Listen, if the synopsis reads “Firefly meets The Breakfast Club,” I really don’t even need to read anything else to know that I want - nay, I NEED - that book in my life. So imagine my absolute pure, unadulterated ECSTASY when I received an ARC of STAR BRINGER by Tracy Wolff and Nina Croft. I may have fainted, it’s really unclear at this point.
The sun is dying and, when that happens, so will the universe. But never fear! The Corporation has a fancy space station with an alien artifact that is going to stop that from happening. That is until someone decides that saving the entire freaking universe is a silly thing to do and blows up the space station. As the space station finds its way to ruin, a ragtag group of seven unlikely misfits finds their way onto a junker of a spaceship that actually works and gets them out of there. But for some reason, every group in the universe - from the Sisterhood to the Corporation to even the rebellion - is now on the hunt for them. They’ve got a lot of issues to work through (and maybe a couple side missions to complete), but they’ve gotten learn to work together because apparently they are the only thing standing between the dying sun and ultimate salvation.
I don’t know how to properly talk about this book because I am still reeling from the ending. I literally screamed “WHAT?!” so loudly and so many times that I may have frightened my eight year old. I have a feeling I’m going to be processing this one for quite some time.
The world building is magnificent. The found family steals your heart. The characters are all so freaking interesting and the character development is masterful. The way that the characters’ relationships change throughout tugged at all my heartstrings. The spicy scenes could be even spicier, but I’ve been known to like my spicy scenes absolutely filthy so take that with a grain of salt.
The band of misfits reminds me of all the best bands of misfits there are - the crew of the Serenity, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Breakfast Club. While some of the characters have prior relationships before boarding the ship they would come to call the Starlight, it truly feels like a ragtag group that comes together simply because they are forced to. They come from such different worlds, have lead such different lives, and probably would have tried to fight to the death if they had met under different circumstances. But it’s that damned forced proximity that pulls them together. And speaking of tropes I love? There's a grumpy/sunshine...multiple even!
I am a writer, but I feel like words are failing to express how this book made me feel as I was reading it. I was absolutely entranced, wishing desperately to find out what happens next, but never wanting it to end. And when it did…oh man, I’m going to have to have some WORDS with Tracy and Nina!
STAR BRINGER by Tracy Wolff and Nina Croft is the first in a New Adult Sci-Fi Romance Trilogy and you should definitely pick up a copy here, read it immediately, and then message me so that we can talk about it because I will NEVER be over it. WHEN DO I GET BOOK TWO PLEASE?!
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review. If you purchase a copy using my Bookshop affiliate link above, not only will I receive a small commission (which will fuel my coffee and tea addiction and help to keep me up all night reading more books to recommend to you), but you will be supporting indie bookstores as well! If you prefer Amazon, visit my Amazon storefront and click on the list titled "2023 Book Recommendations."
