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Entanglement
Love is worth a galaxy of trouble.
Pann is a teeming city on the edge of habitable space, the final stop between a hostile Parliament and the safety of another solar system. Renée Bellevue, prefect of Pann’s police service and disgraced exile, has her hands full. That is, if she remembers to work and isn’t distracted by Lane, her favourite enigmatic bar owner. When a politician arrives on-planet to investigate a murder and capture two infamous activists, Renée knows trouble is incoming. Looking the other way will earn her a clean slate and return passage home—at a price that grows steeper each day.
As an unwelcome “mod”—a human with implanted tech—Lane Kovacs fled to Pann with her sister. Running a bar isn’t the best use of her scientific background, but it’s mindless and uncomplicated. Until she’s stuck with a priceless ticket out, her thieving ex reappears, and a scheming Parliamentarian monitors her every move. Her ex offers escape and freedom. Tempting, if not for Renée, the unexpected emotional variable upsetting the equation.
One misstep means arrest or death, but hope beckons bright as the stars. Lane and Renée must decide what they really want, even if it means parting for good.
Word 73,000
Pann is a teeming city on the edge of habitable space, the final stop between a hostile Parliament and the safety of another solar system. Renée Bellevue, prefect of Pann’s police service and disgraced exile, has her hands full. That is, if she remembers to work and isn’t distracted by Lane, her favourite enigmatic bar owner. When a politician arrives on-planet to investigate a murder and capture two infamous activists, Renée knows trouble is incoming. Looking the other way will earn her a clean slate and return passage home—at a price that grows steeper each day.
As an unwelcome “mod”—a human with implanted tech—Lane Kovacs fled to Pann with her sister. Running a bar isn’t the best use of her scientific background, but it’s mindless and uncomplicated. Until she’s stuck with a priceless ticket out, her thieving ex reappears, and a scheming Parliamentarian monitors her every move. Her ex offers escape and freedom. Tempting, if not for Renée, the unexpected emotional variable upsetting the equation.
One misstep means arrest or death, but hope beckons bright as the stars. Lane and Renée must decide what they really want, even if it means parting for good.
Word 73,000
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 2, 2022
6 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Cass Lennox
5 books52 followersCass Lennox is a permanent expat who has lived in more countries than she cares to admit to and suffers from a chronic case of wanderlust as a result. She started writing stories at the tender age of eleven, but would be the first to say that the early years are best left forgotten and unread. A great believer in happy endings, she arrived at queer romance via fantasy, science fiction, literary fiction, and manga, and she can’t believe it took her that long. Her specialties are diverse characters, gooey happy ever afters, and brownies. She’s currently spinning in an Alpine meadow in Switzerland.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 2, 2022
They had each other, and that was more than enough.
This book was a short yet complex sci-fi novel with a secondary romance. Very much a sci-fi first novel. The story started slow because of the world building and took a while to pick up. However, once I finally adjusted to the world in Entanglement the story became much more compelling and unraveled itself along the way. As I said, the romance is secondary to the main sci-fi action plot, but it was very sweet and there were underlying hints about how much the two main characters cared about each other throughout the story.
While there was a complete narrative arc and it was interesting it still felt like a prequel to a larger universe and many of the ideas could have used more exploration. The idea of entanglement, modified humans vs regular humans, and the romance all felt like they were just beginning! I still enjoyed the book a lot and it was refreshing to read a sci-fi novel that takes place in a relatively small area (neither of the two main characters even leaves the planet during the book!) because really why are characters in these types of books always getting on spaceships and going to a million places. I hope there are more books in this universe because I am interested to know more!
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Read this review and more on my blog: https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
This book was a short yet complex sci-fi novel with a secondary romance. Very much a sci-fi first novel. The story started slow because of the world building and took a while to pick up. However, once I finally adjusted to the world in Entanglement the story became much more compelling and unraveled itself along the way. As I said, the romance is secondary to the main sci-fi action plot, but it was very sweet and there were underlying hints about how much the two main characters cared about each other throughout the story.
While there was a complete narrative arc and it was interesting it still felt like a prequel to a larger universe and many of the ideas could have used more exploration. The idea of entanglement, modified humans vs regular humans, and the romance all felt like they were just beginning! I still enjoyed the book a lot and it was refreshing to read a sci-fi novel that takes place in a relatively small area (neither of the two main characters even leaves the planet during the book!) because really why are characters in these types of books always getting on spaceships and going to a million places. I hope there are more books in this universe because I am interested to know more!
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Read this review and more on my blog: https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
May 6, 2022
RTC but I just wanted to love this book so much. This is a sci-fi FF book, which sounds like everything I would love in a book but sadly I just couldn’t get into this book as much as I wanted to. I still enjoyed a lot but not as much as I could have.
I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest opinion
I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest opinion
May 1, 2022
This book was absolutely fascinating. It was a blend of political intrigue, sci-fi, humor, and romance that kept me entertained from beginning to end. The world-building was wonderful and the characters were so interesting that I was on the edge of my seat with every new revelation. Lane and Renée are on opposite sides of the law, but have so much in common. I loved their bantering, even in the middle of tense situations. And the very subtle ace-rep made me very happy. This is the first Cass Lennox book I’ve read, but I am definitely going to be reading more.
May 1, 2022
I’m torn about which element of this book I liked most: the character development absolutely on point: Lane and Renée are each beautifully drawn and feel likable, relatable and distinctly individual. I liked the way each of their interactions displays how well their personalities play off each other. The world building does the characters justice: it’s immersive and easy to be drawn into, a perfect backdrop for the blend of genres this story takes us through: there are shades of intrigue, science fiction, and romance. Well worth a read.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
May 5, 2022
#ARC received from Gay Romance Reviews for an honest review.
This book was intriguing. It had some political intrigue, sci-fi, humor, and romance; it left me engaged from start to finish. The way the author built this world was brilliant. The characters had me in suspense with each new surprise. Lane and Renée are the two main characters on different sides of the law, yet they have much in common. Renée and Lane’s bantering, especially in the middle of stressful situations, made this book fun to read. Entanglement by Cass Lennox is the first book I have read by this author; maybe I’ll read more of her books in the future.
This book was intriguing. It had some political intrigue, sci-fi, humor, and romance; it left me engaged from start to finish. The way the author built this world was brilliant. The characters had me in suspense with each new surprise. Lane and Renée are the two main characters on different sides of the law, yet they have much in common. Renée and Lane’s bantering, especially in the middle of stressful situations, made this book fun to read. Entanglement by Cass Lennox is the first book I have read by this author; maybe I’ll read more of her books in the future.
May 5, 2022
There is a perfect blend of world building and character development in this story. We have scheming politicians, murder, activists working to change things, scientists turned bar owners, modified humans and then Lane and Renee trying to survive in this complex world and deal with their feelings for each other. I bought everything here, nothing felt jarring or out of place in this world as presented and I will definitely be checking out more of this author's work.
June 17, 2023
I loved this book. It was an interesting world with complex characters.
At some point, I said to myself, "Hey, isn't this based on the movie Casablanca?" I haven't seen the movie but I'm familiar with the characters and plot. Now I want to see the movie ;0
I was curious how the issue with the new technology would be resolved (satisfactorily, in my opinion). I enjoyed the romance between the two characters.
At some point, I said to myself, "Hey, isn't this based on the movie Casablanca?" I haven't seen the movie but I'm familiar with the characters and plot. Now I want to see the movie ;0
I was curious how the issue with the new technology would be resolved (satisfactorily, in my opinion). I enjoyed the romance between the two characters.
May 3, 2022
Renee and Lane's story is beautiful. The character development, story balance, and world building is so well written, you will think you are standing on Pann. I love the way the story develops and the characters growth.
May 4, 2022
Love can mean trouble and she may just find that out when her ex arrives. She has been working hard and her ex may just ruin it all for her. Will she push them away? Will she take her ex back? How will she decide what to do? See where they will take you
May 7, 2022
This book is a little different from a lot of books that I read, and it is a nice change. I really enjoy the world the author created as well as the characters. This book has a lot of political intrigue set in a place far from Earth and a touch of romance for Lane and Renée.
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January 20, 2025Lane Kovacs from Entanglement is asexual!
https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...
https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...
February 15, 2026
I enjoyed reading this book, however, I do not think it lived up to its potential.
The chapters were very long, which I did not like, but that is a personal preference.
The main characters were interesting and three-dimensional, I loved getting to know them. I especially liked that neither of them were what we usually get in protagonists. They do have their own set of morals, but while they are referenced constantly (especially by side characters who are upset at the seeming lack thereof), we rarely see them play out as both characters seem intent on hiding them and not acting on them. Neither character is what I would describe as likeable, but somehow they still manage to make you care about them and root for them, which made the book easy to read and enjoyable.
The plot moved along quickly, not because the main characters did anything to further it, but because of the side characters. The only sure thing about those side characters was that none of them could be trusted. The main characters only kept on reacting to whatever the side characters were doing, only taking actual action in the very end of the book. It did not feel unnatural though as it fit both Lane’s and Renée’s properties.
The plot consisted of two political parties being at each other’s throats and trying to off each other in a neutral system instead of the system where their actual fight was. Those parties were embodied by a member of the Parliament of Janus, who prohibited bodily enhancements and modifications and persecuted any of these so called “mods” and “synths”, and two resistance members. The Parliament member repeatedly tried to force Renée to not only cooperate, but also bend the laws of the neutral system to his advantage, threatening her job and relationships. The resistance members had a personal connection to Lane, seemingly trying to force both MCs on different sides of the fight. However, both main characters seemed apathetic to both causes, only in the end showing any kinds of sympathies.
I enjoyed the plot and the ethical questions it raised, but felt a little lost at times as neither the mods, nor the synths nor the political system were really ever explained in the book. As all of those things are very interesting, I would have loved to get to know more about them.
As this is a standalone, I worried about not all strings being tied up in the end and rightly so. There are too many questions left unanswered and that this book should have only been the beginning of a series, not like it was simply meant to be an open ending.
All in all this was an enjoyable read with interesting characters that unfortunately ultimately fell short of its potential.
CWs: death, alcoholism, bodily modifications, sexual harassment, bigotry. There may be more, but those are the ones I remembered.
The chapters were very long, which I did not like, but that is a personal preference.
The main characters were interesting and three-dimensional, I loved getting to know them. I especially liked that neither of them were what we usually get in protagonists. They do have their own set of morals, but while they are referenced constantly (especially by side characters who are upset at the seeming lack thereof), we rarely see them play out as both characters seem intent on hiding them and not acting on them. Neither character is what I would describe as likeable, but somehow they still manage to make you care about them and root for them, which made the book easy to read and enjoyable.
The plot moved along quickly, not because the main characters did anything to further it, but because of the side characters. The only sure thing about those side characters was that none of them could be trusted. The main characters only kept on reacting to whatever the side characters were doing, only taking actual action in the very end of the book. It did not feel unnatural though as it fit both Lane’s and Renée’s properties.
The plot consisted of two political parties being at each other’s throats and trying to off each other in a neutral system instead of the system where their actual fight was. Those parties were embodied by a member of the Parliament of Janus, who prohibited bodily enhancements and modifications and persecuted any of these so called “mods” and “synths”, and two resistance members. The Parliament member repeatedly tried to force Renée to not only cooperate, but also bend the laws of the neutral system to his advantage, threatening her job and relationships. The resistance members had a personal connection to Lane, seemingly trying to force both MCs on different sides of the fight. However, both main characters seemed apathetic to both causes, only in the end showing any kinds of sympathies.
I enjoyed the plot and the ethical questions it raised, but felt a little lost at times as neither the mods, nor the synths nor the political system were really ever explained in the book. As all of those things are very interesting, I would have loved to get to know more about them.
As this is a standalone, I worried about not all strings being tied up in the end and rightly so. There are too many questions left unanswered and that this book should have only been the beginning of a series, not like it was simply meant to be an open ending.
All in all this was an enjoyable read with interesting characters that unfortunately ultimately fell short of its potential.
CWs: death, alcoholism, bodily modifications, sexual harassment, bigotry. There may be more, but those are the ones I remembered.
May 4, 2022
I hope other readers will take the time to read a Cass Lennox book because they totally rock. Between 2016 and 2017 she wrote four standalones grouped as a series called Toronto connections. Each dealt with people bringing some baggage into a possible relationship. (But who doesn't....right?). Each book has a great storyline and characters and lots of warm fuzziness. What makes those books a wee bit different is that each story has at least one partner whose sexuality lies somewhere on the ace (asexual) spectrum. This review of course is not about those books but I wanted to mention it because it is a type romance novel that many readers have not come across.
That said, Entanglement is a hit-the-ground-running, what's-going-to-happen-next, understated in the most delightful of ways, romance novel. There is no mention of anyone's sexuality because it simply isn't relevant to the story. But oh is there ever romance. Gentle words, soft touches, knowing glances...you get it. I love a good romance with non-gratuitous sexy time but this accomplishes the same HEA...just in a different way.
The storyline takes place in the far future but deals with issues that I assure you are coming down the pike. Synthetic people and/or body parts, cyborgs, the rights of these groups and the vocal haters representing the that-is-just-not-natural position. That story and all the intrigue is wound around the relationship of the two protagonists. Lane, an über-smart...ok, brilliant, scientist with some HUGE secrets who now runs a bar with her sister, and, Renée, the grand poohbah of law enforcement.
This book is absolutely brilliant. It is smart and witty. There is some sadness but much more heart-smiling. A lot of please-be-ok moments, and a slow-building drama that is filled with intrigue until the very end. And of course there is one of the sweetest romances that will make your own heart go pitter pat.
That said, Entanglement is a hit-the-ground-running, what's-going-to-happen-next, understated in the most delightful of ways, romance novel. There is no mention of anyone's sexuality because it simply isn't relevant to the story. But oh is there ever romance. Gentle words, soft touches, knowing glances...you get it. I love a good romance with non-gratuitous sexy time but this accomplishes the same HEA...just in a different way.
The storyline takes place in the far future but deals with issues that I assure you are coming down the pike. Synthetic people and/or body parts, cyborgs, the rights of these groups and the vocal haters representing the that-is-just-not-natural position. That story and all the intrigue is wound around the relationship of the two protagonists. Lane, an über-smart...ok, brilliant, scientist with some HUGE secrets who now runs a bar with her sister, and, Renée, the grand poohbah of law enforcement.
This book is absolutely brilliant. It is smart and witty. There is some sadness but much more heart-smiling. A lot of please-be-ok moments, and a slow-building drama that is filled with intrigue until the very end. And of course there is one of the sweetest romances that will make your own heart go pitter pat.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews