Chaos Reigning by Jessie Mihalik
Consortium Rebellion #3
Science Fiction Romance
May 19, 2020 by Harper Voyager
ARC

For some reason I didn’t realize this series was only a trilogy and Chaos Reigning was the very last book until about halfway in. I’m sure I’d read about that somewhere earlier, but it just didn’t register. Now I’m all like NOOOOOOO, give me more!

As much as I enjoyed the first book in the series, Polaris Rising, and Ada and her sexy as hell man Loch, I think this might be my favorite of the series. I flat out ADORED Catarina and Alex. I adored this adrenaline fueled adventure, as this couple and their allies race to save the Consortium from a rebel group and the house members who betrayed them.

I have a weakness for competent protagonists and this series is jam packed full of them. Each character has been unique, but a total badass in their own way. Catarina was the perfect von Hasenberg sibling to feature in the finale. Her DNA having been tinkered with as a child by her father, much like Loch, Ian, and Alex’s were in the Genesis Project, makes her stronger and faster than the average human. She’s kept this a secret, even from her siblings, but has finally met her most ideal partner in Alex Sterling. (Who readers first met in Aurora Blazing.)

The youngest of the House von Hasenberg children, Catarina sets out to discover who kidnapped her older brother and what House James had to do with it. All of society sees her as a flighty, party girl, although she’s anything but. Her sister Bianca sets her up with Alex and his team member Aoife as protection as she sets her mind to attending a party in enemy territory to try to dig up information.

Alex is just… perfect. He’s protective, but not to the point where he tries to overshadow Catarina or get in her way. He fully supports her and as their relationship grows, he helps her embrace her enhanced abilities. They are the very definition of a badass couple. Which is so damn sexy.

Their romance kind of takes a back seat to the action and intrigue as they battle the bad guys to save the universe and I can honestly say this was one time I wish a couple would have stopped in an inopportune moment and just done the deed. I wanted this couple to get together SO BADLY. But, the wickedly fast pacing and compelling worldbuilding kept me turning pages when I might have been irritated with another book.

Chaos Reigning is a rollicking good time. In fact, the whole series is a must-read romantic space opera adventure. I loved it from beginning to end and am keeping my fingers crossed readers get more stories in this world.

Final grade- A

AMAZON * GOODREADS