BOOK REVIEW- THE CHOOSING

Ziri Mokuru has lived her entire life in the rural village of Arden Hollow on the planet Tersi. While her parents are off having adventures and being Very Important People, she’s struggled simply to find a place where she belongs. One night, she investigates a disturbance in her home and discovers an armor-clad man sorting through her belongings. Her first thought is for her parents’ safety, not to question why this man is in her home late at night without even the courtesy of knocking. After all, no one among the trusting Tersii breaks into someone else’s home without a good reason.

Ryn abid Alna has an excellent reason for sneaking into Ziri’s home. After years spent scraping together enough vud for the bride price, he’s finally ready to steal a wife. One look at Ziri’s sweet smile and Ryn decides no other woman will do. She can fix anything she touches, so why not the loneliness he’s lived with since he was enslaved as a young boy?

Though Ziri longs for love, she’s not so sure she’s ready to settle down with the man who kidnapped her, especially after he jumps her into a nest of Sweepers, a sinister alien race bent on mayhem and destruction. As the day draws near when she faces Ryn’s family on the Choosing field, Ziri ponders the hardest decision of her life: Fight for Ryn and the place he’s made for her in his heart or choose another man as a life mate and risk never knowing love.  AMAZON  5 STARS

OK, I hemmed and hawed before getting this book.  I really enjoy a GOOD  story like this if it is a GOOD one.   And this one didn't disappoint.   I say that because I have read a few with a similar story about a woman being kidnapped by an alien to be his bride.   So many of those that I have read have been disappointing  to me.  The reason is because it was more like it was sex with a story written around it.   Not this one, although there will be sex later on in the book, it was not overboard detailed.   It had a good story with main characters I connected with and good secondary people as well.  I thought the world building and culture was pretty good too. There was romance, friendships and evil aliens as expected too.  The " Sweepers" were well drawn, creepy and lethal.  The fight scenes were good in this book, and not just with the Sweepers.  The Choosing event and things leading up to it were different and I didn't know exactly what to expect.  
I think one of the things that made this book even more likable to me was the sweetness that Ryn  showed at times towards Ziri.  Oh yeah and the cuddling.  Also that he wasn't afraid to let her use some of her strengths as long as they didn't help her escape him.  The emotions in the book came through really well.  Even as a friendship between Ziri and Ryn starts to develop, the insecurities and fears were able to understand clearly.  I liked Ryn's second family and how loving his family was.  

There is an excerpt of another book in the series called, "Alien Mine".
On a side note, I wonder if there will be a book about Ryn's sister, Tyelu in the future?