Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles.
I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

this was a really good read, the characters were great and I really loved the way the author writes both the characters and the world-building.

I loved the first book "Off Planet" and because of that I had high expectations. And I was not disappointed. I like Lorne and how patient he was with Amihanna. And sometimes I wanted to yell at Amihanna to just get over it. She is so attracted to Lorne but just won't give herself the chance to be with him. Can't wait for the next book coming out!

Not as strong as the the first book, but still enjoyable. I did like the action moreso in Off Balance than in Off Planet and I really enjoyed the politics in the book.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

EPIC!!! I can't get enough of this series!!!
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2020
Format: Kindle Edition
Amihanna is back in this GRIPPING second installment of the Aunare Chronicles.

She's made it to her "home" planet, but it doesn't feel like home. Her early memories are gone. She doesn't remember the people, the culture, or even the language. The local media hate her, but the news isn't as big a problem as the people themselves--the ones who want her dead.

And then there's Lorne, her "shalshasa," the man whose talents and energies are perfectly balanced with her own. But he's a stranger--a stranger who loves her. Her destiny is closing in, and soon she'll have to make a choice. Can she protect a planet that hates her? Can a poor waitress from Earth find her true purpose among the stars?

I LOVED this book!!!

It's rare to find an author whose books ALWAYS sweep you away, and Aileen Erin is one of my personal favorites. No matter what series (or universe!) she's writing in, every one of her stories is a perfect balance between the inner emotions of the characters and the heart-pumping action that grabs you and never lets go.

I couldn't put this one down. I RACED through it, and then (I confess) I held the last 3 or 4 pages for ALMOST TWO WEEKS because I DIDN'T WANT IT TO END!!!

So, imagine my EXTREME JOY to find out there will be TWO more books in the series!!! (At least. I'm going with AT LEAST two. A woman can dream, right?)

There are so many scenes I want to gush about but I won't because NO SPOILERS, EVER! But there's this one ... no, I can't ... and then when she ... AUGH, I CAN'T TELL YOU!!!

Okay, here's what I can say.

If you LOVE scifi,
if you LOVE high-stakes action,
if you LOVE a smart, slow-burn romance,
if you LOVE the kind of book that keeps you up all night reading because you just can't stop,
READ THIS BOOK!!!

I didnt realize this book was the second in a series so I have stopped midway to pick up book one but it was so intriguing I most certainly will be jumping back in.

Unable to read as the "Send to Kindle" feature malfunctioned.

Interested enough that I plan to buy the book

Off balance is the second book in the Aunare Chronicles and follows on where Off Planet left off, it has a great mix of romance, action and well developed characters.

Amihanna is back on her home planet but doesn't feel like she belongs; she a completely different character in this book, she is broken after everything that she has had to endure, my heart completely broke for her,

Lorne, loved him in this book! He is extremely patient and kind; he wants nothing more than to protect Ami so he never rushed her into anything. His character has progressed and I adore him as Ami's betrothed.

The world building continues to progress, I loved everything about the Aunere and their culture; learning more about SpaceTech’s hatred of Aunare and the Aunare’s covert hatred of halfers really creates some tension.

If you’re looking for a well written, engrossing sci-fi read filled with romance, action and intrigue you will love this series. Super excited for the next book in the series.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy. I voluntarily All opinions expressed are my own.

Off Balance
By:Aileen Erin

*REVIEW* ☆☆☆☆
I enjoyed the first book in this series, Off Planet, and I was worried that I would hate the sequel. Thankfully, Off Balance is not a disappointing read at all. The time and place are crafted beautifully, thus providing an immersive experience for readers. The heroine suffers trials and heartache that she must overcome, but it's almost too much agony and whatnot for her. Lorne balances out with her in an ideal complimentary way. The characters are genuine and easy to root for from beginning to end. This is a great second book, and I'm looking forward to number three.

I desperately wanted to love this book. It has an amazing female protagonist who is quirky, fun, strong and so courageous. But I did find this book hard to get into, I am glad I pushed past the beginning, the ending was so dramatic and action packed.

I love everything about this series so far. The characters, the world, the storyline... I just can't get enough.

Amihanna is VERY self absorbed throughout MOST of OFF BALANCE. I wanted to shake her a few times, then I remembered what she has gone through and I decided that she can have a pass for one book.

The relationship between Amihanna and Lorne was a little frustrating. I just wanted her to jump on her feelings and never let go, but she is still figuring out who she is and what she wants so we get a lot of wishy washy moments.

Having said that, there wasn't one point in OFF BALANCE that I didn't want to continue to read. Every moment was enjoyable and I was absorbed in the storyline from beginning to end.

I loved OFF BALANCE just as much as I loved OFF PLANET and I am once again looking forward to seeing what happens next.

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes sequels don't live up to the previous book, but that wasn't the case with Off Balance.
It was just as lovely as the first one. The story and plot remained interesting, the book was quite engaging. Everything about it was consistent with the first one, the characters, the pacing, the writing... It's an amazing continuation to the series.
I can't wait for more.

Off Mission was enthralling from the first page, action-packed, fast-paced, and emotional. I really enjoyed this book, it was such a beautiful and amazing journey. I loved how it showed not only Amihanna's strength but also her struggles and vulnerable side. It was mind-blowing in every way possible.

If you liked the first book, Off Planet, you will love the sequel even more! You'll get a deeper insight into Aunare people and we're a step closer to the war. It kept me sitting on the edge the whole time because plot twist everywhere. I just love this series so much. Can't wait for the next book!

I enjoyed reading these books so much! I stayed up later than I should've to read these, and it was well worth it, I was just so sucked into the story! Though in Off Planet, in the beginning, I kept having to put it down to rage! But then I'd pick it right back up!

This world with the Aunare and multiple planets under the rule of humans? It's so interesting to read about, and it's populated by such fascinating characters, Maité/Amihanna, Lorne, and the others. And with the frequencies in each other that Aunare vibe with, leads to some pretty connected characters!

It's interesting, that it's Earth-centric in the first book, with her going by her assumed human name, Maité, and seeing things from humans perspective, being hated for her Aunare half. While it's the opposite in book 2, and learning about Aunare culture, and dealing with the politics and such. It was such a fantastic read!

In the first book, she faces a lot of physical pain. In the second, psychological and emotional, from the events of the previous book, from her whole life, basically. And she heals and she grows stronger. And it's interesting that she goes on that journey with Off in the title, and the next book, really the next two books to round off what I think is a quartet, is On.

Really enjoyed these books, and I can't wait for book 3!

Yeah, so I try really hard not to DNF books I receive for free from NetGalley, because it doesn’t feel very fair. But it also doesn’t feel fair to force myself to finish a book, because that will almost always result in a review it doesn’t really deserve. It’s my fault for being so lukewarm about the sequel after reading Off Planet ; I probably should have listened to my gut and not accepted the second book.

I don’t think Off Balance is all that bad. I think this is definitely a cause of book and reader incompatibility—exacerbated by me already being in a reading slump and really wanting comfort food, which this is not for me.

So I’m going to explain what annoys me about this book, but just know that I don’t consider any of these universal flaws for every reader.

First, the soulmate-ish destined romance thing never works for me. I understand that Erin tries her best to distance Amihanna and Lorne’s … condition … from the classic idea of soulmates. Nevertheless, you’ve got two people who don’t know each other experiencing an irresistible attraction that causes them to want to marry each other. We’re not talking chemistry or “love at first sight” or whatever (even though those are blah). The whole amnesia thing is weird, and while I think it’s great Lorne at least acknowledges that, at the end of the day, Amihanna is all glowy-glowy, and I can’t. I just can’t.

Second, more generally, just not vibing with the whole “Aunare energy frequency” stuff (yeah, I said vibing). Again, there’s no reason this shouldn’t be a thing. It’s just not working for me.

Finally, the characters are just … ugh. Is one-and-a-half dimensional a thing when it comes to characterization? Because they aren’t exactly flat, but they’re close to it. I just have a hard time getting attached to these characters. I don’t really like any of them. I’m not excited to spend time with them or play in this world.

So … where does that leave us? Off Balance is probably a good sequel to Off Planet, but I’ve decided I’m not going to stay long enough to find out. I’ve let down this book, and I’m ok with that. There are plenty more for me to read!

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. It was a great story and the world-building is so vivid and it helps pull you into a well written tale. The characters you want to pull for them and see what is going to happen to them next. There were times I was screaming at my kindle and wanting to know why at times. I think I read it took quickly and now have to wait for the next book in the series.

*Disclaimer: I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.*

I have relatively mixed feelings about Off Balance. I really enjoyed the first half of it, but I'm not entirely sure how to feel about the rest.

WHAT I LIKED:
- The sci-fi and worldbuilding of the book was relatively solid and I appreciated all the little details that had to do with the planet, government, technology, etc.
- Platonic relationships. I especially liked Amihanna's bond with Roan and the banter she shared with the rest of her crew.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- There was a bit too much telling rather than showing, especially in the beginning. I felt that the writing could have used a once-over for the telling conveyed in dialogue and indirect thoughts.
- Sex scene. As much as I liked seeing Lorne and Amihanna's relationship develop, I felt that this was unnecessary and if included, should have been kept behind closed doors or have had the narrative black out. This was near the end and I ended up dropping a star for it.

Overall: Relatively solid sci-fi with good characterization and interesting plot, however the sex scene could have been omitted.

Off Balance is the sequel to Off Planet that I reviewed a few days ago. I totally ignored my TBR pile while I was reading these two books back-to-back. My Goodreads profile showed that I was reading a couple of titles at once. Ha! That was a big fat lie. I didn’t mean to ignore other books; once I started Off Planet, I realised that I just didn’t want to divide my attention. This series deserved my 100% focus.

I’ll just say the downside of this book first before I go on and on about how much I love Off Balance. A common complaint I found about this book and Off Planet (#1) is the repetitiveness. In Off Planet, it was Amihanna going through ordeals and painful recovery time and time again. In this book, it’s the same training in the gym and pushing Lorne away over and over again. I’ll just say that I totally get the necessity of it in developing our main character and I have no problem with it. I do understand that it is a major peeve for some readers and may even be a deal-breaker.

It’s rare that the second title in a series is able to hold a tighter grip on me than the first but Off Balance did it. I couldn’t put it down and literally flew through the pages! Even when I wake up in the middle of the night to feed my 2-month old and change diapers, I’ll read this on my Kindle for a few minutes before snoozing off again. Aileen’s writing touched me because it feels so close and real. Anyone struggling with feeling like losing themselves by being with a partner, being a parent, or just doing something that demands all your energy and attention will feel this.

While in Off Planet the theme revolves around survival and perseverance, Off Balance is about the identity crisis of Amihanna who is suffering from PTSD and faced with a better life that includes love, power, and responsibilities. She doesn’t know how to reconcile her past and her future with all the weight of expectations it promises. Due to her losing her memories as a child, she still hasn’t got some essential Aunere part of herself back no matter how hard she tries. Although, people around her insist the person lost in the memories is shining through and she doesn’t have to worry so much about it. Amihanna feels differently; If she can’t figure out who she is, then how is she supposed to be the leader that everyone is expecting?

The romantic connection described in here – termed shalshasa or ‘mirror soul’ – is something that I honestly feel best describes love in the sense of compatibility. Sometimes, you have no idea why your significant other makes you feel at ease when they do but they just do. I love this quote, it’s beautiful and I kept rereading this because it speaks to me on so many levels.:

Our souls aren’t the same. We’re not two halves. We’re just extremely compatible.

I was reading this book at a physically, mentally, emotionally demanding time in my life and reading Off Balance is like a balm that soothes my head from the hassles and rush of the day. It’s probably all because of Lorne, really. I can’t get enough of Lorne because his tenderness with Amihanna is so much like my husband when I’m losing it. When I’m not spending time with him and my girls, reading this book is really all I want to do. So I sneak it in here and there before and after work. And in the middle of the night when I wake but everyone’s asleep.

I can’t get enough of Lorne x Amihanna. I’m officially addicted to Aunare Chronicles, a too off-people’s-radar series. The last series that did this to me was The Illuminae Files. Oh my gosh, I still can’t get over how brilliant that was. Guys, I’m seriously hung up on this series! It’s also safe to say I have a severe crush on Lorne now. Gee, thanks Aileen 😩

I sincerely thank the publishers via NetGalley for approving my request for this title and pre-approving (you took my pre-approval-ginity 🙊) me for all their titles on NetGalley. This means that I have access to all future titles of this series! 😭

All opinions are my own and are based on the advanced digital review copy.

Off Balance is the second installment in author Aileen Erin's Aunare Chronicles. What you should know. The beginning of this story takes place 13 years ago on Earth. Lorne knows it is time to leave Earth before Liberation Week where all Aunare will be rounded up. Earth is getting more & more violent towards the Aunare, but for some reason, 6 year old Amihanna di Aetes, daughter of Rysden and Elizabeth, is about to be left behind instead of being brought back to Aunare where she will be safe. This one mistake will cost Amihanna/Maité and her mother years of terror.

They will spent the next 13 years living on the streets, hungry, and fighting every step of the way to avoid being captured by SpaceTech who knows if they find Ami, they will have leverage over the King of Aunare as well as her own father who should be ruling. Trouble peeks for Ami when, one night, while waitressing in a greasy diner, Jason Murtah gets handsy with her. She reacts without thinking and runs. Ami is soon arrested and sentenced to a year on Abaddon, the dung heap of the galaxy where she meets Declan and Ahiga.

Fast forward to the present. Amihanna di Aetes, now 20, is on Aunare where she isn't liked and she has zero memories of the past. It has been 3 weeks since she escaped Abaddon with the help of Lorne who is apparently her betrothed but her nightmares are keeping her from doing anything logical or constructive except to hide away in her room, or spend hours every day training. Lorne needs Ami in order to take down his father who has been spending way too much money and time getting cozy with Jason Murtagh and SpaceTech.

Ami doesn't remember the people, the culture, or even the language. The media hates her, but the news isn't as big a problem as the people themselves--the ones who want her dead. Ami also has to get used to the fact that Lorne, her shalshasa, is the man whose talents and energies are perfectly balanced with her own. This story actually alternatives between Lorne and Ami. Lorne has so much to deal with. His people don't want Ami as their Queen. Ami is all but pushing him away until her nightmares only get better when the two are in the same room.

The only person Ami seems to trust is her best friend Roan who knows how much pain and suffering she's had to deal with on Earth, on Abaddon, and now on Aunare. Ami also finds that she is being used for a much bigger mission. She may be the one hope that the Aunare needs to survive an all out war with SpaceTech. Without her, all hope might be lost. Ami has a lot on her plate, as you can tell. She faces several assassination attempts. She faces near capture by SpaceTech who are on the planet.

But, the best parts of this story for me is when Ami runs a challenge that she's never seen or trained for and finally comes out and tells the Aunare people everything that happened to her on Earth after she was left behind. This may or may not be the starting point for Ami to prove that her supposed intelligence, her ability to process problems and to strategize are not a figment of Lorne's imagination but a real tool that enemies of hers might want to think twice about before coming for her again.

Let me be honest by saying that Lorne is the character whom you will like a whole lot. He's driven, intelligent, caring and above all patient. He's in love with Ami and has been his entire life. He will do anything to protect her even if it means constantly asking her to marry him, and becoming Queen so that they can overthrow his corrupt father who has done so much damage. The relationship between the two grows slowly over the course of the story to the point where even Ami has to admit that she's his, and nothing will change that. There's even a graphic sex scene with absolutely surprised me.