Three and a half stars maybe?

A quick recap on the first book in this series. Captain (Quin)Tessa Bailey is a rebel fighting the Galactical Overseer Simon Novalight, stealing food from convoys to feed the rebels and survivors from the Overseer's drastic and draconian ways of stamping out rebellion. Tess also has some kind of super blood which acts as a cure-all and which the Overseer wants to use to create Super Soldiers. Oh, and did I forget? Tess is also the Overseer's daughter.

Shade Ganavan was once the best bounty hunter for General Nate Bridgebane. Bridgebane is captain of the DW12 (the Overseer's most feared warship), the Overseer's best friend, and Tessa's uncle, who abandoned her to an orphanage when she was eight years old. After wrestling with his conscience in the last book Shade has followed his heart, given up the bounty-hunting and joined Tess' crew.

In this latest instalment Tess and her crew are on a mission to the Overseer's most guarded prison to rescue a rebel scientist. Along the way our duo battle other bounty-hunters, encounter General Bridgebane and learn more about Tess' childhood and how she came to have this strange blood. The book culminates in a shocking climax that leaves the reader on the edge of their seats.

Sounds great right? You'd want to read that book, I know I would. Unfortunately for me, and this is a criticism that I have levelled at probably the last four Amanda Bouchet novels that I have read so maybe I should cut my losses and stop reading her novels, the balance between tweenage-style gazing adoringly at Shade's big hands with the scarred knuckles (I kid you not), steamy, yet somehow unerotic sex scenes and 'I love her, does she love me' internal monologues and the real space rebel action was woefully misaligned. You want an example? Tess and her crew meet up with another rebel crew unloading supplies on a moon of a planet decimated by the Overseer. We get a few pages of banter and moving supplies then page, after page, after page of Tess and Shade's sexual experimentation and YA angsty conversations. I've said it before but Tess is supposed to be a 26 year old rebel captain, a leader, the galaxy's Most Wanted, and yet most of the time she comes across as someone a decade younger. Anyway, in my head I feel that the novel was 60% YA/NA romance and 40% space opera whereas I really want the balance to go the other way. I can't help but compare this to Star Nomad which in my opinion gets the balance right.

This is where I am supposed to say I realise it's me not Amanda Bouchet and that I am just not going to read any more of her books because it's just the way she writes her books. However, I do love the space opera and so I'm sure I'm going to read the next one with exactly the same mixed feelings. Also I just need to know what is going to happen to all the other members of Tess' crew, there seem to be a lot of budding romances there, and what about the Overseer's latest dastardly plan? OMG I have to read the next book!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I have to get this off my chest, but I have no idea what’s up with that cover, which I think is a definite step back from the first book. Other than that, though, essentially all of my criticisms from the first book were addressed, leaving a delightfully fun, fast-paced space romp. This is the second book in the series and I wouldn’t recommend reading this book without reading the first.

“Tess Bailey: pirate. Sailing the galactic seas, stealing shit, and pissing off the authorities.”


This book picks up where the first book left off. After delivering the serum, Tess and crew are immediately assigned a new mission – rescuing a scientist from the heart of the Overseer’s empire. It’s a big jump up from their usual Robin Hood-esque pilfering of food and other cargo, but luckily Tess has help from an unexpected – if not very forthcoming – source. Trust is a precious commodity, though, and Tess is still working through whether she can trust Shade, let alone the man who abandoned her as a child. Things are more dire than they seem, though, and the fate of the universe may hang on Tess and her crew.

“Tess had been my first choice, but I wasn’t hers—at least not yet.”


The Tess in this book is, essentially, the same Tess from the first book, if a little less naive. She’s still an interesting mix of strong and vulnerable, and still willing to throw herself into danger in hopes of making the universe a better place. Shade, on the other hand, is in a state of flux. Shade needs Tess more than she needs him – Tess has her spaceship, her crew, and her identity as a rebel, while Shade has given up everything in his life for her. His past as a bounty hunter – chasing down rebels just like Tess and her crew – casts a pall over their relationship, and while she may be willing to give him a second chance, he’s acutely aware that he needs to earn her trust back. Despite that, they still have the same great chemistry and hilarious banter from the first book.

“He’s a rebel space cat. Explosions will happen.”


I had several criticism about first book that I wrote off as a bad case of first-book-in-a-series-itis, and, for the most part, that seems to have been the case. My big pet peeve – the POV issue – was the item I was most relieved about, as Tess and Shade both have first-person POVs. There’s also a lot more action, and, in fact, besides a minor interlude at a resort, the book is jam-packed with heists (or planning them), firefights, and narrow escapes. There’s also a lot more time spent with the crew, both new and old characters, including my personal favorite, Bonk, the rebel space cat. There’s a good chunk of time spent on Tess and Jax’s relationship, as well as developing the relationship between Jax and Fiona, and introducing Merrick and Sanaa.

“Faith—throughout the eons—is believing without proof. I’d rather have certain beliefs to comfort me when things seem too dark than nothing at all to brighten the horizon.”


I was a bit bemused at the last book’s entry into philosophy – the Overseer is extremely against the arts, in case you’ve forgotten – and this book provided a new discussion point courtesy of a trip to the main temple of the Sky Mother, the dominant religion of the galaxy. Tess is agnostic, while Shade is a believer, and of course they end up discussing his faith and Tess’s lack of it. It’s not terrible, but I do find these sections odd and a bit out of place. The ending, also, was a bit of a firecracker, and while I felt like the rest of the book’s twists were foreshadowed well, the one at the end had me scratching my head.

Overall, though, I enjoyed the book and I’m very interested to know what happens next for Tess and Shade!

I received this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

My Review: It has been quite a while since I read Nightchaser, and I kind of wish I had taken the time for a re-read before starting this book. It took me quite a while to reacquaint myself with the characters and the vast universe. Once I did get back into the story though, I loved how the romance was a part of the story but not overtaking it, also the romantic breaks seemed natural, not the 'let's have sexy time in the middle of this crisis even though it seems super out of place'. On that thread, I also really appreciated both Tess and Shade's insecurities and pitfalls, it wasn't all soulmate, smooth sailing. There was a lot to this story besides the romance, and it took a lot longer to read than I had expected it to, but it was worth it. We got a lot more side characters and more story lines than in the previous book. We get to see more of the backstory and the political systems. This book turned this series into a real adventure rather than a romance. The ending is definitely left wide open for another book but I still felt satisfied with how this one turned out.


My Rating: I was a bit tentative about this book, but Amanda Bouchet is one of my auto buy authors. She did not disappoint me with this book, even though it took me a while to get into it. I would recommend reading the first one and this one pretty close together. I give it a rating of Three Paws.

I really liked the kingmaker chronicles by this author so I was super excited when I read the first book in this series… unfortunately, I read it a year and a half ago and my memory is shocking. I knew when I finished it that I wouldn’t remember enough by the time the next book came out and I should avoid it until the series finished so I could re-read the first and then read the rest of the series back to back… and naturally I ignore that the second I saw this one on netgalley. Of course, I remembered the basics (shade + tess = happy Kristen) but I didn’t remember a whole lot else and that definitely hindered my enjoyment of this book. It took me a bit to get back into the world, remember the other characters, remember what was going on... of course this is my fault, my memory, and I should have waited till it was all out but ugh I’m also super impatient and didn’t want to. I could have used a recap of book 1 or something – I hate that when I read books back to back, but I realise it is helpful and necessary and you can always skip it if you don’t need it. No big, it eventually picks up and I remembered most everything and it was a solid read. It’s much more action filled than I remember the first one being, but again that isn’t saying much because of my memory lol. Anywho, super excited for the next one – hope it isn’t a year and a half away lol. so this is probably more like 3.5 stars because it took me a bit to get into, but I do think that's my memory's fault. I would have re-read book 1 if I didn't have a million other books to read first

Being back with Tess and Shade on the Endeavor was amazing and this time the stakes are higher! Tess and Shade need to work on their trust issues now that he has given up everything to become a rebel along with her. The development of their relationship was quite quick in the previous book and it was realistic to see that they didn't have the easy road and had to work out the problems between them. Tess has issues with Shade's past and it doesn't help that he'd betrayed her previously. Shade also needs to adjust to his new life which is more dangerous than before and he has to figure out his place in Tess' life as she already has an established family with her friends and crew members.

On top of everything we've got the problem of the Overseer and a new assignment from the rebels that involves them breaking out prisoners from the most secure place in the galaxy. What's our team gotta do to catch a break eh? No time for that when you have to save the galaxy!

Amanda Bouchet is one of my favorite fantasy romance authors and she's equally great at writing sci fi romance too! We get to see a lot more of the galaxy in this one and new secrets are revealed (I had a feeling about Nate since Nightchaser). I loved the addition of Sanaa and we get to see more of Merrick! They're both kick-ass and I'm totally rooting for them!
Another plus was the fact that both Tess and Shade's chapters were in first pov as I'd found it a little distracting in Nightchaser when the chapters switched between first and third povs.
The action really ramps up in this one and by the end it really peaks! I feel that it might be just too easy if the Overseer is actually dead so I'm guessing that we might be seeing more of him in the next one! I can't wait to see how this trilogy ends and the decisions that Tess and her crew are going to make!

This is the second in the Endeavor series following Nightchaser (which I also reviewed) and if you didn’t read Nightchaser, you should absolutely go and read that before diving in here, because this isn’t a standalone. You need to know how Tess Bailey and Shade Ganavan met and why Tess is so important in the mythos of this intriguing universe.

On the run from the all-powerful Overseer (Tess’s stepfather) and the Dark Watch, plus bounty hunters looking to claim the enormous bounty on Shade’s head, Tess and Shade are building their mutual trust. While on the run with their motley crew of space outlaws (a crew steadily increasing in size) they find out more information about Tess’s mysterious real father and just why her blood contains mysterious powers.

In a universe where a fascist dictator has complete control, trust is in short supply. Bouchet paints this brilliantly as the point of view switches from Shade to Tess; having recently joined the crew, Shade doesn’t really trust anyone but Tess herself, though, and as more characters from Tess’s past make appearances, Shade has to make the call whether to put his faith in Tess’s judgement.

There are a couple of sexy scenes in here I honestly ended up skimming over because I didn’t feel like they really added all that much to the story. They’re perfectly well written but I wanted to get back to the plot, which I was a lot more invested in than the romantic relationship. To me this is (excellent) space opera with a side of romance, but the sex scenes make this feel more like the author’s trying to put it into sci-fi romance, which I don’t think works all that well over a series of books about the same two characters because you don’t get a proper HEA at the end of each book. For me this kind of falls in between the two genres. It’s an excellent read, though, as long as you don’t go in expecting precisely one thing or the other. Five stars for a solid second installment in this fascinating trilogy.

Dear Amanda Bouchet,

Nightchaser, the first book in the Endeavor series, was one of my favourite books of 2019 so I was hankering to read the follow up, Starbreaker, to find out what was next for Tess, Shade and the crew of the Endeavor. (But, let’s be honest here, mostly Tess and Shade).

Warning: Spoilers for Nightchaser follow.

Starbreaker is not a book which stands alone. While there is enough in it to remind readers of the major plot points, it is designed to be read together with Nightchaser. I found myself reading the end of Nightchaser to refresh my memory actually.

This book begins only a few days after the end of book one. Tess and Shade are back together but she’s still smarting from his betrayal and his past as a Dark Watch Bounty Hunter so they have some work to do relationship-wise.

“The rage is justified.” I slid her a slow smile. “I can work with lust.”

Her lips twitching, she swatted me with a soft backhand across the chest.

“And light slapping,” I added.

Tess laughed. The fading light didn’t hide the electric-blue spark of interest in her eyes when they met mine across the center aisle.

“Who gets to do the slapping?” She looked eager as hell, and I grinned as I flew us over the hazy dark-green jungle, relieved we were done arguing.

“I’m a firm believer in equality. I say we take turns.”

Merrick has joined the Endeavor crew – a very welcome addition – but Jax, Fiona and Tess are still nonetheless reeling from the loss of Miko and Shiori.

Tess and Shade have made a secret deal to provide six bags of her A1 blood to Dark Watch General Nathaniel Bridgebane (aka “Uncle Nate) and have a rendezvous to meet him in a few days. If they don’t show, Bridgebane will arrest either Mareeka or Surral, Tess’s surrogate parents from Starway 8.

The crew of the Endeavor have also been tasked with a rescue for the rebellion by Leader Loralie Harris. The first part is to meet Daniel Ahern on Korabon to get some intel in order to extract his wife, Reena, from the imperial prison on Starbase 12 – the one where the Overseer himself has an office. It’s a very dangerous place and Tess is very unhappy that they’ve been set this task with so little detail or intelligence or preparation time. This aspect of the story never really goes anywhere however. I ended the book still wondering why they’d been given so little information and placed at such risk so quickly.

The action however ramps up fast as things on Korabon get dicey when they’re leaving the planet. There is a massive price on Shade’s head and all of the Endeavor crew are wanted criminals. Drawing the attention of the Dark Watch at all is a Very Bad Idea.

I don’t think it’s a spoiler to reveal that they do manage to exit Korabon with only limited damage. There follows a short idyll as Tess and Shade travel to Reaginine to meet with Bridgebane. They have a couple of days there to explore the tropical resort and each other. As a romance reader I liked the time they spent on Reaginine but at the same time, it did reduce the narrative tension. The action picks up again afterwards though and, for the most part, does not stop.

There are big reveals (the biggest one wasn’t really a surprise to me; I thought the foreshadowing was pretty clear), extra crew members added and daring escapes which had me on the edge of my seat as I read and meant that I finished the book in only 2 days. If Endeavor is kind of like Star Wars, Starbreaker is the Empire Strikes Back of the series. The rebellion is in trouble and things look very dire but I’m happy to report that the main romance is still intact by the end of the book even though it had some rough moments to get there. Unlike Empire however, Starbreaker isn’t better than the first installment. There were a couple of things which didn’t quite make sense to me and a couple of dull spots where Tess and the crew were involved in busywork. It was important busywork but I don’t know I needed all the information about food distribution on the mooncamps of Demeter Terre. And, while Tess and Shade had some rough spots, they were never seriously in any danger of splitting up, so from a romance perspective, it was pretty low conflict. The tension and the stakes at least as far as the romance were concerned were much higher in Nightchaser. That said, it’s not like I actually need any conflict between Tess and Shade. In retrospect I think my disconnect with parts of it was that what there was, beyond sorting out their feelings about the events of Nightchaser, felt a little manufactured. I think I’d have been just as happy to see them working together to bring down the Overseer, with brief interludes of intimacy.

Some of the things which confused me a little narratively as I was reading were resolved at the end fortunately but how the good guys are going to pull a victory out of the hat by the end of the series has me scratching my head a little (probably why I’m a reader and not a writer). I am interested in what will (hopefully) develop between Jax and Fiona and I’m looking hard at Merrick and Sanaa too – basically, I’m such a romance reader that every couple I can put together needs a HEA – what is that saying about hammers and nails? :D

Shade is a lot more emotionally open in Starbreaker; he’s all in for Tess, something I loved but, because I’m contrary, that I nevertheless found a little sappy occasionally. Tess remains awesome; I especially enjoyed her puzzling her way through some very complicated feelings about Uncle Nate – and she’s not all the way done yet -if she ever could be – by the time the book ends. I do love that Tess is clearly the captain of the Endeavor and that Shade is happy to defer to her. He stands at her side to support and protect and help in any way he can but he does not take over or impose his will on her; she’s the leader. Shade is in no way subservient but he has no difficulty in acknowledging her leadership and authority, except when it comes to sex where Tess is more than happy for him to take the lead.

The last third in particular of Starbreaker is a ripper. The action is tight and matters are very tense. There are new reveals and twists and turns to complicate matters for both the Endeavor and the rebellion, though I was left with a couple of questions about the mechanics of some things. For romance, Starbreaker gets a B, for action/adventure, a B+. And, in any event, I recommend it.

Grade: B/B+

Regards,
Kaetrin

I received an e-ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Review can also be found on Milky Way of Books

There is nothing that I don't love in Amanda Bouchet's stories! Rich worldbuilding, amazing character development and romance! I enjoyed coming back to her sci-fi series and especially I enjoyed Tess and Shade. They are a couple I could root for, despite the oddities and the danger and I enjoyed reading every single part of the ARC!

Y’all. This was good. So, so good. Like grab you from the first page and keep you reading right up until the last page good. Like stay up until 2:30 in the morning good. (Yes, I did that.) I really enjoyed the first book in the series and was super excited for this next installment, but Ms. Bouchet takes this series to the next level in Starbreaker.

For starters, the when the book opens the Nightchaser crew of the Endeavor are making a pit stop on an out of the way planet to meet up with a mysterious man for REASONS. The task he asks them to complete is so dangerous that Tess and company are hesitant, but ultimately willing to do what they must to help the rebellion.

And then, to my surprise and delight, in only the second chapter, the adrenalin rush begins.

The main plot arc of the resistance and the Endeavor crew, led by Tess, fighting the evil empire and Tess’s “father”, the villainous overlord, is advanced quite a bit and there are a heck of a lot of new revelations regarding Tess’s childhood and upbringing. The worldbuilding is really well done and I enjoyed seeing it broaden even more as this author continues to add new adventures in new settings.

Don’t forget this is very much a romance and the relationship between Shade and Tess continues to deepen and grow, despite Shade’s betrayals from book one. He is willing to do whatever he must to make amends and prove to Tess that he can be trusted. There are some pretty satisfying sexy times and this couple absolutely works for me. I ADORE THEM. I also love that in any given scene I’m not sure who is going to save whom, because they are both bad asses.

But Tess and Shade aren’t alone and I absolutely must mention the amazingness of the crew of the Endeavor. Each secondary character is so well drawn, I care about them. I want good things for them and I’m all aboard for them to pair off and live out there own HEAs.

I would love to go on and on, but suffice it to say everything about this series is captivating. I absolutely, positively can not wait to find out what happens next.

Final grade- A

I love Amanda Bouchet's books and will read whatever she writes because I am guaranteed an engaging storyline that takes time to develop because it is complicated in a good way, a strong female lead, a slow burn romance, and hopeful character growth both as individuals and in relationships. I will sign up for that ride every time.

Starbreaker is the second book in Bouchet's Endeavor trilogy. It takes place in space, so has some science fiction-y elements as she world builds in space. Captain Tess Bailey and Shade Ganavan are together again as they work to save the universe from an evil Overseer. I will not share any spoilers, so don't want to say much more about the plot. I enjoyed getting to know some of the other characters better and can't wait to see how the trilogy wraps up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Captain Tess Bailey, her ex bounty hunter boyfriend Shade and the crew of the Endeavor are Bach for another exciting adventure. The rebels want them to break into Starbase 12 and free the scientist Reena Ahern.
They need Reena to help tip the battle in the rebels favor. As in the previous book it’s a romantic adventure set in space. Tess is an incredible strong heroine and the chemistry with Shade is stunning. The story isn’t repetitive at all and it’s fun to see hoe the Endeavor battles their way through this adventure. We learn more about the characters and it is an entertaining story.

It seems as if during these days (and months) of shelter-in-place our only hope for thrill-seeking is to seek it out in books. What could be so perfect at removing us from our own reality to the outer edges of the galaxy than the much-awaited Starbreaker!

Tess, Shade and the gang are barely recovered from their previous adventure in Nightchaser when they are recruited for their next mission. They'd essentially be organizing a jailbreak out of one of the most tightly guarded locations in the galaxy while also delivering life-saving supplies to those who need it. Tess is used to high stakes missions but Shade is the newcomer here. He now not only gets to see the risk Tess and her crew take on but he gets to participate as well. All this as he and Tess are trying to navigate their new relationship. Both are still a bit out of practice when it comes to full on trust or even believing that they might be enough for each other. They definitely grapple with their insecurities especially when faced with what they want out of their future.

The new lovebirds also have to contend with the bad guys aka Uncle Nate chasing after them. We have an unexpected turn of events here so let's say that not everything is at it looks and no one is more astounded than Tess. With newfound revelations and possibly new allies it looks like nothing can stop Tess and her team from dismantling her father's tyrannical Dark Watch regime.

There were some new details that I caught onto in Starbreaker, one of them being the wistful memories of an Earth that's long since ceased to exist in the way it was. Quite a few times mention is made of creatures, colours or life that's associated with Earth, though no one has any firsthand experience of those things. It's kind of sad, really, people holding onto an existence that's no longer theirs but they're somber little touches, reminders of fragility and more importantly, humanity.

Sci-fi is not generally in my wheelhouse but in this case I'm here because I'm a fan of Bouchet's. Whether she's building a world in space or in a mythical land, she weaves incredible stories that you can sink your teeth into. If you're itching for non-stop, gripping adventure right now then you have to read Starbreaker. You can barely catch your breath before the next action begins. Tess continues to be a dominant leader, fighter, mother figure, friend, and now lover as well. She's inspiring Shade to be a better version of himself and encouraging her crew to open up, too. This is probably her most challenging time yet, personally as she faces a bit of an existential crisis. Being someone who has always viewed things in terms of good versus evil, she's now confronted with the possibility that grey areas do exist, and that they can prove to be even more difficult that picking a side.

Starbreaker is a brilliant adventure that takes you on a ride through the highs and lows of love, the dangers of outlaw life, and affirmation that a good leader with altruist intentions can bring about change.


~ Bel

Just because Tess, Shade, and the remaining crew of the Endeavor thwarted the Overseer and gave the super-soldier serum to the rebel team doesn’t mean their work is complete. The Overseer’s plans aren’t demolished, and If they knew exactly what he wanted to use the serum for it would make their next steps easier. As it is, they continue to fight the battle even when they’re unsure of direction.

That’s how the crew finds themselves on a mission that involves rescuing a renowned scientist whose atmospheric studies could help rehabilitate numerous planets. By bringing life back into the galaxy they’ll be more people who oppose the Overseer’s stronghold over everything. The problem is she’s being held on the Overseer’s main base of operations. With help from an unlikely source, Tess and crew just might be able to pull this one off.

I won’t lie, it’s been difficult for me to get into reading right now. I just can’t seem to focus, and there’s so much going on that even when I do carve out time for reading, I’m quickly putting it down and moving on to something else.

Well, I’m happy to say that Starbreaker brought me out of my slump. It’s exactly what I needed to read in this moment.

I enjoyed the first book, but if you asked, I couldn’t really have guessed where Amanda Bouchet would go next. There are many possibilities, and I find second books to be difficult because they often tend to be bridge books between the beginning and end of the trilogy.

I loved what Amanda Bouchet decided to do with Starbreaker. I felt like it was more character than plot driven. The main action of the story is not too surprising—although there are definitely some successfully executed white-knuckled, book-gripping moments towards the end—but it’s what the characters do in a given situation that opens up the world.

I loved getting the different perspectives between Shade and Tess’s points of view. Shade is feeling remorse over initially betraying Tess, he spends a lot of the book trying to atone for his mistakes and prove that he can be trusted, both with the missions and Tess’s heart. Being on the rebel side is all new for him, but he’s content with letting Tess lead. There were times I felt the relationship between the two was skewed a bit with Shade being more invested than Tess, but by the end I amended that to it just being the difference in their characters, and because I ultimately think this series revolves around Tess.

Tess has a lot on her plate, what with her father the megalomaniac that he is, and her uncle hunting her down. Trying to keep her crew alive while continually putting them in danger with their various missions. I loved the new perspective that Tess, and readers, gain on events from the past. Not giving anything away, I think Amanda Bouchet has really balanced well the way information is revealed. There are still plenty of questions up in the air, and I’m just as happy not knowing the answers yet as I am about the possibilities they present.

Overall, I really loved the way that the story progressed in Starbreaker. It was certainly high stakes, but ended on a positive note toward what is yet to come, and the battles left to fight.

3-3.25 stars
***


Starbreaker is the second book in the Endeavor series and the continuation of Tess and Shade's story. In book one, Nightchaser, we met Tessa and her crew of space outlaws on the run from an evil overlord. While I didn't totally love book one, I enjoyed it in general and was intrigued enough to keep reading the series. The story continues in this book, where Tessa and Shade try to keep themselves alive and hidden while continuing to help those in need. Unfortunately, I didn't totally love this book either. Starbreaker was an okay read for me, but it had more negatives than positives in my opinion.

Starting out, I was a bit confused by the world building and I could have used a recap on the main series storyline. The intricacies in the story felt complicated, without enough explanation. The writing was rather dry and often slow moving. I wanted more romance between Tess and Shade to keep me interested. Tess didn't act like she loved Shade. She was much more focused on the rest of her life and problems, while he didn't seem that important to her. Shade adored her and she was his everything, but he was not hers'. There was a lot of angst and doubt between them, but very few happy moments. I didn't like Tess as much as in book one because of her treatment of Shade. But it wasn't just that that kept me from loving the book. I didn't find the story and writing interesting or compelling enough to keep my interest. I found it a bit of a chore to finish. I can't help feeling that this series lacks the charm of the Kingmaker Chronicles series, which I liked a lot. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I care enough about the characters or storyline to keep reading this series.

Another great book in this new series! I loved Tess and Shade as much this time as I did previously. This is once more filled with action and danger as well as a few twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. The romance aspect was perfectly balanced with the drama and secondary characters added to a well balanced read.

This review was originally posted on <a href="http://booksofmyheart.net/2020/04/28/starbreaker-by-amanda-bouchet/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

Whoa! Buckle up; this rollercoaster takes off like a rocket and never runs out of fuel! As the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/222616-endeavor" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Endeavor series</strong></em></a> continues, I wondered how Tess and Shade would develop and Shade's integration with the rest of her crew.  I was glad to see them have a little time alone - BAM - no time for that - there's an impossible mission and we need to - BAM - someone from Tess' past  - BAM - but first let's do a heist for - BAM - now we have some strange new intel about Tess' history with some help - BAM - a fight with the Overseer.

I liked the relationship and thought the learning about each other and dealing with their past was realistic for Tess and Shade.  The crew was accepting of him so that helped.  I still love Shade. He was changing his daily life and viewpoints dramatically but he was steadfast about Tess. I enjoyed his point of view more than Tess.  Tess had a lot of shocks and things to handle as the leader while allowing herself to be vulnerable with Shade. And more whoa, some like it <em>hot</em>!

For those in need of an adrenaline boost, <strong>Starbreaker</strong> delivers. There is plenty of action and danger plus you barely get going and the whole landscape changes up again. There is certainly no time to get bored.  The politics continue and knowing more only means I keep realizing how much I don't know.

I'm stunned with the exciting events, wondering what happens from here? There will be a new frenzy of preparation followed, or more likely combined, with the fight of their lives to save the galaxy is my best guess. My heart is with this quirky, talented bunch who risk themselves for others.

The last third in particular of Starbreaker is a ripper. The action is tight and matters are very tense. There are new reveals and twists and turns to complicate matters for both the Endeavor and the rebellion, though I was left with a couple of questions about the mechanics of some things. For romance, Starbreaker gets a B, for action/adventure, a B+. And, in any event, I recommend it.

Grade: B/B+

You know how sometimes the second book in a series falls short of expectations? Well, NOT THIS BOOK! I am still reeling from the shocks this story delivers. Amanda Bouchet has not only met, but exceeded my expectation for Tessa and Shade.

Now that Tessa has delivered the special "sauce" to the rebels to make supersoldiers, she must also deliver some of her blood to Uncle Nate, otherwise he threatens to hurt her loved ones on Starway 8. Along the way, things get blown up, people get hurt, and big, big revelations are made.

There is still plenty of conflict between Tessa and Shade. Indeed, Shade has a lot to make up after his betrayal in book one. Making a life changing decision at the end of NIGHTCHASER, challenges Shade to reconcile who he was with who he is becoming by joining Tessa and her crew. Throw in the mix the return of a lost love and now we have some serious tension.

This book is infinitely readable because although the context is squarely science fiction, scientific details and runaway technology do not bog down the story. It is a character-driven story and thus, utterly accessible for non sci-fi readers, but still super satisfying for those us who love the genre.

❤️❤️❤️❤️ out of 5
I think when writing a sci-fi book there has to be a lot of explaining however the start of this book was a little rough for me because there was almost too much explaining and that took me out of it. However, once the book got going boy did it get going! Action, adventure and romance with a BANG!

Our heroine is a bad ass captain of her own ship and now working for the rebels against the evil tyrant running the galaxy (daddy dearest). Along with her partner they are set to break into the highest security prison to rescue prisoners but of course nothing ever goes smoothly.

I’m always upfront in that I don’t like normally like series that follows the same couple as it always feels like you are purposefully trying to pull them apart to put them back together instead of watching them get stronger and yeah that happened in this book which annoyed the living daylights off me. But the end of this book packed such a punch I now don’t even care. I need the next book and I need it NOW.

As the second novel in the Endeavor series, Tess and Shade’s story was easier to fall into, but even though I liked the novel I still felt like there were a couple of issues that left me feeling out of sorts at the conclusion.

First, Tess has a band of friends who are her crew, and look up to her for leadership and seem to have put Tess on a bit of a pedestal. For some reason, in this novel, she felt so young. Her reactions to her romance with Shade and her daddy issues I felt like I was reading a teenage sci-fi romance. I kind of expected Tess to be a little bit more, well, adult.

Second, when the narration switched to Shade’s perspective I was let down by how much the author told me how he felt. It seemed a little bit too narrated and I had a hard time falling into like with his character. I actually liked him a lot more in the first novel when he had his secret bounty hunter life yet to be revealed to Tess. Here, he was just a love struck guy. In fact, it felt a little lopsided. He seemed so mature and she seemed, well, young. It made it harder to buy into their love story.

My last point is about the prison break storyline. The book starts out with their meeting with Reena Ahern’s husband and their mission to save her. Then that plot seemed to go away for 3/4’s of the book. Then it picked back up at the end with their finally making that trip to Starbase 12 and the rescue mission. I didn’t know who this character was, and really didn’t care if they rescued her or not. I wondered why the author didn’t build in more of her back story so that saving her made sense? I’m going to assume we find out a lot more about her character in the next novel as that plot was left somewhat unresolved.

I always have such high expectations from Amanda Bouchet because of my love for her previous series and just like Nightchaser, this book just fell a little flat for me. ❤️❤️❤️ ❣️

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.