Full Description

Outcast

This fourth installment in The Cat Star Chronicles series maintains the qualities of excitement, world-building, sizzling romance, and great imagination that made Slave such a resounding success.

Sold into slavery when his planet was destroyed, Lynx was enslaved in a harem. He is a favorite due to his feline gene, which gives him remarkable sexual powers, but after ten years, Lynx is exhausted.

Thrown out without a penny, Lynx is bitter and anti-female. He emigrates to a new planet but can only find a job with a female rancher.

Bonnie's boyfriend has left with all their money and she needs help with the ranch. Lynx is cynical, but honest, and though he has made it clear that he wants no part of a romantic relationship, Bonnie can't resist him. She finds out about his impotence and becomes determined not to let such a beautiful and sensual young man go to waste...

PRAISE FOR CHERYL BROOKS:

"Brooks presents a nice futuristic story with some interesting worlds and Aliens in this Cat Star Chronicles offering. Fascinating world customs, a bit of a mystery and the relationship between the hero and heroine make this a very sensual romance... the hero is quite interesting, and the heroine a strong, independent woman."
The Romantic Times

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Excerpt

Excerpt

Reviews

Reviews

The Romance Studio Sandra
When his planet is destroyed, Lynx is sold into slavery to a harem. Because of his feline genes, and his ability to pleasure women, he quickly becomes a favorite. After ten years, he is worn out. Unable to perform his duties any longer, his current owner throws him out on the streets, penniless. This leaves Lynx bitter and with a hatred toward all women. He makes his way to a new planet where the only job he can find is working on a ranch where, to his horror, his new boss is a female.

Bonnie’s boyfriend runs off with all of their money leaving her struggling and needing help to run her ranch. When she finally finds that help in Lynx, he’s less than happy to be working for her and makes it clear how he feels about women. However, little does he know, he just may have met his match.

This is the fourth book in The Cat Star Chronicles series by Ms. Brooks. I have enjoyed this entire series with the sensual, men of Zetith. But I love Lynx to the point that I believe he has been my favorite so far, with his brooding, almost lost personality to the woman who quickly loves him inspite of it. Ms. Brooks has a way of carrying the reader off into the stars where they discover worlds with amazing creatures and unique, exciting landscapes. I enjoyed traveling with these two emotionally scarred beings as they struggled not only to not fall in love but to hold on to a past life of pain. As we go along with Lynx and Bonnie, love shows them that it truly can conquer all, even two stubborn people. I would highly recommend not only this story but this entire series as it is an action packed adventure that will draw the reader in and keep them turning the pages. This is a definite keeper.

Overall rating: 4.5/5 Hearts

Romance Junkies Chrissy Dionne
Rating: 5 blue ribbons

Lynx’s life was forever changed the day he was taken prisoner and sold into slavery. For most young men, being the only male in a harem full of women would be a dream come true – and it was for Lynx too for awhile. After ten years of servicing fifty women and enduring their abuse, Lynx doesn’t want anything to do with women ever again.

Bonnie has suffered her own betrayal at the hands of a man. Pregnant and alone, she’s definitely not helpless but there’s no way she can do all the necessary farm work as her pregnancy progresses. Since the baby’s father took all the money and left she’s really put in a difficult position.

The planet of Terra Minor has strict rules in order to keep out the riff-raff and she’s hoping that will entice someone to accept her offer to work on the farm. She’s confused when the man sent out to the farm displays such odd traits from the other Zetithians she knows. She only knows two, Cat and Leo, but they’re both so loving and open that Lynx’s standoffishness and immediate dislike of her really bothers her. Fortunately he’s a wonderful worker and takes on the responsibilities for the enocks, highly aggressive and dangerous large birds that lay coveted eggs, so that Bonnie won’t be attacked again by them. Despite all Bonnie’s efforts to befriend Lynx he remains aloof. He eats his meals in private, sleeps in the shed, and refuses to even have a casual conversation Bonnie has no idea why he seems to hate her so much.

It isn’t that Lynx hates Bonnie; he can smell her desire and thanks to his past is aware that he can’t provide her with sexual pleasure. To add more heartache to the situation, Bonnie’s pregnancy reminds him of his desire to have children and how that dream will never become a reality. It’ll take a lot of determination, trust, and unrequited love to bring out the man Lynx is destined to be – complete with a purr that Bonnie finds orgasmic all by itself.

OUTCAST is the fourth book in Cheryl Brooks’ exciting CAT STAR CHRONICLES series. This is a series that has thoroughly captivated me and drawn me into the storylines with each new addition. The characters are larger than life and exciting but as a reader you can also relate to their feelings and situations – even though we are only human. Lynx’s lack of self esteem and discomfort with even basic kindness really pulls at the heartstrings and I loved how Bonnie responds to him especially since she refuses to back down and ignore him.

Cheryl Brooks has created a world full of varying species that seem to blend effortlessly and allows readers to feel like you could easily fit in amongst them. Besides what woman wouldn’t want to find herself loved by a man who’s every desire is to please his mate.

Even though OUTCAST can be read without reading the others, I really recommend reading all the titles in the CAT STAR CHRONICES series. Revisiting the characters from previous stories is a treat and it’s really quite interesting to learn what happened with the other Zetithians and how their lives have turned out – plus their mates will keep you chuckling with their antics.

The other titles in the CAT STAR CHRONICLES series are:
SLAVE, WARRIOR and ROGUE. They’re all available now – and the fifth addition to the series FUGITIVE will be released in October 2009.

Literary Escapism Jackie Morgan
The fourth novel in Cheryl Brooks’ Cat Star Chronicles, Outcast will satisfy any one who is already a fan of this series and could possible create a few converts.

Brooks gives us a really good story between a non-lover and a woman who just wants a man to be honest with her. Granted, I don’t think Bonnie was quite looking for the honesty that Lynx brings, but the emotions that evolved between the two are fascinating to watch. In the previous three novels, we’ve been given three men who were exceptional lovers and knew how to please their woman. I’ll tell you this right now, you’re not going to get that with Outcast. This time around, we don’t start out the relationship with both parties wanting to get into each others pants and I have to say I liked that. While the unbelievable sex was still there, Outcast leans more towards the romantic side of the romance genre rather than the erotic side (which in my opinion, Warrior and Rogue tend to fall). We get to see Bonnie and Lynx develop feelings (or at least ones they acknowledge) gradually and without the whole sex thing screwing it up (too much).

However, there were a few scenes that kind of bugged me and they didn’t involve either Lynx or Bonnie. Our boys (and girls) from the first three novels show up a lot more in this novel and actually have parts that assist in the Bonnie/Lynx storyline. The first flashback to them was a little long and I really didn’t see the point of having it in there. I know they become a little more involved further into the novel, but until they did show up to see Bonnie, I didn’t think they needed to be there.

The other scene I wasn’t digging had a lot more to deal with the “conflict”. There was a villain in this story, but his role was seriously underdeveloped in my opinion. Considering the personal nature of the problem, I really would have liked to see more action where that was concerned. In Rogue, the conflict wasn’t specifically aimed at Ty and Trag, but this time around, it was aimed at Lynx. The first scene where the villain shows up would have been good if more was done with him. We get a brief glance of him and then he disappears for 100 pages and then he comes back. I think if he had caused more trouble for Bonnie and Lynx, it would have been awesome.

Overall, I did enjoy Outcast as the simple love story that I see it as. Again, I’m seeing a slight imbalance between the conflict and relationship elements, but not as much as before. It’s almost as if Brooks wanted to include an outside conflict, but didn’t want it distracting anything from the relationship that was being cultivated. I think I would have enjoyed the story a lot more if the conflict was a part of the relationship building rather than an outside factor. Overall, still a good story and definitely worth a read for anyone looking for a good romance.

Maymay’s Memos Shawn Remfrey
This fourth installment of the Cat Star Chronicles starts off with us meeting Lynx, another of the long-lost Zetithians. Lynx had been sold into slavery in a harem, where the girls literally wore him out over a ten year span. Finally resold into slavery, his new owner agrees to give him freedom after five years of labor with him. At the end of the five years, Lynx heads to a new planet where he has a chance of making a nice quiet life for himself without having to listen to the incessant noise that women make.

Bonnie is having a tough time as well. Her boyfriend, and the father of her coming child, ran off leaving her broke and with a huge farm to run all by herself. She knows she’s going to need help on the farm, but the only person available to help her turns out to be Lynx. It’s obvious to Bonnie that Lynx hates women, but she still hopes to turn him at least into a friend.

Though this is the first book I’ve read in the series, I had a great amount of fun with it. I mean seriously, what’s better than alien sex?! In all honesty, I love the Zetithian race that Cheryl has created. They’re captivating and sexy, not to mention loyal servants to those they love.

My only complaint with the book comes in the form of Bonnie. She has so many character changes throughout the book that I found it hard to like her. One moment she’s a strong rancher doing her best, the next she’s a simpering idiot, then again the next she’s the sweetest person you could imagine. I couldn’t dislike her because she really didn’t do anything wrong, other than be incredibly annoying.

Overall, this was a great read for anyone who enjoys romance and science fiction. Cheryl’s writing will keep you turning page after page. The planets and their creatures are vivid and well-constructed. Most of the characters are fun and alive.

Debbie’s World Debbie Suzuki
This was the first Cheryl Brooks book I’ve read and talk about sizzling. Lynx sounded so hot I could practically see the smoke whenever he and Bonnie got near each other. This book was different from most romance stories I’ve read in that the man was the traumatized and shy one and the woman had to be more of the aggressor. The reader is immediately drawn to Bonnie’s plight to find a worthy man to spend her life with and raise her child. You will hold your breath as you wait for Lynx to finally come around to the treasure he has in front of him. The one thing that was a bit of a turn off for me is I’m not used to reading romances that utilize “cock” and “fuck” so often. Somehow it just did not fit with the Bonnie I was picturing in my mind. So 3/4 of the way through the book it was surprising to hear her go from the innocent, naive, sweetheart to talking like that so often. Still the story was so good I would still recommend this book to other romance lovers.

Whipped Cream Erotic Reviews Xeranthemum
Outcast is a book that turns a male fantasy into a Twilight Zone moment. You’ve heard the phrase, ‘be careful what you wish for’? Ms. Brooks takes that to a new level and it takes a woman with a courageous heart to undo the damage.

In this latest Cat Star Chronicle, Ms. Brooks switched gears and did not create a totally new world with new aliens; but like a master weaver is picking up threads from her previous world building adventures and interweaving them. In doing this, she has enriched the stage on which her characters perform.

Lynx is the latest Zetithian to be discovered and he’s got a lot of ground to recover. Like many of his brethren, Lynx was sold into slavery. Unlike the others, it was not a violent life, yet the chains and scars are emotional and just as damaging. Lynx is a different kind of tortured hero, one that I’ve never seen before and I give credit to the author for her originality. His slow healing, with him kicking and bucking most of the way, is very much an internal conflict worth a reader’s attention. You initially laugh, thinking it’s no big deal but as you read, you understand so much more because the author really gets into his heart, his despair and his pain. Lynx eventually does what Zetithian men do best and it’s worth the journey. Love that snard!

Bonnie has her own internal conflict going on. She’s a woman who is left to fend for herself. She reminds me of the pioneer women of old - those whose rancher or gold rush fever induced husbands go off and die leaving the women to survive in a harsh and unforgiving world. Bonnie has that spirit, that drive to survive. Unfortunately, it seems to have beaten out the feminine element that wants a hero to come and save her. She’s given up all her yearnings for a man she can actually count on, that is until she hires that ornery Lynx.

There are a lot of interesting secondary characters that Ms. Brooks introduced me to and I really enjoyed them all. They certainly played important roles in various movements of the plot and helped to show case Bonnie’s character. That being said, I have to say that my review of this book will not be as high as the previous books due to character head hopping. I believe all of the scenes were relevant but they were a bit choppy and that is unlike Ms. Brooks’ usual style. I also found the ending to be fulfilling, akin to the foam from a quickly poured glass of root beer. There was so much, it kind of overflowed. It was still sweet and appreciated and quenched the thirst for a very happy ever after which is a big plus for me.

All in all I would definitely recommend reading Outcast to anyone who is into this series. Due to some character references that were specific in nature, I believe new readers to the Cat Star Chronicles would benefit from reading at least two of the previous books before this one. How else can you get the inside jokes? How else can you get the full effect of the joy of meeting other Zetithians and get a feel for why it is so important? Where else can you experience a man who purrs with such orgasmic results? It’s a rich world and Ms. Brooks is making it better and better with each installment. I look forward to more.

Chic Book Reviews Amy Castellano
Lynx lived a life of slavery for years after being taken prisoner in the war that destroyed his planet. Bought and sold to the highest bidders over and again and used as a slave of slaves. Having finally earned his freedom, but not knowing how to live on his own or what to do with it, he ends up on the planet Terra Minor penniless and with very few posessions.

Bonnie needs a man, her’s up and left her pregnant taking with him all of her money and her only working mode of transportation. She’s running a farm on her own on a planet far from Earth. Too bad she hates men. She hires Lynx to help her work the land, and surprises herself when she finds her heart starting to open up to this sad, quiet, wounded stranger who will give her anything, anything that is but himself.

Oh my God...this book is sexy

Let’s just say my husband has been pretty happy the past few days.

But, it’s not all sex...which is why it’s the perfect formula...there is such a sweet love story here between Lynx and Bonnie two wounded hearts that finally find love and I swear it’s totally not sappy...you know how I am about tough heroines!

This series is also very different from any other romances I’ve ever read, no vampires or werewolves or the usual paranormal fair... more of a SciFi/Fantasy twist and I really Love it!!

A Blog of Books Nikki Heffernan
Thoughts:When I read my first book in this series (though not the actual first book in the series) which was the last one, Rogue, I thought there was potential. For me this potential was met in this book. I really liked the characters and wanted them to get together. The one thing that bugged me a little about the last book (the fact that in an effort to be nice the girl was with both brothers even though she really only loved one of them) wasn’t in this one. But the hot scenes still were.

If you are the type to be put off by creatures of different alien species getting together this isn’t the series for you. But personally I believe that it just added something extra to the story line in terms of imagination. It really is a series of which I have never read the likes of before. Many of them have the same old types of people in them - the added dimension of a different species and different qualities - adds to the story and yet doesn’t mean that the author can’t still have just a good old fashioned love story.

Overall: 4.5/5 Stars

Rhi Reading Rhianna Walker
Lynx was quite young when his homeworld of Zetith was destroyed and he and his commrades were sold into slavery. Not yet versed in the art of enticement his fellow males were known for he might have been thrilled to become the slave of a harem filled with females in need of his attentions. But what might have started out as a chance to learn how to give pleasure soon became anything but enjoyable. Used to the breaking point he not only suffers from impotence but a well deserved dislike of women.

Meanwhile, Bonnie has been burned by the opposite sex in a much different fashion. Left to care for her farm and just a few months shy of giving birth, she’s been abandoned by the boyfriend she had hoped would be there for her. In need of a hired hand to help her around the place she’s pleased to give Lynx a job and a place to stay. Unfortunately, Lynx isn’t too thrilled about working for a woman and the relationship between employee and employer gets quite rocky.

Can Bonnie help Lynx heal old wounds and see that not all women are going to use him? Will Lynx learn to trust Bonnie and find a life of love and satifaction? Well, if you want the answers to those questions you better get your butt to the bookstore and pick Outcast up!

The fourth in the Cat Star Chronicles, Outcast is definitely a bit different. The most obvious difference is that this is where the series shifts from the first person storytelling of the heroine to a third person perspective. I know most readers prefer the third person because they get to see what the hero is thinking but I personally thought the first person set this series apart and made me as a reader feel more in tune with the heroine. That said, the third person perspective in this one did offer room for the story to go different places. Brooks is a little shaky in pulling this new style off but fans of the series should enjoy getting to see what’s going on in Lynx’s head.

The romantic plot for this one was my favorite so far. I loved the idea of a used and abused hero who doesn’t want love or sex. I loved that Bonnie was interested in Lynx and how he constantly rebuffed her. Both characters do a lot of growing before they can come together. It was also great to see a pregnant heroine who was perfectly capable of going on without the father there. Bonnie was a strong woman worthy of a great hero and I liked her so much I almost felt Lynx wasn’t good enough for her.

My only real struggle with this one was bringing so much of Cat/Jack and Leo/Tisana into it. Their scenes that weren’t directly related to Bonnie and Lynx’s story were a bit distracting and the love scenes in particular felt out of place. I love getting to see old characters we’re familiar with come back again but it just didn’t work for me this way.

Overall fans of scifi romantica should love this one and if they haven’t been following the whole series I suggest they get on it soon. Fans of the series may find the jump from one style to another a little rough but the story makes up for it pretty well. Enjoy!

Marta’s Meanderings Marta Hoelscher
I never thought that I’d like paranormal romances, but Cheryl’s Cat Star Chronicles series changed my mind! The books are fun, sexy and hot enough to make the books disappear in a poof of smoke!

I absolutely adore this series and can’t wait to see what Cheryl is going to come up with next. For fans of the series, Outcast definitely won’t be a disappointment. It’s smart, fun and ultra sexy. Even though this is a paranormal romance, you’ll soon forget the paranormal part and just enjoy the romance. As with the rest of the series, Outcast features another of the Zetithians, Lynx, who has the same wonderful attributes that readers have discovered in the previous books, but with a twist this time.

I can’t say enough good about this series. It’s just too much fun, full of imagination and did I mention the book is downright HOT? One caution though, if you’re easily offended by blatant sexual terms this isn’t the book for you. It’s also definately not a book for younger readers. This is definitely a 5-out-of 5 stars book!

Bitten By Books Lyda
If Lynxsander Dackelov (Lynx for short), does not see another woman in his life, he will be content. They are such selfish creatures who have used and abused him to the point that even the scent of desire has no effect on his manhood whatsoever. None. And for a Zetithian, a race where the men are known to give pleasure beyond all others after smelling a woman‘s desire, Lynx feels like he isn’t even a whole man. Now he finds himself on Terra Minor and forced to work for a woman lest he gets himself deported. And while this Bonnie may “seem” like a decent person, he’s known enough women in his young life to know that women are never just “nice”.

Bonnie Neurath is pregnant and abandoned by her sleazy (now ex-) boyfriend Sylor, who stole all the hard earned money they barely made on a farm full of giant man-killing birds. Being due in three months, all Bonnie wants is to have a man she can trust help her on the farm. And then Lynx gets to the farm. He has no problem with the hard work, the vicious man-attacking Enocks, or the lack of comfort in where he sleeps at night; his only problem seems to be her, and Bonnie is determined to find out why. If she was lonely before Lynx arrived, his treatment of her made her realize just how isolated and friendless she really was.

Outcast has so far been my favorite book in Ms. Brooks’s Cat Star Chronicles. Not only can you see the chemistry between the two main characters but you get to watch their relationship develop out of mistrust and hurt and into the love and care many people would be envious of. It will not only draw you into the story, the journey will also captivate you as they find themselves and each other.

This Book For Free Shoshana Ashley
I like romance book. In fact, it’s my first love of the entire genre. I read Linda Howard, Diana Palmer, and Nora Roberts serial romance. I was very excited to get this book. The cover is sexy. I know I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but some books, it’s just really fun to check the cover while reading and sigh. Enjoyable read for me is being able to relate to the author’s character. They stop being the author’s product of imagination and they become someone that I could know. Someone real.

I like Bonnie right away because she’s strong yet vulnerable, capable and smart. No “too stupid to live” character in this book. Her boyfriend just left her but she’s making a go of running everything by herself in a different planet. This is a sci-fi romance book but it reads beautifully. Bonnie ends up with Lynx, a former slave, as her handyman. He’s not just any slave, he was a love-slave for women. It should have been a dream job, but it’s not.

Outcast is a journey of self-discovery. It is about picking up the pieces of Lynx life and starting over. This book is different from all other romance book I read because there’s no alpha male. You know what I’m talking about; the rude and angry male who does not fall in love easily. It’s a familiar kind of story but not exactly. I’m going to read the first 3 books, too. I enjoyed this book very much.

Curled Up with a Good Book
This is the fourth in Brooks’ Cat Star Chronicles series about a group of men from the planet Zetith scattered around the universe after their planet was destroyed who each find true love.

Although similar in theme to the other books (particularly regarding the physical attributes of our Zetithian hero), Outcast is somewhat different in that the hero, Lynx, has been badly emotionally damaged by his treatment as a slave. Much of the story involves him being incomprehensible to farmer woman, Bonnie, who has hired him to help out on her farm as she approaches the birth of her baby. When she discovers that a misogynist has been assigned to work for her she’s rather disappointed, but over time she gets to know Lynx a little better (although with a great deal of reluctance on his part), and she begins to understand a little more about what makes him tick. He’s also a very helpful chap around the farm.

As with other Cheryl Brooks books, the action eventually moves to the bedroom, where the marvels of Zetithian physiology come to the fore. This aspect of the book seems rather abrupt; the transition from two strangers to two lovers seems surprisingly sudden following a great deal of misunderstanding and miscommunication. The fact that both seem able to fall in love with each other early on when apparently they are so uncommunicative is awkward, especially since that from reading the other books, this seems to be the pattern. Somehow the Zetithian men come across as simple fellows who will fall in love with anyone who is available. I never quite got the sense of fated mates who had found each other in spite of the vastness of time and space.

However, there is a real upbeat and positive feel to this series, particularly how people whose planet has been destroyed and who have been scattered around the galaxy can find love as well as finding their old friends. Outcast (The Cat Star Chronicles, Book 4) is ultimately enjoyable and interesting.

Crave More Romance Kerensa Wilson
After her scheming ex left her pregnant and alone, Bonnie knew she’d need a hand around the farm. She just hadn’t expected a man like Lynx to take the job. Lynx is gorgeous, hardworking, and mysterious. Although he makes it clear he wants nothing to do with her Bonnie feels more attracted to him than any man she has ever known.

Lynx can’t bear to be desired by any woman, even one as beautiful and kind to him as Bonnie. Perhaps if he hadn’t spent most of his life as a slave, forced to serve numerous women he could have a life with Bonnie. But even though that life isn’t possible for him Lynx can’t bring himself to leave her. Though he tries to convince himself otherwise, he knows it isn’t only because she’ll need his help around the farm that he stays.

Ms. Brooks knows how to write romance but she’s also an expert at conveying what it means to love! Watching Lynx and Bonnie learn how much they cared for each other was so moving, so real, that they stayed with me long after the last page. Not to mention, the ending was everything I hoped for. I can’t wait to see the next in this series!

The Book Binge Ames
Outcast is the 4th book in Cheryl Brooks’ Cat Star Chronicles and I have to say, it is the best one so far.

It begins with Lynx, a young Zetithian being sold as a slave. He is taken to a harem where is the only male - he is a slave to slaves. And Zetithian males are creatures unlike any other in the universe, their potent snard (semen) giving women orgasm after orgasm, which the women in the harem discover very quickly. And so Lynx’s new life begins, being constantly hounded by 50 women for sex all the time, and when not providing mind-blowing orgasms, he’s being treated like dirt on the bottom of someone’s shoe. He has to fend for himself, stealing scraps whenever he can. It takes 10 years, but the women of that harem finally break him. He cannot stand the sound of women’s laughter or their incessant chatter. He eventually is sold when he no longer pleases the harem and he’s soon working in a mine. Granted his freedom after 5 years of mining, Lynx decides to stay on and save money so he can own his own home one day. This dream takes him to Terra Minor, a newly colonized planet with lots of land.

Bonnie Neurath is a homesteader on Terra Minor. She’s also pregnant and abandoned. Her boyfriend, Sylor, stole all their money and took off for parts unknown. Bonnie is left to fend for herself when she asks the local magistrate to send any help her way.

Lynx lands in Terra Minor with absolutely no money and no prospects, until he gets hired on at Bonnie’s farm. Which is the last thing he wanted to do was to work for a woman. And he let’s Bonnie know that he doesn’t like women and he only wants to do the work and be left alone. And Bonnie is hurt by his attitude, but she cedes to his wishes but meanwhile, she’s drawn to him and keeps trying to reach out to him.

Ok, I have to admit, my summary doesn’t sound like much - but my goodness Outcast is one heck of a read! It’s all because of Lynx. He’s been treated like crap for 10 years, laughed at, starved, and that kind of treatment leaves scars - deep, emotional scars. It got so bad for Lynx that he became impotent because he couldn’t stand women anymore. That’s why he was sold to work in the mines. And what truly broke my heart is the fact that in the 10 years Lynx was in that harem, none of the ladies became pregnant by him - and when he’d help them deliver, time and again he would hope for one baby to resemble him in some small way and it never happened. He even overheard the women whispering that they didn’t want to have his baby. So after 10 years, he thinks there’s something wrong with him, on one level because they don’t want to have his baby, and on another level by the fact that he appears to be sterile.

So when Lynx finally ends up at Bonnie’s farm, he’s in hell. Having to end up working for a woman after all he’s been through? And eventually, despite his gruff demeanor, Bonnie becomes attracted to him and Lynx can smell her desire, which torments him. At first he is repulsed, for he cannot stand the smell of a woman’s desire. But eventually, after Bonnie keeps getting through the cracks in his armor, he begins to despair when her desire doesn’t ignite his own. So he keeps Bonnie at a distance, because he can never be with her.

Having read the three previous Cat Star books, I know how sexual the Zetithians are, so I understand the depth of Lynx’s torment. He cannot be all who he can be, corny as that sounds.

And that’s why I enjoyed Outcast. It hit me on an emotional level that the other books never did. We also get to see Jack and Cat (from the first book) and Tisana and Leo (from the second). It was good to see where those two couples again, and Jack is still her awesome, quirky self.

That’s also why Outcast works for me so well - the heroine. Chery Brooks heroines are strong, smart women. And Bonnie fits right in there with the others Cheryl has created. Her boyfriend abandons her on a strange planet with some pretty vicious lifestock and she’s pregnant to boot. Rather than despair, she carries on, planning for the future and her knowing but not afraid of how much harder things are going to be when the baby arrives. And when Lynx joins her and he’s presents such an offputting display, Bonnie is smart enough to delve deeper into his mystery. She doesn’t take Lynx at face value and a weaker would have given up a long time ago. Bonnie is definitely not weak.

Outcast gets a 4.25 out of 5 from me. The best in the series yet!

Books 4 Moms Christine Plaisted
Not nearly as quick to the "good parts" as Rogue was, Outcast drags on the "foreplay" of the story for more than half the book. Being a romance novel, this was a little frustrating, however, it did lead to a much stronger character buildup than most romance novels give you. As you read along this book you fall in love with Lynx despite his bad attitude.

Although this one is not as good as Rogue, this is definitely a great romance novel. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves romance and sci-fi books!

My rating: 4.0 stars

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Trade Paper Specfications

• Length: 6.88 in
• Width: 4.19 in
• Height: 0.00 in
• Weight: 7.00 oz
• Page Count: 384 pages