Tag: Science Fiction (Page 1 of 38)

BOOK REVIEW: Bound by Stars by E.L. Starling

BOOK REVIEW: Bound by Stars by E.L. StarlingBound by Stars by E.L. Starling
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A Love That Defies Gravity…and Fate

She never belonged in his world. He never thought he’d leave it.

When Weslie Fleet wins a golden ticket aboard the Boundless, humanity’s most opulent starliner, it’s a dream―and a danger. Raised in the dust-ridden ruins of Earth, she is thrust into the gleaming luxury of Mars’s elite, where every whispered word carries weight and every glance is a silent judgment. And none watch her closer than Jupiter, the golden boy of Mars’s high society, bound by duty, legacy, and a future he never chose.

Their reluctant partnership was supposed to be a one-off assignment. Instead, it becomes a battle of wills, a spark that ignites, and a love neither of them anticipated. But fate is as cruel as it is unpredictable, and when the Boundless veers off course, love won’t be enough to save them.

The ship is failing. The odds are impossible. And in the darkness of space, survival is the only thing that matters.

But some loves are worth defying the stars for.

Review:

Bound by Stars was a star-crossed lovers, Titanic but in space adventure that was impossible to put down.  From that first chapter, this book had me glued to the pages.  The found family was everything, and I loved how romance and friendship seeped into the pages.  If you’re looking for a story that will whisk you away and is super easy to devour, this is your book!

“You people think the universe is yours to command.”
He holds my gaze, eyes gentle, and shakes his head.  “You don’t know anything about me.”
The sincerity in his voice makes my breath catch in my throat.  He’s not what I expected.

Weslie Fleet won a golden ticket aboard Boundless.  Leaving Earth behind, she was bound for Mars and hopefully a better life.  Presenting her creation ILSA, would secure a future for her mother and her that she could only dream of.  On that ship, she met Jupiter.  Jupiter’s family was one of the more powerful in the universe, but his future was dictated and bound by duty.  Together, they shook the stars and all of those around them.

I was never going to be anything more to him than a moment on a ship between planets.  It’s the only place where we make any sense.

I absolutely adored Weslie!  She was smart, brave, and I loved the risks she took.  She spoke true to her heart and refused to back down to others.  Then there was Jupiter who had the weight of the world on his shoulders.  His future was not his for the making, and once you got to know him, he was truly the sweetest.  But Weslie and Jupiter were not only from two different planets, but two entirely different social classes too.  They had strong dislike vibes in the beginning.  So, their path to friendship was jaded and slow to start, but the more time they spent together they just clicked.

“He was making a bad joke, ILSA.”
“Oh. Then yes, I, too, am often concerned with Weslie’s mental state. Ha-ha.”  Her robotic laugh is spaced out and over-pronounced.  If she were human, it would sound like she were mocking Jupiter, but she faces him with the swoop of a conspiratorial grin across her face.
I swear, she’s getting more petulant by the day.
Jupiter erupts in laughter.

Surrounding Weslie and Jupiter was prejudice, stigma, and a lot of pushback.  But when they spoke to each other, oh their banter was so much fun!  And ILSA was always around too….. she was one of my top favorites.  Created by Weslie, her personality shined brightly lol.  I loved that she spoke about things she shouldn’t have, like telling Weslie she was attracted to Jupiter.  And I loved that she had an opinion on so many things, like being put in silence mode against her wishes haha.  ILSA was a robot who had so much heart, I loved her sassy ways and she made me laugh so much!

Ice runs through my veins as the threat echoes in my mind again.  Hand the power back…or the ship will become an example of the power of the many over the elite few.

With danger and mystery around every curve, Bound by Stars easily kept me intrigued!  The world building was fascinating, so I loved learning about the ship and how their worlds worked.  But accelerating towards that ending, I had all the anxiety and sweaty palms!  Risks were taken that were huge and love tried its best to defy the odds!  We were left at the perfect breathing spot on that final page, but I am counting down till I can read the next book.  I need to know what happens next and I have so many questions.  I absolutely adored this sci-fi romance and can’t wait to see what happens next!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW: Love on the Korlyan Moon by Petra Palerno

BOOK REVIEW: Love on the Korlyan Moon by Petra PalernoLove on the Korlyan Moon by Petra Palerno
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

LENA

When the aliens who kidnapped me dropped my bubble into the ocean of an alien moon, I really thought I was a goner. I thanked my lucky stars when Kitaico, a bizarrely hot, tentacled alien, rescued me from what would have surely been a watery grave. There's one big problem though, I accidentally took his mating sting. So, through no fault of his own, we both have to deal with my forced heats thanks to his venom. Can I fight my chemical-induced attraction enough to work out if I want to spend forever with Kitaico?

KITAICO

With only a short time left until I can complete my Great Proving and be found worthy of one of the few female mates on my planet, Lena drops into my lap. I don't understand how the Great Mother could give me a mate who can't mark me in return, but I know there's something special about this human. Will I be able to resist her during her heats and somehow show the elders that I'm worthy of Lena? I'll do anything to keep her, or die trying.

Love on the Korlyan Moon is a very spicy alien romance novella (50k words) set on a distant moon in the Bubbleverse. This book is a spinoff from the Bubble Babes series, but is a standalone. It features a language barrier, size difference, he falls first, mating marks, forced heats, a human female tattoo artist FMC, and a virgin alien MMC who will do anything for his human mate. If you're ready to dip your toes into tentacle spice, love a sweet inexperienced MMC, or just want to delve deeper into the world the Bubble Babes series started, this is for you! Includes a well-earned HEA.

Review:

Love on the Kolryan Moon was an alien romance I devoured.  With forced proximity and a language barrier, this story was so much fun.  When Kitaico rescued Lena, I loved watching how brave, kind, and protective he was.  His translator chip had been turned off, since he was in the process of proving that he was worthy of a mate.  So while Lena could understand him, he couldn’t understand her.  Watching them try and figure each other out, to even communicating about basic necessities was hilarious and also heartwarming.  

Kitaico was so sweet and patient, while he tried his best to take care of all of Lena’s needs.  We alternated the story between the two of them, and I loved both of their thoughts.  As they started to form a friendship and find trust, the tension between them was palpable.  When they finally crossed that line, I loved Kitaico’s filthy mouth and the detailed steamy scenes!  This book ended with a wonderful happily ever after that made me so happy!  If you’re looking for a new scifi romance to read, or love forced proximity, or steamy alien moments, definitely add this one to your tbr! 

 

BOOK REVIEW: AVA (International Sensory Assassin Network #4) by Mary Ting

BOOK REVIEW: AVA (International Sensory Assassin Network #4) by Mary TingAVA (International Sensory Assassin Network #4)
by Mary Ting
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The final installment of the Multi-Award-Winning series.

The days of hiding are over.
The battle for supremacy is here.
The fate of the rebels is at hand.

Ava heads to South Korea to bring down the facility that manufactures the CODE army. But she can't do it alone. She'll have to trust fellow conspirators and put her life on the line.

When the South rebel leader searches for missing team members, she's captured and taken to the Korean ISAN base. There, she discovers a secret that could change the course of the war in their favor.

After the rebel mountain base is threatened, Ava has no choice but to comply with Korean ISAN demands—or end up killing everyone she loves.

Review:

AVA was a wonderful conclusion to the International Sensory Assassin Network Series! Those we love got the happily ever after we had been hoping for, but it was such a challenging journey. And I closed the book smiling with that fabulous conclusion. If you love dystopian, sci-fi, action, found family, and romance then definitely check this series out!

She had always put her people first and had promised herself never to fall in love. But the thing about love… there’s no reasoning or predicting when and why it happens. Sometimes love happens when you least expect it.

Rhett and Ava will always be my favorite! But there were other romances within this series, and we got to see where some of them led! On top of the romances, I loved watching how trust played such an important part in this story. With double agents, and those they weren’t sure they could trust, they had to learn to work together for the greater good. It was nerve wracking, yet so fun seeing how it all would unfold!

Renegades forever.

Sacrifice was another important element in this series. The threats that were forced upon them. And the situations they were put in were gut wrenching. Yet those with pure hearts and bravery in their veins stood up and did all they could to protect those that they loved and cared for. Those that they realized had become their family. It was such a powerful recurring theme within this book that I loved!

We would make a difference.

Also, we were introduced to new characters, from the Korean ISAN. Quite a few of the chapters were narrated by Hae Jin, who reminded me of Ava in certain ways. She had a boyfriend, a found family, and was desperate to get out of the clutches of ISAN. But I was never able to find that connection to her, or her team members. Regardless, she was so easy to like and I loved her fearless ways!

Sometimes wishes do come true when you blow on a dandelion.

With different teams working together for the greater good, life and death situations, and love gracing the pages, this was such a fabulous wrap up to this series. Yet, there were still things that needed to be done in the world. Other countries where ISAN needed to be brought to their knees. So, Ting skillfully set up this series to have spinoffs, which I’m sure fans will adore.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Reading Order:
Amazon (click on covers) & iBooks (click on titles)


ISAN (International Sensory Assassin Network #1)
Review:
Jen

HELIX (International Sensory Assassin Network #2)
Review:
Jen

GENES (International Sensory Assassin Network #3)
Review:
Jen

CODE (International Sensory Assassin Network #3)
Review:
Jen

AVA (International Sensory Assassin Network #4)
Review:
Jen
 

BOOK REVIEW – Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

BOOK REVIEW – Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. ArmentroutObsidian (Lux #1)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring...until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

Review:

*I reread this book and updated a few parts of my review from a decade ago ♥*

The Lux Series is what made me become obsessed with the enemies to lovers trope.  This book was everything!  Whether it was the infuriating, smug, sexiness that was Daemon, or the strong-willed Katy, or the energetic lovable Dee, or the duo that was Ash and Andrew, I LOVED all of the characters in this book. And the story-line? Not only did it have me grinning from ear to ear, but I kept finding myself saying “oh, just one more chapter”, and you know how that usually ends. Hours later and I couldn’t put this book down. JLA created the perfect world that I wanted to get lost in again and again.

For a moment, all I could do was stare at him. He was probably the hottest guy I’d ever seen in real life, and he was a total douche. Go figure.

Katy’s father passed away, and her mom was in desperate need of a fresh start. So they moved from Florida, to a small little town in West Virginia.  And in need of getting directions to the local supermarket and a place to buy plants, Katy had one of the most memorable meet cutes. That had no part of cute in it lol.  Daemon was sexy, shirtless and beyond exasperating.  He seemed to know how to push Katy’s buttons without a second thought.  From there I was glued to the pages.  I loved following Katy on her journey to discovering that Daemon and his lovable sister, Dee were aliens.  And how being friends with aliens can most definitely turn your life upside down and scrambling  just to stay alive!

Okay. That was it. “You know, you’re right. How wrong of me to call you a douchebag. Because a douchebag is too nice of a word for you,” I said, smiling sweetly. “You’re a dickhead.”
“A dickhead?” He repeated. “How charming.”
I flipped him off.

Katy is by far one of my favorite heroines. She never backed down from a challenge, didn’t take any of the garbage Daemon was constantly throwing at her, she tried her hardest to be fearless, while also being the best friend ever! She was an admirable girl that anyone would be lucky to call their friend. But my favorite thing about her? Her sassiness! She was one of the few people who took a stand against Daemon, and put him in his place. Her comebacks were hilarious, yet at the same time I couldn’t help but have my heart break each time Daemon was cold to her.  What did she ever do wrong? Why couldn’t she be friends with his sister Dee?  And why does he radiate so much pain when he lets his guard down for two seconds?

My lips pressed into a hard line. “You’re such an ass. Has…anyone ever told you that?”
He flashed a genuinely amused smile. “Oh, Kitten, every single day of my blessed life.”

Daemon was the ultimate book boyfriend! He made aliens sexy, and I never thought that was possible. Daemon had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He alone felt responsible for past horrific events, taking care of his sister, and sending Katy running away as far as humanly possible.  Yet, Daemon’s feelings towards Katy were a conundrum, that at times felt like whiplash.  You never knew if you were going to get the cold Daemon, or the one that had you begging for more.  Daemon will lull you into his web, and even if you want to hurt him, it’s impossible.  His heart shines through in moments that will have you clamoring for more.  Plus he was the embodiment of infuriating sexiness. And heaven help me, but I fell so hard for him.

Holding my breath, I reached up and brushed back a strand of hair. My fingers barely grazed his skin, but he sucked in a sharp breath and closed his eyes. I pulled my hand away, not sure why I’d done that.

The characters were addicting and impossible to get out of my head! The chemistry between Katy and Daemon was through the roof hot. I found myself smiling so much at their passionate banter!  And the story progressed at a perfect pace that always kept me intrigued and begging for more. Obsidian was an enchanting story that effortlessly captured my heart.  And a decade later, this is still one of my top favorite series ever!

Then I shifted my gaze, and my eyes locked with Daemon’s.  Even though several tables separated us, my breath caught.  There was something…wicked in those emerald-colored eyes.  Consuming.  I couldn’t look away, and he didn’t either.  The distance between us seemed to evaporate.

PS I highly recommend reading Shadows (A Lux Novel) by Jennifer L. Armentrout before reading this book!

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
shadows a lux novel jennifer l. armentrout
Shadows #0.5
Reviews:

Jen
obsidian a lux novel jennifer l. armentrout
Obsidian #1
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
onyx the lux series jennifer l. armentrout
Onyx #2
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
opal a lux novel jennifer l. armentrout
Opal
#3

Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea
lux origin jennifer l. armentrout
Origin #4
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
obsession lux jennifer l armentrout
Obsession (Companion novel) #4.5
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea
lux opposition jennifer l armentrout
Opposition #5
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
oblivion lux jennifer l armentrout
Oblivion #Companion Novel
OBSIDIAN, ONYX & OPAL
Told by Daemon Black
Reviews:
Jen

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BOOK REVIEW: Heavenbreaker by Sara Wolf

BOOK REVIEW: Heavenbreaker by Sara WolfHeavenbreaker by Sara Wolf
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Bravery isn't what you do. It's what you endure.

The duke of the powerful House Hauteclare is the first to die. With my dagger in his back.

He didn’t see it coming. Didn’t anticipate the bastard daughter who was supposed to die with her mother―on his order. He should have left us with the rest of the Station’s starving, commoner rubbish.

Now there’s nothing left. Just icy-white rage and a need to make House Hauteclare pay. Every damn one of them.

Even if it means riding Heavenbreaker―one of the few enormous machines left over from the War―and jousting against the fiercest nobles in the system.

Each win means another one of my enemies dies. And here, in the cold terror of space, the machine and I move as one, intent on destroying each adversary―even if it’s someone I care about. Even if it’s someone I’m falling for.

Only I’m not alone. Not anymore.

Review:

Heavenbreaker was a SciFi that took us on the journey of a lifetime!  With the story taking place in space, scenes filled with action, and a dash of romance, this book was a quick read!  The world was brutally harsh, and there were so many twists and turns that’ll keep you on your toes!  If you love the idea of jousting in space, and heroines that are filled with vengeance, then this is definitely your book!  

Where does a twisted girl like me fit in the universe? Everyone else is full, whole. No one wants the darkness – they want the stars.

The story started with Synali Emilio Woster killing her father, who was from House Hauteclare.  He had her mother murdered, and she was determined to make him pay with his life.  In trying to escape, it eventually landed her with Dravik who was a man that was bent on ruining House Hauteclare.  In exchange for riding his machine, Heavenbreaker, he would murder someone who was linked to her mother’s death for each of her wins in a duel.  As the death’s piled up, and truths became known, this book was so much more than I ever expected!

“A spider is a patient animal – until its web is broken.”

Synali was such a challenging character.  She was so focused on her end game of wanting those to suffer that had a hand in her mother’s death.  And she never seemed to think of herself, which hurt.  So while she could be immature at times and be ruled by her emotions, I was also excited to watch her grow.  Because I thought Synali had so much potential since she was tenacious, fierce, and there was no end to what she would do to accomplish her goals!

The fine line between love and hate is made of blood. And to blood it will return.

For the other characters, I have so many emotions!  Heavenbreaker was such a fascinating mystery.  From that first moment she showed something, I was desperately trying to piece together the clues.  And all I’m saying is that I thought I had a solid guess.  But oh how wrong I was!  Thankfully my guess towards Spider was correct.  Luna I adored and wanted to scoop her from the pages.  Rax was everything!  And then there was Mirelle, who was from House Hauteclare and a rider.  She was one of my favorites.  I loved that she called Synali murderer and how she tried to see the good in the world.  But she ended up seeing way more than she wanted to also.

The dance floor slowly fills in, the musicians gaining volume as my murmur loses it. “I wish you’d give up on me.”
“Oh, I will…once I’ve fought you. But until then, I’m selfishly holding on to you with everything I’ve got.”

So with similar vibes to The 100, mixed with a sprinkle of The Hunger Games, and a dash of the movie Alien, this book was such a fascinating read!  I have to say that when we got told certain things, I shuddered.  But within this story there was also jousting battles, where the riders would be inside the machines and go up against one another.  And there was also an extremely slow burn romance that had a possible love triangle attached to it.  Now I’ll be patiently waiting for the next one to be released!

“He promised. After it’s over. So it’s pointless.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Lithroi. The rabbit man. He’s going to kill me like I asked.” I laugh. “I want to rest. But sometimes I look at Luna, and the sunrise, and you…and then I don’t.”

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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