Defended by the Alien Devil

Brides of the Vinduthi, Book 3

De: Ava York

Narrado por: Oliver Highpoint, Mia Madison

Two battered souls now bound as fiercely as the stars, defying the darkness that sought to extinguish our light.

After endless days trapped in this cage, freedom seemed like a distant dream—until the wounded Vinduthi was thrown into my cell at the brink of death.

Still, the will to fight smoldered through him. And when I asked him to give me a claiming mark to shield me from the designs of our captors, that spark ignited into a blaze that threatened to consume us both.

Yet his stoic nature leaves me wondering . . .

Does the passion I see flickering in his eyes only reflect the yearning in my own heart?

Contains mature themes.

©2023 Ava York (P)2024 Tantor

A Gritty, Fast Alien Romance

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💜💚🩷
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: 😋😀😍😎🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration

🎧 Audiobook Review: Defended by the Alien Devil (Brides of the Vinduthi, #3)

Author: Ava York
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Narrators: Oliver Highpoint and Mia Madison

🦸🏼‍♀️ The Heroine: Mera

Mera’s long‑awaited story finally takes center stage, and it’s a rough, emotionally charged journey. After being captured while pursuing human traffickers on the Thodos III space station, she’s separated from her friend Amy — whose rescue we saw in the previous book — and left to fend for herself. Every escape attempt ends in brutal punishment, and by the time this book opens, Mera is hanging on by the thinnest thread. Her resilience is still there, but it’s battered, bruised, and close to breaking. That vulnerability makes her easy to root for and gives her arc real emotional weight.

🦸🏻‍♂️ The Hero: Kovas

Kovas is a classic hardened‑warrior type, but with enough nuance to keep him interesting. As a member of the Vinduthi Fangs Cartel, he’s sent to rescue Mera for the sake of his leader’s human mate. He’s lethal, disciplined, and emotionally stunted — not because he’s cold, but because he’s never been shown affection or care. When he’s captured and nearly beaten to death by the Aiwani, his vulnerability mirrors Mera’s in a way that sets up a compelling dynamic between them.

📚 The Plot

Locked in a cell deep in the underbelly of Thodos III, Mera is ready to make one last escape attempt — and if it fails, she’s prepared to stop fighting altogether. But everything changes when the Aiwani dump an unconscious Vinduthi warrior into her cell. Instead of giving up, she chooses compassion, tending to Kovas’s wounds and helping him recover. Their forced proximity becomes the catalyst for a tense, gritty, and ultimately hopeful escape story as they work together to evade both the Aiwani slavers and Koni, a ruthless underworld boss tightening his grip on the station.

🌟 Strengths

• Mera finally gets her moment, and it’s satisfying to see her step out of the shadows of the previous books and into her own arc — complete with danger, growth, and romance.
• Kovas’s emotional evolution is one of the highlights. Watching him learn how to connect, trust, and care adds depth to the story.
• The pairing works. Both characters are likable, their chemistry feels earned, and their happy ending is well deserved.

💔 Limitations

• The mutual low self‑esteem and constant internal doubts drag the pacing at times. Their lack of communication creates unnecessary emotional loops that could have been resolved with a single honest conversation.
• At under six hours, the audiobook feels short for the price outside of a sale. The series as a whole isn’t groundbreaking — it leans heavily on familiar alien‑romance tropes — but it’s consistently entertaining enough if you enjoy the genre.

🎙️ Narration

The dual POV structure shines thanks to Oliver Highpoint and Mia Madison. Oliver’s warm baritone gives Kovas a grounded, steady presence, while Mia’s youthful, expressive delivery captures Mera’s vulnerability and determination beautifully. Their performances elevate the material and make the emotional beats land more effectively.

💬 Final Assessment

This installment delivers a satisfying, character‑driven escape‑and‑survival romance with two protagonists who genuinely earn their connection. While the story doesn’t break new ground and occasionally leans too heavily on internal angst, Mera and Kovas’s journey is engaging, emotional, and well‑voiced. If you’re already invested in the series — or if you enjoy compact, trope‑friendly alien romances — this one is a solid, enjoyable listen, especially at a sale price.