Review: Alien in the Family by Gini Koch

Alien in the Family
~Gini Koch

Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: DAW
Publish Date: April 5, 2011
ISBN-10: 0756406684
ISBN-13: 978-0756406684
ASIN: B004IYIUIS

From Goodreads:
Super-Being Exterminator Kitty Katt and the Alpha Centaurian she loves, Jeff Martini, should be finalizing their wedding plans. But that was before she discovers Jeff is in line to become Emperor back on his home world. Kitty knows she is everything a royal family wouldn't approve of, and is bracing herself for the worst. As it turns out, the royal family is just the beginning. Especially when extraterrestrial Amazonian terrorists are determined to start and end Kitty and Jeff's nuptial festivities with a bang.

Agent Kitty Katt and Alien Jeff Martini are supposed to be planning their wedding. Instead, they're being attacked by man-hating Amazons, Kitty's being tested to see if she's "suitable" to marry Jeff, and attacks by shapeshifter assassins are taking up all their time. Then, when Kitty and Jeff's families both "coincidentally" show up in Las Vegas at the same time they're there, Kitty knows something's up...

My thoughts: I'm holding Gini Koch responsible for my sleepless nights - I stayed up way too late turning pages and then dreamed about this book!!! All my favorite characters are back and she's introduced some new ones too. (The old Star Trek episode with the Tribbles is one of my favorites so of course I was all over the Poofs. I want one!!!)

As always, the action was fast-paced and exciting, but what I really like about Gini's books is the depth of her characters, and Alien in the Family I feel like we got our best look yet. We got to see a softer, less sure side of Kitty and a funnier side of Martini.

I love Kitty and Jeff - they are one of my favorite fictional couples, but Kitty and Reader are my favorite fictional "noncouple". They had me "awwww"-ing and holding my hand over my heart, especially during the hospital scene. Reader was fabulous throughout the book, I want a BFF like Reader! Is it horrible that I loved how cute Martini and Gower were when they were jealous of Kitty and Reader's relationship? (Too bad, I loved it!)

I have been a fan of Chuckie since book 1 when we hadn't even met him yet. I continue to be a Chuckie fan - he's obviously still in love with Kitty but is supportive of her decision to marry Jeff (while letting her know he's available if things should fall through, lol). I do wonder why the female AC's aren't all over Chuckie - he's brilliant!

One tiny niggle: I did have a bit of an issue with the football players; it seemed to me that things could have gone another way for Kitty, and I'm apparently not as forgiving as she is - in my mind there's never an excuse to treat a woman that way.

Ms. Koch packs fast-paced action, over-the-top fun, super-sexy romancing and a fabulous ending into another amazing installment of her Alien series; it's going to be a long wait until December for Alien Proliferation!!!

My Rating:

This book was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.