Tempted by Celestial Bodies is an exceptional 15-story anthology featuring a diverse collection of novellas from multiple talented authors. This anthology truly offers something for everyone, with a variety of themes and tones to suit any mood.

One of the standout aspects of this collection is its versatility—I loved being able to jump between stories based on my mood, and each novella I've read has been both engaging and enjoyable. Whether you're looking for a quick escape or a story to savor, this anthology delivers on all fronts.

I highly recommend Tempted by Celestial Bodies to anyone looking for fun, captivating, and varied reads. It's perfect for readers who enjoy exploring a range of voices and styles within a single collection.

15 spicy alien romance adventure stories from various authors
A wide range of different scifi alien creatures, civilizations, planets.
Storylines include gangster/mafia, casinos, night clubs, space/sea ships
All stories have HEAs with warriors, leaders, star crossed lovers, fated mates, enemies to lovers
This is a queer friendly collection with demi, bi, non binary rep

[I received a digital ARC for an honest review]

If you are looking for a fun anthology of short, spicy sci-fi and you have an open mind-- then this is the book for you!


The things that I enjoyed about this book:
- Variety! There is a story for almost every taste.
- Well written! The authors in this anthology clearly love what they do and care about doing it well.

Things that did not enjoy about this book:
- I would have liked to see one story that was M/M. There were such a variety of couples, that the fact that there wasn't one M/M story just kind of stuck out to me.

Overall, I am impressed with this collection. I feel like the stories were well thought out and compiled nicely. Usually I am kind of a slow burn girlie myself, but most of the stories did a good job of providing good backdrops and lead-ups to the smut. Each story ended with a short bio about the author with some mentions of other works, which I think was a nice touch. It felt like I was taking part in a sampling menu, and being gently guided to where I can find those I liked the best.

This was so fun to read. I loved that each new novella started with art work, that helped so much with visualizing the characters. Full break down below ⬇️

Praise Dilf! A Casino Caper by Aurelie Bell
5 ⭐️s 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Fated mates
Some very interesting things going on here including a fun rescue mission. I laughed a lot and it was sooo fun to read!

Bound to the Primal Prince by Charissa Weaks
4.5 ⭐️s 🌶️🌶️1/2
Arranged marriage, dislike to love/reluctant attraction
Some great action in this one, it really kept my interest!

Crocheter’s Guide to Alien Conservation by Elisse Hay
4 ⭐️s 🌶️1/2
Slow burn
The language misunderstandings were confusing at times, but mostly they were hilarious 😆 Really love this planet and society. Liked the ending, but felt like a I needed an epilogue.

Resonant Drives by Erin Fulmer
4 ⭐️s 🌶️🌶️
Fated mates, captor x captive
At first, I was a bit confused, though I was eventually pretty intrigued. This was odd, but I did enjoy the ending.

Dream Broker by J.E. McDonald
4.25 ⭐️s 🌶️🌶️
Fated mates
I was just along for the ride on this one… haha but I did enjoy it.

An Indelicate Negotiation by Jen Zero
4 ⭐️s 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Trans and non-binary rep
The artwork made me nervous on this one 😬 but the anatomy differences were addressed well. The acceptance message of this one was appreciated. It was pretty wild, but cute.

Ratchet and Clanked by Kristin Jacques
4.5 ⭐️s 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Sex worker rep
What an interesting premise! The spice ends up being really different, but neat. It was sweet how they came together.

Blue Moon by Lily Riley
4 ⭐️s 🌶️🌶️
His misguided attempts and clumsy actions are strange and hilarious. Quite cute in the end.

Swept Away in Stardust by Lisa Edmonds
5 ⭐️s 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Forced proximity
This one is devastatingly beautiful.

Cosmic Cravings by Lita Grey
5 ⭐️s 🌶️🌶️🌶️+
What a bargain they forged 👀 I really appreciated the epilogue!

One Night With the Blue Billionaire by Megan Van Dyke
4.5 ⭐️s 🌶️🌶️1/2
One night stand, sex club
The real connection they made is nice. They’re both awkwardly adorable.

The Twelfth Ambassador by Mindi Briar
4 ⭐️s 🌶️🌶️
Bodyguard, childhood friends to fated mates
The commentary on being kind to nature was poignant and scary. I liked this one, but really wanted an epilogue.

Red Space by S.C. Grayson
4.25 ⭐️s 🌶️🌶️1/2
Fated mates, Jacob’s Ladder
She is brave.

Thoroughly Thrashed by S.L. Choi
4.25 ⭐️s 🌶️🌶️1/2
Forced proximity, fated mates
This was cute. His patience was commendable and i loved the epilogue.

You’re It by Winter Elliott
4.5 ⭐️s 🌶️
Ooo, i love the chase/teasing elements here, fun 🤩 This was adprable and a little heartbreaking.

Thanks to @netgalley for the eARC

This anthology was packed full of alien goodness! I think this was my first time reading an anthology so it was a little bit hard to jump from one story to the next in my head but each of the 15 were so different that I didn’t get them mixed up! I definitely had some favorites and a couple were a bit hard to get into at first with learning about the worlds and terminology. The spicy bits were to die for and I absolutely loved that there was character art for each of the books!! It makes it so much more fun getting to see what they look like and all the details of their unique features. Highly recommend this! Thank you for approving me read this ARC!

An interesting anthology of alien, er, romances...? It's more like strange encounters. I enjoyed some of the stories but others were a little too strange for my taste. Not something I'm likely to pick up again.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

Normally I would write individual reviews for each story. But I read this a while ago and I'm a bit too lazy to do that lol. What I will say though is that every single story was an absolute delight. They were all short, sweet and spicy. There was also art in front of every story so I loved being able to see what the characters looked like, (especially since it's hard for me to picture aliens sometimes). I throughly enjoyed this anthology and I really want to buy a paperback version when I can!

5/5 stars! This is an alien romance anthology with some heavy-hitters. I can't pick a favorite because the stories were so diverse. I love PNR and monster smut, so these were right up my alley. I guess some of the top entries are The Twelfth Ambassador and Blue Moon. Can't wait to read more by these authors.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Fifteen stories by fifteen authors so you get a wide variety of writing styles and alien goodness. All are spicy with happy endings. I enjoyed some stories more than others, but all were very readable. I especially loved the drawings!

This was beyond iconic, give me 14 more of them right now!!! I love alien books and I am impatiently waiting for the next collection of out of this world stories.

How is it possible for 15 authors to each write a short story that feels both complete and leaves you wanting more of each character? Short stories frequently leave me with many questions but, everyone of these stories left me satisfied and hopeful with the endings. Don't get me wrong, this is pure alien smut, in it's most delicious form! However, the stories are so well done that you form a connection with each character and want nothing but the best for all of them. While, there were a couple stories I would consider my favorites, I thoroughly enjoyed each one. There's enough plot and diversity to fulfill all of your wildest fantasies!

A galactic tour of new-to-me authors brimming with sizzling romance, intriguing aliens, and happily ever afters. Oh, and let's not forget the hot alien art that kicks off every story with a bang.

When I saw this book, I was so excited to read it! An anthology of alien romance stories felt tailor-made for me. I thoroughly enjoyed every story in this anthology. I wish some of them were full-length books or series. I want to know more! The stories were the perfect length to be invested in while maintaining a quickly resolved conflict. Overall, I had a great time reading everything. I recommend this book to fans of alien romance who like fast-paced stories.

Tempted by Celestial Bodies: An Alien Romance Anthology is full of short stories by fifteen different authors. Given that there were so many authors that contributed to this anthology, it’s not surprising that I vibed with certain stories and writing styles over others. I didn’t dislike any of the stories in the collection, but there were definitely ones I felt were a better fit for me than the others. My absolute favorite was Bound to the Primal Prince by Charissa Weaks. It had a great balance of interesting plot and spice. The great thing about this anthology is the stories are so varied in degree of alien, spice, and plot drivers that there should be a story in there for everyone. I would definitely recommend checking it out, and since it’s a collection of stories you can pick it up/put it down between other reads.

Overall I liked the anthology. Not every story was to my tastes, but it was still worth the read. I enjoyed the variety.

Everything from slower burns (as slow as an author could make a short story), instant attractions, fated mates,to arranged marriages, and green pepper spice to all the chili peppers.

There is a story for everyone. If you prefer a more humanoid variety, you have it. If you're in the mood for flat out not humanoid at all, you got it.

Bravo authors. Well done.

If you're a fan of alien romance, then Tempted by Celestial Bodies is the anthology for you! This collection of fifteen stories takes you on a wild ride through the cosmos, filled with sizzling chemistry, otherworldly creatures, and plenty of heart.

From sweet and tender to scorching hot, these tales have it all. Picture this: a grumpy alien warlord falling for a human diplomat, or a shapeshifting alien seducing a space pirate. Yeah, it's as good as it sounds.

The authors have done a fantastic job of creating diverse and fascinating alien species. From the sleek and sophisticated to the rugged and barbaric, there's something for everyone. So, if you're ready to dive into a galaxy of love, lust, and laughter, grab a copy of Tempted by Celestial Bodies and get lost in the stars.

It's just what you think - Alien smut!

A Collection of tension felt short storys with different aliens and very spicy scenes! Defently not for everyone, but it was a lot of fun!

The different writting styles are interesting and it's esay to get sucked into to a world or plantes of romance in all kinds of sizes.

Post on IG the 10.dec 2024

This book is really brought to life by the illustrations accompanying each story. The tales revolve around alien beings, and since there are no strict rules on how they should look, each author gets creative in describing their unique visions. Having a drawing at the start of each story helps you better imagine what the alien described by that particular author might look like. All the stories eventually lead to sex, so it’s fair to say this falls into the erotic category, although the title itself probably hints at that.

Some of the stories included in this book are:

Praise DIFL! A Casino Caper by Aurelie Bell: I ended up skipping this one. The author inserted random nonsense words, meant to mimic an alien language, and it made it hard for me to get through.

Bound to the Primal Prince by Charissa Weaks: This was my favorite story in the collection. It reminded me of Sarah Spade’s Mated with the Monster series. The plot centers on Adeira, the daughter of a viceroy, who must choose a husband from six princes of different planets. She chooses Prince Thane, who tries to dissuade her from the union. They eventually relocate to Prince Thane’s ocean home and must consummate their marriage.

Resonant Drives by Erin Fulmer: Unlike the other stories, which are spread across multiple chapters, this one is just a single long chapter. Kat, a human, is abducted from Earth and claimed by an alien named Cassiel. He promises to return her home, but only if they mate. I liked how this story explored cultural differences between the characters.

Dream Broker by J. E. McDonald: Monroe seeks out a "dream broker," the alluring Khor Darth, to sell her dreams. Khor informs her that sex dreams are the most profitable.

An Indelicate Negotiation by Jem Zero: After seeing the drawing of the alien in this story, I decided to skip it—I just couldn’t get into it.

Blue Moon by Lily Riley: Anya, a human, encounters Leo, a “giant space jellyfish,” in her room on a moon station. She patches up his wound, and things escalate from there.

These are just a few of the stories included in the book. For the listed price, it’s definitely worth picking up. With so many different authors, you’re bound to find at least one story you enjoy.

The drawing for each story made this book. You are reading about alien creatures and there aren’t rules what they look like so each author is going to describe them and write them different. Being able to see a drawing at the start of each story made it so could better understand what that author alien looked like. All these stories lead to sex. This should probably be classified as erotic. But I guess by the title a reader could assume that.
Some of the stories in this book include:

Praise DIFL! A Casino Caper by Aurelie Bell: I had to skip this one. The author would replace words with nonsense words like it was an alien language and I couldn’t get Through it.

Bound to the Primal Prince by Charissa Weaks: this was my favorite story from the book. It reminded me of Sarah Spade’s mated with the monster series. Adeira, the daughter of a viceroy and must choose between 6 Princes of other planets to wed. She picks Prince Thane who tries to convince her otherwise. The two move to Prince Thane ocean home and must consummate their marriage.

resonant drives by Erin Fulmer: for some reason all the other stories are multiple chapter and this one is just one long chapter. Kat gets kidnapped from Earth and claimed by an alien named Cassiel. Cassiel says he can return Kat to her home if they mate. I liked how this story was written. There was like a cultural differences between Kat and Cassiel they had to work through.

dream broker by J. E. McDonald: Monroe goes to the dream broker, the attractive Khor Darth, to sell her dreams. Khor tells her that sex dreams sell better

an indelicate negotiation by jem zero: I saw the drawing of the alien for this story and just passed. I couldn’t do it

blue moon by Lily Riley: Anya the human finds Leo the “
Giant space jellyfish” in her room on the moon station. She patched his wound and one thing leads to another

Please note I tired to do this for all the stories in this book but this review would have just been too long and I ran out of steam.

Heat Index: 8/10

The Vibes: I mean, it's an alien romance anthology. You know the vibes. You know. YOU KNOW.

The Basics:

A collection of short stories and novelettes about getting down and dangerous with people from outer space!

The Review:

I shall confess: I am rather choosy about my alien romances. I select them sparingly; I am sometimes not in the mood for them, I shall confess. I picked up this ARC because I knew Charissa Weaks was included, and I'm so glad I did. Her contribution was great—but it's not the only story that makes this worth reading.

Standouts—

Weaks's Bound to the Primal Prince gave me everything I wanted and things I did not expect. I discovered Weaks this year, and honestly, I'm obsessed. If you love her work already, you're gonna love this. If you don't, then read this and then go on to her Witch Walker series, because she is legit. This story is an arranged marriage alien romance, in which the arrangement leads our heroine to discover that "primal prince" translates to "fuck alien". OKAY THEN.

At the same time, there's some genuine sweetness and romance and fighting monsters. I was sold on Thane and Adeira. Those crazy kids are gonna make it work. Also, he's kind of like, a fish. But not in a Shape of Water way, in a "he doesn't need to breathe underwater or under pussy" kind of way.

Resonant Drives by Erin Fulmer was another standout to me because like... You know. A girl loves some kidnapping. This does have some light dubcon, but for MEEEE, when I read a human/alien romance I kinda... want that. This is an abduction story, and it's well done.

The Twelfth Ambassador by Mindi Briar... Not to give too much away... He's like... a butterfly... A hot butterfly....

There are 15 stories in all here, however, and I truly think there's something for a lot of readers. They're on the higher end of the heat scale, some of the stories feature very humanoid creatures (like Weaks's) with a few extra appendages, while others have... Very non-human creatures. Which is to say, we're all leaving with something.

And you know what else? I didn't even realize there was ART. Each story comes with accompanying art! How cool! I'm so down for this.

The Sex:

Literally... pick it, and you'll probably find it here.

Like any anthology, you'll get great stories, you'll get good stories, and you might get a couple that aren't quite for you. But with 15 total, from an array of talented authors... This is a deal. And not just for the alien experts. The uninitiated will find something here, too!

Thanks to NetGalley and Storybook House for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.