If you know me, then you know my favorite show is Farscape, for a lot of reasons, but a big one being the chemistry between Crichton and Aeryn.

The chemistry between Temper and Arcadio - fire. The sass they throw at each other, the sexual tension, the bickering and banter - it's sooo good.
But on top of that, the plot is engaging. I'm a sucker for Sci-Fi adventure stories and when you throw romance into the mix, I'm even more of a goner. The other shipmates are sooo good as well, they add a nice balance and the camaraderie between all of them is so fun to read.

I will say that the pacing was a smidge slow, but not so much that it pulled me form the story. For so much that was happening, it didn't feel rushed, but I wasn't able to just breeze through it like I usually do with books that have a lot going on.
I had a lot of fun reading this and I can't wait to see what happens next in this series. The beginning had me hooked with that little surprise bomb that gets dropped and then I was hooked completely.

"Calamity" by Constance Fay is a thrilling space opera romance that combines high-stakes adventure, intense chemistry, and a captivating enemies-to-lovers dynamic to create an engaging and entertaining read.

The story revolves around Temperance Reed, the capable and resourceful captain of a mercenary ship, who finds herself faced with an offer she can't refuse from the powerful Escajeda family. In order to secure her reward, Temperance must partner with Arcadio Escajeda, a member of the very family she has a history with. The tension and attraction between Temperance and Arcadio create a charged atmosphere as they navigate the dangers of a scouting mission on an unfamiliar planet.

Constance Fay skillfully crafts a world rich with political intrigue, advanced technology, and complex familial dynamics. The descriptions of the futuristic setting and the galactic conflicts immerse readers in a vivid and imaginative universe.

The characters are well-developed and multidimensional, each carrying their own secrets, motivations, and vulnerabilities. Temperance's determination and independence make her a compelling protagonist, while Arcadio's mix of competence, charisma, and hidden agendas add layers to his character. The banter and interactions between Temperance and Arcadio are sharp and filled with tension, gradually evolving into a sizzling romance that keeps readers engaged.

The plot is paced well, blending action, suspense, and romance seamlessly. As the characters confront volcanic eruptions, dangerous foes, and personal struggles, the stakes rise and the emotional connections deepen. The enemies-to-lovers trope adds a layer of complexity to the romance, as trust and vulnerability become central themes.

"Calamity" is a thrilling space adventure that combines a captivating romance with a richly detailed sci-fi world. Constance Fay's writing keeps the readers engaged from start to finish, making this novel a delightful and immersive read for fans of enemies-to-lovers romance and space opera adventures.

While I'm sure this book will be embraced by many readers it just wasn't the book for me. I'm not a fan of a first person POV so that was a distraction. I wanted to give Calamity a try but, although I thought the world building was interesting, it never fully drew me in and I DNF'd at 20%.
I think readers who like a SciFi/Fantasy/Romance genre mix will enjoy it. Since I didn't finish the novel I will only share my opinion on NetGalley. Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to try it.

This was a delightful sci-fi romance romp. It had the right amount of snark, adventure, and romance. The characters were interesting and I can't wait to see where the world building takes up. All in all a great read.

A fun, sci-fi, space rom com with great worldbuilding and an addictive plot.

Overall my favourite thing about this book was the worldbuilding - I think the concepts introduced and the power hierarchies were really innovative and different to anything I've read before. I love me a unique sci-fi so i ate this right up!! The characters were also fun and unique to the point where i wished it was multi pov so we could have learned more about the side characters, as they all seemed to have really interesting backstories.

However my main issue with this book was the writing style. To me, it read very YA, which for an adult book with multiple sex scenes felt quite... jarring? This could very well just be a personal preference though.

Overall i enjoyed it a lot though and look forward to any future works by the author!

Kicks off at a fast pace that sucks you in and keeps it going, definitely a good fit for out libraries.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

5/5
Warring families and an exiled heiress turned captain with an extraordinary mission that will test the limits of her crew and her own heart. Compulsively readable with a narrative that frames an intense origin story, Calamity is a space odyssey unlike any other. Entangling found family, a high-stakes mission, and unforeseen romance, its true strength lies in the relentless heroine at its center. Like Temperance Reed is literally MY GIRL you don't understand. Calamity has all the makings of an addictive science fiction story and will surely be a new favorite romance for readers everywhere. Prepare to dive in and have your heart set ablaze.

My full review will be up on my blog closer to publication.

I had read exactly one science fiction romance before delving into this one (why yes, you are correct that would have been Ice Planet Barbarians). I’m not exactly one for science fiction in general but I sure do love romance and the prospect of supporting a new romance imprint is just too good to pass up.

Temperance or better known to her crew as Temper (both because of convenience and it suits) finds herself as the new captain of the Quest. Desperate for jobs but banished from her family, she will take any job she can get. Even if it means a risky planetary exploration and the addition of a new crew member straight from one of the 5 ruling families. 

The language and plot are super digestible for those looking for less science heavy worldbuilding and more just a fun, and at times dangerous, outer space romp. There’s some comedic gold hidden amongst some heavy sexual tension and will-they-or-won’t they energy. 

The only thing that sat firmly on the fence of being either something I devoured or cringed at was the constant reminder of his “masculine presence.” In fact, the book referred to it as a “throbbing masculine presence.” I laughed at first because it was ridiculous but after a while it became weird. I thought his personality was way more appealing that his physique which we are constantly reminded of.

Thank you to Bramble Romance for providing an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

You want it? A lush, deeply satisfying space adventure that has it all: a found-family of misfits, a protagonist with a killer voice, steamy romance founded on mutual respect, banter to die for and so much more that it seeps into your bones? Get ready for a star-crossed love story pulled from the streets of Verona that will make you bark with laughter and swell with warmth. You’ll root for Temperance and her crew along with the rest of us and wonder where the heck Constance Fay has been all these years. Calamity is finally here and it has so been worth the wait.

Calamity was honestly one of my most anticipated books of 2023, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. Constance Fay is a new author to me and I was blown away by her writing. This sci-fi novel had such a cool and well thought out universe. I am a complete sucker for an operatic, family dynasty sci-fi novel.
I love the trope of found family and I’m so excited to see the secondary characters stories. Hopefully the secondary characters get their own future books! Overall I really really enjoyed this book. For anybody who ever watched f the tv shoe Firefly, this is the book for us!
Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't think I've ever asked for this before, but: I wish the writing was more complex. I feel like a more lyrical, intricate style would have served this story and the sci-fi elements of it more. As it stands, the writing style is really basic--this isn't always a bad thing but it removed a bit of possible depth, for me. I think because of this, too, the characters and world lacked depth and complexity that I really wanted out of this story. There isn't a great sense of place here--not a lot of atmosphere for the world or romance, which I longed for while reading. I love a good sci-fi romance but this wasn't quite my cup of tea. It wasn't necessarily bad overall, but it was like a very quick, surface level read.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a FANTASTIC book that I immensely enjoyed! After I finished, I looked to see what other works the author, Constance Fay, had published, and I was shocked to discover this is her first published novel, which speaks to her talent and sophistication as a writer.

This novel is equal parts romance and plot, which is great for those who love sci-fi or space opera, but wish there was a bit more kissing (and other activities) involved. If I have one complaint about the novel, it is that the romance developed too quickly and didn't quite feel 'earned.' That said, I'm used to reading series that develop a romance over the course of many novels, so that may have skewed my perspective.

The FMC was phenomenal and written to be a complex, fully-realized person, as were most of the side characters. The MMC was certainly swoon-worthy, but also just a *bit* too perfect to be entirely believable. Again, this may be personal preference. The complexity of the writing was nicely done, the pacing was perfect, and I enjoyed the world-building. I hope to see more by this author. It feels as though this is the first in a series of stand-alone novels, each about a different character finding their happily-ever-after, but honestly, I would love to see more novels with this main character - Temperance Reed - as the FMC, as I really enjoyed reading from her perspective.

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys sci-fi/romance, and the works of Jessie Mihalik, Jenny Schwartz, and Jennifer Estep's 'Galactic Bonds' series. 5/5 stars!

Sadly this did not work for me. I had several issues with this, but my main one is that the writing was just too basic for me. There was nothing glaringly wrong with it, but it was very straightforward in a way that made the story feel very simplistic to me. I felt like there was a lack of complexity to the characters, the world, the plot, the romance. The story is missing a sense of atmosphere and description, and the plot moves along far too quickly to be able to really set the scene and make us feel and understand the personal and narrative stakes of this story. I was really excited for this as I love sci-fi and romance, but unfortunately it didn't end up working for me.

Calamity is the debut novel in a new series, Uncharted Hearts, and I can’t wait for book 2! Temperance Reed has been banished from her important family and has been forced to work on a derelict scouting ship. After finding her lover, also the Captain, cheating on her, she buys the ship from him. She’s forced to take on a high paying job for one of the Families with the condition that their son, comes along as security. He’s super hot but seems to be hiding secrets so Temperance fights her attraction.
This book was the perfect blend of sci-fi and romance. So often, mixed romance genres sacrifice the story and make it all about the sex- not this one. The sci fi was a legitimate story- there was tech, planet investigations, battles and a secret doomsday type weapon. The crew of the ship all had interesting back stories- including assassin monk. The romance was hot and contextual. There was witty banter. Temperance was an interesting well developed character. If this book is indicative of what the new imprint, Bramble, plans to publish- HOORAY!
The cover is definitely not reflective of the fun of the book. Trying to look serious I think.
Thanks Netgalley for the arc my opinions are my own.

I haven't read much romance, especially genre romance but our library patrons are asking for more romance and in different subgenres so I thought I would give the Tor Bramble books a shot. This book was fun and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I'm probably not the ideal audience for this book but I think this would definitely be a book that some of my patrons would enjoy.

Calamity was a wonderfully hilarious and fun read. Temper is funny and the banter between her and the cast of amazing side characters was wonderful. I would definitely recommend this book to romance lovers who enjoy a sci-fi twist.

Cute and sci-fi. I loved the romance and for a debut this was extremely well written, plotted, and thought through. I really enjoyed this book.

Temperance "Temper" Reed was exiled from her wealthy and powerful family for undermining her brother, the head of the family. Temper is the captain of a ship that is hired by the Escajeda to investigate a planet and try to locate a substance that will revolutionize space travel. The head of the Escajeda requires that she take his second child, Arcadio Escajeda, on the expedition as the acting head of security. Temper knows that she cannot trust Arcadio, but they grow closer as the spend time scouting the planet. I enjoyed the relationship building between Arcadio and Temper. This book was fast-paced and full of action. My only complaints were the constant use of the word "calamity" (I am aware that it it is the title, but it just became so trite hearing it repeated) and Temper's constant second-guessing herself. I wish there was more scenes with the rest of Temper's crew because they were really interesting. This is a fun romance mixed with space opera/science fiction. Ignore the cover; I don't think it accurately represents the book at all.

Calamity is a readalike for Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik. The power system with the families reminded me of the world in Jessie Mihalik's Consortium Rebellion series.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.