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Radiant Exception
AJ Wynn
Radiant Exception features a sarcastic, talented spy named Lark who is desperately searching for the outlaw known only as “The Phoenix” after her brother’s death. She finds herself paired off in a fake marriage with a strict ship captain after the Phoenix’s bounty — but unfortunately, he wants nothing to do with her and refuses to cooperate.
In this sci fi/mystery/forced proximity romance, sparks fly and tempers surge aboard a shoddily repaired cargo ship as Lark and Captain Vaughn learn to trust each other to achieve their goals.
I enjoyed the forced proximity trope and its take on just one bed. I also loved the crew as found family, and the sort-of Firefly vibes the story gave off.
Personally, I think the resolution was too quick and easy and I clocked the villain the moment they were introduced.
This little novella also had a lot more spice than I was anticipating, to the point where sometimes I think we lost the plot 👀
All in all, if you like romantic spice, space travel, and espionage, I recommend this book.
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Radiant Exception releases May 21st, 2026 and purchase info can be found here.
The Midnight Review 