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Voidbound
Not yet published
Expected 1 Oct 26Kerrigan’s life is painfully average. Work. Home. Sleep. Rinse and repeat.
That changes the moment a mysterious man named Ronan shows up out of nowhere to bring her in. Apparently, someone has placed an interstellar bounty on her.
The catch?
It might be connected to the parents she’s never known.
And they’re in space.
As in outer.
That would already be enough to ruin her week, but things get significantly worse when Kerrigan realizes every inquiry agent across the galaxy is suddenly very interested in collecting.
Dragged into a vast galaxy filled with violent syndicates, dangerous secrets, and people who refuse to tell her the full truth, Kerrigan quickly realizes she’s at the center of something far bigger than herself. Because something inside her has awakened. Something ancient. Something connected to Cytanas-a planet believed destroyed thirty years ago.
Only Cytanas might not be gone after all.
And Kerrigan may be the only person capable of bringing it back.
As the voice in Kerrigan’s mind grows louder and the mystery surrounding Cytanas begins to unravel, the line between salvation and destruction starts to blur. Because the power growing inside her isn’t just changing her.
It’s watching.
Now Kerrigan has to survive long enough to uncover the truth about Cytanas, figure out what exactly is happening to her, and try very hard not to fall for the dangerously charming inquiry agent who was supposed to turn her in.
Easy enough. Probably.
That changes the moment a mysterious man named Ronan shows up out of nowhere to bring her in. Apparently, someone has placed an interstellar bounty on her.
The catch?
It might be connected to the parents she’s never known.
And they’re in space.
As in outer.
That would already be enough to ruin her week, but things get significantly worse when Kerrigan realizes every inquiry agent across the galaxy is suddenly very interested in collecting.
Dragged into a vast galaxy filled with violent syndicates, dangerous secrets, and people who refuse to tell her the full truth, Kerrigan quickly realizes she’s at the center of something far bigger than herself. Because something inside her has awakened. Something ancient. Something connected to Cytanas-a planet believed destroyed thirty years ago.
Only Cytanas might not be gone after all.
And Kerrigan may be the only person capable of bringing it back.
As the voice in Kerrigan’s mind grows louder and the mystery surrounding Cytanas begins to unravel, the line between salvation and destruction starts to blur. Because the power growing inside her isn’t just changing her.
It’s watching.
Now Kerrigan has to survive long enough to uncover the truth about Cytanas, figure out what exactly is happening to her, and try very hard not to fall for the dangerously charming inquiry agent who was supposed to turn her in.
Easy enough. Probably.
- GenresRomance
432 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 1, 2026
About the author
Kayleigh Carpenter
1 book2 followersKayleigh Carpenter is an adult sci-fantasy writer, walking pop culture reference, and a big fan of getting hot pot any chance she gets. Her work features cosmic entities, morally gray characters, found family, and people making catastrophically questionable decisions in space.
When she isn’t writing, she’s likely running her fandom-meets-metaphysical shop, Corellia Gifts + Goods, obsessing over fictional villains, or attempting to emotionally recover from the many otome games she plays.
She resides in the swampland commonly referred to as Florida with her husband and dog.
Voidbound is her debut novel, forthcoming this year.
When she isn’t writing, she’s likely running her fandom-meets-metaphysical shop, Corellia Gifts + Goods, obsessing over fictional villains, or attempting to emotionally recover from the many otome games she plays.
She resides in the swampland commonly referred to as Florida with her husband and dog.
Voidbound is her debut novel, forthcoming this year.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 5, 2026
E-ARC READ.
I’m a sucker for puns and let me get it out of my system now - this book is out of this world. Literally just so wonderfully written.
The chapter names are full of wit, sarcasm and familiarity; the chapters have some of the best pop culture references.
I’m always excited for a FMC that is rough around the edges and Kerrigan stole my heart. A disconnected at best relationship with the only family she’s ever known is now gone and has left Kerrigan wondering where she belongs. She’s raw and relatable, cause who hasn’t questioned where they fit in the grand scheme of things. Meeting Mr. Space Fantasy himself, Ronan - I was weak in the knees immediately. Ronan is everything I love to see in a MMC. He’s got the looks, the mystery, and that devilishly delicious sarcasm. The tension is present from their first meeting and it builds. When worlds collide they do in fact collide.
Sign me up for the next trip, no threat of interstellar bounty required.
Carpenter’s scene building left me feeling like I’d walked the streets of Chicago right there with her. Being swept into space shenanigans was no different and I cannot stress how beautifully it is written. The skies above will never be enough. There’s an entire universe to explore now!
The underlying concept of belonging is woven into this book like a tapestry and into meeting other fantastic characters. The growth in these characters throughout the book is palpable. Even a new best friend - I’m sold. Now these villains - whew, I love a complex. Meeting the big bads of this book made my skin crawl in the best way. The twists and turns will leave you breathless. Give me forced proximity and found family tropes any and everyday.
I’m left dreaming of cerulean skies and stellarwhiskeys.
Thank you for letting me sneak aboard this ship and showing me the galaxies ahead. I’m not getting off any time soon.
I’m a sucker for puns and let me get it out of my system now - this book is out of this world. Literally just so wonderfully written.
The chapter names are full of wit, sarcasm and familiarity; the chapters have some of the best pop culture references.
I’m always excited for a FMC that is rough around the edges and Kerrigan stole my heart. A disconnected at best relationship with the only family she’s ever known is now gone and has left Kerrigan wondering where she belongs. She’s raw and relatable, cause who hasn’t questioned where they fit in the grand scheme of things. Meeting Mr. Space Fantasy himself, Ronan - I was weak in the knees immediately. Ronan is everything I love to see in a MMC. He’s got the looks, the mystery, and that devilishly delicious sarcasm. The tension is present from their first meeting and it builds. When worlds collide they do in fact collide.
Sign me up for the next trip, no threat of interstellar bounty required.
Carpenter’s scene building left me feeling like I’d walked the streets of Chicago right there with her. Being swept into space shenanigans was no different and I cannot stress how beautifully it is written. The skies above will never be enough. There’s an entire universe to explore now!
The underlying concept of belonging is woven into this book like a tapestry and into meeting other fantastic characters. The growth in these characters throughout the book is palpable. Even a new best friend - I’m sold. Now these villains - whew, I love a complex. Meeting the big bads of this book made my skin crawl in the best way. The twists and turns will leave you breathless. Give me forced proximity and found family tropes any and everyday.
I’m left dreaming of cerulean skies and stellarwhiskeys.
Thank you for letting me sneak aboard this ship and showing me the galaxies ahead. I’m not getting off any time soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2026
How fun that I get to be the first reviewer of a book on GoodReads. I believe this may be a first for me!
Enough about me.
Let’s talk about you for a minute…
I was able to get an eARC from the author and here are some of my thoughts.
Maybe small vibe spoilers? Nothing super spoilery, but if you’re going into the book blind, maybe stop reading this and come back when you have finished.
This book was fun from the jump-space jump-that is. I love a good “man shows up and takes you somewhere far far away” trope. The main character Kerrigan was such a raw, unpolished, looking for love/acceptance/family/belonging character and I enjoyed her journey from Earth all the way to finding her place at home. The cast of characters were likable, witty and a little spicy. Cora will probably be even cooler later. I have high hopes for her.
The high tech, sci-fi space world was incredibly easy to understand and follow and a joy to experience. Unless of course there was violent death happening. In which case it was riveting. Even the chapter headings had me kicking my feet in fun. Halifax is such a cool name for a villanous dude. And I feel like Ancer maybe kicks puppies in his free time and tells them its their fault? Who knows. He’s a teensy bit mysterious. Did the novel go the direction I knew it was headed the whole time? Yes. Yes it did. But, this book isn’t a mystery to be unsolved. It’s a joy to unravel and have a good time with. I loved watching Kerrigan grow into herself, new body and all. Jumping through space with Ronan who definitely isn’t human 🥵 was a solid good time. What a lovely spicy man. I fully intend to keep this going and read the second book. Dare I hope for a trilogy?
Final note: added a space puppy to my wishlist. Someone tell my husband. Thanks.
Enough about me.
Let’s talk about you for a minute…
I was able to get an eARC from the author and here are some of my thoughts.
Maybe small vibe spoilers? Nothing super spoilery, but if you’re going into the book blind, maybe stop reading this and come back when you have finished.
This book was fun from the jump-space jump-that is. I love a good “man shows up and takes you somewhere far far away” trope. The main character Kerrigan was such a raw, unpolished, looking for love/acceptance/family/belonging character and I enjoyed her journey from Earth all the way to finding her place at home. The cast of characters were likable, witty and a little spicy. Cora will probably be even cooler later. I have high hopes for her.
The high tech, sci-fi space world was incredibly easy to understand and follow and a joy to experience. Unless of course there was violent death happening. In which case it was riveting. Even the chapter headings had me kicking my feet in fun. Halifax is such a cool name for a villanous dude. And I feel like Ancer maybe kicks puppies in his free time and tells them its their fault? Who knows. He’s a teensy bit mysterious. Did the novel go the direction I knew it was headed the whole time? Yes. Yes it did. But, this book isn’t a mystery to be unsolved. It’s a joy to unravel and have a good time with. I loved watching Kerrigan grow into herself, new body and all. Jumping through space with Ronan who definitely isn’t human 🥵 was a solid good time. What a lovely spicy man. I fully intend to keep this going and read the second book. Dare I hope for a trilogy?
Final note: added a space puppy to my wishlist. Someone tell my husband. Thanks.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5/5 Stars
First off, I want to emphasize how fun this book is. It's a delightful read, and every time I picked it up, I found myself chuckling at a line or a character interaction. I mean, what's not to love about this line:
“Is Google your direct superior?” Cora’s voice lowered as she placed a hand on one of her small pouches near her thigh.
I also love how dumb (affectionate) the main character is at times. It doesn't come across as eye-roll-inducing stupidity. More so, it makes her human. She does things that are realistic, and I also love her strong-willed attitude and spunk. She's not a helpless main character. Through the book, Kerrigan comes into her own, saves herself, and never loses what makes her, well, her while still going on a great character arc. I really appreciate that.
My one critique, and the reason this is a 4.5 stars, is how quickly the writing moves at times. While a huge plus for most people, I found I wanted to linger more on certain scenes, and some felt a bit rushed — especially toward the end. Is it enough for me to not recommend the book? Absolutely not. I think this book is a banger. It's just a personal preference.
Finally, I always love telling authors who my favorite character ended up being. I'm team Cora. I love her. She is the best. I've only known her for five minutes but I would die for her.
First off, I want to emphasize how fun this book is. It's a delightful read, and every time I picked it up, I found myself chuckling at a line or a character interaction. I mean, what's not to love about this line:
“Is Google your direct superior?” Cora’s voice lowered as she placed a hand on one of her small pouches near her thigh.
I also love how dumb (affectionate) the main character is at times. It doesn't come across as eye-roll-inducing stupidity. More so, it makes her human. She does things that are realistic, and I also love her strong-willed attitude and spunk. She's not a helpless main character. Through the book, Kerrigan comes into her own, saves herself, and never loses what makes her, well, her while still going on a great character arc. I really appreciate that.
My one critique, and the reason this is a 4.5 stars, is how quickly the writing moves at times. While a huge plus for most people, I found I wanted to linger more on certain scenes, and some felt a bit rushed — especially toward the end. Is it enough for me to not recommend the book? Absolutely not. I think this book is a banger. It's just a personal preference.
Finally, I always love telling authors who my favorite character ended up being. I'm team Cora. I love her. She is the best. I've only known her for five minutes but I would die for her.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is my first time as an ARC Reader and let me tell you I honestly did not expect to love this book as much as I do.
I have read a lot of romantasy and pretty familiar the concept of the chosen one in the galaxy, I was like okay? It sounds fun enough...I love Star Wars ... Let's give it a shot.
Even in the first chapter I was a little hesitant, here is Kerrigan not really reacting, playing it cool. I rolled my eyes a bit at her nonchalance, until I didn't. Until it felt like she was just as confused by her nonchalance as I was. Suddenly it hit and I connected to this strong but lost character in a way I hadn't expected and I was HOOKED.
The way the characters interact and how the author writes those interactions is my favorite part of this book. The growing friendships because of small acts of kindness and shared looks and experiences feels so real and well paced. Even those heated glances with the MMC and that tension between them feels playful but real in a way that doesn't feel rushed or sudden.
Cora is my favorite and I won't be taking questions.
The villains are vile in the best way and damn you Halifax! If you read it you'll know why but I'm over here still hoping someone draws fanart of him, could be me.
A very very fun ride and I am looking forward to the next book!
I have read a lot of romantasy and pretty familiar the concept of the chosen one in the galaxy, I was like okay? It sounds fun enough...I love Star Wars ... Let's give it a shot.
Even in the first chapter I was a little hesitant, here is Kerrigan not really reacting, playing it cool. I rolled my eyes a bit at her nonchalance, until I didn't. Until it felt like she was just as confused by her nonchalance as I was. Suddenly it hit and I connected to this strong but lost character in a way I hadn't expected and I was HOOKED.
The way the characters interact and how the author writes those interactions is my favorite part of this book. The growing friendships because of small acts of kindness and shared looks and experiences feels so real and well paced. Even those heated glances with the MMC and that tension between them feels playful but real in a way that doesn't feel rushed or sudden.
Cora is my favorite and I won't be taking questions.
The villains are vile in the best way and damn you Halifax! If you read it you'll know why but I'm over here still hoping someone draws fanart of him, could be me.
A very very fun ride and I am looking forward to the next book!
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
Voidbound is a story about an average woman named Kerrigan living in NY, except she learns she isn’t so average after all. Kerrigan learns she has a space bounty on her head and she has to figure out why and how to escape bounty hunters, which is where her love interest Ronan comes in ;)
This is a romantasy but I love how the romance doesn’t take away from the main plot, it’s the perfect amount of romance; at least in my opinion. I liked the pacing of this story, though I wasn’t fully hooked for the first few chapters. I don’t think things moved too quickly, and it’s a nice and easy ready without lots of things to remember in order to understand. I personally hate books that have a million different names to remember and a whole map that needs to be referenced every three pages, so this book was perfect for me. I personally like a little bit more romance in my books if you catch my drift but other than that this was a pretty solid read! I personally enjoyed the ending and I can’t wait for the next book because I am dying to know what happens next! Loved this book and the opportunity to read it.
🌶️🌶️
Voidbound is a story about an average woman named Kerrigan living in NY, except she learns she isn’t so average after all. Kerrigan learns she has a space bounty on her head and she has to figure out why and how to escape bounty hunters, which is where her love interest Ronan comes in ;)
This is a romantasy but I love how the romance doesn’t take away from the main plot, it’s the perfect amount of romance; at least in my opinion. I liked the pacing of this story, though I wasn’t fully hooked for the first few chapters. I don’t think things moved too quickly, and it’s a nice and easy ready without lots of things to remember in order to understand. I personally hate books that have a million different names to remember and a whole map that needs to be referenced every three pages, so this book was perfect for me. I personally like a little bit more romance in my books if you catch my drift but other than that this was a pretty solid read! I personally enjoyed the ending and I can’t wait for the next book because I am dying to know what happens next! Loved this book and the opportunity to read it.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Sci-Fi Romance Adventure has never seemed so familiar as it does in Voidbound. I've not read much of the genre because it felt intimidating to me. I appreciate the art, but my head just isn't in the space (pun intended). Carpenter's voice is witty, funny, and not at all elitist. Kerrigan's POV is all of us when we ask ourselves, "How did I get here?"; the inner dialogue is organic and believable. The author doesn't shy away from pop culture references which is a big reason why it's easy to fly away with the story. The found family Kerrigan establishes is a great mix of individuals who are capable, sarcastic, sexy, and loyal; as a reader, I am right in there with them. Also, the names of the characters and terminology are perfect.
I recommend Voidbound as your first sci-fi read or as you 100th. The characters, world building, and tension are ingredients for a perfect brew.
I recommend Voidbound as your first sci-fi read or as you 100th. The characters, world building, and tension are ingredients for a perfect brew.
August 13, 2026
I was given a ARC of this ebook and in return was asked to leave my honest review.
I went into this book having not read a sci-fi romance / fantasy in the past. I think that this is was great stepping stone for me into this genre.
I enjoyed the pacing of the book, I never felt like things were dragging on for too long or that things were going by too fast. It didn’t read like someone’s debut novel at all. It was very well written.
I would rate the spice level at a 2/5. There was one explicit spicy scene and another closed door “spicy mentions”. I loved the banter between Kerrigan and Ronan and her mentions of pop culture (with great references to Harry Potter, the office and more). I can’t wait to see where the story goes in the next book.
Overall, I would recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Job well done!
I went into this book having not read a sci-fi romance / fantasy in the past. I think that this is was great stepping stone for me into this genre.
I enjoyed the pacing of the book, I never felt like things were dragging on for too long or that things were going by too fast. It didn’t read like someone’s debut novel at all. It was very well written.
I would rate the spice level at a 2/5. There was one explicit spicy scene and another closed door “spicy mentions”. I loved the banter between Kerrigan and Ronan and her mentions of pop culture (with great references to Harry Potter, the office and more). I can’t wait to see where the story goes in the next book.
Overall, I would recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Job well done!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This book is full of such fun twists and turns. The characters are so lovable and even within one book they experience lots of growth.
There’s the perfect amount of spice and fun references to keep the pages turning. You’ll find yourself at the end faster than you might expect.
Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a book that has intriguing world-building and space shenanigans.
There’s the perfect amount of spice and fun references to keep the pages turning. You’ll find yourself at the end faster than you might expect.
Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a book that has intriguing world-building and space shenanigans.
Review of advance copy received from Author
As someone who doesn’t normally enjoy sci-fi I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the book. I love the relationship between Kerrigan and Cora. I also can’t wait to see how things play out now that Kerrigan gave in and accepted Mephisto’s help.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Everything about this book is 🤯 see my Instagram for full review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews