Aurora Blazing audiobook

This is second in a series and characters from the first show up and are important for parts of the plot. I highly recommend reading the other first.Can I start by gushing about my love of that cover? I'm pretty sure that cover brought the series to my attention. And the story wasn't bad, either, though like the first, romance is the primary influence with sci-fi a secondary effect on plot and relationship interactions. So if you're looking for clever worldbuilding, interesting gadgetry, or political maneuverings with entire planets on the line they are there but in service to the romance structure. Indeed, if you want to go on straight story structure and character dynamic this is closer to a fantasy in a lot of ways. Just with space magic (adding "space" as a modifier makes everything better. Try it! "space ship" "space scalpel" "space weasel" "space gum" "space jacket" "space heater"—okay maybe not everything)Sadly, being primarily romance is problematic in this story because so much of the relationship between these two happened in the past. Mihalik tells us some things about it, but that means a lot of their dynamic is opaque to start. And this isn't helped by Ian being a giant jerk for the first, oh, third of the story. He says some things that really hurt her and while he seems unaware of it that doesn't make it any better. And when he (view spoiler)[betrays her trust by working a back-deal with someone she needs information from (hide spoiler)] I recoiled a bit. That was such a betrayal of her on so many levels. I'm glad that Bianca called him on it and that she outright told him how he had broken her trust and that had some effect in subsequent events where he needed that trust. But it still felt like she forgave him too soon and that the extension of trust afterwards came from her on the grounds that "trust must start somewhere". Yes, this is true, but maybe let him be a partner in that somehow? Like groveling would have been good. Or him expressing trust in her?Which all sounds dire when the fact is I liked Bianca from the start and Ian wasn't that bad when he wasn't manipulating her for her own good. If you give the story its space magic with her hidden ability then the whole plot flows together very well and I loved the fast pace and the things that drove them to working together. And I really liked how once Ian had made the choice and gone all-in he stayed solid and proved himself very well. Enough that, yes, I'm willing to see him as a solid partner with Bianca and I'm happy they found each other in the end. Though him tacking on an "I've been in love with you since [blah]" was cheap and stupid because if you take that seriously then him being such a serious buttchomp earlier makes even less sense and I'd maybe want to revisit that whole redemption arc thing...So this is a solid 3½ stars that I'm rounding to four on the strength of Bianca and the action-packed story I had a hard time putting down. It wasn't as fantastic as the first, but I'm still very interested in picking up the next.A note about Steamy: There are a couple of explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. I'm glad they happened after Ian mostly redeemed himself because I was able to go with the reality of their growing intimacy and see the commitment they'd developed by that time.

I VERY MUCH enjoyed this book, even more than Polaris Rising! (only a little more. I liked them both).Bianca von Hasenberg is 25 and a widow, and it's clear very early that her dead husband wasn't just a real jerk in his treatment of her, but also that he did medical experiments on her. I am a sucker for a broken heroine, who has seen some things and is trying to find herself, and I think that's why I loved this book so much. Despite growing up in the ruthless world of the highest house in the universe, Bianca is fiercely loyal to her family and her siblings. When a threat against the house puts her in danger, the head of house security Ian Bishop is ordered to contain her. Instead, they are off on a dazzling adventure together. I love this series, I love the world building, and I love the adventure. I loved Bianca as a character and Ian as her adversary. I loved it all. As you can tell from my very clever Goodreads name, I am mostly a romance reader. I would say that Aurora Rising (like the first book) qualifies as a romance because there's a clear romantic arc with an HEA, but I don't really consider this to be a classic romance. It's very-heroine centric and is an amazing space adventure with a romance going along for the ride. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

*** 4 ***"...“Anyone lucky enough to be entrusted with your heart would be a fool to treat it carelessly.”― Jessie Mihalik, Aurora Blazing..."This second instalment in the Consortium Rebellion Sci-Fi Romance series is just as fun as the first one. I have been surprised at how much I have enjoyed the writing of this author. She stays in her lane with the sister of the first book protagonist and the theme of war between the powerful families of the Consortium. Bianca is considered a grieving widow, a has-been, used goods. She has never shared all she went through in her arranged marriage and hopes she would never have to. Her strongest allies are the siblings of House von Hasenberg , who always try to be there for each other. Her biggest temptation and weakness is the chief of security for the family and more specifically, her father, Ian Bishop . Bianca has been attracted to him for years, but it has never been reciprocal. In fact, Bianca suspect that Ian strongly dislikes her and the only reason he ever gets close to her is because of his job. However, she is about to spend a bunch of time around her, because someone abducts her eldest brother, the heir of House von Hasenberg, and she is determined that her special skills of decoding and decrypting data and communications, she is the perfect person to find and bring him back. So she throws herself head first into her goal, while Ian Bishop throws himself after her to try and protect her, while still looking for her older brother... "..."Despite rumors to the contrary, I am not a robot. When I trust someone and they break that trust, it stings."..." The pace is not as fast as in Polaris Rising, the first book, where Ada von Hasenberg was the leading lady. This has a lot to do with the differences in character between the sisters. Where Ada was physical, confrontational, and all together a bad-ass, ready to deal some violence when she feels cornered, Bianca is more contemplative, she is not in good physical shape and is often sickly, and her main power is technology. She would much rather work in the shadows and have no confrontations, choosing to go through virtual data rather than hand-to-hand combat. Thus, while the first book had a lot of action and even got steamy quickly, Aurora Blazing takes its time to develop, slows down the action and we get the picture of a young woman who is insecure despite the power and prestige her birth family grants her, and who is in a lot of physical and emotional pain most of the time. To get this character and add an initially not very likable dude trying to tell her what to do, and still come up with a believable romance and almost cyber-punky Sci-Fi which could hold its own, I think that takes some talent! I am looking foreword to seeing where the author goes from here:) This is a Romance first and foremost, set in the background of a Science Fiction story. Do not go into this series expecting pure Sci-Fi. It is not. It isn't an erotic no plot story either. It seems to hit the perfect balance between the romance and the somewhat actiony plot, with a tiny bit of sexy times at the appropriate "climax" of the story:) This makes it appropriate for all but the youngest of readers. No gratuitous violence, no explicit anything. A safe read, in my opinion. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have😀😎

I liked this book better than the first in this series, but I still like her second series better. I can see her voice developing and I love the direction it’s growing. She writes strong, talented, female characters and I really like that. Bianca is a great heroine and I wouldn’t mind more books from her perspective (even if I know that’s not how these trilogies work). This is a worthy space opera. I saw in some reviews that people wanted the romance to really start up sooner, but I thought this one was perfect. I found the relationship to be believable. While the plot was a little over the top I thought it was a fun space opera adventure.

4.5 Stars! Wow! I LOVE these books! Loved the first one, and was BEYOND words excited that I was able to be given a free copy for review from the publisher. If you enjoy action packed sci-fi, these are PERFECT for you! Great characters, flowing plot, which is fast paced and exciting. I highly suggest and recommend you read the first book before this one. There are bits of this story you might find confusing - such as the family dynamic and the fact that this book picks up not long after the last book ends. Each book follows sisters as they carve their own path in the universe while a much larger plot unfolds. It’s well written and the words just fly off the page. Love it and now to wait for the third book in this trilogy!

3.7 starsI received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Lady Bianca von Hasenberg still emotionally and physically deals with the trauma her first marriage caused. Now a widow, she works to help other girls and women through her network of spies and her technological skills. When her brother Ferdinand and the von Hasenberg heir disappears, she won't be patted on the head and told to stay home by her father or their Director of Security, Ian Bishop.Ian shut down Bianca's flirting when he was her bodyguard and even now as the Director of Security, he still doesn't think he is worthy of her, but he can't stop his protective feelings for her. Bianca manages to get information he needs and she won't take no for an answer when it comes to rescuing her brother. Ian needs to rescue the heir, keep his own secrets, and never let Bianca know how deep his feelings really go. Softly, he asked, “Why do you have to fight me on everything?” Second in the Consortium Rebellion series, Aurora Blazing stars Bianca von Hasenberg, the sister of the heroine from the first book, Polaris Rising. The first book gave us glimpses of Bianca as she helped her sister and a few glimpses at the tension between Bianca and the Director of Security Ian Bishop. The author makes good on the tension and slow burn she hinted at in the first. Polaris Rising was a debut and one of the complaints I had was about the story needing a lot of fat trimmed, Aurora Blazing had none of those problems, the author did a great job shoring up the story and fulfilling on the promise I found in the first.The Consortium series, so far, follows two main characters threads, one has readers following one of the three major ruling houses, the von Hasenbergs. Aurora Blazing is told solely from Bianca von Hasenbergs' point of view. The second is about soldiers that were part of the Genesis Project (soldiers who were experimented on to create “super” soldiers), Ian Bishop is hinted at being tied into that. These two threads are swirled into plot threads that involve the three ruling houses conspiring, maneuvering, and possibly going to war with each other for power and resources. This creates a fun, absorbing, and intriguing space opera/scifi ride. “I promise I won’t ever use any of your secrets against you,” I said quietly. As I mentioned, the romance is a slow burn, as in you won't see the (soft) snap in the fraying rope between these two until around 50%; the space opera aspect controls more of the attention in this series with the romance being more of a very important secondary character. I loved the dynamic and tension between Bianca and Ian, I could feel the emotion bubbling underneath. For the most part, I enjoyed how the author didn't blatantly spell out Ian's emotions but towards the end of the story, when we're supposed to get the big payoff, I felt like things were rushed. The ending sex scenes also felt out of place, they felt graphic and jarring placed at the end because the preceding 90% of story had a different tone between the couple. His gaze was scorching, his eyes hot with desire. “We are not done,” he said, his voice a low command. Without Ian's point of view and more of a look into his background, I found Bianca to be the stronger of the two characters. Learning about her first marriage and how her health issues causes her to lie to her family, thus isolating her even further, was heartbreaking. It was immensely satisfying to watch her not gain emotional and mental strength from what was done to her but instead use the strength that she already had but had been a bit too young to mature to. The times she refused to back down because she knew she had the skills and know-how to get the information quicker than Ian made me cheer for her even harder.I was engrossed in the first half of this story and while I was locked into the space opera plots, the romance was too rushed for a satisfying payoff. I would love if Bianca and Ian got a second book as I think their story definitely supports it and the series would benefit from it. I don't know if it is due to the first person pov structure but there were at times I felt like I was only getting half the story on some things, scenes felt left out, and more background was needed. Overall, though, I found this an amazing continuation of the series and the author has dangled threads (the leak in the von Hasenberg house, the war between the three houses, and Ferdinand and his romance with the daughter of an enemy house) that I'm fully on board and can't wait for the next in the series.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. 4.5 hearts I LOVED Polaris Rising!  So I was ready for the next book in the Consortium Rebellion trilogy, Aurora Blazing. Ada's sister, Bianca is the main character and we get her point of view. We were introduced to her already in the previous book as she is very close to Ada.   While Ada is a skilled warrior, Bianca is a different type of fighter. She is a master of intelligence gathering.  She is also a huge support to all her siblings.When an issue arises for her oldest brother, Bianca is determined to help him, even if it means defying her father and his security director, Ian.  The two fight over her taking risks, and their sparing is angry. Already having chemistry, and high emotions in a difficult situation, they fight both anger and attraction.I loved their skills in gathering information, solving the mysteries and fighting battles. It's action from start to end.  I was happy to see Ada and Loch again, along with their friends, briefly.   I only wish we had a bit of Ian's point of view. The romance is not the focus, but adds to the story. It was good to learn about some of Ian's friends, also.Bianca has had a horrible past and now helps others, and tries hard to be honest and honorable with others. I liked her when she helped Ada, and I liked her again now.  We learn more about all the siblings and none of them has an easy time of it with their father controlling much of their lives.  I really enjoy this world with its politics and battles, with high tech and space travel.  The characters are skilled and there is a bit of humor.I can hardly wait for the next adventure, Chaos Reigning, projected to release May 19, 2020.  It looks like this is the final book, as the author's website indicates it is a trilogy. It is about another sister Catarina.  I'll definitely be reading! Narration: I enjoy this narrator.  Her voices for all the characters, male or female seem to fit well.  The voices were a bit different so I could discern who was speaking. I listened to this at my usual 1.5x  speed.Listen to a clip:https://soundcloud.com/harperaudio_us... 

This was a bit slow in the first half, hence the 4 stars. Loved it though!

4 stars / 2 flames. Review in progress.

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I am not a big sci fi reader but when I do dive into this genre I enjoy exploring these new worlds without having to find aliens or creatures.  Finding this series was catnip for me.  I was highly anticipating this release and I have to admit it didn't disappoint. The romance was a little different than in the first book, more of a slow burn than Polaris Rising.  But it was an engaging read from start to finish.  All aspects of it interconnected perfectly and drove the story forward.  I couldn't put this down.Bianca is the daughter of a High House.  She did her duty and married for political reasons.  Her husband died and people have gossiped that she killed him.  But what most people don't know is that she is one of the best hackers and she has an underground network of information.  While others underestimate her she gets things done.  And that's what she sets out to do when her brother is kidnapped.  She knows she can find out who took him, where he is and bring him back.  Ian, the head of security of her High House, has to find her and bring her back to safety.One of my favorite things about this series is how strong the heroines are.  They have courage.  But not in the "I'm tough and careless" kind of way.  They also are very grounded, smart and know their limitations. And the heroes are even stronger but they perfectly balance them, while also allowing them to be who they are.  The heroes are alphas but they don't have to dominate the heroines, instead they give them the place they deserve and work with them.  I've loved that about both of these pairings.As with the first book, here we go on a journey through different planets all to find Bianca's brother.  I loved the worldbuilding, the action of this adventure and more importantly the chemistry between our main characters.  While I mentioned this is a slow burn, and also an enemies to lovers, the sexual tension is perfectly laid out and sprinkled throughout the story.  AURORA BLAZING was a pulse pounding adventure.  If you are not reading this series and this author I highly recommend you give her a try.*ARC provided by publisherReviewed by Francesca❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤

This series is turning out to be excellent! I can't wait for book 3!

Mon avis en Français My English reviewI had a very good time with the first volume and I was really curious to discover the story of Bianca and Ian.No one really knows it, but Bianca is not the same since her late husband experimented on her. Since then, she has been protecting her own and those she can help with the information obtained from her network. But when she is attacked and her brother disappears, she knows that she will do everything in her power to find him. And even when her father does everything to prevent her from leaving the family home, offering a certain amount to the one who could bring her in, she doesn’t change her mind. But here it is, the head of security at her House is also after her. This man who broke her heart and makes her as angry as she is attracted to him.I had a good time with Bianca again. I loved discovering her story and seeing who she really was. This life and its consequences are really not easy for her, but she tries to do the best she can. We also see a little more about her brothers and sisters about whom I am curious to learn more.The author offers us a story full of action and plots that only our two heroes can thwart. It will not be easy, but they will have to trust each other and perhaps they will realize that there is something stronger between them.A very good second volume!

I loved book one and wasn't sure how I was going to feel about book two because of the main characters were different and all that BUT I really did enjoy this book. I will say that the romance was not the biggest draw for me because the smoldering lasted a little too long for me and I just wanted to move past it by the time it was happening. What really kept my eyes glued to the pages was the fast paced plot with tons of action and a rescue that I could definitely get behind. The connection between the MCs was great and yes the romance of it all was there for those of you who love a long smoldering build-up. Overall, great read and I am looking forward to the next book in this series!!