Beyond the Next Star (Love Beyond) by Melody Johnson

New Paperback

An intolerable order. A desperate charade. A deadly secret.... Before Commander Torek Renaar can return to active duty, he’s ordered to purchase an animal companion to help relieve his PTSD symptoms. But having been a caretaker for and lost a loved one, keeping even one little human alive is a challenge he feels doomed to fail. It doesn’t help that his animal companion is the newest, most exotic breed on the market, demanding constant attention, daily grooming, and delicate handling. If she doesn’t die first in his incompetent care, she’ll be the death of him.

After witnessing the murder of her domestication specialist, Delaney McCormick allows her new owner to treat her like the pet he believes her to be. If anyone suspects she’s more intelligent than a golden retriever, her murder would be next. She endures the humiliation of being washed, the tediousness of being trained to “sit” and “come,” and the intrigue of hearing private conversations. But in Torek’s care, she finds something unexpected on this antarctic planet, something she never had in all her years on Earth while house-hopping between foster families: a home.

As companionship grows to love, must Delaney continue the charade, acting like an animal and hiding from the murderer waiting on her misstep? Or can she trust Torek with her secrets, even if the truth threatens everything he holds dear—and both their lives?

Trigger warning: please visit www.authormelodyjohnson.com/books for trigger warning.

KIRKUS - "AN ENGAGING AND UNUSUAL OTHERWORLDLY TALE."
"Johnson effectively introduces readers to the planet Lorien and its alien inhabitants, the lorienok, in this opening series entry. Overall, the novel does a good job of immersing readers in a strange new realm, and its use of Delaney’s perspective allows them to learn details of the culture and characters organically, as the protagonist does. Along the way, the author describes her alien creations in exquisite detail—“two rows of sharp predator teeth filled his overly large mouth, and pointy bearlike claws tipped each finger and likely each toe on his boot-shod feet”—and her comparisons to familiar Earth creatures make for easy visualization. Even pacing and smooth transitions to different characters’ points of view make for a quick, solid read that remains consistently compelling."
~Kirkus Reviews

RUBY DIXON "STAYED UP FAR TOO LATE READING THIS."
"If you're looking for something to read, I started this one last night! The beginning was a little rocky for me, but a few chapters in, it really starts swimming, and I stayed up far too late reading this. The hero is suffering from PTSD and is told to get a pet to take care of. He gets... the heroine, who has to pretend she's a 'golden retriever' of sorts. It's a really sweet romance so far and definitely a slow burn, but I'm really enjoying it."
~Ruby Dixon, author of the viral sci-fi romance novels: Ice Planet Barbarians.

LYNSAY SANDS "LAUGHS OUT LOUD" READING BEYOND THE NEXT STAR"
"It's rare for a book to make me laugh out loud and rarer still for me to read it and wish I'd come up with that idea. This book did both. I don't usually read sci-fi, but I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it to even non-sci fi readers. Dog owner will especially love it!"
~The New York Times and USA TODAY Bestselling Author, Lynsay Sands.