After unearthing a conspiracy to restart the war between humans and the telepathic Valoffs, Kee is determined to track down the military traitors behind the plot. To acquire more information Kee decides to leave the ship for awhile to stay on a space station. And she wants some time to herself due to some feelings she’s trying not to indulge in for a certain new member of the crew. She doesn’t exactly plan for the person she was trying to avoid following her in order to protect her. Then again she doesn’t plan for being blamed for the attack and kidnapping she witnesses either. Another act in the effort to restart the war so naturally Kee and Varro must act in an effort to keep it from happening. Getting back to the ship and landing a rescue are at the top of Kee’s to do list along with surviving. And maybe further unraveling the conspiracy if there’s time.

Honestly I found Kee and Varro rather tedious. His reluctance to get involved for [insert his current excuse here], was tiresome. Kee in general was a bit tedious. This book wasn’t as interesting as the first it mostly felt like Kee listing off her lists of computer hacking nonsense. Or her being annoying about Varro. In the beginning her desire to put space between them so she could handle her seemingly unrequited feelings seemed so responsible and reasonable. A lot of everything else she did wasn’t so reasonable. Maybe it would have helped to have a dual POV but getting to story only from Kee’s side made everything far less interesting. Things happened there was danger and more action in this book than the first but following the story solely from Kee’s POV just made a lot of things more tedious. Maybe it’s me but this one wasn’t as interesting. Still I’m excited to see where the series goes in the future I’m guessing Lexi will be the focus of the next book and whatever she’s been up to that no doubt involved Nilo. Hopefully whatever they’ve been up to is a good story since this was just ok.

This series is wonderful, and I'm enjoying it so much! Highly anticipating book 3!

Kee Ildez is a top notch hacker, and she and her crew mostly chase bounties, since the end of the war. But, lately they've become embroiled in stopping some traitors, on both sides, from trying to reignite a war between the humans and the Valoffs. And she's been falling for one of her new Valovian crewmates, Varro Runkow, though she thinks he doesn't reciprocate her interest. She needs a break from the close quarters with him, and decides to stay on a space station for a couple weeks, to get her feelings under control. And as an added bonus, she'll have easier access to do more research on the man they've been looking for, their former commander, who betrayed them. Too bad Varro isn't willing to let her go anywhere alone and unprotected, and decides to follow her. Maybe her feelings aren't so unrequited after all?

I love a grumpy/sunshine pairing and this was definitely that! Varro was a quiet, stoic protector, and Kee was a bouncy, bubbly girl, with rainbow-hair and epic computer skills. Their opposites-attract chemistry was fire, and I loved watching their slow burn ignite. But, wow, I really mean SLOW BURN! As with book 1, I wanted so badly to hear from the hero, as both books have been single POV stories, from the heroine's perspective. As the reader, you can infer more from the hero's actions than the heroine typically does, but I'd sure kill for a peek inside their heads!

If you like sci-fi romance, I highly recommend this series, and I can't wait to see where book 3 will take us, now that they're headed back to Valovia!

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, steamy and fast-paced. It held my interest and I didn't want to put it down. This book can be read as a standalone story, though it is #2 in the Starlight's Shadow series. I enjoyed this book and will look for other books by this author.

(4.5 stars)

So, it’s confession time. I ADORE Jessie Mihalik’s writing! From Polaris Rising, to her Rogue Queen series, I have devoured every book and stalked every release.

Eclipse the Moon is the second book in the Starlight’s Shadow series and it follows tech specialist Kee Ildez, hacker extraordinaire. We are treated to another delicious brooding Valorian, Varro, whom we saw a bit of in Hunt the Stars. Peace is… precarious to say the least and the Starlight’s crew is working overtime to prevent shady attempts to bring about another war from both sides.

Kee is a vibrant, relatable character that had me cheering throughout the story! She wicked smart, wears her heart on her sleeve, openly loving the crew, and being an all around empathetic badass. She truly is the spark in this story. Varro is a strong telepath, to the point where other Valorians fear him. He is stoic with a molten, protective center and I am absolutely here for it! Their romance isn’t as central to main plot of Eclipse the Moon, but I think the pacing was spot on both for the action and ratcheting up that delicious tension between Kee and Varro on the side.

The sexual tension between these two is unreal. The slow burn of this romance nearly killed me. Their inability to communicate also almost killed me but that wasn’t nearly as enjoyable. Varro’s refusal to budge on the honor/promise nonsense added to that. I do wish we had more couple time (no sexy times until 90%!) but I did thoroughly enjoy some dream walking shenanigans.

I’m really looking forward to the next book and I’m hoping that we get to spend some time with the mysterious Lexie! Honestly, I need books for all of the crew members of Starlight’s Shadow because each of them deserves the very best HEA.

If you are looking for some: forced proximity, sunshine/grumpy, sort-of friends to lovers surrounded by space, rescue missions, espionage, and a fair amount of hacking then this is your jam. It’s the second book in the series and while you could technically read it as a stand-alone, I recommend starting with Hunt the Stars for maximum enjoyment and world building.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Full Disclosure: This book was read as an e-ARC (Advance Reader Copy) obtained via Netgalley from the publisher in advance of the book's release on July 12, 2022 in exchange for a potential review. I give my word that this did not affect my review in any way - if I felt conflicted in any way, I would simply have declined to review the book.


Eclipse the Moon is the second book in Jessie Mihalik's second space opera romance series which started with Hunt the Stars (I assume book 3 will be something like Shatter the Sun). Mihalik's works - both her previous Consortium Rebellion trilogy and this trilogy's opener - are something I've devoured really quickly....they're incredibly fun, with some really great sex scenes, and while the space opera plots never really are super unique or special, they're more than serviceable (with a prose that is very easy to read). And again, the sex scenes and romantic chemistry is just so so hot....even if Mihalik seems to love teasing readers with incomplete and interrupted scenes until the final acts of each book. So yeah I was thrilled to get an early copy of this one.

But Eclipse the Moon is even worse at taking its time to get to the hot and steamy stuff, with there not even being a sex scene (interrupted or otherwise) until the book's final pages....and the scenes we get don't quite live up to the last book, which was insanely hot and steamy. To the book's credit, it's still a lot of fun, and the space opera action goes down really well - and it's so easy to like the book's characters that it's not like the book is bad or anything, this is still an enjoyable romp. It's just well, I (and I suspect many other readers) really was hoping for something to live up to that last book in hot and steaminess, and this didn't quite do that enough for me. More specifics after the jump.

------------------------------------------------Plot Summary--------------------------------------------------------
Kee Ildez has had two things on her mind - first, using her hacking skills to help her captain Tavi track down Morten, the allegedly ex-Federation of Human Planets (FHP) Commodore who previously appeared, with elements of the Valovian government in assistance, to be trying to restart the galactic civil war between the Humans and the Valovian powers. Second, trying to avoid her incredible attraction to Varro Runkow, Valovian weapons expert and telepath and new member of Tavi's crew, who doesn't seem to share that attraction (to Kee's great frustration). It's hard to tell which of the two things are more frustrating honestly.

Kee has the perfect plan to resolve both her problems - she's going to go undercover on a Space Station where a big human-Valovian collaboration is happening...something that she suspects may be a front for the factions backing Morten. There she can better aim to track him down and get space away from Varro to clear her head. Even better - the collaboration is for a fashion show, something Kee can enjoy even if it turns out to not be a front.

But things don't quite go as Kee planned, and Varro doesn't let her go that easily. And so Kee's plan will soon require Kee and Varro to work closer than ever if they want to track down Morten and his faction....close enough that the heat Kee feels from his presence might burn her alive....if he doesn't surprise her with his own passion......
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Eclipse the Moon features a protagonist in Kee who is not quite like the last protagonist Tavi - whereas Tavi was strong and confident, Kee is filled with self-doubt; whereas Tavi tried to deny her attraction to Torran, Kee is well aware of it and just bitter it doesn't seem to be reciprocated; and whereas Tavi's issue was the fact that Torran was seemingly an enemy, Kee's potential partner in Varro is clearly on her side to start this book (thanks to the events of book 1). At the same time, elements of this book's relationship and its main character development will remind longtime Mihalik readers of her earlier work: once again, for the second straight book (and fourth straight if you include her past trilogy) you have a member of the couple with a secret power (in this case Varro's extra strong telepathy) that affects how he reacts to other people - especially his romantic interest.

Still that formula has worked for Mihalik in the past and it definitely works here. Kee is a really enjoyable protagonist, and the contrast between the deliberately stoic Varro works fairly well, with the two having solid chemistry as they work together - even as they often don't quite realize that chemistry is romantic and mutual for a bit. The space opera plot is fun and exciting as the characters deal with situations like infiltration via fashion, escaping from pursuit, and then infiltration of a more military kind. It helps that Kee's hacking and intelligence and planning is really used well to make some real fun and interesting action/other scenes, such that the story moves really fast and has some strong momentum.

Course that brings me to my main complaint about this book: the romance, which Mihalik takes even longer than usual....It takes till about the 1/3 mark in the book before Varro admits to Kee that her feelings are returned but not only do circumstances keep conspiring to prevent them from consummating any part of that attraction, but Kee repeatedly misinterprets Varro's strange actions in ways that push her apart from him, and so we don't really get anything hot and steamy between them till the book's last two chapters. And well, Mihalik's romances are hot and steamy and aren't really about dialogue and slow builds, even as she sometimes teases and draws things out, and so this isn't really satisfying and is just more frustrating than anything. And after a first book in this series that had some insanely hot sex once we finally got there, we don't quite get anything on the same level in this book.

I mean listen, Mihalik's work isn't erotic fiction (for erotic Science Fiction, check out Kit Rocha's Beyond series) so it isn't 100% reliant upon the sex, and what there is prior to the sex is still pretty entertaining. But her work still is best when it gets really hot and steamy, and Eclipse the Moon just doesn't get there enough to really rank among her best works.

Jessie Mihalik writes some of my favorite sci-fi/space opera books and I loved the first book in this series - Hunt The Moon! ❣️✨ So, I was really excited for this one as well!

We get to follow Kee and Varro's story in this one! They are such a cute grumpy-sunshine pair with lots of pining (on both sides) and forced proximity 😏
Set in the aftermath of a Human-Valovian war(just like book one), Kee is a tech genius and very talented at hacking, while Varro is the Valovian weapons expert on Torran's team. These two had a rough start, but now they've settled into an easy friendship that makes Kee confused - because she has a huge crush on him. But she thinks he doesn't like her back. So yeah 🌲
She decides to take a break by leaving the spaceship and staying on Bastion for some time, while digging into the data to find who's instigating another war between the humans and the Valovians. But the one person that she wants to take a break from ends up following her 👀 And as they join forces to find out more information, they find themselves in more danger than ever.

There was a lot of push-pull going on between Kee and Varro, mostly due to their stubborn characters and lack of communication at first. But I did love the relationship development between them. I also loved how focused and hardworking Kee was! Nothing can distract her when she decides to do things. Varro is also protective of her but it takes some time for Kee to get him to put down his walls(mental ones too 🤣).
And the plot really kicks in here as we get to see more about what's happening behind the scenes and the ulterior motives of many, as the crew tries to prevent a war.
I really enjoyed this one and I'm looking forward to book 3(hopefully Lexi and Nilo's?).

*I was provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I finished Hunt the Stars and immediately jumped into Eclipse the Moon. Now I want the next book. I’m thoroughly invested in this ragtag group of bounty hunters trying to preserve peace between two groups that want war. I found this series easier to get into than Jessie Mihalik’s Consortium Rebellion series. There is still politics but by book two, the worldbuilding has eased and you’re definitely pulled quicker into the story. Plus, Kee is just my favorite character in the series so far. She’s a hacker and just a ball of unicorn sunshine. In contrast, Varro is the quiet and grumpy type who just wants to take care of her. These pairings work so well and it really shines in this book. A chunk of the book takes place with Kee and Varro over the ship and that’s a chance for them to really connect and learn each other. I’d still call this book a slow burn although we do get sexy times a bit earlier than the previous book. Both Varro and Kee want each other but they need to learn how to communicate and understand their cultural differences. Varro’s telepathy and that bond with Kee definitely add to their connection and it’s great to see.

Honestly, my only complaint, aside from the bit of slow burn, is that I’m not the biggest fan of first POV and would have loved to see more of Varro’s thoughts and motivations. Although, they’re connection via Varro’s telepathy does allow for that more than the previous book. A solid 4 star read and I’m really intrigued about the next book!

Space opera romances forever and ever, amen. I love the combo of two of my favorite genres, and Jessie continues to crush it — when I pick up one of her books, there’s no “oh I hope this is good.” I know I’m gonna have a good time. This one has an excellent grumpy/sunshine, some hurdles I didn’t see coming, a satisfactory wrap up of the main story PLUS an ending that makes me want book 3 immediately because it continues the overarching series storyline in a very intriguing way. Hooray!

This second series by Jessie Mihalik has grabbed my attention so much quicker than her first, Polaris Rising. I’m not sure the difference but she’s sharpened her skills in creating fun dialog, interesting characters, a hint of danger, and that little bit of tension that all good space romances need. Kee is an interesting character because on the surface she’s colorful and bright which really hides a depth of emotion and strength that’s surprising. Although being the best friend of her Captain should give away the facts that this woman’s character is true to its core. Varro is a much harder character to get to know. He really is very quiet and exudes danger and a I want to be alone vibe. When we find out his reasons for keeping that wall in place the reader can only like him more and be sympathetic to his finding someone who will be his match. I think they balanced each other out really good and loyalty was a trait that they both shared.

I found the dangerous mission aspect of this story a lot of fun. It starts off light-hearted with a fashion show and zips into guns blazing and bombs bursting pretty quickly. Our two favorite protagonists are soon the hero’s to be and their actions provide a lot of entertainment as well as eye-opening reveals about their characters. This was a really well written, fun, space opera romance. I loved every bit of it.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

After finding out that the sequel to Hunt the Stars would follow Kee and Varro's story, I was thrilled! Even in the first book, you could see the Grump-Sunshine from a mile away, and Jessie Mihalik definitely delivered on that front.

There were a ton of things that I loved about this book. To start, I really appreciated Jessie's care and attention to detail in the tech-y sci-fi elements of the story. Of course, knowing she's a software engineer, it is no surprise that her field knowledge would emerge in Kee's story. Kee is, after all, Starlight's resident tech-wiz. I could tell that she had a fun time writing it, which made it all the more fun to read!

While I'm sure some would disagree, I personally really liked the emphasis on how arduous Kee's digital reconnaissance could be. It takes time - not like in the movies where the hacker is like "I'm in!" after 0.2 seconds. While I'm sure the pacing played a part in developing the plot, I'm still glad it seemed a little more realistic.

I also really liked Kee and Varro's relationship - they're both so stinkin' cute, and their care for each other spills off the page. While the story contains plenty of grand gestures, I especially liked the little acts of service they would perform for each other, like getting water or food or just making sure they got enough sleep.

Now I know - I know that I shouldn't compare Kee & Varro's story to Tavi & Torran's, but there are a couple of differences there that I think impacted how I felt about this book.

For one, Hunt the Stars felt a lot more exciting? I don't know; this one just didn't feel as high-stakes to me for some reason. It could be that the plot got super repetitive at times. Not only did the plot kind of repeat in its entirety (the scenes at Bastion and the moon base are strikingly similar to one another), it also gets repetitive with words/phrases used by Kee and Varro in dialogue.

As fun as Kee and Varro's story was, I think I was just really itching for more of Tavi and Torran. Instead of focusing on one couple at a time, I wish the series was multi-POV for each book and that the development of the relationships happened concurrently along with the evolution of the plot. Focusing on just one couple made the story a little bit more tedious. I think the only reason that didn't happen with Hunt the Stars is that we hadn't met any of the characters yet. The plot required that the other characters play a more significant role because we didn't know anything about them. But with Eclipse the Moon, we're already familiar with most of the main characters, so we lost some of those layers. The Starlight crew is still essential to this story, but I just wanted so much more of them. We get a few new characters as well, but I would actually prefer the story worked with the characters it already had instead of adding new ones.

There was also a part at the end that I didn't really understand—specifically, the dom/sub-esque proclivities. Don't get me wrong, I fucking loved it, but I felt like it came out of nowhere!? There didn't seem to be much of a lead-up to it, nor did the characters' personalities clearly match up with that development. Listen, being the lil freaky-freak that I am, I am all for it - I just wish it was gradually introduced to the story instead of thrown in at the end almost like an afterthought. I know this book is all about the slow burn and sexual tension, but if you're going to include kinks of any kind, it has to make sense for the characters. The potential was there, so I think it was a missed opportunity that could have made the story a hell of a lot more interesting. And if that conflicts with the overall vision of the book, then I don't think it needed to be included at all.

Nevertheless, I had such a good time reading this! It was still a great addition to the series, and I was happy to see more of Kee. She has always given me major Tinker Bell vibes, so being able to see her stubborn, tinkering, sweet-tooth personality come out was such a blast! I can't wait to see where the story takes us in the next one!

Rating: 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars!

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Voyager, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Link to review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4528816870

I was very psyched to read the sequel to Hunt the Stars and I am very happy to say that it did not disappoint! Eclipse the Moon kicks off after the events of Book 1 and tells the story of Kee – the Ship’s bubbly, wear-her-heart-on-her-sleeve hacker, and Varro- the silent and strong Valoff. Yup, a classic gruff x bubbly pairing 😊, and while a standalone, this book definitely needs to be read after Book 1.

We got the introduction to this couple in the first book, and one of the minor quibbles I have here is I would have loved for there to have been a call back to their initial meeting and events in Book 1. Another quibble is that communication was not a strong suit between the couple and in fact it got to the point where it seemed the same misunderstanding kept cropping up over and over.

This book is nonetheless a very solid ride! I loved the action, plot, humor, and the romance when we finally got it! It was very well written and when the plot and action were heavy, my heart was genuinely in my mouth. The author has a real gift for writing action scenes, and they were so vivid in my mind. I adored seeing the crew again especially Eli and Tavi and Torran; and can NOT wait for Book 3 with Lexi and Nilo.

Thanks to the Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.

Kee Ildez is the resident hacker aboard the Starlight, a ship with both human and Valovian residents, both on a mission to stop the impending war. After the last mission (in Starlight's Shadow, book 01) Kee is determined to focus on finding who is behind the recent attacks, and decides Valovian Varro, who doesn't return her feelings, is a distraction she needs a break from. When Kee jumps space station side to hole up in her hotel and fine-tune her hacking abilities, things go a little rougher than planned. Fortunately for her, Varro wasn't so keen to see her go.

Amid espionage, and an intergalactic fashion show gone wrong, Kee and Varro bond as a team to keep each other alive.

Another fun space romp with the crew of Starlight is a great escape. The tension of Varro's chivalry gilt was a little wearing, but I adored Kee's hyper focus and how her strength showed itself.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review. Pub. date 7/12/22.

Rating; 4.5 Stars

CW: Violence; torture

After loving Hunt the Stars, I could not wait to read the next book in the series! Eclipse the Moon lived up to my expectations. I immediately got sucked into the story and stayed up until 3 am two days in a row so I could finish this – I couldn’t put it down!

Kee Ildez wants to get away from the crew on Starlight’s Shadow – and a certain Valovian who she has developed an unrequited crush on – and spend some time tracking down information on a group of traitors trying to start an intergalactic war between the Valovian Empire and Federated Human Planets. However, as she disembarks for what she hopes will be a quiet few weeks to nurse a broken heart on the space station Bastion, who shows up at her door but the very person she’s hoping to avoid – Varro Runkow. She vows to keep her feelings to herself as he rebuffs her flirting. Yet, when the two of them get tied up in a rescue mission away from the rest of their crew, they need to figure out how to work together fast to protect not only themselves but thousands of other innocent lives caught up in a broader plot to start a war.

I’m not usually the biggest grump/sunshine romance fan, but the romance in this worked perfectly! The romance between Varro and Kee gave me so many heart-squeezing emotions. There is a lot of mutual pining between Varro and Kee, though Varro keeps emotions tightly guarded, but I’m a sucker for mutual pining when the other doesn’t know. Kee has a very obvious crush on Varro and thinks her feelings aren’t returned, and, ugh, it just brings so much tension and a little bit of heartache, and I love it. The chemistry between these two was on fire! This was the perfect use of forced proximity to move the romance forward! You also get a bit of a bodyguard with Varro, so if you like heroes with a protective instinct, this one is for you. Seriously, this romance was everything I wanted and more.

When it comes to the characters, I adored Kee. Usually, with sunshine/grump tropes, I find the person who is a sunshine a bit grating, but not Kee. Yes, she has a bit of an optimistic, bubbly and friendly personality, but it wasn’t in your face. As the book is told from her POV, you get to know her and see her insecurities and fears – she has so much emotional depth. I loved watching her take charge on Bastion and afterward with leading the rescue mission. She’s not the strongest or the best fighter on the Starlight’s crew, but she brings her own valuable skills to the table with her hacking. Kee shows herself to be a leader and hero by doing whatever is necessary to protect those she loves and by stepping into harm’s way for others. I loved watching her journey to discover her own strength throughout the book.

While I adored this book, I would have liked a little bit more development of Varro. I still loved this man and his relationship with Kee, but by the end of the book, I didn’t feel like I knew him all that well. He’s a bit hard to get a read on, a bit purposefully given he has to hold his emotions tight to his chest to reign his insane mental powers. But he did feel a little flat, especially compared to Kee, who was so fleshed out. However, this didn’t bother me much while reading as I still really liked Varro, especially as a partner for Kee. The Valovians have some rigid rules regarding honor in their society, and I loved watching him try to wrestle with his Valovian customs while balancing Kee’s feelings. He’s a protector through and through and would do anything for Kee, but he struggles because he cannot always protect her.

Mihalik is one of my favorite writers of sci-fi romance! Mihalik perfectly balances world-building, action and romance to keep you deeply invested in the story and on the edge of your seat. Her plotting is superb as the story moves forward at the perfect pace. Her writing brings the story to life – I can perfectly visualize the intense action scenes and all the characters. I love how this book also advances the broader series story arc forward! You will definitely need to read Hunt the Stars to understand what is going on in this story. I cannot wait to see what happens next as the politics and plots are getting more complicated between the Valovians and FHP.

As I say every time I read a Jessie Mihalik book – I need more books like this in my life! Seriously, I live for these action-packed, space adventure romances, and I would like more of them to read. I’m anxiously awaiting book three in the Starlight’s Shadow series as I cannot wait to see where Mihalik will take the series next!

Thank you to Harper Voyager/Netgalley for the ARC. All thoughts, ideas and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Eclipse the Moon is the second book in the Starlight's Shadow series and sets the stage for an intense and exciting conclusion to her romantic interstellar adventure. This intoxicating read will take readers on a journey through the galaxy. A well-written, fast-paced read that left me anxiously waiting for the next book in the series.

I loved this follow up to Hunt the Stars. The world building is so complete. I love how the general conflict carries through both books. It makes the series feel more like a series and keeps me so engaged in the story. I LOVED Varro and Kee. Their longing and his honor and her openness about her feelings made for the best kind of romance. I am so looking forward to where this series goes and to see which couples get their HEA.

This is a sci-fi adventure that just doesn't stop. Kee is a petite pixie/hacker genius who always manages to look on the bright side. Varro is a giant psychic alien (Valoff) with a protective streak. As the book begins, they have both resigned themselves to being "just friends" with the other. But then they get stuck in a tiny room on a space station together, forcing them to reveal previously-hidden secrets.

The book is almost non-stop action, even considering that Kee gets so lost in her virtual research that she forgets to eat and sleep. The only thing we would have changed is that it takes nearly until the very end of the book for the relationship to progress beyond the "will they, won't they" phase. Since the book is written entirely from Kee's 1st-person perspective, it also gets a little frustrating that she's constantly misinterpreting Varro's motivations. That said there's so much going on that when they do give in physically you wonder how they're going to find the time to fit it in to their schedules!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. Eclipse the Moon is a rocking good time. While this book has a slightly lower heat level than its predecessor, it more than makes up for it in action and adventure.
Our favorite ray of rainbow-haired sunshine sets herself up for a wild ride, and she does not disappoint. There is a grumpy/sunshine dynamic, fabulous fashion, hacking, battles, royalty, and a traitor on the run. Kee and Varro are incredibly sweet, they have good chemistry, and the pacing of the action is on point. I enjoyed the heck out of this book, and I can't wait to read book three.

So excited to jump back into the sci-fi world of Jessie Mihalik's Starlight's Shadow series! The first book was on my favorites list in 2021, and I have been eagerly anticipating the continuation with a new couple and adventure. If you haven't read the first book, I highly recommend doing so before diving into this one. It's important to get the history of not only the main characters but also of the mission they all face now that a certain villain escaped after the first book. I am usually all too comfortable jumping around reading books out of order in a series, but trust me, you don't want to do that here. Plus, it makes their romance so much more fun after reading the first book and seeing their attraction begin to blossom.

After barely thwarting the beginning of an interstellar war, the crew of Starlight's Shadow knows the threat is long from over. Their enemy is still out there, and he is working with forces on both sides to spark violence that could destroy millions of lives. Kee Ildez is not known for her fighting ability, being much more at home hacking technology to gain valuable information for their efforts. When she has the opportunity to leave the ship, and take the time to get over her unrequited feelings for Valovian soldier Varro Runkow, she jumps at the chance, and soon she is on Bastion station trying to determine if their enemy is using a fashion exhibition as a cover for his traitorous efforts. But staying on a station alone is risky business, and Varro isn't about to let her face the danger alone. Kee has no choice but to accept his protection, and in doing so, they are forced together in close quarters, unable to hide from their feelings for each other. However, neither can let down their guard. While romance is in the air, so is the threat of violence, and it's up to them to do what they can to put end to it.

Kee and Varro were such a hilarious case of sunshine and grump, respectively. Kee was a happy vegetarian who could see the good in everyone and was fiercely loyal to those she considered family. She wore her heart on her sleeve, but she also was shy enough to try hiding it, especially in front of Varro. Varro was under the impression that Kee didn't like him, and given his past where people judged him for his telepathic abilities, he was wary of expressing his feelings towards her. Which is why I loved when they could finally reveal their emotions to each other and show some vulnerability. Poor Varro had built up this mile-thick wall around his heart, and while he felt emotion strongly, he refused to let it show. Only Kee could bring out his smile and punch some holes in that wall. I loved their banter, even when it was only one-sided as Kee tried to break through to Varro. I also loved their understanding and care for each other, even when they made mistakes. They came from very different cultures, and I appreciated seeing them learn about each other and finding value in what mattered most to them. They were on a struggle bus for a long time, which made their eventual escape from it all the sweeter. If you like grumpy men with soft hearts and spunky women who can also kick butt, then you'll enjoy this sci fi romance.

I am eager to see who gets a book next! The possibilities are intriguing, and I'm sure Jessie Mihalik will deliver no matter what.

This series just hits me right. It's been a little while since I read the first book, but I was still easily able to follow the plot and complexities of the world. I'm a sucker for scifi that has an underlying cozy cast of characters and this fits the bill. Kee is an absolute delight. She's nerdy and highly competent, with a heart she wears on her sleeve. It's a glorious combination. We only get Varro filtered through her eyes, so there's a lack of depth to his character. However, that's just a common occurrence with first person perspective narratives. I'm excited about the enxt book - the overarching plot of the series has gotten very exciting.

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