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, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fantasy Romance, Romantasy, Monster Romance, Comedy

Kindle Edition

Expected publication August 18, 2026

Reviews

[Kristina]

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

[Lucky · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[BookishKB]

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

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy. I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.

📅 Pub Date: August 18, 2026

[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

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Luma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Banter, Enemies to lovers, Kaiju, and of course the best smut in all of the romantasy genre. Kimberly Lemming has done it again.

[Angelbelle Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own

4.5 rounded up

🛸Abduction by birds
🔥Forced proximity
🛸Tail play
🔥OTT MMC
🛸“Good boy”
🔥A lot of cackling

After waking up on planet Waffles Blair has no idea where she is or who all these unknown creatures are, and when she comes across the sexy and dangerous alien Osid her life gets even more complicated

‘But those red flags were looking a lot like hearts right now.’

Tickled!! Kimberly really hit the more chaos button on us 😵‍💫

I don’t even know where to begin with this review lol. Blair was freaking hilarious. I don’t think I can name a favorite scene because everything is my favorite 😂 I was constantly giggling

And Osid is just as toxic as every other MMC us book lovers fall for ❤️ He’s overbearing, a little psychotic, a sh!t talker for sure lol, but above all will do anything for his girl

Question, if a book has a holiday scene can it be recommended as a holiday book 🧐 I’m gonna go ahead and say yes

Anyway you do have to read book 1 in the Cosmic Chaos series prior to this otherwise some things won’t make sense. So go ahead and grab your copies and enjoy the wild ride

Side note: Phrases I never thought I’d hear
1. Bargain-bin John Travolta
2. Terroused
3. Booty research

[Kelly✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a huge Kimberly Lemming fan (have read allll of her books and novellas), I am so happy to say “I Punched an Alien and Now We’re in Couple’s Therapy” did NOT disappoint!! I was crying laughing from start to finish. You really can’t beat alien blunts, Princess Diaries references, really spicy spice, talking dinos, and “Rick Rolling” to save the day. The MC’s were both so well written and I’m so glad this was a dual POV so we could really grasp how hilarious and also detrimental the language barrier was at the beginning! I only wish I’d re-read book 1 before picking this up because after a year I’d forgotten some of the details I needed to understand everything! Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC! I’m honored to have gotten to read this early!

[delusioanal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly think I might enjoy this series even more than Mead Mishaps. I do, after all, have the softest spot for alien men, so take that as you will. I’ve consumed so many monster/alien romance books, ain’t nobody doing it like Kimberly Lemming. The humor hits. The spice hits. Every single time.

There’s one scene (I won’t say too much) where she catches him with his own tail wrapped around his own neck, and I nearly lost it. I had the most fun reading about these two fighting and surviving through their “couple counseling” aka simulations of some of our favorite romance tropes. The ending has me excited for more books in this world, especially with the new women being introduced and the alliance between the aliens.

Thank you, NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my review!

[Emily Buchanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book and hoped that the second would be just as good and she delivered!! What an absolute blast reading this book was.

Our story starts with our FMC Blair getting ready to go on stage for her rock band’s performance and almost but not quite getting bit by a dangerous poisonous snake. At the very last moment our alien birds beam her up and take her to planet Waffles. When Dory escapes the alien ship in book one Blair is not far behind her. She winds up in the middle of a forest fire and rescues are MMC from certain death. What follows is a delightful romcom about an incredibly proud and stubborn woman with some unresolved childhood issues and her alien king who carries his own baggage and the journey they take to end up together. In a dating video game like scenario these two couldn’t help but become closer.

Blair is such an incredibly fun character! She is stubborn and bossy and opinionated, and yet that pales in comparison to her empathy and her steadfastness. One of the things that I’ve really appreciated about this book (and the last one) is that Kimberly was able to write such authentic reactions to these situations. Often times we see meek or mild mannered women or even powerful strong women who quickly succumb to mating with aliens, but Blair on the other hand, really made him work for it.

Osid, now he was, in my opinion, the star of the show. We meet him in book one and all we see is this battle hardened jackass of a king who has no emotion and tried to kill Dory’s mate, Lok, back on their home planet. However, as in all things, that’s not the whole story. It was really eye-opening to get his perspective and see where he is coming from and why he made the decisions that he did in book one. Our MMC is smug, mildly condescending, loyal and smart and really wants to do right by his people no matter the cost. It takes their relationship to soften the edges on both of our characters. Turns out he’s not quite the jackass we thought he was.

Overall, I thought the story was really well written, and I loved that we were able to see some resolution to the outstanding plot points from the first book. Also, this book had me cackling. I was laughing out loud for most of the book. The only thing that was a little confusing is that at the beginning, you see Blair get abducted and crash on the planet and meet our MMC and then you get our MMC‘s point of view on how he’s rescued and they’re tentative first steps toward a relationship and then those chapters end and then immediately pick up with them in the back of the hovercraft going to the science building. It was a little jarring and I wish there would’ve been more of a transition chapter to get us there. But as I mentioned before I loved it I would highly recommend it and I hope that you pick up a copy as well.

[Ivy Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's a story as old as time - a woman gets kidnapped off Earth and sent to an alien planet in hopes of increasing the population. Blair gets beamed up before dying and is transported to an alien planet where her kidnappers hope to mate her with a local to cover up a mistake they made. Blair is actually quite intrigued by her supposed alien mate, but things take a turn for the worse due to a language barrier. Blair ends up despising Osid and her kidnappers can't let that happen, so they capture Blair and Osid and put them through a series of challenges that are supposed to push them together and fall back in love. Let's just say, Blair, our sassy queen, was not having it.

I've read 2 of Lemming's Mead Mishap novels and enjoyed them, so when I saw this one was available I thought, "Why not?" I was NOT disappointed. I had heard/seen stuff about the first book in this new series, but hadn't picked it up as my library didn't have it. I might've done a little better following the first few chapters if I had, just I caught on eventually. With the Mead Mishap novels I read the second book first as well and had pretty much the same experience. I do think this world had waaaay more going on plot-wise. There is truly so much going on in this novel that I did find it needed a little extra concentration. That being said, I did love every moment of it.

Blair is absolutely hilarious. I love everything about her and think she is one of the realest main characters ever. She is accepting of aliens very quickly and is just like "why not?" and I love her for that. I understand her why she hates Osid, truly, and her response is valid. Most of the time I find the refusal to be with a hot alien to be stupid and not really understandable, but this time, it 100% was.
Talk about a silly goofy time. This book was truly just fun to read. I don't think a book has really ever made me laugh as much as this one has. I'm honestly considering reading the first one now because this one was so good. I truly, whole-heartedly recommend this novel if you want to just have fun and enjoy something. I picked this book to read of ARCs because I knew it would be fast and fun and it 100% delivered. I almost don't want to go read any more ARCs because there is no way they'll be as fun and lighthearted.

And thank you, Kimberly Lemming, for your acknowledgment on the current state of Minnesota. F*CK ICE.

[KC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review: I Punched an Alien and Now We’re in Couples Therapy by Kimberly Lemming

Blair’s introduction to her alien abductors is straightforward: she punches one of them. Not out of bravery or strategy, but as an immediate, reflexive response to finding herself on a spaceship. The alien in question is King Osid, who apparently interprets being assaulted by a tiny human woman as a cosmic sign they are soulmates. What follows is chaos dressed up as couples therapy. If that sounds ridiculous, congratulations, you understand exactly what this book is going for.

Things only get weirder when Blair and Osid are shipped off to what is allegedly a research facility for couples therapy. In practice, it is a group of alien scientists treating relationship counseling like a low budget reality show. The therapeutic methodology involves throwing two people who want to kill each other into increasingly dangerous obstacle courses while being observed by curious extraterrestrials taking notes. Nothing says healthy relationship like fighting a carnivorous space blob while your therapist live tweets your emotional progress. Against all reasonable expectations, it works. Blair’s stubborn refusal to be intimidated by anything pairs suspiciously well with Osid’s royal ego, creating a steady stream of banter, arguments, and reluctant cooperation punctuated by moments of accidental tenderness.

Kimberly Lemming understands her assignment. A premise involving alien soulmates and therapy by gladiatorial combat is not something to treat seriously. The story moves quickly, piling absurd situations on top of absurd situations while Blair deploys sarcasm like a weapon and Osid responds with royal indignation. The romance develops somewhere between the bickering and near death experiences, which turns out to be entertaining even when the plot itself is intentionally chaotic.

At the same time, the book works best if you are fully on board with the nonsense. The humor and absurd premise carry most of the story, and readers looking for deeper worldbuilding or a more grounded romance may find it a little thin. Still, it is an easy, fast read that clearly knows what it is trying to be. Overall, I Punched an Alien and Now We’re in Couples Therapy lands comfortably at 3 stars for me. Fun, silly, and occasionally very funny, but more chaotic entertainment than unforgettable story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Stella Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance reader copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tropes: Fantasy Romance, “Fated” Mates, Touch Her And Die, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, One Bed, He Falls First, Denial of Feelings, Political Intrigue, Soft For Only Her

This book was so chaotic, but I loved it. Blair is such a spitfire of a woman. She doesn’t take anyone’s shit. She’s confident in herself and her sexuality. I really liked her. Osid is gruff, also confident in himself, also doesn’t take anyone’s shit, and is deeply obsessed with and in love with Blair right from the start. I loved it.

The book starts off kind of where the last one ended. Blair saves Osid, he declares she is his, and he brings her back to his humble abode (kidnapped?). They get freaky, but then she leaves him because she’s a Strong Independent Woman. And he is so sad that he goes after her to kidnap her again. That’s his love language.

But now Blair is straight up pissed because she doesn’t like to be manhandled unless it’s in the bedroom. So they get into a little fight, and then they are kidnapped by the Biwban (a bird alien species) to complete couples therapy. To be honest, I loved these birds because they are so dumb when it comes to the other species, so whatever they try to do just seems hilarious, like the type of tasks they have them complete for couples therapy. During each task, they advance it to the next level by making sure Blair and Osid are “under duress,” as that always amplifies affection. And of course it worked, because this is a romance novel.

Throughout the book, Osid loves Blair and desperately tries to get her to love him as well, but in a cocky way that infuriates Blair and totally works on her. In the background, we see our old friends from the first book, who meet the other kidnapped women and are trying to plot a way to take down the Biwban and regain their freedom.

This all comes to a dramatic ending with a big fight scene involving a pink T-rex. This book was, without a doubt, very entertaining to read. I loved the push and pull of Blair and Osid’s relationship, and the ending was satisfying and adorable.

Overall, this was a successful second installment of the Cosmic Chaos series. It was even more bonkers than the first book, but we had a delicious enemies-to-lovers trope and some spicy smut.

[HereThereBeBookDragons | Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT a hoot. I made the mistake of reading this in public, and was trying to keep from snickering as I highlighted basically half the book for being utterly hilarious.

Blair is an absolute kick as the FMC. She’s loud and a hot mess and kinda mean and frankly probably should be unlikeable, but she’s so fully realized in a way that ‘complicated’ FMCs often aren’t that I thoroughly enjoyed the ride with her and wanted her to get her happily ever after. Similarly, well done by Kimberley Lemming to take Osic, who is thoroughly the bad guy in book 1, and have me fully rooting for him by fairly early on without diluting his character or ret-conning anything. Like, yes, he kills a lot and tortures and manipulates, but he also just wants his people to thrive and his girl to like him, dammit. The real villain is those twerpy birds and the far too realistic corporate-meets-research pit of moral depravity they maneuver in.

This felt a bit less spicy than Kimberly Lemming's other offerings - I'm not sure it technically was, it was probably due to the pacing of when the spice hit, but it did feel like a bit of a departure. It stayed a bit BDSM-y, as is her wont, but with a surprising level of femdom rather than her usual style. Overall, I'd say this was probably my least favorite of her books from a spice perspective, but possibly my favorite from an overall writing standpoint.

Rating: 4.75/5
Spice level: 2.5/5

Tropes:
- Sci-fi rom com
- Thoroughly uncalled for forced proximity
- Aliens
- Villain gets the girl (who might be even scarier)
- Thoroughly uncalled for fated mates
- Monster romance
- BIPOC lead
- Dinosaurs
- Thoroughly uncalled for games and trials
- Rejected mating bond
- MCs are equally feral and chaotic
- Touch her and die
- Thoroughly unnecessary corporate shenanigans from a bunch of sanctimonious owl-like things
- Interconnected standalone
- A little BDSM-y (but mostly femdom)
- Thoroughly unnecessary Tamogatchi from Hell

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the chance to read an advance copy!

[Emily Cait · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for granting me access to an ARC.

Kimberly Lemming does it again!! This wacky read is so fun and so silly, while also delivering on the spice and romance (in that order).

You absolutely NEED to read the first book before you read this book or it will not make sense. The worldbuilding set up of book one is too important to not have for book two.

A human rockstar named Blair is beamed up by aliens (alongside many other human women) and finds herself on a strange new planet (dubbed "Waffles" in the first book) as part of an unethical and totally mismanaged breeding program because the abductors didn't do their research and don't realize that humans are "class A"/sentient beings.

Those alien abductors are now being audited and REALLY REALLY need their breeding pairs to work out and prove that they haven't totally mismanaged funds so they need Blair to fall in love with the mate they've chosen for her, alien warlord King Osid, and quietly prove that everything is absolutely going according to plan.

The only problem? Blair has hooked up with Osid pretty shortly after she first arrived on Waffles and hates guts!

Hence "couples counselling" designed once again by the abductor aliens who didn't do good research. The Bachelor meets Survivor is in the blurb, but it ends up being more like The Bachelor meets The Hunger Games as Blair and Osid are forced through a series of dungeon crawl scenarios that become increasingly more unhinged.

If you're down for something absolutely over the top, and you're okay with fated mates/somewhat questionable consent due to that unethical alien breeding program, you cannot go wrong with the Cosmic Chaos series! I hope Lemming continues to flesh out this world and we have many more books in our future.

[LiteraryCryptid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Kimberly Lemming devises a laugh-out-loud romance that I just couldn't put down.

Overview:
Meet Blair, a human pulled from the brink of death by research aliens and dropped on a different planet. Immediately she finds herself in a constant back and forth capture and escape with King Osid - who much to her chagrin also happens to be her mate.
Their bickering has led the research aliens to decide there is only one solution: Couples Therapy. However, their approach is less calm conversation and more life-or-death survival trials.
With all the chaos of poor communication and forced proximity, there also appears to be a hidden secret that the research aliens are desperate to keep away from everyone's knowledge.

Review
I do not think I can accurately articulate the amount of joy this book brought me while reading. It was a non-stop laughing riot from start to finish, with the chaotic enemies to lovers relationship between Blair and Osid. Both characters were well written and their continuation as introduced in book one was done very well, so much so that I could easily follow the intertwining events while reading to keep the timeline set. Plus the dual POV made the banter and confrontations even better as it showed both sides riling each other up, and provided perspective for their actions.

Overall, I am in love with this book (and series in general), and much like with Mead Mishaps, expect the series to become a comfort re-read for the foreseeable future.


Thank you so much to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Kimberly Lemming for the opportunity to read and review this title.

[Aliyeaha · Rating 2 out of 5]

For me, Kimberly Lemming is an instant-buy author. I love the Mead Mishaps series and the first book in her Cosmic Chaos series. Having said that, I thought the second book in the Cosmic Chaos series was...eh. It got a 2.5 rating from me. Trust me, it hurt my soul to give that rating, but I have to be honest with myself.

The book felt completely disjointed. Her goal seemed to be to toss as much at the wall as possible and hope something would stick. Unfortunately, it didn't.The plot lacked focus, and the character development felt rushed or inconsistent. While her humor and creativity still shone in places, the overall execution fell short of her usual standards. It was disappointing compared to the strong start of the series, leaving me hopeful for improvement in future installments. The constant time skips also didn't appeal to me. My reading flow was constantly disrupted, as I tried to figure out what was going on and if anything had been missed. Blair comes next. It is the first time I have not liked a Lemming character and I find her completely annoying.

Despite having a fun concept, the story just didn't come together. I still appreciate her creativity and humor, but the plot felt inconsistent and the characters lacked depth compared to her earlier works. Despite this, I’ll continue supporting her because even great authors have occasional missteps, and I’m hopeful her next book will recapture the magic I love so much.

Thank you Netgalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Kimberly Lemming for the chance to read and review this title. All opinions are my own.

[Serafina Sunflower · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Kimblerly Lemming for an e-ARC of I Punched An Alien and Now We're in Couples Therapy in exchange for my honest review. I unfortunately had to DNF 50% in as the story just really wasn't making sense whatsoever. Reading some reviews it seems like maybe there was a book before this one that better explained everything. However, I wouldn't recommend reading this by itself.

I read Kimberly's Mead Mishaps series last summer and fell in love with her cozy and quirky romantasy. If you've yet to, I highly recommend reading those as they're so fun! However, I think this book overshot things a bit and came off as ridiculous instead of silly and cute like her writing usually is.

On top of that, I wasn't a fan of how the timeline jumped around. We have Blair crash landing on this planet, initial meet between her and her mate did NOT go well, and then I'm not entirely sure what events occurred but suddenly they're in couples counseling. There was even a short scene in the prologue where she tried to kill her mate so? WHAT HAPPENED?!

I also felt like there was too much going on. The alien abduction would've been perfect but then you added in a king in the middle of war against other clans and their kings. Then add in the politics of the abductors and it got confusing to follow.

Honestly I should have DNF'd when the FMC did all her acid and then explored this unknown alien planet on her own. Just such a lack of survival skills.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you ever need a book to make you laugh and yearn at the same time, read a Kimberly Lemming book. This was wild from start to finish, as I expected, and it didn’t let up for one second. I will say though that this started off pretty rough. The plot was confusing and disjointed, and I kept having to reread passages because I genuinely didn’t know what was going on. It took until ~15-20% of this story to really get going and feel stable enough that I understood the plot well enough, but it still hiccuped back and forth for the rest of the book. With many other worldly terms and characters being thrown about constantly, it was hard to follow at times. Toward the end, things started to come together a bit, but it was a tough road to get there for me. Additionally, Blair wasn’t my favorite as a FMC. It took quite a long time to get under her skin to understand what made her tick, and getting there felt a little exhausting due to her quips and quickly dismissive attitude of pretty much everything. Regardless though, I love Kim’s work and the fact that TSA at ATL and kaiju Krampus were romance trials in this was just incredible. The 21st century references were rampant in this, sometimes tasteful, other times a little too overkill, but they were funnnnnnny. This book was lighthearted and unique, with a little bit of alien spice, and if that’s something you’re into, you’d like this.

Thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book.

[Natasha P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going into I Punched an Alien and Now We’re in Couples Therapy, I was expecting zany chaos—but somehow, Kimberly Lemming still managed to exceed those expectations. This book is pure, unapologetic fun: a fantasy rom-com that knows exactly what it is and fully commits.
Blair is an absolute badass heroine, the kind who feels perfectly equipped to survive alien abduction, dinosaurs, forced mating bonds, and an arrogant alien king with far too much confidence. Her back-and-forth with Osid is sharp, hilarious, and surprisingly heartfelt, and watching the two of them go toe to toe—was endlessly entertaining. The premise is ridiculous in the best way, and the execution leans into that absurdity without ever losing the emotional thread.
What really surprised me, though, is how much I loved this even more than the first book in the series. The humor lands harder, the chemistry feels more dialed-in, and the relationship growth—however unconventional the setting—is genuinely satisfying. This can be read as a standalone, but having the context of the previous book definitely enhances the experience and makes the world feel richer.
If you’re in the mood for something over-the-top, steamy, and laugh-out-loud funny, this one absolutely delivers.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ / 5

#IPunchedanAlienandNowWereinCouplesTherapy
#NetGalley

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Honestly Rani · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars because why is Kimberly Lemming like this? I’m so weak right now after reading I Punched an Alien and Now We’re in Couples Therapy.

Kimberly Lemming’s books are delightfully, unapologetically unhinged, and honestly that’s the whole vibe. The stories don’t take themselves seriously, and the humor only escalates the more outlandish things get—which is exactly why they work so well.

At various points we get a reference to a zoo drive-by, “stabadactyls” (including “ roided-out stabadactyls”) alien weed, and a remix of Milkshake by Kelis that I absolutely did not see coming. There’s also a dramatic reenactment of attempted murder and a piece of unfaithful owl-like creature relationship drama that plays out like a chaotic daytime talk show. And then there’s the line: “You’re scaring the hoes. That hoe is me!” which made me laugh out loud and perfectly captures the energy of the entire book.

It’s chaotic in the best way—like the story is constantly daring itself to get weirder and somehow succeeding every time.

My only small hiccup was a brief time/scene jump that threw me off for a moment and took a second to reorient myself in the story. But honestly, once I locked back in, I was fully along for the ride.

If you go into a Kimberly Lemming book expecting grounded fantasy, you’re doing it wrong. If you go in ready for ridiculous, absurd, laugh-out-loud chaos, you’re going to have a great time.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley publishing for the eARC!

[Lili · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one handily saved me and my friend from a book slump! Not only did the characters and plot have me by the throat but the humor and banter had me laughing almost every chapter! Hearing me laugh so much while reading this made my friend pick up a book after like a month of not reading.

I loved how well it connected with the first book, how we still got to see the other characters in a new light without it taking away from the new main characters. Talking about the new characters, Blair and Osid are one big beautiful deranged ball of mess and I loved every second of it. Blair is a badass and doesn't take any bull from anyone, she's smart, knows how to play the game, funny as hell, and passed all the craziness. She's very caring too.
Osid is a terrifying leader, attacks first, asks questions never, takes what he wants, bat shit crazy, but under all the “you need professional help” craziness he would do anything for his mate and his people. Mostly his mate though. Put them together and you get a load of fighting, humor, and mutual pain in the neck and pining. I just loved them together!

Reading them go through a rough first meeting and then the weirdest and most absurd alien therapy I've ever read about was a very interesting and humorous thing and trust me it's a must-read! Especially if you read and loved the first book, go read this!

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you netgalley…yet again…for an epic arc 🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

mead mishaps was my first foray into cozy fantasy, and i can’t believe it’s led me here.

To introduce us to the vibe of this book:

“I wasn’t entirely sure I should be riding off into the sunset with a bunch of strange aliens, but what choice did I have?”

“…so maybe I wasn’t the greenest flag either, but two wrongs didn’t make a right. Only one person in a relationship was allowed to be crazy.” 👑👑

What I loved:
• our beautiful, absolutely insane, short tempered main characters

• the setting, definitely more clear in this book than the prior, making this novel even easier to lose yourself in

• spice. my girl has NEVER let me down here. Aliens, tails, mates, and still sexy sexy consent. Kimberly- i love you.

• games?? trials??….rudolph? it’s giving our authors fav fantasy adventure vibes but make it sci-fi


Miss (for me)

• (PERSONAL PREFERENCE DONT HATE ME) give us a lil recap of how we knew the main characters from the last book (just a little crumb or two pls, i have a terrible memory and it had been so long since I read the last book and a quick reminder could’ve made the story even better right from the start😭😭😭)

• missing a little extra bit of coziness that I loved in the mead mishaps series

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

True to form, Kimberly Lemming’s second book in the Cosmic Chaos series is absurdly funny, ridiculous in the best ways, and chemistry-heavy. Blair, our FMC, is a rock guitarist who is transported to Planet Waffles where she unexpectedly meets her mate, King Osid. It’s a very much one-sided enemies-to-lovers as Osid is a morally questionable leader, and the two aren’t able to communicate in the first part of the book. What ensues in the form of hilarious dual POVs is a chaotic romance with tropey antics, especially since the Biwban creatures are anxious to make their mating program a success. The pair are forced into chaotic, dangerous simulations for the sake of research, but the best part is that the Biwban are basing their knowledge of human romance basically off of AI and outdated rom-com books.
What I appreciated about this book over book one is the story development in fighting back against the Biwban and learning more about the nuances of the current kingdoms. This book has its endearing and triumphant moments, and creates an interesting path for book three, but I will say what I highly preferred the Mead Mishaps series. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

[Jennifer Colvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun time! I’ve been loving this chaotic, fast paced, & outlandish romp of a series. This is definitely one of those where you have to have read book one to understand what’s going on. Even then, it’d been a hot minute since I read the first one & I had to really jog my memory to remember bits. We follow Blair, who Dory met in book one when captured. Blair is wild and ready to shoot anyone in her path. She’s the definition of a loose cannon trying to survive on Waffles. And while she basks in the death and destruction from her chaos and confusion (sometimes high as a kite) one could easily see why Osid wants her as his queen.

In typical Kimberly Lemming style, this alien romance is bonkers and a guaranteed laugh with a good time. Lemming did much more world building with some political flair in this one and I appreciate that. I did feel like Blair’s ‘I’ll fuck you up’ attitude became frustrating at times but I also liked seeing a more riled up character from Lemming.

On a side note: I really need Sunbeam to have her own little novella b/c an allied pink T-Rex really deserves her own side story. 😋

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, & author for a digital ARC.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was sneaking around at work reading this book on the sly. I am obsessed with this world and this couple. This book in the series focuses on one of the hotheaded Sankado leaders and the equally hotheaded Blair (human woman). We met them briefly in book one and I had been eagerly anticipating their story. I have been highlighting so many lines that have made me dissolve into giggles and that I relate to so much. The way these two talk to each other is my favorite type of banter.
I have such a love/hate feeling for the Biwban in these books, but I cannot help to giggle every time they appear on the page. We don't get a lot of time with Intern from book one in this book, but we are introduced to several other Biwban characters as our MC's are forced through dating simulations to force their bonding in "the tower". These simulations are so ridiculous. They are exactly what you would expect from aliens that got their information about relationships from tv shows and artificial intelligence.

I will keep reading this series for as long as Kimberly Lemming writes them.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kimberly Lemming is actually a genius. She really said, "why can't I do all the popular tropes? just put the alien couple in a series of relationship challenges inspired by alien "research" about love. duh" And you know what? I'm here for it. Much like book one, the story is whimsical, funny, and sexy. I think readers who found fault with book one for insta-love will be pleased that this book is about working *toward* love. Blair is a confident baddie with faults that create opportunity for character growth, and Osid is down bad from that start (which I always love in an MMC). Unlike many hetero romance stories, Osid is actually the better communicator, and it was surprisingly refreshing to read a romance where the MMC doesn't make some big, preventable mistake because he's emotionally stunted. There is romantic conflict and resolution without annoying and played out tropes. I'll be recommending this book to so many reader friends and library users, especially as a good book to get out of a reading slump or break up boredom with one genre!
Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read this ARC!

[Sandrine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It was funny and i particularly enjoyed the first part where both Blair and Osid don’t understand each other and are just guessing what the other is trying to say. That being said, because of the language barrier at first, there will be misunderstandings. I didn’t read the first book in this series, but it didn’t affect my understanding of this book. I thought it worked well as a standalone, but I’m sure I would’ve had just a bit more context if I had read the first one. I enjoyed the progression of Blair and Osid’s relationship. They had to work through a few things and work together!
I liked to see how Blair took control of her destiny and didn’t let the Bibwans control her. I really liked her character, she was so determined!
Overall, this is a great story. It had a great plot and the pacing was fast. It also had spicy scenes that felt intentional and not there just to satisfy the reader!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book, opinions are my own.

[Jennybeast · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know that reviewing the ARC in this instance does the book any favors. It felt like a lot was still being refined, and I'm pretty sure there was a chunk of story missing in the middle. I really, really like Lemming's work -- it's so silly and steamy and fun. If you haven't read the first book in this series, this book will likely be totally incomprehensible. Even having read the first book in the series, I struggled to figure out what was going on for about the first 25% of the book. Unfortunately, I also really disliked the characters. Blair's chaos complex is intense, and Osid is just not very personable. They grew on me over time, and I feel like the second half of the book was also more finished. I don't want to completely pan it, because the bones of the story are there and I loved that part of the underlying message is about exploitation and fighting for reparations. I just sincerely hope the book as a whole improves before publication.

Advanced Readers Copy provided by Edelweiss.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ This was another wild ride by Kimberly Lemming. It’s best to suspend all disbelief and just roll with things. Blair is a human woman who at the precise moment of her death is abducted from Earth by aliens and sent to another planet to be a part of a breeding program. Osid is an alien whom Blair rescues after escaping the ship. Osid is a ruler of his people, but their being unable to communicate leads to difficulties.

There is a lot of jumping around and things not being explained in these books, and while it can be frustrating, I’ve decided to just accept that and read it for the zaniness. Blair’s inner monologue is funny and real. Osid was just as snarky and their snipping at each other was humorous. They are forced to work together to escape from captors and realize they do love one another. The book is action packed and has a lot going on. I want to thank Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to leave a review.

No third act breakup

4/5 on the Spicy Scale

M/F

Violence

Sci-Fi Romance