Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

To start, I have to say that this did take me a while to read. I believe I started it during a slight slump, but the desire to pick it up was not there. When I did pick it up, I enjoyed it, but sometimes I had to force myself to go back to it.

This is a cozy book set during an alien convention. There are real life references throughout the book - Star Wars, Iced Planet Barbarians - but then I believe they refer to show things that the author made up based off real TV shows.

I really enjoyed the private chats between the main group. They give a nice sneak peek into their growing friendships.

Jen and Tam’s relationship was sweet and a slow burn. I was surprised that Tam let her in on his secret so soon in the book, I would thought he would have kept it closer to his chest. But after finding someone else that he could talk to about his experiences as an alien, I guess he felt confident that he could trust Jen.

Love the gray ace representation in this book. I think it was done well from what I know of the orientation.

Tropes:
- Alien x human relationship
- Grayace rep
- Friends to lovers
- Slow burn

I am a big fan of Ann's Fix-It Witches series, so I was ecstatic to have received an ARC of her new book, I Think I'm In Love With an Alien. I adored it! It is a total nerd-palooza in the best way. If you have ever become close friends with strangers on the internet, you will love this book, especially if those friends believe in aliens. 👾

Tamzir has been stranded on earth for a year and desperately wants to go home. His time is made bearable, however, by a small group of human friends he's made online. Especially one friend - Jen. Jen is a quirky, sweet, sci-fi loving geek who has convinced their online friend group to meet for the first time at Space Con. "Galaxy Quest meets Roswell in this quirky sci-fi rom-com."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💕 Sci-fi Rom-com
🛸 Paranormal Romance
💕 Found Family
🛸 Only One Bed
💕 Alien Romance
🛸 Convention Culture

3⭐️

This book was so cute and fun! I loved the found family!

I think the conflict could’ve been more of a conflict… if that makes any sense? The whole thing was quickly resolved in my opinion. To be fair, It is a very short and fast paced book so maybe that’s why.

I enjoyed the writing, the characters and the whole Space Con idea.

Very fun.

I'm always happy to change up my reading and add a book like this to my TBR. This was a super fun read, it gave me all the elements of an Alien romance I like and Aguirre's writing style has such a nice flow. I loved the smaller details she added and the fact that Seeker was so new to Earth and written that way made it a lot more interesting for me. I liked that he was sort of learning on the go and I appreciate the fact that this was more cozy than anything else. I would certainly read this author again! 3.5/5 Cups of coffee from me, a full review to hit my blog soon! Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

A fun sci-fi romance set at a sci-fi convention. I loved the history of the alien/s we meet in the story, and the group chat conversations between the friends who met online and meet IRL at the con for the first time. It's clear the author has a deep appreciation/love for cosplay and the detail that goes into it. I would have enjoyed slightly higher stakes in the last third of the book (which is hinted at, but not really followed through on), but an enjoyable read nonetheless.

I think the premise of this book was super fun but it just wasn’t for me.

I did like the friend group, the neurodivergence rep and the found family. It was just a little too cheesy and very niche.

3.5 rounded up

'I Think I'm in Love With an Alien' had me so excited for quirky sci-fi romance vibes. I mean look at this cover! That coupled with Galaxy Quest and Roswell seemed like a homerun to me! However, I think if this was less of a romance and more just found fantasy it would have worked for me. I expected way more romance and was let down.

The premise of a stranded alien meeting his online crush at a comic convention should have been pure gold, but instead lacked any of the excitement and thrill. While I appreciated the ace representation and Tam's fish-out-of-water struggles, the romance felt more like two long distance buddies that finally meet up at a convention with occasional "I love you" declarations that came out of nowhere. Again, this would be TOTALLY FINE if I wasn't looking for the romance aspect so much. I'm a gamer and a cosplayer and have attended anime cons for over 20 years where I met friends from all over! I know how exciting and thrilling it is and this just didn't FEEL like that.

As a con attendee, I can handle staying on boring Earth if you're bringing the aliens to me, and a con felt like the best place. However, the conflict feels about as threatening as a broken vending machine, and honestly, I kept waiting for something, anything, exciting to happen. If you're craving that Ice Planet Barbarians energy but with comic con nerds, this isn't it chief.

But if you don't want the romance and want buddies with aliens and con shenanigans, this IS it.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book! The title and this beautiful cover drew me in and i was excited to read this book! I will be recommending this book to others for readers advisory.

Ann Aguirre has such a knack with sweet, angsty aliens and this book was no exception! I genuinely enjoyed her main characters and the setting she conjured for them in the fandom sphere definitely resonated (I am consummate fandom dork of long standing). Alas, that's kind of where the positives ended for me. The pacing here felt completely off and resulted in a slow waning of my investment. The ending needs some significant finagling to address these issues before many readers will be able to complete this read with any positive closure.

This was a cute story about connection and found family. I loved the setting and how it worked for the story. The whole group was great.

Dear Ann Aguirre,

First off, isn’t that cover great? It calls to mind 1950s sci-fi movies and I love that the alien is both not a little green man with a giant head and also feels quite close to the book’s description of Seeker. I mean, if you go for dragon men – hot, right?

I really enjoyed Strange Love a while back (gosh, has it really been five years?) so this one was immediately on my radar when I saw the author posting about it on Bluesky. I should add that I Think I’m in Love with an Alien is not (at least not overtly) set in the same universe as Strange Love and as far as I know the books are unrelated.

Jennette Hammond teaches astronomy at a community college in Oregon and has a passionate interest in extraterrestrial life, science, the stars and science fiction. She was active on a forum called “Aliens Among Us” and from there a sub group of six formed a private chat group. Jen is “Jeneticist” in the group. Other members include Stargazer, FarFromHome, Squidhead, JazzyPlum and Seeker. Jen felt a special connection to Seeker in particular and they started messaging outside of the group after Jen reached out to Seeker when he expressed being lonely and she was concerned about him. They’ve been low-key flirting for months. More recently, not so low-key.

Interspersed among the chapters are excerpts from the group chats and private messages, which helps the reader get to know the group better and see the gradual build of the attraction between Seeker and Jen.

The group will meet in person at last, at Space Con at Rellows, Utah, a tiny town whose population explodes with cosplayers and SFF lovers every year.

Seeker is, in reality, Tamzir Jaarn, an alien from another planet. He was doing some extreme tourism and ended up stranded on Earth. His tour company didn’t collect him at the appointed date and time and his emergency beacon eventually died. He’s desperate to return home to his family, knowing they’re worried about him. He has no way to contact anyone and has been terribly lonely, living a very solitary life apart from online interactions with the chat group from Aliens Among Us. Particularly valued are his private messages with Jen. Seeker has a plan to attend Space Con for a couple of days, finally meet Jen in the flesh and then see if he can steal some tech from billionaire space guy “Owen Lusk” (this is a bad idea on a number of levels, most especially that Lusk’s spaceships keep blowing up. Sound familiar?) who has a scheduled launch nearby (ish) during the con.

Seeker has camouflage technology that he wears when he’s in public. How he appears varies from person to person (something to do with their brain waves) and even from occasion to occasion. He has been able to use his tech skills to create a US ID but it would not withstand the scrutiny of the TSA or ICE so he’s forced to travel, carefully, by bus or train. He doesn’t show up in photographs – it’s just a blur – so he tries to avoid cameras. If someone touches him, they experience cognitive dissonance because how he appears to them is not what they feel (for one thing, he has seven digits on his “upper extensors” – aka hands).

I don’t want to give too much away about the other members of the chat group but I can confirm they all look out for one another’s best interests over the course of the book and they have a strong friendship bond.

After a short while at Space Con, Seeker realises that his plan to try and steal some usable tech from Lusk is destined for failure. He’s not really a thief anyway and the security around the launch is far more than anything he’s dealt with on earth previously. Seeker also finds that in-person-Jen is even better than online-Jen and within days he decides to confess to her who he really is. From there, their relationship grows by leaps and bounds and soon they are contemplating moving in together after Space Con. (If Seeker is still on Earth that is.)

There are POV sections from both main characters and Seeker has a distinctly different narrative style to Jen, which I found delightful.

I’m always nervous when entering a new environment.

Will technology keep me safe?

And where is the nearest exist if it malfunctions? Pausing, I memorize the escape route before I move away from the front of the diner. The other humans have shared identifying markers about themselves in the communication hub, and I recognize SquidHead first, exceptionally tall and entirely lacking in cranial fur. He lifts an appendage tentatively as I thread my way toward them.

I enjoyed the nod to romance tropes in the book too.

Jen’s motel room only has one bed.

In the last month, I have consumed much local entertainment, and I’m familiar with this romantic device. The protagonists are forced, due to necessity, to share the bed, and erotic contact follows.

Jen is gray ace and rarely feels sexual attraction. But how she feels about Seeker is something else (I’m avoiding the obvious pun here. I deserve a medal). Seeker’s own attraction is not about Jen’s physical attributes, although he doesn’t find them unappealing. It’s more about who she is. He tries to hold himself back a little bit because if he lets himself he will bond with her and that bond is for life. Seeker’s people often have polyamorous relationships, believing that no-one partner can be everything to another, but each bond is very significant. Seeker doesn’t know if he even will be able to go home but if he had the chance, would he leave? If he bonded with Jen, could he? Jen is also wondering something similar. Is Seeker with her because he’s stuck on Earth and would he choose to leave if he could?

There are some threats from intrepid alien hunters at Space Con the group has to navigate as well as the ongoing reality that Seeker cannot really live a human life. He can survive on Earth and, yes, Jen makes an effort to find things that Seeker will be able to eat and actually enjoy beyond the soy-based protein powder he’s been subsisting on for the past year, but he will forever have to hide who he is and that is obviously a challenge to their ongoing happiness. Jen’s mother and sister are also barriers. Jen has a fraught relationship with them anyway and she knows they could never accept Seeker for who he really is. Seeker feels bad about being a potential source of conflict between Jen and her family, particularly because family means so much to him. If his true identity were discovered it would be disastrous for him so a life with him will be necessarily isolating. As it turns out, Jen has few friends and they are mostly the ones in the chat group. She has never really felt like she fit in – with her peers or with her family – so choosing Seeker isn’t as hard for her as it maybe would be for someone else. Seeker felt like he didn’t fit in with his family either. It’s a large part of why he travelled to Earth in the first place. His people value art and creativity – music, sculpture, etc. Seeker’s skills are more in the tech design area – something considered meritless on his home planet. Ultimately, Jen and Seeker are two misfits who fit with each other.

But what would happen if Seeker had the chance to go home? Where would Jen be then?

There are some intimate scenes but there is also a fair bit of hand waving as to the mechanics of intimacy with Seeker. I admit I was curious but I think the story was probably better with less detail rather than more. That way people can imagine what works for them. It helps that Jen’s desire for physical intimacy isn’t based on penis-in-vagina sex and that, in addition to being gray ace, she’s bi/pansexual. So she’s open to various forms of intimacy with the right person. Seeker feels similarly.

I thought the end of the book was a little rushed and some of the threads didn’t quite come together all that well. I did still have some questions about how things would go in the long term but, having accepted the premise of the book, I was happy to go along for the ride.

I enjoyed the humour of the book as well, like this, when Jen was telling Seeker about the breakdown of a prior relationship:

Jeneticist: I don’t want to dump on you…but you did ask. Things had been cooling off for a while.

Seeker: Temperature impacts the bond strength?

Plus, there’s a rooster named Kevin. KEVIN.

Grade: B


Regards,
Kaetrin

This is the type of story that you read late at night and smile to. It’s a light read with minimal conflict. I wish there was a bit more angst

I went into this one with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised by just how much I really enjoyed it!! A mixed group of humans and aliens in disguise connect and become friends in an online chat group and when they meet up IRL at a scifi fan convention, Jen and Seeker/Tam find themselves starting to develop deeper feelings. This story takes place over months and involves fun group texts and get to know you games. There's also a heartfelt story about acceptance, found family an making meaningful connections in a world that can be lonely for aliens and humans alike. I also enjoyed that Jen was grey ace and formed connections based on people's personalities more so than appearance. Good on audio and highly recommended if you enjoy authors like Ruby Dixon (although this one is more PG spice wise than her books). Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Very cute, and very fun.

If you were an alien on earth, what could be more fascinating than seeing humans hypothesize on what the life you know might be like?

The book is interspersed with chats from an online forum where several members have created their own private room for their shenanigans. They all get to meet up at a convention dedicated to all things alien. Each individual feels isolated in some way, but find their strongest friendships forming in this chat-group. They are all very different, but complimentary to each other. When they're together, the reader feels comforted, as though all is well with the world.

Tam is different from many of the heroes in sci-fi romances - and in a good way. He comes from a culture that is displayed a bit in the story - complete with natural contradictions that can be found in any culture - a very nice touch! And unlike many books in the genre, the emotional attraction is at the forefront, with the sexual attraction being secondary.

I'm all for a scifi alien romance and the premise sounded right up my ally.

Jen is cute, nerdy, and looking for romance where Tam is an alien stranded on earth. I found myself enjoying the text/chat convos but that was just about it. The characters didn't really stand out and the pacing felt a bit off. I think with a little more development this could be really fun.

Thank you for the gifted ebook.

I was super excited to see Ann Aguirre had a new book coming out. I love her Grimspace series!

This one was a little different though, and as the name suggests it’s a strange romance. I appreciate Jen being a gray ace character, and I feel like this aspect did contribute more to the building of friendships rather than lots of spice.

I really liked Jen’s character, how open and accepting she was. I feel like Tam was well written too. His very little knowledge of earths culture and language was entertaining, and the way he cared for Jen was sweet. It made for an interested dynamic.

I will say, that this was very much on the cozy/low stakes side, with some found family, and not a lot of conflict. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting, but it was entertaining for the most part.

Thank you Net Galley and Source Books for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca & NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

I really wanted to love this one as a lover of non-human romance, hidden identity trope, and queer rep, but unfortunately it fell short of my expectations.

Maybe it’s because we started the book with both characters already having deep feelings for one another, but I had a hard time seeing and connecting with the romance. We see bits and pieces of their relationship forming through flashback group texts, which helps some, but with the robotic way our alien mmc Tam thought & spoke it was a bit harder at times to feel the romance. It did, however, make the genuinely sweet things he said feel even more hard earned.

The pacing also felt off, especially how much time we spent between the two officially professing feelings & intention to be together up to the end resolution seeming to drag on, then have a rushed last minute situation. That being said, I would’ve loved a short epilogue in the end exploring how the conclusion played out in a few years down the line, or even a 6 month check in.

One thing I did enjoy about this book is the bits of world building we got for what alien civilizations are like compared to earth. I loved the comparisons, and one of my favorite things in a human x nonhuman romance is when the nonhuman comments in how weird something that normal humans do every day is to them. I love alien & monster romance make us take a critical eye to what we’ve normalized in our societies, even if the critiques of humankind weren’t particularly deep in most cases.

Found family was also a big part of this book with a big group of self-proclaimed weirdos & space nerds meeting for the first time irl after being online only. I loved seeing the group dynamics and finding those that get you, and I’m curious to see what happens to the restroom of the characters if this continues as a series!

Overall cute concept but I don’t think I’ll be rereading this one!

Spice rating 1/5
(two scenes described briefly & without detailed language)

Rep:
bi/pan ace-spec (gray-ace) human fmc
Alien mmc with autistic coded traits (according to me, an autistic reviewer)

Tropes
Alien romance
Hidden identity
Friends to lovers
Found family

Don't go into this book expecting hot and heavy alien love making. Ice planet shenanigans this is *not*. Instead, be treated to an adorable, uncomplicated exploration of found family and dorks in love.

The novel follows Jen, an astronomer with a fascination for all things extraterrestrial. When she gathers together a bunch of cyber acquaintances from an online forum for alien theorists into the more intimate space of a group chat, she especially connects with one of the participants, known as "Seeker". Virtual sparks fly.

As the title suggests, "Seeker" is, in actuality, an alien. Stranded on Earth after some ill-advised adventure tourism, Seeker (or Tamzin as we later learn) has been desperately lonely and searching for connection.

Loneliness and the isolation which is sometimes reinforced by the structures of modern society is a theme that is explored (slightly clumsily, but with touching empathy) throughout the book. The various members of the group chat are shown finally meeting in person and detailing their own personal histories of alienation (heh).

To be completely honest, I think this book really shines as a cute, found family narrative more so than a romance. I greatly enjoyed and appreciated the interconnectedness of the cast and the support they offered one another far more than the often awkward chemistry provided by the main pairing. I will give Aguirre her props however, the demi-sexual/grey ace representation is lovely to see.

I imagine it is difficult to bring things to a boil after such an incredibly slow, slow-burn but structurally, the ending felt quite rushed. I would've liked to have seen more time dedicated to the emotional build-up and culmination of Jen and Tam's HEA.

Likewise, plot points that I was keen to see resolved were abandoned or, I suspect, left open in a slightly dissatisfying way. Unfortunately, it appears ITIILWAA suffers from the dreaded "sequel set-up syndrome" where-in the main pairing is left out in the cold to dedicate crucial pages to the next couple.

Overall however, ITIILWAA is a sweet, uncomplicated book that *sees* us -- the weirdos, the fandom tragics and anyone who has felt awkward and alone. It's a charmingly engaging alien romance with just enough depth to examine loneliness what it means to be "alien" while still being light and hopeful.

4/5 stars
1.5/5 spice

Tropes:
Friends to lovers
Alien x Astronomy professor
Cosplay
Found family
Close proximity
Hurt/Comfort
Dual POV

Perfect for fans of monster romances and found family. Really light on the spice and mostly focuses on the emotional connection between the MCs. There was great communication in this story so you didn't get a lot of angst. Tam/Seeker was just too straight forward for any miscommunication. That created a deep connection between the two MCs and you see how they are able to navigate their unique situation. I really wanted to see a little more character growth for Jen outside of her relationship with Tam, though. I like that she was herself with her friend group and Tam but she had a missed opportunity to stand up for herself with her family.

Overall this was a fun read. I really loved the convention scenes and the friendships that were built.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

Genre: Sci-fi Romance | ★★★☆☆ | ARC via NetGalley

This was a fun premise with a sweet romantic thread… until a few character choices pulled me out of the starry-eyed bliss.

Tam, aka Seeker, is an alien marooned on Earth, blending in while desperately trying to get home. Through an online chat group for alien enthusiasts, he connects with Jennette Hammond (Jen), a socially anxious woman who’s a space nerd with a soft heart and a deep love of the extra-terrestrial. Their whole friend group decides to meet IRL at SpaceCon—a con in a fictional town clearly riffing off Roswell—and that’s when things really take off.

Tam and Jen’s chemistry is instant and genuine. Their online connection translates beautifully in person, and the banter is charming. The supporting cast—this quirky little gang of alien nerds—adds a lot of warmth and personality to the story.

But here’s where it wobbled for me…

🤔 Character disconnects:

Jen is written as kind, socially anxious, and a bit of a loner… yet somehow she becomes the de facto leader of this online crew? That jump didn’t quite track for me based on her backstory.

😬 Late-stage behaviour shift:

Towards the end, Jen has what I can only describe as a bit of a meltdown—a full-blown hissy fit that felt out of character. It verged on emotionally manipulative, and while the narrative rewards her in a way, it didn’t sit well with me. Tam ends up making a major decision based on her actions, and I couldn’t help but wish it had unfolded differently.


✅ What worked:

The core premise: Alien meets human, falls for her, but can’t stay—classic!

Their online-to-real-life transition felt genuine and sweet

A good balance of sci-fi elements with relationship-focused storytelling
The other characters brought colour to the story

The references to Star trek and other shows are sure to delight those who enjoy the genre


❌ What didn’t:

Jen’s character arc felt inconsistent

The emotional twist near the end was jarring and a bit frustrating

Overall, this was a three-star read for me. Solid writing, an enjoyable setup, and some charming moments—but also a few bumps that made the landing a bit rough.