My Chameleon Mate

Iriduan Universe Love Stories, Book 1

By: Susan Trombley

Narrated by: Reagan West, Gabriel De Leon

Vera

I accidentally launched an escape pod on my miserable honeymoon—with me on it—and crash-landed in the middle of an alien jungle on a forbidden "emerging civilization" planet, breaking about a hundred Cosmic Syndicate laws.

Oh, and I robbed a hot lizard guy with sexy black eyes, the most colorful scales I've ever seen, and a powerful prehensile tail that curls up like a cinnamon roll.

Even though I can't understand anything he's saying, my new reptilian friend turns out to be as sweet as honey and spicier than the seasoning he used on the meat I stole from his camp, and after he risks his own life to save mine, he decides he wants to keep me.

I'm perfectly okay with that, but I have a feeling my philandering husband will object.

Contains mature themes.

©2022 Susan Trombley (P)2024 Tantor

About time!!

I have been waiting and waiting for trombley to put her books on sound. I am HOPING she put the original Deadfall on next!
I have read all her books more than twice!

so fun

if you are wanting a fun little story to listen to that ends in a Happily ever after, here it is!

So worth the credit

If you like romance and alien romance novels this is for you. It was written very well and the narrators where fantastic!!!

Love the story

I loved the story, although it wasn't the typical kidnapping and slave type of UFO abduction. I really liked the character development, especially how the male character, oblivious to technology, was amazed by everything. The narrators were excellent, especially in how they brought feeling to their voices during the most significant tension.

Language Definitely Not A Barrier In The Best Way

Gleeful Goblin Review: This story is such a total delight, both written and certainly in audiobook. I dig a good language barrier trope and typically I'm a tiny bit disappointed in how quickly that gets overcome for most stories. But not here! The author manages to build trust, companionship, and love for the vast majority of the book without these two being able to speak the same language! These two characters are both "outsiders" in their societies for different reasons and finding each other is part of what allows them to find themselves and feel a sense of belonging, both as a couple and individuals. They're both so kind hearted and sweet that this book may give you cavities. ;) 5/5 Stars

Happily surprised

Happily surprised! First time reading / hearing from this author. Hoping for another from this author in audio form soon.

Excelent!!

So i loved the narrators and how they brought the story and characters to life. And i love that finaly susan trombley is on audible with a real life audiobook. Love her work all in all 5 stars

A Survival Romance in the Stars

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💚💜❤️
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: 😟🙁🤓😍🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration

Heroine – Vera
Vera begins as a seemingly passive figure: a nail artist from the impoverished side of the city and a product the system after her parents were both killed in the Menops invasion. Her decision to marry a wealthy suitor—despite numerous red flags—initially reinforces her vulnerability and lack of agency. However, this passivity is subverted as the narrative progresses. Her ill-fated honeymoon, marked by her husband’s frugality and emotional detachment, becomes the catalyst for a transformation that reveals her grit and independence.

Hero – Chamai
Chamai is exiled from a primitive tribal society for protecting his sister from a predatory chief. His isolation in a jungle world serves not only as a literal survival space but also as a symbol of emotional exile and introspection. Interestingly, while Chamai is culturally coded as “barbarian,” the care and detail he invests in building a treetop sanctuary challenge reductive stereotypes of uncivilized masculinity. His misinterpretation of Vera’s appearance is both humorous and poignant—a literal alien perspective that underscores their communication gap and sets the tone for their cross-cultural dynamic.

Plot & World-Building
The story pivots from domestic disillusionment to a classic survival romance when Vera, in a moment of impulsive flight, launches herself into a forbidden alien jungle. The plot structure mirrors a rebirth arc: her escape pod functions almost like a womb, ejecting her into an ecosystem that demands self-reliance and adaptability.

The narrative excels when exploring the misunderstandings between Vera and Chamai. His belief that the pod is a carnivorous creature and that Vera’s orange jumpsuit is sagging skin infuses the early interactions with levity while highlighting the core theme: the difficulty and eventual reward of cross-species communication. Vera’s resourcefulness—evident when she steals water or navigates unknown flora—is balanced by Chamai’s watchful pragmatism, who catalogues dangers without intervening, lest he frighten her further.

While the absence of a translator device adds realism and heightens the stakes of their cultural exchange, it also becomes a narrative bottleneck. The prolonged communication barrier slightly undercuts the emotional progression and delays deeper character interplay. That said, this slow burn allows for an earned intimacy once mutual understanding begins to blossom.

You would think that in a futuristic society like the one Vera lives, there would be translator devices, since she understood a grey alien that told her to go on the trip to find her destiny and she did, it seems like she probably would have one. Also, you would think that the translator devices would have some sort of linguistic AI that was able to learn new languages as well, so even though Chamai’s language is unknown in the galaxy, the AI could fairly easily learn it and translate so at least Vera could understand him and teach him English much easier.

Themes
Beyond survival, the story meditates on agency, trust, and the unfamiliarity of connection. Vera’s arc—from subdued compliance in a dysfunctional marriage to self-directed survivalist—feels earned. Her emotional growth contrasts with her earlier persona, reframing her not as a doormat, but as someone underestimated by others and by herself.

Narration
The audiobook features dual narration by Gabriel de Leon and Reagan West, whose performances enhance the listening experience. De Leon’s deep, resonant voice lends authenticity to Chamai’s stoic demeanor, while West’s expressive narration captures Vera’s vulnerability and resilience. Their vocal synergy effectively mirrors the emotional distance and eventual closeness between the characters.

Brain 🍭 Candy

This book is brain candy for anyone looking for a palate cleanser. The plot is somewhat thin but that’s ok because the spice makes up for it. This is not a deep thinking or crazy plot twists. It is still a feel good book. The FMC is in a rotten relationship and accidentally gets crashed on a not yet explored planet. The MMC is a native to the world who has his own reasons for being off on his own and lonely. So rescue with reward relationship begins with many silly bits happening. I do recommend this book for anyone struggling to get over a book and looking for lots of spice and humor.

omgoodness!!!

This book was great! going back n forth between the two of them, trying to understand each other. theyre so sweet to each other 🖤🖤🖤 I didnt foresee the last hour of the book, for sure, but boy was it amazing!!! i CANNOT wait for the next books in the series to come out, to follow the lives that "Cupid" bring together! omg :D