I love romance books. That's no surprise on this blog. And while I love the lower stakes of more traditional romance books, occasionally I want something with a little more action. The threat is higher and the action more engaging...with romance, of course!
Recently I finished rereading The Hero Within by Bec McMaster, followed quickly by The Hidden Legacy books by Ilona Andrews. I've reread both of these series multiple times. I love them. (I'll do a post about these books later) These are just two of the authors I turn to in these times of need. While I love them, I wanted something new, but similar to their style.
Cue Jennifer Estep and her Galactic Bonds series.
There are six books in this series, but I'm going to talk about the first one, Only Bad Options.
Synopsis
A WOMAN WHO SEES EVERYTHING . . .
Few people know the name Vesper Quill. To most folks, I’m just a lowly lab rat who designs brewmakers and other household appliances in the research and development lab at the powerful Kent Corp. But when I point out a design flaw and a safety hazard in the new line of Kent Corp spaceships, everyone knows who I am—and wants to eliminate me.
I might be a seer with a photographic memory, but I don’t see the trouble headed my way until it’s too late. Suddenly, I’m surrounded by enemies and fighting for my life.
I don’t think things can get any worse until I meet Kyrion Caldaren, an arrogant Regal lord who insists that we have a connection, one that could be the death of us both.
A MAN WHO CAN’T FORGET HIS PAST . . .
The name Kyrion Caldaren strikes fear in the hearts of people across the Archipelago Galaxy. As the leader of the Arrows, the Imperium’s elite fighting force, I’m used to being a villain, as well as the personal assassin of Lord Callus Holloway. Even the wealthy Regals who live on the planet of Corios are afraid of me.
But everything changes when I meet Vesper Quill. I might be a powerful psion with telepathic, telekinetic, and other abilities, but Vesper sees far too many of my secrets.
Thanks to an arcane, unwanted quirk of psionic magic, the two of us are forced to work together to unravel a dangerous conspiracy and outwit the deadly enemies who want to bend us to their will.
The first thing you should know about these books is that they're a space opera. I love space operas. Star Wars was an ever present source of entertainment in our house growing up and I still love watching through the whole catalogue. So, I was happy to find a new book series with hints of that first Sci-fi love. I know there's a plethora of alien romance books now, which I love, but sometimes they fall short of the drama I'm craving in my space stories. This one delivers.
The second thing you should know about this book is that it's (what I'll call) a romance series. What do I mean by this? While there is romance set up in the first book, the conclusion of the romance won't pay off until later. In book two we see Vesper and Kyrion finally overcoming their emotional hurdles and committing to one another. I've tagged this book slow burn for a reason.
I also really like the world building in this series. Our characters aren't just fighting with laser guns, but a good majority of the population has magic as well. Some characters even have magic swords. Which again, gives off those wonderful Jedi vibes. There's also political drama that's happening against the backdrop of the story. Vesper and Kyrion are fighting for their lives while also dealing with aristocracy, cyborgs, and political intrigue.
All three of these things combined to create a book that really hit well for me. Was it perfect? No. There were some info-dumpy moments, but it didn't detract from the story overall.
As referenced in the series title and the synopsis, Vesper and Kyrion are connected through a Galactic Bond. A fated mates bond, if you will. It enhances their magical abilities, but bonded pairs will also feel everything together, even injuries. And this bond is what made the book juicy. Vesper and Kyrion don't exactly start off well. I wouldn't say they're enemies, but they don't trust each other. They view the other as a problem and maybe the best way to solve this particular problem is through murder.
But like any good fated mates story, these two are drawn to each other. Even if they don't want to be.
They both have backstory reasons why they don't want to be bound to each other. Not only that, it makes them vulnerable and they're each used to be a lone wolf. But the more they're around each other, the more they're drawn to each other. For two people who never wanted a bond, this is unnerving. They don't know if this draw is because of the bond or because of the person themselves. This push and pull, this questioning, sets up a wonderful slow burn tension for these two. There are multiple points, especially near the end, where I found my self yelling at these two to get over themselves, give into their feelings, and just kiss!
But where would we be if we weren't given more yearning and pining and confused feelings that Vesper and Kyrion had to wade through. The angst and pining is what I live for with slow burn books!
Not only was the romance slow-burning and the politics intriguing, but the side characters were fantastic, as well! There are some I instantly fell in love with and others that I just know will get a great character development as the series progresses. *Rubs hands together with glee*
Only Bad Options was a great introduction to Jennifer Estep. I fully plan on getting my hands on the rest of the books in this series as fast as I can. It was a quick read, but a great world, a great romance set up, and an intriguing magic system. A recipe for an engaging book!
If you like Ilona Andrews, Jessie Mihalik, Bec McMaster, or Star Wars I think you enjoy these books. It's a wonderful blend of action and romance that I don't find too often anymore.
Favorite Quotes
Her matter-of-fact tone and simple but effective plan to murder me dramatically raised my estimation of her.
I needed to find Vesper. Now that the Kents wee here and the ball was in full swing, it was time to sneak on board one of the new Imperium ships. I was just following our plan. I wasn't concerned about her at all. Oh, yes. I wasn't particularly good at lying, not even to myself.
But strangely enough, talking to him has soothed by heartache in a way that talking to Liesl never had.
Despite all that, I still wondered how much, if anything, of what I felt for him was real. Was I attracted to him just because of the truebond? Was the bond the same reason my feelings toward him had softened? Or was I genuinely drawn to him of my own volition? I had no way of knowing, and it was driving me crazy.
