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A review by birbpal
Homebound by Lydia Hope
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
⭐️⭐️.75 Stars
When I read the synopsis for the book, I was immediately drawn to the fact that this would be a sci-fi romance taking place on earth. Most of the sci-fi/alien romances I have read always feature the MCs not on Earth. I was also excited for the darker tone this book had. I have lately read a lot of books in this genre where they don't take themselves too seriously. That's great, honestly. But I was looking for a change of pace. I was hopeful this book would fit the bill.
At first, I was enjoying the slow pace and slow burn for the romance. My expectations were building, along with the hype! Gemma as a FMC was interesting. I found the lack of esteem yet determination to survive very interesting. I also loved how empathetic she was, especially in a world where empathy is hard to come by. That paired with Simon was a nice contrast as well. I really was excited to see how their romance would unfold with these differences, along with them being entirely different species.
I kept reading. And waiting. Waiting for stuff to happen and for the romance to finally unfold. Honestly, a lot happened in this book, and yet nothing at all? It's so weird! One minute, Simon is apathetic to Gemma and only shows brief moments of care. Suddenly, he loves her? But not really, because love is a "human" emotion. And yet, he has undying loyalty to her???☠️
Long story short; Simon's feelings are never clearly spelled out for Gemma by the time the book is finished. You kinda just have to assume he loves her. Speaking of the ending, it sucks. The book literally ends midcoversation with no satisfying epilogue. Instead of a HEA ending, it felt more like a HFN one. I mean... not getting into spoiler territory, but I have to hope Gemma and Simon are finally safe and happy and that somehow, Gemma integrates well into his culture.🤷♀️
I was hoping the next book was gonna be a sequel. Sadly, it isn't. I won't be reading it, but I hope the author has found this book to be a good learning experience and that the MCs in the second book get an actual ending, lol.🐥💕
When I read the synopsis for the book, I was immediately drawn to the fact that this would be a sci-fi romance taking place on earth. Most of the sci-fi/alien romances I have read always feature the MCs not on Earth. I was also excited for the darker tone this book had. I have lately read a lot of books in this genre where they don't take themselves too seriously. That's great, honestly. But I was looking for a change of pace. I was hopeful this book would fit the bill.
At first, I was enjoying the slow pace and slow burn for the romance. My expectations were building, along with the hype! Gemma as a FMC was interesting. I found the lack of esteem yet determination to survive very interesting. I also loved how empathetic she was, especially in a world where empathy is hard to come by. That paired with Simon was a nice contrast as well. I really was excited to see how their romance would unfold with these differences, along with them being entirely different species.
I kept reading. And waiting. Waiting for stuff to happen and for the romance to finally unfold. Honestly, a lot happened in this book, and yet nothing at all? It's so weird! One minute, Simon is apathetic to Gemma and only shows brief moments of care. Suddenly, he loves her? But not really, because love is a "human" emotion. And yet, he has undying loyalty to her???☠️
Long story short; Simon's feelings are never clearly spelled out for Gemma by the time the book is finished. You kinda just have to assume he loves her. Speaking of the ending, it sucks. The book literally ends midcoversation with no satisfying epilogue. Instead of a HEA ending, it felt more like a HFN one. I mean... not getting into spoiler territory, but I have to hope Gemma and Simon are finally safe and happy and that somehow, Gemma integrates well into his culture.🤷♀️
I was hoping the next book was gonna be a sequel. Sadly, it isn't. I won't be reading it, but I hope the author has found this book to be a good learning experience and that the MCs in the second book get an actual ending, lol.🐥💕