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A review by sophiarose1816
Pets in Space 4 by S.E. Smith
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I adore the Pets in Space anthology series that always brings a stellar group of authors together both long-time favs and new to mes that find at the very least likeable, but generally fabulous. I've posted up mini-reviews as I went along. Most can standalone fine though they are from existing series. Clever worldbuilding, strong development of characters and romances, and most definitely well-represented by the fabulous pets!
Madas' Falling Star by SE Smith
#4.1 Lords of Kassis
4 stars
Set in a series world, this prequel tells the story of two side characters introduced in a couple of the earlier books. Fans will recognize and appreciate the characters of Gris and Madas with their pet companion while newbies to the series, like me, will appreciate a solid standalone adventure for a crashed pilot needed to repair his ship and leave to find out whose sabotaging him and a runaway eager to get out of a detestable mating by getting off world.
Loved the primitive and hostile forest adventure they were on separately and then, finally, together. Tender and heated getting to know you period, good action and intrigue. I definitely want to go back for the earlier parts of the series.
Dark Guard by Anna Hackett
#5.1 Galactic Gladiators- House of Rone
4 stars
Calla from Rella was rescued along with a human from the slave traders by the powerful cyborgs fighters of the House of Rone. But, now that she's free and safe, she is at a loss and feeling alone. She would gladly explore something with Zaden, a cold cyborg, if he would give them a chance.
Zaden's telekinesis talent destroyed his childhood and exiled him from his homeworld. Magmus took him into the House of Rone. He's buried his emotions along with his Tk, but a pert Calla and a mischievous cyborg cat work at tempting him to give up his stone cold cyborg persona particularly when Calla deliberately puts herself in the crosshairs of those who would gladly steal her back into the slave markets.
This is my second forage into the Galactic Gladiators world and cyborg fight action and steamy romance reminded me that I really wanted to get to the whole series.
Entwined Fates by Tiffany Roberts
#.5 The Infinite City series
4 stars
Meeting as children who ignore they are different alien races and form a deep friendship and more as teens, Volcair and Kiara, are wrenched apart by Volcair's father's ambassadorial work taking them to a new planet. Eleven years of silence go by and fate brings them a second chance. A shared alien pet part cyber and part shifting sentient animal acts as matchmaker and rescuer when needed.
I've read a few novellas from another Tiffany Roberts series so was anticipating seeing what they did with a different sci-fi world. Another hit. Tender and sexy romance pair, good action scenes, and well built sci-fi worldbuilding.
Star Cruise: Idol's Curse by Veronica Scott
#14 The Sectors
5 stars
Juli is the cruise director aboard the star cruise liner, Nebula Zephyr. An assignment to pick up an object a deceased former passenger asked to be returned to the planet it came from leads to Juli experiencing a bizarre series of events. She doesn't want to believe the rock- because the object to be returned is a mere rock- can be responsible. And, because it seems others really want the rock, she and Steve, the third officer and former military man along with his capable aunt and her dog companion, are now on a real mission to get the odd little rock to its former resting place on Tahumaroa's beach.
Exciting action, fun far future space cruise ship setting, and engaging sexy romance. Love this series.
Cyborg's Revenge by Pauline Baird Jones
#8.5 Project Enterprise #1 Cyborg Chronicles
4.5 stars
Rap was a robot with human sentience who is now placed in a human cyborg body with an onboard separate sentient AI and a BoaConstruct snake companion. Ale his partner on the mission had a similar transition experience though her original race comes with secrets. He's prepping a Forlorn Hope plan that will take his two person team back into the heart of enemy territory for a crippling cyber attack so their crew aboard the Najer and the humans who helped them will be free of the threat from the powerful Q'uy. Between their awkward shyness and an against all odds mission, can the two find a way through and find the words to say.
I adore cyborg sci-fi romances and enjoyed returning for my second short novella in the Project Enterprise world. A super-smart snake companion saves the day!!! Cyborg's Revenge felt like part of an ongoing story and I felt very lost in the first chapter, but the explanations untangled in my mind and I could then focus on a fabulous multi-layered exciting story. Definitely want more of the cyborgs in this new spinoff series.
Spy Dog by Laurie A Green
# Inherited Stars
5 stars
This was my second venture into the Inherited Stars world. Spy Dog is a standalone story set in the midst of a secret rebellion faction of races and people, The Network, working to topple a large and powerful enemy, The Alliance. A Network spy, Nigel, has vital intel stored in his Star Dog, Maura's databanks so he must get to Network command. His escape ship is blown up and he is also joined by Rathskilian female warrior who makes the unlikely claim that she's Network and she needs to get to Network command for her own top secret reasons. He can't quite trust her when her people side the Alliance, but Maura tells him Sona is good people.
Spy action, intrigue, a race across the galaxy, forbidden romance, and a cute pet operative made this a story that captured my interest and my emotions.
Nothing Remotely Familiar by Donna McDonald
#5 Topper Witch - My Alien Romance, Magic NM world
3.5 stars
An interesting blend of paranormal romance and sci-fi romance, this was my first encounter with the Topper Witch series and my second visit to the overall Magic, NM world.
Topper is a powerful witch and she's mate with an alien who comes from an Ice World. Her current pregnancy is complicating matters right when she needs no extra complications. The Fates are messing with her when they send her teenage daughter and unusual Familiar and other strange events are occurring.
Light and easy to get into even though later in the series. I enjoyed the family dynamics and Jessica's 'Drop Bear' Koala with fangs talking familiar.
Doom by Regine Abel
#1 Xian Warriors
4.5 stars
First contact with aliens to earth was horrific. An insectoid alien race had come not to conquer, but to use and annihilate. Victoria, a doctor just out of her residency, is about to be captured when she personally learns that a second group of aliens are heroes and not more enemies. Doom and his amazing sentient animal companion rescue her, slaughter Khryptids and help the beleaguered humans along with his band of genetically-engineered brethren. An exciting, harrowing sci-fi adventure continues as they fight for their very existence together.
A fated mate romance set against an intense action plot hit the spot and now I want the rest of the series as well as try out this new to me author's backlist.
Winter's Prince by Alexis Glynn Latner
Starways Series 4.5 stars
A whole world dedicated to role-playing games based on Old Earth. A few individual gamers join together to search for the grail and then learn that some within the game are playing for keeps. With the help of a mysterious unicorn, a pair not only find a real life mission, but a chance at love.
What a fabulous job of world building and sending the characters on a suspenseful adventure.
Heart of the Spider's Web by JC Hay
#1 Tri-Systems: Smugglers 4.5 stars
The plotting gets real when a government spy is embedded with a ship of smugglers who stole an illegal shipment from a boss criminal. Trying to work a scheme that will protect the small smuggling crew and get her mission done, the government rep is stuck between a rock and a hard place, but no harder than the ship's security officer who is feeling the same attraction and conflict of interest.
Great suspense and action with attraction leading to something more at a good pace.
The Princess and Her Bodyguard by E.D. Walker 4 stars
Captured for a special kind of ransom from her royal father regarding a rare species of sentient and telepathic birds, a princess and her bird familiar despair of rescue until the dashing bodyguard she kissed and was fired comes to her rescue and helps her rescue her bird and another captured bird. A sparkling and fun class difference romance with good action and a delightful alien bird who the author gives plenty of delightful narration time.
Interrupting Starlight by Kyndra Hatch 5 stars
#1 Before the Fall
Returning to a familiar world of two clashing peoples in space, this standalone highlights a shipwrecked human rescued by her Korathan enemy and his mogha companion. He discovers his mate is from the enemy race and she discovers that her enemies aren't the evil aliens war propaganda has led her to believe when she and her hidden pet are brought on board the sentient galaxy ship.
I've enjoyed two later novellas in this world. Wonderful sweet, but exciting enemies to lovers cyborg romances.
Import Quarantine by Cassandra Chandler
#11 Department of Homeworld Security
4 stars
I encountered this series once before and had a good time with the sci-fi romantic comedy tone of the book.
This time a hapless human vet, Caitlin, discovers there are aliens up there when one comes looking for a pet doctor for his support cat companion. The attraction is real between Caitlin and Marq even as she is hit by a startling amount of firsts of the alien encounter kind. Only some aliens are more friendly than others and there is a war going on and there are subversive agents on the ship.
Took me a while to get through these because I wanted to appreciate them a few at a time, but the talent represented in this sci-fi romance anthology is prodigious. Not a boring or disappointing read in the pack. A quality read from cover to cover.
Madas' Falling Star by SE Smith
#4.1 Lords of Kassis
4 stars
Set in a series world, this prequel tells the story of two side characters introduced in a couple of the earlier books. Fans will recognize and appreciate the characters of Gris and Madas with their pet companion while newbies to the series, like me, will appreciate a solid standalone adventure for a crashed pilot needed to repair his ship and leave to find out whose sabotaging him and a runaway eager to get out of a detestable mating by getting off world.
Loved the primitive and hostile forest adventure they were on separately and then, finally, together. Tender and heated getting to know you period, good action and intrigue. I definitely want to go back for the earlier parts of the series.
Dark Guard by Anna Hackett
#5.1 Galactic Gladiators- House of Rone
4 stars
Calla from Rella was rescued along with a human from the slave traders by the powerful cyborgs fighters of the House of Rone. But, now that she's free and safe, she is at a loss and feeling alone. She would gladly explore something with Zaden, a cold cyborg, if he would give them a chance.
Zaden's telekinesis talent destroyed his childhood and exiled him from his homeworld. Magmus took him into the House of Rone. He's buried his emotions along with his Tk, but a pert Calla and a mischievous cyborg cat work at tempting him to give up his stone cold cyborg persona particularly when Calla deliberately puts herself in the crosshairs of those who would gladly steal her back into the slave markets.
This is my second forage into the Galactic Gladiators world and cyborg fight action and steamy romance reminded me that I really wanted to get to the whole series.
Entwined Fates by Tiffany Roberts
#.5 The Infinite City series
4 stars
Meeting as children who ignore they are different alien races and form a deep friendship and more as teens, Volcair and Kiara, are wrenched apart by Volcair's father's ambassadorial work taking them to a new planet. Eleven years of silence go by and fate brings them a second chance. A shared alien pet part cyber and part shifting sentient animal acts as matchmaker and rescuer when needed.
I've read a few novellas from another Tiffany Roberts series so was anticipating seeing what they did with a different sci-fi world. Another hit. Tender and sexy romance pair, good action scenes, and well built sci-fi worldbuilding.
Star Cruise: Idol's Curse by Veronica Scott
#14 The Sectors
5 stars
Juli is the cruise director aboard the star cruise liner, Nebula Zephyr. An assignment to pick up an object a deceased former passenger asked to be returned to the planet it came from leads to Juli experiencing a bizarre series of events. She doesn't want to believe the rock- because the object to be returned is a mere rock- can be responsible. And, because it seems others really want the rock, she and Steve, the third officer and former military man along with his capable aunt and her dog companion, are now on a real mission to get the odd little rock to its former resting place on Tahumaroa's beach.
Exciting action, fun far future space cruise ship setting, and engaging sexy romance. Love this series.
Cyborg's Revenge by Pauline Baird Jones
#8.5 Project Enterprise #1 Cyborg Chronicles
4.5 stars
Rap was a robot with human sentience who is now placed in a human cyborg body with an onboard separate sentient AI and a BoaConstruct snake companion. Ale his partner on the mission had a similar transition experience though her original race comes with secrets. He's prepping a Forlorn Hope plan that will take his two person team back into the heart of enemy territory for a crippling cyber attack so their crew aboard the Najer and the humans who helped them will be free of the threat from the powerful Q'uy. Between their awkward shyness and an against all odds mission, can the two find a way through and find the words to say.
I adore cyborg sci-fi romances and enjoyed returning for my second short novella in the Project Enterprise world. A super-smart snake companion saves the day!!! Cyborg's Revenge felt like part of an ongoing story and I felt very lost in the first chapter, but the explanations untangled in my mind and I could then focus on a fabulous multi-layered exciting story. Definitely want more of the cyborgs in this new spinoff series.
Spy Dog by Laurie A Green
# Inherited Stars
5 stars
This was my second venture into the Inherited Stars world. Spy Dog is a standalone story set in the midst of a secret rebellion faction of races and people, The Network, working to topple a large and powerful enemy, The Alliance. A Network spy, Nigel, has vital intel stored in his Star Dog, Maura's databanks so he must get to Network command. His escape ship is blown up and he is also joined by Rathskilian female warrior who makes the unlikely claim that she's Network and she needs to get to Network command for her own top secret reasons. He can't quite trust her when her people side the Alliance, but Maura tells him Sona is good people.
Spy action, intrigue, a race across the galaxy, forbidden romance, and a cute pet operative made this a story that captured my interest and my emotions.
Nothing Remotely Familiar by Donna McDonald
#5 Topper Witch - My Alien Romance, Magic NM world
3.5 stars
An interesting blend of paranormal romance and sci-fi romance, this was my first encounter with the Topper Witch series and my second visit to the overall Magic, NM world.
Topper is a powerful witch and she's mate with an alien who comes from an Ice World. Her current pregnancy is complicating matters right when she needs no extra complications. The Fates are messing with her when they send her teenage daughter and unusual Familiar and other strange events are occurring.
Light and easy to get into even though later in the series. I enjoyed the family dynamics and Jessica's 'Drop Bear' Koala with fangs talking familiar.
Doom by Regine Abel
#1 Xian Warriors
4.5 stars
First contact with aliens to earth was horrific. An insectoid alien race had come not to conquer, but to use and annihilate. Victoria, a doctor just out of her residency, is about to be captured when she personally learns that a second group of aliens are heroes and not more enemies. Doom and his amazing sentient animal companion rescue her, slaughter Khryptids and help the beleaguered humans along with his band of genetically-engineered brethren. An exciting, harrowing sci-fi adventure continues as they fight for their very existence together.
A fated mate romance set against an intense action plot hit the spot and now I want the rest of the series as well as try out this new to me author's backlist.
Winter's Prince by Alexis Glynn Latner
Starways Series 4.5 stars
A whole world dedicated to role-playing games based on Old Earth. A few individual gamers join together to search for the grail and then learn that some within the game are playing for keeps. With the help of a mysterious unicorn, a pair not only find a real life mission, but a chance at love.
What a fabulous job of world building and sending the characters on a suspenseful adventure.
Heart of the Spider's Web by JC Hay
#1 Tri-Systems: Smugglers 4.5 stars
The plotting gets real when a government spy is embedded with a ship of smugglers who stole an illegal shipment from a boss criminal. Trying to work a scheme that will protect the small smuggling crew and get her mission done, the government rep is stuck between a rock and a hard place, but no harder than the ship's security officer who is feeling the same attraction and conflict of interest.
Great suspense and action with attraction leading to something more at a good pace.
The Princess and Her Bodyguard by E.D. Walker 4 stars
Captured for a special kind of ransom from her royal father regarding a rare species of sentient and telepathic birds, a princess and her bird familiar despair of rescue until the dashing bodyguard she kissed and was fired comes to her rescue and helps her rescue her bird and another captured bird. A sparkling and fun class difference romance with good action and a delightful alien bird who the author gives plenty of delightful narration time.
Interrupting Starlight by Kyndra Hatch 5 stars
#1 Before the Fall
Returning to a familiar world of two clashing peoples in space, this standalone highlights a shipwrecked human rescued by her Korathan enemy and his mogha companion. He discovers his mate is from the enemy race and she discovers that her enemies aren't the evil aliens war propaganda has led her to believe when she and her hidden pet are brought on board the sentient galaxy ship.
I've enjoyed two later novellas in this world. Wonderful sweet, but exciting enemies to lovers cyborg romances.
Import Quarantine by Cassandra Chandler
#11 Department of Homeworld Security
4 stars
I encountered this series once before and had a good time with the sci-fi romantic comedy tone of the book.
This time a hapless human vet, Caitlin, discovers there are aliens up there when one comes looking for a pet doctor for his support cat companion. The attraction is real between Caitlin and Marq even as she is hit by a startling amount of firsts of the alien encounter kind. Only some aliens are more friendly than others and there is a war going on and there are subversive agents on the ship.
Took me a while to get through these because I wanted to appreciate them a few at a time, but the talent represented in this sci-fi romance anthology is prodigious. Not a boring or disappointing read in the pack. A quality read from cover to cover.