The first part/flashback part was curated in the most emotionally moving way that I couldn’t stop crying page after page. There’s only been a handful of books that elicited such strong reaction from me and this one took me by surprise.

The cast of characters were easy to love. The camaraderie, playfulness and friendship they built was truly heartwarming and relatable. Their quirks and personality were unique, funny and I loved getting to know each one.

Underneath all the adventure and noise was the romance. No doubt it was a slow burn situation and as one of the characters mentioned, <i> “I have had a front-row seat to the single slowest thing I have ever witnessed in the history of this damn ship! Two people, both allegedly intelligent⁠ orbiting each other for months…” </i>

My not so positive remark would be the protracted yearning. Personally, it went just a tad bit too drawn-out, it lost momentum when it mattered. It’s not to say it’s bad, it just missed that perfect timing and perfect balance of yearning and relief.

In summary, a memorable sci-fi sapphic novel that’s heavy on found family and showing up for the ones that matter in your life.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this epic book

and when i say epic it is quite an adventure....

i cant even tell you how i felt when charlie disappeared from her lab whilst on the phone to her sister katie aka kit kat ... just leaving a message for her

i wanted to know exactly what had happened to charlie but first i had to learn charlies and katie life and then... ohhh i am not going to give spoilers but man this book i couldnt put down i wanted to know what happened

the frustration i felt as i was reading i wanted right back to that moment when charlie disappeard but knew there was things i had to know before the storyline played out but omg

but my god those characters i met along this journey came alive... and i love how i was pulled into a storyline i was very interested in hoping that things would get better

at times i sat there crying ...its a very emotional book and that ending... i am so going to have words with that author...how dare she leave me like that.... but i am now invested enough that i cant wait for the next book in this series i mean after all i also cant wait to meet up with all those characters again...

Well, shit.

Okay, first things first: this book is CHUNKY. But don't let that intimidate you. If anything, it's a blessing, because every page packs an emotional punch.

We jump straight into a prologue that leaves you desperate to know more, only for the book to take an unexpected turn and bring us right back to the beginning. Two beginnings, in fact. We get Charlie's story, and we get Reyna's story.

And as eager as I was to get back to the present day and see how their stories would eventually converge, it was this huge chunk of backstory that really set the precedent for everything that was to come. So much feeling, emotion and heartache is packed into these pages, and by the time we reached the present day, I was already completely invested and had teared up too many times to count.

I'm a fan of space, oldies music (I've seen Fleetwood Mac live FOUR times!), video games like Mass Effect, and sapphic slow burns, so honestly, it's like this book was tailor-made for me. Thanks, Elizabeth Hale!

But if you're a fan of any of those things, or if you simply enjoy epic stories filled with adventure, laughs, found family, sisterhood and grief, then you're in for one hell of a ride. And I highly recommend you take it.

I've already whacked Charlie's Playlist on and am eagerly waiting for more adventures from the Emberkind.

Thanks for Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC.

I love a long book and let me tell you, this book was T H I C C C and boy oh boy was the burn SLOW.

Part of why I love long books is because it gives the author room to really bring the characters to life and I do think that the author gave us some very well-rounded characters that I was able to emotionally connect with. Found Family isn't a trope that's normally high on my list of must-haves but it really added to the emotional pull of this adventure which was different for me because I'm usually more into the romance aspect of any story. Additionally, I really enjoyed the backstory because it gave significant heft to the emotional journey on our way to the present day story.

As much as I love a long and epic story, this was almost too long for me. It felt a little meandering at times and it almost felt a little too drawn-out but I'm willing to overlook it because this was such a fantastic read. The set-up for the next novel is absolutely perfect and I can't wait.

Every Almost by Elizabeth Hale is an ambitious, emotional, and engaging read. I loved how the length of the story allowed the characters to really develop, and I became genuinely invested in them. The found-family element was especially meaningful, even though it’s not usually a trope I seek out. The backstory also added significant emotional depth to the present-day adventure.

That said, the story occasionally felt too long and meandering, and the frequent flashbacks sometimes made the narrative feel disjointed. The editing also needs another pass, with repeated statements, awkward phrasing, punctuation issues, and word choices that sometimes felt out of place. The alien dialogue was particularly jarring because it relied heavily on modern colloquialisms.

Despite these issues, I really enjoyed this book. The characters and emotional journey kept me invested, and the setup for the next novel is fantastic. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

This book.....THIS BOOK......It seeped inside and touched me in so many ways and in so many ways. I instantly fell for Charlie Wickett, her bravery, and emotional depth, her perseverance and her innate respect and understanding for all things living, wanting to fix things she found broken. And her endless love.
This is an adult sapphic sci-fi/ romance, and the first in the Emberkind Series. Its a slo-burn, Set in the 1990's, we meet Charlie Wickett (sigh) who is an engineer in Pasadena, California, who touches strange space debris by accident, and wakes up 40 kight years from earth, aboard an alien animal rescue starship, Emberkind. Charlie finds out is will take 6-months to return to Earth. Charlie, always the fixer, uses her engineering, and personal skills to help fix the starship and survive with a crew of aliens, and alien animals. Charlie meets Rayna, a woman with sage green skin and a gold luminescent markings, like all Kaelari woman, and keeps people at a distance. Reyna and Charlie must learn to navigate the ship and each other, and become very close friends.
Thrills, chills, tears and fears, love and acceptance, this book has it all. The style is so easy to read, the characters are so diverse and individual, the world building is seamless. Highly recommend this.
There is a lot in this book, and it could trigger some. The author has listed them on the first page, please be aware before reading. I, personally, can relate to the horrible emotional neglect by my biological parents and siblings, and the verbal abuse, and the overall phobia of my brittle family, This really hit home for me, and was very hard to read at times. I am so glad I did. It made me stronger and more aware.
I felt invested and enjoyed this book, from start to finish, and will be waiting for the second book in the Emberkind series.
Excellent book and representation. Thank you Elizabeth Hale.
Thanks to NetGalley for sending this book for review.
#NetGalley
#EveryAlmost

Amazing sapphic sci-fi adventure story the kept me guessing and engaging writing style. Loved the chemistry between the main characters and the cover is absolutely gorgeous