This is a fun and sweet alien romance, something I was not sure I'd be on board with just a few years ago, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Hugo and Roark's story is much more heartfelt and loving than I expected, and it definitely leans more towards romance than sci-fi. Though with countless alien species, space travel, and great world building, it is no doubt science fiction.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. Hugo is a human abducted from Earth, now serving as a stripper on a pleasure planet. But he is soon rescued by Roark, a Sahrk, a sharklike pink alien, and brought on his ship.
We have dual POV chapters, so as readers, we are always aware of both of their thoughts. However, it is not the case for them. They do not have a common language, so the communication between them is basically non-existent. Roark doesn't have the words to explain that Hugo is more special to him than anyone else, and Hugo cannot express his doubts and needs to feel valued.
Seeing them learn to listen and care in their own ways is such a heartwarming experience. Their connection is much more sweet and cosy than I expected it to be. Roark is a big softie, and Hugo is just as caring. The way they learn to protect and love each other has warmed migh heart all over.
Obviously, there is much trauma that Hugo needs to work through, but interestingly, most come from his life on Earth and not from his abduction. Roark also has his past grief to work through, especially because he needs to be whole to take care of Hugo the way he longs to. They help each other heal, and it's kinda beautiful to watch.

I especially liked how we get to discover this alien world through Hugo's eyes. He sees wonder everywhere, which he wants to understand with his clever brain. The planets, the tech, the people, he's interested in everything. I would love to see even more of the world in other books.

A set of interesting side-characters round out the picture, both Sahrks and humans. Roark's friends quickly become Hugo's friends because the species is a friendly bunch. Plus, they love to see their captain finally open his heart for love.

Though the book is mostly mellow and cosy, there is a little bit of drama and excitement at the end. It is a bit out of nowhere, and I would have liked a bit more gravity to it. It got resolved fast and easily without much drama despite it being a very serious situation. It does not quite match the tone of the book before that. However, it does not take away from the experience at all.

All in all, I very much enjoyed this book. I was not always invested. Maybe it just had a tad less excitement than I needed. But nothing else is amiss. We get a beautiful romance, alien spice, if that's something you need, great characters, and awesome world building. It is a lot of fun!