Captain Tess Bailey and Shade Ganavan are still on the run from the Dark Watch and The Overseer. Everywhere they go, they have to be careful. Tess has plans to meet with her uncle to deliver some of her A1 blood, but first she's got a side mission to take care of. And what do you know, just when they think they've about made it out, things go sideways.

Tess and Shade's next plans are to save Reena Ahern, a scientist who is imprisoned on Starbase 12. When they find out a member of their crew, Shiori, is also there, even better. Tess and her crew will rescue them both. Only problem is, getting in won't be easy. Tess will have to trust her uncle to help her get through this one. Will it be the right call?

Book two in author Amanda Bouchet's ENDEAVOR series, STARBREAKER, is what every sci-fi geek should be reading. I say that with love. I'm normally not much of a fan of science fiction, but Ms. Bouchet turned me onto it with the first novel, NIGHTCHASER. STARBREAKER continues right where it left off. What a thrill ride! There's twist and turns that will keep you guessing. Tess is always on the run, doing good deeds to help others, and escaping by the skin of her teeth. Her crew is steadily growing, and I'm really enjoying some of the new characters, as well as the old ones. They're a tight-knit group who'd risk anything for each other. For romance readers and sci-fi readers alike, I highly recommend picking up copies of NIGHTCHASER AND STARBREAKER. The ENDEAVOR series will not disappoint.

Starbreaker continues the story of Tess Bailey, who is a very fierce heroine. Like the previous book Nightchaser, this one is also action-packed, romantic at the right moments, and suspenseful. The trust between Tess and her love interest Shade was broken, but they both are trying to deal with them in this book. I loved seeing them grow stronger as individuals and as a couple. They are such a great and strong match. I also enjoyed getting to know all the side-characters better. They elevate the story so much and the interaction between them is phenomenal. There are a couple of secrets uncovered that I saw coming, but the author still managed to keep me on my toes.

I don't read a lot of sci-fi (romance) novels, because I am afraid of the very intricate world building taking over the story/plot. But Amanda Bouchet has done a great job with this series, because everything is explained really well, and it is very easy to understand. So I would recommend romance readers who haven't dived into sci-fi to give this series a chance. I think Starbreaker was a great addition to the Endeavor series, and the ending has me excited to see what will happen next. I love the characters and I look forward to seeing them grow even more and see what danger they will face next.

This was a non stop thrill ride! Tess and Shade are helping the rebels and the displaced people from the destroyed planets when a rescue mission sends them to the most heinous impenetrable prison. One that the Overseer resides on. A shocking revelation, an epic twist and horrific events made known made the ending gut wrenching. Galaxy wide political machinations with a dictator with god aspirations, and Tess may not be able to stop him. Great 2nd book! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

Four and a half
If you enjoyed Nightchaser than you will be overjoyed to discover that this book is even better ! Tess and Shade are a couple who are making great strides in their relationship but it's never going to be easy as Shade nearly betrayed Tess before. Still they are both learning what it really means to trust each other and their latest job of rescuing a scientist uses them facing quite the grand adventure ! If Tess had doubts about Shade then they are nothing compared to her conflicting feelings about her uncle but they made a deal and she just ends to remain free long enough to meet him . Learning that an old friend is also being held captive with the scientist only further fuels the need that Tess has to foil her father's cruel plans but fate hasn't quite finished with Tess and Shade because there's someone coming into their lives who was thought dead and won't that put the cat amongst the pigeons !
There's a lot going on here and its not just the central couple with problems so it was fun getting caught up with all these characters. No obvious betrayal here although there is an incident that very nearly derailed well laid plans but for this reader it was the second half of the book that really upped the game. Expect lots of action, revelations and passion but most of all expect to be thoroughly entertained by this the second instalment of this sci fi space opera
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I love fantasy romance and I love a kick ass Caroline I love that there is a sci-fi element all in all this was a fun girl power novel sexy and enjoyable- basically- all around my kind of book.

Continuation of the space opera from Bouchet as Tess and crew seek out to rescue people while avoiding the Overseer. ARC from NetGalley.

Starbreaker is the 2nd in it's series. I enjoy the world building Bouchet does. She makes an effort to explain certain issues that would come up with having humans across the galaxy, such as- what is the 'universal' language and why? Is there a way of keeping time that spans all the galaxies?
As this book ended, our band of space pirates have found their way back to Earth, now that all the toxins have have had decades to dissipate. I'm looking forward to reading about their thoughts and experiences on what remains of Earth in the next book.

This was a wild ride from start to finish. There was a LOT of action, and Bouchet does a great job of world-building and creating a rich and interesting story.

The description is somewhat misleading: the bulk of the book is actually taken up by a different heist than the one involving Reena Ahern. As I got further and further into the book, I kept thinking "is this when they go to the prison? How is Bouchet going to accomplish this in the last five chapters?" Because it came after so many other events, the prison sequence felt a bit condensed.

The events in Starbreaker open up very interesting possibilities for the next book. I can't wait to see where Tess, Shade, and the rest of the crew end up!

Having read the first book in this series I was looking forward to reading this book. Maybe not as powerful as the first book but still lots of action with some romance. With the combination of romance, science fiction and action, this series is definitely worth reading. I can't wait for the next one. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

A strong heroine fighting her way through the universe with a cool crew by her side - what's not to love?

In this second book of the series (and I strongly recommend to read the first book before continuing with this) Tess and her sidekick Shade have a seemingly impossible mission: free an important scientist out of a high-security prison. Doing so means trusting each other - will Tess be able to do that?

With amazing world building, so many story arcs within an overall story arc, diverse and yet in-depth characters, and intense emotional connections it's a wonder that Amanda Bouchet can keep it all straight in her mind. Starbreaker is the epic follow on from Nightchaser, and somehow I think it's even better than the first, which is no mean feat. In Starbreaker we see if Tess and Shade have what it takes to stand against the test of time, especially when there is a bit of tension due to past actions, add in pressure from surprise appearances, well it would put any relationship to the test. Not only are Tess and Shade trying to find their feet together, the whole crew of the Endeavor is put to the test as they attempt to save a renowned scientist from Starbase 12 with help from some unlikely sources.

Tess Bailey and Shade Ganavan—fresh off their reunion post-betrayal in the first book—have large bounties on their heads; the latter is facing a new life and the prospect of being a rebel and the ‘wrong’ side of the galactic law so to speak. There’re multiple shades of Star Wars in here, but it’s one that ‘Starbreaker’ plunges us into: a rolling journey of ups and downs, unexpected fire-fights, close escapes and world-turning events.

The hardest part of reading a second installment that comes years after the first is that I barely could remember (even though I distinctly remember liking Amanda Bouchet’s breadth of imagination) the teeny-weenie details of the plot and the who’s who save for the main characters. There, I said it. But ’Starbreaker’ does an admirable job to rebuild that singular universe in the course of a few chapters and again, throughout the book to lay out where the battle lines are drawn. It’s not a standalone by any means, and those going in blind without having read the first book would probably have quite a miserable time doing endless catch up in Bouchet’s extensive world-building.

Still, Bouchet excels in handling the sheer number of characters that come and go throughout the book without losing its grounding protagonists to the overall action—and if this isn’t enough to impress, I don’t know what else will. Tess/Shade become the heart and soul of the story—their alternating POVs throughout seem to cement authorial intention—and it's their deepening relationship that Bouchet keeps building on.

There were admittedly parts of Tess I couldn't quite get on board with - her selective pettiness when it came to Shade's past and weaponising it against him - with Shade constantly feeling like he had an upward journey to make to constantly get back into people's good graces did somewhat overshadow the story's brilliance. 

The details are impossible to get into this far into the overall arc, but there’s the ebb and the flow of action, some interpersonal conflicts that mirror a huge galactic struggle, some astounding revelations that clearly do not have their loose ends tied up, because the adventure goes on. It’s deeply absorbing and entirely enthralling—Bouchet has a thrilling thing going on here, and I for one, can’t wait for more.

Just as good as the first one, with the exception that this installment ends with a cliffhanger, which is something I really hate and I really hope that the third one comes as soon as possible. The adventures of Tess and Shade, plus all the crew of the Endeavour, reached a turning point and I cannot wait to see how is it going to end.

Bello come il primo, nessuna flessione, ritmo alto e grossi colpi di scena, unica pecca il finale che "non finisce" ed é una cosa che odio. Spero davvero quindi, che il prossimo arrivi molto velocemente. Le avventure di Tess e Shade, assieme a tutto l'Equipaggio dell'Endeavour, hanno raggiungo un punto di svolta fondamentale e non vedo l'ora di sapere come va a finire il tutto.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

Hmmmm.

Good and bad. I think this suffers a bit from the middle book syndrome. You gotta get between two major plot points SOMEHOW. (The food container heist seemed like such a dumb decision. Like, WHY on Earth would you even, with the big kahuna coming up? And then the actual big thing was like...not big? In terms of pages and description. I get that the container heist happened so that [ she could reveal her AI hand to Shade (hide spoiler)] but really? There was no other way?)

But anyway, I still am here for the love story, and I hope it all works out in the end. I'm still reading. (I'm also just not sure that these are romance novels. It's...a question. There's romance, there's explicit sex, but....each book doesn't end with a happy ever after.)

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Captain Tess Bailey and Shade Ganavan have a monumental task rescuing a scientist, Reena Ahem, whose work is vital to a ruined planet that the seriously evil Overseer poisoned. Even if they can break into Starbase 12, where the Overseer often resides, the odds are not in their favor to complete this critical mission. For the crew of the Endeavor, help comes from an unexpected source with Tess learning that much of what she thought was real about her past is shockingly not true.

Tess and Shade are taking some important steps in their relationship hindered by the fact Shade had nearly betrayed Tess to her enemies. He is still earning her trust back and though Tess has strong feelings for Shade, her heart remains guarded after all her life’s treacheries. Shade came to realize the thing he had wanted most desperately was killing his soul. Leaving his old life behind is worth all he has sacrificed for Tess and her cause. They have quite the adventure on a jungle planet where they have been coerced into meeting Tess’s uncle, the enigmatic Nathanial Bridgebane, whom Tess has a myriad of feelings for, mostly negative at the outset. Besides the stress of planning the rescue, another mission has some interesting surprises that once again throw Tess into a whirlwind of danger challenging all her talents, some of which are quite unexpected and a new emotional wrench.

The seemingly overwhelming odds against Tess, Shade, and the rebel forces creates quite a heart-pounding, riveting, and exciting story that will keep readers engrossed and engaged in this tale. There is so much goodness in the story; the pacing is spot on and the emotions truly heartfelt which is the perfect mix of action, adventure, and romance to send the reader soaring high into the galaxy along with the crew of the Endeavor. This second book is not only very well done, but will please everyone who enjoyed NIGHTCHASER leaving them excited for the next in the series.