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katyanaish's review
3.0
Well. I liked this book least out of the series so far. To the point where ... honestly, even giving it 3 stars feels like a stretch to me.
My main problems.
1. Jeff. I honestly hate him now.
The jealousy and over-protective crap are just too much. There has been no progression in their relationship, and it's a problem. Furthermore, the plotline of him constantly trying to sideline Kitty "for her protection" is so stupid, at this point, that it makes him TSTL. Look. Kitty is ALWAYS the ONLY one to figure out what is going on. Keeping her in the dark about stuff has ALWAYS put her in more danger, because at best it means she has to swoop in to save everyone (putting her in serious danger because she's left handling a threat that has already taken down the entire rest of the team), while at worst it leaves her open to an attack she couldn't anticipate.
2. The job changes.
I have a couple problems with this. Firstly, I was alright with the transition as it was presented in the last book - that Kitty, Jeff and Christopher would be fighting the same fight, but attacking it from the political arena... which seems to be the source of most of their issues now anyway.
However, it just didn't work. Alpha team treated them as if they were now... I don't know, some of the tone of their encounters made it sound like "run along now children and let the adults handle things." Reader was even condescending, at more than one point.
At the end of the day, none of this makes sense. They've succeed because they ARE a team. The way this book played out, it was as if they'd taken their power pieces and demoted them, and now expected them to run around using only half their brains, because gods-forbid they deal with a problem they figured out before Alpha. It makes no sense for Jeff, Kitty and Christopher to have taken a step backwards in authority. Literally zero sense. This should have been an expansion of their roles, and a delegation of some things to Reader, Tim and Serene. Not a surrender of all leadership to them. Frankly, Alpha was such assholes in this book that I would be okay with the three of them offing the whole lot and taking both jobs over again.
It also makes no sense in terms of how the world has been set up. In previous books - where the Diplomatic Corps WAS the problem - Alpha team was powerless to stop them, because we were told that they were essentially a separate branch of A-C government, serving as checks and balances. So WHY does Alpha act as though they have primary authority? Jeff and Christopher didn't get to do that in earlier books. Why don't the three of them - Jeff, Christopher and Kitty - tell them to fuck straight off? And if they are going to get hassled about trying to use a team when they are in a critical situation - dude, at one point in this book, they are told by Gladys that she won't even give them a gate unless Reader approves it - then why doesn't the Diplomatic Corp have their own full team?
Why is it structured this way? This division of power and assets and resources seems like a mess designed to cause problems, rather than something set up to help them survive the dangerous atmosphere they are trying to work through.
There is a lot that I like about this series. But these things that were annoyances previously - Jeff's douchey behavior and the constant sidelining of Kitty - have become dominant plot threads. And now it isn't just Kitty being sidelined, it is also Christopher and Jeff. This makes no sense, and is utterly stupid.
My main problems.
1. Jeff. I honestly hate him now.
The jealousy and over-protective crap are just too much. There has been no progression in their relationship, and it's a problem. Furthermore, the plotline of him constantly trying to sideline Kitty "for her protection" is so stupid, at this point, that it makes him TSTL. Look. Kitty is ALWAYS the ONLY one to figure out what is going on. Keeping her in the dark about stuff has ALWAYS put her in more danger, because at best it means she has to swoop in to save everyone (putting her in serious danger because she's left handling a threat that has already taken down the entire rest of the team), while at worst it leaves her open to an attack she couldn't anticipate.
2. The job changes.
I have a couple problems with this. Firstly, I was alright with the transition as it was presented in the last book - that Kitty, Jeff and Christopher would be fighting the same fight, but attacking it from the political arena... which seems to be the source of most of their issues now anyway.
However, it just didn't work. Alpha team treated them as if they were now... I don't know, some of the tone of their encounters made it sound like "run along now children and let the adults handle things." Reader was even condescending, at more than one point.
At the end of the day, none of this makes sense. They've succeed because they ARE a team. The way this book played out, it was as if they'd taken their power pieces and demoted them, and now expected them to run around using only half their brains, because gods-forbid they deal with a problem they figured out before Alpha. It makes no sense for Jeff, Kitty and Christopher to have taken a step backwards in authority. Literally zero sense. This should have been an expansion of their roles, and a delegation of some things to Reader, Tim and Serene. Not a surrender of all leadership to them. Frankly, Alpha was such assholes in this book that I would be okay with the three of them offing the whole lot and taking both jobs over again.
It also makes no sense in terms of how the world has been set up. In previous books - where the Diplomatic Corps WAS the problem - Alpha team was powerless to stop them, because we were told that they were essentially a separate branch of A-C government, serving as checks and balances. So WHY does Alpha act as though they have primary authority? Jeff and Christopher didn't get to do that in earlier books. Why don't the three of them - Jeff, Christopher and Kitty - tell them to fuck straight off? And if they are going to get hassled about trying to use a team when they are in a critical situation - dude, at one point in this book, they are told by Gladys that she won't even give them a gate unless Reader approves it - then why doesn't the Diplomatic Corp have their own full team?
Why is it structured this way? This division of power and assets and resources seems like a mess designed to cause problems, rather than something set up to help them survive the dangerous atmosphere they are trying to work through.
There is a lot that I like about this series. But these things that were annoyances previously - Jeff's douchey behavior and the constant sidelining of Kitty - have become dominant plot threads. And now it isn't just Kitty being sidelined, it is also Christopher and Jeff. This makes no sense, and is utterly stupid.
blodeuedd's review against another edition
4.0
The book is as crazy as ever. What more can you expect from this series. There are conspiracies, strange taxi drivers, and all while trying to find a nice dress for the President's Ball.
The last review I did I made a bit differently and honestly after 5 books it's hard to say something new. I mean Kitty is cool, though I did feel at one time that she should have know better. I mean I knew better and all thanks to my Kitty schooling. But other than that she was on top of things.
Martini was actually a bit less jealous than usual, made me a bit sad, I like jealous Martini, cos I am weird like that. Mr White, aww, hihi, I do love him. I fear Christopher's dad is taking spot 2 of my fav Kitty men. Then comes Reader and sadly Christopher is now on spot 4 cos he found a girl.
The poofs are adorable as ever, honestly, please get me one!
How Koch makes these plots are beyond me. Things are coming at me from every corner, I can't figure out the baddies (well one), or who to trust, and what on earth is going on.
And last, there is an excerpt from book 6 at the back and let me tell you, it is pure evil! The way it ends in the middle of something juicy makes me want to get book 6 at once. I think it will be a amazing one.
Conclusion:
I do recommend this fun series. READ BOOK 1!
The last review I did I made a bit differently and honestly after 5 books it's hard to say something new. I mean Kitty is cool, though I did feel at one time that she should have know better. I mean I knew better and all thanks to my Kitty schooling. But other than that she was on top of things.
Martini was actually a bit less jealous than usual, made me a bit sad, I like jealous Martini, cos I am weird like that. Mr White, aww, hihi, I do love him. I fear Christopher's dad is taking spot 2 of my fav Kitty men. Then comes Reader and sadly Christopher is now on spot 4 cos he found a girl.
The poofs are adorable as ever, honestly, please get me one!
How Koch makes these plots are beyond me. Things are coming at me from every corner, I can't figure out the baddies (well one), or who to trust, and what on earth is going on.
And last, there is an excerpt from book 6 at the back and let me tell you, it is pure evil! The way it ends in the middle of something juicy makes me want to get book 6 at once. I think it will be a amazing one.
Conclusion:
I do recommend this fun series. READ BOOK 1!
snarkymotherreader's review against another edition
5.0
The members of Centaurion’s former Diplomatic Corp who weren’t eaten alive are still M.I.A. Shadowy forces in the government still hope to turn the A-Cs into the War Division. And somewhere, in a country far, far away, people are creating superbeings, aka Big Fuglies, to wreak havoc upon the world. Instead of running headlong into battle, Kitty is stuck doing the most despicable, horrendous, pity-inspiring aspect of her new job yet – attending the Washington Wife class. As co-ambassador of Alpha Centauri, Kitty must learn to be diplomatic and couth, two words totally not synonymous with our beloved heroine.
Alien Diplomacy is more a sequel to Alien Proliferation than book five in the Alien Collective series by Gini Koch. A new story arc has been developed, surrounding politics more than just kicking ass and taking names. Don’t get me wrong – there’s plenty of ass kicking and name taking – but they aren’t the prime points of the series anymore. We’re past the simple character development and worldbuilding and smack dab in the middle of the craziness Kitty and clan live in.
Watching Kitty, Martini, Christopher, even James and Chuckie, adapt to their new roles was one of the best parts of Alien Diplomacy. They struggled at first, and battling the various and sundry bad guys was made even more difficult by their new, less hands-on positions. New friends and Kitty’s own brand of self-reflection proved there’s a reason they’re part of the Diplomatic Corp, and seeing each of those characters come to terms with it made me all warm and fuzzy inside.
The Alien Collective, or Kitty “Katt” Martini, series never fails to amaze me. Each book is unique, but builds on that quirky-girl-meets-alien-hunk-while-battling-big-bad-aliens-to-a-killer-soundtrack foundation. This series is more than a romance and more than a sexy version of Men in Black – it’s a glimpse into the world of the girl next door who just so happened to find her Prince Charming in a double-hearted alien body while fighting the good fight. I love it!
Alien Diplomacy is more a sequel to Alien Proliferation than book five in the Alien Collective series by Gini Koch. A new story arc has been developed, surrounding politics more than just kicking ass and taking names. Don’t get me wrong – there’s plenty of ass kicking and name taking – but they aren’t the prime points of the series anymore. We’re past the simple character development and worldbuilding and smack dab in the middle of the craziness Kitty and clan live in.
Watching Kitty, Martini, Christopher, even James and Chuckie, adapt to their new roles was one of the best parts of Alien Diplomacy. They struggled at first, and battling the various and sundry bad guys was made even more difficult by their new, less hands-on positions. New friends and Kitty’s own brand of self-reflection proved there’s a reason they’re part of the Diplomatic Corp, and seeing each of those characters come to terms with it made me all warm and fuzzy inside.
The Alien Collective, or Kitty “Katt” Martini, series never fails to amaze me. Each book is unique, but builds on that quirky-girl-meets-alien-hunk-while-battling-big-bad-aliens-to-a-killer-soundtrack foundation. This series is more than a romance and more than a sexy version of Men in Black – it’s a glimpse into the world of the girl next door who just so happened to find her Prince Charming in a double-hearted alien body while fighting the good fight. I love it!
vikcs's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
brunettewithbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This is the book where Kitty goes to DC to be a diplomat. Yeah, I"m just going to leave that there because if you've been paying attention so far, you know how that's going to go. Needless to say, Koch continues to deliver silly, kickass books that are a pleasure to read and I don't even mind all of the side eye I get when I'm laughing out loud to myself in public.
Kitty -- or should I say, Wolverine with Boobs--is struggling to adjust to Washington and life as diplomat (seriously, LOL at Kitty in Washington Wife class!), but lo and behold... she stumbles into a plot! Car chases, bombings, sexy times ensue.
Honestly had a blast. Will continue to read because, hey! It's fun and I can. Plus, you really gotta love the kittyisms.
4.5/5 stars
“Welcome to My Super Secret Life, where people try to kill us on a regular basis, and we thwart bad-guy schemes for breakfast. We’re almost like a reality show, only without the alcohol and hot tubs.”
Kitty -- or should I say, Wolverine with Boobs--is struggling to adjust to Washington and life as diplomat (seriously, LOL at Kitty in Washington Wife class!), but lo and behold... she stumbles into a plot! Car chases, bombings, sexy times ensue.
"My dress options were handed back to me. I had one white, one black, and one two-toned option. “Can I just say no to the all-white one right now?”
“No, darling. Let’s at least have a look.”
“Pierre, white and I don’t mix well.”
“You look lovely in white.”
“No argument. However, I will stain it in under an hour. An hour might be a generous estimate.”
“She’s not making that up,” Caroline said.
“I’d give it about thirty minutes,” Amy added.
“Less if there’s a punch bowl nearby,” Doreen shared.
My friends, there for me when I needed them."
Honestly had a blast. Will continue to read because, hey! It's fun and I can. Plus, you really gotta love the kittyisms.
4.5/5 stars
nitzanschwarz's review against another edition
4.0
The Alien series has always been a fun, action-packed, romantic read filled with crazy adventures and villains, and this one is no different.
There are a few things that are different, though.
A) Kitty is no longer a 'field agent'. In other words, she's pretty miserable.
B) It took Kitty the entire book to figure out the plot, for once in her life. I really liked that it took her so much time because she was always a tad too perfect in that area. However, what I found a bit weird was that in this book the villains were the most obvious, especially near the end.
A) Kitty is no longer a 'field agent'. In other words, she's pretty miserable.
B) It took Kitty the entire book to figure out the plot, for once in her life. I really liked that it took her so much time because she was always a tad too perfect in that area. However, what I found a bit weird was that in this book the villains were the most obvious, especially near the end.
C) One of the bad guys made me feel sad that he/she is the bad guy because I really wanted him/her to be good.
Aside from that, I loved seeing MJO have a more active part in the story. I was wondering when that'll happen since we met him. loved finally meeting Carolyn as that means we've finally met all of Kitty's friends. And loved seeing Kyle and Len again! These two are awesome! <3
Aside from that, I loved seeing MJO have a more active part in the story. I was wondering when that'll happen since we met him. loved finally meeting Carolyn as that means we've finally met all of Kitty's friends. And loved seeing Kyle and Len again! These two are awesome! <3
I think from the entire series (so far), this book contains my favorite hilarious bits. I won't tell you what it is, just that it involves Kitty, a threesome... and the entire AC division?! LOL. I was laughing my head off that entire conversation. Gini Koch, how do you come up with these things?
As for the cast, they're awesome as always. Jamie is the most adorable baby on the planet (and probably the galaxy), but that's not really that important
As for the cast, they're awesome as always. Jamie is the most adorable baby on the planet (and probably the galaxy), but that's not really that important
bewoelkt_aber_heiter's review against another edition
3.0
Bisher der schlechteste Band der Reihe. Kitty hat mir auf ihrem neuen Posten als Botschafterin in D. C. nicht mehr ganz so gut gefallen, wie als aktive Agentin. Noch immer ist der Ton der Figuren und des Schreibstils wunderbar sarkastisch und humorvoll, aber es fehlten mir die Momente, in denen ich wirklich lachen musste. Auch die Handlung ist noch immer spannend und temporeich, aber die Ermittlungen machen diesmal nur spärlich Fortschritte, es gibt keine Teilauflösungen, die Zwischenetappen abgrenzen, sodass es sich an einigen Stellen zog. Außerdem wurden zum Teil so viele (mögliche) Antagonisten auf einmal eingeführt, dass ich stellenweise nicht mehr mitkam und den Faden verloren habe. Noch immer ein typisch witzig-abgedrehter Roman, aber diesmal mit deutlichen Schwächen. Ich hoffe, der nächste Band wird wieder besser.
lalabristow's review against another edition
5.0
From My Blog: Welcome to Larissa's Bookish Life
YES! Gini does it again!
I have been such an avid fan of the Katherine “Kitty” Katt series from the get-go. Hilariously sweet, kick-ass, problem prone and sarcastic leading lady Kitty had me from her first right on the money comment and it has been a love affair ever since.
Of course, all the outrageously gorgeous Armani or non-Armani clad men in the series help a great deal, but it is definitely the combination an incredibly fast-paced storyline, interestingly appealing characters and Kick-ass action from different worlds that make this a must-read series.
Alien Diplomacy is the 5th installment in the series and I have to give cuddos to Gini Koch for not dropping the ball once in the series so far. I might get a bit lost sometimes with the addition of more and more characters with each and every single book, but Gini does a suberb job in helping me keep it all up.
In Alien Diplomacy, Kitty is back and even thought she is now married with a baby to take of and has just changed careers, she is far from getting complacent and forgoing all the action, or should I say that the action is not forgoing her? Hard to keep track, though Kitty is definitely a problem magnet to the n-th degree and being a Diplomat in DC will not change any of that one iota.
Alien Diplomacy gives us all of old and beloved characters like Christopher, who is now just as smitten as Martini once was, Amy, Reader, Gower, Ace, Richard (who has fallen into his new job quite awesomely) and so many more. We also get introduced to a host of new characters that will make all the Washington intrigue all that more, well... intriguing hehe.
If you are a fan of this amazing series, Alien Diplomacy is not only a must but essential to your reading health. However, if you have not read the series yet, that is just simply dangerous to your health in general, because I will kick your ass!
YES! Gini does it again!
I have been such an avid fan of the Katherine “Kitty” Katt series from the get-go. Hilariously sweet, kick-ass, problem prone and sarcastic leading lady Kitty had me from her first right on the money comment and it has been a love affair ever since.
Of course, all the outrageously gorgeous Armani or non-Armani clad men in the series help a great deal, but it is definitely the combination an incredibly fast-paced storyline, interestingly appealing characters and Kick-ass action from different worlds that make this a must-read series.
Alien Diplomacy is the 5th installment in the series and I have to give cuddos to Gini Koch for not dropping the ball once in the series so far. I might get a bit lost sometimes with the addition of more and more characters with each and every single book, but Gini does a suberb job in helping me keep it all up.
In Alien Diplomacy, Kitty is back and even thought she is now married with a baby to take of and has just changed careers, she is far from getting complacent and forgoing all the action, or should I say that the action is not forgoing her? Hard to keep track, though Kitty is definitely a problem magnet to the n-th degree and being a Diplomat in DC will not change any of that one iota.
Alien Diplomacy gives us all of old and beloved characters like Christopher, who is now just as smitten as Martini once was, Amy, Reader, Gower, Ace, Richard (who has fallen into his new job quite awesomely) and so many more. We also get introduced to a host of new characters that will make all the Washington intrigue all that more, well... intriguing hehe.
If you are a fan of this amazing series, Alien Diplomacy is not only a must but essential to your reading health. However, if you have not read the series yet, that is just simply dangerous to your health in general, because I will kick your ass!
melodicfate's review against another edition
4.0
This took a while, but I ended up really liking it. It was a bit long, but I never figured out who was good or bad before Kitty did. It dragged in places, but I think it's because of Kitty's new job and location. Also, yay for Jeff growing some in the supportive husband department.