Nightchaser

Author: Amanda Bouchet

Series: Endeavor #1

My rating: 3.8 stars

When there is an evil overlord, it’s inevitable that there will be rebels. Tess is a simple space pirate, doing her rebel duty of stealing from the intergalactic government to provide for the rebels & orphans suffering from the oppression. When Tess & her crew steal an extremely valuable item, they’re pursued by a high ranking military general & are moved high up on the Wanted bounty list. When her ship needs urgent repairs, Shade, a good looking handyman, shows up to help, but Shade has goals of his own, and they don’t necessarily coincide with Tess’ & her crew’s safety.

Secrets, life and death situations popping up around every corner, a smoldering romance, and space thieves. This was my first time reading this author’s work, so I went in with an open, but cautious mind. I’m happy to report a successful mission.

The action starts right away in the first sentence and doesn’t let up throughout. We’ve got a sturdy space ship and a tight knit crew made up of a found family. That and their escapades keep the book moving.

But then the book turns to a romance focus. Their relationship is everything I always criticize – an instant crush that they act on almost immediately, barely trying to get to know each other first. It helps that the reader gets to see both povs, but that’s not the case from the characters’ perspectives.

And yet, even with the insta-love, it didn’t feel like a trashy ‘let’s bind our souls for eternity’ kind of stupidity. Maybe it was the excellent writing – that drew me in from page one, or the complexity of the characters & their decisions, or maybe it’s because they acted like logical consenting adults who admit their attraction without pledging their souls for eternal love and other such nonsense. Either way, while this trope usually ticks me off, I enjoyed reading it here. There was a lot of fun chemistry.

I also have a weakness for secret identities, and while the MC’s didn’t stay secret for long, I still enjoyed it.

I’m not a major fan of sci-fi, but this book felt more like a mix of fantasy, space opera, and a bit of sci-fi. I wouldn’t consider this as a hard sci-fi read.

In short, this is a space opera – you’ve got space thieves, a family like crew, characters with potentially interesting secrets, a slow burn romance, and a really great book. I’m looking forward to continuing this series.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.