WHEN SHE PURRS is the first in Ruby Dixon’s “Risdaverse Tale” series. I’m a huge fan of Ruby Dixon’s big blue alien hotties with horns and tails, but this furry hero hits the spot too. I’m a cat person and love the “Beauty and the Beast” trope in romances and this book checks all the boxes for me. Nassakth, the praxiian hero in WHEN SHE PURRS, is furry with many cat-like features. The description for him makes me think of my Maine Coon cat and the Beast in Jean Cocteau’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST film. Kim, the heroine, is a human and former slave who is looking for a marriage of convenience to somebody strong but kind who will help protect her farm on her strange alien world.

The beginning of WHEN SHE PURRS strikes me as being a sort of “comedy of errors” and is very amusing. Kim is alarmed by her alien neighbor’s behavior, which prompts her to advertise and then finally contact a bounty hunter to hook her up with a hubby and protector. Unbeknownst to Kim, her neighbor Nassakth is captivated by her and it’s his attempts at courting her – marking her door with his scent and leaving dead animals as offerings on her doorstep – that freak her out. When he finds out her plans, he arranges for himself to be the husband snagged by the bounty hunter and delivered to her. I love this hero. His constant professions of having “heart-feelings” for Kim, and his sweet and sexy mix of charm have me swooning. I like that Ruby Dixon gives this hero and heroine some common ground by having them both be former slaves. Telling this story from alternating perspectives gives the reader a better understanding of these main characters and what motivates them. Ruby Dixon doesn’t go into excruciating detail about Kim’s experience as a slave but gives the reader enough info to get why she is cautious about becoming physically intimate with Nassakth. Thankfully, Nassakth is an understanding and sensitive guy who does whatever Kim wants at the pace she sets. This is an example of an alpha and strong hero who is not an alpha-hole who thinks of his needs first and foremost. There isn’t a constant threat of danger throughout the book, but Nassakth is secretive about some things at first to protect Kim. Typically, this behavior by a male in a story is infuriating to me, but given his experience as a slave, it’s understandable and he makes efforts to change when Kim calls him out on it.

WHEN SHE PURRS is crazy good and a must-read for romance fans – especially those who enjoy the “Beauty and the Beast” theme. This hero and heroine are flawed but work on their issues together. This will absolutely be a re-read for me. Super steamy romance but with substance. I eagerly await Ruby Dixon’s next always intriguing and inventive tale of love and aliens.