This book was very enjoyable to read but it felt like it was in the wrong category. This felt like it would've been much better as a best friend's/ found family situation and not as a romance. The romance aspects felt quite forced and their chemistry felt a lot more platonic than romantic. This was also a very wordy book.

I’ve read a lot of books so far in 2025. But I definitely think “I Think I’m in Love with an Alien” will go down as my weirdest read of 2025. I honestly couldn’t tell you if I enjoyed it or if I regret reading it. I think if this book had been pitched as finding yourself/finding your found family I would’ve been more on board. However, this was pitched as a romcom. And yes there is romcom elements in it. However, that’s not the pure focus of the story.

Before I get ahead of myself brief summary synopsis. “I Think I’m in Love with an Alien” follows Jen and Tam. Jen our MF human character is struggling with finding her purpose and people who understand her. Then we have Tam our MM alien character. Tam was only supposed to be visiting Earth for a few days but due to technology failures he found himself stranded on our planet. In order to make the best of the situation and blend in he joins an online Space Chat forum for people who love aliens. Through that forum Jen and Tam meet. The group decides it’s time to take group chat out of the online forum and meet in person at Space Con. And of course like any story chaos ensues from there.

Like I mentioned I loved the pitch premise of this book. However, that’s not the book we were given. Even with that said the story was easy to follow and the characters were all like-able enough to read the story all the way through. I think my favorite character though was Tam. He was definitely the most interesting and I felt for him and his struggles. Jen on the other hand was just fine. She’s a very supportive and loyal person but ultimately I found her at times extremely boring. Some of her chapter’s though I highly considered skimming because I found it that boring and just wanted to get back to Tam.

Like I mentioned the Romcom elements is where this book struggled. Which is why I ultimately gave it a 2 star rating. The romance never felt believable and even though the two make great friends I would never “ship” them together. Instead we were given a lot of telling but not much showing if that makes sense.

Overall, I don’t think I can recommend this book. Especially if you’re looking for a romcom. If you’re looking for a cozy fantasy found family journey then maybe. Ultimately this one just wasn’t for me. Lastly big thank you to NetGalley & Sourcebooks for providing an arc for me to read and review!

I Think I’m in Love with an Alien features Jen, human and Tam, alien. Jen and Tam meet online, in a chat room for nerdy people who love aliens. They, along with other online friends, decide to meet up for a SpaceCon.

I loved the premise of this book, with an alien being stranded on Earth and just trying his best to fit in. Tam was a really interesting character. He felt so alone being stranded so far from home and needing to hide who he was. Jen was fine. She was very supportive and was a fast friend to everyone.

I think where this fell apart for me was the love/romance aspect. If felt less like a romance and more like making great friends. I liked the representation of Jen being a gray Ace character, but even without spice, I didn’t get love from either character expect declarations with no feelings.

The wordiness of this book was unmatched. So much telling and not a lot of showing. And, although there was a minor conflict (kind of) nothing seemed high stakes enough for it to be anything other than a cozy slice of life novel with aliens.

Overall, kind of disappointing for such a great blurb/premise.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

you are a young woman obsessed with aliens, where would you meet any? hiding in plain sigh at a space con convention of course!! quirky and sweet read. I quite enjojed it.

I Think I'm in Love With an Alien was a fun read, but not... great.

I feel like the characters and story had a lot of potential, but there were world details and plotline issues that need to be resolved before this is published. The plot, at times, felt more floaty and random than grounded. I didn't quite feel the stakes in this read. But, again, there's so much potential.

I love the whole idea of this book and there were genuinely some nice scenes. Like the scene when Tamzir tells Jen that he's an alien and when he sends her his birth song. Sucha. cute idea. And I did like the added group chat scenes. I love when books play with form like that and these scenes made the book a quicker read.

I Think I’m In Love With an Alien had so much potential, and I wanted to love it but in the end, it just didn’t deliver. It started off strong, with an intriguing premise and a quirky sci fi rom com setup, but the momentum fizzled out quickly. The pacing was uneven, and the book desperately needed a tighter edit, which is something that constantly pulled me out of the story.

One of my biggest struggles was connecting with the characters. Jennette and Tamzir’s romance felt more like a friendship than an actual love story, and when the one spicy scene finally showed up at literally the 99% mark, it felt way too little, way too late. The build up just wasn’t there, making the relationship feel flat and like a wasted effort.

Plot wise, I kept waiting for something to really happen, but it never did. Even outside of the romance, things seemed to be leading somewhere, only for nothing to really happen. Some elements, like the Space Con scenes and the creepy actor subplot, felt unnecessary and didn’t add much to the story. And the group chat? Way overused. A few key moments would have been fine, but the sheer amount of it watered down its impact.

That said, I am intrigued about where Poppy and Ravik might go from here. The hints were there, and honestly, that dynamic felt more compelling than the main romance.

At the end of the day, this was a fine book. Not terrible, but not great either. It had the bones of a fantastic story but didn’t quite live up to them. I wanted more depth, more chemistry, and a stronger sense of purpose. Here’s hoping for a stronger follow up!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ann Aguirre, and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the eARC of this book.

Thank you for the ARC! What kept me reading was the quirky nature of the book, as well as the creative point "are there aliens among your friend group?". I kept reading to see what would happen and how the story would play out, and I did finish the book. But it could use some editing work before release - the story feels aimless at times with no overarching plot that binds the book together. For the majority, it feels like a series of little events that come up and get resolved almost immediately. The main struggle that carries to the end of the book is only introduced at about 60% of the book and felt like an afterthought. The book has potential in terms of the characters' development, but it did feel a bit repetitive at times! 2/5 stars because the plot was engaging enough that I was able to finish it

This book was an absolute blast from start to finish. Ann Aguirre delivers a hilariously quirky and heartwarming sci-fi rom-com that hits all the right notes for fans of geeky adventures, slow-burn romance, and extraterrestrial escapades.

The world-building here is fantastic, blending just enough sci-fi flair with Earthly humor and relatability. I loved how effortlessly the author weaved in nerd culture details—everything from fandom nods to Space Con antics—without it ever feeling overdone. It added so much personality to the story and made me feel like I was right there, geeking out with the characters.

The dual perspectives between Tamzir (aka Seeker) and Jennette really brought depth to both characters. His POV offered this fascinating outsider’s view of humanity, while Jennette’s inner monologue was equal parts endearing, witty, and totally relatable. I especially enjoyed how the chat threads and private messages gave us an inside look at their dynamic, adding humor and context while deepening their bond.

Seeker’s struggle to stay hidden on Earth while trying to find his way home was equal parts compelling and hilarious, especially as his path crosses with Jennette’s in real life. Their chemistry was instant but not rushed—it felt natural and fun, with just the right dose of awkward charm and building tension. By the time things heated up, I was totally invested in their connection.

Honestly, I tore through this in record time—it’s light, clever, and out-of-this-world fun. Whether you’re a die-hard sci-fi fan or just love a sweet, nerdy romance with a twist, this one will absolutely win you over. Highly recommend for anyone looking for something offbeat, romantic, and delightfully intergalactic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC.

The first book I ever read by Ann Aguirre was “Strange Love,” and she brings a similar wonder and careful style to this lighter, cozier story. It seems obvious that Aguirre is setting up a trilogy, and “I Think I’m In Love With An Alien” works better when read as a treatment of found family and intimate friendship rather than as a classic romance, although the main characters do fall in love. With the abundance of side characters and a few loose ends, this doesn’t wholly stand alone and I am looking forward to more of the story.

Tam is a fantastic alien protagonist who observes life on Earth, and earthlings, with an appealing blend of pragmatism and unintentional dry wit. Jen is on the ace spectrum and brings an especially thoughtful perspective on relationships and consent to their slow burn romance. Both have found themselves estranged from family and community, and Aguirre deftly writes them as balancing one another. A very enjoyable read.

This was my first book by Ann Aguirre. The premise was interesting, but I couldn’t connect with the characters. The dialogue was too simple, and there was no chemistry between the two main characters.

Thank you NetGalley for this review copy.
I really enjoyed this book and it was definitely one of the better alien romances I've read. I will definitely be reading more of Ann Aguirre in the future!

The fact that the blurb likened this to Galaxy Quest made me want to read it instantly. I liked the premise of it, and the way the alien was written definitely adds to the feeling that he is not used to human interaction or even just basic ways to communicate, for example, using the phrase head fur. I enjoyed the sneaky Doctor Who reference, even if they have the dig about how 10 is usually everyone’s favourite (I can’t argue…. David Tennant is… well, David Tennant).

There is the opening for more books to be written in the series, there are a few loose ends that will hopefully get tied up in future books.

All in all, it was an enjoyable read.

I am generally a huge fan of Ann Aguirre's books, but this one didn't strike quite as neatly for me. The pacing was a little too slow, and it made me wish I was rereading STRANGE LOVE again.

This was just okay.. I’ve read and loved better alien romances, like from Zoey Draven and Ruby Dixon. I felt zero connection from and to the characters.

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook arc. A cute nerdy romcom where an alien obsessed woman goes to a space con and meets up with other people in her online chat group only to find out one person is an actual alien. They slowly fall for each other and he trust her by showing her his true form, and tells her that he was originally here on vacation but was left stranded on earth.
After learning he has no where to go he moves in with her, but it outs a strain on her relationship with her family.

I love Ann Aguirre’s Strange Love, my first introduction to alien romance, so I was excited to get into her newest book. ​​I Think I'm in Love with an Alien has a sweet and unique premise, and I liked that it was basically an (online) friends to lovers story, but I’m not sure if anything can top that first book I read from Aguirre.

Not much to say except that the couple is cute, I liked that Seeker in particular really felt like an alien that had been stranded on Earth for a bit and adopted somewhat to humans, and Jennette felt rootable and I empathized in particular with her feeling isolated from other people until she meets the right group who share a common interest with her.

The biggest flaw for me was the pacing and how slow this book felt. I think because Aguirre wasn’t just building the relationship between Jennette and Seeker, but between the friend group, it went back and forth too much. The chat group transcripts in particular became a bit annoying and got in the way of the story later on, and the will-Seeker-stay-or-go, which is the biggest reason for the two not being able to admit they love each other, didn’t feel like an actual threat to their relationship.

Overall, I enjoyed this book but it’s definitely not the Aguirre alien romance I’d recommend to anybody. Strange Love, you will have my heart forever.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This review will be published on my blog (clearsummers.wordpress.com) and Goodreads on June 3, 2025.

The major thing I really enjoyed about this is that it is an alien book set on Earth which isn't something that is super common.

I really love the concept more than the execution I think. The pacing was very uneven. Most of the stuff around the convention was very boring and I have no clue why Jen needed to get sexually harassed as it added nothing to the story and the way it was handled in the story itself was very strange. I guess there could be conventions that are for a week, but it seems like a very long one for such a small town.

The group chat mechanic was fun in the beginning, but most of the conversations there were way too long.

I think the goal of this book was to be "cozy" so there wasn't a lot of conflict, but that just slowed everything down and made it boring. Each time it looked like there could be an interesting conflict it was either let go of or instantly negated.

As a found family story it was cute, but the romance felt a tad underdeveloped which is a huge bummer because I loved the Ace representation.

I picked this up because I really liked Strange Love, so this was a disappointment. It was a cute book, just not great.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this ARC!

Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca & NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC!

I read 'Strange Love' by Ann Aguirre a few years ago & was honestly shocked how much I loved it, so when I saw this book available on NetGalley, I was PUMPED.

Alas, in a word this was "okay". I didn't feel connected to any of the characters & the romance was tepid as all hell (I think the word we're looking for here might just be "friendship"). The plot felt like it was building to nothing (both in & outside the romance). The sex scene at (GENUINELY) the 99% mark had me just -_-

I could've dealt with less scenes at the con (the scene with the sleazy actor didn't really contribute to anything) & WAAAAAY less of the group chat (fewer of these on page would've had more impact, I think).

I'm interested to know where Poppy & Ravik stand after this book; felt like there was so much hinting!

All my complaining aside, it was a fine book; it just had the potential to be so much better.

3.25⭐

This was cute and has a lot of potential, but could probably use a pretty thorough edit.

'I Think I'm In Love With An Alien' is about a group of friends who met on an alien-focused forum, their initial meeting at Space-Con, and what follows. Specifically, it focuses on Jen and Tam (Seeker). Jen is a human who loves everything to do with space, and Tam is an alien who has been trapped on Earth for that last year because of a tourism mishap.

This was a pretty easy read. The relationship was kind of adorable, and I especially liked the second half of the book, when Space-Con was over and the focus was on what kind of life they might have.
The first half of the book seemed to drag, as so many unnecessary descriptions and mundane details were included. (Why did the hotel printing out everything matter when it wasn't a plot point later on? Why did I need to know the entire layout of her hotel room?)
There were also some missteps with the plot/characters that bothered me:
• First, Tam is supposed to be extremely smart (smart enough to be talking about writing research papers), but thinks the human calendar/time system is arbitrary. It makes sense that he'd believe something different would be better, but not that it was just totally made up with no rhyme or reason, and it made me question how bright he really was since that's something he could have found an answer to with an ounce of research.
• Second, the sexual harassment at the convention....I truly cannot picture a worker caring enough that the famous person gets thrown out without video evidence or something just as damning backing it up. It's a nice idea, but too unrealistic, even for alien romance.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Writing was really cringey m. I was ok with it for the alien side but the main character girl just sounded awkward and over described things.