Ruzak’s Claim by Ella Blake

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When there’s no safe place to hide you on Earth, witness protection sends you to another planet. 

Tori
That’s how divorcing a crime boss landed me across the galaxy. Unlike the other women here, I don’t want to marry one of the…okay, fine—gorgeous—Mitran males. After I’m called to testify at my ex’s trial, I’m getting back my life on Earth. But Ruzak, the aloof warlord who holds himself apart from the throng of males hoping for a bride, needs my help identifying a spy who may not be as human as she appears. One Ruzak is much more interesting than he appears.

Ruzak
In exchange for breeding females from Earth, we must allow some humans to stay on Mitra who are not here to find a mate. It’s a small price to pay to give our struggling population a chance to survive. Tori is spitting mad to be here, but the fact that she isn’t here to find love makes her an ideal choice to find the Dessican spy I know is in our midst. Tori sparks my long-dormant desires, but falling for her comes with a I will have to let her go, no matter how fiercely I wish to claim her.My books have consent and HEAs, but no cliffhangers or cheating. Thank you for reading and enjoy!

Ruzak’s Claim

Witness Protection, Planetary Edition

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💚💜💙
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋🙂🤨🤣
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Dual Narration

🛡️ Audiobook Review: Ruzak’s Claim

Series: Mitran Warlord Protectors
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Narrators: Dani California and Eric Michael Summerer.

🦸🏼‍♀️ Heroine Spotlight: Tori (a.k.a. Riley)

Tori thought she’d married a successful businessman. Instead, she’d unknowingly tied herself to an interplanetary crime lord. When she discovered the truth, she didn’t hesitate—divorce, testify, survive. But survival came at a cost: her ex tried to have her killed, and Earth was no longer safe. Enter witness protection… galactic edition. Tori is shipped to Mitra, a distant planet where she’s the only woman who doesn’t speak the native language, still wearing the blood-stained suit from the day her life imploded. Unlike the other women aboard—who came seeking mates—Tori’s mission is silence and survival. She’s meant to return to Earth for the trial, but until then, she must blend in and stay hidden.

🦸🏻‍♂️ Hero Spotlight: Ruzak

Ruzak is a Mitran warlord with a city to protect and a race on the brink of extinction. Forty-eight human women arrive, each potentially a lifeline—or a threat. One is different. One is temporary. One unsettles him. Ruzak instantly senses that Tori is the one in need of protection, and though he’s the only Mitran with a translator, he tries to keep his distance. But when his second-in-command struggles to communicate with her, Tori demands that Ruzak step in. Their connection begins not with sparks, but with necessity—and tension.

📃 Plot Pulse

Mitra doesn’t use universal translators, and Tori’s crash-course in survival didn’t include language lessons. While the other women had six months of cultural immersion, Tori was a last-minute addition—shell-shocked, unprepared, and emotionally raw. Ruzak, intrigued yet cautious, delegates her care until communication barriers force him to engage directly. Their dynamic is built on friction, guarded vulnerability, and the slow unraveling of secrets. Meanwhile, the looming threat of a Descant spy among the women adds a layer of suspense that keeps the stakes high.

💘 What Hit Home

• 🌍 The world-building was immersive, with rich detail about Mitran society and its eight cities.
• 🛡️ The witness protection twist was refreshing—no abduction trope here, just a heroine with agency and grit.
• 🕵️‍♀️ The spy subplot added intrigue and delivered a satisfying surprise.

🧐 What Fell Flat

• 💔 The chemistry between Tori and Ruzak felt muted. Their emotional connection never quite ignited, which made the romance arc feel more functional than fiery.

🎧 Narration Notes
Told in dual POVs with dual narration, the audiobook features Dani California and Eric Michael Summerer.

• 🎙️ Dani California’s voice is pleasant, though her delivery leans more “reading aloud” than “immersive performance.”
• 🎧 Eric Michael Summerer brings depth and clarity, with expressive pacing that adds weight to Ruzak’s chapters. He was the standout for me.

📝 Final Takeaway

A sci-fi romance with a unique premise, solid world-building, and a heroine who refuses to be a victim. While the emotional payoff between the leads didn’t fully land, the political tension and survival stakes kept me invested. If you’re looking for a futuristic twist on witness protection with a side of alien diplomacy, this one’s worth a listen.

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