Book: Tempting Fate by Lyra Strake
Reviewed by Quinn with Hobbies
Rating: 5/5
My heart is full and my bones know Imani and Airida are soulmates!
This one was so sweet! It's got high heat, a slow burn romance that makes my filled my heart to the brim. Alongside the themes of found family, discovering who you are, and overcoming trauma I found the second book of the Starkissed Mates series to be everything I had wanted in a sci-fi romance and more. I can, without a doubt say this is the one that made me want to put these books on my shelf in print form.
Lyra Strake has such a captivating writing style to me, I feel so immersed in their worlds that often times I forget I'm reading a book, to the point I went to my TV to browse for what I thought I was watching. Which is so silly and probably speaks to my ADHD, but I haven't felt like that reading since I was a kid. And the neurodivergent rep! It was so good to read about adult characters experiencing similar things, working through it, and not being infantilized! I know I can't speak for everyone but, when Airida and Imani connected over being seen by each other, I felt it too. These two were so, so precious to me. The back-and-forth was so easy, and it doesn't hurt our sexy little glasses man, Airida, reminds me of an alien Mr. Darcy.
My GOSH the steam in this book too! I was giggling and kicking my feet while reading those SIXTEEN spicy scenes (the author counted, but I was too busy squealing and fanning myself to crosscheck, sorry.) They're hot okay! Yet extremely intimate, and tender. Like, literally the best of both worlds, if you will. BUT SOMEHOW A KISS IS THE CRÈME DE LA CRÈME OF THE INTIMATE MOMENTS?! Listen, read it, and I swear you'll understand.
The external plot was very good as well! It rolled from the first book into this one smoothly and added just enough outside pressure to really hammer home the big feelings I was having about the romance. I like my books to have moments of tension in external plots, but getting seriously stressed that something truly terrible will happen to the characters. Which I think Lyra Strake nails that line so well in their books.
But, okay, I've probably rambled enough. Final notes, please read this one so we can yap about it together.