When The Universe Sings (Universe #1)

But I could fall or I could fly,
and at least that much would be my choice.

Available at Amazon.com

When The Universe Sings
Gillian Eliza West
Universe, book one
ebook, 318 pages
Independently published August 6, 2026
ASIN B0GX2SL16C
ISBN 9798990138995


There is only one rule in the galaxy: trust no one.

Juniper knows it all too well. After her home planet was destroyed and eleven years on Ebyd III, a Galactic Federation mechanical prison, the only thing she might fear now is death. Taking a chance at freedom, she climbs into the ventilation shaft of a docked pleasure barge only to be discovered by the mistress of the ship. Given the choice between certain death on Ebyd III and the unknown, she joins as their new silks dancer.

When Captain Asher Ruciyah seeks someone to complete his crew for a mysterious mission, Juniper is hired as their climber to round out their numbers. As part of this new crew intent on stealing one of the universe's most powerful weapons, Juniper discovers she wants something more than freedom: revenge on the man who took everything from her.

But nothing and no one is as it seems, especially in a galaxy filled with lies, deceit, and false identities. Juniper will learn that revenge isn’t as simple as she thought it would be and sometimes it’s not one person, but an entire universe against you.

This one had a grasp on me from the start.

Juniper has been caught as a stowaway on a pleasure ship and, instead of being turned in to the authorities, is offered the position as an aerialist, performing for the many customers who partake in the flesh trade upon the Daskquah. (Inez, anyone?) But Juniper's services are a look-never-touch production, and she spends the next year perfecting her skill.

The day has finally come when Juniper has earned enough credits to balance out the cost of her keep and training. It's also the day Captain Ruciyah arrives, seeking a specific skill set to balance out his team.

But Asher and Juniper have crossed paths before.

On the day of her ascent, when June would partake in the customary climb into adulthood, her home was attacked. And it was Asher who helped lead the charge and gave the haunting command to "burn it to the ground".

Oh, she hates him.

But that's only the beginning.

Twists. Turns. Blindsides. Trust no one and question everything.

The dead are alive, and the villain is your saviour.

Burn it to the ground.

Leave no evidence behind.

Juniper is stuck, trying to make sense of what she's always believed and what she's come to know. It doesn't help that Asher is a man of secrets. And I found myself feeling so bad for her as she reeled from what her body wanted and what her brain was telling her. As she fought the simultaneous urges to both kiss Asher and kill him. For that... when the spice came, it didn't feel right. The timing was off. Her emotions were a mess.

If you want a fated mates and found family tale, this is it. But if you also want an FMC that will find herself, grow, and heal... it falls short. Perhaps, if it wasn't a standalone. Perhaps, if she'd been given more time. Alas, it is what it is and ends where it ends.

3.5 out of 5 stars. Of all the moments for a mating bond to snap into place... smh.

Available in ebook | paperback

2026/43

Aurora's End (Aurora's Cycle #3)

Squad 312 forever.

Available at Amazon.com

Aurora's End
Amie Kaufman (Website)
Jay Kristoff (Website)
Aurora's Cycle, book three
470 pages, Kindle Edition
Audiobook, 15+ hours
First published November 2, 2021
ISBN 9781524720889

Is this the end?

What happens when you ask a bunch of losers, discipline cases, and misfits to save the galaxy from an ancient evil? The ancient evil wins, of course.

Wait... Not. So. Fast.

When we last saw Squad 312, they were working together seamlessly (aka, freaking out) as an intergalactic battle raged and an ancient superweapon threatened to obliterate Earth. Everything went horribly wrong, naturally.

But as it turns out, not all endings are endings, and the team has one last chance to rewrite theirs. Maybe two. It's complicated.

Cue Zila, Fin, and Scarlett (and MAGELLAN!): making friends, making enemies, and making history? Sure, no problem.

Cue Tyler, Kal, and Auri: uniting with two of the galaxy’s most hated villains? Um, okay. That, too.

Actually saving the galaxy, though? Now that will take a miracle.

Nobody—but nobody—does a recap better than the authors of this book. This final installment opens up with Scarlett, whose self confidence rivals the best of them, and Finian as they wake up to find that they are not, in fact, dead. Which is weird, because that's what usually happens when you, ya know, blow up.

And they realize it again, and again, and again, as we repeat the chapter over and over and over while stuck in a time paradox. In a different place. In a different time.

They're no longer in 2380. They're in 2177. And the galaxy is at war.

Kal and Aurora... they're twenty-seven years into the future. So... 2407.

And Tyler and Kal's villain sister, Saedii (aka Lexa from The 100) are in the present. And speaking of...

Tyler is Saedii's mate? Oh my.. yes! Tears for Cat, but oh yes! I am here for this. For this psycho wench that parades around with a necklace of her past suitor's fingers and our dear, beloved captain.

She’s rage. She’s fire. Pushing like a knife into my chest.

I do what I wish.
I go where I please.
I take what I want.

And I see it then. As her eyes drift from mine, down to my lips and back up again.

Maker’s breath, she wants me.

We crash together, so hard the split in my lip opens again. She breathes into my lungs and my fingers weave into her hair, and the thought of how stupid this is is drowned out by the feel of her in my arms as I lift her off the ground.

She cinches her legs tight around my waist, gasping as we collide with the wall, her fingernails drawing lines of fire across my bare back as my hands squeeze her tight, pushing her hard against the metal. Stupid as this feels, crazy as it is …

The whole galaxy might be at war tomorrow.

We might all be dead.

Live for tonight. Tomorrow we die.

Her mind is entwined with mine, drenching me with her want and redoubling my own. It’s hard to breathe. To think. I’ve never felt anything like this, never needed anything so desperately, but this is insane, this is…

“Saedii,” I gasp, twisting my head away.

Stop speaking, Tyler Jones, comes her voice in my head. There are better things for you to be doing with your mouth.

Yeah, okay.

Hard to argue with that.

But then we're back with Kal and Aurora in the future, hanging with Kal's villain father, reuniting with a very angry Tyler and... Saedii's dead. And Zila. And Fin. And Scar. They're believed to be dead, too. And we lost the battle because the weapon we need, the weapon only Aurora and Kal's father can wield, never came.

And a third Tyler chasing Cat, who died in the first book? Or is it the o.g. Tyler? How many Tylers are in this book?!

And how many of those Tylers will die?

Gah! All the feels. The ache! How dare you take such a fun ride and hit me right in the chest in the end!

I should have loved her better. I should have loved her more. And I try to tell her, with the breath I have left in me, with the lips I press to hers, opening my mind and pouring into her, telling her I’m sorry.

I love you.

And then I drive the knife right into her neck.

Dang, Tyler.

And Saedii with her daughter, Lae. Finian and that damn pen. Kal with his Be'shmai. Zila.

There's so so much. And, yes, it's all about time.

5 out of 5 stars. I'm going to miss Kal most of all.



Available in ebook | paperback | audiobook

Previously in the series:

2025/25

Dance With the Devil (Mercenary Librarians #3)

See a problem. Stab a problem.

Available at Amazon.com

Dance With the Devil
Kit Rocha
Mercenary Librarians, book three
Kindle Edition, 352 pages
Published August 16, 2022
ISBN 9781250209399
ASIN B09C4FBKTB


POWER IS NEVER GIVEN, ONLY TAKEN

Tobias Richter, the fearsome VP of Security of the TechCorps is dead. The puppetmaster is gone and the organization is scrambling to maintain control by ruthlessly limiting Atlanta's access to resources, hoping to quell rebellion. Our band of mercenary librarians have decided that the time for revolution has come.

Maya uses her wealth of secrets to weaken the TechCorps from within. Dani strikes from the shadows, picking off the chain of command one ambush at a time. And Nina is organizing their community—not just to survive, but to fight back. When Maya needs to make contact with a sympathetic insider, Dani and Rafe are the only ones with the skill-set and experience to infiltrate the highest levels of the TechCorps. They'll go deep undercover in the decadent, luxury-soaked penthouses on the Hill.

Bringing Dani face-to-face with the man who turned her into a killer. And forcing Rafe to decide how far he'll go to protect both of his families—the one he was born to, and the one he made for himself.

Victory will break the back of Power. Failure will destroy Atlanta.

The long awaited culmination of Dani and Rafe's constant flirting and heated tensions... and it did not disappoint!

When Dani and Rafe have to go undercover in order to infiltrate the elite's most exclusive parties with the intent of making contact with someone from Maya's past, the two are forced to confront the feelings they've been long evading.

And they do so beautifully. With maturity and a sensible conversation. They actually talk. And from there, the job comes first. Their safety and the success of their mission.

I absolutely loved how this played out for these two characters. And I loved how whenever they gravitated to one another, the result was an embrace. Not lust. Not mindless passion. But they clung to eachother as if they'd finally connected to their lost halves.

3 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

Previously in the series:

2025/20

The Devil You Know (Mercenary Librarians #2)

I don't know how to flirt.
I only know how I feel.

Available at Amazon.com

The Devil You Know
Kit Rocha
Mercenary Librarians, book two
Kindle Edition, 336 pages
Audiobook, 13+ hours
First published August 31, 2021

Maya has had a price on her head from the day she escaped the TechCorps. Genetically engineered for genius and trained for revolution, there’s only one thing she can’t do—forget.

Gray has finally broken free of the Protectorate, but he can’t escape the time bomb in his head. His body is rejecting his modifications, and his months are numbered.

When Maya’s team uncovers an operation trading in genetically enhanced children, she’ll do anything to stop them. Even risk falling back into the hands of the TechCorps.

And Gray has found a purpose for his final days: keeping Maya safe.

The series continues with Gray and Maya's story although everyone else gets just as much page time.

Nina and Knox are still the beloved alpha pair taking care of everyone and out to save every lost and wounded soul in Atlanta.

Rafe and Dani bicker as usual as they fight off their mutual attraction to another.

Conall remains. Ava visits. And Mace is alive!

We also add another few characters to the cast and finally kill off a high ranking villain. But the story rolls on in the next installment.

3 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

Previously in the series:

2025/14

Aurora Burning (Aurora Cycle #2)

My deception and my devotion. Only one of them for her.

Available at Amazon

Aurora Burning
Amie Kaufman (Website)
Jay Kristoff (Website)
Aurora Cycle, book two
Audiobook, 15+ hours
Kindle Edition, 497 pages
Published May 5th 2020 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
ASIN B07YRWKB65

Our heroes are back… kind of. From the bestselling co-authors of the Illuminae Files comes the second book in the epic series about a squad of misfits, losers, and discipline cases who just might be the galaxy’s best hope for survival.

First, the bad news: an ancient evil—you know, your standard consume-all-life-in-the-galaxy deal—is about to be unleashed. The good news? Squad 312 is standing by to save the day. They’ve just got to take care of a few small distractions first.

Like the clan of gremps who’d like to rearrange their favorite faces.

And the cadre of illegit GIA agents with creepy flowers where their eyes used to be, who’ll stop at nothing to get their hands on Auri.

Then there’s Kal’s long-lost sister, who’s not exactly happy to see her baby brother, and has a Syldrathi army at her back. With half the known galaxy on their tails, Squad 312 has never felt so wanted.

When they learn the Hadfield has been found, it’s time to come out of hiding. Two centuries ago, the colony ship vanished, leaving Auri as its sole survivor. Now, its black box might be what saves them. But time is short, and if Auri can’t learn to master her powers as a Trigger, the squad and all their admirers are going to be deader than the Great Ultrasaur of Abraaxis IV.

Shocking revelations, bank heists, mysterious gifts, inappropriately tight bodysuits, and an epic firefight will determine the fate of the Aurora Legion’s most unforgettable heroes—and maybe the rest of the galaxy as well.

I had to do it. I finally got around to it. And with the intro being the ever so perfect recap and, need I say, introduction to the characters, I was *so* happy to be back in this world.

Only to be absolutely devastated at the audacity of what's left of Squad 312 turning on one of their own. Rip out my heart why don't you!

And only to stomp on it with a cliffhanger ending? How dare you!

Rolling the spoilers... In this installment, Cat remains alive in memory alone. When her image isn't being manipulated for half ass interrogation methods that is. Tyler is taken prisoner, alongside Kal's sister, Saedii, and spends the greater half of the book in captivity. Kal and Auri endure "months" in isolation as Auri learns to wield her powers as the Trigger, refusing to forsake all for the greater good but still managing to forsake love when... *sigh* And the rest of the squad is just hanging on for the ride until everything goes dark. Literally.

4 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook (I recommend the full cast audiobook!)



Now, I need to call out Saedii for looking a little too much like Lexa from "The 100". Right?

Previously in the series:

Deal With the Devil (Mercenary Librarians #1)

I won't even make you beg.

Available at Amazon

Deal With the Devil
Kit Rocha (Authors' Website)
Mercenary Librarians, book one
ebook, 336 pages
Audiobook, 12+ hours
Published July 28th 2020 by Tor Books
ASIN B07QMHKDGB

Nina is an information broker with a mission--she and her team of mercenary librarians use their knowledge to save the hopeless in a crumbling America.

Knox is the bitter, battle-weary captain of the Silver Devils. His squad of super soldiers went AWOL to avoid slaughtering innocents, and now he's fighting to survive.

They're on a deadly collision course, and the passion that flares between them only makes it more dangerous. They could burn down the world, destroying each other in the process...

Or they could do the impossible: team up.

This is the first book in a near-future science fiction series with elements of romance.

I wasn't expecting much when I grabbed this book off the digital library shelf. Admittedly, I might not have even read past the second paragraph of the blurb but, oh my, this book is good. "Elements of romance"? Uh... yeah! That's putting it mildly. This book has some serious heat.

In a nutshell, Knox has been hired to retrieve Nina not for monetary payment, but rather in trade for the hostage he needs who has the ability to save his men and himself. So he approaches Nina with the intent of betraying the deal he's bringing to their door. But he's desperate. He's dying. And not even his honor can supersede Knox's loyalty to his men.

When he and his crew meet Nina and her team, it's kismet. They fit. Each and every member, no matter how deadly or paranoid, manage to sync together into a single unit. But betrayal is lurking. And trust is a fragile thing.

I thought this was a YA. It's definitely not. Although... the "mastermind" behind targeting Nina was rather YA-ish. And not in a good way. Some have shelved it Urban Fantasy. I feel it's more than that. Rather, it's a post-apocalyptic fantasy romance. One that absolutely deserves to be in anyone's TBR pile.

4 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | audiobook | hardcover | paperback



[ Authors' Note ] Kit Rocha is the pseudonym for co-writing team Donna Herren and Bree Bridges. After penning dozens of paranormal novels, novellas and stories as Moira Rogers, they branched out into gritty, sexy dystopian romance.

Aurora Rising (Aurora Cycle #1)

If blood is thicker than water, Scar and I are practically concrete.

Available at Amazon

Aurora Rising
Amie Kaufman (Website)
Jay Kristoff (Website)
Kindle Edition, 480 pages
Audiobook, 14+ hours
Published May 7th 2019 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
ASIN B07FS1K4WL

From the internationally bestselling authors of THE ILLUMINAE FILES comes an epic new science fiction adventure.

The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch…

A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm
A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates
A smart-ass tech wiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder
An alien warrior with anger management issues
A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering


And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.

They're not the heroes we deserve. They're just the ones we could find. Nobody panic.

Before I get into this I must say: That cover is perfection.

Now, where the book itself is concerned... it was fun! I did this read as an audiobook which offered not just one narrator, but an entire cast of voices lending their various accents and personalities to this diverse group of young, intelligent cadets. Each character possesses their own quirks and laugh out loud personas weaved into a refreshing and highly entertaining story.

Tyler Jones is in the right place at the right time when the life of Aurora, still subdued by cryo-sleep, ends up in jeopardy. He manages to save her, but sadly no one else, and it only costs him the draft. Returning to base, he's left with the leftovers of squad choices but still manages to score his friend, Cat, and his twin sister, Scarlet, on his team. He gains Kal (the warrior), Finian (the geek), and Zila  (the brain) as well.

Aurora is a girl from a past of which has no record. She has powers of no explanation. And soon, she manages to, oh so innocently, get Ty and his team looking at a court marshal, labeled fugitives, and all kinds of compounding troubles.

I'm going to link the cast list here, provided by the author and depicted below, because there wasn't a single character I didn't like. And I'm going to spare another moment to applaud this book for absolutely being a tale anyone could enjoy, regardless of gender.

As far as *this* reader is concerned... it checks all kinds of boxes. ☑ SciFi setting. ☑ A clear Alpha. ☑ His dependable, gonna-make-you-smile Beta. ☑  A friend meant to be a lover. ☑ A geek yearning to be noticed. ☑ Matebonding! OMG, Kal!! I swore if this turned into a triangle I was going to throw my airpods across the room. 

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommend. Especially in audiobook. (FREE with an Audible trial, but oh so worth the money if you buy it on its own.)

Available in ebook | audiobook | hardcover | paperback

Born of Rage (The League #13)

"So long as you held that vow, I withheld my blade."

Available at Amazon

Born of Rage
Sherrilyn Kenyon | Author's Website
The League, book thirteen
Eve of Destruction, book two
ebook, 30ish pages
Published August 30th 2019 by Mighty Barnacle, LLC
Original Publication Date: September 01, 1983
ISBN 9781951111007


Every Life Has a Price


Dakari Tievel has been marked for death by the infamous League. Staying barely one step ahead of the assassins out to end her life, she must find the legendary Eve of Destruction. But Eve is a lot more than just a bounty hunter who calls the shadows home. She comes with an interesting crew of friends and family who have no problem defying the League that rules their worlds with an iron fist.

Now they must rely on the most unlikely of allies to keep Dakari safe, and themselves alive. Provided he doesn't betray them.

In a universe where the League is law, it's killed or be killed.

This ridiculously quick read opens up in the POV of Dakari who has just had a Thrill-Kill contract put on her life. On the run, she's given precious information that leads her to Eve and her lethal team. A team that includes Eve's sister, Jayne, whom we all know and possibly love, and also Jinx, Dakari's long lost (and believed to be dead) older brother.

From there, we take on the conclusion of the story through Jinx's POV. As a whole, this is more like a teaser chapter that just happens to be included with two other stories: "Neighbors" and "Fire and Ice." The latter of which is Adron's story which can also be found in the "In Other Worlds" anthology. Adron is the eldest son of Nykyrian and Kiara (Born of Night, League #1).

3 out of 5 stars.

Previously in The League:


Previously in Eve of Destruction: