Kindle Price: $5.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Meraki P. Lyhne
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Roughnecks & Butterflies (Ore 5 Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Meraki P. Lyhne (Author), Laura McNellis (Editor) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 35 ratings
See all formats and editions
Straight out of college, Ethan scored a coveted job on the mining planet Ore 5. So how the hell did he ended up working in a strip club?

What should have been the start of a life with lots of money, a prestigious job, and adventures in space, quickly turned sour as the promised job got downsized while Ethan was en route to Ore 5. Once there, he barely has enough money for the return ticket to Earth.

Stuck in the outskirts of housing for the miners, he quickly finds that his usual standards are impossible to uphold. A new coworker opens up an entirely different world to him, and in this world, the center of gravity is a big tattooed strip club owner named Ryder.

On the outside, Ryder is a player—promiscuous and superficial. And he has no problem throwing a punch if patrons get too frisky with his dancers. But he has hidden a side of himself since he came to Ore 5.

Both Ethan and Ryder see themselves differently from what others see. One is a body-conscious, chubby accountant—the other is a sex-symbol who has become the center of attention of every gay man on the planet—even a few straight ones who want to prove they’re man enough to win the challenge.

They have one thing in common, but will their differences keep them too far apart?
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 3
    Ore 5
  2. Print length
    203 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    August 20, 2022
  6. File size
    3669 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card
All 3 for you in this series See full series
See included books
Total Price: $17.97
By clicking on above button, you agree to the Kindle Store Terms of Use
More like Roughnecks & Butterflies (Ore 5 Book 1)
Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1
Previous page
  2. 2
    Ledgers & Rentboys (Ore 5 Book 2)
    Kindle Edition
    $5.99
  3. 3
    Mercs & Strippers (Ore 5 Book 3)
    Kindle Edition
    $5.99
  4. Ore 5    3 book series
Next page
Loading...

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B8M4QTWC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ MarLau Publishing (August 20, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 20, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3669 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 203 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 35 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Meraki P. Lyhne

Meraki P. Lyhne

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Meraki P. Lyhne, real name Martin, is a Danish author spanning multiple genres and pseudonyms. Meraki P. Lyhne mainly writes contemporary paranormal LGBT fiction with various degrees of romantic heat, some with a HEA, some with a HFN, and some with white-knuckling cliffhangers. Mostly, he writes long series with focus on worldbuilding, action, and something epic.

To make sure no one is ever confused about what kind of book they're about to pick up, the surname will guide you.

Lyhne writes gay fiction (with various degrees of heat).

If the surname is mirrored on the cover, it is het-fiction (with various degrees of heat).

If both are on the cover (like the logo), it is bi-fiction (with various degrees of heat).

Information is best found on his website.

Other than that, he’s a single dad to a teenage boy, the happy companion to a Rottweiler, and he lives in a very small village next to nowhere.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
35 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Edward A Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful love story.
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2022
Verified Purchase
A great study of two people with their own insecurities managing to come together. Set in a strip club on a mining planet. Looking forward to the next book.
Helpful
 Report
Jill Dion
4.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 stars for the 2022 version
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2022
Ethan arrives after traveling for two years to find out his new awesome job has been eliminated. His spectacular housing that came with the job is no longer his and he will have to pay to send all his belongings back to earth. However he has no money and no job. He sets out to the housing they are giving him and finds he is not thrilled. He has a shared bathroom with the miners, and Ethan is not someone who is fit and he has been bullied his whole life. He eventually finds a job and makes friends with Tommy. One night Ethan's neighbor asaults him and he calls Tommy for help. Tommy offers his couch and Ethan goes.

Ryder runs a "club" and he is very hands on. He promises to take care of his men, but he is short handed often and now there are some issues popping up. One of his fun non professional dancers Tommy shows up with a friend Ethan, and Ryder learns he is an inventory specialist. So he offers both men a job.

While working together to figure out the inventory issues Ryder and Ethan grow close. And during one of Ryder's performances he brings Ethan on stage. Things are electric and intoxicating but at the end Ethan runs.

Can Ethan overcome his past to open his heart and see what is infront of him? Will he share his past so others can understand? Can Ryder also open his heart and let someone in? Will he finally find someone who can "see"?

This book is amazing and I am looking forward to more from these two and more in the series as well. Dance on
Helpful
 Report
Sherry M.
3.0 out of 5 stars 2.5 stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2022
The description of this romance intrigued me, so when I saw it was being re-released by the author, I thought I’d give it a try.

The book started well. The premise is very good: after graduating from college, Ethan takes an accounting job on a mining planet and arrives only to find that he’s been downsized before he even began. Now he’s got to find a way to survive in an unfamiliar place with almost no resources, which is just a great way to throw a character into the deep end. The author clearly also put some real thought into how the colony looks and functions on a inhospitable planet that is very much not like Earth.

Unfortunately, the novel didn’t live up to its early promise for me. After the description of the colony at the beginning, the sci-fi elements generally fell by the wayside, and much of the story could have taken place anywhere. Once Ethan finds a job at Ryder’s strip club, the plot often gets bogged down in the humdrum details of running a business. As for the romance, while I empathized with Ethan’s low self-esteem, I also was also frustrated by his inability to see that Ryder was interested in him. Truthfully, with the way Ethan acts, I wasn’t entirely sure why Ryder was so interested.

If the rest of the book had matched the early chapters, this would have been a good read. As it is, I don’t think I’ll continue with the series.

This review is based on a complimentary advanced reader copy; all opinions are my own.
Helpful
 Report
Bob Jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars A great beginning to a new series!
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2022
I love the books by Meraki P. Lyhne. He shares his gift of storytelling with his readers by creating alternative worlds where the old Norse gods still exist. This includes ancient races, two of which are the Cubi ( the beauty series) and the Vargr wolves (the ember series) Those two series actually are cleverly intertwined.

Roughnecks and Butterflies was originally published (I think) in 2018 but I was never able to find a copy. I was excited to see the relaunch of this book because I knew it would rock. I was not disappointed. It is hard for me to explain Lyhne's writing style other than it is a joy to read his stories. He excels at world-building and his stories are always well-paced and believable and...well, basically just fun to read.

This particular book is the first non-paranormal book of his that I have read and it is the beginning (I hope) of what I would call a Space Opera...not so much with any space battles, but with a look into the far future of humans as they colonize worlds that take years to reach. This first book in the new series is a beautifully-told romance where two men from very different backgrounds serendipitously meet. There is intrigue and passion and some non-gratuitous sexy time. Quite a bit actually but it is all appropriate to the story. The author cleverly gives us little hints of things to come which leave you wanting more. Much more.

I am twirlingly (I made up that word but yes, I twirl) excited about this series and I can't wait for the next book. If you enjoy a good sci-fi romance you will most certainly enjoy this read.
Helpful
 Report
TKloiber
4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty sweet story, in fact
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2022
The beginning of the book starts out well, then kind of stutters a bit in the middle. It ends abruptly, but thankfully, there is another book that almost literally picks up right where this one ends. I wish the sci-fi elements of the story were touched on a little more, because I feel like this story could honestly be taking place almost anywhere. Otherwise, the developing relationship between Ryder and Ethan is sweet, even if Ethan can be a bit clueless. I've already started the next book, and can't wait to finish the whole series.
Helpful
 Report
Nina Diab
4.0 out of 5 stars I Enjoyed It
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. It's the first book I've read by this author. The story was well written and well paced. Great world building. I loved the characters. Ethan and Ryder are two very different characters, both with their own insecurities and issues to work through- especially Ethan who's chubby with very low self esteem due to bullying when he was a child. He won my heart very fast and I wanted to hug him for his sad thoughts. Ryder was the perfect match for him and they made for such a wonderful pair. This is a slow burn romance and ends on kind of a cliffhanger- which I never like and would rather be warned beforehand. I would definitely read the next book. 4 stars.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

K.H.
2.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't finish
Reviewed in Canada on September 7, 2022
Verified Purchase
This felt that it was going to be an interesting book but it has a rather dry middle and then ends on what is either a cliffhanger of sorts, or the most incomplete ending to a story. Imagine if Lord of the Rings simply ended when they dropped the ring towards the lava.....you don't need to know if it actually falls in and gets destroyed right? Yup, that sort of ending in this book.

Most of the book is rather focused on Ryder and Ethan's jobs and what is going on in the club. Plenty of detailed explanations about the dancing, club running, bartending, and even inventory. To that end Ryder and Ethan hardly even speak, only some about work. Mostly Ethan tries to work on inventory, and stresses about having the hots for Ryder who he thinks is out of his league. Meanwhile, Ryder tries to work out all that is going wrong in his club, and mentions a few times that he is entranced by Ethan's eyes. Someone this turns into them being in love. Then, at the literal end of the book, when they finally start communicating, it ends. So many loose ends! No real connection in the relationship! Zero answers! It was just so frustrating after everything and truly made the whole story unsatisfying.
Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report