DadReadsRomance

**Medium Used: ** 75% ebook via Libby 25% audiobook via Hoopla.

Ratings out of 5

Overall Rating: 💜💜💜💜

Sweetness Level: 🍫🍫

Steam Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥

FMC Likability: 💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽

MMC Likability: 🕺🏽🕺🏽🕺🏽

Plot Engagement: 🛸🛸🛸🛸🛸

At least 1 bad dad (pass/fail): 💯

BONUS audiobook narration: 🔈🔈🔈🔈

Spoiler Free Review

Polaris Rising is a Space Western Romance told from the first person perspective of Ada Van Hasenberg. Ada is the fifth of six Van Hasenberg children one of the three High Houses in the consortium that rules the human populated universe. Adawas uninterested in marrying whomever would be the most politically beneficial to her father so she fled the luxury of Earth.

Our story begins 2 years after Ada went on the run. Ada’s luck has run out and she is Captured by mercenaries intending to return her home and collect the large bounty her father has put out for her safe return. She finds herself locked in the brig of the merc’s ship the consortium’s most wanted wanted criminal: Marcus Loch.

The story unfolds as Loch and Ada reluctantly rely on the would be enemy they’ve found themselves with to outrun their bounty hunters. Of course this is an r/romancebooks post so you can probably guess where these enemies are headed.

What I liked about this book.

• I thought the space western stood on its own. Not that I dislike Romance Books that are 100% Romance driven but I am personally more a fan of Contemporary RomComs if that’s the case. The author took full advantage of the futuristic space setting.
• I could not predict how the plot would resolve. With Romance Books you know it is headed to a HEA but it’s the how that can build suspense. I felt like each conflict in this story did not have an obvious path forward.
• In general, I am a fan of the strong incredibly competent woman archetype in my fiction so Ada does it for me.
• I felt like enough time was given to make me care about supporting cast which sometimes there isn’t time for in the genre.

What I didn’t like about this book.

• I didn’t fully understand some of the characteristics of a major antagonist.
• There wasn’t a single likable dad in the whole story./s

In conclusion if you’re looking for a collision of shootouts, breakouts, and make-outs then Polaris Rising is the right book for you.

Spoiler Review

What I liked Spoilers

Click to reveal spoilers

• The first time consent scene is A++. I This is the best way I had ever read consent portrayed in a book. Jessie Mihalik found a way to make the obtaining of consent match perfectly with the characters, flow of the story, and sexual tension. This positive was fitting given u/admiralamy ‘s flair and that they recommended it.

• The world building really made sense to me. I liked the concept of Faster than light travel technology taking a lot of time to recharge. I also liked that this ended up being very important to the plot. I haven’t seen a lot of think space sci-fi that focuses enough on how valuable the next break in technology is going to be so that was pretty refreshing to me.

• Ada and Loch are equally in distress / saved by the other. It was becoming a bit of a trope towards the end but I enjoyed that it was not a one way street.

• Ada’s political skills save the day. I feel like it would’ve been disappointing after so much build up about needing to act a certain way to navigate the High Houses if the conflict resolved with a shootout.

• On a similar note I just straight up loved the marriage contract negotiation with Richard. Great balance of humor and emotion.

What I didn’t like spoilers most of these are nitpicks I honestly don’t have much negative to say.

Click to reveal spoilers

• It is never explained what happened to Richard to make him a jerk. It was commented on several times that he used to be a nice guy so I feel like the drive for his changed deserved exposition.

• Ada’s dad is obviously impressed by everything she did to deliver Polaris but then their relationship does not get any better. I think it would have been more interesting for her father to show some heart at the end and want to protect his daughters love. I guess that would have ruined the character for the sequels though.

• I thought we would get more information about the planet in Ada’s Dowry that was so valuable. Like it seemed the Rockhurst had plenty of the FTL mineral to mine in their own planets. It just seemed weird that it was so dire they had this 1 additional planet. I know they explained the cornering the market concept but wouldn’t having the technology hidden be enough?

• They didn’t resolve Veronica and Lin. Like does the father of house Yandaho or however it was spelled find out? Maybe this is going to be in a future book but I felt like this plot line did not get closure. I also didn’t understand if Lin would always be the legal heir or if his father married it would nullify his claim to throne.

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(This review was originally published in February of 2022 on Reddit)