Great series with great romances based on a remote Earth colony in another star cluster from our current solar system. I like that the author mixes folklore with science fiction to create a unique universe of characters that isn’t bogged down in overly detailed descriptions. I’ve really liked every story so far, unique yet familiar and sweet yet clever. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s the year 0132 in the New World but you wouldn’t know it by looking at Aster. An antique dealer by trade and tradition, Aster grew up with fathers obsessed with all things Old Earth and still dresses in Victorian clothes. As she’s trying to assess a mirror she acquired from an Old Earth refugee, a woman appears in a cloud of smoke.

Breathe With Me is book 4 in the New World series by Lily X. All books are set in the same universe but can be read as standalones. I’ve enjoyed the worldbuilding from the start, even if the relationships between the characters felt a bit creepy at times in the previous books. I don’t like dropping series once I’ve committed to them, but after book 3 (Own Me), I was ready to move on, convinced this author wasn’t for me. Then I saw that this book would be about time travel and I couldn’t resist. I requested it and I’m very glad I did.

There’s none of what bothered me in the first three books. The instalust and instalove remain but in ways that don’t feel problematic. The characters are interesting, complete opposite, sexy, and definitely made for each other. Their backstories explain who they are when they meet and leave doors open to all sorts of possibilities for the future.

I think there’s one last book planned in the series and I’m back to looking forward to it.

Aster Weave is an antiques collector and seller, with an eye toward Old Earth relics for her discriminating buyers. She’s a lonely widowed woman, running the business her fathers bequeathed her. Aster is very comfortable dressing in period clothing, imagining herself a living historical artifact. She acquires a trunk of rare finds from a refugee who needs immediate credits to resettle in the Star system. When Aster handles one curious artifact, she inadvertently releases a young woman from a deep spell.

Like a djinn, Naia appears in a cloud of smoke, but she can’t grant any wishes–she doesn’t even know in what century she’s awakened. Aster can’t give any answers, but she is physically intriguing to Naia, who hasn’t had a girlfriend in centuries. As Naia recalls her life from the 20th century, she leaves Aster enthralled in more than one way.

Breathe With Me in the latest installment in the New World series by Lily X. As Aster tries to unravel the mystery of Naia’s magical imprisonment, it requires more resources than Aster’s knowledge, which is how Aster and Naia get linked up with the previous characters in this series. We get to reconnect a bit with Kit, a magic wielder, along with her grandma, who both help Naia to trace back her final moments before being trapped in the magic mirror. This story is really about 20th century bigotry, greed, and how to overcome one’s grief for a lost spouse. It’s a sweet and sentimental love story with characters that were uniquely suited and as varied as those from previous stories. I liked how both Naia and Aster had difficult pasts to reconcile, and that they found solace with one another. It’s a hurt/comfort story with a decent bit of steam.

If you have enjoyed any of the previous books, I think this episode is a strong offering. We get a window into more of the New World, and how difficult resettlement has been for the folks of these communities. Imagining a post-Earth existence is always tricky, but the author has created a space that’s interesting and layered. I really have enjoyed all the books, and while this one was quite a departure, with a MC that wasn’t closely linked to the previous MCs, it’s clearly setting up the fifth book, circling back to a previous side character for an HEA. This book has a definite happy ending for Naia and Aster that is joyous and tender.

Loved this story. This had such a modern old time feel to it. Aster who owns an antique shop was such an old soul and Naia who literally dropped in from the past was such a modern day woman. The relationship between these two was equal parts sweet and hot. I loved that the author also brought in characters from her previous books, so we could see how their relationships have progressed so far. I really enjoyed this story and the time travel aspects of it were fascinating as well as the witch craft that involved Naia traveling to Asters time period. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family, and I really look forward to what's next from this author.

Sexy, sweet and thoughtful f/f romance
All of the New-World romances I have read so far were good reads: well-paced, with unique characters and a special love story set in a scifi world. This one is no exception.
We have a bit of magic, time-travel, a tragic loss, a re-kindling of life and love and a sweet, sexy love story. Both main characters were great. Aster is a history and antiques nerd. Naia with all her bubbliness has her scars. I especially liked that Lily X shows the terrible constraints of living in a society where women are only second class and queerness is not acceptable. She easily lets us feel the burden of living up to the warped expectations of a conservative family. I cheered for Naia‘s continued freedom. It was fun to meet again the old friends of prior books.
The writing is light-handed, easy and even when there are deeper topics Lily X. has the gift of handling it without preaching and lets us understand how the characters feel. There is a positive and optimistic undercurrant which I very much liked.

I liked the two main characters - they were very sweet together and the connection between them was believable. I especially liked Aster as a character. The storyline around what happened to Naia was interesting and it was nice to see some of the characters from the previous books. For me, the sizzling hot chemistry of the previous installments wasn't as prominent here, but I still enjoyed it and found it an engaging read.

When you pick up a book in this series, you have to prepare yourself for consuming it in one sitting. It is so easy to be swept away into the character's worlds- it's addictive in a wonderful way. To become embroiled in the plot. To lose track of time and enjoy reading a well-written book. I adore every set of women that have been paired off throughout the series and I excitedly smirk when those couples make cameos in each book as this world keeps expanding.

These two MC's complete each other in such a beautiful way that you feel the warmth from their connection through the words on the page. The journey to find one another was wrought with turmoil and despair, but the HEA has a smile glued to my face.

I cannot wait for the next book!!!!