I'm a huge fan of Ms. Bouchet and her latest book finds Captain Tess Bailey and Shade facing more danger, betrayal and a breakthrough in their feelings for each other. I have to admit the first book was so addicting I couldn't put it down. STARBREAKER is full of kick-ass action and impossible missions, but I put the book down a few times until I got to the last third of the book. That's when the intrigue, secrets and betrayals come to light. This book ends on another cliff-hanger and we'll have to wait to see if Tess and Shade can defeat the Overseerer for good and save the galaxy.

Tess Bailey and Shade Ganavan are in it deep again. Both have secrets in their past and both want forgiveness for thing done and gone. This is a middle book and it has all the hallmarks. Several problems, a lot of tension and danger, some romance, a secret from the past revealed and nothing permanent solved. A good read but should be more to come.

I'm officially a HUGE Amanda Bouchet fan. I love her characters and their relationships. I appreciate the multiple perspectives telling the story. In this particular series, I love the found family. This is an exciting adventure. I would be lulled into a sense of security enjoying the growth of a relationship only to find the next hitch thrown at me. What will happen next? And with the end of this book I was truly left needing know what will happen in the next book. Help me please! I need to know what is going to happen to my friends!

If you've enjoyed the found family of an Aurora Rising or The Gilded Wolves, this is a good option to satisfy your craving. Cannot wait for the 3rd book!

It takes teamwork to survive the turmoil and hot water this main couple keep finding themselves, especially right off the bat, as they navigate the galaxy and the dark force they need to extinguish. Good thing for them they have a small posse of compadre rebels fighting alongside them for the same very good cause. Speaking of which, the bad guy here could give Darth Vader a run for his money! Yeah, keep that in mind. The backdrop has a Star Wars type feel to it.

Tess, the heroine, has a complicated past so you’ll need to read book 1, Nightchaser, to fully wrap your mind around all of it. Sure, straight up facts are dispensed here and there to refresh our memory, but it really was a lot to take in, if she’s new to you. Along with her formerly rocky relationship with Shade, the hero. He definitely now seems along for the ride no matter where it takes them and has her back no matter what. Like I ever doubted him for a single second, folks! Of course, it was his heart this female Robin Hood of the galaxy stole by the end of book 1 that keeps him loyal and glued to her side now. If you want to know their full past issues, well, I’m going to repeat myself..read book 1 first. You will be very glad you did. It was a great entertaining read, as well.

There are bouts of action packed drama, even a breather given to these outer space rebel lovebirds enough to cool their jets for a little while before jumping back into a long list of seemingly impossible tasks/situations to plan and carry out. Discussing feelings and tidbits of information involving their childhood were incorporated, as well, likely meant to bond them even more as a couple.

I did find myself anxious for them to be back into the fray at that point, only to be a little overwhelmed later on trying to hang on and keep up with all the Dark Watch drama and step by fight then flight scenes. At almost 500 pages, there is a lot of room for blow by blow narratives/descriptions/action. Shade and Tess kept alternating/sharing the stage enough I had at times to be mindful of who was talking or doing what. I started tripping over words during some of the lengthy escape scenes near the conclusion. Meaning, I was skimming while running along with them but didn’t necessarily feel like I was missing out on anything while doing so.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to sequels. It was, however, definitely the first book that completely blew me away enough I am still fully invested into seeing them master the universe by defeating the odds and conquering good over evil once and for all.

Title: Starbreaker, Series: Endeavor (Book 2), Author: Amanda Bouchet, Pages: 448, must read book 1 first, likely to be continued, science fiction romance, some very steamy scenes, Star Wars type fight scenes, brief OM appearance/drama.

Book 1 - Nightchaser, Pages: 403, 1/1/19
Book 2 - Starbreaker, Pages: 448, 4/28/20 (likely to be continued)

(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review. There is no relationship between this reviewer and the author, publisher, or NetGalley.)

I'm not usually a Sci-Fi fan and only picked this series up because I adored Ms. Bouchet's historical fantasy series. Wow! I'm glad I did! This installment is just as riveting, exciting and fabulous as the first book. Bravo, Ms. Bouchet! You have won a die-hard fan!

This was a good installment to the series, however there were several things I had a problem with. It definitely suffered of 'middle child syndrome' and I really hope book 3 redeems this one. The last 20% or so of the book was way better, enough to convince me to still want to continue with the series.

Things I enjoyed: I really enjoyed Tess and Shade's relationship development. It was nice to get Shade's POV so we can get to know him better. I also liked getting more of the relationships between Tess and her crew. I really like Jax and hope he gets his head out of his butt and lets Fiona in. Getting more of Merrick- he's a quiet dude but for some reason, I'm really drawn to him. I loved finding out more of Tess' family background. And lastly, I love Bonk- he's the coolest space cat ever :)

Major spoilers ahead...

Things I disliked: First of all, there was way too much description. This is a sci-fi, not a straight up fantasy, I don't need pages and pages of flora/ weird animals/ forest sounds. Secondly, the brief love triangle (Gabe appearing out of nowhere after 7 years) screamed of YA. Thirdly, Tess conveniently having illegal AI just in one hand which is attuned to locks- what the hell was that? This was too specific, it was like, uhhhh I'm having a tough time with this part of the plot, let me add this AI to her hand! Fourth, the prime (Tess' stepfather, evil supreme leader or whatever), maniacally talking about the black hole taking someone not just to a place, but to a specific time they need- that was too much like one of the Star Trek's movies with the ribbon thingie. It was just too left field with no prep for it.

So, all in all, I still recommend this book, but be prepared to skim through certain sections.

*Leaving reviews on goodreads and amazon

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the second installment in the Endeavor series and is told from alternating points of view between Tess and Shade. Amanda Bouchet manages to sketch beautiful characters and drawn such a rich world with so many different planets and people that you can feel you belong right in the heart of the story. “Starbreaker” is full of action, fighting scenes, plotting, rescue missions, capture and escape plans, but the author remains true to her writing and the arc story revolve around the romance between Tess and Shade. In spite of her past, Tess has such a tender heart and is willing to sacrifice everything for the greatest good and Shade has a lot to atone to in order to win Tess trust back, even though she seems to have forgiven him for his betrayal. They both must deal with their past mistakes and actions if they want to have a future together.
Was this book waiting for? Definitely!!! It has it all: drama, secrets revealed, old flames revived, new crew members and old crew members joining the Endeavor, enemies that are not enemies (or are they?), slow burn romance, passion.
I look forward for the next book in the series.

Starbreaker by Amanda Bouchet is the 2nd book in her wonderful sci-fi Endeavor series. I loved the first book in this series, Nightchaser, and happy to say that I equally loved Starbreaker. As I have said previously, Amanda Bouchet keeps rising up as one of my favorite authors.

In Starbreaker, Tess Bailey (our captain of Endeaver), continues to fight the evil Overseer and the Dark Watch, and steal food and medicines for the areas in this space world that are in need. Tess has now become romantically involved with the hunky Shade Ganavan, who has become part of Tess’s team. I have to say I love them both together, as their chemistry is off the wall. We get to see the POV’s of both of them. Very well done by Bouchet.

What follows is an exciting, edge of your seat non-stop action-packed suspenseful adventure, pulling on all of our emotions. The last half of the book so exciting, I was unable to put the book down. Tess and crew find themselves in so many dangerous situations, we held our breaths each and every time, as we worried if they would survive. Amanda Bouchet has a knack of giving us fantastic characters, besides Tess and Shade. I love her team, Jax, Fiona, Merrick, Bonk and the new addition, Sanaa. It was great to see friends from other ships, who always help each other.

The surprise twist is her uncle, who will help her along the way to try and save her old friend (Shiori ) and another captive (an important scientist), who are captives on Starbase-12. Sanaa, is a main part of her uncle’s team, is told to work with Tess. She is equal to any powerful man that is the perfect soldier; at first the team doesn’t trust Sanaa, but as time goes on, she becomes very valuable to them. After so many escapes from various attempts by the Dark Watch, we have no time at all to catch our breaths, when the team goes to Starbase-12 to rescue their compatriots in what could be a suicide mission. To tell too much more would be spoilers, and you need to read this to enjoy the action throughout.

As the leader of the rebel forces, Tess puts herself in danger often. She is an awesome kick-ass heroine; strong, independent, loyal to her friends and those in need. She is the star of this series, and you can’t help love her. Tess is always looking out to help others, not caring about her own life. Shade was also great, a sexy, handsome, strong hero, and I loved that they were now together. I also totally love Bonk, Tess’s space cat.

Starbreaker was another fantastic heart-pounding, suspenseful, thrilling ride, filled with suspense, excitement, action, romance, in a wonderfully imaginative world building. If you have not read Amanda Bouchet, you should start now with Nightchaser or if you have not read her debut series, start with The Kingmaker Chronicles, then move to this series.

If ever there was a time to lose yourself in a SciFi romance…that time is now. I’m definitely considering the merits of fleeing the earth at the moment.

In this the second book in Amanda Bouchet’s Endeavor series, you get another dose of fast-pace interstellar action and the sizzly chemistry of Tess and Shade. Personally, I think I’ve decided I like Bouchet’s Kingmaker series a bit more but that’s just a personal preference. Fantasy verses SciFi. But this book is sexy and exciting and a perfect escape from our current unpleasant reality.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the chance to read an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love watching Sci Fi movies but I don't usually grab a Sci Fi book to read. This author has proved that I would enjoy that read just as much as watching the movie.

On that note, this should be made into a movie. I would love to see these characters come alive. I could really visualize these scenes as they were happening and I think it would make for an exciting movie.

Just like the first book, this gripped me from the very beginning, we learn a few secrets and we get a ton of nail biting action. There is just constant danger lurking everywhere and that made for a storyline that you just couldn't predict.

That ending was killer, but I am a little confused. It almost felt like the end, but there is also so much more that can happen. I'm hoping I just interpreted that epilogue wrong cause I really want to see more.

A big Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Amanda Bouchet and Netgalley for this ARC! All of my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Nightchaser is one of my favourite sci-fi novels, and I’ve been so excited to read the sequel Starbreaker - when I got accepted for an arc I could not wait to read it!

Starbreaker picks up soon after the events of the first book, the relationship between Tess and Shade is still a bit strained, and Tess still have a hard time completely trusting him. The team has been tasked with a mission from the rebel leaders: to break into Starbase 12 and free renowned scientist Reena Ahern.

This story was pretty much nonstop action, with some lovely intimate moments in between. there were some interesting reveals and some new fun characters introduced. I really loved Shade in this one, he was very respectful of Tess’s feelings and knew when to back off, at the same time he does have some “alpha” tendencies which are so fun in the right circumstances. Tess was badass as always and I really love her as a character. Some new characters I loved were Sanaa Mwende and Frank. I really liked where the story went in this one and I’m so excited for the next installation.

If you are looking for an awesome sci-fi series with badass characters, lots of action and some romance - this one is pure perfection!

-- This review can also be found on my blog www.hookedbythatbook.com --

This book starts off with Tess and Shade and the crew of the Endeavor finding themselves in a potentially sticky situation, again. And the rebel leaders have tasked them with the rescue of one of their own scientists. It will not be an easy rescue, but then when has anything ever been easy for them?

Tess and Shade are still the same great characters as before. They are fully committed to each other, though Tess still has some reservations about Shade’s past actions. Both of them have their faults, and insecurities, but their loyalty to each other and to their fellow crew members are not in doubt. Tess is a strong, decisive woman, who is usually at the front of any action. Shade finds this hard to deal with, but he knows who she is, and he loves her for it.

This was a very thrilling read. The action was very well described, and very well paced. Lots of excellent surprises and shocks in there as well. I loved it, and can’t wait to read the next installment.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. Any thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book two of three in the Nightchaser Series, Starbreaker was the lull in the trilogy. Understandable, as a middle book can sometimes have the capability for losing steam and make it hard for a reader to maintain enthusiasm for a filler book.
I personally did not like Captain Tess Bailey and her crew in this book. I didn’t like that they started killing people in this book for no reason as the people they murdered did not deserve to die and were not harmful to their safety in any way.
I was not engaged in Tess and Shade’s ‘love’ as I still do not trust or like Shade from his lying past from the Nightchaser (the first book in the series). I thought that Starbreaker would have been a balm from the histrionics of book one, but I was either appalled by the character’s actions or bored from the forced mission as a means to get to book three in this trilogy.

I received an ARC from the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I love Amanda Bouchet's books and Starbreaker did not disappoint. Tess and Shade and all the same characters from book one are back, well...most of them. It's awesome to watch Tess and Shade's relationship progress. But can they withstand a love from Tess's past showing up? Their relationship will be tested. The level of intrigue is exactly what we've come to expect from Bouchet.. Who's aligned with whom is often a question. We see the worst evil and the best of humanity. The life or death situations hit us one after another and leave the reader nearly breathless. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves paranormal, sci-fi, romance, strong women, adventure and/or suspense.

Every now and then a new author comes up for review that I am so pleased I took a chance on. Amanda Bouchet was a smart choice. I started with her Kingmaker series and eagerly jumped into the Endeavor series,

I love all the characters. They're haunted, good in a world of evil, damaged yet lovable and loving. It's been great watching Tess and Shade dance around each other, go through near betrayal and great sacrifice. Like the first book in the series, Starbreaker is filled with characters whose motives are unclear, blatant evil and caring people willing to put others above themselves. In addition, this books throws in a unsettling love triangle.

Bouchet again gives us a spellbinding read and maintains her spot on my must read list..

Loved being back in this world Amanda Bouchet created! I really enjoyed Nightchaser and I couldn't wait to read Tess and Shade's next adventure! And this one did not disappoint. Picking up where the last book left off, Tess and Shade are back and are beginning to trust one another again. Tess knows that Shade is sorry for his initial betrayal but she can't help but hold on to a small part that is still hurt by it. Shade knows he messed up, but he will do whatever it takes to prove to Tess that he is with her until the very end. They slowly find a way to forgive the best and look to their future. And as they do that they have an impossible mission to accomplish. Break into Starbase 12 and free some prisoners. The mission may be impossible but Tess and her team will take it on anyway. And if that wasn't enough to motivate them, there are quite a lot of surprises when it comes to Tess's uncle Nate. More than she even realized. It was a lot of fun diving back into this world. Who doesn't love space adventures, rebels, and a romance to swoon over? Definitely cannot wait for the next one!



I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Starbreaker begins with a slight anxiety atmosphere which quickly leads to full action. Then it gently settles you in a vivid visual on a jungle planet. Snuggled in between all this Amanda Bouchet nestles in recaps of Nightchaser. All this in the first 25% of the story.

Tess and Shade are one of my all time favorite book couples. The connection and energy between the two of them is so easy to fall into and relate to. In a word, the sex is out-of-this-world. Tess and Shade aren't the only love interest. Cupid decided to make a special guest appearance.

As with Nightchaser. there was lingering and some repetitiveness. Bouchet need a bit more in her story to keep us moving forward. However, there were some surprises, and when the action started the cons were forgiven.

The ending was like an explosion. When it was set off I got this adrenaline rush that lasted a long time. I'm still reeling from all the crazy, fast paced action. Right now would be a good time for book 3!!

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, so I could give an honest review.

STARBREAKER – Amanda Bouchet
Nightchaser - Book 2
Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN-10:1492667161
ISBN-13: 978-1492667162
ASIN: B07L42PBQM
April 28, 2010
Science Fiction

Tess Bailey, once known as Quintessa Novalight, waits in a restaurant, filled with nervous misgiving. Daniel Ahern, a man she has never met, will give her information on how to free his wife, renowned scientist Renee Ahern, from one of the Dark Watch (galaxy patrol) prisons. A mission that the head of the rebel council gave her team of Nightchasers (rebels). Her previous enemy, now lover, Shade Ganavan, sits across the room, talking to her through her communication device, trying to calm her. They are the two most wanted individuals on the galaxy’s bounty hunters’ list. Ahern finally arrives and tells Tess his wife is imprisoned at the prison on Starbase 12. The prison where Tess had been held during her teen years and brings her only bad memories. Ahern tells how the prison break can take place.

Getting herself and her crewmates back to their ship the Endeavor, an old cargo cruiser is difficult. She has already lost two crew members, Miko and Shiori, and doesn’t want to lose more. Jax, Fiona, Miko, and Merrick are now Tess’s family.

Overseer Novalight, the megalomaniac Imperial Ruler of the galaxy is known for destroying inhabited planets. He had been madly in love with Tess’s now dead mother and is the man she once believed her father. He isn’t, but he wants her, or rather her rare blood type of A1 which is used to create the super soldiers for the Night Watch. Her uncle, General Nathaniel Bridgebane is the Overseer’s most powerful enforcer. Bridgebane is determined to catch Shade for his betrayal.

Dangerous situations in STARBREAKER make it a very intense read. In between these powerful scenes, escape and hiding from the Dark Watch create many precarious situations lined with hopelessness, but this only helps build Tess and her team’s strength. Tess learns surprising information about herself while the once unexpected love grows between Shade and herself. An interesting and fervent read about humanity’s future in the stars.

Robin Lee

I really enjoyed being in this world again! Amanda just has such a skill with writing and characters. Tess and Shade are great on their own and explosive together. Can’t wait to see how this ends.

That cover though is terrible and I wish it would be updated. If I didn’t know her work previously I’d have never picked it up.

The second book introduces new characters to support and add conflict to Tess’s personal life and the rebel struggle. Tess is a strong leader with an interesting crew to support her in their quest to fight the Overseerer. There is a lot of action!
This book ends with a fatalistic cliffhanger… lots of doom and gloom.