Maruvian Bride is book 5 in the Celestial Mates Series. It helps a bit to have read the other books, but most important backstory happenings are explained. As the book begins, 2000 Earth women are on a spaceship headed to one of the Krylon worlds. They volunteered to leave their low-status life in underground housing on Earth, where males are scarce, for a chance to be a treasured bride on the Krylon world, where females are scarce.

Sisters Cassidy and Carolyn are eagerly learning about the Krylons. Cassidy notes a group of Krylons that are different. They are unkempt and have long hair. She quickly learns the rules and orders a reluctant Commander Daron, to explain their appearance. She learns that they are “clanless”. Krylon is a clan-driven society, so if one is kicked out of their clan for any reason they are demoted to being clanless and their only hope is to try to buy their way into a clan someday so they can have hope for a future with a wife and family. Cassidy is attracted to Commander Daron but he discourages her because he has nothing to give her. She explains that she was not high-status before and doesn’t care about material things. She and her sister also spread the word among the earth women about the plight of the clanless, much to the Krylon commander’s dismay.

While on the way to the Krylons planets, the ship is attacked by an insectoid species. While freeing the other women, who were locked in their rooms with the insectoid Maruvians, Cassidy observes that the insectoids are killing the men, but not the women. She uses a dose of a translation serum to communicate with one of the Maruvians. He explains that they are looking for a female to be their queen. Cassidy quickly negotiates a truce; She will go with them and the Maruvians will stop attacking ships in the sector. They quickly agree.

On the way to the ship Carolyn intervenes and shoots her sister in the shoulder. She explains to the Maruvians that the old queen is broken but she will be their queen. Carolyn quickly takes over as ruler of the Maruvians and lets her sister stay with Daron

The Maruvian Bride is really the story of two brides and it is a really fun read. The writing is good and the banter is funny. The antics that Cassidy and Carolyn get up to before and after they find their mates are hilarious. I recommend this series to any fan of the alien romance genre.