Review – Chain Reaction by Zoe Archer

Publisher: Carina Press
Publish Date: Out Now!
How I got this book: NetGalley

Elite 8th Wing pilot Celene Jur was taken captive after a mysterious device temporarily disabled her ship’s controls. Three solar months later, when Celene receives intel on the man who built the device, she’s ready to get the bastard. Only problem is, the higher-ups think her mission partner should be Nils Calder, a tech-head who can understand the disabling device. The attraction between them is electric, but Celene needs a soldier who can watch her back as she exacts her revenge.

Nils knows his department is nicknamed NerdWorks. Pilots like Celene think the closest tech geeks come to combat is all-night Nifalian chess tournaments. But behind the NerdWorks insignia on his sleeve Nils is an able fighter, ready to prove himself and gain Celene’s trust.

The desire between them is unexpected, but with the fate of thousands hanging in the balance, the hotshot pilot and the

tech genius must succeed in their mission—no matter the cost.
*Blurb from Goodreads*

After the first book in the 8th Wing series I was anxiously waiting to get the next book, especially once I realized it would feature Celene, the pilot who was taken hostage in the first book. As much as I enjoyed the story, there was something that was missing from this one that made the Collision Course so special and unique.

Celene is desperate to get revenge on the people who disabled her ship, took her hostage and tried to sell her as a sex slave. When she realizes that the only way to find the traitor is to work with Nils, the golden boy of the engineering department. Nils isn’t what Celene is used to working with for a partner, but once he proves himself, she grudgingly accepts him.

Nils has always had a crush on Celene, and now that he has the chance to prove NerdWorks can be in the field as well, he will do anything to have a successful mission. Each day he is with Celene, the two grow closer and finally the sexual tension is more than they can both take. But when the mission gets critical, they are both going to have to step up their game to make it home alive.

I had such high expectations for this story, and while it was still really good, it didn’t live up to all my hopes. Unlike Collision Course, I felt as if this story was really choppy. There were times it seemed as if scenes ended quickly, blurred together in ways that didn’t always work for me and didn’t seem to flow as seamlessly. While I liked the overall plot and story, it felt as if the journey itself from start to finish was like a really rough hike, instead of a leisurely stroll through the park. I had to work at following along and enjoying the story.

I also felt as if the romance wasn’t as believable either. I really liked the change in dynamic from the first hero and heroine to Celene and Nils. While Celene is a top ranked soldier, she is also put up on such a high pedestal that she doesn’t ever get the chance to feel like a real woman. And Nils is a complete geek, caring more about working with computers and components than people. I liked them together once they really came to care for each other, but I still don’t really see how they got there.

I am still interested in the overall world-building and hope that Archer continues to write more books in this series. I’ve been a fan of these space-opera style romances, and think that Archer can tell some incredible stories within this genre.

All in all I was a little disappointed, but also went in with some VERY lofty expectations. I think the book had a great overall story and Archer fans wont be too disappointed. However, I also didn’t think that it lived up to awesomesauce that was the first book in the series.

I give Chain Reaction a C-