I LOVE alien romance so I thought I would. Love this book. Overall the book felt a little long. There was a lot of conversation around consent with even the most simple ideas. I felt like it took away from the story on some part. I would still recommend to others as I feel like people who like cosplay would like this book!

This book surprised me. It had way more plot that I was anticipating for an alien romance, with a nice focus on found family and acceptance.

Just not for me as a book.

I was really excited for this one! Unfortunately it didn't quire work for me. The characters felt immature and this was more of a found family book than a romance. There was so much excessive wordiness, and the ending felt like it wrapped up very messily. I was a bit bummed I didn't love it!

A really sweet alien romance (with an ace main character!) set on earth with humans unaware of aliens. While I strongly prefer for my paranormal/alien romances to not have the paranormal aspect be the conflict, this was a fun set up for it. An alien who is stranded on earth, joins an online forum, gets added to a group chat, and the friend trip makes it out of the group chat. It was cute.

This was super cute!

If you like friends to lovers and nerds in love but also aliens this book is for you. Jen and Tam were adorable. I thought their online chats and SpaceCon was a unique take on alien romance. We are actually on Earth for once haha. I also liked the found family aspect of the book.

The romance here is very sweet and cute. The romance is focused on their friendship and connection. Because if that, this book is not steamy (there is one steamy scene at the very end).

I also love this cover! It's so pretty.

"He's stranded. He's desperate. He's not looking for love....She's nerdy. She's flirty. She's ready for romance."
***
When Tam (aka Seeker) get stranded on Earth during a vacation gone awry, he makes friends with an online group of alien enthusiasts. One such friend, Jen, catches his eye...will he chose to go home or stay on Earth with this budding relationship?
***
Was this book quirky? Yes. Was it cringy? Yes. But I think that was the point! The group of friends and found family are nerds. They are a socially awkward, but loving bunch. I really did enjoy the story from the friendship aspect as well as the message of learning to embrace your true self. Where the story fell apart for me, was the romance plot. Marketed as a romance, you would think there would ACTUALLY be romance. I can understand it not being smutty, but I expected more. (There's literally one very short sex scene), but I didn't feel any love or connection or intimacy between the two. Overall, it was a cute & fun read :)


Review posted to Goodreads & Tiktok.

I found the concept of this book quite interesting. Truth be told, it was an enjoyable read until nearly the end of the story. The pacing suddenly shifted, Jen's family issues were offputting, and overall, the ending felt hurried and didn't quite deliver the satisfaction I was hoping for. With a more fleshed out ending, this would have been much better.

I really loved this concept! Jennette is obsessed with all things aliens and Tam is an alien. I really enjoyed seeing them bond online and meet in person at the alien con! I liked how they supported each other in difficult situations and helped the other one realize their gifts.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book but then I felt like we did a bit too much time jumping and the detail about their relationship was lacking. It seems like this is intended to be a series but I didn't fully feel like Tam and Jennete's story was wrapped up. I was glad they were together but I didn't feel like some other storylines were resolved. I would be interested to continue the series but I wish this story had felt a bit more complete as a standalone.

Plot: Jennette is a nerd. A Sci FI nerd. She has a group of online friend she's found through an online discussion group about aliens being among us here on Earth. In getting to know each other virtually the group has decided they like each other and would like to meet in person. They plan a trip to a Space Con in Rellows, NM to meet up in person for the first time. Little do they know, they're about to run into some out of this world challenges.

Overall thoughts: This was a cute read. It's a dual POV and I really liked both of the MCs so it was an enjoyable read overall. Because one of the dual POVs is from an alien, we get a lot of descriptions of the world we live in. Which, obviously, makes perfect sense because they're new here. However, as a reader, who does live here, some of the descriptions were a little lengthy in my opinion. I found myself wanting to skip ahead a bit. Something that was a real delight for me, as a "weird girl" myself, it was nice to see another "weirdo" get attention and romantic attention at that. However, it was a little hard for me, personally, to see/feel the attraction between the two emotionally and physically. However, as I'm not ACE that's not necessarily bad, just a smidge harder for me to connect. But goo for me to read. I liked the friendship of the online group and how they blended when they finally got to meet in person. Reminded me of some of my online friend groups.
While I had fun overall I felt like the ending was a bit rushed and some of the logic in the created danger neat the end was a bit questionable. I wont say much so I don't spoil it but the logic of some people being where they are..... just... the odds are outrageous. Even in a book about real aliens. ;)
Overall this was cute and fun. Not something I would reread.


What made my weirdo heart happy:
"...it requires reserving a year in advance to stay in the Jupiter room; apparently it takes two years to stay in Uranus."
and cat names Scotty and Spock!

Will I read more books by this author?: Yes. Probably.

Would I recommend this book to a friend?: To specific friends who like/want to try Sci-Fi romance with a touch of spice and ACE representation.

I am a true sucker for an alien romance and this one did not disappoint. I some glad I was able to get an early copy from NetGalley!

Two of the standout parts of this story was the writing quality and the depth of the character development from
both our hero and heroine. From the first chapter I was connected to our heroine and rooting for her.

This was honestly such a tender story. I highly recommend. You won’t be disappointed.

This book had a lot potential for being amazing but unfortunately it felt flat and could’ve ended better.

The premise is interesting but the execution was clunky. I just was not feeling the chemistry with any of the characters both in the friend group and with Jen and Seeker. Way too much unnecessary detail.

A sweet, found family-type romance about finding love where you least expect it. I seem to be of the overall consensus that the ending is a bit messily resolved, but I also really enjoyed several aspects of Jen and Seeker’s dynamic so that won out over the uneven wrap-up.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cute premise and fun story but a little lackluster in its delivery.

I found the pacing a little clunky at times and wanted more depth from the characters connection to make me really feel and root for them, A cute quick read overall, and a standout unique release in the midst of similar summer romances.

💥💥Book Review 💥💥

I Think I’m in Love with an Alien
By Anna Aguirre
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars

“ I Think I’m in Love with an Alien” is a cute, nerdy, sci-fi friends become lovers. I thought this novel had a lot of potential but, it fell short with there was really no build up to anything monumental. The first part of the book dragged with all the awkward talk between all the characters especially between Jen and Tam. With that said I didn’t feel connected to the characters. Also, the sex scene that finally came but at the 98% mark was lackluster.
I am sorry for complaining so much but this was such a let down.

I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

Traditionally published alien romance is a pretty rare sight but I'm not sure that this one sticks the landing.

My main critique is that the dialogue both in the text chat and off in this book feel stilted and unnatural. There is no hook that had me interested from the get-go.

I wish we got to experience these characters traits in a more organic way instead of being outright told it through narration. Like, saying "I like this..." is so much less narratively compelling than if we were shown it through characters engaging in ways that communicate those sentiments.

A lot of disbelief needs to be suspended and a whole lot of melodrama from Seeker with little to no emotional weight at the start makes it difficult to enjoy the romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a really sweet and cozy alien romance.

Jennette and Tamzir, have met online on an Alien forum and created a chat group with other similarly minded people from the forum.

This group has agreed to meet up for the first time at Space Con.

What Jen didn't realize that Tam is a lost Alien , stranded on Earth after being left behind on a tourist cruise.

I thought this was super sweet and low-stakes romance, all about the joy of finding your tribe and how to embrace being different but also authentically yourself in this crazy world.

I THINK I'M IN LOVE WITH AN ALIEN • Ann Aguirre • Pub Date: June 17, 2025

As a lover of Ice Planet Barbarians, this book seemed right up my alley. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an eARC of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Abridged Goodreads Synopsis: Tamzir "Tam" Jaarn is paying the price for risking an illicit holiday on an interdicted planet. His ride off-world never showed, and he has been stranded on Earth for nearly a year. But he's met some cool humans online (using the name "Seeker"), and they have invited him to the biggest space-themed convention around. Why not make memories with them while he figures out how to get home? Meanwhile, Jennette Hammond is an endearing weirdo, voted most likely to bang an alien in high school. Not that she's ever had any close encounters of the sexy, alien kind. Heck, she's never even been able to convince anyone to attend Space Con. But that's about to change! Finally, she has online friends who have agreed to go, and it will be a romp to remember—and she'll finally put a face to the name of her longtime crush, Seeker. When alien meets adorkable, they're destined for an out-of-this-world affair...right?

This was such a cute and unique premise! Watching Tam cope with the practicalities of being stranded on Earth (and all that entails for an Alien who can hardly eat typical human cuisine) while trying to find a way back to his home planet made for an interesting plot. I also loved seeing him navigate forming relationships with Jen and the rest of the group chat crew. This led to a story of found family and love, blended with a level of pragmatism and dry wit that I was not expecting (but enjoyed)!

Unfortunately though, this book was a little too weird to deliver the romcom vibes that it advertised. While Tam and the other cast of characters were fun, Jen's character fell flat. This makes the book a bit hard to love, considering Jen's POV comprises half the story. The romance between Tam and Jen never seemed to fully take off either. We are told they have a connection, but readers never get to truly experience that connection on the page. The conflicts that sprung up for the couple (e.g., alien "hunters" and family drama) were also ridiculously contrived and never properly resolved. Do not even get me started on the sexual harassment at the convention sub-plot...

The pacing of this story was also strange, coupled with the fact that the plot (and sub-plots) never seemed to fully build up or really lead anywhere. Maybe a tighter edit would have fixed this or maybe this book simply did not land for me. Either way, I was constantly pulled out of the story and found myself a little bored.

While I would not recommend this book as a romance or romantic comedy, readers looking for a watered-down fantasy with found family may appreciate this book! Sadly though, I think this book did not quite hit the mark. Maybe a stronger follow up with Ravik and Poppy could be in the works though?

"Galaxy Quest meets Roswell in this quirky sci-fi rom-com from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Ann Aguirre.

He's stranded. He's desperate. He's not looking for love.

Alien Tamzir Jaarn, a.k.a. Seeker, is paying the price for risking an illicit holiday on an interdicted planet. His ride off-world never showed, and he's been stranded on Earth for nearly a year. His gear is breaking down, food is becoming a problem, and if his camouflage unit fritzes, he'll wind up in a government lab.

But he's met some cool humans online, and they've invited him to the biggest space-themed convention around. Why not make memories with them while he figures out how to get home?

Space Con or bust!

She's nerdy. She's flirty. She's ready for romance.

Jennette Hammond is an endearing weirdo, voted most likely to bang an alien in high school. Her house is full of gray man collectibles, adorable tentacle monsters, and yes, in college, she volunteered for a SETI-type program. Not that she's ever had any close encounters of the sexy, alien kind. Heck, she's never even been able to convince anyone to attend Space Con.

But that's about to change. Finally, she has online friends who have agreed to go, and it will be a romp to remember - and she'll finally put a face to the name of her longtime crush, Seeker.

When alien meets adorkable, they're destined for an out-of-this-world affair..."

I mean, I was sold at Galaxy Quest meets Roswell, but the fact that it's written by Ann Aguirre!?! Perfection!

I'm relatively new to the monster/alien romance subgenre, and this was a good light, fun read to add to the roster. The characters were fun, the chemistry was there, and the premise was intriguing. I think the biggest issue is the pacing of it, namely the sudden time skip more than halfway through that just feels like we're missing a big chunk of information. Overall though, lots of fun!