Review: Nightchaser

Author Amanda Bouchet 

Format e-ARC 

Print Length 416 pages 

Publisher Piatkus Books 

Published Jan. 1, 2019 

A delicious new heart-pounding romantic adventure from USA Today bestseller Amanda Bouchet!

Captain Tess Bailey and her crew of Robin Hood-like thieves are desperate and on the run. Pursued by a vicious military general who wants them dead or alive, Tess has to decide if she can trust Shade Ganavan, a tall, dark and arrogant stranger with ambiguous motivations.

Shade Ganavan had oodles of arrogance, oodles of charm, and oodles of something that made me want to kick him in the nuts.

What Tess and Shade don’t know about each other might get them killed…unless they can set aside their differences and learn to trust each other—while ignoring their off-the-charts chemistry. 

My Opinion 

I received this ARC copy of Nightchaser from SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntary review. 

I am a huge fan of The Kingmakers trilogy By Amanda Bouchet and so I jumped at the chance to review the first book in her new series. I went in thinking that I would have a good time reading about outer-space. This story is so much more than that though. Space opera with a slight Firefly feel to it that captures the imagination from the first paragraph. 

Tess is a ship captain with a makeshift family as her crew. She trust very few but those that she trust she holds close to her heart. All decisions she make are with her crew in mind and does not mind sacrificing for them time and time again. The Dark Watch (the government) is after her ship after they stumbled upon some vaccines. With a narrow escape the ship is damaged and she had to land it, repair it, then deliver those vaccines to people who desperately need them. On Albion 5, a habitable planet, she gets help from Shade Ganavan. Shade owns a repair shop and has a soft spot for Tess. He also has secrets that could get her into more trouble than she already is in. 

Tess has had a rough life, her mom dying and her father’s reaction has shaped her beyond belief. Having survived the orphanage and the mines, she has a quiet strength about her that others at 26 years old do not have. Jax knows her secret, others on the ship do not. She has to stay out of the way of the Dark Watch. When they find her she gives them a run for their money, which is why there is a bounty put on her head. Tess’ personality is rough, rugged and sarcastic. I loved it! Her loyalty and love for her crew will forever endure her to me. Best thing about Tess though is that she is not perfect, and could have even been broken instead she keeps fighting. 

Shade is a little shadey…yes I went there. He is hot, available and handy. He is clearly attracted to Tess and wants to help her, yet something makes him hesitate. Shade has his secrets and his reasons but man when they come out will that trust be blown away. Shade’s past shapes who he is and how he handles things. 

Even though this is plugged as a romance there is a lot of action in this book. The action is what pulled me in to the book and the romance is what cemented me to the chair. The chemistry between Tess and Shade is boiling hot. Yet, how they move one from the reveals will determine if it continues to build steam or if it settles down to distilled water. 

There were times when the switching from points of view took a while to get use to. I think this is because Tess was written in first person and Shade was in third person. I am unsure why the author chose to do the different points of view like this instead of keeping to one format. I did like that Shade’s third person point of view allowed us to see the struggle that he was going through internally. 

Nighchaser lays the foundation for a fabulous series. One that will hold you hostage until the very end. It is an action adventure that brings so many different feels into play. There is no cliffhanger yet you will wonder what happens next. Not only to Tess and Shade but the secondary characters as well. 

My Rating 5 out of 5 stars 

Favorite Quote “Because novels stir feelings, wishes, and the heart” 

Other People 

Jax- Tess’ bestie and partner 

Bridgebane- evil guy hunting Tess 

Overseer- head of the evil government 

Fiona- member of Tess’ crew 

Miko- member of Tess’ crew