I Punched an Alien and Now We're in Couples Therapy

Cosmic Chaos #2

by Kimberly Lemming

A zany and sexy romance about a woman who finds herself stranded on a far-off planet and mated to the warlord alien king, from USA Today bestselling author Kimberly Lemming.

It’s not in Blair’s nature to just give up. Not when she’s beamed up to a spaceship and then dropped on an alien planet. Not even when she’s in the middle of a forest fire surrounded by dinosaurs. And definitely not when she’s captured by an arrogant alien king. If King Osid thinks he can break her, he’s in for a shock. Blair lives by one If you stay ready, you never have to get ready.

But absolutely nothing could have prepared her for finding out that she’s that arrogant King Osid’s mate.

Despite recent hiccups, the alien researchers are determined to get their breeding program back on track. With that in mind, Blair and Osid are bundled off to the research center for what they’re told is couples counseling. As they face a series of increasingly dangerous challenges, it soon becomes clear the research aliens may have confused an episode of The Bachelor with Survivor. Bonding over their common enemy, and shall we say...encouraged by love darts, Blair and Osid let down their walls (and take off their clothes). When they discover that there are—somehow—even more secret plans in the works, another hilarious, steamy, over-the-top adventure is in store.

Genres: Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Aliens, Humor, Audiobook, Fiction

345 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 18, 2026

Reviews

[Kristina]

I don’t know what to say about this book, on the one hand it was a hot, chaotic mess, on the other it’s Kimberly Lemming who is the queen of chaos.

This had the feeling of Lemmings work but it was difficult to track the plot and it lacked much of her usual sarcastic charm. I spent much of it asking wtf just happened? And questioning character motivations and world building. When you get lost in the sauce it’s hard to enjoy the witticisms.

This series is a miss for me. It’s nowhere near at the level of her indie stuff. Who knew being picked up by a major publisher would make your work less polished and have less direction?

Fans of KL will probably still enjoy this, I did enjoy some parts, like the talking T Rex and the banter between Osid and Blair, but I highly recommend checking out her mead mishaps series for the best of her work.

**************************

Woohooooo! Got the arc! Someone up there loves me (up there at NetGalley).

[BookishKB]

✨👊🏽👽 I Punched an Alien and Now We’re in Couples Therapy 👽👊🏽✨

🙌🏾🙌🏾 Happy Release Week 🙌🏾🙌🏾

I freaking cackled while reading this book! I love Kimberly Lemming and this is for sure my favorite book of hers!

The banter and antics were non stop and hilarious! Completely ridiculous but it only made it funnier!

Also, they really do undergo couples therapy via a simulated game 🤣🤣

💫 What to Expect
• Alien planet
• Alien warlord MMC
• Forced proximity
• Fated mates
• Survival meet cute
• Couples therapy
_ _ _

📅 Pub Date: August 18, 2026
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Eleanor]

I Punched an Alien and Now We're in Couples Therapy is a quirky and wholly unhinged romance! From the very beginning of the story to the end, every page of this book is laced with pure chaos and whimsy. I loved how hectic and fast the plot developed and pushed Osid and Blair together, in contrast to their slow burn romance. The two had such a visceral connection, and combined with their top tier banter, it was so fun to see them slowly fall for each other and let their walls down as the story progressed. If you've read Kimberly Lemming before, you know her books come with a healthy dose of wacky plot wrapped up into a charmingly eccentric romance, and this one takes that to a whole other level. If you're looking for a fun and chaotic read, I cannot recommend this one enough!

~Many thanks to Berkley Romance for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

[Ceri 🍉]

4*
I don't know how she does it but Miss Kimberly makes alien/monster romances work for me. They're so goofy yet spicy at the same time

[Poppy || Monster Lover]

Advance review copy from NetGalley

This book has all the chaos one would expect from a Kimberly Lemming book. Blair was fiery and independent, with no time or forgiveness for the alien who was one night stand turned captor turned fellow prisoner. Osid was fierce and possessive; all morally dark gray antihero. Their banter was on point and the Biwban “scientists” who were determined to have them breed using half baked earth dating ideas was hilarious.
I highly recommend rereading book 1 before this, since it assumes you remember what happened there.

Spice: 4/5

Triggers: violence, gore, murder, battle, kidnapping, confinement, alien abduction, non consensual medical experimentation (off page), dinosaur attacks, snake attack, threat of being eaten, gun violence, bombs, forest fire, threat of drowning, political machinations, fall from height, side characters filming sex non consensually, death threats, FMC punches MMC multiple times, drug use, epilogue pregnancy, attempts by third party to manipulate MCs into having sex, flashbacks, past mass death from pandemic

[Lucky]

Lemming does it again! Another laugh-out-loud funny addition to the Cosmic Chaos series, this book was a raucous delight the whole way through.

The premise of an alien warlord and rock star trapped in a breeding program hooked me immediately. When what followed was an ill-devised dungeon crawl of "couples therapy" scenarios— complete with kaiju krampus and a Regency t-rex attack— as well as the pursuit of inter-galactic justice, it only reinforced that no one is doing it like Kimberly Lemming.

If you like fated mates (alien-style), antagonistic chaos duos, and wacky romps with a heart of gold, you are in for a wild (triceratops) ride. I had the time of my life.

[Ebony]

Not terrible. Not great. It’s honestly an absolute mess but I couldn’t put it down. Definitely had its funny moments but as a whole this was just ok. I get this is supposed to be chaotic but the sheer amount of chaos was off putting at times. Some current phrases are sprinkled throughout the book and it’s a little cringey. The smut is always a great time and very well done. This is very much a “no thoughts, just vibes” book. Read if you want to turn off your brain and have a fun time.

[labibliofille]

I enjoyed my time reading I Punched an Alien and Now We're in Couples Therapy. I really like the messaging included within the plot., but that wasn't enough for me, unfortunately. The plot seemed a tad slow-paced and all over the place. There was also something missing that I couldn't quite put my finger on. While I like this series, I agree with other readers that Kimberly Lemming's Mead Mishaps series is better.

[Amber]

DNF @ 65%
No star rating for my dnf books!

Kimberly Lemming is always so fun, interesting, and so incredibly creative. Her books bring so much joy and voice to her characters!

I think that this book should be as successful as book one! Which I also got the arc for and absolutely adored. I appreciated the crossing over from book one to book two. These characters were spunky, difficult and strong minded!

With that I will say I DNF’d this at 65%

I think the setting and creative outlook for this series is the best aspect. Its wildly fun and almost absurd in a new exciting way. I just had some aspects about the book that was not my personal favorite & made me have a hard time finishing. Mostly personal tastes rather than a negative view.

I thought that Blair was a beautiful character, i loved how strong she was, a literal rockstar, did not care about how she is perceived. Unapologetically herself! Her voice and dialog was extremely well done in my opinion. You could hear every accent and culture in such a beautiful way.

For Osid I found him to be very straight forward. I wish we got a little deeper than what we ended getting. I think what made me DNF this book was their connection. I did not see why he fell for her so quickly other than an instinctual way, they constantly fought.

Personally I am not a “hate sex” person. When a couple hooks up within the first 30% just based on lust, to just resist and hate each other again felt very surface level. What I loved about book one is that it was more on survival with quirkyness. Dory was here to survive. When Blair is just resisting and being reckless with decision making on an alien planet.

Now i’m aware that we’re talking fictional aliens here, I just wanted a little more openness and depth by the time 60% came. There was a big fight and instead of talking with each other it felt slightly disconnected with the spice scene and I lost interest.

I would still continue the series and maybe go back to finish this book fully! I just struggled a little getting through it.

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile]]

Kimberly Lemming, the woman you are.

I'll admit, I stepped into this one with not a small bit of trepidation (big word, I know), since I wasn't particularly fond of the first book. And after a very rough start where I was like "oh fuck," this became...really fucking good.

Lemming skewers everything from reality TV to Hallmark movies to genAi to chattel slavery, and it was fantastic.

Anywho, I really enjoyed this one, and I hope there's going to be a third.

I received an ARC from the publisher

[Ty]

I requested this book without realizing it was the second book in the series, which I think really hindered my experience and is why I don’t feel like it would be fair for me to rate. However, I still didn’t really like it.

This just might not be my kind of story, but I didn’t really care for either of the main characters, especially Blair. I think the story was supposed to be funny, but some parts just came off a little cringey. I also didn’t really care for the plot and I didn’t understand why Blair didn’t have more questions about the planet or the aliens, which is something I’m sure I could be missing from the first book. I also couldn’t get into any of the spicy scenes, but again, that could just mean this isn’t my type of story. While I didn’t find any interest in this one, I can understand how others would enjoy it. It just wasn’t for me.

I received an arc copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Lizzie Strong]

This was everything I wanted for a sequel to one of my favorite alien romances ever. Delightful. Funny. 10 outta 10

[Sennehs]

An enormous thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for the opportunity to review this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Let me preface this review by noting this should not be read as a standalone. Neither this book, nor the previous one, are numbered but if you read them out of order you won’t get the full story and what you do get will be confusing.

The writing stepped up a notch from “I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com”. This is more concise and flows smoothly. I felt invested in the tangled story and wanted to continue to see what insanity ensued.

Briar is the type of woman I would want to be by my side in an emergency. Forget the pistol she carries, she’s just a bad bitch all around. That’s the type of capable FMC I hope for in a story like this (not that there are many comparable books, but you know what I mean). She said what she meant and she was not afraid of action. However, on the flip side that also made her annoying at times with her stream of consciousness spouting.

Osid was caring in the beginning of this book which throws you for such a loop after the first installment where he’s downright manipulative, power-hungry, and vengeful. His obsession with Briar grew on me as the story progressed and I found myself really hoping there would be some type of HEA.

I was wondering how Lemming was going to deal with the part of the story where Blair was in a cage and the events from the previous book took place when Dory was also being held prisoner. I did not expect the basic gloss over to happen. I understand the need for brevity to continue Osid and Briar’s story, but it was extremely abrupt and felt like the author just didn’t know what to do there.

Something that really irked me are the various references made to Sankado women on the planet, including meeting one at the end. I thought from the previous installment that no females were taken in the transfer. There are other inconsistencies as well that that frustrated me.

Overall though it was a fairly fun ride and I thought most of the challenges that Briar and Osid faced together were unhinged and hilariously on point for the repeatedly referenced romance tropes.

[Sam]

My Selling Pitch:
A pretty slapdash sequel that retcons the first book. An annoyingly instalove alien romance more concerned with irreverence than coherence.

Unfortunately on my do not read list.

Pre-reading:
“Intern, WHERE is Target?” is practically a vocal stim for me at this point. I've been waiting for this sequel!

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Could use a bit more of a recap. It’s been a minute.

I don’t like the intro of this one. It’s very abrupt and choppy and we’re not introduced to the world. I guess it’s operating under the assumption that you remember everything from the first book.

How does he know what shoes are?

All the dead dinos are making me sad.

This one is not very good. It’s so instalove and like it doesn’t make any logical sense. They can’t even communicate and she’s already fucking him.

Also, it’s just weird that there’s no attempts made to communicate like even something basic. It doesn’t make sense. Grace and Rocky would never.

This is incoherent with tripping.

I’m so checked out from this. It’s not integrated well into the first book’s narrative. I feel like we’re retconning a lot so she can be like see he was in love with her from the jump and it’s all a misunderstanding! And I’m like just let him be a little villainous, girl. I would’ve enjoyed that.

There’s too much passing out and we basically teleport from location to location and I can’t keep track of where we are. So much happens off page.

Why would they put her in the cage with the lion? That doesn’t make any sense. They’re trying to explain now. The alien that captured them wants the lion to eat her. I thought that alien was Osid, but I guess I’m misremembering. And then Sol and Dory are in the other cage. Osid’s dialogue is so different in the other book.

I feel like we should’ve just started here with them in the laboratory and ignored everything in the beginning.

What, they have to do an escape room together? Down lmao.

What spiky upgrade? I’m so confused. (I think this must’ve happened in the first book, but after a year off and hundreds of books in between I don’t remember.)

So can the T. rex talk now? (We’ll get there.)

Should’ve gotten intergalactic pre-check.

The bat signal for dick IS pretty funny.

Rick Rolling the aliens is hilarious.

I’ve missed intern all book!

All the dead dinos are upsetting me.

Julie Andrews, that you?

Post-reading:
I’m so bummed! I loved, LOVED the first book. Aliens play Zoo Tycoon is such a fun premise. People liked the first book so much because of all the biology. It’s part of the review blurb used on the cover to market THIS book. I’m so confused as to why we abandoned that. This kinda felt like your stoner friend trying to tell you a story when they’re wayyyy too high. Nothing really connects. It’s that 2000s mustache #sorandom! humor. The first book was bonkers for sure, but it all tied into commentary against AI. This was tripping for the hell of it.

I think the story started in a really weird spot. It should’ve just picked up with them captured in the lab and gone a truer enemies to lovers route. Instead, we retconned Osid’s actions and motivations for the first 30%, and it made the timeline of the story really hard to follow. My memory of his dialogue from the first book is very different from how he spoke in this one. I could be wrong because I didn’t reread the first book before this one, but I thought these were supposed to be interconnected standalones. There’s a lot of plot points and understood references that don’t work if that first book isn’t fresh in your mind.

For a book titled Couples Therapy, they don’t really get any therapy. The majority of the plot is an extended escape room. I was looking forward to more banter between the characters. They can’t talk to each other for the first third of this book. It really wrecks chemistry when characters can’t communicate, and it blows an audience’s suspension of disbelief. Hail Mary was so popular, I think it’s going to be hard to convince an audience that a pair of intelligent creatures is willing to just say welp, it’s too hard and give up until they French a little. It’s even crazier to expect that first sex scene to feel even halfway plausible. I know we joke that the monster girlies are first in line when the aliens invade, but this is pushing it. It also doesn’t fit her character. She’s in a band. It’s not like she was into aliens before this.

The sex scenes are kinks that aren’t my taste. Any sort of yas queen dialogue makes my skin crawl. That’s personal preference. We’re not gonna ding a book for that, but it’s something to be aware of.

I think Blaire was truly just too hard a sell for me. I didn’t like her as a main character. I didn’t relate to her at all. I didn’t agree with most of her decisions.

The book’s a miss for me. I didn’t like the characters. I didn’t root for the couple. The humor didn’t work for me. It took out a lot of the aspects that I enjoyed so much in the first book. I missed Intern! I feel like this book is a lot of missed potential. An escape room team bonding experience is better suited for a group than a couple. There’s so many jokes about showing up with a stranger to couples counseling. I think it would’ve been funny to see them attempt to fool the birds in that way. Also, there was a lot of commentary to be made about toxic positivity and AI therapists. This book reduces down to mostly fight scenes with animals getting hurt and tame fem domme sex scenes. That’s not what I picked this book up anticipating or wanting.

I still think the first book is so fun and worth your time. She was definitely setting up for more couples in this one, and I will give the series another shot. If you have a long TBR already, I don’t know if I would pick this up. I think you’ll have to for continuity if the next one ends up being good, but if this was my first experience with Lemming, I would not have read her again.

Who should read this:
Completionists
Lol so random! humor fans

Ideal reading time:
Anytime

Do I want to reread this:
No

Would I buy this:
No

Similar books:
* That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming-campy fantasy romance, demon
* Voidwalker by S. A. MacLean-campy, urban fantasy, monster romance, family drama, heist
* Taken by the Alien Next Door by Tiffany Roberts-cozy alien romance
* Bull Moon Rising by Ruby Dixon-cozy fantasy, monster romance, light academia

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kay✨🩵]

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC of this book! All opinions are my own!!!!

KIMBERLY LEMMING DOES IT AGAIN!!!!!!!! I literally didn’t think I could love another book as much as I loved Cosmic Chaos book 1 but then she comes out with this one!!!! First I have to say I am absolutely OBSESSED with the world that Kimberly has built in the Cosmic Chaos universe!! Planet waffles and the hot alien men running around is genius I am obsessed. And then the way that she writes her characters I am just so obsessed with!!!! She writes STRONG FEMALE BLACK CHARACTERS that take absolutely no crap from anyone!!! Blair is so AMAZING and takes nothing from no one!!! I love her push and pull dynamic with Osid and how she takes control in and out of the bedroom!!! I really enjoyed seeing her character growth and exploring her feelings during this one!!!
Osid is a grumpy paranoid alien who thought no one would ever love him and in book 1 I thought the same thing!! But in this book we see a completely different side of him and it just melts my heart!!! I really enjoyed seeing his character growth as well and see what takes place towards the end of the book makes me warm and fuzzy on the inside!!!
Kimberly Lemming sure knows how to write comedy!!!! I was literally LAUGHING MY BEHIND OFF while reading this book!! My partner looked over at me like what the heck is going on!!! The whitty come backs that Blair has and the fact that no one understands her IS CRIMINAL BUT MAKES ME LAUGH HYSTERICALLY!!!!! Kimberly literally never fails to make me laugh but I think this one takes the cake over book 1 of the Cosmic Chaos series!!!!
The spice in this book was very niceeeeeeeee I enjoyed seeing a different dynamic then we’re used to!!! It was a very nice change of pace!! I literally could not put this book down I read it in one day!!!!!
Overall I eat up Kimberly’s books every chance I get and this one was no different!!! I am so excited for it to come out so I can have my physical shelf trophy!!!
Overall 5🌟 and 3🌶️

[Shannon]

I love Kimberly Lemming's unique brand of zany paranormal, forced proximity, fish out of water love stories! This latest in her new series sees a Black American woman kidnapped to participate in an alien love experiment where they try to get her to bond with another alien king who was kidnapped. Forced into a series of dangerous situations, Blair has no interest in becoming some crazy alien's mate. But the longer they're trapped together she starts to catch feelings. Laugh out loud funny with great cameos from Dory and her companions from book one. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book! Highly recommended for fans of authors like Ruby Dixon. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review.

[suonnahbooks]

I punched and alien and now we’re in couples therapy by Kimberly Lemming
ARC from Berkeley romance
Release: Aug 18th 2026
-the beginning/ world building took me a bit to fully understand but this is cool and fun
-Osid is hilarious I love him lol also his powers are so cool shooting fire from his hands okayyyy 🔥
-I wonder how I would react / survive in this alien world lol
-dinosaurs 🦕 on this alien planet is interesting 🤨
-so much chaos loll I feel like I’m on the run too on this planet 🌎
-their dynamic is hilarious one minute they are fighting and the second they are getting cozy 🌶️or the run 🏃🏽‍♀️ lol
-I gotta say some parts got me confused or I found was too much this was an interesting read
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Taylor Jefferson]

DNF at 36%

I liked book one in this series but it was still just a 3 star read for me. Book two is less enjoyable.

Our heroine Blair is the best part but Dory from book one had the added benefit of a talking lion companion and all Blair gets is a gun.

This book seems to rely on the world building from book one, unfortunately I don’t remember much from it so it feels like I’m missing something. What I do remember is that Osid, the alien MMC, was basically a war criminal and what I’ve read so far hasn’t done enough to endear him to me.

I might revisit this series if another book releases but this installment is a pass.

[CourtneyRenee]

This 2nd follow-up book was just as hilarious and entertaining as the first one. This one had more serious and action packed moments then the 1st one where the 1st was more sexy and fun. Still a good time as always. A really good book to get out of a slump and have a few laughs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley publishing for this ARC.

[Me, My Shelf, & I]

An easy listen that made me smirk a few times, but not particularly memorable or impactful. I generally always find Lemming's boks to be a good time, but I'd put this one in the lower half of her works.

[Elle G. Reads]

Apparently punching your alien mate is NOT considered a healthy communication technique. Who knew? This was a fun book. It’s chaotic, unhinged, and laugh out loud funny just like the previous book in the series (which is a complete standalone BTW). However, you definitely need to suspend belief while reading and have to be OKAY with a ridiculous plot. Despite the madness of it all it’s a fun read and if you like alien romances then you need to check out this series.

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘
👽 Enemies to lovers
✨ Fated mates
👽 Forced proximity
✨ Alien romance
👽 Spice
✨ Survival challenges
👽 Couples therapy

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐

[Lottie]

I thought there was something wrong with the audiobook, but actually, it's just a bunch of odd time jumps? Felt like it needed to be a tandem read.
Plus, I'm here for the alien flirting (and laugh out loud moments), not the world building 🤪

[Sam Reads Books *Just the Highlights*]

2026: 3.5

[Jenessa]

Thank you Netgalley for this eARC!

This was such a fun, fast paced addition to the Cosmic Chaos universe! Kimberly Lemming is able to balance action packed plots, nuanced characters, and witty, self-aware, genre bending humor unlike any author I’ve read.

Lemmings heroines always stand out. Blair is no exception! She is fiesty, messy, and doesn’t take shit from no one. She also tries to do what’s best. I loved how she kept to her values through the whole book and was still able to show growth.

Even though I’m someone who enjoys enemies-to-lovers tropes, I was surprised how much I rooted for Osic. In the first book he’s such a villain, which Lemming addresses in this book. Yes he’s manipulated, captured, and killed people in battle, but is he “evil”? No. He wants his people to survive! Lemming’s ability to avoid retconning characterization just to further the plot should be studied.

If you enjoy campy yet grounded adventures, sci-fi rom coms, and hilarious banter, pick up this series.

[Leslie | Books Are The New Black]

Thank you, Berkley and PRH Audio, for the gifted e-ARC and ALC! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

3.5 rounded up

I have loved these books by Kimberly Lemming. They are a lot of fun because they are chaotic and completely out there. You know what to expect when you pick it up. I did find a lot of funny moments and this one is spicy, just like the rest of her books. I think a lot of the plot was too chaotic and things were a bit confusing at times. I know, I know… you are not reading these books for the plot. Usually, I would agree with you, but this one was a bit messy. I didn’t fully understand the choices being made at times.

I do love the dinosaurs and the addition of them in this world. Dinosaurs are making a come back in fiction lately and I’m loving it. I did love Blair and thought she was an exceptional FMC. She’s strong, and does not let anyone push her around. This is an enemies-to-lovers romance and that added some fun banter. I started to really come around to Osic. As always, there’s more to a villain than just black and white.

Hazel Addison does a great job with the narration! I always enjoy the way she brings this wild ride to life. She's narrated all of the books in this series so it's a familiar comfort. It's my favorite way to read these books!

Regardless, I did have a good time and it was fun. I think that’s all I expect when picking up a Lemming book. If you ignore the plot issues then I think you will too!

[Sabrina]

ARC Received from NetGalley.

DO NOT read this book without reading “I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com” first. It may have an interconnected standalone feel, but it won’t make any sense without reading them in order. Just like the first book, this book is a fun time. Absolutely hilarious. A slightly different sort of storyline. It’s definitely enjoyable. I also love that you get to see a different side of these main characters than you did in the first book. This was the second book that I’ve read by Kimberly Lemming and lemme tell you, it won’t be the last. If you aren’t already aware, this book is pretty spicy as well.

[Kristina Nichole]

I am sure the girls in romance book club will vote for this novel.


I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com

[Brittany]

Thank you so much to Kimberly Lemming, the publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kimberly Lemming is officially an auto-buy author for me because every time I pick up one of her books, I know I’m about to have the best time. Her books are hilarious, wildly entertaining, full of chaos, adventure, spice, and characters that I immediately become attached to—and I Punched an Alien and Now We’re in Therapy is absolutely no exception.

I was so excited to jump back into this universe, and once again, Kimberly delivered. The humor had me laughing out loud, the banter was perfection, and I loved getting to watch these characters bounce off one another while everything around them descended into absolute chaos. Her books are just so much FUN, but there’s also always something underneath all of the laughs that makes me care about what these characters are going through.

And then I got to the acknowledgments…

Kimberly dedicates this book to Minnesota and includes a Frederick Douglass quote about injustice, oppression, and what happens when an entire class of people is made to feel unsafe. I don’t know if she intentionally meant for the events and themes in this book to reflect what is happening in the world around us now or in the past, but reading that acknowledgment after finishing the story completely shifted something for me. Suddenly I found myself looking back at everything through a different lens and seeing correlations I hadn’t fully processed while reading. It made me feel even more than I already did, and honestly?…That acknowledgment honestly added another layer to the entire experience for me. So, bravo, Kimberly. 👏🏻

Her books are fantastic, and this one is no different. Funny, chaotic, sexy, heartfelt, and somehow even more meaningful the longer I sit with it. Kimberly Lemming will continue to be an auto-buy author for me, and I cannot wait to see what she does next! 🌟👽🌶️

[Cheryl]

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC of I Punched an Alien and Now We’re in Couples Therapy.

This book is a sequel to I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a RomCom. The beginning of this book takes place concurrently with I Got Abducted… and then moves on right after that book ends.

This one follows Blair and King Osid as the Biwban try to get her to fall in love with him by putting them through ever more difficult trials in order to force a bond.

This felt a little different than all of the other Kimberly Lemming books that I’ve read. It wasn’t “quite” as silly, although of course it was silly (it wouldn’t be a Kimberly Lemming book if it wasn’t silly), and had a little more of a serious tone throughout, which isn’t a bad thing - just different.

I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a solid ending to this duology (assuming this is the end, I’ve seen rumors that there could be more, but I’m not sure). As this was an uncorrected proof, there are some errors here and there and I hope the final version adds some helpful editing because some of the conversations were confusing. If those things are fixed, I think this would be a 4 1/2 star read. As it stands now, it’s a solid 4 stars from me.

[Miranda Hicks]

KL absolutely knocks it out of the park (off the planet?!) yet again. I yearn for her release dates, knowing with absolute certainty I am going to devour her books, only to finish and wish there were 600 more pages. Her characters are loveable, punchy (figuratively and literally), and downright steaming. I'm laughing, I'm kicking my feet, I'm having an outrageously good time, guaranteed.