Married to the Alien Mountain Man

For most of my life, my beloved ship has been my home. So when I’m forced into a rough emergency landing among the mountains of a planet I've never heard of, I'm determined to get her up and running again as quickly as possible. Except "as quickly as possible" turns out to be at least two weeks. And nobody from off-world is allowed to hang around on Zabria Prinar One—a Zabrian penal colony for convicted murderers—for that long. That is, unless you marry one of said convicted murderers.

Just when I think I'm totally screwed, local alien mountain man Oaken gets down on one knee and makes me an offer of marriage I can't refuse. It's only temporary, of course. A fake marriage of convenience that we'll dissolve after the two-week trial period when my ship is fixed. In the meantime, I'll be Oaken's relationship coach. When I’m not working on my ship, I devote myself to preparing this earnest alien sweetheart for his future human bride.

Except things get messy, fast. Lessons on human kissing become far too heated, and late-night conversations grow searingly intimate. The longer I spend with my big, green, gentle, and generous fake husband, the harder it is to accept that he'll marry someone else after I'm gone.

But while Oaken looks ahead to his future with another woman, I suddenly find myself wondering if I could give up the life I’ve always loved to stay by his side.

Could I trade my freedom for a chance at forever? And how will my pathetic human heart survive if the sort of forever Oaken wants doesn't include me?