I enjoyed this enough! It reminded me a lot of Jessie Mihalik's books, up in space, found family, evil people, swoony love interest, pretty straightforward!

The outcast captain of a mercenary ship is hired by an influential family to explore a planet that may contain a large amount of resources, but only discovers after they land that the mission is bigger than the crew was told. This was not a new favorite, but it was a great well-rounded mix between sci-fi and romance. One of the things that I love about sci-fi romance is how natural the forced proximity feels and how well it works in the context. I definitely plan to read the rest of this series!

Thank you to @brambleromance & @torbooks for the review copy!

For me, the absolute pinnacle of science fiction content was the show Firefly. I was really hoping that I would get the same vibes with Calamity, and it absolutely met my expectations!

Calamity was fun, fast paced, and filled with romance! I love the found family aspect and the simmering tension between the romantic leads. I will admit that I get bored pretty easily if there is too much “science” in my science fiction, so this felt like enough to make the world make sense but not so much that it was overwhelming.

Part of what made it so bingeable for me was that there wasn’t a ton of character growth or emotional complexity. I would recommend it for when you want to binge something kind of light but with action and romance. I look forward to reading the sequel!

🎧 Paige Reisenfeld did a fantastic job bringing this book to life. Since Calamity is kind of science fiction for the romance reader, the world building and language wasn’t so complex that I had trouble following by audio.

I was expecting a space opera romance - something like Jessie Mihalik books - and this one seemed to have that at first but later became boring? It was more about the crew landing on a new planet and encountering a cult of sorts and navigating that. The romance between the main characters felt underdeveloped too and I didn't really get why they were attracted to each other. It just felt like insta-love. This one had a lot of potential but sadly it was disappointing.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC! I am very grateful and happy to explore everything this author will write in the future as well!

I was ready for something lighter, and this book was just the thing! It's a romp in space following a found-family type crew who get hired for a scouting mission, and it doesn't turn out to be quite as straight-forward as expected. I enjoyed the mash-up of Science Fiction and Romance, and found myself really flying through the book.

The plot starts right in with action, and the pace pretty much keeps up all the way through, making this a pretty fast-paced read. The characters aren't terribly deep, but they're mostly likable types as we get to know them. The main character, Temperance Reed, has been knocked down by life a few times and copes by being snarky, self-deprecating, a little reckless, and fiercely protective of her crew. Sometimes this comes off as insecurity or incompetence, but I have to say I kinda liked her for it. The world has some definite political dynamics in play, and I thought it worked to add some intrigue to the story.

As someone who reads a fair amount of fantasy romance, this book felt a little like a science fiction version of that. So if you like SciFi a la Firefly and a little spice in your romance reads, this is a fun book to try. I know I am looking forward to reading the second book soon.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. This is an unbiased review.

Calamity is a creative and fascinating novel that should be read by science fiction lovers! Constance Fay pulls you into a world that you can only imagine! #Calamity #NetGalley

This is a fantastic book set in space with fantastic characters who all have their own ideas and plans. Temper and Asad must work together with a ragtag group of misfits but they don’t trust one another. It’s a wonderful space, adventure, villains, and friends and romance. The connections between the characters and the banter keep you involved from start to finish. I found this book to be a wild ride and space and I enjoyed every minute of it

Calamity is the perfect blend of romance and scifi. Constance Fay did an amazing job bringing the characters to life. The character development throughout the story was really well done. The pacing keeps you immersed and engaged with the story. There wasn't the kind of lull in the story that was boring, everything worked together well. The scifi components were interesting and I'm really excited to see where this goes with future installations in the universe. The chemistry between Arcadio and Temper was fantastic! The enemies-to-lovers aspect of the story was great. Fay brought together two people who have every reason not to trust each but ultimately made their coming together so satisfying. I would highly recommend Calamity to anyone looking for a romance with a scifi setting that has a story that has you going "one more chapter!".

What a stellar introduction to a new series! The characters are captivating, and the author's humor brilliantly offsets the high-stakes space adventure.

Temperance steals the show with her fabulous personality and the dynamic camaraderie among the characters. If you don't fall in love with Temperance from the get-go, there might be no hope for you. Her voice narrates the story beautifully, and the other characters contribute to the overall charm.

The rich world-building and the conflicts faced by the scouting vessel make up for some shortcomings in this book, creating a captivating backdrop for the main protagonists. The story, while fun, is also packed with high-octane excitement. The series shows great promise, and while eagerly anticipating the next installment, the satisfying ending of this one ensures you won't be tearing your hair out in anticipation. Also, the exploration of relevant topics in this story adds depth to the narrative, making it not only incredibly entertaining but also an exhilarating experience.

Balancing romance and other story elements is delicate, and Calamity succeeds by keeping the plot convincing and the characters strong, even though side characters may lack development. The romance between Temperance and Arcadio may be expected, but the author delivers it with heartwarming and steamy flair, making Calamity an immensely satisfying read.

Surprisingly, Calamity marks Constance Fay's debut, seamlessly blending genres with smooth and rapid pacing. Overall, Calamity sets a promising precedent for the future of the SFF romance imprint, and I'm eagerly anticipating more from Bramble and keeping an eye on Constance Fay's future projects. The next Uncharted Hearts novel is definitely on my to-read list!

A campy science fiction romance romp with found family, rival families, cultists and horny MCs.

Calamity offers an action-packed, but also angsty, space romance about a banished member of the Fifteen, a misfit crew, a scouting mission and an enemies to lovers romance.

The concept of the Fifteen Families all vying for the top five spots with a race for technological advances has me intrigued enough for future books in the series, especially if more of the crew is explored.

The romance overshadowed the plot and main characters' growth but that could be due to my own personal expectations for the novel. The narrative style has the MC Temper speaking directly to the reader often, so be aware for personal preferences. Dialogue and descriptions also came off on the juvenile side, which is fine but juxtaposed with the more complex technology and steam, didn't work for me. Many of the secondary characters stole the show, which I find is often the case with found family books.

I will recommend Calamity to those who are seeking a steamier romance (a couple open door scenes) in a fast-paced adventurous science fiction setting. I agree with other reviewers that the cover is misleading since Calamity is more romance forward than sci-fi.

CW: violence, death, blood, medical content, toxic relationship, bullying, torture, classism, sexual content

Calamity is a fun first book in a new space series from Constance Fay. We follow Temperance and exiled member of one of the "Families' and her ragtag crew as they get hired for a super-secret exploration mission on a planet that's home to a cult. What could wrong? I really enjoyed all these characters and can't wait to see what Constance Fay does with this series.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

Constance Fay's Calamity is a good book for fans of Meagan Spooner and Amie Kaufman's Starbound trilogy as well as some of the cheesier Sy-Fy space television shows that are addicting but ridiculous at the same time. Unfortunately, Calamity for me was a bit of a miss, but I could see some people having fun with it, especially for readers who like lighter romances with a decent amount of worldbuilding.

So the main character, Temperance Reed, has been kicked out of her rich family and is now the captain of a ship. Her and her crew take on an odd job involving another rich family, and one of the sons of said family, Arcadio, tags along for the trip. Temperance's personality wasn't super mature. Her inner dialogue and even conversations with other characters just weren't funny. The banter was really juvenile, in my opinion. And I feel like that's what the story and the romance was leaning on: being a light-hearted, funny, space romance. Honestly, it was just kind of weird and awkward. Arcadio also never really got a chance to move beyond "hot solder" designation. The supposedly "romantic" and "sexy" scenes did not hit.

The action for this story was decent. The conflict between the main characters and the cult group and another evil rich family was intriguing, but it didn't make up for the lackluster chemistry between the two leads. There was no real tension between the two; it was a bit insta-lovey/lusty. With some cheesiness thrown in. Some of the descriptions towards the end were also a little hard to follow. The writing got a little clunky.

Overall, Calamity didn't hit like I thought it would. I expected worldbuilding on the scale of The Expanse with a romance story similar to ACOTAR or FBAA, as this is published by a sci-fi/fantasy romance imprint. I think my expectations were too high. However, don't let that stop you from reading it. It could be a nice palette cleanser between heavier romantasy stories.

2 stars

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

When I get wind of a new sci-fi romance coming out, I’m always determined to give it a try. Sadly, the first person point of view hurt my experience more than it helped and I had to call it quits. What a shame!

Temperance Reed was banished from the affluent Reed Family, and she’s now working on a scouting ship. When her captain runs off with the ship intern (the same captain she’s been having a months-long affair with), Temperance takes control of the ship and crew. Business isn’t what it used to be, so when the powerful Escajeda Family offers her a confidential job, she isn’t in a position to decline. Besides, if all goes well, she and her crew are looking at both a hefty payout and a boost in clientele. There’s just two catches:

- One of the Escajeda children, Arcadio, must come along as a security detail.
- If anyone finds out about the assignment, their ship will be blown to pieces.

So of course, I’m expecting a dashing space adventure with close quarters eyefucking and lots of danger. Instead, I got a LOT more eyefucking and way less danger than I wanted.

The biggest weakness of this book is the first person POV. I don’t love this POV in general, but for first person POV to work for me, I have to really enjoy being in the head of the protagonist. Unfortunately, Temperance was just too horny. Look, I enjoy a horny book if that’s what I know I’m getting. But we couldn’t go a page or two without Temperance thinking about Arcadio, his sexiness, what he’d look like naked – you get the idea. It was a major distraction from the otherwise very compelling mystery plot and world building.

I also had “not like other girls” vibes from Temperance that undermined the feeling of a character rebelling against a cruel, systemic power structure. There are ruling Families, set up like a pyramid. There are the most powerful Five, then the Ten, and so on. The higher up you are in the pyramid, the more wealth and influence you wield. The Five are often titans of specific industries like weapons, mining, etc. It’s reiterated throughout the book (well, of what I read of it…so about half) how greedy and cutthroat all Families are, even down to the Fifty, as people vie to climb the ladder. They use genetic modifications on their children so that they’re born with the most desirable traits, and then use cosmetic mods once they’re born to give them flawless features.

However, as we learn more about Temperance’s background, we discover she was the daughter of the Reed Family of the Ten. Everything went to shit when her scheming brother took power, but before that…her parents were good people? I say that with skepticism because Temperance has such a jaded view of the Family hierarchy, and her parents seemed to be the only “good ones” in the bunch without any shady or exploitative business deals. It felt a lot like a cop out because it absolves Temperance from having to reckon with her place of privilege in this cruel power structure, even though she would have still been a part of it if not for her banishment.

If you liked Jessie Mihalik’s Polaris Rising, this feels similar to its “princess on the run” heroine and ruling houses power structure. I was truly tempted to stick with it and made it to the halfway point; I typically DNF for much less and within the first fifty pages. Every time I returned to the book, though, it was begrudgingly. At first, it was “maybe this gets better” and soon turned into lots of skimming. I wasn’t enjoying it and only kept picking it back up out of some obligation for a review, and that’s no way to read a book.

There were some really interesting side characters and I enjoyed the way Fay released world building details in little dribs and drabs. The Families and what they’re known for are revealed bit by bit. I found each new detail to be really exciting, so much so that I could have seen myself taking notes as new facts were discovered. I also think I would have loved a dramatis personae in the front matter, similar to what Gideon the Ninth did at the front, with all the houses.

Temperance’s crew was also a lot of fun, though perhaps I liked them more because I wasn’t in their head, reading about how they wanted to lick Arcadio’s nose. My favorite character was Itzel, the ship’s biologist, who is described as “a pacifist assassin monk who parted ways with her death goddess.” It’s never a good sign when all of the side characters are more compelling than the main one. If Itzel is the main character of a future book, I’ll be picking it up, though with tempered expectations.

Even if I had finished Calamity, I believe a majority of my critiques would still stand. Maybe there’s a big twist that reveals Temperance’s parents weren’t as squeaky clean as she remembers and she has to contend with the removal of those rose-colored glasses. Sadly, Temperance’s voice was my biggest hurdle and I didn’t see that changing.

Oh, well! Onto the next!

I want to love this. There’s a lot I do love about this. But unfortunately it’s not working for me and I decided to DNF at 25%. May be wrong time, wrong reader. Excited for a romance scifi imprint! And really enjoying the humor/tone of the writing. It’s a lot of action. Too much about the action for me. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.

This book is juicy in all the good ways — it’s sexy, gory, chilling, and hilarious by turns. This is the kind of sci-fi with blaster fights on distant planets with volcano cults and underhanded corporations, and it also nails the romance in a way few space operas do. Brash, buoyant, and a hell of a good time.

Imgur link goes to graphic scheduled for December 29
Blog Post goes live January 12th
Amazon review submitted, pending system approval
Will be featured in December Reads pt 2 on Youtube

TL;DR: Pick up for the fast paced plot and humor, and just enjoy the rest as it comes.

I’m going to be really honest and tell you I went into this with some low expectations. I had no idea what to expect and the few reviews I’d heard weren’t enthusiastic. I didn’t have bad expectations but I was keeping them low, who knew what I’d find. Perhaps that’s why I ended up having such a blast with this one.

Temper Reed, captain of the Quest, is looking for another scouting job to help pay the debts she has on her ship when she’s offered the deal of a lifetime from one of the most powerful Families in the galaxy. She takes it, and the required Family son, and heads off on adventure. It doesn’t sound like it’s going to be that involved to be honest, I feel like perhaps the cover and the blurb have done this book a disservice. A first person PoV book, this was hilarious and fast paced in a way that kept me coming back.

The humor in this self deprecating, easy, and at times crass but it’s MY type of humor. There is a scene with a slow moving mining car (has a large drill on the front) with bodies being tossed at it. I ******rolled.****** I was cackling for 10 mins, no joke, and ended up telling my husband hours later because I was still amused. The book didn’t take itself too seriously, cracking jokes even during sex scenes. I am here for that sort of thing. I ate this up.

The romance was okay, the plot was very fun, and I obviously loved the humor. I’d say go in for the jokes and fast paced plot, and enjoy the rest as it comes. The side characters are also fantastic, I’m hoping to see more of this author and this world. Perhaps following the rest of the crew? Or following Temper again? I will be there regardless. Such a blast of a book.

4 out of 5 boots through windshields

Actual 3.5 stars
On paper this book should have been a slam dunk for me. I love a good sci fi book paired with some romance. However, it took me until about 60% into the book to really have a feel for the world that Fay was building and to even start to like the main character, Temperance. She felt too immature and incapable of making good decisions to be a ship captain and based on the scrapes that we witnessed her get into, I’m amazed she’s just not dead.. She also spent so long hating and mistrusting her love interest that (view spoiler)
One thing I really liked about the book was the cast of supporting characters and I really hope we get to know them better and learn more of their stories as Fay continues this series. I think the world the Fay built with the Families is very unique and now that I feel like I have a better understanding of the structure of the system these characters live in, I think I will like future books more.

A very fun debut science fiction romance with nonstop action, including magma-steamed sex, and banter that made me laugh out loud. I look forward to more books in this debut series. Where will Calamity and her crew blast off to next?

[Thanks to Tor/Forge and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would! I was afraid based on the cheesiness of the first chapter, and the synopsis, but I really genuinely ended up enjoying this! Plus, the enemies portion of the enemies to lovers wasn't filled with inexcusable shit!