Mihalik continues to grow as a writer. This "space romance" genre novel was more enjoyable than her Polaris Rising trilogy. Her secondary characters are better developed and her main character's backstory was more compelling. I'll definitely pick up the forthcoming (July 12, 2022) Eclipse the Moon, the next book in the Starlight's Shadow series.

Perfect sci-fi fantasy romance with my favorite trope: enemies to lovers. Hunt the Stars has high stakes, well defined and fully realized characters, simple but engaging world building, sharp dialogue, heart wrenching twists, sexual tension and a satisfying conclusion that leaves room and anticipation for the next installment. Loved it.

4.5 stars = I loved it! Would re-read.

This is everything I hoped it would be after falling in love with the author's Consortium Rebellion series. I loved the main characters, the world-building, the plot - all of it! I can not WAIT to read what happens next.

Like with the Consortium series, each book of this series looks like it will focus on a different couple. This is great because it means each book will have some degree of closure while the larger story arc will continue - the best of both worlds.

This is exactly the perfect sort of book for me - sci-fi/fantasy, strong and sassy main character, and a mystery/quest to complete. Highly recommend. (Language, sex)

This is an fun, engaging space adventure romance and enjoyed it a lot. After reading the previous space romance series by this author I have come to expect the balance to be in favour of the adventure/thriller aspect rather than the romance and going in with this knowledge I was able to enjoy this story in full measure.

It's an enemies to lovers romance. There is a new race involved, reminiscent of Nalini Singh's psy characters - humans but with psychic and telekinetic abilities who came into existence on another planet.

There is a lot that I liked in this story. The thriller/solving a kidnapping aspect was well done and complex and we will be seeing more of this big conspiracy plot in the future books in the series. The MCs were both great, similar in so many ways - both are ex-soldiers, leader who took care of their people. I absolutely loved the way they built their own families with those closest to them. Especially with Tavi and her crew, it was a beautiful found family and I loved seeing the support, the loyalty and care between. Something that really stood out to me in the way Tavi care for her people was the way she fed them, the care she took with making food everyone liked, it extended to Torran's crew when she took them on board. The routing task of cooking was shown as a sign of care, kindness, basic respect for other people and it really spoke to me because feeding my people is basically my own love languages.

We saw that with Torran as well, he didn't shy away from cooking for his crew and guests and it wasa brilliant subversion of toxic masculinity.

Slow-burn romance and lots of secrets Torran kept which I was not a big fan of. He was guided by a complicated moral code of promises/obligations and I felt it need more elaboration/better explanation. It added a layer of forbidden desire to the attraction between Tavi and Torran. It made sense in the world of the story and also put focus on consent and honesty in all relationships, not just when it comes to physical intimacy.

It is a solid 4-star read for me, fast-paced, action-packed with a slow-burn romance.

CW: child abduction, violence, injuries

Octavia Zarola is a sassy, self-assured, ex-military certified badass, and she is everything to me. When Tavi is approached by Torran Fletcher, a Valovian general who is technically her sworn enemy, their exchange leads her and her squad on an adventure across the stars to Valovia itself.

I fell in love with this book from the very beginning. Our two main characters meet within the first few pages, much like our girl Tavi - straight to business. There isn't some long, drawn-out world-building narrative that you often find in sci-fi because it isn't needed. Instead, our introduction to the characters and their world is so perfectly concise that I felt invested and comfortable within the first few pages. Speaking of the characters, I loved every single one. From Kee's rainbow hair and bubbly personality to Varro's quiet strength, they're all so beautifully unique. Also unique are the forms of tech and the abilities of some of the Valoffs. It was all just so *chef's kiss*!

I can really tell when I especially love a book because my ability to articulate how I feel about it markedly plummets into the deep, dark abyss that is my newly formed obsession. I mean, come on - enemies to lovers, found family, spaceships, slow-burn romance with a considerable amount of spice - Ugh! I don't know how Jessie Mihalik did it, but she managed to pinpoint every literary weakness I have and stitched them together in a gorgeous piece of work. Also, I officially dub thee, Jessie, as the queen of sexual tension because, my God, that shit was delicious.

Honestly, a big part of what made me love this book so much was that our characters were aged appropriately. I am so tired of the "I'm 18-22 years old, but I have this untapped bottomless well of power - watch me save the world!" Tavi is the magnificent age of 34, and better yet, it shows! She's not impervious to hard hits - she's a battle-worn, experienced woman, and UGHHH! I literally can not get enough because she's real and tangible and so goddamn likable! It's so hard to find a relatable main character that isn't untouchable nowadays, and I am genuinely delirious with joy because of how much I adore Tavi. She's just so gorgeously human.

Don't even get me started on Torran. Jesus Christ, that man could punch me straight in the face, and I'd say thank you.

If my excessive use of italics didn't already make it obvious, I truly loved this book and am so excited for the next in the series!

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Voyager, for the ARC and for helping me add another book to my Favorites shelf!

Link to review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4520341541

Hunt the Stars takes place in a post war setting where former enemies team up to find something that has been stolen. Torran is the Valoff former general who hires human Tavi (Octavia) and her team because it was humans that stole something from him.

It is pretty obvious from the beginning that Tavi and Torran are meant for each other. But as enemies, neither is likely to jump right into anything. That’s okay. Pressure to find the prize and the time it takes to do so will force them to be in close proximity.

The Valoffs have some scary psychic abilities. Telekinetic, telepathic, energy healing, empathic. Think about how those abilities could be used against an enemy and you will understand why Tavi and her crew are very apprehensive about teaming up with the Valoffs. Many of them experienced the Valoffs close up in war. But the money is soooo good, they can’t refuse. And Torran has sworn that Tavi’s team will not be in danger from them.

The humans only powers are that they are just good at what they do. Tavi is a motivator, Kee is the techno-geek. Eli is the protector. Add a Scotty (engineer Anja) and a finder (Lexi) and you have a well-rounded and skilled team.

Tavi’s and Torren’s past is doled out throughout the story as their history becomes necessary to the plot. While the rest of the characters must also have a past, I can only assume we will learn more about them in future books.

The story goes from straightforward retrieval to complex high-level conspiracy. So, in the beginning, when you wonder why Tavi and her team were recruited for a relatively uncomplicated recovery operation, rest assured, all will be explained.

The last chapter of the book is all about setting you up for the next book in the series. When you get to that point, you will be pleased that there is another adventure coming.

Sci-fi romance lovers – this book is for you. Hunt the Stars is almost 100% pure non-stop adventure. Romance is secondary, but enriches the story. The combination is compelling and addictive. I loved this one!

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A great start to a new series from Mihalik, featuring compelling, deeply written characters and a fast paced action story. I really look forward to what's next!

Looking at what I’ve been in the mood to read this year, it’s basically been sci fi or romance. So why not pick up a book that combines both in the best way? It’s the best of both worlds — super fun and super swoony at the same time. I read one of her previous books before I had read very many romances, and I remember thinking “wow this kind of tropey” but now I was able to appreciate that that is very much the point. Tropes in space! I loved having the two captains team up and the enemies to lovers storyline — the tension was built up so well, and the payoff was worth it! I’m usually not into single POV romances, but it was fun to be inside Octavia’s head on this one. And of course the found family vibes are immaculate — I loved watching the team come together and figuring out who else is gonna fall in love!

I had such a good time with this book! I have heard so many great things about Jessie Mihalik’s books so I jumped at the opportunity to read this book which is the start of a new series. This book grabbed my attention right away and never let go. I was completely entertained by this well-done story.

After some intense negotiations, Tavi and the rest of the Starlight crew agree to take a job from Torran Fletcher, a Valoff General. It hasn’t been all that long since humans were at war with the Valoffs so tensions are high from the start. Torran and his team join Tavi and hers aboard the Starlight as they make their way to the planet Valovia. I really enjoyed getting to watch these two groups of people learn to get along and eventually become part of a team. Once they land on Valovia, the book does shift gears as they work to fulfill their mission.

I really liked the characters in this book. Tavi and Torran were both very highly principled leaders. It wasn’t long before the spark between them flared to life. I liked that they didn’t act on anything right away but really got to know each other first. The rest of the team were equally well done and each added an important element to the story. Luna was a great addition to the story and I loved that she was such a big part of the story.

I would highly recommend this book to others. I found this to be a really exciting book filled with great characters and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next installment in this wonderful series.

I received a review copy of this book from Harper Voyager.

I really enjoyed this author's Consortium Rebellion series a lot, so I was incredibly excited to get the chance to read this one early. You guys. This is what I want from Sci Fi Romance. This is now my Gold Standard of what I expect from the genre.





So, Captain Octavia Zarola is cleaning her ship with her small crew when several Valoffs and one very famous general approach her asking her to take on a bounty. That's what Tavi does, now that the war is over. She and her crew find things...or people. But seeing not only Valoffs, but General Fletcher standing in front of her, she can't. War may be over, but it was hell. She wants nothing to do with the Valoffs. Until he offers her enough money to help her crew and make some much needed upgrades to her ship. So, the two of them hash out a contract that involves a whole lot of compromise on both sides, and they head off to Fletcher's home planet.





Humans and Valoffs are barely at peace, and it hasn't been long. While Tavi and her crew are able to forge a team and a tenuous truce on the voyage to the planet, something has been bothering her. She's growing close to the general, Torran. So far, he hunted her down. He offered her a huge contract, he wants her to find something...yet he isn't giving her any information. She's growing frustrated with him, because it doesn't make sense to her.





Turns out she's right. He's not just being cagey or withholding information because they barely know each other and until recently were sworn enemies. There's a whole lot more at stake than just her bounty, and his missing item. But how can they move past years of war and learn to trust each other? Especially when he's hiding things.





This author has created a beautiful world (universe?) and her characters fit it perfectly. I don't know if this is set in the same universe as the Consortium Rebellion, or her Rogue Queen, series or if it is its own brand new universe, but it doesn't feel like it. This feels like something new and special all its own.





Ms. Mihalik has taken enemies to lovers with this new book, and she has upped the ante. The way they interact, they way they handle their crew, every single tense moment, the wanting, the longing, the taking, every emotion they feel...she's a master at what she does. This author has a gift. I can't wait to see where else she takes us.





***ARC courtesy of the publisher Harper Voyager via Netgalley

I have basically two responses to a book I absolutely, ridiculously love. I either make tons of highlights because I just love every single line of prose, or I highlight almost nothing because I’m too caught up in the story. This book is definitely of the second variety. It also hits all of the right notes for me, with a focus on found family, a twisty plot, and just enough romance to keep my HEA-loving heart interested.

“I’m a bounty hunter. I hunt criminals and murderers; I don’t work for them.”


In the few years since the decades-spanning war between the Valovians and the Federated Human Planets ended, Tavi and the remainder of her squad have made a life as bounty hunters. Considering they’re not willing to take the morally grey missions, it keeps them fed – barely – so when a Valovian general offers a ridiculous amount of money for them to recover a missing item, they agree, despite having to enter Valovian space to find it. And while things get off to a rocky start, Torran and his crew seem like generally good people. But Tavi isn’t a fool, and she knows that Torran isn’t telling them the whole story. When the reality turns out to be even worse than they anticipated, will the consequences of their actions lead to a new war?

Hunting down the item is the focus of much of the twisty plot, but it takes about half of the book before Tavi and crew are able to start the job they’re hired for in earnest. Those pages aren’t wasted, though. They’re used to build the relationship between Tavi’s crew and the Volvians, to show us what kind of people Tavi and Torran are and all the rough edges the war has left on all of them. And while this book is full of enough action to warm my scifi-battle-loving heart, where it really excels is these character relationships. Through chores, binge-watching shows and communal meals, the two crews bond and figure out that while cultural differences can still trip them up, they’re a lot more similar than they thought. I especially loved the focus on food as a source of community, on how cooking is a form of care and how that care can form the basis of trust and (just maybe) love.

“If I needed help burying a body, Eli would silently grab a shovel and start digging while Kee erased all evidence of the crime.
I would do the same for them.”


As for the individual characters, I especially loved Tavi’s crew. Kee and Eli are polar opposites, with Kee being a rainbow-haired ray of sunshine while Eli’s the smoldering pessimist, but there’s no doubt they care deeply for each other even if they disagree. As for Luna, the fourth member of the crew? Well, Kee beat her out as my favorite, but just barely. Torran’s crew also had some interesting characters, but as the story is told solely from Tavi’s first person POV, we don’t get the same depth of familiarity with them as with her crew.

As for the romance, like the recovery plot, it’s extremely slow burn. After all, at the start of the book, they’re essentially mortal enemies, as both are considered heroes by their people and war criminals (at best) by the other’s. It takes a lot of work to build up the level of trust necessary to turn that into a believable HEA, and the author did that phenomenally well. Valovian culture has an interesting take on apologies, one that forces Tavi to confront some of her own issues, and there’s also a focus on consent that was seamless and quite sweet.

Overall, I adored this book, and I am beyond glad that the next in the series is coming out this year. This author gets better with every book and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Well well this was definitely such a nice surprise! It was so fun and refreshing! If you like silence fiction books and you are enjoying enemies to lovers then this is definitely for you!

It was a little bit confusing in the beginning but after all it was all good and I was so invested to the story! I did enjoy the tension between Tavi and Torran, they have a great chemistry!

I really enjoyed the set up.I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Tavi and Torran are both hero’s from the Valoff-human war. Tavi is infamous for having completed a mission that killed a large number of Valoff civilians. At least that was the story the human side told. The real story was something else entirely and left Tavi and her crew at odds with their military. The last person she wants to work a bounty with is a Valoff team, one who knows the story her military made up. As they all travel to Valoff the group has the chance to get to know each other and make connections that make them view each other in a different light.

Hunt the Stars had a very quick start, which I loved, not needing a big set up to get character back stories and get the plot moving. It was immediately apparent that Tavi and Torran were going to have a big conflict- bigger than going up against each other in the last war. The feelings they built on the trip to Valoff would be explored but also diverted once Tavi’s team finds out what it is that they’re truly searching for. The arc between these two characters was filled with the tension of attraction but also of an unknown bump in the road that was to come. As with all great character driven novels, the side characters were just as important to the story as the hero and heroine and Hunt the Stars had some great characters. I’m eager to see if the second novel that centers around Kee and Varro is able to continue the fast pace and fun reparteé that Kee delivered in Hunt the Stars. She is by far the most energetic character on the crew.

If you like serial science-fiction novels this series may just fit the bill. The series is off to a better start than Jessie Mihalik’s first and I’m anticipating some fun-filled adventures from this crew in the future.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

Loved this one! Hunt The Stars by Jessie Mihalik is a sci-fi romance that has almost all of my favorite elements in it! I totally loved her Consortium Rebellion books, but I think this one has topped that for me! I'm a huge fan of sci-fi romance set in space(or space opera) and this one was brilliant!⁣
⁣
Set in the aftermath of a war between the humans and Valoffs(similar to humans but with special abilities), the book follows Tavi, a bounty hunter who gets a new job from Torran, a Valoff general who will pay her a lot of money💰 Things don't start off well as they're enemies(quite literally) as they were on the opposite sides of the war for so long. Torran and his crew end up joining her team on their spaceship as they travel to Valovia. It doesn't help that Torran isn't very forthcoming about some details and as the attraction between them builds up, so does the tension regarding the mission. What will happen when they uncover some secrets that shows signs of someone wanting to restart the war?👀 You'll have to read it to find out!⁣
⁣
I've got to say that Tavi was a favorite of mine! I adored how strong and intelligent she was. At the same time she's fiercely protective of her friends and soft-hearted too! I loved the close-knit bonds between her and her crew - Eli, Kee and Lexi. And when Torran and his team join, it creates some wonderful tension!⁣
The romance between Tavi and Torran was slow-burn, which was right up my alley! I loved how they slowly discovered things about each other and there was mutual admiration along with attraction. Bonus - Telekinetic fondling too!🔥😉⁣
There's lots of action and the world building was amazing as well. Do check this one out if you're in the mood for a slowburn scifi romance with lots of action and suspense! You'll definitely love it!❣️✨

One of my favorite reads comes out tomorrow so I'm here to urge you all to read it!😆 Hunt The Stars by Jessie Mihalik is a sci-fi romance that has almost all of my favorite elements in it! I totally loved her Consortium Rebellion books, but I think this one has topped that for me! I'm a huge fan of sci-fi romance set in space(or space opera) and this one was brilliant!⁣
⁣
Set in the aftermath of a war between the humans and Valoffs(similar to humans but with special abilities), the book follows Tavi, a bounty hunter who gets a new job from Torran, a Valoff general who agrees to pay her a lot of money💰 Things don't start off well as they're enemies(quite literally) as they were on the opposite sides of the war for so long. Torran and his crew end up joining her team on their spaceship as they travel to Valovia, which is quite risky for them as there's still lots of resentment and bad blood between the two races. It doesn't help that Torran isn't very forthcoming about some details and as the attraction between them builds up, so does the tension regarding the mission. What will happen when they uncover some secrets that show signs of someone wanting to restart the war?👀 You'll have to read it to find out!⁣
⁣
I've got to say that Tavi was a favorite of mine! I adored how strong and intelligent she was. At the same time, she's fiercely protective of her friends and soft-hearted too! I loved the close-knit bonds between her and her crew - Eli, Kee and Lexi. And when Torran and his team join, it creates some wonderful tension and newfound friendships!⁣

"I sighed quietly. I swear, sometimes my job was half therapist, half mediator, and half de facto ship parent, with a few other halves left over for captaining, negotiating, and bounty hunting."

The romance between Tavi and Torran was slow-burn, which was right up my alley! I loved how they slowly discovered things about each other and there was mutual admiration along with attraction. Bonus - Telekinetic fondling too!🔥😉⁣ We get to find out more about the Valoffs and their customs along with Tavi and it's amazing to see the different abilities that they have. They're also very serious about their oaths and quite honorable(reminded me of the Tuann from the Firebird Chronicles by T.A.White!).

We also learn that Tavi has some abilities too as she can see auras, but it didn't have any role when it comes to the overall plot. So, I wish that had been explored as it'd have definitely made her more kick-ass! I was also curious to know why Tavi has better mental shields than other humans, though it's very weak when compared to the Valoffs! And how can I forget to mention - Luna, our favorite telepathic burbu(arctic fox+furret like creature?) who is super cute and lethal! I loved her in all the scenes and it definitely made me want to have a Luna of my own!

Additionally, there's lots of action and the world-building was amazing as well. I'd love to find out more about the history behind the war and why it started, so I hope we get to see that in the next few books! Looks like the next one is going to be Kee and Varro's story(Yay!).
Do check this one out if you're in the mood for a slowburn sci-fi romance with lots of action and suspense! You'll definitely love it!❣️✨

Great beginning to the series. I loved getting to know Tavi and her crew and watching her and Torran find their way to love. Sometimes slow burns can frustrate me, but in this case, I was invested enough in the other things going on, that it worked for me. I really loved Torran as a hero. He had that honorable-to-a-fault warrior thing going on, and it was interesting to watch him try to grapple with the keeping all his convoluted promises while also protecting Tavi and her crew. On the other side, watching Tavi grow to understand him and care for him while staying true to her own principles was also fun. They are both so alike and so different in a really great way. I also loved what we saw of the rest of the crew and the setup for future books as the over-arching plot moves on.

This was my first book by this author and I LOVED IT! I'm going to dig into her backlist now!

Octavia Zarola is the captain of the spaceship Starlight's Shadow, and she and her crew are looking for work. Her crew left the military with her at the end of the war and they've stuck together for 5 years. They're really good at finding things, but it's been a while between jobs. Their funds are stretched thin, which is the only reason she's even entertaining the idea of taking a job from Torran Fletcher, a general in the war who was on the opposing side. It's too absurd an amount of money to turn down. Torran has had something stolen from him, and he need's Tavi's crew to find it and get it back. But, he's not telling her the whole story, AND he wants to join the hunt, along with his team. Surely Tavi can deal, right?

Tavi and Torran obviously had MANY reasons to distrust each other, but being on the ship together in close quarters, and getting to know each other's teams, really helped bridge the gap between them. And just when they come to a place of trust, unexpected things occur that threaten it. I really loved the slow burn, push-and-pull between these characters. The storyline was so juicy, and kept me guessing, and Tavi and Torran's connection was hot!

Both the crews were full of awesome side characters, and clearly several of them were being set up for future stories, which I love. Kee's book is next, and she was such a sunshiny character that I can't wait to maybe see some of her dark side pop out!

This book had an exciting, often unexpected and twisty storyline, and so many amazing characters! I loved everything about it, and I can't wait to read more!

An exciting start to a new scifi series from Jessie Mihalik.

Octavia ("Tavi") Zarola is the Captain of the Starlight's Shadow. She is also known in the Federated Human Planets as the Hero of Rodeni, an honor that still haunts her nightmares. After a decade of war with the Valovians, Tavi and her crew just want to be left in peace, especially by the FHP.  So nothing is more surprising than being approached by a Valovian for help, and not just any Valovian but General Torran Fletcher. Torran is a very powerful telekinetic and not someone she would want to meet on a battlefield, and not someone she is ready to trust on her ship.  His request to go with him and his people into (former) enemy space isn't what Tavi was expecting.  While humans are allowed on the Valovian home world, they certainly aren't welcomed, especially not the Hero who brought so much destruction to the Valovians.

Torran needs help of the human kind. Humans broke into his home on Valovia and stole an important item and its loss needs to be kept secret from his own people. Torran finds Tavi and her crew of bounty hunters who are known to be exceptional at finding things.   While Torran might need Tavi's help, he isn't able or willing to share all his secrets with a former enemy.

As the humans and the Valovian's travel together across the galaxy, friendships begin to grow.  But after years of being enemies, can Tavi and her people really trust the Valonvians at their backs especially when they are being taken into the heart of enemy territory, or is this all a clever ruse to bring in the bounty on the Tavi and her crew?

This story had some great main characters as well as secondary characters.   There is so much possibility when we blend the two factions, where each bringing an element missing from the other's crew.  When war is so fresh, it is hard to get past the pains and loss created by the person standing right in front of you, especially when each has to protect state secrets from their enemies.   So it is impressive that these guys even try to get along even for the sake of the mission.  It is Tavi and her crew making an extra effort to welcome the Valovian's, whether or not they trust them,  that has the Valovian's opening up as well.   Since this is told in first person, we are aware of more of Tavi's secrets and we know that Torran might or might not be holding things back but, like Tavi, we are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

The biggest question I would have is how the humans held their own against the Valovians in a war for so long since their tech seems to be better and they each have different special abilities such as telekinesis or healing, etc. Humans should have gotten their butts kicked in the first real battle. 

I couldn't see how we were going to get a HEA here and on whose side of the battle line we would end up, but the ending opens the story up for more adventures so this is one of those stories where you are going to have to come back for the complete story arc.  I'm in because I want to see who is try to restart the war.

I was eagerly anticipating this book since I absolutely loved her last series. This one took me a while to get into. There was A LOT of character development and what felt like...meandering? The action didn't really pick up until well over halfway through the book. Normally this would turn me off of a book and I'd dread reading it. But Jessie Mihalik has a certain charm to her writing that even when it could get boring it isn't because you enjoy her characters so much. That said, once the action got going I couldn't put it down. It was well worth the first half. Also Luna! I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series and can't wait to see where she goes with all of the amazing characters she created here. One last thing. A lot of reviewers have commented on the potential over use of consent in the story. For me, it was refreshing and comforting. I didn't think it took away from the narrative and I applaud her for making it a normal part of the dialogue.

This was so good!! As much as I love scifi, I don't read it as often as I'd like, so this was such a treat! Tavi is such a strong character and I loved her connection to her crew and how her relationship with Torran developed. The mystery was done so well and I enjoyed unraveling it with the crew. The supporting characters were amazing and I adored Kee especially. The action was so good and the story kept me involved the whole way through, I didn't want to stop reading! The tension and eventual romance between Tavi and Torran were done brilliantly and was definitely the highlight of the story for me, though I loved the whole thing! I hope there is more to come for these characters, because I'm going to be thinking about them for awhile and I can't wait to continue their story!