i only just recently discovered amanda bouchet - as in, as the 3rd book in her other series came out, so thank zeus i didn't have to wait and could read those 3 books back to back, because my memory is awful and i am super impatient..... and now i am going to have to wait for the next book(s) in this series and i'm already cranky! but it was worth it! anyway. i really enjoyed the kingmaker trilogy so i was super excited about this one, it sounded super my jam. especially the sci-fi parts, i was picturing the kingmaker trilogy mixed with serenity/firefly. yassss.

now, for the people saying this was too similar to the kingmaker books.... what? i am befuddled. cannot see that at all. i guess i see *some* similarities as in there's a kickass girl and there is a parent who's a baddie but.... that's about it.

this book was good and interesting, but didn't hardcore grab me until almost 40%, and then i couldn't put it down. it was worth the slow start for me, but the first book in the kingmaker trilogy is like wham bam shit starts happening in the first chapter ma'am.. you know? don't get me wrong, stuff happens in this book too, but it wasn't with the same oomph that i felt in the promise of fire book, if that makes sense.

that doesn't mean i didn't like it, oh no, not at all. once this book picks up, it PICKS UP. like yes. it feels a lot more complex, more serious, than those books as well. as in the characters and the plot, what with the whole thing with Shade and characters getting hurt or dying... and the dad, and the uncle, and goodness gracious me i cannot wait to find out where all that goes. it's definitely a rollercoaster of emotions. as for the steamy side of things, it takes awhile to get going but when it does, it's worth the wait and i cannot wait for more between those two - some of the most romantic, swoony, lovely lines i've ever read were things that griffin said to cat in the kingmaker books and i was so there for it and i hope we get some delicious lovely lines from shade.

this review is kind of rambling. overall: slow start, to me, but so unbelievably worth it. cannot WAIT for more.

What a fantastic read! Amanda Bouchet is quite the story teller and I loved this futuristic space world she has created!

Tess, the female lead was so fierce and brave. She has such a sense of right no matter the consequences. She's a true rebel at heart. The mystery surrounding her has me anxious to find out more about her and what she can do.

Shade is just plain awesome. He struggles with a huge decision in this first book and he fights his attraction to Tess. That didn't stop him from protecting her from the first moment he layed eyes on her. He is going to make for a great hero in this series.

The suspense around Tess and her crew's fight for survival had me at the edge of my seat. The side characters were great and brought more to the story.

This was a fun book to read. It doesn't end on a huge cliffhanger but it does set up the story for the next phase. I will be anxiously waiting for book two.

Amanda Bouchet has created another highly imaginative, extremely entertaining world - no universe - in Nightchaser. From the opening scene, this book is full of fast-paced, heart-pounding action. Under attack for stealing a highly secret laboratory, Captain Tess Bailey and her crew opt for a suicidal shift in space. Surprised to find themselves alive on the other side, the crew is still not safe. Constantly on the run from her evil father who rules the universe and her uncle, the commanding general, Tess's every action is by necessity a calculated effort to keep herself and her crew alive and to allow them to continue to steal supplies needed at the orphanage Tess spend much of her young life in.

Shade is the first man in a very long time that Tess finds attractive. He's hard to read through and she can't be sure he's not out to get her. Shade is meant to capture her for the exorbitant bounty on her head. He keeps surprising himself when his every move is to help Tess rather than collect the money that will restore his family dynasty.

Few of the characters, all of whom are very well defined, can be taken at face value. The reader must guess as often as Tess must what people's motives are and whom to trust.

The action, the cast, the universe in which they live all make for a very satisfying read. Bouchet has taken us into a much different world than the Kingmaker stories but with equal talent!

reviewed by Jem

LOOOOVED this book so much, already can not wait for the next book in the series. I adore Space Opera, and this was an EXCELLENT example of the genre.

So I need to say THANK YOU to Sourcebooks Casablanca for allowing me (yet another) pleasure to review Amanda Bouchet’s books.

Nightchaser is nothing like her previous books. This was not what I expected but also so much more than I thought would be possible in this book.



We go on this journey of a space outlaw. She is a wanted person just trying to keep her crew safe and to keep having a purpose. Tess is a very strong willed girl but she has had no other choice but to be that. Every strong person has weaknesses and Tess is provoked to decide if she wants to keep being this outlaw or become something more to herself and those around her.

Nightchaser was ambitious, engaging, sensual, and suspenseful. You get a taste of just about every thing. Someone said this book is like Star Wars meets Robin Hood and they are right. Just add a little bit of TLC! (if you know what I mean..)

I overall gave it 3 stars on GoodReads only because I could not tell if some characters could be trusted. I was a bit confused by which characters I should like and which were planning to stick around. Although we have a wide arrange of characters, this book was heavily focused on just Tess and some parts of Shade. I’m hoping the other books of the series will go a little more in depth to those on her crew and the book store lady with her cats!

If you are really into space adventures and some romance than I think this book is for you!

I hope you enjoyed this review, if so then hit that LIKE button!

This was my first Amanda Bouchet and it was a fun read, a Firefly-like space opera featuring a strong female protagonist with a hidden past and a questionable future. Anti-hero Tess Bailey guides a misfit crew of rebels through the galaxy, as they strive to escape a beige Pottery Barn version of the Vader-like big bad. The chemistry between Tess and love interest Shade Ganavan felt well done, though the secondary crew characters were drawn a bit thin, detracting from the emotional impact of Tess’s black moment. There was some head-hopping, and the POV switch between characters and within chapters might give readers whiplash, but overall, the world building was well done and the interactions between the two MC’s multilayered.

I’ve read complaints that Nightchaser is too similar to Bouchet’s Kingmaker Chronicles, but not having read her previous trilogy, I came to this world with an open mind and enjoyed the ride.

Science fiction romance novels aren't all that popular, so I was excited to hear that Amanda Bouchet was coming up with a fun space opera. Nightchaser was a good start to this new series that I'm looking forward to reading more from.

In Nightchaser, we are introduced to Tess Bailey, captain of a stolen ship on a Robin Hood-esque journey, thieving for the needy. We soon find out that there is much more to Tess than we initially thought as her past is tightly linked to that of the galaxy's overlord. I enjoyed Tess' character. Like Amanda Bouchet's previous heroine, she was spunky, badass and with a good heart. Her loyalty to her crew was one of the elements of the book that made it enjoyable. She wasn't all fierce though - she had interests and curiosities that made her refreshing. I also really liked the rest of her crew. Their different personalities and backgrounds clicked well together and made for a rag-tag team. When their ship is damaged after being chased by military enforcers known as the Dark Watch, they make a pit stop to make repairs in Albion 5. Here, Tess recruits the roguish Shade's help with repairing the ship.

Just like Tess, Shade was also a decent character who had a mysterious side to him. He was a bit cocky, but not in an obnoxious way. I'm not sure that I found him to be all that unique or outstanding, but he wasn't a terrible character. I liked that he was supportive of Tess. Their romance didn't take long to develop. In fact, I thought it was a bit too fast for my tastes. I would have preferred more of a slow-burn romance, especially because the chemistry was strong between Tess and Shade. I just found sometimes the romance was a bit on the cheesy side. Because of the romance taking over much of the plot, I found myself a little bit distracted towards the middle of the book. The balance between action and romance was missing for me, which was a shame because the few action-packed scenes were awesome. That being said, the ending scenes were excellent, so I am still very much invested in the series. I can't wait to see how things progress with the revelations made.

All in all, Nightchaser was an interesting start to a new series though it wasn't without its flaws. Fans of Bouchet's Kingmaker Chronicles will enjoy this new book.

Amanda Bouchet has created another highly imaginative, extremely entertaining world - no universe - in Nightchaser. From the opening scene, this book is full of fast-paced, heart-pounding action. Under attack for stealing a highly secret laboratory, Captain Tess Bailey and her crew opt for a suicidal shift in space. Surprised to find themselves alive on the other side, the crew is still not safe. Constantly on the run from her evil father who rules the universe and her uncle, the commanding general, Tess's every action is by necessity a calculated effort to keep herself and her crew alive and to allow them to continue to steal supplies needed at the orphanage Tess spend much of her young life in.

Shade is the first man in a very long time that Tess finds attractive. He's hard to read through and she can't be sure he's not out to get her. Shade is meant to capture her for the exorbitant bounty on her head. He keeps surprising himself when his every move is to help Tess rather than collect the money that will restore his family dynasty.

Few of the characters, all of whom are very well defined, can be taken at face value. The reader must guess as often as Tess must what people's motives are and whom to trust.

The action, the cast, the universe in which they live all make for a very satisfying read. Bouchet has taken us into a much different world than the Kingmaker stories but with equal talent!

This is the first book I've ever read by Amanda Bouchet, and I'm regretting that I haven't read her books sooner. This author knows how to engage a reader in the story and keep the reader turning the pages (flipping through pages on a Kindle in this case.)

Nightchaser is what I would describe as a sci-fi romance story with some Star Wars elements to it. I'm a HUGE Star Wars fan, so believe me I enjoyed reading this book by Amanda Bouchet.

Nightchaser starts with a dramatic scene to it, which is why I mentioned in the beginning that this book is a page-turner. You'll need to read the rest of the book to find out what is happening. There also involves one kick-butt female character. I'm a HUGE fan of female characters that can hold their own and Captain Tess Bailey is just that plus more in the story.

Captain Tess Bailey and her crew onboard the Endeavor are trying to avoid capture by a vicious dark General who is out to get Tess, especially since she stole something significant. She's not willing to give up that easy though. She's on a mission, and she will not let some General ruined those plans.

She ends up avoiding capture barely at the beginning of the story, and now she has to trust Shade Ganavan on fixing her ship so that she can continue on her mission. Shade though may have his agenda after he finds out how much Tess is worth to capture.

Amanda did a fantastic job keeping me engaged in the story, especially since this is the first book for her new series. I loved how all the characters on the Endeavor came together. Each has their own story to tell, but definitely, Tess's in the most fascinating at the moment. The ending of the story is what had me in shock. It was a, 'What happened kind of shock and what is going on here?" I'm interested in where Amanda takes it next in her 2nd book in the series. I need more of Tess and Shade though after this book.

If you are looking for a book that has an action-packed storyline, sci-fi elements and some romance to it, then you'll need to check out Nightchaser. This is one of my 2019 highly recommended books at the moment, and I'm anxiously waiting for the second book now. I give this book 4.5 stars and now have Amanda Bouchet as an auto-buy author. Now, I need to find time to read her other books she has written that I've read reviews on that is just as addicting as Nightchaser.

After her ship is badly damaged in a shoot-out and a wild ride through a black hole, Captain Tess Bailey and her crew come to reluctantly rely on the swash-buckling Shade Ganavan. Tess is on the run from her family who are desperate for something within her, a secret that can both a medical cure or a military weapon, depending who gets there hands on it.

What Tess doesn't know is that Shade is a mercenary with his own secrets and he knows about the bounty on Tess's head, a bounty that will finally allow him to retire from his bounty hunting business.

But why isn't Shade turning Tess in? Probably because he's captivated by the tall, beautiful, and badass Captain who is fighting to right the wrong's of an evil ruler, one mission at a time.

For those looking for an epic space opera that is exciting, funny, and has SPACE CATS, this will be the perfect way to start your 2019!

*free copy received in exchange for a fair review.

I was SUPER excited to start this book because I really enjoyed Amanda Bouchet's Kingmaker Chronicles. Nightchaser was not what I had originally expected, though I really should have known better. It was a sexy, fun, exciting, high octane space romp with kick ass females and strong character development. The characters were fleshed out beautifully. They were tangible, relateable, likeable and detestable (when need be... helllooooo daddy issues). The world building was great and there was even some blushworthy Sexy Time... a la Amanda Bouchet's norm. Her ability to write characters and situations that you can't help but love is praiseworthy. She has even mastered the art of making the secondary and tertiary characters as loveable/loatheable as the MCs, an enviable talent. If you're a fan of Mrs. Bouchet then this is a must have (unless you're not into scifi... then you probably aren't even reading this review :-). If you're new to her work and are a fan of female characters that inspire you to take on the world(s) in fun and sexy ways then you should definitely give this a go.

I will be sitting here anxiously awaiting the rest of the series.

~Enjoy

*** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

3.5 stars

I was so extremely excited to be able to pick up the first book in Amanda Bouchet's new trilogy. And since I love a great science fiction novel, I couldn't wait to start reading.

This book had everything that belongs into a fantastic read.

A strong, kick-ass heroine. A heroic male lead that is destined to help his female counterpart, and a supporting cast that showed promise.

Unfortunately all in all the novel didn't reach its potential. At least not for me.

I truly loved the author's first trilogy. The banter, the energy and the action - I loved EVERYTHING!!!

This time around it felt like the banter between the characters was missing. And the entire love story felt more like an afterthought, more like a slow burn, which isn't bad at all, but it didn't add any excitement to the story either.

I think my main issue was that nothing was truly memorable, unique or fascinating about Nightchaser. I wanted to be WOWed and that just didn't happen. The story was missing something and I'm still trying to figure out what it was exactly.  Maybe I needed more dialogues between the characters, and for a space adventure it was definitely low on action, but also the characters weren't as unique as you would imagine in a sci-fi novel.

Now I'm not saying I won't read the next book, because I definitely will pick it up. The story has promise and I'm looking forward to see how Tess and Shade manage to deal with certain events, but Nightchaser was nothing like A Promise of Fire. And I must admit I'm a little disappointed. I had high hopes, maybe they were too high.

Secrets, life and death situations popping up around every corner, a smoldering romance, and space thieves. This was my first time reading this author's work, so I went in with an open, but cautious mind. I'm happy to report a successful mission.

The action starts right away in the first sentence and doesn't let up throughout. We've got a sturdy space ship and a tight knit crew. That and their escapades keep the book moving.

But then the book turns to a romance focus. Their relationship is everything I always criticize - an instant crush that they act on almost immediately, barely trying to get to know each other first. It helps that the reader gets to see both povs, but that's not the case from the characters' perspectives.

And yet, even with the insta-love, it didn't feel like a trashy 'let's bind our souls for eternity' kind of stupidity. Maybe it was the excellent writing - that drew me in from page one, or maybe it's because they acted like logical consenting adults who admit their attraction without pledging their souls for eternal love and other such nonsense. Either way, while this trope usually ticks me off, I enjoyed reading it here.

I also have a weakness for secret identities, and while the MC's didn't stay secret for long, I still enjoyed it.

In short, this is a space opera - you've got space thieves, a family like crew, characters with potentially interesting secrets, a slow burn romance, and a really great book. I'm looking forward to continuing this series.

I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

know I read a snippet of this book some months ago, just can't recall how or where.

In a significant change from Amanda Bouchet's Kingmaker Chronicles this new series is set in
the future in a world of interplanetary travel. A universe ruled by an Overseer who values conformity and blandness above all. Enter our heroine Tess Bailey, a cross between Captain Mal Reynolds from Firefly, Han Solo, Robin Hood, Katniss Everdeen and, in some ways, Catalisa Fisa from the Kingmaker Chronicles, the captain of a rebel spaceship which steals from the rich to redistribute food and medicine to poorer sectors generally and an orphanage in Sector 8 specifically.

Tess has a secret, a BIG secret. She is travelling under a false name, everyone in the galaxy thinks she died with her mother following an illness, revealing her identity could get her killed or hauled off for medical experimentation in one of the Overseer's secret laboratories. When she is cornered by the Overseer's right hand man, low on power and running out of options she reveals her identity in a delaying tactic then jumps her ship straight into the Black Widow - a do or die manoeuvre.

The Black Widow spits the ship out into a completely different sector where Tess and her crew can repair their ship and uncover precisely what is so important about the latest batch of vaccines they have stolen.

Fascinating right? Space opera, battles, evil overlords, an oppressive military/ police force called the Dark Watch, secret identities, etc. And then nearly all of the book is set in dry dock while Tess develops a relationship with Shade Ganavan, the owner of Ganavan's Products and Parts, who agrees to sell parts to repair the ship and offers to help with the repairs. Shade has a secret (of course he does), he's also a government sanctioned bounty hunter and shortly after meeting Tess he discovers that there is a massive bounty on her head. Shade needs the bounty to buy back his birthright which he was foolish enough to lose after his parents died, but can he know and like a person, maybe even more than like, and sell her out for money?

There is a whole load of backstory, Tess' childhood and mother's death, her time in prison, her relationship with the overseer and his right hand man, etc that we don't know about each of her crew has a mysterious past, even Shade has a mysterious past all of which frankly seem more interesting than the book we get. I would normally call this a world-building book, but it doesn't even create a world in any great depth, it just talks about really exciting stuff that happened outside the book. It says something that despite the opening space fight, a walk in space and various shoot-outs that my overwhelming memory about this book is of the ship sitting in the docks being repaired while Tess reads books and tries to seduce Shade.

Once again I feel that Amanda Bouchet has skewed her novel too far towards the romance/sexy times and too far away from character building and a gradual plot build up. I felt the start was a high adrenalin, space version of Robin Hood as was the end but the overwhelming majority of the middle of the book was romance, perky boobs and 'does the cute boy like me?' teenage angst. I can't even get a grip on how old Tess is supposed to be - I think its mid to late 20s but I wouldn't be surprised if she were only 18, she certainly acts like it at times.

Overall, I liked the premise enormously and definitely want to read the series but I feel this first book was more like part one, nothing but the romance gets resolved and frankly you could probably read chapter one and the epilogue without losing much of the story arc.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4
When I learned that Amanda was starting a new series I was extremely excited. I really enjoyed her Kingmaker’s Chronicles so I knew I had to give her new Endeavor series a go.

Tess is awesome! I loved learning who she was and why she is so important! Throw in the smexy Shade Ganavan and his own secrets and you have a great start of a new series. The secondary characters are great too!! Ms. Bouchet does a great job of making you fall in love with the secondary characters as much as the main characters!

I can’t wait to see where and what will happen in this series. It is going to be a great journey for sure!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

I adored Bouchet's first trilogy, and I admit that I was SO into her amazing fantasy writing that I was a little worried that this sci-fi wouldn't hold up. Boy, I was so so wrong!

Nightchaser starts in the middle of action, and enticed me from the get-go. The slow-burn romance was perfection, and I love the way the characters' backstories slowly came to light. Bouchet writes fantastic strong leading ladies, and Tess is no different. Shade is also quite fantastic, with a perfect little soft spot for cats.

I tore through this book and am very much looking forward to the next one in the series!

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this advanced copy.

This was a super fun, cool story. I really enjoyed Shade and Tess. Can't wait to see more from this universe. I received a free ARC for my honest review.

Amanda Bouchet once again knocks one out of the park. Nightchaser was a fun, fast paced read, full of intrigue and romance. It is always fun to find a well written Sci-fi/Fantasy, with a fully fleshed out adult romance, and knowing that more will be forthcoming in the series!

I fell in love SO HARD with Amanda’s writing and her Kingmaker Chronicles. And Sci-Fi Romance has become one of my favorite genres as well so when I heard she was writing this particular book, I counted myself one lucky fangirl, sigh. a new book from a favorite author in a favorite genre? YES.PLEASE! It was so EXCITING to receive an ARC of this book because it’s been one of my most highly anticipated 2019 releases. I cannot believe Amanda went above and beyond to provide me with an arc, that means the world to me – Yes, I may have an author crush going on here because Amanda is such an amazing person and I don’t feel sorry for it one bit! So, yeah… I’ve had some high expectations you could say, lol.

Did it live up to those expectations?
YES.IT.DID!
A female ‘robin hood’, space adventure at it’s best and a scorching hot romance to top it all off. What more could a girl want?! This book reeled me in right from the very first page and left me craving more. The wait for book two is going to be excruciating but until then I’ll just have to recede to keep re-reading this one hihi.

STORY-LINE
It’s a synopsis that’s promising to provide you with an awesome space adventure and let me tell you; it definitely delivers. There’s action, adventure, and romance. There’s friendship, love, and betrayal. It’s an on-the-edge-of-your-seat reading experience that made me feel all the feels.

The world-building is really well developed and the settings created are so well and vividly written that it feels like you’re a part of this crew when they go on these crazy space adventures. I could easily imagine all of it without having the feeling that I missed things being present. Amanda’s writing is addictive and enthralling. Her imagination is such a joy to be a part of when reading a book by her and this one is no exception. I just love it when it’s so easy to ‘form’ these scenes and settings in your mind, thanks to the amazing writing skills of an author. I wish I could read books like these non-stop, le sigh.

CHARACTERS
The set of characters created in this first book of a new series by Amanda, is yet again so A-MA-ZING and I’m in awe of her writing skills. The characteristics of our main and minor characters are so much fun to read about.

I didn’t want to get caught. But I also wouldn’t stop doing what I needed to do just because I feared the possible consequences. Fear was something I could accept. Abandoning the galaxy to a group of despots was not.
Our main female lead, Tess, felt so relatable which made forming a connection with her so easy. I loved her humor and her thinking and just loved being a part of her thoughts on this journey in general. I love how selfless she is and the fact that she still opens herself up every now and then when she’s being so afraid of it at the same time. She can be bad-ass one moment and in the next, she can be extremely vulnerable and because of that, she came across as such an interesting and realistic feeling character.

When he looked at Tess Bailey, he knew what he wanted the galaxy to be like, not how it actually was.
Shade was a really interesting character to read about as well. I love the fact that he has his own POV. That really creates more dimension to his character I think and connecting with him is also that much easier when you can read what’s in his mind. I love how he’s falling in love with Tess bit by bit when trying to fight it at the same time. His mind and heart are at odds and the struggles he comes across when falling for her and knowing who she really is and the fact that he shouldn’t be falling for her, come across as realistic and believable. It was such a great journey to see him develop throughout the book.

Who’s ready for some space Romance?
Tess and Shade…These two are so freaking adorable! Their developing romance was a joy to see unfurl throughout the book. I couldn’t stop smiling at some of their interactions because it was so funny and cute. Sure, there are these moments in which each author – I swear, it feels like they live for it…evil masterminds – carves your heart out and steps on it a thousand times. They let you fall in love with characters and their developing romances and then just pull your feet out from under you when you’re least expecting it. And then you’re in a freefall and hoping you don’t die of ALL THE FEELS. Yeah, that summons up my feels a bit I guess, lol – Yes Amanda, see me judging you here, LOL. My poor fangirl mess of a heart and you’re responsible…

“We have dragons,” Shade said, nodding toward the darkening treetops. “That’s where they live.”
She gasped, and her head whipped around. “What? Really?”
Damn. He couldn’t help smiling again. “Just kidding.”

“Why would you do that?” Tessa’s hand snapped out and thumped him hard across the chest. “Dragons don’t exist.”
His lip twitched. “Maybe they did- at one point.”
She shook her head. “Next you’ll be telling me there are mermaids in your ocean.”
Shade sighed. “Ah, wouldn’t that be nice. I’d come to the beach every day if that were the case.”
He thought she muttered men under her breath.
Add in the fact that Amanda always adds some level of hotness to her romances and you understand the word ‘perfection’. Yep, this romance is one for the books. It’s really well developed, sexy and hot and so incredibly adorable.

This is what I love about a good romance in a book; feeling so connected to it on an emotional level thanks to a beautifully developed romance, that you can’t do anything other than live and breath the book you’re reading as if you’re one of those characters. Of course, there’s so much more than romance alone present in this awesome book, but Tess and Shade are so PRECIOUS and I love them so much already *and the sobfest starts again*

CONCLUSION
This book contains everything I could’ve wished for in a new Amanda Bouchet read;

– a badass heroine
– an adorable and loveable sweet and funny hero who is a perfect blend of alpha male and someone who can give a woman her time to shine as well.
– action and adventure in some amazing settings (I MEAN: SPACE!!!!)
– interesting world building that’s already well developed but still has some room to grow as well.
– a super adorable, and HOT AF at the same time, romance
– a plot-driven story
– plot twists

and most importantly, it’s able to give me:
– ALL THE FEELS!
– and made me laugh out loud on several occasions!

As Nalini Sing’s quote on the cover of the book so perfectly tells: “Amanda Bouchet’s talent is striking.” I couldn’t agree more! I can’t recommend this and her other books enough because they provide for such magnificent reading experiences. They are those kinds of books that I can keep obsessing about. Amanda has a writing talent that I know I’ll never get enough off.

If you aren’t familiar with this author yet; go BUY her kingmaker chronicles and go PRE-ORDER Nightchaser and get hooked on her writing. Fall in love as I did; fast and hard and treasure authors like her, who are capable of writing such amazing books.

Tess Bailey is a "nightchaser"- a person who moves stolen goods and gives them to the poor and needy. She's also hiding a massive secret that endangers everyone around her. When her ship is damaged, she's forced to go planetside while she finds a way to finance the repairs. She meets Shade, a mysterious store owner who makes Tess want more than she's wanted in a long time. The trouble is, Tess has a bounty on her head, and Shade knows it.

I think Bouchet just isn't for me. I wasn't wowed by her first series, and I wanted to give Bouchet's sci fi attempt a chance, but I honestly loathed Shade. He called Tess annoying pet names like "sugar" and sent weirdly mixed signals. Tess also wasn't very interesting as a character as well, and I found myself not caring what happened between her and Shade. The best character was Bonk, the cat.