Eclipse the Moon audiobook

3.75 stars Kee Ildez wants to do research to find a group of traitors trying to start an intergalactic war that have also been causing trouble for her and her entire crew. She decides to separate from her ship and stay in a station to get her research done. Varro, a Valovian solider also on the ship, decides to be Kee’s protector on the station. When something goes terribly wrong they must work together to find out who is behind the wrongdoing, and try not to get blamed for it themselves.If there’s one thing I can’t stand in a romance novel, it’s when there’s so much indecisiveness between the main couple throughout the book. And by that I mean one or both parties acts like they want in and then they back out, it’s a huge pet peeve of mine. And this book was rife with that. I loved the first book in the series, it was a five star read for me. This book was excellent but because Varro kept hedging it took away from my enjoyment of the book overall hence a 3.75 rating (and I am being nice).While the romance was lacking the rest of the plot was great. One of my favorite aspects of these books is the scifi world building and the political intrigue it’s all so well done. I love going on adventures with these characters and when I read them I feel like I am completely immersed in their world and stories. I love all the side characters and I want all of their stories. Kee I really liked as a heroine, she was strong but emotional, driven but needed to set her own work boundaries. This book could technically be a grumpy sunshine trope, Varro was just more reserved than grumpy.

If I could sacrifice a kidney for the found family trope in this series- I’d be dead, but happy.Rating: ✨✨✨✨ 4.2You know when you’re a teen with parents that asked what you read, finding a New Adult book that doesn’t make you want to cleanse thy mental space with copious amounts of venemous fluid and/or makes you slam the book shut whenever people enter your close vicinity (I did not shut it in time and it STOOD there, RIGHT BESIDE A FAMILY MEMBER ONCE. THE SCREEN- IT HAD WORDS-) and well, traumatize every passerby that just so happens to stumble upon my screeching self- you end up LOVING the book.Or maybe that was me and this particular series, but let’s pretend things up there **motions dramatically toward scalp** function normally for the sake of this review and uh… people that read this? Let’s go with that. See, the first book of this possible saga, was my soulmate. Still is, actually. And maybe I loved it more than this one because the MC of that one didn’t have amazing hacking skills I had to strive to comprehend- I’m sorry, I have limited intelligence I only use when specifically needed and while reading, I tend to close off that version of me in a cage with padlocks. So first book? Amazing, show stopping- fabulous, delicious-This book? Amazing, show stopping- fabulous, delicious- and incredibly difficult to understand at times.YET, I ENDED UP LOVING IT. My self-torture tendencies tend to shine in books that make me feel just as mediocre and useless as a bug in a windshield. Swipe, swipe, swipe that ish-Did I just try to make a rhyming thing and failed spectacularly? **gasp** How dare you make that connection-Okay, fine, I did.But what’s fun without a little failure? **me**Anyway, back to the book in hand! I’m sure you’ve already gotten hydrated enough for the sort of fangirlnism that will take part in this… thingy magingy. **Side eye**Drink water and then come back, porfavor and thank you.Beginning with the things that got me like ‘IT’S A CRRUEEEEELL SUMMMERRRRR- WITH YOUUUU-’ aka, the things that I really enjoyed. (if you got that reference- ayyyyyyy)The plotAlthough it was complicated and made me want to smash something against someone’s head (really my anger issues talking, but okay), I was so INVESTED in it, I simply couldn’t look away! This is a continuation of the previous book from a different character’s POV and at first, I thought that I wouldn’t like it just because the main character in Hunt The Stars was a queen of the highest DEGREE, but I grew to adore the MC in this one too. The pace was quick, and addictive, though at times got a little too info dump-y on me, if I’m being honest. I love when I get information about a new world, but not in an avalanche type of way, you know? I like it like I like my hot chocolate, in various sips so I don’t run out of it too quickly.The charactersI would die for these characters. Periodddddd. I would kill for them, too! The dynamics, the relatability, the diversity, the friendships, the FOUND FAMILY. I shall never stop proclaiming how much I absolutely love that trope and everything added to it. Throughout the story I felt their love for each other, the caring nature they all developed and then grew into a more romantic state of matters. The COMMUNICATION evident between all parties made my inner, outer, sideways fangirling self to combust in sparkles because it made her that happy. I felt like they were real people, not just letters organized for the convenience of the MC. They called her out, they helped her, they cried and suffered and would’ve perished for HER. And the main character felt the same exact way about them! There are way too many characters to properly mention, but just know that if you get into this series, expect your heart to be completely stolen by this cast of beings that are as perfect as they’re beautiful. Inside and out.The tropesAnnoyance to lovers???? Grumpy- stoic- would sacrifice the world for everyone he cares for love interest and a wild- life loving- hacker- sunshine in a rainbow bucket main character? Found family? Everyoneishot? Love interest cooks for the MC when she’s too busy hacking to pay attention to if she has eaten or not?LOVE INTEREST STOOD OUTSIDE AND WOULDN’T COME IN UNTIL THE MC WAS COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE WITH HIM HELPING HER- BUT SHE DIDN’T KNOW HE WAS THERE BECAUSE HE’S A TELEPATH AND HE STOOD OUTSIDE ALL NIGHT PROTECTING HER-My standards have risen to unhealthy levels. If that doesn’t make you want to read this book, I really don’t know what will.And did I mention that he’s a weapon specialist who looks like a viking? Hold me as I jump off a five-foot building with a spoon in hand, please- The spoon is for the dramatics. The romanceYes, I did fangirl a little in the ‘Trope’ section of this review, but I cannot contain the amount of enchantment I feel for the romance! Literally, perfection.If you thought you knew perfect- nope- THIS is perfect right here. The tension, the sizzling dialogue, the straying glances full of conflict, the CONVERSATIONS THEY HAD- THE FREAKING BANTER- On top of being the freaking cutest banter, they were also so mature and responsible and beautiful and ugh- I want to cry. But I won’t, you know why?The love interestTHIS MAN RIGHT HERE IS THE REASON I’M NOT SOBBING RIGHT NOW. Men written by women should be illegal and jailed for mental corruption of the species because I must now create a form for potential suitors to fill, since this MAN right here, he destroyed any possibility of me having a romance anytime soon.He was selfless and mysterious and kind and strong and gorgeous and cared for people more than himself- HE COOKED AND BAKED COOKIES FOR THE MC- I’ll go lie down in the highway with an umbrella as it rains, thank you very much.On a closing note, this book right here is the reason why my reading life has taken a turn for the worst- after I finished this story?? DOWNHILL Y’ALL. DOWN-FREAKING-HILL. Forget about reading slump, this put me in a life slump. The storyline was action packed, compelling and riveting. The characters were enthralling and so so magnificent and the romance?? ….Yeah **intensely holding back tears**Yeah.Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!..................Forced proximity y’all, omgggg.Also, *takes deep breath* why does it say it’ll be published this year when in the first book it says next year 🙂🔪

This is second in a sci-fi romance series and events and characters carry over from the first. I recommend reading in order.This was exactly what I expected in the broad strokes. Lots of action/adventure. Lots of getting to know each other and finding their compatibilities. Kee and Varro had a lot of communication issues/misreads to work through and it took them a long time to do it. And that was a little frustrating. Their respect for one-another held me through, though, as it was clear from the start that they each held the other in the highest esteem.And I liked the pairing of a high-level telepath and the top-tier hacker. They're natural compliments and seeing them work together was fun.I don't have a lot more to say than that, I suppose. The plot was okay. I'm a bit tired of the over-arching plot and forever chasing after the two bad guys who have thwarted them twice, now. It's a tired pattern and I can't tell you how much I hope that doesn't reprise yet again in the next. I'm going give this 4½ stars and I'm torn on rounding up or down. The longer I think about it, the less impressed I find things. Like, the empathic feedback was all upside because neither ever got grumpy at the other or exasperated or any of those normal emotions that make it really good that your spouse isn't in your head all the time. So let's call it a strong four stars on rounding?A note about Steamy: There's enough to amount to two explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. Seriously, though, I skimmed more than not. It was completely gratuitous and felt more than a little tacked on.

I love the characters in this space opera series and I could definitely read more than 3 books with them. That being said I was particularly excited for Kee’s book - you have to love the sunny charismatic one. I liked the relationship with Varro (grump with sunny is a great trope). Kee has decided she needs to stay on station to really delve into her hacking so they can find Morten and truly stop the war from restarting. She also figures this will be good space from her unrequited crush on Varro. Imagine her surprise when Varro tracks her down and refuses to allow her to remain unprotected and hello forced proximity! I can’t wait for the next book in this series, such a great world to escape to!

I was excited to read Kee and Varro’s story after their explosive chemistry in Hunt the Stars. They have that grumpy/sunshine dynamic that always makes for a fun romance, and their high-stakes journey is a wild ride.Kee is such a fantastic protagonist. She is so smart and a super talented hacker, and she is an enormous asset to her team, though she doesn’t realize it. She goes through a lot over the course of the story, and I like that she starts to see herself differently. Kee is a crier, but that doesn’t mean she’s weak. She feels deeply, and that isn’t a liability. I love that Kee starts to see that these qualities she always thought were faults are actually some of her best strengths.Varro is the grumpy to Kee’s sunshine personality. Opposite to Kee in many ways. Varro rarely shows his emotions. He has a powerful ability that forces him to keep a tight leash on his feelings so that he doesn’t impose on other people’s will. Because of this, he is difficult to read, as Kee learns throughout the story.Kee and Varro have a great romance. They have so much chemistry, and their feelings for each other are intense. I love the forced proximity scenes when the couple shares a very confined room. The tension is off the charts! Plus, the little ways that Varro shows Kee he cares are so sweet, and his nickname for her is lovely. Personally, I think everyone deserves a sexy alien who bakes delicious cookies. However, some of their conversations felt repetitive, and I wanted to shake Varro and make him explain things to Kee. They both struggle to communicate their feelings, and they rehash the same argument several times with little change, which is frustrating. That being said, their sexy scenes overall love story more than made up for it.The story also has a ton of action, epic space adventure, and a lot of nail-biting intensity, which I loved. Set in a place that is tentatively at peace after decades of war, there is a lot at stake, and it’s clear that there are some who want to break the hard-fought truce. The Starlight crew is determined to help maintain peace and root out the people intent on destroying it. Espionage, kidnappings, daring and dangerous rescue missions, and more had me eagerly turning the pages to find out where Kee and Varro and the rest of the crew’s journey would lead. Speaking of the crew, I adore the Starlight members and the found family vibes. They are an amazing unit, and I love that we learn more about them and how they are meshing as a team.Overall, I thought this was a great addition to the Starlight’s Shadow series, and I can’t wait to read the next book. There are several potential love stories that I would love to see, and I can’t get enough of the characters and intriguing space politics and intrigue. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

This is a sci-fi adventure that just doesn't stop. Kee is a petite pixie/hacker genius who always manages to look on the bright side. Varro is a giant psychic alien (Valoff) with a protective streak. As the book begins, they have both resigned themselves to being "just friends" with the other. But then they get stuck in a tiny room on a space station together, forcing them to reveal previously-hidden secrets.The book is almost non-stop action, even considering that Kee gets so lost in her virtual research that she forgets to eat and sleep. The only thing we would have changed is that it takes nearly until the very end of the book for the relationship to progress beyond the "will they, won't they" phase. Since the book is written entirely from Kee's 1st-person perspective, it also gets a little frustrating that she's constantly misinterpreting Varro's motivations. That said there's so much going on that when they do give in physically you wonder how they're going to find the time to fit it in to their schedules!This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Hmm, I enjoyed this, but less than the first one. It felt like the romance took more of a backseat and I'm not sure I understand all of the politics involved! Did enjoy the new characters introduced and the romance miscommunications seemed so real/not annoying.

For anyone who loves believable science fiction with a great blend of romance, this is absolutely the book to choose! And, although it is the second in a series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone (although it would be a shame because the first book is just as exciting and sets-up much of the backstory). Kee is the spark that lights this story. Her optimistic and open attitude is the refreshing counter-balance to both the heavy story-line and the closed personality of Varro. Together, however, these two are magic! Varro does not express himself at all and holds his emotions strictly tied down. Kee cries easily, loves hard and opens herself to those around her. Neither understand the other but both desperately want to. It's a dance that is a delight to experience. There are times that the non-communication gets frustrating, as each assumes, rather than speak, to the point of redundancy. But as the story progresses, the layers unfold and readers are gifted with a love that is not only claimed but deeply understood.The Sci-Fi action and intrigue is no less engaging, as well! The worlds are believable, the intrigues and danger is nail-biting and the action is edge of your seat! There are rescues gone awry, traitors at every turn and above all, loyalty and family among devoted and determined friends that overcome all adversity. With only a few small glitches, this is truly a story not to miss!*Copy provided by the publisher but does not in anyway affect my opinion*

This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/I had a great time with this book! This is the second book in the Starlight’s Shadow series which I would recommend reading in order if at all possible since there is some continuation of the story from the first book. Kee and Varro take the spotlight in this book and I loved getting to know them better. This book was incredibly entertaining from beginning to end.Kee wants to do some research to find a traitor that has been trouble for the crew so she decides to stay on a space station for a bit to focus on her mission. She ends up with some help in the form of Varro who has a few very special abilities that may help her with her tasks. Kee has feelings for Varro but doesn’t feel like they are reciprocated. They work very well as a team which is a good thing since they soon find themselves in a heap of trouble that will take some work to get out of.I really liked the characters in this book. Kee and Varro were wonderful together and I thought that the chemistry between them was amazing. It took a lot of work for each of them to try to understand each other and I loved that they were both willing to put in that extra effort. The whole group of characters on the spaceships were all great and made an incredible team. This book was very exciting with quite a bit of action which kept me glued to the pages.I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a great read with characters that were easy to fall for and a complex mission. I cannot wait to read more of this wonderful series!I received a review copy of this book from Harper Voyager.

Another solid sci-fi romance from Mihalik. Eclipse the Moon is book two in her Starlight's Shadow series and I'm really so glad that Mihalik has continued in this vein. I love having a series plot with romance standalones, if that makes any sense. I am so impressed by her world-building and the way she's created pretty high stakes for the overall plot, but has carefully advanced us toward there with a complete plot arc and the set up for the next step to come in book three, which is, I think, the romance I'm most excited about. Eclipse the Moon is Varro and Kee's romance, which has a unique romance pace that really worked for me. The way this book starts is with Kee essentially saying, "I need space," so she goes planet side to run this mission and she's adamant she wants to do it solo. Of course, Varro can't let that stand. So, I was worried Kee and Varro were going to come together too quickly in this one, but Mihalik managed to hold onto the tension for quite some time. And additionally, the plot REALLY kicked in at some point and I was just holding on for dear life through the ride. I definitely recommend it, just make sure you've read book one first!Thanks so much to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

I've definitely missed reading books set in space and now I need more. As soon as possible.Varro feels so near and dear to my heart, he reminds me so much of Bellamy from the 100, in all the best ways possible and Kee was such a cool person to meet. Forced proximity, undying loyalty, intense connection, delicious.Eclipse of the Moon reads like a movie, face-paced, and dramatic in the best ways possible. I need more.

Review originally posted at https://smexybooks.com/2022/07/review...This author has quickly become one of my absolute favorites in the fantasy/sci-fi genre. When one of her new or upcoming releases hit my Kindle I drop everything and settle in for a rollicking good time. I’m never disappointed.Eclipse the Moon is the second book in this series, which began with Hunt the Stars and the introduction of this world and the now expanded crew of Starlight’s Shadow. Having met these characters I immediately fell in love and started mentally pairing up characters for future installments. Kee and Varro jumped to the top of my couple radar with their early misunderstandings and obvious chemistry.The overall series plot continues on with this found family crew on the lookout for Commodore Frank Morten, who they believe was involved in the kidnapping of Torren’s nephew and possibly a more sinister plan to restart the war between FHP and the Valovian Empire. Kee is the ship’s information guru and hacker, able to dive deep into secure systems and retrieve intelligence material. But her hunt for Morten’s whereabouts seems to be at a standstill. So she obtains permission from Tavi to stay behind on Bastion, a space station with an FHP base, on the next restocking run. If it gives her some space from Varro, all the better. Maybe she can get her infatuation under control and her head back in the friend zone.But Varro has other plans, and his need to protect her leaves them separated from their team and on their own for what turns out to be a dangerous mission.Yet another Jessie Mihalik book that rocked my world. I adored this grumpy/sunshine space adventure thoroughly. I have a thing for hackers and information gatherers in my romance and Kee and her big brain ticked all my pleasure boxes. Pairing her with a Valovian weapons expert who grunts and scowls and is determined to keep her safe no matter the cost was just icing on the science fiction cake for me. You know when the heroine thinks the hero doesn’t like her “like that” because he is standoffish, yet does all these little things for her that she mistakes for just simple kindness because he wants to be friends? This is Kee and Varro. So when they are stuck together in a room short on space there are lots of misunderstandings and finally an admission that Varro feels the same way. But can a man whose mental abilities are so vast that other Valovian’s are scared of him, let down his guard enough to take a chance on love?The plot is very intricate with all kinds of threads that I don’t believe will be tied up until the very last book in the series. But there is movement toward a big showdown and what I think will be the discovery of a vast plan that encompasses more than one government. This is book two and I had to check the author’s website to see if there is any mention of just how many books there will be in this series because I see at least two more romances I want to see play out. One of them is the polyam quad that was teased about in book one and is mentioned just a little more in-depth here. I have my mind set on this happening so be prepared for tears if it doesn’t.Eclipse the Moon is a fast-paced, thrilling space opera. I’m kind of mad at myself for reading it so fast because now I have a long wait for the next book in the series. If science fiction/fantasy is your genre of choice you won’t want to miss this one. This is the good stuff.Final Grade- A

Ok, if you're a fan of love stories plus a lot of action/adventure and a plot to save the universe from another war between two different beings, then this series is for you. Thanks to Harper Voyager for the gifted book.After finishing Eclipse the Moon (the second book in the Starlight's Shadow series), I have to say that this is the perfect story for anyone who wants to read science fiction, but felt super intimidated by the genre. It's also for folks like me who don't like romance novels too much, but prefer ones with a bit more story to them. In fact, similar to the first book in the series, this focuses more on what's happening in space than on the romance. Don't be fooled, the romance readers will get their steamy scenes and emotional roller coaster ride throughout the story, but it's also such a great adventure story.Eclipse the Moon follows Kee (the hacker) and Varro (the weapons expert) as they head off on an adventure on their own. They decide to attend a fashion show hosted on Bastion, the space station they visited in the first book. The interesting part of this fashion show is that both Valovians and humans collaborated to create clothing that combines both art and technology together. This is all in an effort to bring their two races together in peace rather than continue to promote harm and war between the two of them. However, Kee has a sinking suspicion that the folks who stole the Empress's young grandson will also be at Bastion during this time. She heads to the event with Varro in hopes of finding more information on their plans to start another war.I really loved this adventure and while most of this story focused on Kee and Varro infiltrating the fashion show, saving some key folks from the event, and then helping to track down the traitors, I loved it. I think many folks looking for another found family story may be a bit disappointed to see that it's only featuring Kee and Varro, but I loved watching them take action, defend the good folks (regardless if they were human or Valoff), and helping track down the villains.The romance itself was much lighter than the first one. While there wasn't any lack of romantic gestures and beautiful words, it didn't feel as intensely as it did between Tavi and Tarron. That's okay with me since many relationships are different and love is shown in many different ways. It might also be because this was a classic grumpy/sunshine trope and Varro is 100% grumpy.Since this book is in Kee's perspective, a lot of what she did was hacking and looking at data to find one piece of information here or there. I think my least favorite part was reading through that because not much is going on aside from her looking through lines of code. It's not the most tantalizing thing in the world, so I wasn't that excited to read those parts. However, they are redeemed with all the action as they try to escape the situations they found themselves in and make it back to the Starlight Shadow.Overall, this was another great adventure for the team and another great love story for me. I can't wait for book 3!

I love the humanism of the domestic that Jessie Mihalik brings to her sci-fi romance adventures. Can it be cozy sci-fi if there are shootouts, kidnappings, and chases? Maybe cozy sci-fi is the wrong term, it certainly falls within soft sci-fi. In addition to the romance at the center of this sci-fi adventure, there is care taking, affection, and a badass woman who cries when she is overwhelmed, but still gets the job done. The crew of Starlight’s Shadow cook real food, eat together, and watch videos together. Finding the food that makes people happy is my love language and I’m so happy to see it in space.Eclipse the Moon is the second book in the series, and not a standalone. The now combined Human and Valovian crew are quietly investigating the plot to reignite war, not certain if it’s officially sanctioned by either or both governments. When Starlight’s Shadow docks at a major human space station, Kee wants to stay on the station to look for information and also to give herself some time away from Varro, the Valoff for whom she has unreciprocated feelings. Varro very clearly does reciprocate and Mihalik is making good use of the Idiots in Love trope. Kee thinks she is on her own until she walks into a trap and Varro saves her. When Kee realizes Varro isn’t going to leave her unprotected, she finds herself sharing a very small space with the man she was trying to get some distance from. Oops.Kee and Varro are good, honorable people who want to take care of and support each other. The conflict between them is their cultural understandings of honor and care. They revisit the same conflict a few times before they hit the balance of compromise. But even when they aren’t fully understanding each other, the trust between them is unquestioned.There are multiple scenes in which cookies play a role and frankly I’m glad to know that snickerdoodles and peanut butter cookies will go forth into the universe. To me the cookies mean home, kindness, generosity, and acceptance. When Kee has cookies she shares, and when their are people around her, she builds connections. It’s pretty clear that on the space station, cookies (and kindness) are a luxury, but rather than hoard them, she offers them freely. Because she is generous with what ever she has, she brings out the best in the people around her. When she is faced with a dangerous situation, she goes past her physical and emotional abilities to protect the people she has drawn into her circle.That generosity plays out in the romance too. For his own reasons, Varro is drawn to and befuddled by Kee’s inclusivity and warmth. He will set himself an fire (not quite literally) to protect her even she he has no idea she loves him.As the world gets harder, I want to read more science fiction/fantasy/romance that centers kindness. I also plan to make snickerdoodles later today.CW: kidnapping, terrorist attack, torture, beating, shooting, stabbing and betrayal.I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley. My opinions are freely and honestly given.

*4.5

After finding out that the sequel to Hunt the Stars would follow Kee and Varro's story, I was thrilled! Even in the first book, you could see the Grump-Sunshine from a mile away, and Jessie Mihalik definitely delivered on that front. There were a ton of things that I loved about this book. To start, I really appreciated Jessie's care and attention to detail in the tech-y sci-fi elements of the story. Of course, knowing she's a software engineer, it is no surprise that her field knowledge would emerge in Kee's story. Kee is, after all, Starlight's resident tech-wiz. I could tell that she had a fun time writing it, which made it all the more fun to read! While I'm sure some would disagree, I personally really liked the emphasis on how arduous Kee's digital reconnaissance could be. It takes time - not like in the movies where the hacker is like "I'm in!" after 0.2 seconds. While I'm sure the pacing played a part in developing the plot, I'm still glad it seemed a little more realistic. I also really liked Kee and Varro's relationship - they're both so stinkin' cute, and their care for each other spills off the page. While the story contains plenty of grand gestures, I especially liked the little acts of service they would perform for each other, like getting water or food or just making sure they got enough sleep.Now I know - I know that I shouldn't compare Kee & Varro's story to Tavi & Torran's, but there are a couple of differences there that I think impacted how I felt about this book. For one, Hunt the Stars felt a lot more exciting? I don't know; this one just didn't feel as high-stakes to me for some reason. It could be that the plot got super repetitive at times. Not only did the plot kind of repeat in its entirety (the scenes at Bastion and the moon base are strikingly similar to one another), it also gets repetitive with words/phrases used by Kee and Varro in dialogue. As fun as Kee and Varro's story was, I think I was just really itching for more of Tavi and Torran. Instead of focusing on one couple at a time, I wish the series was multi-POV for each book and that the development of the relationships happened concurrently along with the evolution of the plot. Focusing on just one couple made the story a little bit more tedious. I think the only reason that didn't happen with Hunt the Stars is that we hadn't met any of the characters yet. The plot required that the other characters play a more significant role because we didn't know anything about them. But with Eclipse the Moon, we're already familiar with most of the main characters, so we lost some of those layers. The Starlight crew is still essential to this story, but I just wanted so much more of them. We get a few new characters as well, but I would actually prefer the story worked with the characters it already had instead of adding new ones. There was also a part at the end that I didn't really understand—specifically, the dom/sub-esque proclivities. Don't get me wrong, I fucking loved it, but I felt like it came out of nowhere!? There didn't seem to be much of a lead-up to it, nor did the characters' personalities clearly match up with that development. Listen, being the lil freaky-freak that I am, I am all for it - I just wish it was gradually introduced to the story instead of thrown in at the end almost like an afterthought. I know this book is all about the slow burn and sexual tension, but if you're going to include kinks of any kind, it has to make sense for the characters. The potential was there, so I think it was a missed opportunity that could have made the story a hell of a lot more interesting. And if that conflicts with the overall vision of the book, then I don't think it needed to be included at all. Nevertheless, I had such a good time reading this! It was still a great addition to the series, and I was happy to see more of Kee. She has always given me major Tinker Bell vibes, so being able to see her stubborn, tinkering, sweet-tooth personality come out was such a blast! I can't wait to see where the story takes us in the next one! Rating: 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars! Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Voyager, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!