Danger has a way of turning enemies into something else.
Surviving a planet that wants you dead is hard. Surviving with someone you love to hate? Even harder. Especially when it means learning to trust each other.
Sabaak is a planet where the sand stretches on forever and every second is a reminder of your terrible life choices. Not the ideal location for the adventure Bri has always dreamed of. But she’s not one to let a lack of resources, a disturbing cult, and unruly pack animals stand in the way of a good time. Plus, the best adventures are the ones where everything goes wrong. Right?
It’s also a place Tai swore he’d never step foot on again. Now he’s forced to deal with his past, something he’d rather keep buried. On a planet he hates, on a rescue mission he never wanted, he’ll do whatever it takes to get them home.
The fight for survival brought them closer, but is it enough to keep them together?
Untangled is an action rom-com with a sci-fi twist and the second book of an interconnected standalone series that all started with Uprooted. This time around, the stakes are higher, the banter is just as fierce as the battles, and the scorching desert sun isn’t the only source of heat.
I ended up loving this book far more than I expected. Untangled is a refreshingly unique blend of fantasy, sci-fi, and romcom….lighthearted and fun on the surface yet layered with emotional depth. It’s the kind of easy, addictive read you pick up for a quick escape and suddenly realize you’ve binge read the entire thing.
The story follows the adventures of Tai and Bri. Bri crash lands on a desert planet after making a rash, impulsive decision while fighting with Tai. Tai goes to rescue Bri out of obligation and his own complicated reasons. Bri is stubborn, strong-willed, and determined to prove herself even if it is dangerous and she’s in over her head trying to escape her internal battles. Tai focuses on duty to distract from his unresolved baggage. The two are forced together in the harsh and unforgiving desert, and must learn to rely on one another to survive. What starts as tension and resistance slowly turns into understanding as they begin to see beyond each other’s walls. While they’re fighting to survive physically, they’re also fighting themselves internally. Their story is also about growth, self-discovery, and facing the truths they’ve been avoiding. Their character development is heartwarming, relatable, and rewarding.
I loved the balance between humor, emotion, and adventure. I found myself quickly emotionally invested and attached to the characters; rooting for them, not just to make it home but to become better versions of themselves.
Thank you so much @rattlethestarspr and @kennedyrhodesbooks for this ARC opportunity! I look forward to future books!
Enemies to Lovers | One Tent | Mistaken Identity | One Bathtub | Sci-Fi Rom Com | Fated Mates | Hurt/Comfort
Untangled is a sci-fi rom-com. This is the second book of an interconnected standalone series. When I read Untangled, I specifically read this first to see if this book is truly a stand alone that can be read without prior knowledge from the fist book. I am happy to report, this is truly a book you can read as a stand alone. I will say that reading this book first will give you some spoilers for book one. So don't say I didn't warn ya'.
Bri is feisty, smart, determined and ready for an adventure. However, this is not the adventure she was looking for. After being evacuated from j'Tilak she becomes stranded on the planet Sabaak. Her escape pod crash landed and she has no way to reach out for help.
What Bri isnt expecting is for Tai to follow after her. Not just follow her but crash land on the planet that he swore he wouldn't return to. While Tai is trying to tack down Bri, hes also trying to come to terms with being back on Sabaak.
Bri is out of her element. She wishes that she could more like her brothers, able to survive with a pen and some tape. However, she's not going to give up or give in. However, there is only so much chaos one can take.
Sand monsters. A cult. A lack of resources. Sand...so...much...sand...and the sun that does not want to give her a rest. To top it off, Tai. How is she supposed to survive with the 7ft tall, distractingly handsome, wildly infuriating, blue alien who is being super broody.
Tai and Bri are fighting for their lives and trying to get home. They need to work together and most of all trust each other.
The banter is top notch! Its never one sided and never feels actually disrespectful from one character to another or like they are being vicious or belittling. Our main characters both get about even POV time. The plot is very driven at the start by Bri however becomes more dual driven about halfway through.
The growth that both Bri and Tai have in such a short time along with also trying to survive and get home is outstanding. None of the character development felt rushed or misplaced. Nothing felt like it was forced or against who the characters were.
I knocked out this book in two days. I was drawn in from the very beginning. Theres action, mystery, and romance. The pacing was well done, there was so much packed into this book but at no point did it feel like things were happening for no reason, or at a pace that didn't make sense.
I overall really did enjoy Untangled. This was my first read from Kennedy Rhodes and my first alien romance. I can officially say ill be reading more of both.
Thank you Kennedy Rhodes and Rattle The Stars PR for the ARC!
I was not prepared to get completely engulfed by this book! I don't usually reach for sci-fi but if this is what the genre has been hiding from me... Consider me fully converted!
Untangled blends action, humor, emotional depth and desert planet chaos, into a story that's impossible to put down!!
Thank you to the Author and the Rattle the Stars for this absolute GEM!💎
The setup I everything I love: stranded on a hostile planet, forced prox with someone you love to hate, a disturbing cult, questionable pack animals and a sun that feels personally offended by your existence! It's survival but make it rom-com!
The banter? Top Tier! Kennedy Rhodes writes banter like it's a competitive sport!! Bri and Tai's chemistry is steamy🔥, fun and layered! (Second only to Aro and Elowen from Uprooted)
Tai His character arc absolutely got me! His growth feels messy in the most human way. Always running from his past, convinced he needs forgiveness from everyone except himself. Watching him slowly confront that was incredibly satisfying.
Brisa She is pure chaotic optimism! Witty, stubborn, hopeful despite her trauma, she bring so much light to a world literally made of sand and bad decisions!
World Building This world is fun and intriguing! I loved the lore that we did get but I am absolutely GREEDY when I say I need more j'Tilak culture, mannerisms, customs... all of it!! The human side explanations were great but the alien culture is so interesting that I hope future books dive deeper.
The touches that I absolutely loved and made the story 10x more fun: "intergalactic mafia" - Iconic! "blast my way out" - Elite catchphrase "Any idiot can destroy a world for love, but I want to build a better one, with you" - Favorite quote
Untangled is a fast, funny, heart punchy action rom-com with a sci-fi twist that works even if you're not a sci-fi reader. The stakes are high , the humor lands , the romance simmers and the character growth hits exactly where it should!
If you want desert survival, emotional growth and banter that can cut glass this is it!!
First of all, thank you to Kenmedy Rhodes, Rattlethestars pr for the opportunity to be in this arc team 💙
Although Untangled is the second book in this cosmic series, I’m happy to say it worked great as a standalone. And honestly? The moment I saw “blue alien romance,” little me who was obsessed with aliens immediately said YES 👽
To start just putting this out there… from now on I’m requesting to be addressed as “Celestial Loveliness” when you read the book, you will know why😝
This sci-fi romance follows Bri, our human beauty, and Tai, a handsome, sparky blue alien who is tasked with bringing Bri back to their home based planet after an incident. The only problem? Bri wants absolutely nothing to do with him and refuses to share space with Tai due to all the unresolved tension and unspoken feelings between them 👀
So naturally… she takes her own escape pod.
But Tai has a mission to complete, so he follows after her, and both end up stranded on an arid desert planet where resources are scarce and survival becomes their main priority. While there, Tai is also forced to confront painful mistakes from his past, making their journey emotional as well as dangerous.
Their adventure is packed with unexpected moments from Bri being rescued by a tribe called the Brethren who believe she is their goddess 😭 to Tai nearly being killed by dangerous creatures, all while the two are forced to finally confront the feelings they’ve been avoiding for so long.
The chemistry between Bri and Tai was so good, and yes… the spice definitely delivered!
This was such an easy and entertaining read. Every time I checked my progress I was somehow already halfway through because the story flows so smoothly. The writing and world-building made everything feel immersive and vivid without ever feeling overwhelming.
So now I have one important question… When is the next trip to Tj’Tilak? Because my bags are packed 🚀✨
📖 Just finished Untangled and wow… these two STRESSED me out! This second book follows Bri and Tai, if you read Uprooted you’ll be familiar with them. Bri ends up crashing down on Sabaak, a desert world filled with danger at every turn. It’s not exactly the adventure she imagined. She’s stuck working with Tai, someone she has a complicated past with. For Tai, Sabaak is the last place he ever wanted to return to. It’s tied to memories he’s tried hard to bury, but now he must face them. As their relationship develops, past traumas, misunderstandings, and personal struggles begin to surface, threatening to pull them apart…
What made Untangled so good for me? The drama, the mess, the “why are you like this”moments!!! The characters are flawed in the most realistic and relatable way, and making questionable decisions left and right. It’s got that addictive push and pull energy where you know things could be easier if they just communicated. Messy, emotional, slightly chaotic… exactly my kind of read.
The vibes - chaotic, tense, and lowkey addictive. If you like forced proximity, sharp banter, and two people who absolutely should not fall for each other (but obviously will), this is your book!
I love it when she leads. She could lead me off a fucking cliff and I would follow. Willingly. Enthusiastically. Smiling the whole damn way down.
3.75 stars
This sequel started out with a bang as Bri and Tai are stranded together and forced to work together in order to survive and get back to their homes. I was excited to see the dynamic develop between Bri and Tai after the attraction and tension was first introduced between them. Bri annoyed me in her self-sabotaging as she veered too close to being a TSTL heroine, but Tai's surprising gentle and protective nature was so cute. The attraction between them was obvious, but both had their own reservations about moving forward with a relationship and struggled to forgive their pasts. I wish there had been a bit more danger as the plot seemed to move quickly past it, but overall this was a heart-warming sequel🖤
Tropes: fated mates, frenemies-to-lovers, grumpy x grumpier, hate-to-love-you, forced proximity, stranded together, no-strings attached, opposites attract, he falls first, protector hero, 'you deserve better than me' vibes, slow burn, STEAMY🔥
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️ / 5
*ARC provided by the author, and I voluntarily reviewed it*
Bri and Tai love getting under each other’s skin but after crash landing on the planet of Sabaak, they must work together to find their way back to j’Tilak. I laughed out loud most of the story. Bri’s character is so good. She’s hilarious, sassy, tough, bright, and has a giant heart. She believes every being should be equal and tries hard to get that point across to the alien cult who deems her their goddess. On Sabaak, Tai is faced with a past that he’s eager to leave behind, and thanks to Bri, he learns to forgive himself for his childhood mistakes. This one was very spicy and I ATE that up. Bri and Tai together had my jaw on the floor and I’m not mad about it. I definitely would have loved to add more of the bionic arm into the mix 👀😂🌶️ but overall it was pretty hot 🥵 The character development was great! They showed each other sides of themselves the other never could have imagined and the world building made me absolutely miserable as they trekked through Sabaak’s sandy terrain.
I went into this expecting something light and fun, and walked out emotionally invested, slightly stressed, and fully attached.
This story drops you into a situation where nothing feels stable and every step forward feels like it could go wrong. It keeps you hooked, pace is fast, but there’s just enough depth woven in that you are not just read the story, you feel it.
What really stood out to me was how the characters evolve under pressure. You see walls, instincts, and survival take over but also those quiet moments where connection slips through anyway. It’s messy, tense, and real in a way that sneaks up on you.
There’s a balance here between adventure and emotion that works really well. You’ll get the chaos, the tension, the “what is happening right now” moments but you also something softness underneath that keeps you turning the pages.
By the end, I wasn’t just reading for the plot anymore, I needed to know they’d be okay. This was my second book by Ms. Rhodes and I was not disappointed.
I’m officially obsessed. Untangled completely delivered and then some.
The banter between Bri and Tai? Elite. I already loved their dynamic in Uprooted, but getting more of them here was everything I wanted. The frenemies-to-lovers tension was so good, and watching them slowly drop their guards with each other made every moment hit harder.
The humor in this book really stood out too - the brethren scenes had me laughing out loud while also feeling weirdly relatable. That push and pull of wanting nothing to do with the cult but also wanting better for the people in it was handled so well.
I flew through this in 24 hours (no regrets), and the dual POVs made it even more addictive. Getting inside both of their heads just made the chemistry and emotional moments land perfectly.
If you love sci-fi rom coms with sharp banter, emotional depth, and characters you can’t get enough of - this is 100% for you.
Thank you to the author for providing this book for review consideration via Rattle the Stars PR. All opinions are my own.
I went into this one expecting a light, fun sci-fi rom-com, but Untangled had me emotionally invested, a little bit stressed, and completely addicted. The plot is immersive and fun, but it’s the humor and heart that really make the story shine!
Bri is feisty, chaotic, and stubborn—especially when it comes to Tai. Tai is a blue, broody protector who carries guilt and trauma for his past on Sabaak. They get under each other’s skin in the best way possible, but it never feels disrespectful. It’s a competitive sport for them.
Their chemistry sizzles with high heat and high emotion, and the way they grow from frenemies to real partners feels earned and genuine. They make mistakes but acknowledge them as well. Their physical connection and attraction is intense and very spicy, but it’s the quiet and tender moments where they let each other in and start to trust each other that really made me fall in love with them as a couple.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
To think I thought I loved Uprooted but I may love Untangled even more!!
Kennedy Rhodes does a phenomenal job of giving life to two characters we only barely get to know in Uprooted.
Bri is sunshine and fire and spunk all rolled into a human woman on her first galactic adventure.
Tai is broody, grumpy, guarded and an alien humanoid (he's sexy and blue) who is stuck retrieving this frustrating and also alluring human.
A match made in heaven! Throw in crashing on a desolate planet with limited options, a religious cult set on worshipping Bri as some goddess, sand (like so much sand Anakin would be pissed) and a band of mercenaries and you got yourself a party!
Bri and Tai's relationship building may be triggered by being stranded together but the actual growth, vulnerability and shared experience that Kennedy captures in this book is where the true heart and soul is! Oh and the spice is God Tier!!!
This book was just as good as the first! I really hope there's at least one more in the series. Once again Kennedy did a great job at building yet another world. This time we got to explore life for Bri and Tai and it was great! This book was an action packed adventure full of meeting new species and challenges. Tai got a beautiful character arc out of this book. And yet again some fantastic witty and sassy banter between our FMC and MMC. Bri just has zinger after zinger. I think we would make excellent friends. Kennedy is so good at keeping a smooth flow with her writing. There are wild moments of action and peaceful moments of self discovery. The ebb and flow is quite nice. I found myself falling into the rhythm of reading and before I knew it I had read the whole thing. It's nice getting sucked so far into a book you forget that you're reading it. Looking forward to more of Kennedy's work.
This interconnected standalone/sequel was exactly what I needed 😅 I was so ready to hear more about Tai and Bri and this gave me so much. I think enemies-to-lovers is probably one of my favourite genres. Though these too aren't 'true' enemies (there was that one night... And undeniable chemistry from the start) but when they get stranded together on a planet trying to fill them at every turn it definitely brings them together. The cult was just hilarious 🤭 though there was many moments in this book that stressed me out (I may have told the author I was gonna throw my kindle if they didn't get a happy ending) and I teared up at the end but all in all it was a perfect ending. Such a full circle story with self healing and learning to forgive yourself being very important before you can love someone else! Excited to see what else come from this author!
Thank you to @kennedyrhodesbooks and @rattlethestarspr for letting me ARC read this book.
Thank you to the author and Rattle The Stars PR for this arc copy. It means the world to me to have the chance to read this book! The writing is incredibly immersive, Kennedy did an awesome job! I could feel everything from the emotions to the world. Every moment Bri struggled, I felt it with her. She's trying to solve the food crisis on Earth, and ends up on a planet that clearly wants her dead. Nothing about this mission goes the way it should.
What really made the story the best is the dynamic between Bri and Tai. There's tension, mistrust, and that constant push and pull between not wanting to rely on each other... and having no other choice. This is a great entry point into a alien romance. It's easy to get into, immersive, and balances tension with moments that still make it a cozy read.
This book follows the best friend of the FMC from Uprooted. Bri has crash landed on a desert planet and of course the person(alien) she seems to hate the most, Tai is right behind her, because why wouldn't he be?(I’m not mad about it at all btw. He needed to be there obviously) They didn’t get along in the first book so I was excited to see where things would go for them during this book with them being the main characters. There was tension, anger, push and pull between the main characters. Neither one wanted to admit that they were meant to be together. I won't lie, I struggled to stay focused while reading this book at first but I kept on and it is so good. The dynamic between Bri and Tai is so good and I am glad I stuck with the book because I ended up really enjoying this book and would read it again.
You know when you keep thinking “oh! Time to read more of my book! So excited to pick it back up! I miss Bri & Tai!” And then you get REALLY sad because you’ve finish it already? .. that’s me right now! I keep thinking about them!
It’s how I felt when I finished Uprooted too! So these two will definitely be ones I reread!
They are set in space! In this one Bri gets lost on a plant and Tai follows after her to save her.
It’s so cozy, but there is some danger! It’s sweet and spicy. And so perfect. It’s hilarious. I loved Bri’s sense of humor.
I loved how they both opened up to each other. I loved how they bickered and pushed each other’s buttons but when it came down to it they always protected the other first.
I was crying so hard at the end. 😭 I wanted to be in that group hug!! 🥰
This is "Book 2" of an interconnected stand alone series, so reading book 1 is not NECESSARY, but I would recommend it before jumping in, personally. There is a certain familiarity I think adds to the charm.
When I read Uprooted , Sci-Fi Romance was new to me. If you like Spice with your Sci-fi romance, then buckle up. Something I really enjoyed about this one that I found surprising was the depth of the character development. That is everything to me in a story and I felt like it was well fleshed out.... in more ways than one lol.
The Banter? Loved it, I truly liked Bri as a character lol
Also for ALOT of this book you are questioning the safety of these characters, so if you also like a bit of tension then you should jump right in.... the water? no no , the gravity is fine.
The writing is incredibly immersive. I could feel the sand and the dryness. Every moment Bri struggled, I felt it with her. She’s trying to solve the food crisis on Earth, and ends up on a planet that clearly wants her dead. Nothing about this mission goes the way it should.
What really drives the story is the dynamic between Bri and Tai. There’s tension, mistrust, and that constant push and pull between not wanting to rely on each other… and having no other choice. This is a great entry point into alien romance. It’s easy to get into, immersive, and balances tension with moments that still make it a cozy read.
Favorite quotes: “I’m shaped by what happened, not defined by it.”
“I fell in love with him while he healed from his past.”
ARC REVIEW: I loved untangled almost as much as i love Uprooted. with Untangled we see a lot of tension between Bri and Tai and we see a lot of heated banter between them with everything they have gone through. Between being stuck on a different planet with a creepy cult to having to overcome past trauma, the comfort they seek within each other to overcome the trauma was written beautifully.. I love how we get to see their rivalry transform into a deep sense of understanding for one another while they move past all their misconceptions they thought they had for each other. Tai and Bri’s love had me crying towards the end and I loved everything about this novel.
Thank you to Rattle the Stars PR and Kennedy Rhodes for the opportunity to read and review Untangled as an ARC.
3.75⭐ First of all, I’d like to thank the author, Kennedy Rhodes and Rattle the Stars PR for the eARC of this book. Right off the bat I’m enjoying this interconnected standalone just a bit more than the first book. I think the reason is that the set up with the plot being the two characters stranded away from each other has allowed for some more in depth backstory and introspection, which I really liked. I feel like I’m getting to know Bri and Tai a bit more deeply. The writing seems to flow more as well. I really enjoyed the back and forth banter and sarcasm between the characters and their relationship felt earned. I’m really happy with how this world is expanding and I’m hoping that there’s another book to fill it out even more. **spice rating 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5**
Thank you to the author for the chance to read this ARC. I had the best time reading it! The banter, the crazy situations that Bri got into and the ones she got Tai into, the forced proximity in so many different ways (one bed, one tent, one h'axom)...all of it combines for a book that doesn't take itself seriously and I am all for that. Bri loves getting under Tai's skin and made me laugh so many times. I think I loved this one even more than Uprooted which is crazy! These are the perfect books to lift your mood and make you smile. I have my fingers crossed that we will see more from this world.
Untangled was such a fun sci-fi rom com that completely pulled me in. The humor had me laughing out loud, especially the male birth control concept… I was cackling and now I need this to exist immediately.
I loved the frenemies to lovers dynamic and all the forced proximity moments. The one tent and one bathtub scenes had me fully invested and kicking my feet.
Honestly, I just wanted to live in this world by the end. If you want something funny, romantic, and a little chaotic, this is definitely worth picking up.
After an actual crash landing on a desert planet, Bri and Tai have to first find civilization in order to even attempt rescuing themselves. But there is so much going on along the way! There are animals, both companion and predator, along with a crazy, zealous cult, the viscious sun beating down non-stop is a full-time enemy, and confronting a past our MMC does not want to address are all on the docket.
Not only is this an alien rom-com, but it's got major adventure vibes while they inadvertantly explore all over the planet. Our two MCs love to hate on each other, so the banter is constant, quippy, and funny. We've got action scenes, touching moments, and let's not forget about the spice that is more than just nice.
Untangled is an interconnected standalone, but I did read the first book, Uprooted, first. And honestly? As fun as Uprooted was, I liked this one even better. The stakes are higher, the emotional impact hits, and this couple just feels real, while they both do some growing along the way.
Anyone who loves a good rom-com would enjoy this, but if you've never given alien romances a try, this is a great one to ease in with.
A big thank you to Kennedy Rhodes & Rattle the Stars PR for this ARC.
Bri and Tai took me on a wild ride! Their dynamic was friggen stressful, but the shenanigans were top-tier, and it made their HEA even sweeter. This book was considerably spicier than Uprooted, and I'm here for it hahahaha The brethren are bananas, but the chaos was hilarious. The backstories for Bri and Tai were both really moving, and complemented their personalities and quirks/hold-ups really well.
Overall if you're looking for an interconnected standalone sci-fi romcom with major frenemy vibes, this is the book for you!
Tai and Bri: This is an frenemies to lovers, one tent, surviving together, excellent banter, human x alien, fated mates, hurt/comfort, mistaken identity, protective MCs, reluctant allies, alien x human, sci-fi romantic comedy. This book was definitely a fun and wild ride. It definitely had me laughing and it was quirky and cute. It’s not my normal type of read but I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone that is a fan of romcoms.
So happy that I got a chance to read these books back to back! It was fun going from the lush world of the first book to a desert adventure full of twists, turns, and brand new alien cultures to explore!
Bri and Tai’s banter was perfectly done, sassy and definitely getting a few chuckles out of me! But their sweet moments are what really got me as they grew together and faced the shadows of their respective pasts as a unit. And the ending was just the cherry on top!
Untangled was such a fun read! The story was action packed & you connect with the characters from the start. I really enjoyed the tension & banter between Bri & Tai 👌🏻 There were also many moments that made me laugh out loud 😆
The story has a great balance of SciFi & RomCom elements (and a bit of chaos) to keep you hooked! I need more stories in this universe!
This immediately left off from book 2 and we get to know more and the characters we meet in book 1! This one is definitely more spicy with lots of great banter! Such an easy read and this series great for as a palate cleanser!
I'm checking out a new author, and I LOVE the banter between the MMC and FMC! Kennedy's got a great sense of humor, and it really shines through in this book. It was a super quick and fun read, totally enjoyed it!!!