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, Enemies To Lovers, Monster Romance, Romantasy, Comedy

352 pages, Paperback

Expected publication August 18, 2026

Reviews

[BookishKB · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

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.

[Kristina]

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

[Poppy || Monster Lover · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · 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.

[Jenessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[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.

[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

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[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

[Dreama Kai · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

This book is exactly the kind of chaotic sci‑fi rom‑com I expect from this author, and honestly, that’s why I keep coming back. Trying to explain the plot makes you sound like you’re describing a fever dream, (I may or may not know this from personal experience) but once you give in to the absurdity, it’s a fun time.

I wouldn’t recommend jumping into this one blind. It had been a while since I read the first book, and I definitely felt how much I’d forgotten. This story assumes you already know the world and the characters, so reading the first book really helps.

I will say, It’s not my favorite of hers (Mead Mishaps still reigns), but it delivered that same silly, escapist joy I read her books for. So, If you like your romance weird, chaotic, and unapologetically entertaining as it leans into its own absurdity, this one may be for you. 👽🚀

[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!

[Jo Graves · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you call her books predictable, I’d call you a liar. This was everything I’ve come to expect from Kimberly Lemming. Literal chaos, as the series name suggests. I love that her books always throw a curve ball and you never know what’s gonna happen next. The only thing predictable is that you know you’re in for a funny, spicy, good (weird?) time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley for the eARC

[QuirkyTofurkey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really have nothing productive or constructive to say other than this book is a DAMN good time. Blair is that bitch, and I thank her for her service.

At this point, I’m fully prepared to abscond to Waffles and commune with the local fauna, breeding program and prehistoric predators be damned. I just want to be besties with Toto and Sunbeam.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, and Kimberly Lemming for the advanced reader copy. This review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.

[Dominique · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave me all the things I expect and love when I pick up a Kimberly Lemmings book. Absolutely laugh out loud dialogue, absurd characters and plots, and strangely hot smut. I read the first book of the series only a month or two ago and I still found myself struggling to follow the plot in this one until things got a lot more sequential when the couples therapy started. I do wish Osid and Blair’s story just picked up where we left with them at the end of Book 1 as a lot of the build up did not hit the same in this book because we had the premise of the overall experiment explained in the first already. I was a lot more invested once they were in captivity and could speak to each other.

But still a very fun book that let me happily disconnect from the world for a few hours and feel warm and fuzzy inside. Thank you for the ARC via NetGalley

[Bethany The Romance Paleontologist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking a Bite Out of Another Funny, Sexy, and Out of This World Romp!

Thank you to the author, Berkeley Publishing, and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this arc! (And totally mess up my neck as a result of not moving for multiple hours glued to the pages of this book!)

The queen of sci-fi romcoms, Kimberly Lemming, is back to bless us with the next installment of her brand of engrossing romantic space madness! "I Punched an Alien and Now We're in Couples Therapy" is pure, delightful chaos!

Our FMC is Blair, a no nonsense rocker with killer signature fashion and years of having to take care of herself under her spikey belt. Blair is capable, hilarious, and knows what she wants (even when she has a hard time admitting it).

After an on stage snafu during her band's most important show ever that may or may not have involved venomous smuggled wildlife (I promise it wasn't her fault), Blair is "rescued" (abducted) by definite bird-brained aliens. After being unceremoniously dropped on the planet Waffles, Blair is understandably not having it!

We are introduced to our delicious MMC Osid, King of the "local" aliens, when Blair rescues him from attempted assassination by fire and flood! Handsome, snarky, sinfully sexy...... horned, dark gray, hooves and tail having, fire wielding Osid is smitten with his rescuer and her ferality from the start. Blair thinks Odid is the hottest thing since Mount Vesuvius popped its top, but she's having a whole lot of trouble with the language barrier and ACTUAL DINOSAURS roaming around!

I really enjoyed the banter and relationship progression between our two main characters. Both of our pov characters have trauma, and despite how hilarious the book is, the character's shortcomings are not shied away from.

Absolute top tier banter! I'm immediately jumping into Lemming's backlog for more! Osid wants to treat, and quite literally make Blair his queen. Blair wants to hit it and quit it... it being this whole whimsical upheaval of her life! Blair doesn't experience insta love. Her trust is earned throughout the story which is truly refreshing.

It's so funny to me that the couples therapy as mentioned in the title is a honest to god tower climbing trope adventure. Each level of "therapy" is a psychotic situation ment to strengthen Blair and Osid's relationship. Because what says healthy love life like fighting off squids trying to take you out with lasers? A couple that slays high tech having cephalopods together, stays together?

Here is something that's very important: Blair does not look like your average twiggy, pale FMC. As a mixed woman myself, I loved having such a strong POC FMC in Blair! Blair is an unapologetically proud black woman, with a strong sense of culture and body positivity! This is the type of representation so rarely seen in sci-fi!

The spice is incredibly hot. Osid is hot. We love a man who listens to instructions. Blair (also super hot) should teach a seminar called "How to Make a King Your Good Boy." 🥵🌶️ I still haven't figured out how the spice is so mouthwatering, while making perfect sense for development purposes in the story! Kimberly Lemming is a genius. Sensual, toe curling, fantastic, chefs kiss!

For me, without spoiling the plot, this was a 5/5 read! It's engrossing, hilarious, surprisingly emotionally impactful, and it has dinosaurs (and other fun animals)!

Paleontologist time!:

Kimberly. You will never understand the actual screech I let out when I saw that you included an animal from the very tiny prehistoric island I study! The flying terror Hatzegopteryx! I think my cat and I need to go to therapy because the noise scared her so much she launched off my lap and as been giving me side eye for days

Triceratops as war mounts? Absolutely. I have no scientific proof for this, but I am indeed a woman that has dug one (triceratops) up for my job..... so maybe we can just trust my vibe on this one!

I called one of my best friends, who studies T. rex, to tell him about pink T. rex. Now we're buddy reading "I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com?"

As a full time scientist, I find the utterly catastrophically inept Biwbans to be even more hilarious than the average reader. The fact that there is a major plot point about misuse of funding for scientific study, and the sheer crazy panic produced plans launched by everyone's least favorite alien avians had me cackling! Last ditch effort uncanny valley Hallmark Christmas Movie simulation featuring backrooms Rudolph? Why not?
That's what bad scientists do! Launch absolutely insane ideas at a problem to skew the results in their favor. Has my research ever required sexy alien kings breaking chairs over 1950's greaser androids? Well, no... but one time I did have to do the splits on top of a dinosaur to get the proper angle to dig it out!


Home for the banter, stay for the emotional depth, drool over the spice, relish that triceratops very well be the most ridable dino!

- Bethany, Vertebrate Paleontologist, Romancimals

[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.

[Emily Mae Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I decided right then and there that despite all, I liked Osid. He knew what was up."
"I SPOKE TOO SOON; OSID WAS A PIECE OF SHIT AND I hated him."

THESE QUOTES RIGHT HERE PRETTY MUCH SUMS UP THE ENTIRE BOOK.

This entire work had be crying with laugher. Kimberly has such a way with combining a detailed story and plot with utter chaos. I know every time I picked up one of her books, I will always have a good time. I Punched an Alien and Now We're In Couples Therapy was no different.

Picking up on the I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com time line and world, this story follows another girl who was abducted from Earth, Blair. A struggling musician who is after the finer things in life gets snatched right as she was about to perish, just like Dorothy, except instead of a lion, Blair has a glock and recreational drugs! Obviously both of these are incredibly important to the plot, no, I'm not kidding.

Insert Osid, a leader of one of the tribes on planet Waffles, who is too stupid to understand that someone is either leaking information to rival tribes and/or trying to kill him. But don't worry, remember when I said Blair had a glock? This is why it was important. She witnesses someone almost kill Osid and so she whipped out the pew pew, misses, but she manages to scare them off long enough to help Osid get away. Thus enter some of my favorite tropes: forced proximity, language barrier, insta-lust, and some really funny life/death scenarios!

At first, I was very on the fence with Blair. Sure, she has a lot of spunk and really whitty one-liners, not to mention her incredible sense of self-preservation, but sometimes I wanted to reach through the book and just smack her a little. I mean, I love her "If I burn, you burn with me" attitude, but maybe lets not drop a crap ton of acid on an alien planet just because you think the snake is going to eat you. If the acid is in your pocket, the snake will also eat the acid. Duh. But, as the story went on and you learned more about her past, you started to understand the way she acted. Overall, amazing character and character depth. Love Blair.

Osid I loved from the beginning. Why? Because he's so literal that it's painful. He grew so much too and I just want to put him in my pocket. I love me a king who bows to no one but his queen. Men need this energy in 2026.


Overall, 5 star read! I can't wait to see what happens to Planet Waffles now that people are getting *REDACTED
FOR SPOILER* (talk about a really funny plot twist).

Huge thank you to Berkley & Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review 💋

[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.

[Grace✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
4.5🌟

I really loved this book; Lemming is definitely my new auto-read author. This series in particular is my favorite she's written. It is legitimately hilarious (I actually laughed out loud), and so creative; you won't find another book like it. The only reason I took off half a star was that I didn't like it quite as much as the first book; however, I still REALLY enjoyed it.

My favorite thing about this series is how silly it is. It doesn't take itself too seriously and is extremely funny. The world-building is imaginative and takes me back to the magical worlds I read about as a kid (but obviously the adult R-rated version). The title perfectly encapsulates the ridiculous story you're getting into. I loved Blair, possibly more than the first book's main character. She took no BS and braved a completely foreign and dangerous world. She was witty and not afraid to show her dislike for Osid. I often feel like enemies-to-lovers plots show them being enemies for 10% of the book, and quickly convert into a typical romance. This book, however, actually delivered a believable enemies-to-lovers plot. You get to see them very slowly warm up to each other and overcome their legitimate hatred for each other. I believe this is a testament to Lemming's writing and plotting.

I was surprised by my change in attitude towards King Osid. I went into this book expecting to dislike him as much as I did in the first book. He did some legitimately terrible things in it and was an excellent, hateable villain. This story is dual-POV, which allowed me to see his motivations and history, which "humanized" him and allowed me to appreciate him as a love interest. We slowly realize just how perfectly matched he and Blair are, and root for them to get together.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this book. I was sad when it ended, and I'm even sadder that I'll have to wait even longer for her next book. If she doesn't continue this series, my heart may break!! This story is definitely strange and may be too zany for some people. But if the synopsis appeals to you, absolutely read it; you won't regret it.

[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!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received and advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

You know I think Kimberly Lemming is in the my top 2 for romance authors for sure. Her books are humorous, spicy and filled with enough fantasy/scifi to keep the actual plot entertaining as well. This book is no exception and easily meets my expectations. Loved it!

This is an enemies to lovers done right. I absolutely loved Blair. She's the bomb. She's fierce and no quarrels about punching a pushy alien in the face or shooting a dinosaur. She's pretty blunt and open about her feelings. Mix that with a proud, uppity, fierce and possessive King Osid and you get comedy gold. Enemies to lovers comedy gold. Once they are caught and forced into first couples therapy and then "The Crucible"...these two really find their hilarity stride on page. And the fact that Blair gets so mad about the half-a$$ed machinations of the Biwban scientists and the fact that it's slowly working was hilarious to me.

I don't want to give too much of the plot away but...

Things to Note: This book contains all the fun things I look for in a video game. Bit of romance but mainly violence, strategic battles, messy battles, random things like dinosaur attacks and battles... But it also contains gore, murder, decapitation, alien, forced confinement, FMC punching the MMC a few times, gun violence, fire bombs, forest fire, non-consensual experimentation (not in detail), non-consensual filming of spicy times, death threats, drug use, manipulation, flashback from traumatic mass death event, pregnancy, enough red flags from both parties to paint a small town red, and several other things. Even though all of this is done in a mostly humorous way, if any of this sounds potentially triggering, please don't read this book.

Tropes I noticed : Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fate mates, hint of soft sub-dom, pregnancy announcement ending.

[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.

[Shane Night · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Kimberly Lemming's work and always go in expecting a silly situation with added heat and falling into an important social commentary. Her books always make me laugh out loud in a way other books don't and I appreciate that her characters are distinct and have motivations and ambitions outside of each other.

For this book, I was excited to follow the course of these character's relationship after meeting them in the first book. I almost immediatly fell in love with Osid despite him being the main villian of the last book. I loved the dynamic between the main characters and their romance. It feels very realistic that Blair finds aspects of Osid that she appreciates, but holds firm in her grudge about him overstepping boundaries. They intentionally ragebait each other, and despite Osid being in charge in many aspects of his life Blair is clear and forward about preferring her men to be submissive and simpering in bed at the very least and Osid is pleasantly compliant.

While the majority of this book focuses heavily on our main characters navigating their relationship and the hurdles thrown at them by their alien researchers, the last quarter of the book sees our characters protesting against the aliens who brought them to this planet for the rights of other sentient species in the universe. And also a T Rex gains sentience! Lemming is phenomenal at the balance between hilarious dialogue and serious social and personal commentary.

The first book of this series does need to be read to understand this book, as there is a bit of a time and narrative gap that is filled by the first book. I look forward to the next installment of this story!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes
• Alien warlord MMC
• One night stand energy
• Enemies to lovers
• Forced proximity
• Fated mates
• Mars really needs women vibes
• Morally grey MCs
• Survival meet cute
• Couples therapy but make it a video game

⭐ Book Review: I Punched an Alien and Now We’re in Couples Therapy

If you want to laugh this book is it. I was cackling from page one. You’ve got dinosaurs. You’ve got a survival meet cute. You’ve got a man you just rescued staring at your nails like they’re a warning label because he’s convinced you spit acid. And somehow it’s still a whole vibe.

Blair is hilarious. The banter sent me. She’s out here saving an alien warlord like it’s nothing and Osid is standing there all confused trying to figure out if she’s dangerous or divine. He’s convinced she might be poisonous but he’s also like I’ll risk it. If she melts me she melts me.

Their dynamic is wild in the best way. One night stand energy. Enemies to lovers. Forced proximity. Fated mates. Both of them morally grey in a way that just works. Blair is ready to fight and Osid is ready to burn down a planet for her. Balance.

And the scientists. Please. They were doing the most. Fully invested in making a little Blair or Osid like they were waiting on a baby announcement. I was crying.

Then they hit us with couples therapy through a simulated game. I had to put the book down. Only Kimberly Lemming would throw that in and somehow make it emotional and hilarious at the same time.

This book is fun. It’s spicy. It’s chaotic. And once you start it you’re not stopping. Osid rolls up on that triceratops acting like Blair is both his soulmate and a possible biohazard and suddenly you’re locked in.

Oh, he's ribbed and pierced for her pleasure 👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾

[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.