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Love Beyond #2
Sight Beyond the Sun
Separating truth from lies is impossible in the game of spies… especially the lies you tell yourself.
A prison break.
Adrenaline junkie and explosives specialist Kinsley “Switch” Morales had a chip on her shoulder long before being caught in what she suspects is some sort of intergalactic human-trafficking ring. Aliens not only exist, their reptilian bodies are stronger, their honed reflexes faster, and their shiny scales nearly impenetrable. But nothing will curb Kinsley’s resolve to commandeer their spaceship and return home to Earth—even if that means crawling behind enemy lines and cozying up to their uncompromising captain.
An undercover mission.
When Raveno Hoviir catches Kinsley outside her cell, wreaking havoc in his control room, he sees more than just her strength, resolve, and courage. He sees a golden opportunity to finally root out the traitor under his command and prove his brother’s loyalty before the coming revolution. After so many years undercover, Raveno is finally one mission away from saving his planet from its tyrannical ruler. He’s sacrificed everything to protect his people—his love life, his anonymity, his left leg—but in his efforts to right his father’s wrongs, has he inadvertently become the very monster he plans to overthrow?
An unlikely alliance.
As Kinsley and Raveno each attempt to exploit the other, they find more than just leverage for their separate missions. Inexplicably, they find common ground in their mutual devotion to family and service. Kinsley knows all too well the grief and guilt of making the wrong decision in the field, but will Raveno keep his word to send her home if she flips loyalties? Is Raveno’s softening heart compromising his judgment, or is Kinsley’s intelligence accurate? Separating truth from lies is impossible in the game of spies. Seeing beyond their surface differences and trusting in love again may be the only way to save both their people—and each other.
A prison break.
Adrenaline junkie and explosives specialist Kinsley “Switch” Morales had a chip on her shoulder long before being caught in what she suspects is some sort of intergalactic human-trafficking ring. Aliens not only exist, their reptilian bodies are stronger, their honed reflexes faster, and their shiny scales nearly impenetrable. But nothing will curb Kinsley’s resolve to commandeer their spaceship and return home to Earth—even if that means crawling behind enemy lines and cozying up to their uncompromising captain.
An undercover mission.
When Raveno Hoviir catches Kinsley outside her cell, wreaking havoc in his control room, he sees more than just her strength, resolve, and courage. He sees a golden opportunity to finally root out the traitor under his command and prove his brother’s loyalty before the coming revolution. After so many years undercover, Raveno is finally one mission away from saving his planet from its tyrannical ruler. He’s sacrificed everything to protect his people—his love life, his anonymity, his left leg—but in his efforts to right his father’s wrongs, has he inadvertently become the very monster he plans to overthrow?
An unlikely alliance.
As Kinsley and Raveno each attempt to exploit the other, they find more than just leverage for their separate missions. Inexplicably, they find common ground in their mutual devotion to family and service. Kinsley knows all too well the grief and guilt of making the wrong decision in the field, but will Raveno keep his word to send her home if she flips loyalties? Is Raveno’s softening heart compromising his judgment, or is Kinsley’s intelligence accurate? Separating truth from lies is impossible in the game of spies. Seeing beyond their surface differences and trusting in love again may be the only way to save both their people—and each other.
594 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 23, 2023
128 people are currently reading
277 people want to read
About the author
Melody Johnson
12 books343 followersMelody Johnson is the author of the “out of this world” Love Beyond series and the gritty, paranormal romance Night Blood series published by Kensington Publishing/ Lyrical Press. The City Beneath (Night Blood, book 1) was a finalist in the “Cleveland Rocks” and “Fool For Love” contests.
Melody graduated magna cum laude from Lycoming College with her B.A. in creative writing and psychology. Throughout college, she wrote contemporary love stories, but having read and adored the action and dark mystery of vampires her whole life, decided to add her fingerprint to the paranormal genre.
“The vampire sub-genre of paranormal romance has always been one of my favorites to read,” says Melody. “But it was just as important to me to explore the monster within the man as it was to reveal the man within the monster. The juxtaposition of good and evil and all the gray in between that composes a person is just as unique in my vampires as they are my human characters, and because of that, my heroine has more man troubles than she ever bargained for.”
Melody's unique perspective on vampires lends fresh bite to a classic paranormal genre. In addition to a reimagined transformation—the requirement of night blood—vampires have gargoyle-looking, vicious day forms, an orgasmic bite, and as the series progresses to Sweet Last Drop (book 2), a mindless, rampaging, zombie-like breed is introduced. Melody is constantly upping the stakes, and Day Reaper (book 4) is no exception.
Beyond the Next Star is an exciting branch from Melody's paranormal romance roots, keeping the dark grit from her Night Blood Series and taking it to new worlds. Told from the dual perspectives of both human pet and alien owner, Melody's story weaves a slow-burn romance that explores the bonds of love in all its forms, navigating the main characters’ relationship in delicate stages from oblivious ownership to woke, romantic love.
“Reading and writing romance is my life’s passion, but I’m particularly excited to add my voice to the sci-fi romance genre,” says Melody. “This book allowed me to explore the unconventional parameters that constitute home and family, something my heroine was denied in childhood and torn from in adulthood. But as she discovers through her adventure on Lorien, a home isn’t built with a foundation of concrete but of love.”
After moving from her northeast Pennsylvania hometown for some much needed Southern sunshine, Melody now works as a digital media coordinator for Southeast Georgia Health System’s marketing department. When she isn’t working or writing, Melody can be found swimming at the beach, reading at the pool, and exploring her new home in southeast Georgia.
Melody graduated magna cum laude from Lycoming College with her B.A. in creative writing and psychology. Throughout college, she wrote contemporary love stories, but having read and adored the action and dark mystery of vampires her whole life, decided to add her fingerprint to the paranormal genre.
“The vampire sub-genre of paranormal romance has always been one of my favorites to read,” says Melody. “But it was just as important to me to explore the monster within the man as it was to reveal the man within the monster. The juxtaposition of good and evil and all the gray in between that composes a person is just as unique in my vampires as they are my human characters, and because of that, my heroine has more man troubles than she ever bargained for.”
Melody's unique perspective on vampires lends fresh bite to a classic paranormal genre. In addition to a reimagined transformation—the requirement of night blood—vampires have gargoyle-looking, vicious day forms, an orgasmic bite, and as the series progresses to Sweet Last Drop (book 2), a mindless, rampaging, zombie-like breed is introduced. Melody is constantly upping the stakes, and Day Reaper (book 4) is no exception.
Beyond the Next Star is an exciting branch from Melody's paranormal romance roots, keeping the dark grit from her Night Blood Series and taking it to new worlds. Told from the dual perspectives of both human pet and alien owner, Melody's story weaves a slow-burn romance that explores the bonds of love in all its forms, navigating the main characters’ relationship in delicate stages from oblivious ownership to woke, romantic love.
“Reading and writing romance is my life’s passion, but I’m particularly excited to add my voice to the sci-fi romance genre,” says Melody. “This book allowed me to explore the unconventional parameters that constitute home and family, something my heroine was denied in childhood and torn from in adulthood. But as she discovers through her adventure on Lorien, a home isn’t built with a foundation of concrete but of love.”
After moving from her northeast Pennsylvania hometown for some much needed Southern sunshine, Melody now works as a digital media coordinator for Southeast Georgia Health System’s marketing department. When she isn’t working or writing, Melody can be found swimming at the beach, reading at the pool, and exploring her new home in southeast Georgia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
January 25, 2023
When Kinsley is captured and imprisoned by aliens, she does everything she can to escape. After being caught, she forms an uneasy alliance with Raveno to overthrow a tyrant leader on his planet who just so happens to be his father.
The banter between Kinsley and Raveno was hilarious and flirty. Raveno is pretty much gone for her the moment he catches her mischief, and Kinsley was all too ready to take advantage. I did feel the “traitor” aspect was a little bit drawn out, but it was resolved soon enough (relative to the length of the book). Once it comes to a head, there’s a significant time jump. I felt a bit robbed of fully experiencing Kinsley and Raveno’s reconciliation.
At times, the story dragged, but the suspense kept me turning the page. The threat of Josairo made him such a good villain by reputation alone. Even the conspiracy was engrossing. I was so disappointed with the outcome.
For the book’s 594 pages, there was a huge lack of closure. While these exclusions could be set-up for future books, some were so pivotal to the development of the plot and characters that I resent their exclusion.
I’m ragging on this book a lot, but I did enjoy it. Kinsley and Raveno were cute together. Raveno makes it clear that he chooses her above all elseunlike some people, and Kinsley is a tremendously strong heroine. Admirably, she never gave up, tactfully—most of the time—fighting against whatever threat came her way. The buildup and mystery to overthrowing Josairo was done so well that I rarely felt the book’s length.
Sight Beyond the Sun tells its own story with all new characters, conflicts, and history. It is a worthy follow-up to its predecessor Beyond the Next Star, and I am curious to see future books in the series tie these two together.
★★★★
The banter between Kinsley and Raveno was hilarious and flirty. Raveno is pretty much gone for her the moment he catches her mischief, and Kinsley was all too ready to take advantage. I did feel the “traitor” aspect was a little bit drawn out, but it was resolved soon enough (relative to the length of the book). Once it comes to a head, there’s a significant time jump. I felt a bit robbed of fully experiencing Kinsley and Raveno’s reconciliation.
At times, the story dragged, but the suspense kept me turning the page. The threat of Josairo made him such a good villain by reputation alone. Even the conspiracy was engrossing. I was so disappointed with the outcome.
For the book’s 594 pages, there was a huge lack of closure. While these exclusions could be set-up for future books, some were so pivotal to the development of the plot and characters that I resent their exclusion.
I’m ragging on this book a lot, but I did enjoy it. Kinsley and Raveno were cute together. Raveno makes it clear that he chooses her above all else
Sight Beyond the Sun tells its own story with all new characters, conflicts, and history. It is a worthy follow-up to its predecessor Beyond the Next Star, and I am curious to see future books in the series tie these two together.
★★★★
August 7, 2023
I really enjoyed the first book in this very loosely connected series, but this one fell flat.
It was extremely tiring and grating to read, for several reasons:
- pacing was off from start to finish: yes we met the main characters quickly and were rushed through them meeting each other, but the romantic momentum never took off. from then on, the plot was hampered down by dull, long-winded, meaningless dialogues with secondary characters who were given screentime but not development across this 500 page book
- even though both main characters were shown with and without each other, they never really connected, because the convoluted lies (and misunderstandings I guess?) and the plot kept them TOO busy.
- the side characters dragged so hard. Gosh those humans served NO purpose whatsoever except to serve as filler for conversation after conversation. Since the humans never had character development, all those chapters of dialogues and speculations these dimwits had could've been an email.
- the month-long time skip training montage were the two main characters just ignored their attraction and we got no scenes of them getting closer but on the flip-side we did get the humans chatting again ... ugh
- when the romance appeared again it was too little, too late
In short it was a hot mess and it didn't work for me at all.
It was extremely tiring and grating to read, for several reasons:
- pacing was off from start to finish: yes we met the main characters quickly and were rushed through them meeting each other, but the romantic momentum never took off. from then on, the plot was hampered down by dull, long-winded, meaningless dialogues with secondary characters who were given screentime but not development across this 500 page book
- even though both main characters were shown with and without each other, they never really connected, because the convoluted lies (and misunderstandings I guess?) and the plot kept them TOO busy.
- the side characters dragged so hard. Gosh those humans served NO purpose whatsoever except to serve as filler for conversation after conversation. Since the humans never had character development, all those chapters of dialogues and speculations these dimwits had could've been an email.
- the month-long time skip training montage were the two main characters just ignored their attraction and we got no scenes of them getting closer but on the flip-side we did get the humans chatting again ... ugh
- when the romance appeared again it was too little, too late
In short it was a hot mess and it didn't work for me at all.
January 25, 2023
LOVE this series
I love when an author can surprise me with twists and turns, and Johnson is excellent at throwing them at her readers. Kinsley was an interesting choice for a FMC, but also likely the only one that would have worked for this particular story. She and the MMC meshed well with their enemies to lovers tension. My only complaint is that I NEED ANSWERS! I wanted the ending wrapped up in a neat little bow, but it was not. Main plot points were taken care of, it ended in a HFN but I want to know everything that will happen right now. However, it’s clear further illumination won’t be available until the next book. (Please don’t make me wait for the 4th for answers)
Spice: 2/5
Triggers: captivity, violence and death
I love when an author can surprise me with twists and turns, and Johnson is excellent at throwing them at her readers. Kinsley was an interesting choice for a FMC, but also likely the only one that would have worked for this particular story. She and the MMC meshed well with their enemies to lovers tension. My only complaint is that I NEED ANSWERS! I wanted the ending wrapped up in a neat little bow, but it was not. Main plot points were taken care of, it ended in a HFN but I want to know everything that will happen right now. However, it’s clear further illumination won’t be available until the next book. (Please don’t make me wait for the 4th for answers)
Spice: 2/5
Triggers: captivity, violence and death
January 29, 2023
I found this disappointing. I remember really liking the first book and looking forward to more in the series, checking back more than once to see if it had come out yet. So I was excited to get to read this! Unfortunately, it ended up being kind of a slog to get through.
Everything felt a little overlong but also underdeveloped and unresolved. It seemed like the author really fell in love with the world-building—or at least with the alien language—and just kind of let herself get lost in it… but I still had a lot of unanswered questions. Like what’s mating/marriage like for the havari? It seems like there’s sniffing and neck flappies and maybe the glowy dots are involved? Or not? They have some kind of soul-bonding?? Or was that just totally figurative/ceremonial? Do they have any kind of mate bond, or do they just date around? And they have divorce, I guess. Also: what’s going on with the people on Havar? Aside from being afraid of their ruler, are they mostly doing ok? Is there a class divide? Is there unrest? Are they really totally ignorant of what’s going on?
The whole ending felt a bit anticlimactic to me. I didn’t love the “it was all because of the plant zombies!” reveal, and it felt like there should have been *some* kind of friction with the populace going from excitedly supporting the games/regime (even if under duress) to suddenly believing everything they’d been told was a lie and that also these plants have been holding everyone on the planet hostage for years. The book made it sound like they were all just really down to start following a new leader, no questions asked, and oh well, I guess we’re all abandoning the planet now for an indefinite amount of time!
The romance was also somewhat unsatisfying—not a good sign when you get to the end of the book and feel like the MMC could legitimately still be romantically in love with his ex-wife—and she with him.
Everything felt a little overlong but also underdeveloped and unresolved. It seemed like the author really fell in love with the world-building—or at least with the alien language—and just kind of let herself get lost in it… but I still had a lot of unanswered questions. Like what’s mating/marriage like for the havari? It seems like there’s sniffing and neck flappies and maybe the glowy dots are involved? Or not? They have some kind of soul-bonding?? Or was that just totally figurative/ceremonial? Do they have any kind of mate bond, or do they just date around? And they have divorce, I guess. Also: what’s going on with the people on Havar? Aside from being afraid of their ruler, are they mostly doing ok? Is there a class divide? Is there unrest? Are they really totally ignorant of what’s going on?
The whole ending felt a bit anticlimactic to me. I didn’t love the “it was all because of the plant zombies!” reveal, and it felt like there should have been *some* kind of friction with the populace going from excitedly supporting the games/regime (even if under duress) to suddenly believing everything they’d been told was a lie and that also these plants have been holding everyone on the planet hostage for years. The book made it sound like they were all just really down to start following a new leader, no questions asked, and oh well, I guess we’re all abandoning the planet now for an indefinite amount of time!
The romance was also somewhat unsatisfying—not a good sign when you get to the end of the book and feel like the MMC could legitimately still be romantically in love with his ex-wife—and she with him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
newwp-not-my-taste
January 26, 2023DNF @ 4%
Not the book's fault. Just not for me. The things I liked about the first book aren't the things carried over into this one.
Not the book's fault. Just not for me. The things I liked about the first book aren't the things carried over into this one.
January 27, 2026
I accidentally started with the 2nd book in a series- so I'd like to go back and read book 1 at some point to see if it makes a difference. But I still really enjoyed most of this book. I liked that both MC's seemed like baddies, and there was a lot action & suspense. But the main reason I read is for the uplifting romance, and I struggled to see the chemistry between the leads. I also felt like the side cast were simply placeholders, there only for show, without any personality. I also felt like everything wasn't resolved by the end of the book, it was more like a HFN. Overall, it was okay and worth the read if you enjoy sci-fi and plot twists.
Life's short, read whatever makes you happy fellow book lovers! Then tell me about it lol.
Life's short, read whatever makes you happy fellow book lovers! Then tell me about it lol.
January 9, 2024
This was really great! Long and epic but didn’t feel like it was dragging from what I can tell. The author did a great job of introducing a lot of characters but still making sure you remember who they are. A lot of misleads keep you guessing and the romance is so cute and heartfelt. This is a “sequel” but I didn’t notice anything in common from the first book, though it has been quite a while so I could have forgotten. I would recommend this author wholeheartedly and like her unique ideas.
Did not finish
May 23, 2023DNF at 48%.
I like this a lot. The heroine is totally kickass. But the alien planet is super depressing and I don't want to spend any time there. They're mostly together (tho there are huge time jumps where we don't see their relationship) and it's about to get all violent and warlike and I am just not on the mood.
I like this a lot. The heroine is totally kickass. But the alien planet is super depressing and I don't want to spend any time there. They're mostly together (tho there are huge time jumps where we don't see their relationship) and it's about to get all violent and warlike and I am just not on the mood.
April 19, 2023
I freaking adored this book! There was surprisingly quite a few typos? But I didn’t really care overall. The story had me enthralled from the beginning and never ceased. Cannot wait for the next installment in the series, and I hope one day we see more overlapping!
January 26, 2023
This book isn’t like the last one. In this book it’s based in both human and alien military plots.
Read
January 16, 2025This book was better than the first an i thought that was impossible! i love Kinsey, she is so aorable when complaining about not blowing anything up in forever. and the ending... oh, that was, oh... no spoilers, but dang. that was one heck of a plot twist. I can't wait for the 3rd book! this is shaping up to be one heck of a series
March 16, 2023
O primeiro livro da série, por mais absurdo que o plot seja, foi mais divertido que esse. Aqui tem um romance lento, até pela questão de confiar no raptor, mas foi lento demais, e a intriga política não conseguiu manter o interesse enquanto paralelamente surgia o respeito que virou amizade que virou romance entre os protagonistas. A autora poderia ter brincado mais com a trama de ter um traidor na nave, mas isso logo é descartado para o leitor não desgostar de alguns personagens, provavelmente. O primeiro livro se passa em um planeta alienígena, o segundo, em uma nave e no planeta-terra de outra raça alienígena, queria que o próximo livro apresentasse uma terceira raça, mas também estou curiosa sobre as pontas soltas do final desse. Também gostaria de saber o que o Goodreads fez que deletou meu histórico de leitura do primeiro livro da série. Enfim, nota real é 2,5 ou 2,75 arredondado pra cima porque fiquei curiosa com algumas coisas e gostei do protagonista masculino, mas espero que o próximo livro da série tenha mais do charme do primeiro.
July 24, 2023
I liked the previous book better and while this one wasn’t bad, it was a bit lackluster. The banter was good and the plot was interesting enough (albeit predictable) but I felt it dragged on at times and at certain moments it was a bit confusing too. Now, the ending was extremely rushed and I presume it will continue and tie in with the next book in the series since there’s a hanging plot line there, but still it felt a little bit… “that was it? All of the book for this?” It could’ve been shorter and have a proper ending.
Steam: 2.8 out of 5.
Steam: 2.8 out of 5.
February 6, 2023
The 2nd book in this series and easily read as a standalone, it's not necessary to have read book 1 Beyond the Next Star, to read this. Saying that I was expecting that this book would be more like the first book, the human pet theme, but this is completely different.
Kinsley is one of a group of humans to have been captured and is being trafficked to an alien planet. She has a military background specializing in explosives and bombs, which she puts to good measure breaking out of her cell to try and figure out how the ship works in an attempt to get back to Earth.
Raveno is the alien captain renown for being brutal and getting the job done, and his job is to get as many humans back to his boss, the tyrant leader, who happens to be his father. Raveno is putting on a show though, he is trying his best to save his planet from his father and has plans to kill him when he can. But he can't do any of that until he is back on his home planet with the humans, who he plans to return to Earth - except he has confided this in absolutely nobody on his ship.
Kinsley is a really strong character, never giving up, always fighting - along with her wit and sass, Raveno falls for her immediately and loves nothing more when she is causing chaos on his ship, under the pretense of him being annoyed with her of course. He thinks she is in league with someone on his ship who is betraying him, she tries to tell him this first off, but he doesn't listen so she goes along with the 'betrayer' scam, in return for her helping Raveno find out who the traitor is!
I enjoyed the story line, lots of good laugh out loud moments, and it was great to see Raveno falling for Kinsley. The aliens description was great and very detailed, I could well imagine just what was happening in lots of different aspects of the story with the fabulous descriptions! Lots of side characters, each with their own differences adding some good layers and depth to the story.
Not too much in the way of romance, nothing getting hot and bothered until about 80% through the book, but the chemistry and build up between them is great. Definitely a suspenseful read with plenty of detailing about the alien home world, the people and the politics behind it all.
It's also a very long book, maybe a bit too long in parts and the ending left me a bit frustrated, not enough juicy bits for me and although you get some of the questions answered there are lots that are not and it didn't feel like a proper ending. Still I did enjoy the book, very different to book 1, so don't be expecting it to be the same. I look forward to reading more from Melody.
Kinsley is one of a group of humans to have been captured and is being trafficked to an alien planet. She has a military background specializing in explosives and bombs, which she puts to good measure breaking out of her cell to try and figure out how the ship works in an attempt to get back to Earth.
Raveno is the alien captain renown for being brutal and getting the job done, and his job is to get as many humans back to his boss, the tyrant leader, who happens to be his father. Raveno is putting on a show though, he is trying his best to save his planet from his father and has plans to kill him when he can. But he can't do any of that until he is back on his home planet with the humans, who he plans to return to Earth - except he has confided this in absolutely nobody on his ship.
Kinsley is a really strong character, never giving up, always fighting - along with her wit and sass, Raveno falls for her immediately and loves nothing more when she is causing chaos on his ship, under the pretense of him being annoyed with her of course. He thinks she is in league with someone on his ship who is betraying him, she tries to tell him this first off, but he doesn't listen so she goes along with the 'betrayer' scam, in return for her helping Raveno find out who the traitor is!
I enjoyed the story line, lots of good laugh out loud moments, and it was great to see Raveno falling for Kinsley. The aliens description was great and very detailed, I could well imagine just what was happening in lots of different aspects of the story with the fabulous descriptions! Lots of side characters, each with their own differences adding some good layers and depth to the story.
Not too much in the way of romance, nothing getting hot and bothered until about 80% through the book, but the chemistry and build up between them is great. Definitely a suspenseful read with plenty of detailing about the alien home world, the people and the politics behind it all.
It's also a very long book, maybe a bit too long in parts and the ending left me a bit frustrated, not enough juicy bits for me and although you get some of the questions answered there are lots that are not and it didn't feel like a proper ending. Still I did enjoy the book, very different to book 1, so don't be expecting it to be the same. I look forward to reading more from Melody.
July 13, 2024
3.75
Well this was fun. We have our heroine, Kinsley "Switch"Morales, who is a demolitions expert for the US government that was unceremoniously captured while hiking- and ended up in alien custody.
However, after being bought by a new snake like alien race, her and her fellow humans were set up in new cells and left to languish. Determined to commandeer the alien ship-Kinsley does everything possible to learn the alien's routines, technology, and most importantly how to fly the ship back to earth.
Unfortunately, things don't go exactly how she expects when an intimidating large alien commander named Raveno catches her out on one of her recon missions and demands her to tell him what traitor she's working for. (bc the lil ole human couldn't possibly figure out his alien ship on her own 🤭) So in order to save her skin, Kinsley agrees there is a traitor and pretends to be a double agent in order to suss out this mysterious figure. (Who doesn't even exist.)
Throughout their game of cat-and-mouse, these two end up becoming a lot closer. However, with political machinations going on in the background of their little tête-à-tête, these two might find that they have similar goals after all. With a little bit of romance and chaos on the side. (Chaos being Kinsley's need to make things go boom! 💥)
Kinsley anytime she sees the button that will launch the rocket:
x--------------------------------------------x
So I did like the story and the romance, but to be honest, it really could've been two separate books at 600 pages. When part two came around and we ended up on the alien planet with the gladiator games I was a little bit fatigued with the whole book. Also, we really only got one sexy scene? Kind of wanted to know a little bit more about alien anatomy *cough* I mean alien culture. 😏
I liked the mains and will look out for more books in this world in the future.
"I may not be the aim of your strike, but I am still slain."
Well this was fun. We have our heroine, Kinsley "Switch"Morales, who is a demolitions expert for the US government that was unceremoniously captured while hiking- and ended up in alien custody.
However, after being bought by a new snake like alien race, her and her fellow humans were set up in new cells and left to languish. Determined to commandeer the alien ship-Kinsley does everything possible to learn the alien's routines, technology, and most importantly how to fly the ship back to earth.
Unfortunately, things don't go exactly how she expects when an intimidating large alien commander named Raveno catches her out on one of her recon missions and demands her to tell him what traitor she's working for. (bc the lil ole human couldn't possibly figure out his alien ship on her own 🤭) So in order to save her skin, Kinsley agrees there is a traitor and pretends to be a double agent in order to suss out this mysterious figure. (Who doesn't even exist.)
Throughout their game of cat-and-mouse, these two end up becoming a lot closer. However, with political machinations going on in the background of their little tête-à-tête, these two might find that they have similar goals after all. With a little bit of romance and chaos on the side. (Chaos being Kinsley's need to make things go boom! 💥)
Kinsley anytime she sees the button that will launch the rocket:
x--------------------------------------------x
So I did like the story and the romance, but to be honest, it really could've been two separate books at 600 pages. When part two came around and we ended up on the alien planet with the gladiator games I was a little bit fatigued with the whole book. Also, we really only got one sexy scene? Kind of wanted to know a little bit more about alien anatomy *cough* I mean alien culture. 😏
I liked the mains and will look out for more books in this world in the future.
July 1, 2023
Have you ever wanted the epic-ness of an adult fantasy romance but also the bonkers-ness of some weird alien peen? Because I found it 🥰
Like an adult fantasy romance, this had an alien rebel prince, a corrupt kingdom, a gladiator situation, escape attempts, and lots of sexy sparring lessons… it wasn’t called that (there were alien words for prince, kingdom, gladiator), but it was basically that. And I was here for it!
Also, it was 600 pages—in a ‘this could have been a very fast-paced fantasy duology' kind of way.
On the bonkers alien romance side, we had some *interesting* alien anatomy. I loved how this particular alien-human difference had our hero PANICKING meanwhile our heroine was more like YES GAWD 🥵
Plus the sci-fi world building was excellent. No corners were cut—there weren’t any futuristic language auto-translators, space travel took years, and there were lots of interesting details to the alien culture. There was just a consistency and believability to this world that sucked me into the story.
And the character writing—it wasn’t just amazing characterization, it was a psychological case study. There were moments where it felt like I was reading No Exit by Sartre (“Hell is other people”). All the side characters were so well developed, there was just such a deep understanding of human nature going on in here.
And this heroine! If we were picking fantasy teams, I would absolutely pick her first. She was so brave and single-minded that her heroism could not be contained. Also, she was legitimately a pyromaniac and being in the POV of someone with a compulsion was fascinating.
I just loved this book!
It’s book two, but they both can be read as standalones. And it felt really different from book one (remember that pet to lovers book I reviewed the other day? 😆) so I’d say read whichever one you feel like.
Like an adult fantasy romance, this had an alien rebel prince, a corrupt kingdom, a gladiator situation, escape attempts, and lots of sexy sparring lessons… it wasn’t called that (there were alien words for prince, kingdom, gladiator), but it was basically that. And I was here for it!
Also, it was 600 pages—in a ‘this could have been a very fast-paced fantasy duology' kind of way.
On the bonkers alien romance side, we had some *interesting* alien anatomy. I loved how this particular alien-human difference had our hero PANICKING meanwhile our heroine was more like YES GAWD 🥵
Plus the sci-fi world building was excellent. No corners were cut—there weren’t any futuristic language auto-translators, space travel took years, and there were lots of interesting details to the alien culture. There was just a consistency and believability to this world that sucked me into the story.
And the character writing—it wasn’t just amazing characterization, it was a psychological case study. There were moments where it felt like I was reading No Exit by Sartre (“Hell is other people”). All the side characters were so well developed, there was just such a deep understanding of human nature going on in here.
And this heroine! If we were picking fantasy teams, I would absolutely pick her first. She was so brave and single-minded that her heroism could not be contained. Also, she was legitimately a pyromaniac and being in the POV of someone with a compulsion was fascinating.
I just loved this book!
It’s book two, but they both can be read as standalones. And it felt really different from book one (remember that pet to lovers book I reviewed the other day? 😆) so I’d say read whichever one you feel like.
April 10, 2025
Not nearly as good as the first book.
The consent nonsense was ridiculous and disruptive. FFS, That's just going overboard, but about the level of stupidity I'd expect from someone of that generation. Obviously, this author is either a virgin or unmarried. I can't even imagine putting up with that nonsense. But again, these younger generations have risen to a whole new level of stupid.
Additionally, the story dragged. The dialogue was too much at the wrong time. Not everyone has to be named. Not everyone needs a voice. And important issues weren't touched at all. It's like the author used all her mojo on Book 1 and forgot how to write a compelling narrative with the follow up. It wasn't just too many details at the wrong time; it was too much of the wrong details.
I just wasn't satisfied with this at all. It gave me a headache, and not in a good-book-hangover kind of way.
The consent nonsense was ridiculous and disruptive. FFS, That's just going overboard, but about the level of stupidity I'd expect from someone of that generation. Obviously, this author is either a virgin or unmarried. I can't even imagine putting up with that nonsense. But again, these younger generations have risen to a whole new level of stupid.
Additionally, the story dragged. The dialogue was too much at the wrong time. Not everyone has to be named. Not everyone needs a voice. And important issues weren't touched at all. It's like the author used all her mojo on Book 1 and forgot how to write a compelling narrative with the follow up. It wasn't just too many details at the wrong time; it was too much of the wrong details.
I just wasn't satisfied with this at all. It gave me a headache, and not in a good-book-hangover kind of way.
November 2, 2025
3.5 stars
The book started off strong, but the ending was awful. It's not even a real conclusion!? Will Raveno leave Kinsley on earth? What will happen with them? Will he stay? It just doesn't feel like HEA, it's more like a tentative HFN. Especially since I didn't understand his relationship with his ex. Their conversation before the epilogue did feel like he might get back together with her (or he's just too stupid to understand that his ex still loves him). The Riley mystery was never mentioned again. And I felt like some side characters deserved a better character development and conclusion, like Raveno's brother. I feel like this story needs a proper ending to be satisfying, but we got too many loose ends. And I doubt the author will come back to this series.
I loved Raveno (he was sweet and definitely carried the story for me) but Kinsley was a bit too much. With her explosive obsession and the way she didn't care what others wanted or needed. But especially the other humans were so annoying. And the way they switched their behaviour and character was so annoying and strange. It just didn't make sense. I wanted them all to die.
I liked that Raveno was a scaled humanoid looking alien. The MMC from the first book looked like a big foot and wasn't sexy at all. But Raveno was a reptilian Conan the barbarian, including gladiator skirts and muscles. He definitely was easier to imagine as someone attractive 😏
The spice was on the lower end. There's only one scene that's not super explicit. BUT Raveno has two penises (he claims it's one penis and thev, just for peeing ;)) and both got action at the same time 😏 That was a nice surprise.
The book started off strong, but the ending was awful. It's not even a real conclusion!? Will Raveno leave Kinsley on earth? What will happen with them? Will he stay? It just doesn't feel like HEA, it's more like a tentative HFN. Especially since I didn't understand his relationship with his ex. Their conversation before the epilogue did feel like he might get back together with her (or he's just too stupid to understand that his ex still loves him). The Riley mystery was never mentioned again. And I felt like some side characters deserved a better character development and conclusion, like Raveno's brother. I feel like this story needs a proper ending to be satisfying, but we got too many loose ends. And I doubt the author will come back to this series.
I loved Raveno (he was sweet and definitely carried the story for me) but Kinsley was a bit too much. With her explosive obsession and the way she didn't care what others wanted or needed. But especially the other humans were so annoying. And the way they switched their behaviour and character was so annoying and strange. It just didn't make sense. I wanted them all to die.
I liked that Raveno was a scaled humanoid looking alien. The MMC from the first book looked like a big foot and wasn't sexy at all. But Raveno was a reptilian Conan the barbarian, including gladiator skirts and muscles. He definitely was easier to imagine as someone attractive 😏
The spice was on the lower end. There's only one scene that's not super explicit. BUT Raveno has two penises (he claims it's one penis and thev, just for peeing ;)) and both got action at the same time 😏 That was a nice surprise.
March 3, 2026
This is the second book in the series, yet it almost reads like a completely new story. We’re still in the same sci‑fi world introduced in book one, but everything feels fresh: a different alien MMC, a different environment, and an entirely new cultural dynamic to explore.
I have to say I loved the FMC in this one even more. Kinsley is feisty, sharp‑tongued, and unapologetically herself. She doesn’t shrink, doesn’t soften for the sake of others, and I adored that about her. And then there’s Raveno, who absolutely does not back down. He matches her energy so well that their banter alone carried so many scenes. Their back‑and‑forth was witty, tense, and honestly just so fun to read. Even with the slow‑burn pacing of their romance, the chemistry never felt lacking because their dynamic was so strong.
What also stood out is how different this world feels compared to book one. It made the universe feel expansive and alive rather than repetitive. The cultural shifts and political tensions added depth without overwhelming the romance.
The side characters really grew on me too. There’s such a strong found family vibe here — alliances built through necessity, loyalty formed through shared struggles. Watching those relationships develop alongside the main couple made the story feel fuller and more emotionally grounded.
If I had one complaint? The ending. It wraps up enough to be satisfying, but there’s definitely a lingering thread that feels like a cliffhanger. Overall, this was a strong second installment: slow‑burn romance, sharp banter, immersive world‑building, and characters that feel real and layered.
I have to say I loved the FMC in this one even more. Kinsley is feisty, sharp‑tongued, and unapologetically herself. She doesn’t shrink, doesn’t soften for the sake of others, and I adored that about her. And then there’s Raveno, who absolutely does not back down. He matches her energy so well that their banter alone carried so many scenes. Their back‑and‑forth was witty, tense, and honestly just so fun to read. Even with the slow‑burn pacing of their romance, the chemistry never felt lacking because their dynamic was so strong.
What also stood out is how different this world feels compared to book one. It made the universe feel expansive and alive rather than repetitive. The cultural shifts and political tensions added depth without overwhelming the romance.
The side characters really grew on me too. There’s such a strong found family vibe here — alliances built through necessity, loyalty formed through shared struggles. Watching those relationships develop alongside the main couple made the story feel fuller and more emotionally grounded.
If I had one complaint? The ending. It wraps up enough to be satisfying, but there’s definitely a lingering thread that feels like a cliffhanger. Overall, this was a strong second installment: slow‑burn romance, sharp banter, immersive world‑building, and characters that feel real and layered.
September 20, 2023
This was a good addition to the series, well written, romantic and unique. If you enjoyed the first book in this series, you will likely enjoy this one too, although probably slightly less. This series really stands on the dynamics of the main characters which the author takes their time fleshing out. One of my favourite scenes in this book is one where the MCs are in a 'there is only one bed' situation (which is funnily enough not actually true, but rather a miscommunication) and the whole thing is rather awkward but holy hell cute. It isn't a moment that is particularly important to the plot, you could remove the entire scene and the book wouldn't change, but somehow it really showcased both of their characters and their interaction in a way that made the romance believable.
Now why didn't I give this book five stars? Well honestly, because the side characters were as flat as a sheet of ice. There were plenty of interesting side characters, but besides a few one liners and short conversations, I never really felt like any of them got a chance to actually have a real personality. Additionally, I didn't feel that the MMC ever really took accountability for some of his bad actions at the start of the book. I think he needed to apologize to Riley and the other humans, even though we all know that he didn't want to do any of those bad things, I still think it needed to be verbalized.
Now why didn't I give this book five stars? Well honestly, because the side characters were as flat as a sheet of ice. There were plenty of interesting side characters, but besides a few one liners and short conversations, I never really felt like any of them got a chance to actually have a real personality. Additionally, I didn't feel that the MMC ever really took accountability for some of his bad actions at the start of the book. I think he needed to apologize to Riley and the other humans, even though we all know that he didn't want to do any of those bad things, I still think it needed to be verbalized.
January 30, 2023
Another 5 star read!
I was enraptured by Melody’s first Love Beyond (the Stars) book. Her world building, character development (in main and side characters), story progression, and just overall writing style is absolutely captivating. I read A LOT of romance books with similar themes of sci-fi and fantasy. I don’t shy from any alien characters. There have been many that I just couldn’t imagine being that attractive, though. Raveno is NOT one of those. The way he’s described is so unique and different compared to the other lackluster “blue” aliens. I could imagine him perfectly based on her descriptions of him throughout the book. I also loved how he grew from a brooding, dominant, brow-beating, no-nonsense type of male to a loving, self-sacrificing, gentle, heart-felt man in love. I can say that Kinsley also had a similar change. She’s a headstrong, hardworking, intelligent, quick witted and sarcastic female lead. When she finally admits and accepts her true feelings for Raveno, she becomes a little more docile, sweet, and affectionate with her. But, I loved how Melody maintained Kinsley’s sharp tongue, determination, and resilience to stand up for what’s right and protect those she cared about.
I could continue to rant and rave about this book, but I can’t get nearly close enough to how amazing this story is. Do yourself a favor and GIVE IT A TRY!
I was enraptured by Melody’s first Love Beyond (the Stars) book. Her world building, character development (in main and side characters), story progression, and just overall writing style is absolutely captivating. I read A LOT of romance books with similar themes of sci-fi and fantasy. I don’t shy from any alien characters. There have been many that I just couldn’t imagine being that attractive, though. Raveno is NOT one of those. The way he’s described is so unique and different compared to the other lackluster “blue” aliens. I could imagine him perfectly based on her descriptions of him throughout the book. I also loved how he grew from a brooding, dominant, brow-beating, no-nonsense type of male to a loving, self-sacrificing, gentle, heart-felt man in love. I can say that Kinsley also had a similar change. She’s a headstrong, hardworking, intelligent, quick witted and sarcastic female lead. When she finally admits and accepts her true feelings for Raveno, she becomes a little more docile, sweet, and affectionate with her. But, I loved how Melody maintained Kinsley’s sharp tongue, determination, and resilience to stand up for what’s right and protect those she cared about.
I could continue to rant and rave about this book, but I can’t get nearly close enough to how amazing this story is. Do yourself a favor and GIVE IT A TRY!
June 19, 2025
4.5 stars
I absolutely loved Kinsley and Raveno together, they were such a great couple.
The story and world building were fresh, with some familiar alien romance beats (we love an alien-like alien hero!) and the characters were well-thought out and exciting.
Kinsley was the ultimate kick-ass heroine but I liked that she had a funny, softer side too. Watching Raveno's admiration/attraction for her grow into obsession and adoration was a highlight of this book.
While, the romantic elements were satisfying, the conclusion to the larger external plot wasn't great. I felt there were a lot of loose threads left hanging by the end.
I also would have appreciated a more detailed epilogue. It didn't really make sense to set the final scene months in the future, only to not address some key plot points.
E.g. how the return to Earth would affect Raveno and Kinsley's relationship? How would Earth react to the existence of aliens? What, if anything, was going on between Zethus and Kinsley's sister??
So yeah, a great story overall, but the ending left a lot to be desired.
I absolutely loved Kinsley and Raveno together, they were such a great couple.
The story and world building were fresh, with some familiar alien romance beats (we love an alien-like alien hero!) and the characters were well-thought out and exciting.
Kinsley was the ultimate kick-ass heroine but I liked that she had a funny, softer side too. Watching Raveno's admiration/attraction for her grow into obsession and adoration was a highlight of this book.
While, the romantic elements were satisfying, the conclusion to the larger external plot wasn't great. I felt there were a lot of loose threads left hanging by the end.
I also would have appreciated a more detailed epilogue. It didn't really make sense to set the final scene months in the future, only to not address some key plot points.
E.g. how the return to Earth would affect Raveno and Kinsley's relationship? How would Earth react to the existence of aliens? What, if anything, was going on between Zethus and Kinsley's sister??
So yeah, a great story overall, but the ending left a lot to be desired.
February 13, 2023
So good! I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I loved every part of it. It’s technically the second book in the series but it’s not related to the first book and can be read as a standalone. “Beyond the Next Star” was very good but also quite weird (in a good way). This book didn’t have that awkwardness, it’s more of a traditional sci-if romance storyline of abducted human female fighting back against her captor and in this case realizing there were misunderstandings and they had more in common than initially known. The world-building of Havar is superb.
The book did end with wide open possibilities. I have a theory that this may be where the Lorienok are reintroduced. The Lorienok were the race of aliens in the first book and this book ends with the spaceship being close to Lorien airspace. My guess is that book 3 picks up the tale from here. Even if I’m wrong, I hope there is a 3rd book! This book now has solid positioning on my favorites list!
The book did end with wide open possibilities. I have a theory that this may be where the Lorienok are reintroduced. The Lorienok were the race of aliens in the first book and this book ends with the spaceship being close to Lorien airspace. My guess is that book 3 picks up the tale from here. Even if I’m wrong, I hope there is a 3rd book! This book now has solid positioning on my favorites list!
February 12, 2023
“I may not be the aim of your strike, but I am still slain,” Raveno murmured, slipping into English.
sight beyond the sun had a strong, if a bit meandering, first half. i think my main criticism of part one was all the miscommunication/lying. moreover, the time jump really threw me off. overall, though, i liked it.
the second half, though … ummmm, yeah. not sure what was up with the ending. the romance also got shoved aside in favor of a plot that was, well … a bit anticlimactic.
all in all, i'm happy we got another book in this series. that said, i am a bit bummed that the romance was shoved into the background in favor of a plot that had a random ending.
July 31, 2024
2024 reads, #49. I had the fun experience this year of being a judge for the Prism Awards, celebrating the best in paranormal romance publishing, and this is one of the entries I ended up reading for that. Therefore I don’t think it would probably be ethically good for me to be actually sharing my thoughts about each book’s quality here publicly, but I can at least confirm that all of them were great (not surprising, given that this was a contest and we can therefore assume everyone will submit their best work). Frankly, I’m mostly logging this simply so that it will count towards my total number of books read in the 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge, so that I don’t end up reading all summer long and then have nothing to show for it here afterwards.
November 1, 2025
Sight Beyond the Sun is a fun, action packed sci-fi romance with heart. Kinsley is stubborn, brave, and straight up hilarious in the way she refuses to back down, even when she’s stuck on a ship full of powerful aliens. Her back and forth with Raveno kept me hooked you can feel the tension, the mistrust, and that slow shift into something deeper.
I loved the mix of danger, intrigue, and unexpected connection. It’s about survival, loyalty, and learning to trust someone who should feel like the enemy. Fast paced, emotional, and surprisingly tender a solid read for fans of romance in strange places.
I loved the mix of danger, intrigue, and unexpected connection. It’s about survival, loyalty, and learning to trust someone who should feel like the enemy. Fast paced, emotional, and surprisingly tender a solid read for fans of romance in strange places.
Did not finish
February 4, 2023DNF at 15%
I was so over the moon to read this book because I thought it would loosely follow the same general theme of the “human pet” trope. Oh boy was I let down when I found out that wasn’t the case. But that wasn’t why I DNFed, though I know my disappointment did play a role, it wasn’t the main factor. I really just don’t like the MC. And a lot of the plot and things the characters did felt very contrived and forced, and it just threw me out of the story constantly. I tried to give to a fair chance but this just really didn’t do it for me at all.
I was so over the moon to read this book because I thought it would loosely follow the same general theme of the “human pet” trope. Oh boy was I let down when I found out that wasn’t the case. But that wasn’t why I DNFed, though I know my disappointment did play a role, it wasn’t the main factor. I really just don’t like the MC. And a lot of the plot and things the characters did felt very contrived and forced, and it just threw me out of the story constantly. I tried to give to a fair chance but this just really didn’t do it for me at all.
February 8, 2023
Out of this world....literally
Omg she did it again. Sight beyond the sun is another knockout by Melody Johnson. I wasn't sure which way the story would go and each time new data was revealed it still wasn't enough to solve the puzzle. This is the same universe as Beyond the Next Star with casual references to the beings of that book. I am hoping for many more in this series. An alien romance for those who don't know what to expect and want to test the waters, this series is the way to go.
Omg she did it again. Sight beyond the sun is another knockout by Melody Johnson. I wasn't sure which way the story would go and each time new data was revealed it still wasn't enough to solve the puzzle. This is the same universe as Beyond the Next Star with casual references to the beings of that book. I am hoping for many more in this series. An alien romance for those who don't know what to expect and want to test the waters, this series is the way to go.
February 27, 2023
Another great read from this author! The world building is really great, and the stories and character just stays in your imagination. I really enjoyed this book, more so than the first in the series. I loved the twist in finding out the "villian" as I had some guesses but they kept changing as the story progressed. I really love the start of the authors books, when you start getting to know the characters and the characters get to know each others species. It makes for a really interesting read, and the FMC was really likeable too. Really looking forward to the next in the series!
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