Confession: I finished this book six days ago, and I’m already halfway through book three.
Yes, the Galactic Bonds series is truly that unputdownable!
Jennifer Estep’s world of spaceships and swordplay is so immersive and entertaining that as a reader you just can’t bear to leave. The sci-fi fantasy setting is well-developed, complete with a galactic empire, warriors with magical powers, and a fanciful ruling class of Regals whose political and romantic machinations mirror the capers of the best regency romances. That’s probably why the book description states that Only Bad Options will appeal to both fans of Star Wars and fans of Pride and Prejudice.
You’d think these two disparate genres wouldn’t appeal to the same audience. But then again, I adore both so much that I’m currently in the middle of writing a sci-fi with Regency elements myself. And it seems thousands of readers who’ve given Only Bad Options four and five-star ratings would agree that the two genres make an excellent combination!
But worldbuilding is just the beginning of Only Bad Options’ appeal. The book also boasts two morally grey yet instantly likeable main characters whose opposite hot and cold natures make them the perfect pair for an enemies-to-lovers romance.
When Vesper, a lab worker with supernatural mechanical skills and a whole lot of red-hot rage, meets Kyrion, an elite killer and right-hand-man of the emperor Vesper hates, sparks are bound to fly. But Vesper and Kyrion become magically bonded, forcing them to work together as they attempt to break the “truebond” before the emperor finds out and seals their fate as a bonded couple.
Spoiler though, Book One isn’t a complete romance in itself. There’s no kissing or hint at a happily ever after for this couple until Book Two.
That’s no reason not to pick up this excellent Space Opera romance series immediately, though. Trust me when I say you might as well buy the first two books all at once, because you’ll be dying to see Vesper and Kyrion finally get together.
Even better, buy book three while you’re at it because the focus of the third book shifts to another equally interesting couple while continuing the same overarching Space Opera plot, and it’ll leave you dying to find out what’s going to happen in book four, which is set to continue Vesper and Kyrion’s story this fall!
