Torkel’s Chosen by Michelle Howard

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What would you do if Earth didn’t have enough men?
Would you take a chance and leave the only world you knew behind?

This is the decision Faith Reid faces. Placing all her hope in a new government program, she seizes the opportunity that offers a chance for the women of Earth to find love among the stars, on a world beyond the one they know.

How many times can one man risk rejection?
Would you give up on your dreams?

Torkel Alonson has had enough of being ignored and looked over by females on his adopted home world of Enotia. His pride has suffered and he must accept the painful truth. Females will never choose a male with his evil lineage despite his honorable service to his government’s military.

Can two people looking for the same thing find not just what they want but what they need in one another?

Torkel’s Chosen

Surprisingly good!

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💚❤️💜💖
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌏🌍
Character development: 😉☺️😘🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Solo Narration

The heroine: Faith (a.k.a. Faye) – Earth had a shortage of men after a virus took out much of the world’s population. Women outnumbered men ten to one and most women applied for the off-world singles program. Faith applied to the program three times before being accepted and that was a rarity especially since they considered 28 to be too old. She was excited to be going off-world and since human women were compatible with 90% of the alien populations, chances were good of her finding someone to love and have children with.

The Hero: Torkel – on his own world of Enotia, he was not seen as a ‘catch’, due to the the fact that he was of Marenian origin, and they had a history as slavers. He had been rejected over and over by the females of his world despite the fact that he was a respectable man with a distinguished history as a warrior and leader who often fought against Marenian slavers. He wanted nothing more than to find a chosen to love and applied to the singles program but was passed over seven times already.

The Story: Torkel had heard great thing about females from Earth. They were lively and sensual and most males who had them, were happy with their chosen. Faye and the other women were able to choose which world they wanted to go to, and she chose Enotia. Once at the choosing, she met a man who offered to pay her $20,000 to choose his friend who had not been chosen in seven years and it was his last year. She agreed, but more because of their similar circumstances than because of the money.

I liked how surprised Torkel was when Faye chose him. He was so honored and happy to be finally chosen. Though he still had trouble believing that she really wanted to stay with him. I also loved how Torkel’s friends and warriors were so interested in Faye. They asked her all sorts of questions about Earth women. She was the first one they have seen. The Enotian men looked very much like human men, though most had light blonde hair. Torkel had dark hair due to his Marenian background. They asked her if human females came in all different colors and sizes and were fascinated. They gave her something to drink and she immediately got drunk, which was a nice ice breaker.

I knew from the start that taking that money would come back to haunt Faye, and it wasn’t long before that happened. It added some mystery and intrigue to the storyline. I have read a lot of alien romance, and I liked this storyline. It seemed new and different when so many alien romance seem to be little more that retelling of the alien barbarian trope.

This audiobook was told in dual points of view via solo narration. It was narrated by Michael Pauley. He has a nice deep voice which was very pleasant sounding. He is good at doing that tempo that is a bit formal and stilted which seems to work so well for alien romance. Soft music played at the beginning and end of each chapter. I don’t think I have ever heard that before on an audiobook.

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