Happy almost-bookbirthday to Jessie Mihalik. The first novel in her new series is coming out tomorrow. Jessie writes sci-fi romance, and some of you might have read her previous series, which started with Polaris Rising.
First things first, cover and synopsis.
The critically acclaimed author of Polaris Rising takes readers on an exciting journey across the galaxy with the start of her brand-new series about a female bounty hunter and the man who is her sworn enemy.
Octavia Zarola would do anything to keep her tiny, close-knit bounty hunting crew together—even if it means accepting a job from Torran Fletcher, a ruthless former general and bitter adversary. When Torran offers her enough credits to not only keep her crew afloat but also hire someone to fix her ship, Tavi knows that she can’t refuse—no matter how much she’d like to.
There’s just one catch: with so much money on the line, Torran and his crew insist on joining the hunt. Tavi reluctantly agrees because while the handsome, stoic leader pushes all of her buttons—for both anger and desire—she’s endured worse, and the massive bonus payment he’s promised for a completed job is reason enough to shut up and deal.
But when they uncover a deeper plot that threatens the delicate peace between humans and Valoffs, Tavi suspects that Torran has been using her as the impetus for a new war. With the fate of her crew balanced on a knife’s edge, Tavi must decide where her loyalties lie—with the quiet Valoff who’s been lying to her, or with the human leaders who left her squad to die on the battlefield. Because this time, her heart is on the line.
BUY LINKS: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google Play | Kobo | Bookshop
Full disclaimer: Jessie and I have been friends for years. We used to live close in North Austin area and meet for board game evenings. So I am not objective here, and as always, please take my recommendation with a grain of salt, read the sample before purchase, and remember that your mileage may vary. I really miss smiley faces. Smiley face here.
I enjoyed the book. It is sci-fi with a space opera bend. It’s also a slow burn enemies-to-lovers. There is action and sparkles, but it’s less of an “omg the Universe is on fire” and more of a comfort read. It has an ex-military heroine and a cool ex-military – from the other side – hero dude. They spar and cook pasta. There is an element of found family. It’s almost verging on slice of life at some points, and having been stressed by last year, this was just the kind of read I was looking for.
I didn’t want anyone to miss out on this release, so I asked Jessie if she would give us a snippet and she did. Please welcome Jessie to the blog.
Introduction
Hello, BDH! Ilona and Gordon generously invited me over to the blog to share a snippet of Hunt the Stars with you, so many thanks to them!
Hunt the Stars is the first book in my new Starlight’s Shadow series. It’s a fun space opera romance filled with delicious enemies-to-lovers tension and plenty of found-family feels. I wrote it during the beginning of the pandemic when everyone was in lockdown, so it’s also filled with hope and joy and kindness because those are the things I needed most while I was writing.
I had hoped that the world would be in a better place by the time the book came out, but… :waves at everything:
So, if you could use a break from the news, consider spending some time with Captain Tavi and crew as they take on an impossible job from Torran Fletcher—the former Valovian general who led forces against Tavi’s team during the war.
Tavi is pretty sure that she and Torran will end up killing each other before they even make it to Torran’s home planet, especially after an explosive fight shortly after Torran arrives on her ship. That confrontation is very, very spoilery, so you’ll have to read the book to find out what they were fighting about, but this snippet is the non-spoilery fallout.
For reference, Luna is a small, adorable alien creature that looks something like a cross between an arctic fox and a housecat. She often rides around on Tavi’s shoulder, and Torran is trying to move past the fight by asking Tavi about the padded shoulder guard she made.
If you want more of Tavi and Torran, you can read the first three chapters of the book on my site, and it’s available everywhere on February 1! Happy reading!
SNIPPET
“You wear the shoulder guard for her?” Torran asked, changing the subject.
“Yes.” The word was clipped and cold, but civility was beyond me right now. I started down the hallway toward his quarters, then stopped and spun back to him. Luna purred louder, but I was beyond soothing. “Threaten my crew again and I will invoke the hostile client clause on the spot. Are we clear?”
Torran’s eyes narrowed. When I didn’t back down, he inclined his head in agreement.
The clause was a standard part of my contract, but one I’d expanded just for this job. It gave me permission to confine them to quarters until a suitable station could be reached, and it broke the contract in such a way that I kept the initial payment.
If the Valoffs objected, a neutral arbitrator would be hired at the destination station to determine if the clause had been invoked with cause. Threatening to kill my crew once might be allowed to slide, but repeated threats were certainly cause, and Torran knew it. If the arbitrator ruled against me, then I’d be forced to pay back the initial payment and make an additional hardship payment, so invoking the clause wasn’t something I would do lightly, but I would keep my crew safe.
Torran’s eyes moved over my shoulder, and I turned to find Eli leaning against the wall, with a plas rifle held loosely in his arms. His lips were pressed into a flat line and his eyes were clear and cold. It was his killing look, and I hated that Torran had put it on his face.
“We’re fine,” I said, my voice calm and soothing. “Go help Kee with her project.”
“Who do you think sent me here?” he asked softly, his gaze still locked on Torran.
“I have the situation in hand,” I said, sinking command into the words.
Luna hopped down from my shoulder and went to sit in front of Eli. When he ignored her, she chirruped at him. He glanced down and sighed, his mask breaking. He patted his T-shirt covered shoulder. “Come on, you little menace, let’s go see what Kee is doing.” Despite his wording, his voice was soft with affection.
Luna leapt up with a happy chirp and Eli didn’t flinch, though I knew just how sharp her claws were. Eli nodded to me, gave Torran a flat look, the threat clear, and then turned and disappeared around the corner.
“Kee,” I said, subvocally.
“I’m on it. I’ll put him to work. And I’ve got eyes and ears on you.”
I led Torran to the room next to mine. Yesterday, I’d thought myself so clever, keeping my enemies close, but now I wished that I’d put him somewhere much, much farther away. Like a black hole at the edge of known space.
That might be far enough.
I opened the door. “Here’s your cabin. Your crew will be in the nearest rooms,” I said with a wave back the way we’d come.
I stepped inside and Torran followed. He took in the bright green walls without comment. The door slid closed behind him. The room felt claustrophobically small in a way it never had before, and my head throbbed.
After a second, I dropped my extra mental shields. I needed the practice, but giving myself a migraine on the first day wasn’t beneficial. And I had the sinking feeling that no amount of shielding would protect me from Torran if he ever truly wanted to do me harm.
I shoved the thought aside and focused on the here and now. “You have private facilities, so you won’t have to use the crew head. Extra linens are in the wardrobe. If you need anything else, ask me or Eli.” I glanced at the stack of linens on the bed and eyed him dubiously. “You do know how to make a bed, right?”
One corner of his mouth tipped up. The tiny grin transformed his face, softening the harsh lines of his features. He went from a beautiful, coldly distant statue to a warm, handsome man made of flesh and blood.
The change sent a jolt through my system. I ignored it.
“I can make a bed,” he confirmed. “This, at least, is not so different.”
I gave Torran the same spiel I’d given Anja. To my surprise, he didn’t balk at the assumption that his people would join in shared crew duties such as cleaning, but his eyes narrowed at the communal dinner. “Is that a problem?” I asked.
“You cook for everyone?”
“We occasionally trade off, but yes, I usually cook dinner.”
“You would cook for us, too?” he asked, something odd in his tone. His expression had turned flat again, so it was no help.
“Yes,” I said slowly, “assuming you can eat what we eat. It’s easier to prepare one big meal than a bunch of small ones. But if you would rather cook for yourselves, you can, though I would still prefer if you ate dinner at the same time as the rest of the crew. It helps build camaraderie. If you need your own food, you should ask your people to pick it up while they are out.”
“We brought food with our supplies. Most of it is human fare we picked up along the way, which you are welcome to use. If my crew gets restless and homesick, I will cook for them from the supplies we brought from Valovia.”
“You cook?” I asked in surprise.
He stiffened in offense, and his tone was biting when he said, “Leaders provide for those under their care.”
Not often enough. I kept the words locked behind my teeth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t intend the question as an insult. I figured you had people who cooked for you.”
He didn’t look any less insulted. “It is my honor to feed my crew. Are you not the same?”
“Me, personally, or humanity in general?” I asked, then waved and continued without waiting for a response. “I enjoy feeding my crew, but in general, humans have a more ambivalent attitude toward cooking. Some enjoy it, some loathe it. Is it going to cause some sort of interstellar incident if I cook for your people?”
He considered me for a long moment. “No.”
Well, that wasn’t exactly reassuring.
He turned his head toward the cargo bay, and his eyes went distant. “My crew has returned.”
A second later, the proximity warning alerted me to their presence. I wondered if they had contacted him, or if he was mentally keeping track of everyone in the area. Could he even do that? There was so much we didn’t know about Valovian abilities.
I hoped that lack of knowledge wasn’t something I would come to regret.
Book page on my site: https://www.jessiemihalik.com/book/hunt-the-stars/
BUY LINKS: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google Play | Kobo | Bookshop
There were hearts here, but I had to take them out, because the blog feed blows them up to massive size. Sorry! ~Ilona
I love her series! So cool my fav author likes them too.
No way, am I first???
Yes, congrats! ????
Golly, gee! Will wonders never cease
Thank you so much to Ilona and Gordon for having me!! I’ll try to keep an occasional eye on the comments, so if you have any questions, let me know!
I’ll forward the questions straight to you if that’s ok ????
Oh, that would be perfect, thank you!
Thank you Jesse, I found you through Ilona originally and I’m psyched you have some more good stuff right now! Bought it right now. You’re really doing important work- especially right now.
Pre-ordered the book as soon as Kindle mentioned it was coming out. I really liked your other books, so looking forward to this one.
Your Polaris Rising books are awesome!
I had forgotten all about this, thanks for the reminder and the snippet!
I haven’t tried any of her books but I found the snippet appealing. I will buy the book and I hope I have found another author I will enjoy. It is getting to where I only buy like 4 authors books these days. So a new one would be most welcome!
I started reading her books when I saw a recommendation for Polaris Rising. There are two other books in the series: Aurora Blazing and Chaos Reigning. I liked them a lot. She also has another series of three books: The Queen’s Gambit, The Queen’s Advantage, and The Queen’s Triumph. They are also really good books.
+1
The consortium trilogy written by Jessie Mihalik are a really good read so I am sure this next book will not dissapoint you. Preordered it months ago, as well as the second book in this series.
try Polaris Rising first – it’s a really good into to her writing, & if you like it -PRESTO! – you have 2 more in her first series, plus 3 more in her second
+1 Read a snippet of Polaris Rising some time back, and it didn’t appeal enough to send me in search, but this one does.
Had it on pre-order for a bit – thanks for the snippet – I’ve deliberately not read the early chapters already released for the mailing list – I like to go in cold!
Me too
Welcome to the BDH Jessie! Glad Ilona and Gordon allowed you to put in the snippet of the book coming out tomorrow.
BDH, I read the first three chapters of Hunt for the Stars. I can tell you, it’s going to be another great series. All I am going to say is that Tavi and Torran don’t like each other very much at first. They are like two cats circling each other.
Can’t wait to read the rest of the book. 🙂
I received this book in a goodreads giveaway, so I’m lucky enough to have already read it, and it was sooooo good!
Ooo! New book by Jessie! I really liked all her other stuff. She’s got good world building skills and I like her characters.
(And I don’t know her. Just read her other books)
+1.
Characters and worlds stayed with me. Seems hard to find good blend of Sci-Fi and romance these days. Enjoyed all of Jessie’s books. Off to read the new one!
I read the ARC, and this book was great! Can’t recommend it enough:)
Ok, blurb is great, and I’m in. Any friend of Ilona, and all that, besides the fact that yes, I desperately need a comfort read, and also this writing is fantastic.
Met Jessie wet she and HA had a book signing in Austin a while ago. I have read and re-read everything she has published. Love her books.
Have this on pre-order already.
Thanks for the heads up! I love her books!
Alright, Ilona got me hooked on Jeaniene Frost last month, so I’ll have to give this a go too! They don’t call us the BDH for nothing!
Ha, I knew there had to be at least one book coming out in February that I would enjoy!
I loved her first series. So happy she’s got another one going!
Thank you Jesse for the snippet. Looking forward to the read.
I had almost forgotten about it, having pre-ordered it like, six months ago, so thanks for the reminder! *-*
Yay! I’ve had it on preorder forever. Thanks for the reminder it’s coming out so I can clear my calendar!
I was introduced to Jessie Mihalik through this blog and really enjoy her work. I have pre-ordered this as I am in the mood for some romance. January is such a long month
Thank you for this snippet, Jessie! I pre-ordered a while back and am anxiously awaiting the ebook. I loved the Polaris Rising series and I know this one will be a drop everything and read kind of book.
Hi *waves book looks cool off to go purchase…..
Lol. I got an Amazon purchaee receipt this morning – no idea what for. Clicked through to discover it was release day. Yay for pre orders. Looking forward to a comfort read today. Thanks Ilona for first putting me onto Jessie’s books.
+1????
Thank you for the rec (Ilona) and the snippet (Ms Jessie)! I’ve put the book on my list as it sounds like a really great read! I’ll blog about it as well. Congrats!
Pre-ordered a bit back, just one of the great author recommendations I got on this blog ????
I love Jessie Mihalik’s writing. I’ve been anxiously awaiting for this new series. The countdown is almost to zero!
I’m super excited for the new book. I’ve have devoured everything else Jessie has written and completely enjoyed them. I love space fiction and it seems lately that it’s fallen out of fashion so I’m thrilled that Jessie is writing such great books in the genre. I anticipate a sleepless night reading the new book in one sitting. I can wait.
Oooh, new books, new series! Excited!
I loved the previous series and am looking forward to this release. Great recommendation.
I am so excited to get one more tiny snippet before the book release! Thank you IA and Jessie for one more peak before the big reveal.
Looks awesome! I look forward to reading it!
Ohhhh, what a lovely snippet, can’t wait for the spoilery fight and the kitchen scenes. Sure to be some surprises there.
Only a little more over two hours (over here) and then happy Book Birthday for Tavi & her Crew.
Woot woot so excited for this book!! Welcome Jessie!!! I found you through Ilona and have loved all your books they bring me joy and are easy to read when I need a break … exactly like Ilona suggested … my mileage is worth spending in your world’s!! Thankyou for bringing joy to my world xo
Welcome to the blog Jessie!
Loved Polaris Rising (Audio Book was great! as well) and the sequel, so excited about a new series by Jessie Mihalik. Thank you for making us aware Ilona!
I agree on the audio books. I’ve been meaning to go back and listen to her books again. Now I have a reason.
Interesting snippet, which persuaded me to order the book.
Thank you so much for an introduction to a writer that I was not familiar with her writing. I am a voracious reader, hence a proud member of the BDH. I am always on the lookout for new series and/or authors. This book sounds intriguing. ???????????????? YEAH! A new author with an existing series + a new series. ✨️ I call this a major WIN/WIN!!!
I have this on my “Buy” list.
I love Jessie’s writing. Her other two series were great and the samples of this one look just as interesting. (Yes, I have reread both other series. They are definitely that good.)
Thank you for the extra snippet, Jessie. It gives a slightly different feel than the excerpts I’ve already read from this book.
Thanks to HA for thinking of us when they find a treasure – or several treasures. I would have missed out on Jessie if you had not liked her writing before. And that would have been a real shame…
Lovely snippet! Adding this to my to-read 🙂
By the way HA & Mod R, have y’all tried using unicode emoticons? They look like this: ☺♡♫ (｡◕‿◕｡) ಠ‿ಠ
They’re technically just text I think, in a way that normal emojis are not, so maybe they won’t cause issues with the blog? I understand the feeling of missing the smiley faces. Googling “unicode emoticons” will give you many to copy-paste.
Thank you for the suggestion, we’ll try ????
❤
Ok. I see some of them did not translate properly (they don’t look like emojis at first), but still, some of them did!
Well I’m going to buy it. Sounds great! I have never read any of her novels before so it’s always fun to find new authors.
Thanks for this! I snagged a copy on NetGalley, read the snippet and just ordered it for my library collection. I missed the trade reviews so I am glad for the nudge.
Happy Book Birthday!
I really Jesse Mihalik’s books. I pre-ordered this one as soon as I saw it@
Thank you! I’d read the three chapters on Jessie’s blog, so I was glad to see a new snippet here. I’ll definitely be buying the book tomorrow.
Literally just finished The Queen’s Triumph two hours ago! Loved all the Consortium Rebellion too. Definitely ready for her new one!
Hooray! Congrats Jessie, and thanks for the snippet! Can’t wait to read it tomorrow. 🙂
Literally two minutes ago I sat straight up and said “OOH! Hunt the Stars is coming out tomorrow… I mean tonight!” (I’m in Pacific time zone and I usually get the ebooks at 9pm) So excited. Been looking forward to this for months.
I read the Polaris Rising series based off a recommendation from an old blog post here a while back. I absolutely loved them! Super excited to read this new book later this week 🙂
I really enjoyed The Consortium Rebellion series and just recently re-read it. I didn’t know there was a new book coming out tomorrow from Jessie, so I’m glad you let us know.
I’m off to buy the book.
I am a huge part of the BDH and I Love Jessie Mihalik’s work. I’ve read everything she’s written including the first part of this new book/series. Jessie’s writing is exciting and yet easy to read. I recommend her work.
Love this author! Thanks to House Andrews for introducing her to the BDH! I have her previous books and I’m looking forward to the new one! Great reads in between waiting for HA new releases!
Always been grateful for that first Jessie Mihalik recommendation. Love her female characters and their complete inability to take any bullshit. Another author one wishes could produce work at an unrealistic rate. May she have a long and productive writing career.
I just finished re-reading Polaris Rising yesterday. I look forward to reading Hunt the Stars.
I loved the Polaris Rising series! I am very excited for this book!! Thanks for sharing the snippet!
Congrats Jessie. I preordered so am looking forward to getting my copy ????. I loved the first 3 chapters from your newsletter.
Already preordered this and the second in the series. I loved her Polaris trilogy.
I’ve read JM’s other books and I love them. They make me want to read more space operas and I’m very much looking forward to reading this new book 🙂
Thanks for posting a snippet!
Interesting, I think I will check it out.
Love the snippet! I will definitely check your friend out! Sounds like it is right up my alley.
Love Jesse Mihalik’s books. I learned about her from This blog when she was first published, and have loved them all. Thanks for the recommendation and Jesse, thanks for the new book!
I found Jessie Mihalik’s books through this blog and she’s become one of my favorite authors. I’ve been counting down the days until this book is released! Thanks for sharing the snippet.
It’s today/ tomorrow depending which time zone you are in ????
Hooray!! Happy Almost Book Birthday, Jessie! Through the wonders of preordering, HTS will be magically downloaded to my iBooks overnight. Yaaaaaaay! Thank you IA for introducing me to her books in a prior post! I wouldn’t have naturally picked up a space novel in my own, and that would’ve been my loss. I can’t wait to read this next one!
Read this post and finished it just past midnight… so now its Feb 1 and i did not have to wait.
FATE SMILES AT ME
So excited to read this book! I Preordered it back in early May and have been keeping my fingers crossed that I might get 9:00 PM delivery tonight since I live in CA.
I found Jesse Mihalik’s books through this blog and have enjoyed them all. Looking forward to reading this one too!
This sounds delightful, pre-ordered.
You got me. While I did check put polarisxrising etc. They never quiet drew me in for a buy. But the description here reminded me a bit of a serenity vibe as well as really liking the description from Jessie… and a snippet in and I coriander stop myself buying the book. I’m now happily devouring my way through it.
Thanks for the recommendation
Book devoured and second book preordered it seemed to read that the reorder works be next yr but then when I processed it, it seemed to suggest this July! Bonus win????
Many thanks Ilona for the recommendation ???? spot on.
Off to devour more ????
Comfort read and found family with romance????? It’s an immediate purchase. (I really wonder how long I’ll be living in this mental space of “only happy ending and people have to be kind in my stories?” Because I don’t see it ending anytime soon.)
Yay !
Thank you for a new book introduction!
????????????!
Wah, so exciting! I need comfort atm and this looks like it may keep my innkeeper cozy vibes collection in good company 🙂
Thank you for the recommendation!!
I have been waiting for this book. My daughter introduced me to the Polaris Rising series which I very much enjoyed.
Thank you. Sold. A new author. How exciting!
So happy to start reading this. I loved her other books. This is definitely just what I need right now.
Hi Jessie..this is great. I love your other series too and look forward to more.
I believe I was first introduced to your books by Ilona. (From Singapore).
Bought on audio. Thx for the recommendation.
Thank you so much for the snippet, I read the Polaris Rising series and loved it, can’t wait to start this one, too!
Received the book this morning. Going to read it today. Yay!!!
Enjoyed Jessie’s other books so I’m going to purchase this one too. Thanks for the ‘heads up’ – I, too, found Jessie through IA’s recommendations and a couple of other authors from the BDH. My thanks to all and keep them coming, please.
Jesse Mihalik is one of my auto-buy authors. So excited that there will be another series to look forward to.
I started reading Jessie Mihalik’s books and ordered this one, but **cringing but curious** I did take note of the price. I earnestly believe writers work very hard and deserve to make a living, so please take this in the “just asking” mode.
I don’t believe IA has ever charged $11.99 for an ebook, in fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen more than $8.99. So is price based on length, potential market, professional preference? Or is there a move within the writing world for increasing rates?
Again, please take this in the spirit with which it is intended. Because now I’m wondering if in a just world we should be paying more for our favorite author(s).
Casey, you have a very valid point. I have no doubt that this is a source of great frustration to Jessie, although I would never presume to speak for her.
The price is set by the publisher. The top price for our ebooks was set at $9.99 and then it would usually go down when paperback came out. I think they might have put the last one out at $14.99, and I thought it was highway robbery. But that’s not something we, as traditional authors, could negotiate.
I have no idea what the price of Hunt the Stars is based on. Perhaps we are paying more due to inflation and paper shortage, but that shouldn’t affect the ebooks quite this much. Jessie’s self-pub books are reasonably priced and we are not planning on jacking up the price of our selfpublished titles either. The exception being the POD print editions simply because their production cost is very high but we are working on that.
Like a shark in dark water, any stray scent of the blood of titillating tales and succulent stories draws us inextricably closer. Unable to resist the pull of fresh reading fodder we circle, considering…
Like dragons atop our hoards, any whisper of a glittering treasure not yet among our hallowed haven galls us to investigation. The fascination, nay the need to have every last delicious dreaming put to pen pulls us…
Like goblins of pen and ink and paper, glorious in our dens of page upon page of dreadful delights we want ever for more More MORE!
*BDH DESCENDS*
The snippet was tantalizing, but the cost of Ms. Frost’s new book makes me reluctant (and she’s not the only author). Is there a blog post that breaks down the whys of book pricing?
Hi Russ,
Jeaniene Frost’s new book is due for release in April, but I’m not quite sure how it’s relevant here ????
Sounds very interesting – can’t wait to read it!
Hello,
I love her books and I and bought: The Polaris Rising, Aurora Blazing and Chaos Reigning. Love those book covers. I also have The Queem’s Advantage, Gambit and Triumph saga. I will continue to buy Jessie’s books.
Tchau
yum. thank you. Needing one just like this, and I’ve read all of yours at least twice. grin
Thank you for this. I was needing another book to read. This sounds perfect.
It is supposed to arrive today or tomorrow. Looking forward to a good comfort read.
Just ordered Hunt the Stars from my local bookshop, so excited for it!!
Looks very good so far. I’m getting ready to do some long-distance traveling and need to pack up my Kindle with some reads, so will definitely grab this!
Thank you for the snippet, Jessie!
There are no reviews up yet, but I saw Polaris rising called porn on audible. Can anyone comment?
So were parts of other series space porn, or this book, or someone was silly about sex?
Also any opinion or reader?
Polaris Rising (and the Consortium series in general) is a romance, the characters do have sex, but it is not erotica.
Readers have very different tolerances to sexual content but if you are ok with House Andrews level of spice, you will not be shocked by these either ????
I hope this helps.
Thanks! House Andrew level is always fine.
Thanks for the question! Both Polaris and Hunt the Stars (HTS) have explicit sex scenes in them, though Polaris has more (and at a higher heat level) than HTS.
Neither are erotica or porn, but reader expectations vary, especially in the science fiction genre where some readers expect zero sex or romance. For a Romance reader, these scenes are probably on the milder side.
If I’m remembering correctly, there are two actual sex scenes and a couple of sexy-but-not-quite scenes in HTS. I hope that helps!
Yahoo! A new author for me to read. I used to read much more science fiction along with my fantasy but over the past decade I’ve been mostly reading urban fantasy.
So thank you HA for highlighting Jessie. I loved the snippet and bought Hunt the Stars. Which, of course, lead me to her other works and I also bought Polaris Rising.
Gotta go … much reading to do!!
Happy Book Birthday! This sounds like something I’d enjoy. I’m number 2 on my library hold list. Hopefully it doesn’t take long to process. Thanks for the snippet.
It’s an awesome snippet! Like many, I found your books through Ilona’s recommendations, learned about space opera through your writing, loved it (and your stories), and now buy each new one as it comes back… to enjoy!
Thank you so much, Jesse, for being a guest for the Book Devouring Horde (including the diaspora in Cambridge UK 🙂
Loving the book, thanks for the heads up!
Thank you for the snippet. It certainly pulled me in. Time for me to check out Jesse’s other books! Thanks HA for sharing this with us.
I have ALREADY read it which should tell you something! Loved it. After rereading the Murderbot series for the nth time I was JUST thinking that the world needed more cozy Sci-Fi. So THANK YOU Jess Mihalik!
looks like just what I need, a new author to stalk and a fun read, thank you.☺️
Thanks for the heads up, I missed that this was coming out. I managed to read it today though, it was good, light, fluffy fun 😀
I do wish that the romance for the next book in the series had not been so obviously set up in this book. I like the surprise of not knowing that stuff when I start the next book. I also like it when the next love interest is a completely new character I haven’t seen before, rather than two characters I already know. If the prospective romance is telegraphed too obviously in the first book, it dulls my interest for continuing the series. (The way it was done for Catriona and Alexandro was fine, as it was much more subtle, and they had barely interacted with each other when the the first Catriona book came out).
So I am definitely going to read Hunt the Stars at some point, but I got an email from Audible that Clean Sweep was finally available, so I put it on and walked the dog and it’s totally amazing and I hope you release all your books in graphic audio<3
Oh! I’m so delighted to learn about this author! I read the snippets here and on her site and immediately bought the book. Thank you for sharing things to enjoy!
oooh… off i go to one click!
Just finished it and loved it. My kind of romantic space opera with a decent plot and lots of nice character-interactions. I prefer the cooking scenes to the fighting scenes!
Thank you so much for the brief glimpse of Jessie Mihalik’s new book. I started reading her Polaris Rising series on your recommendation and enjoyed it immensely, even got my parents the audiobook and then had to buy them the next 2 because they enjoyed the first one so much.
I have all Jessie’s books. Can’t wait to start reading this one.
Thank you so much for the recommendation! I‘m honestly a little lazy to find and cautious to try out new authors so I‘d love if you post them more often 🙂
And, because I do not know where else to post it and just have to say it, I absolutely loved Hugh‘s book! I only recently heard the audiobook on a long trip and was blown away by its awesomeness (also, the voice actor was fantastic to the point I cannot put into words). So, now I am really excited that Hugh 2 is your next project. Thank you for such great work!
Jujjuju new reading from Jessie ????????????????????????????????????
Thanks for the reminder! I loved Jessie’s Polaris Rising series and Hunt the Stars is a good read too. The lead couple has all the feels and even more, the crew is like family and the cooking is a nice touch, not to mention Luna.
Buying the book now!!!! The only reason I originally discovered Jessie’s books is because of your blog and I’m so grateful for that. I obviously love your world building and I greatly appreciate your sharing different authors who you are think may interest the BDH. Thank you!
Is there a way to order it to a better price, if all of the books are preordered at once. I can not borrow the book, as I am not an American resident.
Thanks for the recommendation. I bought, and I am hooked.Perfect read for The Snow. Four inches since dawn and still snowing, probably until tomorrow morning (8 – 10″ predicted).
I read it and enjoyed it very much
It’s a delight to read Jessie, just what I was looking for! Reading it again to linger… plus, Luna is absolutely the best!
I have been waiting for this book to come out! I loved her other series! So excited. *Immediately starts reading* ????
Thanks for the reminder! I immediately left the blog and purchased the book. I really enjoyed it— the story was intriguing, the characters really likable and I am ready for the next one!
Got hooked on Jessie Mihalik’s books courtesy of a previous IA blog post some time ago. Highly recommend and she also has a good blog!
Bought it, read it, loved it. Left a review. ❤️
Just finished “Hunt the Stars”, which HA recommended. Two thumbs up!
This is a wonderful novel! World building is good, and the character development is stellar. Great read when you are trying to decompress.
Looks good. I ordered it.
I read the Consortium series, the first series since IA that was interesting enough to finish, so I will definitely give this a go.
I love this writer, I have been buying all her books since the first IA introduction. Her characters are compelling, believable; I connect with them within the first chapter. Thank you for introducing me to this wonderful author.
P.S. I finished it already, and will start my slower re-read. The secondary characters have so much promise. I can’t wait for the next book.
Ooooo! I’m in need of a little comfort. Thanks!
I LOVE ME SOME SPACESHIP ROMANCE.
Thanks for the Rec 🙂
Thank you for the recommendation. I just started reading Sci fi romance books. So much are about alien abduction which I don’t like but I absolutely love TA White’s Firebird series. I’m so happy to add another author to my fave list and couldn’t put this book down. I finished it in a day and a half (too bad had to sleep and work). I went back to get Jessie’s older books and started on Polaris Rising. Enjoying it so much! Thank you ????
That. Was. Brilliant. I read the whole book in a single day. Thank goodness I went to Jessie’s page and saw their was a typo and the next book comes out in 2022 and NOT 2023 (I may have screamed NO at that part and got a questioning look from my partner). Thank you for sharing such a beautiful and complex world with us.
I purchased yesterday and am almost done – Jessie, I really am enjoying the book and will look for your others! Hunt the Stars has also made me want to re-read Tanya Huff’s Valour series. I’m not normally into military narratives, but in both Jessie’s bio and in Huff’s the characters are so appealing!
Having just read it—and loved it and looking forward to the next one—I understand why HA recommended it. It is Coner Rogan in space.
Thank you Ilona for the recommendation! I’m going through a very hard time and this is just the book I needed to lift my spirit a bit. As it always happens with your books, the only problem I found is that the next one is a year away! ????
I loved the book
Thank you HA for this recommendation. I enjoyed it immensely. Will now have to ever so patiently wait for the next. In consolation though, I am going to download JM’s other books and settle in for some good reading.
I would love to read this however it doesn’t seem to be available on amazon kindle yet. I guess I will have to wait until it is available to download. Thank you for introducing me to her. Looking forward to reading her books too.
Hi Anne,
The book is available on Kindle :), here is the link https://www.amazon.com/Hunt-Stars-Novel-Jessie-Mihalik-ebook/dp/B09411B7Q4
Hehehe I discovered Jessie Mihalik when you first shared her blog on your blog and I followed her ever since
I have read Hunt the Star and I loved loved loved it ????????????
So I read this, then I read the Polaris trio, then I read the Rogue Queen trio, so thanks! They were all fun reads and I really enjoyed them!
Katie, thanks for your input on Polaris and Roque Queen! I just finished Hunt the Stars last night, and was looking at getting those 2 series next!
I read it, and it’s amazing! I love her work almost as much as I love yours!
Thank you very much for introducing me to a new author! Since the “Hunt the Stars” was the start of a new series for this author, I went ahead and purchased it. LOVED it! I now have another author to get me thru wait times in between my other authors that I read.