Holy smokes, Cosmic Kiss by Clio Evans is one hell of a series starter. I came for the tentacles, stayed for the relationships and world-building, and now I’m hooked. At the time of writing, I’m about halfway through Clio’s first series, Creature Café, and I’m looking forward to finishing that, but there’s something to be said for starting a series at the beginning as the author is writing it. I’m excited to be along for the ride.
Affiliate Disclaimer: I participate in the Amazon Affiliate program. As such, if you make a purchase through one of my links below, I’ll earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Tentacles and diamonds are a girl’s best friend.
Cosmic Kiss: Book 1 of the Galactic Gems series
🥭🥭🥭🥭.25
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
(you can find my rating and spice system here)
POV & Tense: Multi POV, first person, past tense
Genre: Alien Romance, MMF Romance, Science Fiction
Tropes/Themes: Fated Mates, Instalove, Enemies to Lovers, Competition for the female, Second Chances, Burlesque, Pheromones, Tentacles, Dupeen, Praise & Degradation, Aliens + Human
Synopsis:
Stella Starz is a member of the Galactic Gems burlesque troupe, touring and tempting the galaxy. Because of an illness, she’s thrust into the spotlight as the opening act and catches the eye of not one but two sexy aliens. Toras is the Tourmalind Chancellor, and Zin the Lazulian prince. They can’t stand one another, and each is sure Stella is his fated mate. But who shall be victorious in winning her heart? And who is to blame for the mysterious illnesses and accidents plaguing the Galactic Gems?
My Review:
As I said, I came for the tentacles and was rewarded with a feast of world-building, relationships, a mystery, and some scorching hot MF, MM, and MMF moments. I am a big fan of burlesque, so I loved everything about the story. I could imagine Stella on stage with her giant fans, singing, dancing, and putting on a sultry show. The meet-cute was swoon-worthy, with Stella rescued by not one but two sexy aliens, both instantly hooked on their tantalizing human.
Enemies to Lovers
Enemies to Lovers is one of my all-time favorite tropes, and it was fantastic here, with hints of a past shared between Zin and Toras. They’re at each other’s throats while trying to one-up each other and court Stella. I loved the initial dates and the signs that perhaps they are not as over one another as they had once thought. This is fantastic because I love reading MM in polyamorous relationships.
Holy fuck. Who knew the Mr. Darcy of aliens was the type to tentacle bang me at a restaurant?
World-building
Cosmic Kiss captures the similarities and differences between humans, Lazulians, and Tourmalinds so well. Clio Evans creates a gorgeous image of the planet Lazuli and its inhabitants, and I could picture the main characters very well (and there’s gorgeous art by jemlin to accompany the book). The many physical differences between the men are captivating, from Toras’ many tentacles and their uses to Zin’s third eye, the crescent moon that follows him around, and, of course, his two cocks—all ingredients for a super steamy romance.
In a former life, I worked in jewelry, so I love all the gem references, such as naming the planets after gemstones (tourmaline = planet Tourmalin, its inhabitants the Tourmalinds; lapis lazuli = planet Lapis, its inhabitants the Lazulians). I’m so curious about which gemstones the planets in the next book will be named after. Another thing I loved was the alien swear words Clio invented and peppered throughout the dialogue (I will never stop smiling at gafk).
“We’re going to do our curtain call,” Mari said, grabbing my hand. “Then we’re going to have some champagne, celebrate your performance, and talk about alien dicks.”
Mystery
While I’m here for the romance and the steamy moments (the hotter the better), I love a good mystery in whatever subgenre of romance I’m reading. The sudden illnesses and injuries plaguing the burlesque troupe were intriguing and raised the stakes. I did not figure out the culprit ahead of time—love that.
Final Thoughts:
Cosmic Kiss is an outstanding read and I highly recommend it. I’m completely invested now and can’t wait for book two, in which the Galactic Gems travel to the Cinnabar Galaxy (aka the Wild West). I am dying to know what creatures we will get to meet there, and I can’t wait to be entertained with more burlesque routines.
She let out a soft sigh and leaned down, brushing her lips over mine. Gafk. I was supposed to be stealing her heart, but she was stealing mine.
Cosmic Kiss by Clio Evans (Galactic Gems Book 1)
Author Stalking (but not in a creepy way):
Clio Evans is the author of numerous captivating monster and alien romance novels and novellas. She also publishes contemporary romance under the pen name Clary Evans.
Website
Instagram
Patreon
Goodreads
Bookbub
Banner Background Image Credit: Nebula
~~If you like spicy books with tentacles, check out my SPICY TENTACLE REC LIST~~
Leave a Reply