Only Bad Options: Galactic Bonds, Book 1 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Jennifer Estep (Author), Lauren Fortgang (Narrator), James Fouhey (Narrator),

4.6 1,790 ratings

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New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Estep blasts off with an exciting new science-fiction/fantasy adventure with a dash of historical romance. This action-packed space opera features a mix of magic and technology, along with a soul mates and enemies-to-lovers story. Perfect for fans of Star Wars, Bridgerton, and Pride and Prejudice.

A woman who sees everything...

Few people know the name Vesper Quill. To most folks, I’m just a lowly lab rat who designs brewmakers and other household appliances in the research-and-development lab at the powerful Kent Corp. But when I point out a design flaw and a safety hazard in the new line of Kent Corp spaceships, everyone knows who I am—and wants to eliminate me.

I might be a seer with a photographic memory, but I don’t see the trouble headed my way until it’s too late. Suddenly, I’m surrounded by enemies and fighting for my life.

I don’t think things can get any worse until I meet Kyrion Caldaren, an arrogant Regal lord who insists that we have a connection, one that could be the death of us both.

A man who can’t forget his past...

The name Kyrion Caldaren strikes fear in the hearts of people across the Archipelago Galaxy. As the leader of the Arrows, the Imperium’s elite fighting force, I’m used to being a villain, as well as the personal assassin of Lord Callus Holloway. Even the wealthy Regals who live on the planet of Corios are afraid of me.

But everything changes when I meet Vesper Quill. I might be a powerful psion with telepathic, telekinetic, and other abilities, but Vesper sees far too many of my secrets.

Thanks to an arcane, unwanted quirk of psionic magic, the two of us are forced to work together to unravel a dangerous conspiracy and outwit the deadly enemies who want to bend us to their will.

Listening Length

12 hours and 35 minutes
Author

Jennifer Estep
Narrator

Lauren Fortgang, see all
Audible release date

September 20, 2022
Language

English
Publisher

Audible Studios
ASIN

B0BFJYRFK9
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	12 hours and 35 minutes
Author	Jennifer Estep
Narrator	Lauren Fortgang, James Fouhey
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	September 20, 2022
Publisher	Audible Studios
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B0BFJYRFK9
Best Sellers Rank	#11,435 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #55 in Science Fiction Romance (Audible Books & Originals) #338 in Space Opera Science Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) #537 in Action & Adventure Fantasy (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

1,790 global ratings

5 star		68%
4 star		25%
3 star		6%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

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Top reviews from the United States

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mihaela ionescu

loved it

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 19, 2023

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I enjoyed this book. It was original, packed with action, angst, the right dose of romance, and only a bad options.

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Patrick_B

New series artfully blending Sci-Fi, magic and romance

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 14, 2023

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J. Estep is a talented author and she really how to spin a good story. It's again a treat with that new series. The characters are well defined with room for growth. The universe is credible though don't expect hard sci-fi or detailed tech. The magical aspect definitely adds some depth. Now, not being a huge fan of the romance side makes me a bit hard on the review. It's light enough it does not spoil the rest.
On the craft, it's well built with good syntax and editing, very professional. I don't mind paying a bit if the book is well written. On the other hand, it's a bitter experience for me when the author shows some severe mishaps in their craft. Just to say, it's not the case here.
All in all, this first book is very good and I'm looking forward to the #2. Recommended!

2 people found this helpful

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Kotori

Amazing! Galatically Shattering!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 4, 2023

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What a soul stealing delight this book was!
Captivating from the very first lines, I was enthralled..
The futuristic planetary tensions with Star Wars overtones bring drama, intrigue and fascination.
I loved the combination of battlefield, ballroom and laboratory with corporate espionage.
the characters were vividly written without revealing more than the moment needed.
The plot thickened- but let loose enticing blips to allow the reader to follow the story.
Overall I'm wildly enthused to recommend this novel to any fantasy/sci-fi fan.
The subtle romance brewing hit just the right notes for a little tormented longing, and we stan.
I begrudge ONLY that book 2 is not yet released.

Helpful

Great Start to New Sci-fi Romance/Space Opera

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 6, 2023

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ONLY BAD OPTIONS (A Galactic Bonds Book #1) by Jennifer Estep is the start of an electrifying new sci-fi romance/space opera series with smart main characters involved in a slow burn romance and great world-building. I was completely sucked into this new world of royalty, magic, and tech.

Vesper Quill is a considered a lowly lab rat at Kent Corp., but she is able to see problems with products, fix them, and develop new designs for much more. When she discovers a flaw design in the companies new spaceships, she becomes a liability that must be eliminated.

Kyrion Coldren is the most feared warrior of the Imperium’s elite fighting force and the personal assassin of Lord Callus Holloway. When he crosses paths with Vesper on a conscript ship which is meant to be the death of her, she ends up helping them both escape death.

Due to arcane magic, Vesper and Kyrion have a psionic link that neither wants, but to survive the deadly intrigue swirling around them they must work together to uncover a dangerous conspiracy and protect the secret of their link from everyone.

I really enjoyed this new world and thought Vesper and Kyrion are both great new characters. They are smart, determined, and excel at what they do. They also both have backstories that make you feel for them and understand why they act the way they do to all the situations they face. All the psionic abilities, or lack thereof, add interesting twists to the story. The conspiracy plot investigation by Vesper and Kyrion moves at a fast pace, while their romance is a completely different story. While this book does not end on a complete cliff-hanger, it does leave you ready for remaining questions to be answered in the next book.

I recommend this first book in the Galactic Bonds series for the start of a new sci-fi romance/space opera that is riveting.

4 people found this helpful

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Scheherazade79

if you enjoy space operas, then start this series!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 22, 2023

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When you realize you have to wait to get the next book til july 2023, you’ll be throwing out four letter expletives. Estep nailed yet another riveting story to lead you on a fun adventure. A fantastic heroine who saves herself, but still has a lovely KISA (knight in shining armor). Kyrion is a hero you want to wrap in a hug. Really good story. Thanks again Jennifer Estep, you fantastic story teller!

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Brooke

Great Sci-Fi Romance!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 25, 2022

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Only Bad Options is a really enjoyable book. I’ve found that sci-fi can be hard to get right as it’s easy to get bogged down with excessive lingo and world building, but the author executes it well.

Our two main characters are Vesper and Kyrion. Vesper is a lab tech for an important family/corporation. She makes the mistake of pointing out a dangerous design flaw and now her employer wants her dead. Kyrion is an elite soldier who is serving against his will. Vesper and Kyrion must work together to reveal the treachery, though they are faced with the unexpected challenge of an unwanted bond forming.

I was really invested in the plot and thought it was well balanced between action and character development. It was very exciting! I loved the mix of magic and your classic sci-fi tech. The idea of the Regal houses was interesting and gave it a medieval feudal feel. Author Jennifer Estep provides just enough world building to keep it interesting without getting lost in the weeds. The summary describes it as “Perfect for fans of Star Wars, Bridgerton, and Pride and Prejudice,” but I question whether the person who said this had even read the book. It has 0% in common with any of those.

The characters really shined and I absolutely loved their shared childhood angst. Vesper is intelligent and brave and while she did sometimes seem a little too good at everything, I wasn’t too bothered by it. I liked that the other female characters were multi-dimensional and strong as well. It seems that many times authors try to create a strong female lead by making the characters around them weak. But the author thankfully avoided that. Kyrion has traits of your classic dark, torture male lead but still brings a freshness to the role.

I enjoyed the chemistry between the two of them. Their conversations felt very natural and not over banter-y. They have a grudging respect for each other from the start and their relationship felt very equal. There are hints of an enemies to lovers romance, but the romance takes its time to develop. I loved that the author didn’t rush the transition and I can’t wait for more romance in the next book.

Overall this is a great light sci-fi romance. It is well written and well edited and I’m looking forward to the next book

13 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Chrissy’s Book Shelf

Psi-Fi Adventure

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 30, 2022

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Though it doesn’t explicitly state it I don’t think this is a complete standalone book as there is a hook at the end which leads me to believe there is more to come from this MFC. However, the main plot line is completed by the end of the book.

Vesper Quill is a Seer, with minor psionic ability. Her ability was enough to get her into an Imperium Academy, but not enough to launch her into Regal society. She works as a lab-rat fixing the designs on home appliances as she struggles to get her own designs noticed. Betrayed by her ex-boyfriend, who not only stole her work but also left her for the boss’ daughter, she finds herself on the wrong end of an Imperial conspiracy.

Vesper is fantastic character. She is strong, determined and intelligent. She is able to analyse a situation or problem quickly and efficiently before finding a solution using both her magic and her intelligence. She has struggled on her own since she was a child abandoned by a mother who didn’t think her magic was strong enough to get her noticed in Society.

The MMC is Kyrion who is the head of the Arrows, and elite warrior squad made up of incredibly strong psionics. He is telempathic, telekinetic and telepathic. He was trained from childhood to kill efficiently and effectively. He is closed off and cold as he tries to protect himself from the loss of his parents and being trapped by the Head of the Imperium. The interactions between Vesper and Kyrion are complicated and very cleverly written. Their animosity and respect bounce off each other, causing sparks that are entertaining and intriguing.

The galaxy built by this author is fascinating and I really hope that she writes more about it in the future as I loved the idea of a psionic ruling class, warring with a technological class for supremacy, whilst the ordinary men and women are forced to fight a war that they have no stake in. This both boundlessly entertaining and thought provoking and I loved every page. I really want to go back and read it again straightaway in case I missed anything in my haste to read what happened next. As always, Jennifer Estep exceeds my expectations.

2 people found this helpful

nlondonhousewife

Great start to the series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 20, 2022

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Ends with a promise rather than a cliffhanger so a very civilised start to a new series and certainly one where I'll be buying the second book.

The author knows how to write so as expected the storyline flows really well to create a very readable book. It has a decent strong female lead and interesting male lead, not quite a romance at this early stage.

The story is self-contained enough to be worthwhile on its own but it also manages to set up the main characters with a villain and some side-kicks for the future novels.

3 people found this helpful

Amanda Copp

Jennifer Estep

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 11, 2023

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I first came across Jennifer Estep through her Spider Series, WOW!!! I was hooked from the first page and she did not disappoint. I was always champing at the bit waiting for the next book in the Series. Anyway I bought this book because it was by Jennifer and once again, she did not disappoint. This book is filled with intrigue, nastiness, magic, space and real people. It took you on highs and lows and you're just praying that Vespa,the heroine, keeps her wits about her and gets past all the problems thrown in her way. Enter Kyrion, the hero, dark, brooding, very dangerous and totally under his King's thumb. He will do anything he is told to do and is known throughout the universe as a Mass Murderer. He meets Vespa and the book really takes off. Brilliant book and would greatly recommend reading. Once again, I'm champing at the bit waiting for the second book in the series.

Good plot.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 22, 2022

Verified Purchase

Love the plot and the writing style, but I find it very hard to buy into the main characters being in their late thirties. Nice try to increase the age, but their emotional drama and immaturity in dealing with their issues comes across as them being teenagers or perhaps somebody in their early twenties.

3 people found this helpful

Graham

contrived and predictable

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 14, 2023

Verified Purchase

A romance without romance, there’s science fiction and magic elements, but they’re all used as Deus ex Machina to go with the predictable plot. The love interest as a ‘bad boy’ which we know because he keeps telling us and she keeps telling us even though the author wants us to know everything he did was justified. We also need to know that the female lead thinks about his abs a lot. Every time the female lead ends up in a fight she suddenly discovers a new magical ability. The bad guys are brought down after making a stupid mistake with the MacGuffin they knew about the whole time.

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Only Bad Options: Galactic Bonds, Book 1 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

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