🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷 #Review of Starbreaker by Amanda Bouchet

 

Title: Starbreaker
Series: Endeavor #2
Author: Amanda Bouchet
Format: Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 448 pages
Published: April 28th 2020 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: ASIN B07L42PBQM
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source: NetGalley
Rating:  5 out of 5 Wine Glasses

THEY NEVER WANTED TO BE HEROES

Captain Tess Bailey and Shade Ganavan are still the galaxy's Most Wanted, and with revolution in the wind and the universe on the brink of catastrophic war, the situation couldn't be more desperate. Despite the Dark Watch scouring the known sectors for them, rebel leaders have handed the crew of the Endeavor a delicate and dangerous mission: break into Starbase 12 and free renowned scientist Reena Ahern. She's the only one who stands a chance of tipping the odds in their favor for the first time in decades.

BUT PULLING OFF THE IMPOSSIBLE IS WHAT THEY DO BEST

The clock is ticking. But as their attraction builds and secrets are revealed, Tess and Shade must decide if they trust each other enough to execute this impossible prison break. They could change the course of history, but they'll be risking everything... They'll just have to tackle one crisis at a time.

Linda's Thoughts:
Amanda Bouchet’s Starbreaker is the second absorbing and thrilling installment in her sexy and fun space-odyssey-on-steroids Endeavor trilogy! First of all, I want to make this absolutely clear: Do yourself a huge favor and do not plunge into Starbreaker without reading Nightchaser, the world-building opener, first. You’d be miserable trying to catch up and would not appreciate Amanda’s epic storytelling skills at all. Instead, do yourself a favor and read this awesome adventure in order as Starbreaker picks up right where Nightchaser dropped off.

The primary characters were introduced in the opener. They are the heart and soul of the series and the story is told from their alternating points-of-view. Captain Tess Bailey is the series’ heroine. She is a Nightchaser, a courageous female Robin Hood who supplies the oppressed. She’s strong, albeit vulnerable, and personifies exactly what I’d envision a space heroine to be. Shade Ganavan aka SRP (Space Rogue Phenom) is our jaunty bounty hunter hero who betrayed Tess, then gave up everything to get her back. He has some major groveling to do to earn back her trust. He loves and supports Tess as she is and is not into changing her or holding her back. As the story opens, both Tess and Shade have large bounties on their heads.  Shade’s world, especially, is hugely reeling as he just switched from the dark to the light.

The villains are the Overseer and his vicious Dark Watch. They remind me of Darth Sidious and the Galactic Empire in Star Wars. Even though there are similarities I can draw from Star Wars and other popular sci-fi, Amanda’s Endeavor Trilogy is markedly dissimilar also. So, you would be significantly wrong if you think that Amanda’s Endeavor trilogy is a retelling of a previously-told story.

This enthralling perfectly-paced series has it all – sweet and heated passion, ratcheted-up sexual tension, action-packed fire-fights, too-close escapes, heart-stopping suspense, earth-shattering upside-down developments and plenty of humorously wicked banter along with tender moments interspersed throughout.

Most of Tess’ ‘family’ from the first book returns – including Jax, Fiona, Merrick, Sanaa and Bonk aka the Space Cat. It’s so wonderful to catch up with them again. (Why the heck is Jax being so stubborn? I want to shake some sense into him!)

This whole book was truly one favorite scene for me, but I’ve pulled a few quotes that made my heart sing to share. Just know that Starbreaker is teeming with quotes just like these: 

“I guess it all just boiled up a minute ago, like some messed-up accusation soup spiced with… I don’t know…” She shook her head, “Lust and rage?”
“The rage is justified.” I slid her a slow smile. “I can work with lust.”
--- 
Words wouldn’t come, so I used my body to show her. And if she didn’t understand that I loved her, then I’d show her again tomorrow.
--- 
“Jungle sex,” I panted.
“Let’s go swimming,” Shade said at the same time.
We stared at each other. He grinned like a loon. I blinked and then grinned also.
“I like the way you think, starshine.”
“I don’t have a bathing suit,” I hedged.
“Jungle swimming is always naked.”
--- 
“And you chose Quintessa over the two million units?” Bridgebane asked. “Over the huge bonus you could have had?”
“Yeah.” Shade cocked his head. “I guess I made a better choice than you did.”
--- 
“Sometimes, I think about it – us, together – and everything gets so tight and hot and wound up inside me that I can’t breathe anymore.”

Amanda shows again that she possesses serious imagination-conjuring skills. I loved Nightchaser, but this sequel rocked my world even more! I can’t recommend this series or Amanda’s Kingmaker series highly enough. If you’re worried about cliffhangers, Starbreaker does not end with a cliffhanger (Thank you, Amanda!); however, it does leave readers anxious for the next installment! It’s no surprise, then, that I can’t freakin’ wait for the trilogy’s finale, Dawnbreaker.



Suggested Reading Order: 
#1 Nightchaser
#2 Starbreaker
#3 Dawnbreaker – Coming soon!