

Menagerie by Lara Santiago
Publisher: Siren Publishing
Genre: Sci-fi/Fantasy
Length: Full
Other: M/F, Multiple Partners
Rating: 5 Cherries
Review by Viscaria
What’s a girl to do with five hot guys who need her for their sexual survival? Create a weekly schedule.
Accidentally transported to an alien spaceship, Valerie Thornhill inadvertently volunteers to be a virtual sex slave for five men.
A shortage of females and her blatant curiosity aboard the alien vessel conspire and set fate in motion. The fact that the five are sexy and attractive is helpful when she learns the term of service is three years.
Forbidden to show favoritism within her unusual household for the duration of the long trip, Valerie still can’t help falling in love with the most intriguing of her male harem. The fact that she is apprehensive about his demeanor and overall size only heightens her desire for him.
When the aliens discover Valerie’s indiscretion, the ultimate price for her desire may jeopardize the return trip to Earth for all of them.
Oh My Goodness! I LOVED this book! I’ve come to expect quite a bit from Siren Publishing and their authors since we started reviewing their books… and I have to say that Lara Santiago doesn’t disappoint. I was sucked in from the beginning and was loathe to put this book down… even to feed myself!
When we first meet Valerie she is lamenting the fact that her life is lacking… in her eyes anyway, and apparently in her mother’s as well. We’ve all been in Valerie’s shoes as she tries to lose those few extra pounds she thinks are holding her back, and her wry grumbling as she trudges up the hill in her gray sweatsuit endeared her further to me. When she witnesses a shooting and then finds herself in the middle of a strange, alien environment, her humor regarding her situation was how I’d think many of us would react… either that or screaming hysterics. Personally, I prefer to think I’d handle it with the aplomb and humor that Valerie displayed. All in all, she was a fun character who handled a difficult situation rather well.
Now, there are five men that each captures a piece of Valerie’s heart: Hauser is the front man and the first of the five she meets: confident and charismatic he made me smile with a simple wink and a kind word. Johnny is the rather flamboyant one in the group: creative and artistic his silly side had me laughing on more than one occasion. Frasier is the most serious of the group: quiet, analytical and downright sweet he has a special place in Valerie’s accountant heart, and was just so endearing to me. Mark is the easiest one to be around: laidback he usually goes with the flow and I could just see him being my best friend if I'd let him. Dominick is the most intense of the group: dark, dangerous and powerful he made me hot and uneasy all at the same time.
Each man is handsome and sexy in his own way, but only one calls to Valerie’s heart more than the others, and only one really had me going as well. I can’t tell you which one, if you haven’t already guessed, as it was a surprise to me and that surprise is half the fun of this story.
I loved the cast of characters, especially the secondary characters! Meeting so many new people, including a group of aliens with rather unoriginal names, which was quite a bit of their charm let me tell you, was quite a bit of fun. I have to say that I adored Daisy and am hoping to see her full story soon… or next… please! I would love to see more of this incredible world and the people who inhabit it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end, and was intrigued by how Lara Santiago brought aobut the happy ending that made me smile, and will no doubt do the same for you. Menagerie is a gripping, unique offering of the Sci-fi/Fantasy variety that will leave you hoping for more from this amazing voice in erotic romance.