dargule before she defected and joined The Origin. She’d been in charge of prisoners and forced into situations requiring her to do things she despised. One of her prisoners was a Ssedez, and she worries about what Gahnin will think when he finds out. Her brash exterior hides a damaged psyche and it will take more than a roll in the hay to make her believe she’s worthy of Gahnin.

There are some action-packed scenes throughout the story, and the Ten Systems regime is not about to let a bunch of rebels get away so easily, which makes for an intense finale. While our couple finds a compromise to get their happy ending, there are more Origin crew suffering the same lustful toxicity who will be seen in future books. Captive Desire doesn’t pretend to be a serious science fiction novel and won’t be for everyone. But sometimes hot aliens, imaginative sex scenes and otherworldly adventures are the perfect escapist read.

This review also appears at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...

A copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
Profile Image for Kazen.
1,444 reviews307 followers
July 17, 2020
I'm enjoying turning to this series when my other reading (currently nonfiction for the Booktube Prize) is heavy or otherwise overwhelming. I liked the plot of this book better than the first - it's more cohesive and better paced, with a redemption arc as well as a realization arc of sorts, if that's a thing.

Steamy romance on a sex-positive planet populated by hot aliens, with some action sequences thrown in as icing? Yes, please. Definitely picking up the next book in the series when life once again gets to be too much.
300 reviews9 followers
June 28, 2023
Steam 5/5 - hot af

Romance: 3.25/5 - Meh, it gets there. The enemies-to-lovers situation takes up a lot of space.

Characters: 3/5 - I found them less likeable than the couple from the first book, but it was fine.

Plot: 3/5 - Again, not as likable as the first book but that's not really the point 😅 We're here for the sex pollen.

Rereadable: Somehow, it still gets 5 stars from me. It's not perfect, but it's great at what it's trying to be and I'm here for it.

Continuing with series/author: big yes
Profile Image for romancelibrary.
1,226 reviews575 followers
November 23, 2018
I received an advance reading copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Omg...I'm sold on the whole sexy alien romance obsession that other romance readers have been raving about. Captive Desire was such an addicting book. I couldn't put it down!!

Captive Desire works as a standalone even though it is the second book in the Planet Desire series. I enjoyed this book so much I went right ahead and purchased the first book, Toxic Desire.

If you're in the mood for a super sexy alien romance, I highly recommend this one! On top of being super sexy, it packs a lot of crazy banana action and awesome character and relationship development. I was totally captivated with Assura and Gahnin from the very beginning and couldn't wait for these two find their HEA.

Nov 23, 2018: Toxic Desire is on sale for 99c
Next book: Stolen Desire (Jenie and Koviye!!!)
Profile Image for Ollie Z Book Minx.
1,820 reviews19 followers
June 25, 2019
CW: torture & malicious sadism (plus that being equated to kink sadism)

Hmmmm. I really liked most of this, especially in the ways that it differs from book one - being a more intensive version of the same thing. Enhanced world building and even hotter sex than the last one. Solid writing.

However, I couldn’t get behind the reformed / regretful torturer storyline, with her former victims convincing her of her awesomeness (vomit), and I’m not remotely ok with the blithe equation of torture and kink in what’s clearly meant to be a mark of sex positivity that fails for me rather spectacularly. This makes an excellent case for staying in one’s lane where the support of a so-called ally is harmful af, however well meaning.
Profile Image for Ava.
1,087 reviews1,595 followers
January 12, 2021
WOW

this book is 🥵🥵🥵

I absolutly adore this series and am so glad that I decided to continue after loveing book one!!
I don't think that I loved this one more than the first book though.
The military aspect wasn't necessarily my favrotire thing to read about. I also feel like there could have been more development about both of the character's pasts.

(but WOW that "game" scene 😏)
Profile Image for mara0b.
292 reviews
March 1, 2021
I read this one last year but somehow forgot to log it in, oops.

Honestly, I don't remember much about it except that I liked it a lil less than books one but it was pretty solid, RL always gets me with some strong emotions and I appreciate that!
Profile Image for Chris.
1,394 reviews39 followers
April 9, 2021
This was another great read. The story just pulls you in. Assura and Gahnin were so interesting to read about. They hid a lot from each other, but they were still able to see the goodness in each other. I'm still happy that I started reading this series.
Profile Image for Laura Brown.
Author 10 books345 followers
December 5, 2018
Hot, hot, HOT! This book started with a bang, the attraction between Assura and Gahnin palpable from the very start. This enemies to lovers romance is filled twists and turns, and amazing off the charts sex. I love how the author gets the heat across, while also giving the characters depth and emotional growth. Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Suzanne.
1,027 reviews39 followers
November 7, 2018
This book. *fans self*

Captive Desire is the second in Robin Lovett's Planet of Desire series of erotic sci-fi romances. Each book stands alone and I can confirm that I really enjoyed this one without having yet read the first, Toxic Desire. The premise is that a ship of rebel humans has been shot down and crash-landed on a sex planet. Yes, there's a toxin in the air that makes everyone need to have sex. Without an antidote, the toxin will eventually kill them.

On the planet are two groups, the Fellamana and the Ssedez. The Fellamana are native to the sex planet and have very fluid attitudes toward sex and desire and intimacy. The Ssedez are not so open, in large part because they have what they call "The Attachment," their version of fated mates.

The hero of this novel, Gahnin, lost his mate 100 years ago when humans killed her and their child. The mourning period is set at 200 years, so he's still in morning when the book begins. The heroine, Assura, is a human who's worked for years as a professional torturer for the human general, Dargrule. (We find out later that she took on the job so she could help the people she was assigned to torture, it's complicated.) True enemies-to-lovers.

Anyway, they meet up and she's taken prisoner for a short period. Then she and Gahnin fight, which breaks the Fellamana nonviolence laws. Their punishment? They have to participate in the sex games. By this point, the hero and heroine have already been engaging in all manner of sex-planet-induced shenanigans, and their "display" is intense. There's a lot of sex in this book, some of it rather inventive.

While this is an erotic romance, it's still definitely a romance. The two are reluctant to open their hearts, but all of the sex is enthusiastically consensual. There are repeated check-ins and it doesn't feel coercive like some sci-fi romances I've read.

There's also a substantial plot involving the spaceship that Assura and the rebels broke off from. I won't spoil it for you, but it was definitely rewarding. My one complaint is that I wanted the book to be a bit longer, with more of an emotional payoff for the central couple. There's absolutely an HEA, but Gahnin gives in to the Attachment pretty swiftly.

I have the first book on my Kobo and I plan to dig in this weekend. These are intense (and excellent) books, which means I read until around 2 am and that's not a weeknight activity!
Profile Image for Leigh Kramer.
Author 1 book1,335 followers
November 21, 2018
This packed the heat and then some! I'm going to have to read the first book in the series asap but I didn't feel lost not having read it. Captive Desire is erotic sci-fi romance and it kicked off with quite a bang.

Assura and Gahnin cross paths once Assura's ship is shot down by Gahnin's team. Are they drawn to each other because they're on a sex planet or because there's something more? The desidre, the toxin in the air which makes everyone want to have sex, can have deadly consequences if you don't have the antidote and it also serves as a handy excuse for them to act on their lust.

But there are big barriers in place. As is Ssedez custom, Gahnin has been grieving the loss of his mate for 100 years and has 100 years to go before his period of mourning will end. Moving on any sooner is a huge taboo for his people but to complicate things further, Ten Systems killed his mate and Assura is Ten Systems. He really struggles with knowing what to do, especially when he's so drawn to Assura. It was really gripping to watch him wrestle with his grief and his attraction to Assura.

Assura, on the other hand, is torn because, as a Ten Systems rebel, she has done some horrible things to the Ssedez. She wants to make amends but she doesn't feel worthy of anything more. But she also doesn't want to give up her sexy times with Gahnin. It's a quandary and I loved watching these two give into their desires, while also grappling with what the other person means to them and whether they can have a future together. When they weren't fighting each other, they were really good to one another and I especially enjoyed how Gahnin saw the best in Assura once he got to know her.

The world-building was well-developed, particularly what makes the Ssedez and Fellamana (who live on this planet) unique. This was a super steamy, fun read! I really enjoyed the ride and look forward to reading more from Lovett.

Disclosure: I received an advanced copy from Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Lauren loves llamas.
841 reviews91 followers
November 25, 2018
I think this is being billed more as erotica than straight romance, though it does have an HEA, so I’m just going to call it a romance. A completely bonkers bananapants romance, but still – I have a particular soft spot for scifi romance, and this really hit the mark, plus it’s got the enemies-to-lovers trope. While this is the second book in the series, it works pretty well as a standalone, as I read it without reading the previous book. The only area I felt a bit out of place with was the rebels and their place in the whole galactic war thing, but I got enough of the gist to understand what was happening.

Assura and the rest of the human rebels have crash-landed on a planet inhabited by the Fellamana, the natives, and the Ssedez, who’ve been at war with the humans for centuries. Things happened in the past book that have led the Ssedez to ally with the human rebels, so Gahnin, one of their commanders, is sent to find and rescue Assura. Why does she need rescuing? Well, many of the rebels got separated after the crash, and it just so happens that the planet has some sort of airborne toxin that turns people into sex maniacs (and then kills them, painfully), but, luckily, the Fellamana have an antidote that reduces the worst of the symptoms. Gahnin is in mourning for his wife and child, killed nearly a hundred years ago by humans, so it’s definitely unexpected and unwanted for him to feel the beginnings of The Attachment (basically a fated mates type bonding) with Assura. For her part, Assura’s struggling with her past as a torturer under the orders of the evil human general. So, we’ve got a hot snake-like alien man, a sex planet, some sort of rebellion set in the midst of a galactic war, and two extremely horny but ill-suited people.

“Don’t die,” he breathes against my mouth. “I forbid you to die.” His guttural tone holds the kind of authority that I bet even nature couldn’t defy.
I shake my head. “I have no plans of dying. But I do have plans of saving. Let’s do this.”


I liked both Assura and Gahnin and found their conflicted emotions towards their relationship very understandable. Gahnin’s worried about his betrayal – as he sees it – of his mourning period for his family with someone from the species who killed them, and how that would be viewed by the rest of the Ssedez. Assura has her own trauma to deal with, including feeling unworthy of love due to what she sees as her unforgivable past crimes. She’s fiercely independent and unwilling to let Gahnin help her out, let alone open up to him. What they do share a lot of, though, is sex, absolute bucketloads of sex, some just for the heck of it (hiii, maybe don’t have sex in a random corridor if you don’t want the other Ssedez to hear you!) and some, well, also just for the heck of it, but with higher stakes. So, for example – at one point, soon after they first meet, Assura has had enough with Gahnin insisting on accompanying her to find the rest of the crash-landed rebels, so she basically starts a fight to try to escape. The Fellamana, the indigenous species of the planet, are strict pacifists and take a dim view of the violence, and threaten to withdraw the sex toxin antidote as punishment. The only alternative is to pass it off as a sort of weird alien foreplay, meaning they’ll have to be participants at the Fellamana’s appropriately named Sex Games, where you gain points for creativity and number of orgasms. But, ok, as much as I’m joking about it, it was ridiculously fun to read. There’s some pretty fun action bits as well once Assura joins back up with the rebels, and I thought that added a nice touch to the book. There’s also some particularly interesting bits about consent, both sexual and in terms of Assura and Gahnin sharing their secrets with each other.

“All right, in the name of diplomacy.” I face the Fellamana. “We consent.” I can’t say it with a straight face. Never would I ever have thought diplomacy and sex could go together, but however these games are going to work, I’m into the surprise of finding out.


As for cons, I wish the book was longer. Things at the end felt a bit rushed, with both characters succumbing to The Attachment, Gahnin especially, a bit too quickly after all his protestations. And one more minor pet peeve – part of The Attachment is that by giving in to it, Gahnin’s venom will basically turn Assura into a Ssedez. The loss of her humanity seemed to not bother Assura at all – I think her reaction could be paraphrased into “Sweet! Armored skin and a longer life span? YES!” – but was jarring to me.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book, and I’ve already bought the first in the series to read when I have the time. If you’re looking for a very sexy, somewhat angsty romance with a side of action, this fits the bill!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Profile Image for Gigi staub.
942 reviews18 followers
November 20, 2018
Gahnin, a Ssedez general, hasn't had a woman since his first mate died a century ago. And since his kind can live for a thousand years, he's still bound by traditional mourning. If he breaks mourning, he could lose his position in the Ssedez military. His friends and family. Everything.

That means no falling in love. No lust. No sex. For another century.

Then he's ordered to guard Assura, a human woman and military special operative, on a planet whose atmosphere causes a sexual arousal so fierce, it drives people insane if it isn't satisfied.

Even though he tries to keep Assura at arm's length, he's hooked. Forbidden desire called to life by a human, the same species who killed his first mate. Assura needs his body if she is going to live. But if he gives in to his passion, it could destroy him.

Review:
Another super sexy story in this series!

This is book two in this series, taking us back to the "Fire" planet. This erotic sci-fi story is full of action and not just the sexual kind. I loved the enemies to lovers story and that it was set out in the universe was very enticing to me. In this story Assura, a human, part of the rebels who crashed on the Fire planet and Gahnin, a Ssedez are of enemy species who have been at war for 100's of years. Gahnin has been asked by his general Oten to look out for Assura leads to an attraction that neither Assure or Gahnin want to happen. Both have their reasons, which I will not give away as to why this attraction should not happen, but both are not capable of fighting it or the planet and it's effect on their sexuality. The story is filled with action, suspense and sexy goodness, to keep the story well-rounded and the reader interested.

I really loved this second story, it has a lot of depth besides the sexy goodness.

4Stars
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*

Profile Image for Elizabeth Neal.
1,684 reviews141 followers
November 26, 2018
Gahnin, a Ssedez general, has been without a woman since his mate died a century before, but, as is the way of his people, he's considered to still be in mourning, despite the fact they can live for a thousand years. If he stops, falls in love, has sex or anything to break his grief, before another century passes, he'll lose his position.

When he's given an assignment, he assumes it'll be pretty easy, except it'll be far from it. His protectee, Assura is human and a military special operative. There's also the fact she's on a planet where the very atmosphere causes an arousal so fierce it can drive you insane if it isn't satisfied.

He tries to keep Assura at a distance but it's hard as she intrigues him. He's hooked on her, on how she makes him feel. Yet, there's the added complication of the fact her species is responsible for the death of his mate so many years ago. But, in order to live, Assura needs his body, needs him to satisfy her, but to do so could destroy him.

What will Gahnin do? Will he put Assura first, even if it means going against all he believes in? Can he handle being intimate with a human, the same species that killed his mate? What happens when Gahnin and Assura realize there's more between them that was the atmosphere is responsible for? Is a HEA possible?

One-click now and follow along as two people, seemingly enemies due to circumstances beyond Assura's control, must decide which path to take...life or death.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.**
Profile Image for FV Angela.
1,384 reviews129 followers
November 27, 2018
Review originally posted at http://smexybooks.com/2018/11/angelas...

Favorite Quote:

She is everything. She is all there is. Her body is my universe. For now.


I’ve been reading quite a bit of fantasy/urban fantasy/science fiction romance lately. This might sound weird, but when I feel like everything is a total dumpster fire I want stories that completely sweep me away to another world.

Captive Desire is the second book in a series set on a planet where the very atmosphere is an aphrodisiac. The hero is a Ssedez General named Gahnin, who has remained celibate since losing his mate in the war with the humans almost a hundred years ago. His people tend to be very long lived and remain in mourning for at least two hundred years. To form an attachment with another too soon is to disrespect his deceased mate. When he is tasked by his commander with caring for a human rebel who stumbles into the main camp suffering from extreme pheromone poisoning, he knows despite her status as his enemy he must service her needs.

Assura is more than the average human ship mate. She was also the main enforcer and torturer for the Ten Systems leader who helped slaughter the Ssedez and drive them from their home world. When she is rescued, nearly out of her mind with lust and in pain from masturbating, she is taken to an infirmary run by the Fellamana, who are the native inhabitants of the planet. Gahnin gives her release from her lust and she falls into a peaceful sleep. When she awakens her first reaction is panic and distrust and to battle her way out of the closed room. What she doesn’t realize its that violence is against the law. No biggie though, their punishment ends up being a entry into the sex games where they end up being the star attraction. They put on quite a show and are rewarded with their freedom.

HOLY SMOKES THIS BOOK IS SEXTASTICLY HOT.

Assura and Gahnin have sex a lot. A lot, lot. In every possible position. With people watching, without people watching, bent over railings, tied up, tied down, half dressed, undressed, half delirious with pheromone poisoning, if you can think it… it probably happened. And there was always consent between them. There might have been some dirty looks afterward and two people trying to convince themselves they only did it for the relief, because after all this is an enemies to lovers romance, but there was always consent and I LOVED IT.

BUT WAIT, there’s more!!! There is a subplot involving that Ten Systems commander I mentioned earlier and I won’t give spoilers, but it did help me understand Assura better and led to some pretty hot sexy times and helped our couple finally accept their HEA together.

This was good stuff and I thoroughly enjoyed. I can’t wait for book 3.

Final Grade- B+
Profile Image for Meags.
197 reviews19 followers
November 17, 2018

As I am currently under the weather, this review is going to be much shorter than I'd like, but release day is coming up and so I want this to be out in the world. 

I LOOOVED Toxic Desire, the first book in the Planet of Desire series by Robin Lovett. It was one of those books that had a lot of buzz among the people I follow on Twitter and I decided to check it out on a whim one day, especially since at that time I was still trying to complete my Popsugar 2018 challenge (I've given up on that, y'all.) and it filled the requirement for set on another planet.

Book one covers all of the world-building, and book two picks up almost immediate where book one leaves off - Assura, one of General Nemona's fellow rebels, was thought for dead but has been spotted, delirious with fever from the desidre, the condition of nearly lethal horniness caused by the toxins emitted from the planet's atmosphere. Gahnin is one of the Ssedez generals, under the command of book one's hero, Oten, and before Oten and Nemona leave the horny planet on a hardware errands to repair the rebel ship that crashed in book one, he is tasked with caring for Assura, making sure she is taken care of and well.

But It can't be that easy. Even with the topuy, the antidote that lessens the more serious aspects of the desidre, continuous coupling is still basically mandatory. Neither Assura nor Gahnin want to feed that side of themselves, and Gahnin particularly has much prejudice against humans for killing his mate during the big war between the Ten Systems and the Ssedez. The Fellamana, who live on this horny planet, rope both Gahnin and Assura into their sex games, which is exactly what it sounds like, and apparently they are so great at it, that diplomatic relations are secured. 

So much more happens in this book, but I feel like to get a real sense of it, you really need to read it. It's a fantastic book, and the world building is amazing. It can technically be a standalone, as a lot of things that happen in book one are explained quickly throughout the plot. I found it a quick and fun read, and highly entertaining.  
November 20, 2018
I received this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review. I have not read book 1. But I will ASAP. This book starts off with a bang. High points for real alien with actual alien features. This book has really good world building. I’ve read ALOT of alien romance and this one surprised me ALOT. I enjoyed the adversarial nature of the couples relationship. It can appeal to many different types of readers. This book has the classic trope of dead spouse. I hate those. The dead spouse is hard to live up to. Not a spoiler because it discusses it in the blurb. His has been dead a CENTURY! These two were sooo HOT.
He is still considered a widow and it’s faux pas to even be thinking of another female let alone a human female. The Fellamana people are fascinating. If your a sci-fi Alien romance lover this is one you can’t miss.
Profile Image for Linda Rea.
2,184 reviews15 followers
November 8, 2018
This is actually a love story with beings from other planets and humans. The Ssedez have captured a human ship and Gahnin has been charged to watch over the fragile human Assura who has to be treated. Gahnin hates the humans as they are responsible for his mates death but something about her calls to him. Gahnin has mourned his mate for a century and he still has another to go but the desidre in the air is making Assura impossible to resist. Along with everything else the leader of the Ten Systems is out to capture both of them. Both Gahnin and Assura are very tough but even though they are foes their attraction to each other overrules everything.
Reviewed on behalf of Once upon an Alpha
Profile Image for Elizabeth Silver.
Author 27 books129 followers
January 8, 2019
Okay, look. Enemies to frenemies who bang to lovers with a dash of sex pollen aliens made them do it? SIGN ME THE HELL UP. This book was hot as hell, but more importantly, really well-written with a solid plot that *needs* all the boning. And what tasty boning it was.

This was my first book in the series, but I didn't feel lost in the slightest. Also, the author pretty much dared me to read this because I was bitching about badly done 1st person POV, and you know what? She knocked the 1st person out of the park, and even with the alternating POVs I still felt like the narrative was smooth and well presented.

Also: Sex. Games.

So. Yanno. *ahem*
Profile Image for Once Upon An Alpha.
365 reviews82 followers
April 20, 2019
This is actually a love story with beings from other planets and humans. The Ssedez have captured a human ship and Gahnin has been charged to watch over the fragile human Assura who has to be treated. Gahnin hates the humans as they are responsible for his mates death but something about her calls to him. Gahnin has mourned his mate for a century and he still has another to go but the desidre in the air is making Assura impossible to resist. Along with everything else the leader of the Ten Systems is out to capture both of them. Both Gahnin and Assura are very tough but even though they are foes their attraction to each other overrules everything. - Reviewed by Linda
Profile Image for Rox.
580 reviews26 followers
April 11, 2022
After reading a bunch of closed door romances, I picked up Book 2 of Robin Lovett's Sex Planet series. It's exactly what you think - folks shipwrecked on an aphrodisiac planet. Captive Desire is the love story of Assura, a human warrior, who is attracted to Gahnin, an alien whose mate was killed by humans a century ago.

✅ Enemies to lovers
✅ Forced proximity
✅ Fated mates

A pretty bonkers read that I recommend if you enjoyed Ice Planet Barbarians. I didn't enjoy as much as the first book; I preferred the H/h in Toxic Desire and that book had some wonderfully weird and funny moments.

Steam 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Banter 🗣
Swoon 💕💕
Profile Image for Maria Recinos.
115 reviews2 followers
November 20, 2018
Ok I been dying to read this book. The cover of the first book caught my attention and after that I was a goner, I started stalking Robin LOL, This second book...no words.. I fell in love with Gahnin. The chemistry of the characters is strong, I know it seems that they can't help it, but then you realize how charming and hot the Ssedez are. You are begging them to bite you just one time. I was eager to return to the hot and sexy planet and I want more, perhaps a sexy Fellamana?? Pretty please. 5 sexy stars.
Profile Image for Sheena ☆ Book Sheenanigans .
1,450 reviews433 followers
November 14, 2018
I've received a ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have never read a fantasy erotica before so I decided to dive in and give this a chance. I wasn't too sure what to think of the plot, chapter, etc. but it's overall ok/mediocre (from what I've read up too). Lots of 'fun' times between the characters and if you want to step out of your comfort zone, I definitely suggest giving his a try.
Profile Image for Tammy.
9,058 reviews45 followers
November 19, 2018
This is the second book in the series and can be read as a stand-alone. Gahnin lost is mate a century ago and is in mourning. That means no sex for another century when he is sent to guard Assura a human woman on a planet that causes sexual arousal will he save Assura or keep his position within his planet’s military? Fast-paced with lots of twists and turns. Entertaining story with plenty of steam. I liked it.
Profile Image for Joanna.
239 reviews6 followers
November 21, 2018
This was an amazing example of fated mates without the hero giving off problematic vibes. It was incredibly hot and erotic and I love an author who isn’t afraid to use the words fuck and cunt.
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