This story is told in first person by Temperance or Temper. I was excited to try this SciFi romance that was “for fans of Firefly”. I usually hate blurbs that make statements like that because I’m usually inevitably disappointed.

This book has a good “found family” dynamic with the motley crew that Temper has put together on this ship. I enjoyed her backstory. She has some interesting family dynamics that come into play during the story. I also liked the SciFi world the author created with “Fifteen Families” whittled down to 5 most powerful Families that reminds me of an old school mafia story.

This was a good adventure with crazy occultists and diabolical siblings, but sadly the romance was a little lacking for me. Temper spent too much time distracted by how attractive Escajeda was even though she’s annoyed by his very presence. There were moments of true connection, especially over their family situations, that started to build a relationship, then she would start thinking about climbing him like a tree again, which really isn’t my thing.

Recommended to SciFi Romance fans that enjoy a faster burn.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing/Bramble for a copy provided for an honest review.

Calmity
Uncharted Hearts #1
Constance Fay


Constance Fay’s debut and first in her new Uncharted Hearts series, Calamity, is fantastic, a feel-good, unforgettable non-stop action adventure/sci-fi romance and an Amazon Editor’s Pick. Her #1-star, Temperance Reed is a delight a mix of saucy and vulnerable and a captain who really cares about her crew. And speaking of her crew, they are an eclectic group of misfits that all play an important role in the novel, readers will learn a little about and hopefully get to know better in upcoming installations. Then there’s Temper’s nemesis, too-sexy-for-his-shirt Arcadio Escajeda, and only time will tell if he’s friend or foe. Fay has a way with words and world building and with a flowing narrative that includes a lot of danger, and a good amount of humor readers will find themselves absolutely enchanted by her incredible people, her fantastical places and her unimaginable things as Temper and her crew scout uncharted territories and get into their share of trouble. Fans of fantasy/sci-fi romance will enjoy this from start to finish and will be left to wonder what the author has in store for them next.

Now banished from one of the Ten Families, Temperance (Temper) Reed captains a rag tag crew of planet scouters and needs a new gig to keep her crew in credits and to keep her ship from the repo man when she’s summoned by the head of the Escajeda Family one of the Five Families for a potential job. Seems there’s a planet that may contain a minable amount of a very profitable element needed to fuel the new ships and he wants her to confirm its existence. Oh, and to keep her honest he’s sending his son along.
The last thing Temperance needs is a too-sexy-for-his-shirt spy, but she doesn’t have a choice and at least he’s nice to look at.

Temper is the dispossessed captain of a ship for hire. Her crew might be called ragtag. Her bank account can be described as slim. And her prospects are meager. So when the powerful, doesn’t-take-no-for-an-answer Escajeda hires her and her ship and crew for a scouting mission, it is hard to say no. Even if she is forced to include a ‘consultant’, Arcadio, the extremely attractive son of the Escajeda.

On the surface, the mission is to scout a planet for a new energy source. If only it were that simple. Of course, if it were that simple, there would not be much of a story.

I loved this debut from Constance Fay. Calamity hits all the notes needed for a great Scifi Romance. Strong female and male lead characters, a spaceship with a ragtag crew, alien planets and plenty of danger, discovery, daring and a delicious romance.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion.

This was a delightful read. I think the voice won't necessarily work for everyone but it worked for me. This book balanced an engaging and action packed sci fi story as well as the developing romance between the two main characters. I loved the cast of side characters we had as well and am excited to continue following everyone in the sequel

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor / Bramble, and Ms. Fay for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

Ms. Fay is an author to watch. I was so impressed by this book, and to discover it was a debut? Slow clap. The author’s background in medical equipment definitely shows in the realistic descriptions of various tech and procedures. #nerdalert lol

So Temperance Reed, disgraced and banished former member of the top-twenty Reed Family, is captain of a down-market merc ship Quest. Desperate for money, she accepts a scouting job from the top-5 Escajeda Family, which comes with an unforeseen contract rider: the Escajedas’ second child, Arturo, will join the crew to oversee the job. Of course Temper and Arturo strike sparks off one another right away. And of course, the job turns out to have umpteen more layers of complexity than Temper and the crew expected.

Temper is awesome. She is as intrepid as Captain Tavi in Jessie Mihalik’s book Hunt the Stars, and has a good pshare of the snark and sarcasm of Murderbot in Martha Wells’ Murderbot Diaries (which is in my opinion a HIGH compliment) and to top it all off she is actually a great captain. Her crew is awesome too. And Arturo… he was superb. What a perfect foil for Temperance.

I really really enjoyed this and will be eagerly anticipating follow up books in the series.

4.5 -⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

"Good news: I'm still alive.
Bad news: Everything else. Literally everything else."

Calamity is the debut novel in a New Adult Sci-Fi Romance series, Uncharted Hearts. In this story we follow Temperance Reed, the newfound captain of Quest after she sank all her hopes and money to keeping this ship and crew. As an exiled member of the Fifteen Families, she knows her future is bleak with a ship barely functioning on old tech that is making her ship almost obsolete. Yet the Escajeda Family offer her a chance to break out of her debt by completing a scouting mission on a back-water planet...except they second the second son of the family, Arcadio, as "security." Sparks fly between them but simmering underneath are secrets...and the threats loom not just around but within as her heart soon becomes on the line.

Temper is the kind of determined, humble, and likeable character that really brings a story together. I loved seeing her wit as she unravelled the secrets but also her ability to weather all the challenges she faces with her head up. She's worn and her past as it is revealed tells us a lot about her. She is fierce and I lived for it.

Arcadio is a devilish charming male protagonist that was the perfect compliment to Temper. He challenges Temper but in all the best ways. He's arrogant but when he falls he falls HARD!

This book does contain spice - I would save 2 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. This romance is a medium burn I would say and it was such fun. The antagonism between the two characters at the beginning was delicious and watching them figure each other out is a delight. The spice is a cherry on top.

"I'm putty in the hands of a woman who is disgusted by me. That first time you told me to f off ensured I'd always be yours."

In terms of plot and world, I would say like many sci-fi worlds there is a bit of chaos as you are thrown into this futuristic world. I felt I was able to follow along but there are a lot of questions I still have and I would have like to explore more of the societal aspect, especially surrounding the families. This is the first in the series so more information may come as the series progresses. The story starts off with a fairly straightforward premise but as soon as you hear it you know things are going to happen. I felt some aspects took a little longer to come to fruition but there is adventure, kidnapping, separating, survival, secret plots, and more to keep you occupied throughout. There is an amazing found family element and I devoured this book over the course of a day! The ending was incredibly sweet and has me excited for book 2.

If you are looking for a Sc-Fi adventure with a delicious romance and secrets to unravel this book will fulfil all your wishes!

Thank you Bramble for this e-ARC!

"Making a mess is, like, my best skill."

Temperance is the best. Rough around the edges, a little bit filthy, a pilot with a rusty ship and rugged crew. But I couldn't put this down.

The world building is just the right amount of scifi kitche - think Buck Rogers with a badass heroine.

The found family crew (and hot new guy) make this a fun escapist read. And the main character's witty banter - with herself, mostly - makes this book simply delightful.

It's the first in a series, and I can't wait to see book 2.

Well this is a strong start to a series! I am already in love with the characters, and the author has a way with humor that really works, especially in offsetting some of the more dire circumstances. This is a space adventure, which you likely surmised from basic reading skills and/or the cover, but it is really a standout one. The stakes are high, and the plot is captivating, but the real stars of the show here are the characters.

If you do not absolutely adore Temperance from the start, I don't know what to tell you, you cannot be helped. She is fabulous, and hearing the story in her voice is the best. And while Temperance is awesome, so too are the other characters. I loved their dynamic and camaraderie, and watching them bring a new member (fancy family member Arcadio Escajeda) into the fold was extra fun, especially considering Temperance's angry lust for him. Speaking of Fancy Families™, they seem to control all the things in this world. Because of course a few wealthy people control everyone else. Lots of relevant topics are presented in this story- likely even more relevant than the author could have imagined in light of recent events. So while this is an incredibly fun story, make no mistake, it is also high octane excitement, too!

This is (very thankfully) a start to a series that I cannot wait to continue, but this one ends in a way that is satisfying enough that you won't be tearing your hair out waiting. Or maybe you will just because you want more of the story, and that is super valid too!

Bottom Line: Amazing start to a new world full of space adventure!

I want to explicitly state at the forefront of this review that I am not the target audience for something like <i>Calamity</i>, which is also why I wanted to read it so much. My partner absolutely adores romance as a genre, and we talk often about the kinds of books she reads. For a long time, I've thought about getting into romance as a genre, but I've rarely found those books to be of particular interest to me.

But I do like fantasy, and I like science fiction, and I like horror and Gothic trappings, and Bramble, Tor's new romance imprint, seems to have a much broader approach to multi-genre romance. <i>Calamity</i> isn't just romance, it's also science fiction, and I wanted to read it because a) my partner wants me to read more romance, and b) because I am a fan of science fiction and wanted to see what a marriage of the two genres would look like.

I expected light sci-fi elements in the book, but I didn't expect the book to be nearly as pulpy as it is. This is not hard, military sci-fi, it's a bunch of lasers and action and hot people doing hot people things, and as a result the book's plot just seems to fly. Fay doesn't keep her characters in any one place (or position, for that matter) for very long, which gives the book a kind of rocket trajectory from points A to D. The worldbuilding is surprisingly adept, and I found myself mostly pulled in by interesting multi-planetary politics and allusions to interplanetary adventure. The fact that Fay doesn't sit for a couple dozen pages to explain how anything works or lecture on quantum physics in order to give the world some "realism" is really refreshing. This isn't a book about heavy philosophy. It's about kissing--but that it can tell a story with a fun plot and pulpy elements is icing on the cake.

And the book does handle its spicy subject matter pretty well. In terms of the kind of sex I was expecting, I think the book is very solidly middle-of-the-road, and even a bit of a slow burn by comparison to some of the other stories I've been told about in romance. The sex elements are kept pretty breezy, with enough detail to make them fun but without slipping into unnerving descriptions in crass internet slang. Fay strikes a good balance between hot but still readable, exciting without cringe-inducement. In truth, I had expected something a lot more than middle-of-the-road, but a two- or three-chili spice level is fine.

Perhaps what Fay does best with this book is combining all of the elements--the sci-fi, the romance, the sex, the plot--with characters that feel genuinely fun to read about. Temper and Arcadio have believable chemistry, and it's borne out through delightful banter that had me actually chuckling as I read. It felt easy to slip into the world and enjoy it for any number of reasons connected to what the book is doing.

I think the strongest indicator for me about how I felt about the book and its quality was that even as I was reading my complimentary review copy, I found the book out on a bookshelf about two weeks ahead of the book's release, and immediately scooped it up to buy it. The book wasn't just good enough for a nightly chapter or two, it left no question in my mind that I wanted to own a copy of the book for good, for rereading, for reference to when the sequel comes out and I want to read that book. I have had such a good time reading <i>Calamity</i> that buying it became a no-brainer, an automatic reflex that reaffirmed my feeling that <i>Calamity</i> is a romance book <i>for me</i>, and that Bramble could be a romance publisher <i>for me</i>.

It's a good book. It's fun, it's funny, it's adventurous, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

<b>Disclosure Statement: I received a complimentary copy of <i>Calamity</i> from Bramble via NetGalley. The review above has in no way been influenced by receipt of the book, and all opinions discussed are my own.</b>

This book was very entertaining, it mad it hard to put down, There is so much action in this book along with a sweet romance. It has a great cast of characters. They were tough, loving, and funny. I'm hoping we get to learn more of the side characters lives and problems in the future books. I can't wait so see what happens in the next book. The main plot of this book was wrapped up in the end, but it does have an on going plot that will continue into the next book. I would highly recommend this book to Scifi lovers. It has a lot of action and humor in it.

Spooky season is over, but that doesn’t mean I have to jump headfirst into anything holly jolly. I’m not really a big Christmas person, so in an attempt to cleanse my palette of all the carols flooding every public space I decided I needed some of my favourite genre—science fiction.
Thankfully I had Calamity by Constance Fay waiting in the wings. A scifi romance with a heavy emphasis on the scifi part.
I read a lot of the more popular alien romances, and while they’re great and I do enjoy them, I do find that they more often than not consist of a narrative centred first and foremost around the romance aspect. This is by no means a bad thing, but as a fan of the scifi genre as a whole, I do find it refreshing when a book seeks to establish that level of intricate and complex world building in order to tell not only a good romance, but also a good fully developed scifi story. That is what Calamity does.
This is a book that focuses its effort more around the world and its politics as opposed to how soon the two main characters will get together. As such it is a slow burn a bit, but admittedly I hardly even noticed because I was so enthralled by the adventure of the plot and all of the character development and dialogue. The main couple were fantastic, the side characters were all interesting and funny, the romance was believable, and honestly my biggest complaint is I want more. I enjoyed this so much I am now simultaneously happy to have read it but also sorry I have to wait for the next instalment in the series.
As a whole I really liked this, and would consider it among my top reads of the year. I would certainly recommend it if you’re a science fiction fan, or if you enjoy more plot and intrigue heavy romance with a strong female lead.

This feel-good smash up sci-fi adventure and steamy romance, the first in a series, really works! It bubbles with humor, danger, diabolical plots, elites, and a treasure hunt.

Temperance Reed, banished from her elite family by her tyrannical and cruel brother, purchases and captains a run-down spaceship. Her crew each have fully developed, quirky, flawed, and loveable personalities. They form a space family and have Temperance’s back as they go on lucrative planet scouting missions for powerful families.

Temperance, known for her bravery as well as her temper at when provoked, cannot resist a scouting mission offer from the powerful Escajeda family to go search a planet for a rare element that could transform space travel. But a huge hitch: Arcadio, the haughty, highly trained, gorgeous middle son of the Escajeda family, has to come along for security as part of the deal. Temperance, with a history of romance failures, cannot believe her bad luck.

As they explore the planet, they have to deal with both a cult of banished galaxy citizens as well as highly armed militia from a rival of the Escajeda family. As they explore the underground lava tubes of the planet stemming from a huge dormant volcano, they uncover a diabolical plot. Running alongside the high-stake thrills of uncovering what’s going on, Temperance and Arcadio move from enemies to trusted teammates to passionate lovers.

Can’t wait for book 2!

Thanks to Tor Publishing Group, Bramble and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

I absolutely think this gave Firefly vibes and I loved it! We meet our new crew a rag-tag group of people taking on jobs to keep the lights on or rather fuel in the tank and the creditors at bay. And anything that can go wrong... well it's gonna happen. Which made this story endlessly entertaining.

I love Temper and Arcadio together. The smexy scenes definitely had me fanning myself, the banter was perfect and I laughed out loud so many times. The other characters were dynamic and engaging, and I wish I was one of their crew!
I was so happy to find that this is the beginning of a series and I can't wait to see what going to happen next!!

Stubborn Temperance may let her heart go wildly astray, but she's devoted to her woefully underpowered ship and crew. So when one of the Five Families makes her an offer she (literally) can't refuse, she's flung into intergalactic intrigue....and a very sexy new security officer. Excellent for fans of the TV show Firefly and space opera in general, with a hefty dose of spicy romance.

Calamity follows Temperance Reed (Temper for short, because she's got a bad one) on her first mission as the captain of the Quest. She's been banished from regular society, her brother is a psycho megalomaniac, and her lover/former captain just ran off with the intern. So that's great.

Now Temper has to pay off her debts and keep the outdated ship space-worthy. Fortunately, she's got a great crew to back her up. Unfortunately, their first mission inserts them directly into perilous political drama between governing Families, as well as in the path of some crazed cultists. Oh, and the client's son/the mission's security expert is both insanely hot and insanely Up To Something.

Calamity was such a fun sci-fi/adventure/romance romp! I loved the found family element, and getting to know each of the crew members was fun. Fay has teased some very interesting backstories for each of them, so I hope the subsequent books in this series will delve into them even more.

The romance between Temper and Arcadio was enjoyable, but due to the length and pacing of the novel, it did feel a bit rushed. One of the best things about a romance in my opinion is the tension and build-up, but there really just wasn't time for since the book had an actual plot to juggle. They had great banter though, and it was cute to see how well they worked together as a team. I do sort of wish this had been dual POV, as Arcadio's perspective may have helped round out the romance a bit better.

Overall, I thought this was a delightful first book, and I can't wait to see where the Uncharted Hearts series goes from here!

Genre: SF Romance

Temperance Reed hasn’t always made the best decisions when it comes to men. When it turns out her latest flame has been double-timing her, Temperance decides not only to send him packing but also to buy his space ship from him. Unfortunately, that ship comes with some major debts, so Temperance and her crew need to find a lucrative job quickly. That job comes from House Escajeda, who, to protect their interests, sends son Arcadio Escajeda as security to oversee the mission. Arcadio is infuriatingly more perfect than any person has a right to be, but Temperance won’t let that get in the way of her mission.

This was a strong debut in the oft-overlooked genre of romance in space. For romance readers who may balk at the first signs of space travel, this is romance first, space-stuff second, and has a similar feel to a Jessie Mihalik book or Amanda Bouchet’s Endeavor series.

Any time an author chooses an unordinary perspective, it’s a bit jarring to settle into. Fay writes Calamity in first person present tense, and it took me a few chapters to get used to this. However, the writing is strong enough that after a few chapters, that POV choice makes sense, putting you directly into the center of both the action and Temperance’s inner monologue.

Calamity occasionally struggles to balance the worldbuilding for longtime science fiction readers, but I think it is an excellent entrypoint to space adventures for romance readers looking to branch out. Or for anyone just looking for a good time in space.

I’m excited to see where Constance Fay goes with this series and with her writing in general.

[3.5/5] CALAMITY by Constance Fay science fiction romance set in what amounts to the mafia in space. Banished by her Family, Temperance (Temper) Reed works as the Captain of a scout crew living job to job. Then she gets a scouting offer she can't refuse from the Escajeda, one of the top Five Families, which is exactly what she needs for some much-needed ship repairs. However, she's less than enthusiastic about the stipulation requiring that Arcadio Escajeda, one of the Escajeda's children, join the mission as their security. Whether for security or spying, Temper isn't pleased. But she and her crew need the funds, which undoubtedly means they find themselves in a situation that's more than Temper bargained for.

A very approachable sci-fi read, CALAMITY incorporates space travel but stays light on the technical jargon. This is a debut book published by Bramble, which is a new Tor Publishing Group imprint dedicated to romance. Thus, one can expect romance and spice all set in space and new worlds. For those who prefer some plot with their passion, rest assured that the bulk of the story focuses on the scouting task.

The tone and writing style of CALAMITY is sarcastic and straight forward with some dry humor. Admittedly, I wasn't expecting this, so it initially threw me off. But once I settled into narrative and realized this casual style was intentional, I didn't mind it. I did roll my eyes a few times, though, at the wry and cynical generalizations Temper makes about men. Yet she also realizes she can be just as ridiculous with her actions or thoughts. Overall, though, I felt that this story needed one more editing pass. I thought the construction of some sentences was odd, particularly in the first third of the story, so much so that I had to reread passages a few times. I also caught a naming discrepancy that I hope was fixed prior to publication.

Regardless, the fast-paced plot was easy to follow, though the crew doesn't always have it easy. There are definitely some tense moments and even some gore as the plot hits a high action point. I found the information about how the Families operate interesting. Some operate in biotechnology circles while others focus on hard tech. So they're always competing with each other and vying for a spot in the top Fifteen or Five. This also means that the Families basically heavily influence the market because that's what rich and powerful people do.

With respect to the romance, unfortunately it felt mostly flat to me. I suppose one could categorize it as insta-lust. But even the lust seemed downplayed to just a few sentences of Temper thinking about how hot Arcadio is. And even though they're on a ship and a mission together, I didn't feel like there was enough interaction in the story to warrant much beyond attraction. In short, I wanted more interpersonal development and banter. Instead, I felt disconnected from their relationship despite enjoying the ride enough to keep going. Furthermore, Arcadio, while not one dimensional, was not as fleshed out as he could have been. Although CALAMITY is from Temper's point of view, I don't think this is the limiting factor since many first-person POVs have great development of other characters.

In summary, I think I set my expectations high when I found out about this science fiction romance. I don't read a ton of science fiction, so the inclusion of romance is what drew me in. However, while this book didn't blow me away, I enjoyed the time I spent reading it. Overall, CALAMITY by Constance Fay is tense yet entertaining intergalactic mafia mission. This is a fun, quick read for those who prefer lighter science fiction that incorporates a moderate dose of romance without sacrificing the plot. Lastly, while it appears CALAMITY might be part of a series, it reads as a stand alone.

✨🪐 Calamity ARC Review 🪐✨

Thank you so much to Constance Fay, Bramble and Tor Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!!

Calamity is a sci-fi fantasy adventure. Temper thought she was in love with her captain, but she didn’t realize he was in love with someone else. After he runs away with her, Temper assumes control of the ship. She’s desperate for money and determined to succeed, but when she accepts a risky job with an attractive male, did she sign up for more than she expected?

This was a fantastic sci-fi read! The world building was wonderful, and the characters were all engaging. I enjoyed the politics of the galaxy, and how they all impacted the story. Temper was a great character and I loved her relationship with her crew. Arcadio was a great complement to her and I loved their dynamics together!

Overall this was a five star read! Great story, wonderful characters and sweet romance! This book also had some spicy scenes throughout, so overall three flames for spice

If you’re a fan of sci-fi adventures with strong characters, fun storytelling, found family vibes and a dash of romance, then absolutely check this one out!

Please Note: Review will be posted on Amazon upon publication

Okay let me discuss the first thing I loved which was the world. I love not only the idea of corrupt intergalactic families, but also an exile from this world of privilege. Meet Temperance. At the beginning we aren't sure why she's been exiled, but her exile and when one will 'take a stand' are a theme of Calamity which I enjoyed watching developing. It's a theme that's reflected through a few different characters as their motivations and ambitions are all tested. Secondly, the romance and spice was fabulous.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating. I think the publisher did a disfavor comparing the writing to Ilona Andrews; they're my favorite author so that set my expectations too high. The worldbuilding and romantic tension simply doesn't compare.