Too many side quests dilute what begins as a compelling, high-octane romance set in space.
A mysterious bounty hunter and a charming medic battle dangerous politics, deadly environments, and their own attraction in this SF romance.
A merciless and highly sought-after bounty hunter, Cynbelline Khaw is a woman with many aliases. Her latest assignment—fulfill a bounty on a ruthless kidnapper—comes with a side of revenge, as the kidnapper in question also killed her cousin. The task calls for her to partner with the crew of the Calamity, which complicates things, as she originally crossed paths with them under a different identity. No one seems to make the connection except for Micah Arora, the ship’s ever-observant medic. Deepening the deceit is a bonus mission that Cyn cannot ignore: She must turn Micah over to one of the ruling families lest all of her identities be leaked to the public. Like Calamity (2023), the debut book in Fay’s Uncharted Hearts series, the first-person point of view belongs solely to the heroine. Cyn’s every thought is broadcast across the page, even when it adds nothing to the plot or characterization. Being inside her head is a frustrating experience, undermining her enigmatic antihero persona. The exploration of foreign planets and the excitement of action around every corner is what keeps the book’s momentum going. Micah is a wonderful leading man: He’s smart and capable and has one hell of a knack for banter. While this steamy SF adventure will tick a lot of boxes for readers who enjoy a galactic setting, the pace is often stunted by side plots that take away from the heart of the story. Sometimes the book feels like it wants to be a heist thriller or a political drama instead. A lot of big ideas and high-stakes scenarios are introduced, but they only distract from Cyn’s already complicated mission and her second chance at a romantic connection with Micah.
Too many side quests dilute what begins as a compelling, high-octane romance set in space.Pub Date: June 4, 2024
ISBN: 9781250330451
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Bramble Books
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.
After being released from prison, a young woman tries to reconnect with her 5-year-old daughter despite having killed the girl’s father.
Kenna didn’t even know she was pregnant until after she was sent to prison for murdering her boyfriend, Scotty. When her baby girl, Diem, was born, she was forced to give custody to Scotty’s parents. Now that she’s been released, Kenna is intent on getting to know her daughter, but Scotty’s parents won’t give her a chance to tell them what really happened the night their son died. Instead, they file a restraining order preventing Kenna from so much as introducing herself to Diem. Handsome, self-assured Ledger, who was Scotty’s best friend, is another key adult in Diem’s life. He’s helping her grandparents raise her, and he too blames Kenna for Scotty’s death. Even so, there’s something about her that haunts him. Kenna feels the pull, too, and seems to be seeking Ledger out despite his judgmental behavior. As Ledger gets to know Kenna and acknowledges his attraction to her, he begins to wonder if maybe he and Scotty’s parents have judged her unfairly. Even so, Ledger is afraid that if he surrenders to his feelings, Scotty’s parents will kick him out of Diem’s life. As Kenna and Ledger continue to mourn for Scotty, they also grieve the future they cannot have with each other. Told alternatively from Kenna’s and Ledger’s perspectives, the story explores the myriad ways in which snap judgments based on partial information can derail people’s lives. Built on a foundation of death and grief, this story has an undercurrent of sadness. As usual, however, the author has created compelling characters who are magnetic and sympathetic enough to pull readers in. In addition to grief, the novel also deftly explores complex issues such as guilt, self-doubt, redemption, and forgiveness.
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5420-2560-7
Page Count: 335
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Sink your teeth into this delightful paranormal romance with a modern twist.
A vampire and an Alpha werewolf enter into a marriage of convenience in order to ease tensions between their species.
As the only daughter of a prominent Vampyre councilman, Misery Lark has grown accustomed to playing the role that’s demanded of her—and now, her father is ordering her to be part of yet another truce agreement. In an effort to maintain goodwill between the Vampyres and their longtime nemeses the Weres, Misery must wed their Alpha, Lowe Moreland. But it turns out that Misery has her own motivations for agreeing to this political marriage, including finding answers about what happened to her best friend, who went missing after setting up a meeting in Were territory. Isolated from her kind and surrounded on all sides by the enemy after the wedding, Misery refuses to let herself forget about her real mission. It doesn’t matter that Lowe is one of the most confounding and intense people she’s ever met, or that the connection building between them doesn’t feel like one born entirely of convenience. There’s also the possibility that Lowe may already have a Were mate of his own, but in spite of their biological differences, they may turn out to be the missing piece in each other’s lives. While this is Hazelwood’s first paranormal romance, and the book does lean on some hallmark tropes of the genre, the contemporary setting lends itself to the author’s trademark humor and makes the political plot more easily digestible. Misery and Lowe’s slow-burn romance is appealing enough that readers will readily devour every moment between them and hunger to return to them whenever the story diverts from their scenes together.
Sink your teeth into this delightful paranormal romance with a modern twist.Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9780593550403
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
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