Universal Alien

Katherine "Kitty" Katt #10

by Gini Koch

Issues with Australia need to be straightened out, so the White House sends the Vice President and his wife, aka Jeff and Kitty Katt-Martini, over to handle the situation. But before Kitty can make things worse, she’s suddenly in another world -- one where she’s been married to Charles Reynolds for years and aliens don’t exist.

Kitty’s not the only one confused, because the Kitty from that world has taken her place in this one. Can they both save their respective days before it’s too late to go home to the universes they belong to, or will one Kitty decide to keep the other’s life… forever?

Genres: Science Fiction, Aliens, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Humor

544 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 2, 2014

About the author

Gini Koch lives in Phoenix, Arizona and writes the bestselling fast, fresh and funny Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series for DAW Books, the Necropolis Enforcement Files series, and the Martian Alliance Chronicles series. Alien in the House, Book 7 in her long-running Alien series, won the RT Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice Award as the Best Futuristic Romance of 2013. Book 14, Alien Nation, won the Preditors and Editors Reader's Choice Award for Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Novel of 2016. Alien Education releases May 2, 2017, and DAW Books has just contracted through Book 20 in the Alien series.

As G.J. Koch she writes the Alexander Outland series and she’s made the most of multiple personality disorder by writing under a variety of other pen names as well, including Anita Ensal, Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton, and J.C. Koch.

In addition to her upcoming Alien Series releases, she has stories featured in a variety of anthologies available now and coming soon, writing as Gini Koch, Anita Ensal, J.C. Koch, and Jemma Chase. Writing as A.E. Stanton she will have an audiobook release in 2017, Natural Born Outlaws (The Legend of Belladonna Part 1) coming from Graphic Audio.

For full details on all releases, all the news about Gini's books, signings, events, excerpts, and more, visit her website: http://www.ginikoch.com.

Reviews

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I received this book for free from DAW/Author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!! This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

*Genre* Science Fiction, Romance
*Rating* 4.0

*My Thoughts*

Universal Alien (Katherine "Kitty" Katt #10) really does take Kitty to places she's never been before. After inadvertently setting back the US's relationship with Australia by decades over a silly accident, Kitty finds herself in an alternative multiverse where things are upside down and dangers once again raise their ugly heads.

*Full Review Posted @ Gizmos Reviews*

http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...

Expected publication: December 2, 2014 by DAW
*Blog Tour & Full Review Coming to Gizmos Reviews on November 11, 2014*

[Kathy Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tenth in the Katherine "Kitty" Katt science fiction romance series and revolving around Kitty and a mess of aliens.

My Take
Pheebs and Ev were so right, and what the heck was Kitty thinking to be such a schmuck!??

Fate happens and the two Kittys get switched from their own universes to the other's. It's that initial wake-up that makes you laugh and want to hit someone over the head. Our Kitty is busy saving t'other Kitty's family and totally shocked that she's married to Chuckie, oops, I mean to say "Charles". Their Kitty is even more shocked since there are no aliens in her universe, and she's not married to Charles, er, Chuckie. Instead, she's expected to play public footsie with some stranger while her husband watches!

The Kittys are very similar in some things: both like mostly the same music, both have a Jamie-Kat, both love Charles, both of her fathers are Sol, and James is in both their lives as is Jeff's Alfred and Kitty's Caroline.

Both Kittys have their personal traumas to deal with, including whether they want to leave their new, respective universes, the temptation of the hunky Jeff for Other Kitty while Our Kitty already knows she loves Charles. They also are the right person for the universe they landed in. Each has a strength to give to their new people.

"Use the word. Own the word. Find out if the word is right. But stop hiding from the word. Not saying the word doesn't change the reality. Only doing something positive, or negative, can change the reality."

There are a number of parallels between the universes, and just enough differences to keep it challenging for both Kittys. The Jamies certainly do reveal some major facts. I love how Other Kitty took down those petty politicians in Australia.

I did appreciate that Koch made it fairly easy to know which universe we were in. I really hate it when authors make me work to figure out who's talking or where the action is currently taking place.

It's a fun story, albeit long, with car and motorcycle chases, gunfights, frame-ups, romantic confusions, people to fool — and they figure out who the new Mastermind is!

The Story
It's too easy to insult an ally when you're the wife of the Vice-President of the United States. Kitty will have to quickly find a way to smooth it over before the A-Cs get kicked out of Australia and possibly off the planet!

But before Kitty can make things worse, a cosmic congruence and a little help from some powerful beings shoves her into another world — one where she's been married to Charles Reynolds for years and aliens don't exist. She's also landed in the middle of a huge conspiracy and is marked for death . . . but at least that's business as usual.

Kitty's not the only one confused, because the Kitty from that world has taken her place in this one. Now Alpha Team and the Diplomatic Corps have to make sure that no one spots that there's been a switch, while keeping World War III from happening. And they have to do so while keeping this Other Kitty in line, because she has views about what to do and how to do it, and time is running out.

Can both Kittys save their respective days before it's too late to go home to the universes they belong to? Or will one Kitty decide to keep the other's life . . . forever?

The Characters
In Our Universe…
…Kitty Katt-Martini (Cyclone, Missus Chief, or Cosmic Alternate depending upon who's talking) is still the A-C ambassador (and the former head of Airborne for Centaurion Division), but now she's married to the current Vice-President of the United States, Jeff Martini (Cosmos), an Alpha-Centauri alien. Jamie-Kat (Cutie-Pie) is their extra-special daughter, partly due to her daddy's alien genes and partly due to the Superpowers Drug enemies had forced into his system.

Charles "Chuck" Reynolds (Playboy) is the head of the CIA's Extra-Terrestrial Division and Kitty's best friend since childhood. He's still mourning the death of his wife, Naomi Gower, who is now a super-consciousness throughout the universes. Len Parker and Kyle Constantine were college football players about to go pro when Kitty met them; now they are her CIA bodyguards. Burton Falk is a human bodyguard. Malcolm Buchanan is the wind and the extremely effective bodyguard assigned to Kitty by her mother, the head of the PTCU.

Rajnish Singh is the American Centaurion Public Relations Minister and a troubadour. Pierre is the Embassy manager. Christopher White is an A-C and Jeff's cousin; he's married to Amy Gaultier. Richard White is Christopher's father and Paul Gower's and Jeff's uncle — and Kitty's usual kick-ass partner. Paul Gower is the A-C's Supreme Pontifex, their religious leader. Abigail Gower is Paul's youngest sister. Dr. Tito Hernandez is the team/embassy doctor. Lorraine, Claudia, and Serene (married to Brian Dwyer, a high school boyfriend of Kitty's) are the three Beauty Queen A-Cs. Dr. Li is a leading practitioner in holistic and natural medicines. Walter is the head of Embassy security. Doreen Weisman is the only trained diplomat with the A-C embassy.

Alpha Team is…
…the A-C military team of which James Reader is the head. Tim Crawford, a.k.a., Megalomaniac Lad; Captains Jerry Tucker, Matthew Hughes, and Randy Muir along with Lieutenants Joseph Billings and Chip Walker are also part of the team. Kitty's Secret Service bodyguards include Evalyne "Ev", Phoebe "Pheebs", and Sam.

Presidential Terrorism Control Unit (PTCU) is…
…headed up by Kitty's mother, Angela Katt (both Angelas were in Mossad). Her father, Sol, is supposedly a history professor in Arizona, a cover for his real job as a cryptologist for NASA specializing in alien languages. Kevin Lewis is Angela's second-in-command; his wife, Denise, runs the A-C daycare which also cares for their children, Raymond and Rachel.

The critters include…
…Dudley, the Great Dane; Duke, the Labrador; Duchess, the pit bull; and, Candy, Kane, and Sugarfoot are the cats. The Poofs, bred to protect the Alpha Four Royal Family, include Harlie, who belongs to Jeff and is the head Poof; Poofikins is Kitty's; Mous-Mous is Jamie's; and, Gershom is the Poof who will attach himself to Other Kitty. Twelve mated-pairs of peregrines were gifted to the earth A-Cs by the king. Bruno normally guards Kitty; Lola is his mate. Sonny and Cher are Pierre's. Barney and Betty and Fred and Wilma are with Len and Kyle. All three men prefer that their peregrines sleep with Jamie.

Vincent Armstrong is now the president. His wife, Elaine, is the First Lady. Monica Strauss is the bitchy Secretary of State. Fritz Hochberg is the Secretary of Defense. Cliff Goodman is head of Homeland Security, and he's best friends with Chuck. Evander "Vander" Horn is the director of the FBI.

Lucinda and Alfred are Jeff's parents. Their children, besides Jeff, include Sylvia who is married to Clarence Valentino; their daughter, Stephanie, is an A-C traitor. Aunt Terry, Christopher's mother, was the telepathic one — and Jeff's second mother.

Eddy Simms, a.k.a., Stryker Dane, is a computer hacker extraordinaire and a slob. He and the blind Yuri Stanislav, Ravi Geekwad, Big George Lecroix, and Henry Wu are the geeks who make up Hacker International. Chernobog, a.k.a., Boggy, is working with the A-Cs now.

Peter "the Dingo Dog" and Surly Vic Kasperoff (sometimes they're Keller) are Kitty's adoptive uncles and premier assassins. Bellie is Mr. Joel Oliver's woman-hating parrot; Mr. Joel is a reporter infamous for his conspiracy theories. Bruce Jenkins is another friendly reporter. Herman Melville is a cop with the canine squad in D.C. Prince is his dog. Akiko is a fashion designer on retainer for the A-C embassy.

Amadhia is the stage name for the singer Other Kitty finds in Paris. Her real name is Emily. Marie is her grandmother who owns the restaurant. Celeste owns the unique gift shop. Aaron is the musician desperate for a singer who can actually sing.

There are embassies who…
…are A-C supporters. Oren, Jakob, and Leah are with Mossad. Mona Nejem is the Bahraini ambassadress. Olga Dalca is the wife of the Romanian ambassador, Andrei Dalca, and was KGB.

The Australian Prime Minister Tony Costello and his wife, Margie, are acting all super-offended.

Herbert Gaultier killed his wife, Solange, and then was killed himself, but not before he married his mistress, LaRue Demorte. Dr. Antony Marling is part of their evil cabal.

The Dulce Science Center for Extra-Terrestrial Studies is the A-C's main science, research, and medical facility and is located in New Mexico.

In Other Universe…
…housewife and mother Katherine "Kitty" Katt-Reynolds is married to Charles Reynolds, who is secretly with the CIA, and publicly a multi-millionaire who works with a think tank in D.C. They have three children: Charlie, Max, and the autistic Jamie-Kat. Peter is their house manager. James Reader is their best friend who lives with them and works as an international male model. A widower, Papa Sol also lives with them. They spend half the year in their house in Australia and the other half in their house in Washington D.C. Stripes is the cat Our Kitty will adopt into the family.

Aunt Carla is not Kitty's favorite aunt; they think she's a Bigoted Snob. Uncle Mortimer Katt is a general here as well, but currently stationed in Afghanistan. Caroline is Kitty's sorority sister who works for Senator McMillan from Arizona. Eddy Simms,a.k.a., Stryker Dane, is a popular author who has cleaned up well.

CIA
Malcolm Buchanan went rogue from the CIA after an ambush. Esteban Cantu is a desk jockey who is sent out with six commandos.

Cliff Goodman hates and despises Chuck; he's the head of the Office of Public Affairs.

Auntie Mimi is actually Naomi. Alfred Martini is hiding in the Z'Porrah-created underground tunnels. Seems he's responsible for most of the technological advancements in this universe. Ronald Yates was a good religious leader who was assassinated. King Adolphus had a lot of people assassinated. Turns out the Exonerates is the name of the A-Cs' religion.

The equivalent of Our Kitty's friends and enemies, etc…
Jack Ryan owns a car dealership where the Reynolds' buy all their cars; his wife, Pia, is fun to shop with. Dr. Marling is an internationally renowned pediatrician who told them that Jamie was autistic. His wife is Cybelle Siler Marling with a sister, Madeline, who works with her and Marling promoting cancer research. Doctor Zainal is their family doctor (he's the Bahraini Embassy's doctor in our universe). Jack Johnson is a mellow singer whom Other Kitty adores while Our Kitty hates his music. The Amy Gaultier in this universe is hated and despised by Other Kitty. Herbert and Solange Gaultier are Amy's parents and considered good people. Len is the incoming quarterback for the Jets; Kyle is the Jets' new defensive end. Mr. Joel Oliver is a highly respected journalist. Tim Crawford is a kindergarten and first grade teacher in L.A. He's married to a fifth grade teacher, Lori. Dr. Tito Hernandez works in Las Vegas. Brian Dwyer is in a mental hospital. Lieutenant Commander William Cox is alive in this universe; he's been newly assigned to be an aide to Cliff Goodman. He'll become Lunatic Lad.

The Israeli embassy
Oren, Jakob, and Leah are with Mossad and owe Charles and James big time for this capture.

Hershel and Hymie are a couple of old duffers who come to the rescue.

The Australian Prime Minister Tony Costello and his wife, Margie, are Kitty and Charles' best friends. Lulu is their oldest daughter.

The Corporation is…
…the Cuban Mob and is currently headed up by the Mastermind, an American politician. The assassin team who had been targeting Kitty and the kids includes Bernie and her husband, Raul Diaz; Luis Sanchez; and, Julio Lopez. Leventhal Reid took over the Mob but was shot and his position was then taken over by Papa Patron. LaRue Demorte is known as Señora de Muerte here.

Mephistopheles was the original evil Mastermind. The Z'Porrah are the dino-birds, and they hate everyone in our universe. Club 51 is a hate group that is anti-alien with a huge presence in Australia. LaRue Demorte is evil who intends to take over the universe.

The Ancients are shape-shifting galactic missionaries who are pro-human. Surcenthumain is the superpowers drug. ACE is another super-conscious who lives inside our Jamie-Kat. Bizarro World is the code both universes come up with to refer to the switch. The Elves are what Kitty calls the Operations Team, at least in public as she knows that Algar, a super-powerful being from the Black Hole Universe, is truly the person doing it all.

The Cover and Title
The cover is blues and peaches with a blackened sun in the blue, starmapped sky, Cosmic Alternate Kitty with Stripes on the left and housewife Kitty on the right with a file in one hand and a Glock in the other as a peregrine flies overhead. Below the ladies are the symbols of their universes: Jamie-Kat, Charlie, and Max in front of the Sydney Opera House, Chuck, er, Charles, looming in the middle, and two men in suits in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

The title is oh-so-appropriate, as Kitty turns out to be the Universal Alien in whatever universe she lands in.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a huge fan of this series since I first discovered Touched by an Alien and every time I think it can't get any better Gini Koch throws something completely new into the mix and makes me love it even more. In fact I think Universal Alien might just be my new favourite instalment of the series! I could not put this book down so make sure you clear your diary for the day before you start it.

Kitty's day starts off badly when she's forced to sit through an incredibly long cricket match, it gets even worse when she manages to unintentionally insult the Australian Prime Minister starting off an international incident that could have a major effect on the future of all of the ACs on the planet, but things really go downhill when she suddenly finds herself in an alternative reality. A reality where she's never met Jeff but is instead married to Chuckie and everything about her life is completely different. Not only are there no aliens on the planet but her alternate self knows nothing about Chuckie's secret life working for the CIA and has no idea of the danger that has placed her and her family in. While our Kitty is struggling to figure out what is going on in her new life her alternate has taken her place and suddenly finds herself faced with aliens, conspiracy theories and the fact that her husband is now her best friend and she is married to a complete stranger.

I can't tell you how much fun this story was to read, both universes are completely different and Kitty doesn't have her usual gang of friends and allies to rely on for help. There are some familiar faces though and I found it really interesting to see how different their lives are without the ACs in the mix. I actually found myself loving both Kittys and enjoying seeing how they coped with their new circumstances, both have a different role to play and are desperately needed to help resolve problems occurring in the alternative universe. What I found really interesting was that even though things look so different on the surface when you look a little deeper there are a lot of similarities. Is there a chance that a different Kitty will give insight into what is really going on and be able to help uncover the Mastermind? I'm not going to give you that answer so you'll have to read the book to find out but I will say that two Kittys means twice the action, twice the humour and twice the fun of normal.

This is a series that gets better and better with each instalment, my love for these characters continues to grow and I'm already desperate to get my hands on the next book. I don't think I'll ever get tired of reading about Kitty's adventures and I'm definitely excited to see how events from this book have a knock on effect in the next one. Universal Alien is a book that fans are going to love, once again Gini Koch has taken us on an action packed adventure that is nothing short of fantastic.

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one blew my mind. Switching places into an alternative world is so "Fringe" even if Ms. Koch calls it Bizarro world. Really, the references used in this story make so much sense and it's as if Ms. Koch and I are on the same wavelength. I get her humour and I love how her brain makes connections. The tenth book breaks me back into really enjoying this series since the last two were a bit less enjoyable than the others.

This one really moved me as we see a different world where Chuckie and Kitty are together. This life is different. It's better and worse. Kitty from the other world really breaks Chuckie's heart in this world. I think my heart broke when alternate Kitty reveals how she agreed to marry Chuckie in Vegas. I know Chuckie's heart broke. He is already in so much pain losing his wife, Naomi. Now to find out he had a chance with Kitty? I'm not sure why ms. Koch tortures Chuckie so much. Especially as we finally find out who the Mastermind is as well as who La Rue Morte really is and why she is such a psycho. This story is just painful as alternate Kitty is less yet more than our Kitty. I'm torn. I like both Kitties and I can't decide which life is better because they are both attractive in their own way. Sometimes, it's better not to see what could have been because there are possibly too many regrets. Loved this story and can't wait to read the next one. I'm finally caught up to date and ready to read the arc I received.

[Michelle Tempted By Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOLY CRAP!

Is it normal to go into a depression when you finish a book? I am so anxious for the next book I can hardly stand it, 3 months to go. Lord help me.


That said, the reason I am so anxious is because I loved this book so much. It was an amazing way to shake up a series that could have otherwise gone stale. I barely put this nearly 500 page book down, and managed to finish it in a matter of a day and a half. Honestly this book was SO much more than I expected. Initially I thought it might become confusing but really it was the complete opposite. I was quickly able to differentiate between the two Kitty's and liked them both. I really love the "real" Kitty and the other was more of a like. I also found that this plot device actually allowed me to understand the Multiverse concept; finally. So again back to the story. The only issue that I took with this book was Martini and other Kitty's relationship. I know that Martini and Kitty are who they are and this is normal for them, however I just found it frustrating from my end. I have a HUGE hangup with anything that is even slightly cheating, so this is more of an issue for me than anyone else. I was bothered but I pulled through. I honestly hope a few of the open ended questions I had at the completion of this book are answered in the next one. *fingers crossed*

READ THIS BOOK!

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing plot, but lacked emotion.

I didn't like how touchy feely Jeff and alternate-universe Kitty were.

[Carien · Rating 5 out of 5]

We fell in love with the series when we read the first book, Touched by an Alien, and the books after that first one have only deepened that love. So we were looking forward to reading Universal Alien.

I will confess we were just a little bit apprehensive. Kitty is married to Chuckie in that other universe? I know many fans of this series love Chuckie, but Voodoo Bride and I have never liked him. But after 9 awesome books, we trusted Gini Koch enough to not be too worried. We were sure she would handle it in a way that would make us love this book.

And she did!

Wow! This book is right there in the top three of our favorite books in this series. Gini not only manages to pull the Kitty switch off in a way that had me rooting for both Kitty's, she also manages to have both Kitty's get involved in suspenseful intrigues. At first these seem separated, but it soon becomes clear these two universes may have more in common with each other than just superficial similarities.

I loved reading how both Kitty's try to adapt and save the day. Our Kitty meets lots of doppelgangers of people she knows in the other universe, and I liked seeing how these people were so very different, yet the same, all due to making different choices in life, or due to different events. I even started rooting for characters in the other universe, who never really clicked with me in the regular Kitty universe. (Nope: still not liking Chuckie.)

All in all this is yet another crazy, fun, and action-packed adventure that is a must read for fans of this series. And if you haven't started on this series yet: get going! This series is too awesome to miss out on.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In book ten of the Katherine “Kitty” Katt series, the gang experiences the biggest problems ever faced before. How much time do you have because I could be here all day trying to list them all out but the most important thing to know is that Kitty still remains true to herself. Well, apart from the very strange fact that she finds herself in a world where aliens don’t exist and she’s married to Charles Reynolds. But that’s not all. There are two Kittys. I know, this is all too much to handle! But it’s okay because Kitty is still kicking butt when she (accidentally) offends the Australian prince minister and jeopardizes Jeff’s career in the process.

At just over 500 pages, UNIVERSAL ALIEN packs quite the hefty punch. You definitely don’t want to be caught off guard with this one. With Koch’s vivid imagination and fun, playful side, this book is brimming with plenty of action and aliens but is also stepped in politics and diplomacy as well. To me, this doesn’t feel like a strictly sci-fi book. Jeff and Kitty have a wonderful romance, but Koch’s writing actually reminds me more of an Urban Fantasy novel with its upbeat authorial voice. Basically, it had all a reader would want in an intriguing read.

P.S. Daniel Dos Santos continues to make the most beautiful, eye-catching covers around. This book is amazing from start to finish.

*ARC provided by publisher

[Larissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING!

[Book Chomper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Multiple universes, Kitty changing places with an alternate Kitty??? This should not have worked but it did, it was fantastic. Not only that, I loved both Kitty's - which seriously, Gini deserves some sort of prize for being able to achieve that.

So much going on and it was all gripping, action packed, and intelligently crafted.

[Melissa J. Katano · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a meme out that says "Book Release Days Should be Treated Like National Holidays...."

Well, I have at least two Book Release National Holidays, whenever Gini Koch releases a new Alien/Kitty Katt-Martini novel. I have a Nook, so that means that about 1 - 1:30 AM, (East Coast time) the book is downloaded to it. I'll stay up, anxiously checking it every 10 minutes, starting around 12:45 (just in case), and then squealing quietly (don't want to wake the husband or kids) when it's actually there.

And although there might be a little bit of danger in anticipating something so much, Gini Koch has never let me down. And Book Ten doesn't either.

This book is like the old Doublemint Twins commercials: Double the pleasure, double the fun! Two Kittys! Two Chuckies! Two.... well, you get the idea. Sadly, only Jeff Martini. Oh well, I guess even Kitty can't have everything......

Since we have two Kittys, and two stories in the multiverse, readers will need to pay a little closer attention to what's going on--but Gini, being the Giver that She Is, gives you a clue as to which 'verse you're in with the Flying Saucer dingbat at the start of each chapter.

This is a wild roller-coaster of a book, so sit, strap down, raise those arms up and ENJOY your day at Gini Koch's UNIVERSAL ALIEN.

Only 154 Days until the Release of ALIEN SEPARATION.... but who's counting?

[Kelly at · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review will be posted at www.books-n-kisses.com .

NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4
REVIEW:
In Universal Alien Kitty’s world gets turned upside down and things may never be the same.

I really liked Universal Alien. I will admit that when I first read the blurb I was really nervous. I didn’t want anything upsetting Kitty & Jeff’s story. But I trusted (after a bit of reassurance) and really liked this story. There were differently a few anxiety moments that I wished that “our” Kitty was with Jeff and the whole AC crew. But both Kitty’s were great and where they needed to be at the time. This world switch-a-roo also gave us a few answers to questions that have been plaguing us for many many books. But like always Ms. Koch give us just enough to drive us nuts with “oh goodness what is going to happen next”.

I have to say that I think that Jamie-Kat (both of them) stole the show for me. Jamie in both worlds is so accepting and so sweet. Jamie-Kat has easily become one of my favorites.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from DAW in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book you do not have 1 Kitty, you have 2!! The more the merrier.

We have 2 parallel worlds (there are more, multiverse and all). But 2 Kittys change place and you can only imagine what will go down.

I do prefer the real Kitty world. The other one was sad, and omg NO MARTINI. That is beyond sad. Instead she is married to Chuck. But Other Kitty shakes things up cos things are never perfect when Kitty is around. Someone is after them in that world. It was fun to see Kitty alone for once, but it was also sad.

Right and in our normal Kitty world Other Kitty comes in and is all wtf? But she adapts cos she is Kitty. And she is helpful with a scandal other Kitty caused.

Omg, are you confused yet? Lol. 2 Kittys, 2 worlds. 1 Martini. 2 Chuckies.

A fun ride, it worked eventhough it jumped from Kitty to Kitty. And I do prefer our Kitty, she is kick-ass.

The hunt for the Mastermind is still on too, and we get some answers. I look forward to the next book. The title has me a bit concerned .

FUN!

[Calisto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even before I started this series, this book got my attention. I loooove the idea of multiverses. But for that concept work, you have to have an established universe to appreciate the changes and this series was worth reading for this book. Gah! to realize that things could be so similar and yet so different and to know that characters from the first book are still around in the tenth is really neat. I have to say that I read this book twice. After finishing it, I took half a day to bask in the warm and fuzzies, before rereading it. I really enjoyed it and can't wait for more.


So this is what I did for January. It's kinda fun to glom on a series for a month, except now that I've caught up, I want MOOOAR! LOL. Might have to do another series in Feb.

[Nibrock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy Moly! Two Kittys? How awesome is this?

So "our" Kitty has to go and save the lives of the children of the "other" Kitty, while she needs to come and save the relations between the A-Cs and Australia.

Oh my goodness, so well written! Went back to look for a word (multiverse) and ended up re-reading 5 chapters.

A really good "topic" of this book was the taking of things for granted and not really looking at how much our routine blinds us to what is really going on around us.

Lots of action, a fair bit of politics, a good dose of Kitty channeling Angela to make people see reason, and part of a "happily ever after". Or as Kitty put's it "routine".

[Nanou · Rating 5 out of 5]

j'avais un peu peur d'une confusion entre deux mondes parallèles mais en fait c'est très bien géré : on passe de l'un à l'autre tout le long du livre et les deux intrigues sont menées tambours battants !

l'échange entre notre Kitty et une Kitty d'une Terre qui n'a jamais connu d'alien donne beaucoup de fou-rires xD sinon on sait enfin qui est le Mastermind O_O et le pourquoi du comment il fait tout ça et wouaaaaah... bon il est pas encore arrêté, mais purée tout se tient depuis le tout début !

aussi, détail non négligeable dans ce livre : ON A DEUX CHUCKIES ♥ ♥ ♥

[Colette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this one.

[Katyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

****3.5 stars****

This is a tough one to really evaluate. As a comics-geek girl myself, I've read more than a few "What If" books, and so I didn't struggle over the necessary suspension of disbelief. Not just that it could happen, but how quickly everyone accepted that it did happen, rather than lock both Kittys up in an asylum. And it was fun to get to spend time, in the alt-world, with characters that we haven't gotten to do a lot with. Particularly Alfred and Cox.

And so much of that alt-world was heartbreaking. I'm glad that Kitty put together a family over there, because man, they need each other. So many of them were heart-breakingly alone.

I also think it was an interesting way to reveal our Mastermind. Because it will be fun to find out how much of what was happening in alt-world is really correct in our world.

But I had a couple problems.

1. People were douches in our world.
In several ways. Firstly, the way they were instantly like "whelp, alt-Kitty, fuck whatever is going on with you, we need you to handle this political situation, and we'll get to your crap when we have time." Honestly, I was agog - mouth hanging open - at the callous way that everyone was like here's the situation, get with it, and stop thinking about your kids. What made it worse is that literally none of our characters - none - expressed concern for our Kitty. Dude, she had her head broken open. Badly enough that Jeff thought she could die before they could get her to the hospital. And alt-Kitty made it clear that she had been in a car accident, with people trying to run her off the road and kill her while she was in a car with her kids. So Kitty with a potentially lethal head injury got dropped into a situation that was almost guaranteed certain death. And NO ONE GAVE A FUCK. Everyone just shrugged and reassured alt-Kitty that Kitty would handle it, and then went on with their lives. We had, throughout the book, maybe two beats where Jeff had a worried expression for a split second. That just doesn't cut it. Especially when our world wasn't dealing with life-and-death crises. Yes, a political crisis, but not like ... assassination attempts and etc. I get why we didn't have a lot of freaking out in alt-world, with alt-Chuckie and such - they just didn't have time, because they were literally running for their lives the whole time. Not so with our world. They simply couldn't be bothered to care. And that REALLY hurts.

Throughout this series, I've had a problem with the way her team seems to always either dismiss Kitty, treat her like a moron, or take her for granted. The brief opening of this book, with her Secret Service gals, made it clear that they'd all be beating her down to make her into some bland political creature, which nicely established that that treatment has just increased since the election. Basically, they consider her to be an embarrassment, rather than an asset. This despite all she has done. And this book turned that knob up to eleven - I honestly got the impression that no one in our world cared that much if they ever got Kitty back. And that's awful.

2. The danger of unlimited powers.
This is a concern I've had about Jamie for a bit now. There's no clear understanding of what she can and can't do, and frankly, after this book, she seems to have god powers. That's a problem. Whenever you are going to have a powered entity in your story, you need to have clearly defined rules in order for the story to stay compelling. For example, Algar and ACE. They are our two most powerful entities (at least so far), and they have very clear rules and lines about what they can/will and can't/won't do. And puzzling out their hints is one of the great funs of this series. But Jamie has no such restrictions, and it makes her a deus ex machina (and/or Mary Sue) that can be problematic. Further, given what went on with Naomi, I am not understanding why some of these supreme being types haven't scooped Jamie up out of the world yet, as we've been told that god-powers are not allowed.

3. This book desperately needed a wrap up.
I think we could have alleviated a whole lot of that feeling of her team / friends / family not giving a fuck about her if we could have had a chapter of them all reconnecting. Right now, it feels like the same dismissive crap from point 1. They're reaction was "oh, she's gone. *shrug*" and now "oh, she's back. *shrug*"

I'm just disappointed. Because Kitty is a really great character. Not without flaws, no. But frankly, an unflawed character is bullcrap, so I love her flaws and all. And she doesn't deserve to be stuck surrounded by people who roll their eyes and treat her like a boat anchor strapped around their necks. But that's how they honestly all seem. I've felt that before this book, but now, I feel it VERY much, and it makes me incredibly sad.

[Dark Faerie Tales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: I found this installment to be a refreshing take on the series with two Kitty’s fighting to right some unknown force in each other’s worlds.

Opening Sentence: The former President of India, Abdul Kalam, shared a lovely sentiment—Look at the sky.

The Review:

Universal Alien is the tenth novel in the Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series. This novel was quite a refresher for me as it really got away from the formula of the past few novels. The pacing went way quicker since there were two Kitty’s and two worlds the story read pretty quickly and didn’t seem nearly as long as they have been.

Kitty #1 is the Ambassador of the American Centurions and current wife to Jeff Martini, Vice President of the United States of America. The Kitty that we have grown to love and know for the sake of the series. At the beginning of the novel, Kitty is at a cricket match, bored out of her mind. Unfortunately, because Kitty is a big time klutz, she offends the Prime Minister of Australia while also falling down and cracking her head open.

Kitty #2 is a mom to three and married to Chuck Reynolds. She’s perfectly content with her jet setting, multimillion dollar lifestyle, although she still likes to keep it real. Kitty and her family live half the year in Australia and the other six in Washington, D.C. The family has been summoned back to D.C. early and it is here that Kitty finds herself and her children the target of someone trying to run them off the road when her head hits the steering wheel.

The Kitty’s switch with each other in the multiverse, for one of the Kitty’s it is not much of a surprise but the other Kitty is dealt a major reality blow. The chapters alternate between the two Kitty’s randomly but it is easy to figure out which world you are in, plus the UFO on the chapters are upside down or rightside up in case you needed another clue. Each Kitty is left with a cliffhanger which really kept me interested and invested in the story. This book didn’t feel as long as the previous ones have so that was a really nice change.

This series is ten books in and Kitty does have some of the same phrases and actions that she does over and over again but that is why we like Kitty, right? Also, it was nice to see that the two Kitty’s weren’t entirely alike. Kitty’s #2’s world was quite heartbreaking and it was nice to have Kitty #1 reek her havoc and help change it for the better.

Overall, this has been a really fun series and I have enjoyed it so far. I will say that Kitty #1 does uncover some news that will greatly impact her world but it doesn’t move the overall series story much. This story was more of a side jaunt before Kitty gets back to doing her thing on her Earth and, hopefully, defeating the Mastermind.

Notable Scene:

Everyone looked shocked to stricken. Other than Crawford, who merely nodded. “Kitty, I think I know what’s going on. And I can explain it at least for you, James and Reynolds, and maybe for Jeff, too.”

“Okay, I’m all ears.”

Crawford cleared his throat. “You’re in Bizarro World.”

This was met with confused looks from everyone in the room other than those Crawford had named. Charles, James, and Martini all looked as if light bulbs had gone off over all their heads.

“Excuse me?”

“Bizarro World,” Crawford said. “You’re in it. In this world, aliens from the Alpha Centauri system are living on the planet. You’re not married to Reynolds, though you two are still best friends. You’re married to Jeff and, as Tito said, he’s the Vice President. Just elected last November. You’ve also been an, ah, alien monster killer, the Head of Airborne for Centurion Division, which is the military, science, and research side of American Centurion, and an Ambassador.”

“Pull the other one, it has bells on.”

He grinned. “I’m serious.”

FTC Advisory: DAW/Penguin provided me with a copy of Universal Alien. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[bewoelkt.aber.heiter · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 Sterne: Von der Prämisse dieses Bandes war ich zunächst nicht allzu begeistert, aber wie immer macht Gini Koch daraus eine unheimlich spannende und unterhaltsame Sache, die sich schnell wegliest. Durch den Universums-Wechsel erlangen beide Kittys eine neue Sicht auf ihr eigenes Leben und gerade das Anfangsstadium, in welchem beide erst herausfinden müssen, dass es sie in ein alternatives Universum verschlagen hat, war zum Lachen komisch. Insgesamt fehlten mir aber etwas tiefgründigere emotionale Regungen, die darüber hinausgehen, dass beide Kittys der Familie der anderen helfen wollen. Die alternative Kitty war zudem etwas zu sehr auf Tuchfühlung mit Jeff und hat insgesamt auf mich erst auf den letzten Seiten so gewirkt, als würde ihr wirklich etwas an ihrer eigenen Wirklichkeit liegen. Daher bin ich froh, es im nächsten Band wieder einzig und allein mit "unserer" Kitty zu tun zu haben.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good you should read the whole series to get to this book

I've read and enjoyed this whole series so far, but I regarded them as popcorn books--fun but not filling. Which is not a critique of Koch's skill: writing any novel is hard work, and writing long, action-packed novels with a huge cast of characters is really hard. They are, however, focused on entertainment, and they succeed very well.
This book reaches a new level of skill while maintaining all the entertainment. Koch balances parallel stories in parallel universes beautifully, and tells compelling stories in each one. The most impressive achievement, by far, is her creation of an alternate universe version of a character she has established for nine books, and making that character distinct and different.
Really, if you like sci-fi romance, read all the books, and then savor this one. It's something really special.

[Helen M. Whitchurch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Multiverse

Tale of two Kitties. When Kitty mother of three in danger Kitty of other books to the rescue in multimeter swap. One of better stories in fun series but should have had indicator to make it clearer which Kitty in action.

[Tina Hoefs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so much I've read all fifteen books twice in less than a year. This is one of my favorites because double the Kitty double the fun. I'll be reading it for the third time out loud to my handicapped niece soon.

[Jason Culpepper · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this book six stars I would. I love it love love love it. Amazing reading the choreography as we switch from Kitty to Other Kitty. Wonderful job of distinguishing the narrative voice so we can keep who is who straight work a single sentence.

[Kianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really really enjoyed this! Such a cool and different approach to her other books and it was like a breath of fresh air! Loved the double Kitty/multiverse/action and I’m glad we finally know who the mastermind is!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my absolute favorite book in the series so far. I suspected it would be, and I was not disappointed at all. Loved it!

[Polly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does answer questions in a round about way.

[En · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book if you are a fan

This is probably Gini's best book yet. I will not be a spoiler, but if you are a fan of Aliens in Armani, read this book. It explains so much.

[Anne Patkau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Koch juggles two multi-universe Kits, Jamie girls, cats, Poofs. Turn worlds fresh. Final Mastermind reveal. FTL speed surprises swing good and not, penguin reminders of ACE, heroes lost and regained. Cute upside-down Oz saucer-ship icons. Series gets better. Will Kit get home?

[Gaylin · Rating 5 out of 5]

And this amazing series continues!
I really enjoyed this multiverse book & the 2 versions of Kitty!