Thank you, Netgalley, for this free ARC.

I loved this book. My only previous experience with Mihalik's writing was Polaris Rising. While I liked that boook, Hunt the Stars was even better. The characters were distinct and engaging, the pace was just right and the relationships (romantic and platonic) were interesting. The romance was fun and it did have a couple of steam scenes.

Technically, the writing was smooth and I didn't notice errors. If I had to point to a flaw, I would say the antagonists motivation was a bit unclear to me. However, this will likely be further developed in the anticipated sequel.

Overall, I recommend this for romance readers who like science fiction, found family dynamics, action, and humor.

Octavia Zarola will do anything to ensure she and her small group of bounty hunters are able to stay afloat. After all, they have been looking out for each other since they served together in the war between the Valovians and Federated Human Planets (FHP).

Times have been tough, and now Tavi is offered a job by none other than Torran Fletcher, a former general and a Valovian. The job is being kept a bit of a mystery, and it means working with a potential enemy and putting her people in harm's way. The money offered is too good to pass up, and Tavi and her team are the considered the best for a reason.

But as the investigation begins, Tavi learns that the stakes are higher than previously thought, and as the weight of the galaxy hangs in the balance, she'll find an ally in the most unexpected place.

This is the beginning of a new series from Jessie Mihalik and I really think that she's becoming one of the current go-to's for the sci-fi romance genre.

Hunt the Stars works very well as a series opener. There's a lot of initial setup not only of the futuristic world but also of the characters. For me, while the story still held my interest, it takes a bit for it to pick up speed. It's not until over the halfway mark that the actual mystery of Tavi and her crew are hired to find is addressed with more focus. From there the plot takes of running and the consequences of where it leads will be felt across the rest of the series I think.

I love the initial setup between Tavi and Torran. Two people on different sides of a conflict come together years later with a common goal but still without much trust between them. It makes for a good amount of tension. I like seeing how that tension morphs into something more. The invariable twists and turns that come with working with someone you cannot fully trust will cause complications, but I loved seeing how Tavi and Torran moved through those.

While the focus is on Tavi and Torran, Jessie Mihalik sets up the rest of the crews rather nicely. I kind of like that we're already seeing how the others will pair off. I think it makes the build up all the more sweeter as we get into the other books.

Jessie Mihalik is comfortable in a sci-fi futuristic setting and makes readers comfortable too. Nothing is too difficult to grasp and technologies and new species are described with ease. I think her writing is perfect for those wanting to try the sci-fi genre, but are wary of picking up a more complicated tome.

I look forward to the next book and seeing the continuation of the story threads but seeing a different pair of characters pick up the mantle.

*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

SF romance fans, your next great read is here! I got the ARC for Jesse Mihalik’s Hunt the Stars back in summer 2021, and it’s been KILLING me to have to sit on this review for SIX MONTHS before I could share it with you. If you like space adventure, action, intrigue, plot twists, and hot humanoid men clearly captivated by an oblivious heroine, come on and let’s go star hunting!

Tavi Zarola, captain of Starlight’s Shadow, does not want to take a commission from Torran Fletcher. Tavi and her entire crew nearly died fighting in the human-Valoff war, and Torran isn’t just a Valoff - he’s their highest ranking general. Plus, the bounty is to hunt down a missing item for Torran on Valovia itself, where there’s a price on Tavi’s head. But her ship desperately needs repairs, and Torran offers safe conduct on his personal honor. Unfortunately, the situation won’t be quite as straightforward as either of them hopes.

Tavi is a kind, caretaker captain - for those of you who get the reference, she’s what would happen if one of Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling maternal dominants ended up in charge of a starship. She’s softhearted without being a soft touch, and she is practical and respected by her crew. Torran is sterner and more self-contained, but not because he doesn’t have feelings. One of my favorite tropes is a hero who is besotted with a heroine who hasn’t figured it out. Torran is clearly into Tavi long before she understands what’s going on. In Valovian culture, apologies must be accompanied by gifts, and it’s adorable and thoughtful what Torran comes up with when he messes up.

If you read a lot of space adventure romance, you’ll be familiar with a couple of tropes, especially with military heroines. First, they are always somehow fantastic fighters despite being lithe and petite. Tavi, however, has to train and work for her fitness, and she’s realistic when she goes to the training mat with Torran, that, as Tavi puts it, “Torran was going to kick my ass.” There will also be a climactic action sequence, generally rushed into and featuring poor tactics. Not here however, where we see the squad taking its time, doing drills and practicing. Hooray for military competence! My favorite military detail, by the way - Torran uses the Valovan word “nidru”, and Tavi

“didn’t know much Valovan, but every good soldier knew nidru was the word for ‘fuck’ because we were all twelve at heart and learning foreign curse words had passed the time.”

The last thing I want to praise about this book is the plot twists. And that’s as much as I will say about them so I don’t spoil anything!

Hunt the Stars is a satisfying mix of romance, adventure, action, and sci-fi. I am delighted to finally be able to tell you about it. Now for the next long wait - making it to December, when I can put it on my Best of 2022 list!

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible or your local independent retailer

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Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 Q: what’s your fave cereal?

Take enemies to lovers & set it in space. Add in forced proximity & eventually some kissing (& also some secrets) & surrounding it all, some awesome world-building (!). Then you’ll have the bare bones of Jessie Mihalik’s Hunt the Stars 😍.

I’m always looking for writing that reminds me of Ilona Andrews. Always. & that dream duo is what I was reminded of when I joyously read this sci fi romance last week.

Lieutenant Octavia Zarola—now a bounty hunter—& Torran Fletcher were military heroes on opposing sides of the war their two countries waged recently. When he comes to hire her, her ship, & her crew for a job, she’s reluctant to be working with him & his soldiers, all Valovians with deadly powers who have the potential to hurt her & crew.

Setting out on a journey amidst the stars & living & working together helps Tavi & Torran see that maybe things aren’t quite as clear-cut as they thought.

This story is dramatic, it’s rife with tension & misunderstanding & tinged with omission & deception (gasp), & it’s so fun to read. Even when they’re prepping for their trip I was invested in the plot. The slow burn is satisfying & exciting & Mihalik maintains the ultimate will they or won’t they relationship suspense until the end.

I’m already looking forward to the next one!

4.5 ⭐️. Release date: 02/01.

CW: references to disturbing acts of war, including civilians that were killed thanks to Tavi’s help but without her knowledge or consent (& deaths she & her team tried to prevent once they knew what was planned). In one scene Torran cuts his wrist while making an oath. Violence & death.


[ID: a white woman wearing a cream shirt & pink & blue plaid pajama pants sits on a gray shag rug holding the ebook & with a white bowl of Froot Loops immediately in front of her.]

Where do I even begin with Hunt the Stars? I was instantly a fan of Jessie’s Consortium Rebellion series. I don’t usually gravitate towards sci-fi romance or space opera reads, but if Jessie’s writing them, I’ll read all of it.

We’re set on a new adventure with two teams that have to put their differences aside to reach a common goal. However, there’s a ton of hesitancy and secrets along the way, which definitely add some suspense to the story.

Octavia and Torran, oh these two! Their slow-burn love story with just a little bit of enemies to lovers. The enemies part to me wasn’t significant mainly because of simply not knowing all of the truth. Slow burns haven’t been my thing to pick up in the past year, but theirs worked so much for me. From the heated glances, subtle flirting, I simply couldn’t wait for more.

They’re both well respected and absolutely loyal to their teams. And the transition for everyone to work together was effortless, they all fit perfectly together. They’d be the team to look out for if they remain working together.

If you’re not new to Jessie’s books, they’re not full steam ahead, but for the story, it’s just the right amount.

Another aspect of this story that I loved in the found family! Octavia has found her family with her crew and I can’t wait to learn even more about every one of them. It’s pretty easy to make assumptions of who the next pairs will be.

The Starlight’s Shadow is a series to add to your TBR this very minute, Hunt the Stars was a great start to this series and I’m so ready for more!

4.5/5

There is something about Jessie Mihalik's writing that gets me excited every time I start a new book she has written. Her worldbuilding is impeccable, her characters are vibrant and diverse, and the plot keeps me on the edge of my seat every time. Filled with suspense, adventure and romance, I am never bored for even one minute, and I'm always eager for more as soon as the book has concluded. This is a new series for this author, and she started it off with an absolute knock-out of a book. We're barely one month into 2022, and it's going to be the first book on my Favorite Books of 2022 list. It's that good. If you've been wanting to give sci-fi romance a try but weren't sure where to start, this would be an excellent place to start.

Captain Octavia Zarola is known to all at the Hero of Rodeni, but to her crew, she is their leader and they are her family. After leaving the military behind following a devastating battle with the enemy Valovian forces, she now works as a bounty hunter. When a Valovian comes calling, asking for her and her crew's help in finding a thief who stole from him, she is reluctant to accept. Not just because he's Valovian, which is bad enough, but also because he's the high ranking General Torran Fletcher. She doesn't trust him at all, but she needs the money his job will bring in, so she accepts. However, he insists on coming with her, along with several of his soldiers, and tension is high between the two. On the ship together bound for Valovia, humans and Valovians come to a truce, though Torran and Tavia are leery of each other. But close quarters make staying enemies difficult, and gradually they soften towards each other. Just as things begin to heat up between them, their newborn trust is tested, and betrayal makes reconciliation a painful one. Their budding romance is tainted by lies, but they have bigger concerns now - getting Tavia and her crew back home alive.

I love a good enemies to lovers romance, so I had no hesitancy diving into this book. Octavia has a reason to hate Torran, and Torran has a reason to hate Octavia, but as with most enemies in romance novels, they do eventually find common ground. Not everything is at it seems for either of them, and in particular, Torran sees a side to Octavia that he wasn't expecting. While the story is written in single POV, so we don't get to see Torran's perspective, the author does an amazing job still showing the emotions he's clearly feeling, and through his friends, the reader can see his thought process throughout the story. I also loved the side characters, both human and Valovian, and there was a lot of interesting potential pairings popping up as you read along. One of the Valovians is a healer, unveiling another layer to the mystery surrounding Valovian abilities, and it was an important distinction that Octavia needed to see. They weren't all murderous telekinetics that could freeze and kill you with just a thought. Some could give life as well. The politics and social complexity in this story was so well written, I never felt like there were any gaps in my knowledge. I also didn't feel it was over explained. There was enough worldbuilding to set the scene, but not so much that the plot became lost. It was, to put it simply, a perfect blend of worldbuilding, action and romance.

The next book has already been teased, and I'm so excited to see this couple's journey. It will focus on another human/Valovian pairing I was shipping from the very beginning of this book.

Big thanks to Harper Voyager for the advanced e-ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

CW: mentions of death (past & not on page), mentions and memories of war (not graphic detail but heavy scenes included), kidnapping (if you need more detail message me!), sexual content

This book was a great way to kick-off my 2022 reading! I haven't really read a full thing novel yet and I'm so glad I decided to pick this one up, and I very obviously was unable to put it down once I started. Jessie Mihalik is a new author for me BUT she's been on my radar for a couple years now and this just makes me even more eager to get to her backlist.

This was a perfect blend of sci-fi, romance, and action that will LITERALLY keep you up all night because you need to see what happens. The book starts off with Octavia Zolara, a human war hero turned bounty hunter, being approached by former (enemy) Volaff General Torran for help in order to recover a family heirloom of great importance.

Right off the bat, Mihalik's writing pulls you in and the tension is PALPABLE, this is a great example of enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, because the tension (v hot btw) is crackling with some I hate your kind and vice versa (with some I want to kill you vibes). I really liked the romance and how well Mihalik was able to blend it into the overarching plot that was being set up for the book and the series in general. I think my only issue was that it felt trike they started getting along a bit too easy/fast and Octavia was down BAD for this man in a way that wasn't totally believable (in terms of the history between them & pacing). BUT it really didn't detract from the novel enough to change my rating, so it was noticeable but it kind of resolved itself as the novel went on.

Another thing I really loved was how everything about the novel's world/history was set up and given to readers without it being boring OR an information overload. Another fave was the descriptions of the settings/tech, etc. Because I thought it was very easy to visualize everything that was happening or being described and it really helped pull me into the story.

I also need to talk about the emotional complexity of the characters and the romance between our 2 MCs in general. I loved how well Octavia was fleshed out, with her background details and how the author is able to tie in both MCs shared trauma of the war as well as how this, at first, was the main divide between them but was also something they could bond over and was actually super important in the development of their relationship (they're war enemies & more detail is pro idea in the book).

Mihalik was already laying down the groundwork for the next book/books in the series in terms of couple/s and the overarching plot and I CANT WAIT to see what's next (can it be July 2022 already)!

*Big points for the constant consent between our two MCs & some nice groveling scenes

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book intrigued me from the beginning. I really liked the characters and seeing the dynamics of each relationship. I loved the sci-fi setting. I felt that I didn’t get enough of the characters pasts, though, and the story wasn’t as fun when the characters ended up at their destination. The romance was not as well-developed as I would have liked. I think if I saw the couple together for a little longer that the relationship would have been better, but I did love when they did get together, it was adorable. I really loved the twists and my favorite parts of the book were when the characters were on Starlight’s Shadow. This was an enjoyable read.

I'm an unabashed Mihalik fan, so I've been looking forward to this book for a while. It did not disappoint! This story is a bit less spicy in the sex department than her previous books, but the enemies-to-lovers pair in this one start out with intensely deep and painful reasons to hate one another. It takes a while to learn to see things from different perspectives and build trust with someone in that situation, so I'm glad Mihalik takes her time with it instead of going straight for heat and undeniable chemistry. The tension - sexual and otherwise - builds really nicely over the course of the story, which is complex, with twists and turns galore.

The world-building in this book is also remarkable, creating a Humanoid race that (surprise surprise) Humanity can't get along with. I loved the descriptions of Valovia and a culture that's similar enough to our own to be relatable, but still terrifying because of their psychic abilities.

Definitely a satisfying read, and I very much look forward to Eclipse the Stars, the next book in the series. There are quite a few secondary storylines I can't wait to see evolve, and ETS covers the one that most clearly needs to be addressed, in my opinion. As a lover of epics, I think there's nothing better than following an entire cast of characters through an overarching storyline. I'm sure Mihalik will deliver satisfying arcs for all of them, in time.

4.5 stars

As usual, Mihalik writes an adventurous space romance that checks ALL the boxes. Ready for book two!

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
The first in a new Jesse Mihalik series, Hunt the Stars was a little underwhelming. Don't get me wrong, it kept interest, but I like her other series much better and felt like the action wasn't on par with revious works.

Hunt the Stars is a fun romance adventure that features a lot of classic tropes but avoids feeling stale. Having fought on opposite sides of the war between humans and Valoffs -- and even in the same devastating battle -- Tavi and Torran have several reasons not to trust each other when he hires her to track down something of great value to him. However, they can't deny the pull between them, and the more Tavi and Torran fall for each other, the more is revealed about the war and corrupt Valoff and human governments. The mystery and investigative elements provide a great narrative framework for the developing romance between Tavi and Torran. Romance also blooms between members of both their crews, though Mihalik doesn't dedicate as much time developing the supporting characters and their relationships as one would want. Overall, Hunt the Stars is incredibly charming and it'll be interesting to see how Mihalik continues to build out the world and deepen the relationships as the series progresses.

This book was incredible!! So unique and addicting. I loved the world building and the characters. AND THE ENEMIES TO LOVERS!! Full review to come.

Anyone who knows me knows I'll read anything that has the hate-to-love troupe so I was happy and excited to pick this one up and be approved to read this before it came out.

I do like sci-fi books, if done well they can be super fun! I mean come on, when it comes to space, the possibilities are endless!

I really enjoyed liked the set up, the close knit family group of humans who have a past together and a reason why they are so close. I liked the overall set up and background history between humans and the Valovians. I thought the idea of 2 races who have just been through a hellish war together having to work together. Perfect. I'm all in.
I really liked the characters overall and I felt the author did a great job with all their personalities and unique gifts and talents. I appreciated how all those unique talents you were able to work together and bring about the story.
I thought the author did a good job making the hunt for whatever Torran lost was really good and I can very much appreciate how difficult the author made Tavi's team search and actually work to find what was missing. That was well done, I hate when things fall into place too easily.

After the initial plot was introduced and the story started to get going, that is when things started to fall apart for me. This so called hatred and good reason for the hate that was introduced was quickly resolved easier than I would have thought. Both sides were all good people and while I can support and appreciate that, it seemed they were able to set everything aside too easily and become friends too easily. I would've liked to see more struggle and challenges in this regard.
The relationship between Torran and Tavi started off right but again was resolved too quickly and felt like it was built on lust more than actually seeing and getting past everything they've both been through. Tavi was able to put aside everything too quickly because she was attracted to him more than anything else. I wanted more struggle, more difficulties between the races even though they had to work together.
The plot suddenly because too predictable and it fell flat for me.
Characters were introduced but nothing really became of them so I assume there is going to be another book and hopes that there is a reason they characters were brought into the story. Don't get me wrong, I see why they were brought in, it just seemed, "okay and here is so-and-so and they do this but let's set them aside" like we saw a little of one in particular but then almost nothing for the rest of the book.

I didn't expect the book to be so explicit either. Which surprised me and didn't feel right with the story. That goes along with the language. The F word was used but it felt forced considering there was no other language really present in the book. It all just felt off and didn't fit with the story.

Overall the book was ok, I would've expected more character struggle considering all that was set up.

Sexual Content: heavy
Language: moderate/heavy (a couple of F words)
Violence: mild
Drugs/Alcohol: mild
LGBTQ: hinted at...

You guys, Jessie Mihalik has done it again- bringing us a knock-out sci fi romance in HUNT THE STARS. Mihalik’s last series was the <i>Consortium Rebellion,</i> an outstanding sci fi romance series following 3 sisters as they spy and fight to save the galaxy. These previous works left me with high expectations of Mihalek, and HUNT THE STARS delivers in spades as the first in the </i>Starlight’s Shadow</i> series. Fans of Rachel Bach’s <i>Paradox</i> series or Sandy Williams’ <i>Anomaly</i> series will likely adore this book, as will fans of the TV show Firefly. This is an autobuy author for me, and HUNTER THE STARS is worthy of my Keeper shelf.

Octavia Zarola is a kick-ass intergalactic bounty hunter. Tavi is a former war hero whose main goal is to keep her tiny and close-knit former fellow soldiers turned bounty hunting crew safe and together. Much to her dismay, this means accepting an unwelcome job from Torran Fletcher, a Valoff general and former war foe. Tavi and her crew agree to an astronomical bounty to find a lost item for Torran, and travel back to their sworn enemy’s planet for the job. The world building is fantastic- so lush and compelling.

One of the best things about this book is the found family that Tavi has built with her human crew. As Torran and his small hand-picked Valoff team pursue the job at hand, Torran and his soldiers come to a loose accord and may even be building some cross-species friendships with Tavi’s crew. However, there are so many delightful twists and turns here, and the story kept me guessing constantly. Tarren is grim yet sexy, and the questions about his motivations and honor kept me reading far into the night.


Jessie Mihalik’s new sci fi romance series is all that I could hope for, another 5 star read by this author. I was glued to the couch by the action, romance, and intrigue along with plenty of curveballs in book one of this new series, HUNT THE STARS. Mihalik continues to demonstrate a deft touch and fabulous worldbuilding to satisfy the reader.

Free Netgalley book for review !~. 🤩😬 Okay that was just adorable.~. It was everything I wanted and more besides because enemies to lovers is such a basic plot line and usually I’m done with it before even really starting a book. But the characters and crews grew on me. The captain is just one big mother hen and cares for everyone even when she should know better—but she still manages to be fairly smart and mostly professional despite that mothering.

And ok, Torran IS hot, but he also cares about people and my goodness the hugs just melted my skeptical heart. If I’m not so fond of enemies to lovers trope I do like cuddling and friends to lovers and found family.

Also I appreciated that they both were clear about what they wanted and respected each other’s boundaries to stop or continue at a word.

That’s enough on the relationship. I thought the plot was very well done too, I was invested quickly to have them succeed. They’ve got quite a lot going for their team and I’m excited to read the sequel. 🥰🥰🥰

It works! I think it's better than Mihalik's first series, actually. I think there are too many people in it to really get to know any of the side characters beyond broad traits, but it looks like there will be additional books, so hopefully we'll see a deeper look at the others.

Hunt the Stars is the first book in a new series of space opera romance novels by author Jessie Mihalik, who previously wrote the SF romance Consortium Rebellion trilogy (Polaris Rising, Aurora Blazing, and Chaos Reigning). I really enjoyed that trilogy - not as any kind of serious scifi, but as the type of "trashy" romance that can be really fun if you don't think too hard about the setting. Each book in that series featured essentially a different space princess (or well daughter of an oligarch) getting into an adventure with a romantic love interest and fighting and failing to deal with a ton of sexual attraction along the way. The trilogy was a lot of fun, and incredibly sexy (with really great sex scenes), so I was happy to dive in to Mihalik's new series.

And well Hunt the Stars starts off very generic, as it again features a first person female protagonist - this time a bounty hunter and former war hero - desperately trying to fight off a strong physical attraction to her former enemy - a human-like alien telekinetic/telepathic general. You'll see certain plot points coming and it doesn't really standout for the book's first half, even if it never gets boring as it slowly unweaves its enemies-to-lovers plot. And then the book gets into its final act, and oh my god does it get hot, steamy and sexy as all hell, ending with a hell of a satisfying release.



----------------------------------------------Book Review-------------------------------------------------------
Captain Octavia "Tavi" Zarola, famous war hero of the Federated Human Planets, is now struggling to keep her loyal crew together in their practice of legal bounty hunting. And so when a client come by with a job worth a massive amount of cash, Tavi shouldn't even be thinking about turning it down - not when her crew could use the cash and her ship could really use essential repairs.

There's just one catch: the client is General Torran Fletcher, a famous Valoff general for the Valovian Empire, who was her greatest enemy during the war between humans and Valoffs. If Tavi could turn him down she would, but she knows her crew really needs the credits...and so she finds her crew joined by Torran and his Valoff companions onboard their small ship, on their way to Valovia, the heart of the Empire.

It's bad enough for Tavi that Valoffs like Torran are incredibly skilled telepaths - and have other psychic gifts alongside - but she soon finds that in person, the general's handsome, gorgeous body and mannerisms are enough to drive her body wild. It doesn't help that the general's stubborn stubborn sense of honor drives her mad.

But when they get to Valovia, Tavi soon discovers that Torran is hiding things from her, things that threaten to put Tavi and her beloved crew in extreme jeopardy. And she'll find herself caught between her body's attraction, her need to defend her crew, and her own stupid sense of honor on a mission that could break not just her own heart, but the galaxy apart.....
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Hunt the Stars shares a bunch of things with Mihalik's prior novels. The book is told exclusively from Tavi's first person narrative, with Tavi's internal monologue often being pretty long winded in a way that may absolutely rub people the wrong way (like Mihalik's prior heroines). And Tavi's romance with Torran starts with an incredibly hard to resist physical attraction from basically the first time she meets the general in person - if you're looking for a romance where two people only realize they're attracted to each other after a period of time, that's not what you're gonna find here, even if the romance is a bit of a slow burn. These are all staples of Mihalik's works, and they work fine here just like they did in her old works.

Still, Hunt the Stars takes a while to get interesting, even as Mihalik's prose never makes the story seem to drag or slow down. While the dialogue is often entertaining, neither Tavi nor Torran are particularly unique characters - they're all archetypes you've seen before without much to make them unique, with Tavi being the woman betrayed by her people and gaining a reputation she hates, living only for the loyalty to her people and Torran being the honorable soldier who puts honor and family above all. The same is true of the rest of Tavi and Torran's crews, who are quite clearly being grouped together for what I expect are future novels in this series, although there's a hint of a non-standard grouping between two of Tavi's human crew and two of Torran's Valovian ones. And while the telepathic/telekinetic and other psychic abilities of the Valoffs are interesting, there really isn't that much unique about the setting, setup, or plot in the book's first half to really make one thing this is anything special.

And then you get to the book's back half, when Tavi and Torran start acting upon that attraction, and things get oh so so much better. The book even throws a surprisingly well thought out issue of power and consent into their relationship, and that works around that issue in ways that are insanely hot and sexy, even without the two of them going all the way till the book's final chapter. I have read quite a number of SF/F and paranormal romance novels where the romance works but the sex scenes are just meh to outright bad, and that is definitely not the case here - these are some incredibly well done sex scenes, both in the mundane sense and in how Mihalik writes Torran's ability to amplify the experience with his own psychic abilities. Let's put it this way, I bookmarked one of these scenes after I read it so I could get back to it easily, it's that good.

The story ends with the general plot arc not resolved, but Torran and Tavi's relationship solidly established, allowing Mihalik presumably to move on to the other characters' relationships going forward. If there's a complaint about the romance I have other than the slow first half, it's that the enemies-to-lovers description is kind of halfhearted, because the two leads aren't really enemies by the time the book begins, but it honestly doesn't matter in the end. If you're looking for scifi romance, and are willing to endure a bit of a slow burn for a hundred pages or so, this will eventually fully reward you in an enormously satisfying way.

This book made me so happy! I was looking for a book to fill an Ilona Andrews hole and this checked off all the boxes. Fantastic worldbuilding, really great cast of found families, witty banter, a fun mystery/adventure and a reluctant romance that had me grinning ear to ear. I will happily and easily handsell this to my customers as I eagerly await the next in the series

HUNT THE STARS by Jessie Mihalik was the science fiction- space opera- romance military/court intrigue I’d been craving.

Tavi and her crew are all military veterans in a war with the Valoff. The war ended in an uneasy truce with lots of anger on both sides. Tavi and crew take on bounty hunter jobs to pay the bills. But they weren’t expecting that Torran Fletcher, one of the most feared Valovian generals, would hire them to find a missing heirloom.

And Tavi wasn’t expecting to have anything but cold hostility for him but Valovians are so gorgeous…

Hunt the Stars gave me Serenity/Firefly vibes with its chosen family, military veterans trope. Tavi is a strong, capable leader but she cares deeply - about her crew, her burbu Luna (imagine an Arctic fox crossed with a cat). I love when authors write strong women without making them emotionless.

The supporting characters are well developed and they engage in lots of witty banter. I love that they’re written to show true affection and care for one another.

There’s lots of witty banter, delicious descriptions of food, and some spicy steam between Tavi and Torran. Hello, shower scene!

The plot is fast-paced with a fair amount of intrigue to be unraveled.

You get the attraction - we can’t do this but we have to- romance vibe. Plus forced proximity.

Luna gives you an adorable animal sidekick.

Jessie Mihalik writes characters that you quickly become emotionally invested in. The world-building is perfect - enough to be different but not so complex as to overwhelm or bore.

Perfect for fans of Ilona Andrews, the Valor series by Tanya Huff, or Cat Rambo’s You Sexy Thing.