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A review by lolasreviews
Pets in Space 4 by S.E. Smith
4.0
I love the Pets in Space anthologies! I discovered new favorite authors due to previous installments, read new stories by familiar authors and spent hours reading these scifi romance stories with pets. I love the concept and every year I am looking forward to the next Pets in Space. I bought Pets in Space 4 on release day and I plan to read this one through from start to finish. I hope to read a story when I can between arc reads and review obligations. I'll update my review below once I finish a story.
Madas' Falling Star by S.E. Smith
This was a great read. While set in the world of a series by this author, I had no trouble following this story as it tells the background story of two characters and how they fell in love. I liked how both characters looked a bit alien, with their tails, other strange physical differences and the green skin tone of Madas. I would've liked to learn a bit earlier that she had a tail and green skin tough as the first few chapters I thought she looked human.
It has a solid romance. At first they spent time apart while knowing the other is close by, but not directly interacting, which was interesting. Although I did wonder once or twice why Madas never asked Gril for help, but then again she thought his species were dangerous. I liked how they clear that misunderstanding up pretty quickly though. There is dangerous terrain and dangerous wildlife they have to survive and along the way battle their growing attraction. And someone is after Gril as well. The moment their romance progressed felt a bit sudden, but by the end of the story I could definitely feel their romance. I liked both characters, Gril could be a bit possessive, but also let Madas be her own person and trusted her, which I liked. Madas was very capable and I liked how she knew her way around the forest and how to survive and she knew what she wanted out of life.
I liked the pet in this one, it's a sort of combination between a lizard and chameleon with some special powers as well. There are even a few short parts from his point of view which were fun to read. I liked how this creature was a bit alien and the way the author had written him and his personality was fun. He really came to life.
I also liked how a lot of the story took place on this alien planet with nature and animals that are unlike our own. Then there are different plants and ways to survive and I enjoyed reading about this alien planet and how the aliens lived here. I liked how the world felt different enough from our own and I liked reading about it. All in all a solid start of this anthology!
Dark Guard by Anna Hackett
This was a nice little story, but I felt like I was missing something. It follows the romance of a women who has been captured and then saved, now she's save, but can't return home. And she falls in love with a cyborg who has to keep his emotions under control. Most of the backstory is in the past and I felt like I was lacking some information, we're told what happens, but it doesn't have the same impact as actually reading about it.
The characters were likable enough. I liked how she wanted to save the little girl she discovered and how easily she trusts the cyborg. And he has some interesting backstory with strong telepathic powers. I also liked Cat, a cyborg pet, which was a nice touch. There are some great scenes with cat.
The story progressed quite quickly, it didn't feel rushed, but very fast paced. the romance developed a bit quickly and while their romance felt real, I felt like we missed part of that getting to know each other part and understand why they fell for each other. The story is pretty straight forward too. All in all a nice read, but it all progressed a bit quickly and I think you would enjoy it more if you already are familiar with the series.
Entwined Fates by Tiffany Roberts
I really liked this one, it was a romantic story of two people from different species who meet when they are kids and slowly become close friends. They want to stay together, but the guy's father gets a different post and that separates them. For the years they don't see each other until a chance encounter brings them into contact again.
I liked how we got to see some scenes form them as a kid, so we better understood how close they grew and how even as kids they already knew they wanted to be together even though they didn't understand everything about relationships then. I liked how they both waited for the other, but I thought it was strange neither of them could've found a way to contact the other in all that time. It just seemed a bit weird. I also wish the guy would've tried harder to find her and it felt a bit out of character that he didn't.
I liked both characters, while we don't see a lot of their lives, there's enough to get a feel for them. I liked their romance and how clear it was how much they cared and it was heartwarming to see them reunited after years separate. The guy was an alien, which was interesting and there was enough to get a bit of a feel for these aliens. I also liked the pet in this story, who was a sort of machine pet, who could take on different forms. All in all a great story and I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Star Cruise: Idol's Curse: Veronica Scott
I really enjoyed this one. Having read a few of Veronica Scott's other stories set upon this cruise space ship it was a joy to return there. The story was engaging and fun to read when main character Juli received the task to return a rock to the beach it's former owner took it form. There's a lot more going on when the mysterious rock seems to have unexpected powers. Add in her love interest Steve, his aunt Dian with a cute dog in tow and a few familial side characters form previous stories and this one kept my attention and left my with a happy smile once I finished it.
I liked how the plot line with the stone was the main focus, but the developing romance between the two characters was a big part of the story as well. I liked seeing a bit about Juli's job on board the ship. I was pleased to see a few side characters I remembered form previous stories too. The pet in this one does not belong to the main characters, but Steve's aunt. It was fun to have the pet be involved in this was as Dian and her dog are a big part of the story. All in all a great read.
Cyborgs Revenge by Pauline Baird Jones
Sadly this one was a miss for me. It felt like we got dropped in the middle of a story and it was difficult to figure out what had happened to bring the characters here. The story also felt a bit rushed to me and as I had a hard time getting a feel for the characters and the story it was hard to be invested in what happened. I did like the idea of these humans who were in robot bodies now returning to human forms and the AI that they have in their heads.
Spydog by Laurie Green
This was a decent story, it took me a bit of time to warm up toward the characters. There was a lot of mistrust, not completely without reason, but it still felt a bit like a plot device to keep them on opposite sides. In my opinion this type of enemies to lovers romance doesn't work as well in a shorter read. Then quite suddenly their feelings change, but I did like them more after that as they seemed closer then. I didn't fully feel the romance and their emotions. I liked the stardog, but the male main character seemed a bit rude to her at times. They also seemed a bit too dedicated to the cause at times.
It's clear this is part of a larger universe and the events that happened there I remember bits from previous Pets in Space anthologies, but not everything, so it was hard at times to fully get the impact. There is a time skip which makes sense for this story, but feels a bit anti climactic if you haven't read any of the rest and don't know what exactly happens. All in all this was just an okay story for me and I think it would be more enjoyable if you know the rest of this universe and stories already.
Nothing Remotely Familiar by Donna McDonald
Another okay read. I was in the mood for another Pets in Space story and picked this anthology back up from where I left off. This is another story that's clearly set in an already existing universe, but I found it was easy enough to get a grip on the world and characters. I felt like the author was trying to fit a bit too much into this story, from, Topper and Stark expecting their second child, to their daughter Jessica who gets her first familiar (the pet of this story), a visit to an ice world and a potential romance between Nia and Rigel on said ice planet.
There also was a fair amount of head hopping and switching point of view in the middle of the scene, which threw me off at first. I didn't really care for the part about the pregnancy as that's not my preferred topic to read about. I also feel that seeing more of Topper of Stark might be more fun to those already fans of this series. I didn't feel as invested in Nia and Rigel's potential romance as it felt like we were missing some of the background and with everything else going on it just felt like just another thing going on.
While I didn't enjoy this one as fully as some of the other I still had a fun time reading it. I liked seeing a bit of the worlds and the magic that works there as well as the aliens. I also liked the pet/ familiar in this story and there were some interesting scenes with him.
Doom by Regine Abel
At first I wasn't sure what to think of this one with the almost post apocalyptic vibe of the first part, but I needed up quite enjoying this one. I liked how alien the aliens were. There was this race of bugs that invaded earth and another race that came to help them. I liked the world building and set-up.
I did feel the romance developed a bit quickly, bu that's because of the fated mates trope as well, so it does make sense. I liked how committed these were, but I would've liked to see a bit of just them. This was quite story focused. The ending felt a bit off as it quite quickly spans multiple years to wrap things up. I still enjoyed it mostly and getting a glimpse of the world and aliens this author has created.
Winter's Prince by Alexis Glynn Latner
Heart of the Spider's Web by JC Hay
The Princess and her Bodyguard by E.D. Walker
Interrupting Starlight by Kyndra Hatch
Import Quarantine Cassandra Chandler
Madas' Falling Star by S.E. Smith
This was a great read. While set in the world of a series by this author, I had no trouble following this story as it tells the background story of two characters and how they fell in love. I liked how both characters looked a bit alien, with their tails, other strange physical differences and the green skin tone of Madas. I would've liked to learn a bit earlier that she had a tail and green skin tough as the first few chapters I thought she looked human.
It has a solid romance. At first they spent time apart while knowing the other is close by, but not directly interacting, which was interesting. Although I did wonder once or twice why Madas never asked Gril for help, but then again she thought his species were dangerous. I liked how they clear that misunderstanding up pretty quickly though. There is dangerous terrain and dangerous wildlife they have to survive and along the way battle their growing attraction. And someone is after Gril as well. The moment their romance progressed felt a bit sudden, but by the end of the story I could definitely feel their romance. I liked both characters, Gril could be a bit possessive, but also let Madas be her own person and trusted her, which I liked. Madas was very capable and I liked how she knew her way around the forest and how to survive and she knew what she wanted out of life.
I liked the pet in this one, it's a sort of combination between a lizard and chameleon with some special powers as well. There are even a few short parts from his point of view which were fun to read. I liked how this creature was a bit alien and the way the author had written him and his personality was fun. He really came to life.
I also liked how a lot of the story took place on this alien planet with nature and animals that are unlike our own. Then there are different plants and ways to survive and I enjoyed reading about this alien planet and how the aliens lived here. I liked how the world felt different enough from our own and I liked reading about it. All in all a solid start of this anthology!
Dark Guard by Anna Hackett
This was a nice little story, but I felt like I was missing something. It follows the romance of a women who has been captured and then saved, now she's save, but can't return home. And she falls in love with a cyborg who has to keep his emotions under control. Most of the backstory is in the past and I felt like I was lacking some information, we're told what happens, but it doesn't have the same impact as actually reading about it.
The characters were likable enough. I liked how she wanted to save the little girl she discovered and how easily she trusts the cyborg. And he has some interesting backstory with strong telepathic powers. I also liked Cat, a cyborg pet, which was a nice touch. There are some great scenes with cat.
The story progressed quite quickly, it didn't feel rushed, but very fast paced. the romance developed a bit quickly and while their romance felt real, I felt like we missed part of that getting to know each other part and understand why they fell for each other. The story is pretty straight forward too. All in all a nice read, but it all progressed a bit quickly and I think you would enjoy it more if you already are familiar with the series.
Entwined Fates by Tiffany Roberts
I really liked this one, it was a romantic story of two people from different species who meet when they are kids and slowly become close friends. They want to stay together, but the guy's father gets a different post and that separates them. For the years they don't see each other until a chance encounter brings them into contact again.
I liked how we got to see some scenes form them as a kid, so we better understood how close they grew and how even as kids they already knew they wanted to be together even though they didn't understand everything about relationships then. I liked how they both waited for the other, but I thought it was strange neither of them could've found a way to contact the other in all that time. It just seemed a bit weird. I also wish the guy would've tried harder to find her and it felt a bit out of character that he didn't.
I liked both characters, while we don't see a lot of their lives, there's enough to get a feel for them. I liked their romance and how clear it was how much they cared and it was heartwarming to see them reunited after years separate. The guy was an alien, which was interesting and there was enough to get a bit of a feel for these aliens. I also liked the pet in this story, who was a sort of machine pet, who could take on different forms. All in all a great story and I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Star Cruise: Idol's Curse: Veronica Scott
I really enjoyed this one. Having read a few of Veronica Scott's other stories set upon this cruise space ship it was a joy to return there. The story was engaging and fun to read when main character Juli received the task to return a rock to the beach it's former owner took it form. There's a lot more going on when the mysterious rock seems to have unexpected powers. Add in her love interest Steve, his aunt Dian with a cute dog in tow and a few familial side characters form previous stories and this one kept my attention and left my with a happy smile once I finished it.
I liked how the plot line with the stone was the main focus, but the developing romance between the two characters was a big part of the story as well. I liked seeing a bit about Juli's job on board the ship. I was pleased to see a few side characters I remembered form previous stories too. The pet in this one does not belong to the main characters, but Steve's aunt. It was fun to have the pet be involved in this was as Dian and her dog are a big part of the story. All in all a great read.
Cyborgs Revenge by Pauline Baird Jones
Sadly this one was a miss for me. It felt like we got dropped in the middle of a story and it was difficult to figure out what had happened to bring the characters here. The story also felt a bit rushed to me and as I had a hard time getting a feel for the characters and the story it was hard to be invested in what happened. I did like the idea of these humans who were in robot bodies now returning to human forms and the AI that they have in their heads.
Spydog by Laurie Green
This was a decent story, it took me a bit of time to warm up toward the characters. There was a lot of mistrust, not completely without reason, but it still felt a bit like a plot device to keep them on opposite sides. In my opinion this type of enemies to lovers romance doesn't work as well in a shorter read. Then quite suddenly their feelings change, but I did like them more after that as they seemed closer then. I didn't fully feel the romance and their emotions. I liked the stardog, but the male main character seemed a bit rude to her at times. They also seemed a bit too dedicated to the cause at times.
It's clear this is part of a larger universe and the events that happened there I remember bits from previous Pets in Space anthologies, but not everything, so it was hard at times to fully get the impact. There is a time skip which makes sense for this story, but feels a bit anti climactic if you haven't read any of the rest and don't know what exactly happens. All in all this was just an okay story for me and I think it would be more enjoyable if you know the rest of this universe and stories already.
Nothing Remotely Familiar by Donna McDonald
Another okay read. I was in the mood for another Pets in Space story and picked this anthology back up from where I left off. This is another story that's clearly set in an already existing universe, but I found it was easy enough to get a grip on the world and characters. I felt like the author was trying to fit a bit too much into this story, from, Topper and Stark expecting their second child, to their daughter Jessica who gets her first familiar (the pet of this story), a visit to an ice world and a potential romance between Nia and Rigel on said ice planet.
There also was a fair amount of head hopping and switching point of view in the middle of the scene, which threw me off at first. I didn't really care for the part about the pregnancy as that's not my preferred topic to read about. I also feel that seeing more of Topper of Stark might be more fun to those already fans of this series. I didn't feel as invested in Nia and Rigel's potential romance as it felt like we were missing some of the background and with everything else going on it just felt like just another thing going on.
While I didn't enjoy this one as fully as some of the other I still had a fun time reading it. I liked seeing a bit of the worlds and the magic that works there as well as the aliens. I also liked the pet/ familiar in this story and there were some interesting scenes with him.
Doom by Regine Abel
At first I wasn't sure what to think of this one with the almost post apocalyptic vibe of the first part, but I needed up quite enjoying this one. I liked how alien the aliens were. There was this race of bugs that invaded earth and another race that came to help them. I liked the world building and set-up.
I did feel the romance developed a bit quickly, bu that's because of the fated mates trope as well, so it does make sense. I liked how committed these were, but I would've liked to see a bit of just them. This was quite story focused. The ending felt a bit off as it quite quickly spans multiple years to wrap things up. I still enjoyed it mostly and getting a glimpse of the world and aliens this author has created.
Winter's Prince by Alexis Glynn Latner
Heart of the Spider's Web by JC Hay
The Princess and her Bodyguard by E.D. Walker
Interrupting Starlight by Kyndra Hatch
Import Quarantine Cassandra Chandler