Last Updated on December 27, 2022 by ThoughtsStained
I somehow stumbled upon Bouchet’s first trilogy, where I positively fell in love and it skyrocketed as probably one of my favorite romance series of all time!? Seriously, Cait resonated with me so much and I just positively loved her, how we saw both her strength and her vulnerability. And Griffin…
Anyway….So when Bouchet announced she was writing a sci-fi romance trilogy, I immediately jumped on board. I don’t read a ton of sci-fi, but it’s a genre that I do enjoy. (And actually have been reading more of lately. Though, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ton of romance within that genre? Might be totally ignorant, if so, hit me with recs.) Knowing a trusted author was going to the stars just completely excited me. So, I’d been anticipating Nightchaster ever since it’s announcement.
Fam, she didn’t disappoint.
Book Info
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca | Release Date: January 2019 | Pages: 416
Age Range: Adult | Genre: Sci-Fi Romance | Format: Paperback | Source: Borrowed
Captain Tess Bailey and her crew of Robin Hood-like thieves are desperate and on the run. Pursued by a vicious military general who wants them dead or alive, Tess has to decide if she can trust Shade Ganavan, a tall, dark and arrogant stranger with ambiguous motivations.
Shade Ganavan had oodles of arrogance, oodles of charm, and oodles of something that made me want to kick him in the nuts.
What Tess and Shade don’t know about each other might get them killed… unless they can set aside their differences and learn to trust each other – while ignoring their off-the-charts chemistry.
On the Page
Referenced
Minor
Content warnings are written up by me, unless specified. Subject to being an incomplete list, though guided by referencing this list and trying to highlight as many as I can identify.
Review
Likes
- The romance between Shade and Tess is just as hot and wonderful as I wanted/needed it to be. I don’t completely connect with Tess, but her love of reading and discovering how a cat works (which was adorable) definitely hit home with me. I fell in love with Shade practically immediately and the way Bouchet writes romance scenes just leaves me weak-kneed and just swooning left and right. Whenever I read romance, it’s the chemistry on the page, the same kind I crave in real life, that really is a make-or-break-it aspect of me enjoying the book and Nightchaser delivered.
- I read this book in three days, binging 100+ pages a day, unable to stop reading. Not only did I enjoy the romance, but I absolutely adored the crew and their dynamic (which, if you’ve read the book, I bet you can guess how that ending made me feel).
Dislikes
- I won’t lie: the first 50 pages or so, I struggled a bit to get into it. It was just such a different world than the Greek Mythology inspired lore that I fell just as much in love with as I did the characters of her first trilogy (and I found myself comparing the two too much at the beginning, which I think was my issue, honestly). Once I mentally told myself that was unfair and I should read this book, instead of thinking about her past books, it read a lot smoother.
Rating
The same thing I loved most about her first trilogy, I think I’m going to love with this one, as I already can see hintings at it with Nightchaser: the blending of romance and plot, and the importance placed upon both. Sure, the romance is a major part, but the larger plot is just as important and I love being invested in both (even if I’m leaning a tad bit more towards being invested in the romance and the HEA ending I’m hoping for).
All in all, Bouchet is just cementing herself as one of my favorite romance authors and I’m already counting down the days until the sequel, Starbreaker, comes out.
Patreon | Newsletter | Editorial Services | Twitter | Instagram | Kofi
![I'm so excited to stop by today and share a client highlight. This time, celebrating the publication of Veo Corva's novel, THE BEAUTIFUL DECAY, out today!
I had the pleasure of proofreading this earlier this year and when I tell you I have been dying for it to release to hype it up!! The second book in the Tombtown series, it is set in a queernorm world where our main antagonist is creepy fungi. 🍄
From the characters to the queer rep to the amazing world building of building a society surrounded by necromancy, this is a series you don't want to miss and an author you should absolutely support!!
Buy a copy here: https://veocorva.xyz/books/the-beautiful-decay-by-veo-corva/
[Image description in alt text.]](https://thoughtsstainedwithink.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
Not just the most wanted on the FBI list, but the most wanted in the GALAXY, poor Tess! And isn’t Shade a cool name?
Yeah, Tess definitely has to deal with some shit. Shade an amazing person all the way around, even if he messes up a little bit, at times.