ARC Review: Polaris Rising by Jessie Milhalik

Series:	Consortium Rebellion #1
Pub. Date:	Feb. 5, 2019
Publisher:	Harper Voyager
Length:	448 pgs
Source:	Publisher

Polaris Rising is the first installment of the Consortium Rebellion series, and debut novel for Jessie Mihalik. This author is definitely starting off with a bang, and did a great job of mixing action with romance to keep the plot moving in this space opera sci-fi novel.

Our heroine for this series is Ada von Hasenberg, a fifth or sixth daughter of a ruling house on Earth. Ada has been on the run from her controlling father/family for the past two years as she tries to avoid an unwanted marriage. She was quite the capable heroine. I liked that she was kickass without being a hardass, it made her relatable and likable. I thought Ada had just enough vulnerability when it came to relationships (both familial and romantic) to make her seem real without being over the top dramatic. Believe me, there was enough action in the plot to keep us interested without an abundance of drama (which I can usually do without).

Our hero is a big bad alpha warrior known as the Devil of Fornach, Marcus Loch. Loch's reputation precedes him, but that doesn't stop Ava from partnering with his sexy scary self when it came time to save her skin. The chemistry between these two smoldered from the beginning, but it grew as the story continued and they were steaming up my kindle screen in the best way. I also liked the hints that we got about Loch's honor and soft heart, in contrast to his rough and tough exterior. 

I don't read a ton of science fiction, but I definitely need to branch out more. This story was somewhat similar to a book I read last month, NightChaser by Amanda Bouchet. They weren't similar enough to say they are alike... but they have the same kind of feel so that if you liked one of these stories, you will likely enjoy the other. And now I have discovered that I am a fan of the space opera, so I can't wait for the next installments of these series. Do you  have any good steamy action-packed space operas to recommend?

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher.

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