3.5/5

I loved Off Planet SO MUCH, Maite was a beast and so brave that I totally fell in love with her. Unfortunately I fell out of love with her in this book, I'm so glad that Erin showed us how a person can change through events like the ones on Abbadon, that Ami/Maite was suffering from her trauma made sense. But it was like she was a completely different character.

On the plus side, she does seem to find herself again, I just wish it hadn't taken so long to get there because of how her insecurities really were the sole focus most of the time. I wish there had been more Roan but I was so glad he was there at all, and I loved the fighting and training scenes! Seriously, Erin is so great at writing action scenes, it's just as if you're watching a movie anytime she's written a fighting scene.

Ami's powers are amazing and terrifying and I look forward to seeing how she handles them, also, Lorne may be one of my favorite characters of all time now. Definitely a fun sequel, sure I was disappointed in certain things, but, I'm ready to read the next one and still found this worth a read or two! Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a copy of this in exchange for my honest review.

I’m reverting to the old pros/cons list for the this review to help me sort out my thoughts, since there were a lot of things I really liked, and several things that annoyed me:

Cons:
--Amihanna is just so, so self-absorbed for most of this story. It’s all about her and her feelings and how everyone is going to respond to her if she decides to marry Lorne. She spends a lot of time avoiding doing anything remotely ruler-like, yet also complains that she isn’t treated with respect/like a ruler. I guess part of this is that I’m not someone who tends to agonize over decisions, even big ones. Assess your choices and their probable trajectories, make the best decision you can, then don’t look back. Consequently, I don’t have a great deal of patience for someone who spends a LOT of time havering.
--Way too much time is spent in a gym/doing physical training of some kind. We get it. She’s incredibly physically fit.
--Explicit sex scene that I was not expecting since no such thing has appeared in any of Erin’s other books that I’ve read (including the entire Alpha Girl series). Also a few scenes that were more graphically violent than really seemed necessary. Like a lot more.
--Overall a bit of second-book syndrome. A lot of this book is waiting for things to happen more than it is things actually happening. It felt like we could have cut out some of the scenes of Amihanna doing the same thing over and over and OVER again in the first book, cut out some of the incessant training scenes in this book, and combined them into one book with more action.
--While I’m griping about Ami in this review, I do actually like her as a person. I just feel like she spends a lot of time talking like she’s super badass, but hiding from her actual responsibilities/decisions.

Pros:
--World-building is great. There is a real sense of place and other-worldliness without being too crazy. Loved the glimpses of the Aunare culture and would love to see more of it.
--NO LOVE TRIANGLE! Can’t tell you how excited I was about this! The end of Off Planet seemed to feel like it was setting up for one, but that’s completely avoided in this book, and I am definitely here for that, as I think having a love triangle is the dumbest trope of all time.
--Which ties into another pro – LORNE. As a character, Lorne is definitely my favorite. Why Amihanna would hesitate for even half a second is mind-boggling to me. While not perfect, Lorne is incredibly patient, kind, thoughtful, and intelligent. He is eager to help Ami learn more about the Aunare but never comes across as condescending. I’m totally in love with this guy, and only wish we had gotten way more of his perspective, which was significantly more interesting than Ami’s whining about her (actually very comfortable) life.
--While I didn’t like having an explicit sex scene in the story, I did appreciate that it didn’t feel like something the characters just rushed into. It felt like a thoughtful, serious decision, and I liked that aspect.
--The actual story is solid. There are a lot of great characters, several directions the plot could reasonably take, and a lot of interesting things going on.

Conclusion:
3.5*, which is where I ended up with Off Planet, too. A good sequel, a series I recommend if you like sci-fi on the lighter side of sci, and a series I definitely am interested to follow going forward.

So with this one I was a little......Ok somewhat a lot lost. I hadn't read book one and that was a bad idea. But with saying that I totally want to read book one now. This was an out of this world story and I really need the next book now.

This book was seriously addictive. I’d tell myself I was only going to read for another five minutes, only to realize 20 minutes later I’d just finished the chapter instead! I should’ve expected that, considering this is an Aileen Erin book. Yet, she always catches me off guard with how powerful her books end up being.

In Off Balance, Lorne’s character gets developed and the romance gets good! In other words, it’s every fangirl’s dream.

I never thought about how an experience like Amihanna’s on Abbadon could impact someone until this book. Poor Amihanna... Luckily she had her awesome shalshasa by her side!

I can’t wait for you all to read this book! If you’re looking for romance, action, and sci-fi, check out this series!

(P.S. I had assumed that this was going to be a trilogy, so to read the letter to the readers in the back and find out there will be TWO more books was very exciting!!!)

Oh man, I love this author and these stories.

THANK GOODNESS, no love triangle. I seriously hate those.

I LOVE Lorne - he is amazing and patient, but it was good to see he had a bit of a darker side.

It was a little confusing with Maite-Amihanna's name change, but I caught on fast.

I'm dying for the next one.

I didn’t have time to download this before it got archived which I am upset about as I really wanted to read this

Amazing Roller-coaster of emotion and action. I'm absolutely hooked on this series. I spent a whole night up reading Off-Planet, and then finished this one in 2 nights. I can't believe I have to wait until December for number 3! This bbok is addictive.

OFF BALANCE is a sequel worthy of the title. It instantly sucks you back into the world, the characters, the story, and makes it nearly impossible to put down once begun though with each twist you'll be thrown further off balance from what you think you know. Action adventure, space drama, political schemes, and just the right hit of romance has this series turning into an absolute must-read. Whether you think you're a fan of sci-fi or not I'd urge you to give this series a try because you just might find yourself unable to part from Maité's side as her life gets pulled into the unthinkable with war as the looming cost.

Once again it was a slow start but picked up rather quickly and didn't stop. It was a bit repetitive in spots in the beginning also. Once the action started it was non-stop. Amihanna's powers are developing again. Her relationship with Lorne is progressing and her relationship with Declan is degrading. So much going on it ended up being a page turner. Hoping to see Declan get his HEA eventually. Enjoyed Roan and Amihanna's banter and relationship in this one.

I received this ARC for an honest review. OMG...ok let me catch my breath for a minute. I just turned the last page one this book, and the only thing I can think is “I have to wait a whole year for book 3!” Aileen Erin’s character and world building is phenomenal. You get pulled into the story and you don’t want to stop. When I finished this book, I just looked at my husband and said wow.
This book is not a stand alone. This is book 2 in the series. It is about Lorne and Amihanna. They are shalshada or mirror souls. Amihanna is still recovering from her time on Abaddon. She is suffering from severe PTSD. Lorne is trying to help. Lorne is trying to convince Amihanna that he truly loves her and wants to marry her, but she is afraid to be a queen.
I’m not going to write much more about the plot, but to say there is so many twist and turns. You just want to keep reading to find out what happens next.

Aileen Erin is one of my favorite authors and the second book in her Aunare Chronicles is awesome!!! I lost sleep finishing this book and I needed lots of caffeine the next day but I'd do it all over again. I knew things wouldn't be smooth sailing for Amihanna when she arrived on her home planet but I never imagined the kick-butt character she would become. The chemistry between her and Lorne is off the charts hot without being raunchy. This book is even better than the first in the series and that's saying a lot! I can't wait for the next one!!!