Gravel and Grit (Khargals of Duras #1) by Stacy Jones
Zaek is losing hope after waiting centuries for rescue, but the time has finally arrived. The lost emergency beacon has fallen from orbit and gone active. All he needs to do to get off this damn planet named Earth is find it and get to the pick up location in time. The problem? The beacon comes with an addictively confounding, Earthian female who makes his mating gland swell, marking her as his true mate. Zaek hasn’t been around a human who didn’t run away screaming monster in a millennium, so how the hell is he supposed to convince this smart, beautiful, sarcastic female to give him the opportunity to win her heart before he loses his chance forever?
Mira has always been obsessed with all things alien, but when one breaks into her lab at Area 51, first contact doesn’t go how she planned. Kidnapped and running for her life with a gruff gargoyle that definitely isn’t made of stone and has more than his share of quirks, Mira learns that sometimes plans are made to be thrown out the window.
With a black ops team hot on their heels, determined to kill or capture them both, time is running out and their fumbling romance isn’t the only thing standing in their way to happiness.
I've kind of stumbled into a reading slump lately. I moved last month and didn't have time to read, thus lost my momentum and since then I haven't been able to pick something to read that I think will be a winner. When that happens, I resort to my comforts: fanfiction and re-reading. So I did that for a little bit...but then Goodreads reminded me that I'm behind on my goal so I decided to actually pick something up. That something was Gravel and Grit, because I loved Stacy Jones' Chosen series and hoped this one would win me over just like those books had. Unfortunately, Gravel and Grit wasn't quite as good as her previous series, but I did enjoy reading it!
My issues with this one happened mostly all in the first half. It took a while to get me into it, first of all. This isn't an uncommon problem, because I have no patience and want the main characters together always. But it took a little bit for things to come together and get going. And once they met, it took a little bit longer for things to settle enough that I was like "okay, I'm here for this." I also thought it was strange how much they both talked to themselves out loud. I understand Zaek to an extent, but Mira doing it too was kind of too much?
The second half, however, was much stronger. The characters settled into each other, and their personalities became defined without feeling strange. That was when they grew on me and I became truly invested. And I absolutely adored their relationship. Zaek was so sweet! And I appreciated Mira's growth, level head, and honesty.
As for the plot as a whole, I was a fan of the premise from the start. It's a cool idea, and I think I'll probably peek at the rest of the books in the series sometime even though they're all b authors I've never read. My one, final gripe is just that I wish the book hadn't ended at the exact point where it did. Or if it had to, I wish it wasn't a standalone! I want to know more, what comes next. There's so much more to explore. But I suppose that's the mark of a good book--I was left wanting more.
Overall, Gravel and Grit is a really good book that took some time, but it grew on me. The second half was stronger than the first half, but it got me to the point where I was loving the characters and their relationship. If only we could have more!
3.5 stars - A great premise and a sweet romance!
Hope your next read is better and can get you out of your slump! I always reread when I'm in a slump, too.
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