Very cute, and very fun.

If you were an alien on earth, what could be more fascinating than seeing humans hypothesize on what the life you know might be like?

The book is interspersed with chats from an online forum where several members have created their own private room for their shenanigans. They all get to meet up at a convention dedicated to all things alien. Each individual feels isolated in some way, but find their strongest friendships forming in this chat-group. They are all very different, but complimentary to each other. When they're together, the reader feels comforted, as though all is well with the world.

Tam is different from many of the heroes in sci-fi romances - and in a good way. He comes from a culture that is displayed a bit in the story - complete with natural contradictions that can be found in any culture - a very nice touch! And unlike many books in the genre, the emotional attraction is at the forefront, with the sexual attraction being secondary.

I'm all for a scifi alien romance and the premise sounded right up my ally.

Jen is cute, nerdy, and looking for romance where Tam is an alien stranded on earth. I found myself enjoying the text/chat convos but that was just about it. The characters didn't really stand out and the pacing felt a bit off. I think with a little more development this could be really fun.

Thank you for the gifted ebook.

I was super excited to see Ann Aguirre had a new book coming out. I love her Grimspace series!

This one was a little different though, and as the name suggests it’s a strange romance. I appreciate Jen being a gray ace character, and I feel like this aspect did contribute more to the building of friendships rather than lots of spice.

I really liked Jen’s character, how open and accepting she was. I feel like Tam was well written too. His very little knowledge of earths culture and language was entertaining, and the way he cared for Jen was sweet. It made for an interested dynamic.

I will say, that this was very much on the cozy/low stakes side, with some found family, and not a lot of conflict. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting, but it was entertaining for the most part.

Thank you Net Galley and Source Books for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca & NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

I really wanted to love this one as a lover of non-human romance, hidden identity trope, and queer rep, but unfortunately it fell short of my expectations.

Maybe it’s because we started the book with both characters already having deep feelings for one another, but I had a hard time seeing and connecting with the romance. We see bits and pieces of their relationship forming through flashback group texts, which helps some, but with the robotic way our alien mmc Tam thought & spoke it was a bit harder at times to feel the romance. It did, however, make the genuinely sweet things he said feel even more hard earned.

The pacing also felt off, especially how much time we spent between the two officially professing feelings & intention to be together up to the end resolution seeming to drag on, then have a rushed last minute situation. That being said, I would’ve loved a short epilogue in the end exploring how the conclusion played out in a few years down the line, or even a 6 month check in.

One thing I did enjoy about this book is the bits of world building we got for what alien civilizations are like compared to earth. I loved the comparisons, and one of my favorite things in a human x nonhuman romance is when the nonhuman comments in how weird something that normal humans do every day is to them. I love alien & monster romance make us take a critical eye to what we’ve normalized in our societies, even if the critiques of humankind weren’t particularly deep in most cases.

Found family was also a big part of this book with a big group of self-proclaimed weirdos & space nerds meeting for the first time irl after being online only. I loved seeing the group dynamics and finding those that get you, and I’m curious to see what happens to the restroom of the characters if this continues as a series!

Overall cute concept but I don’t think I’ll be rereading this one!

Spice rating 1/5
(two scenes described briefly & without detailed language)

Rep:
bi/pan ace-spec (gray-ace) human fmc
Alien mmc with autistic coded traits (according to me, an autistic reviewer)

Tropes
Alien romance
Hidden identity
Friends to lovers
Found family

Don't go into this book expecting hot and heavy alien love making. Ice planet shenanigans this is *not*. Instead, be treated to an adorable, uncomplicated exploration of found family and dorks in love.

The novel follows Jen, an astronomer with a fascination for all things extraterrestrial. When she gathers together a bunch of cyber acquaintances from an online forum for alien theorists into the more intimate space of a group chat, she especially connects with one of the participants, known as "Seeker". Virtual sparks fly.

As the title suggests, "Seeker" is, in actuality, an alien. Stranded on Earth after some ill-advised adventure tourism, Seeker (or Tamzin as we later learn) has been desperately lonely and searching for connection.

Loneliness and the isolation which is sometimes reinforced by the structures of modern society is a theme that is explored (slightly clumsily, but with touching empathy) throughout the book. The various members of the group chat are shown finally meeting in person and detailing their own personal histories of alienation (heh).

To be completely honest, I think this book really shines as a cute, found family narrative more so than a romance. I greatly enjoyed and appreciated the interconnectedness of the cast and the support they offered one another far more than the often awkward chemistry provided by the main pairing. I will give Aguirre her props however, the demi-sexual/grey ace representation is lovely to see.

I imagine it is difficult to bring things to a boil after such an incredibly slow, slow-burn but structurally, the ending felt quite rushed. I would've liked to have seen more time dedicated to the emotional build-up and culmination of Jen and Tam's HEA.

Likewise, plot points that I was keen to see resolved were abandoned or, I suspect, left open in a slightly dissatisfying way. Unfortunately, it appears ITIILWAA suffers from the dreaded "sequel set-up syndrome" where-in the main pairing is left out in the cold to dedicate crucial pages to the next couple.

Overall however, ITIILWAA is a sweet, uncomplicated book that *sees* us -- the weirdos, the fandom tragics and anyone who has felt awkward and alone. It's a charmingly engaging alien romance with just enough depth to examine loneliness what it means to be "alien" while still being light and hopeful.

4/5 stars
1.5/5 spice

Tropes:
Friends to lovers
Alien x Astronomy professor
Cosplay
Found family
Close proximity
Hurt/Comfort
Dual POV

Perfect for fans of monster romances and found family. Really light on the spice and mostly focuses on the emotional connection between the MCs. There was great communication in this story so you didn't get a lot of angst. Tam/Seeker was just too straight forward for any miscommunication. That created a deep connection between the two MCs and you see how they are able to navigate their unique situation. I really wanted to see a little more character growth for Jen outside of her relationship with Tam, though. I like that she was herself with her friend group and Tam but she had a missed opportunity to stand up for herself with her family.

Overall this was a fun read. I really loved the convention scenes and the friendships that were built.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

Genre: Sci-fi Romance | ★★★☆☆ | ARC via NetGalley

This was a fun premise with a sweet romantic thread… until a few character choices pulled me out of the starry-eyed bliss.

Tam, aka Seeker, is an alien marooned on Earth, blending in while desperately trying to get home. Through an online chat group for alien enthusiasts, he connects with Jennette Hammond (Jen), a socially anxious woman who’s a space nerd with a soft heart and a deep love of the extra-terrestrial. Their whole friend group decides to meet IRL at SpaceCon—a con in a fictional town clearly riffing off Roswell—and that’s when things really take off.

Tam and Jen’s chemistry is instant and genuine. Their online connection translates beautifully in person, and the banter is charming. The supporting cast—this quirky little gang of alien nerds—adds a lot of warmth and personality to the story.

But here’s where it wobbled for me…

🤔 Character disconnects:

Jen is written as kind, socially anxious, and a bit of a loner… yet somehow she becomes the de facto leader of this online crew? That jump didn’t quite track for me based on her backstory.

😬 Late-stage behaviour shift:

Towards the end, Jen has what I can only describe as a bit of a meltdown—a full-blown hissy fit that felt out of character. It verged on emotionally manipulative, and while the narrative rewards her in a way, it didn’t sit well with me. Tam ends up making a major decision based on her actions, and I couldn’t help but wish it had unfolded differently.


✅ What worked:

The core premise: Alien meets human, falls for her, but can’t stay—classic!

Their online-to-real-life transition felt genuine and sweet

A good balance of sci-fi elements with relationship-focused storytelling
The other characters brought colour to the story

The references to Star trek and other shows are sure to delight those who enjoy the genre


❌ What didn’t:

Jen’s character arc felt inconsistent

The emotional twist near the end was jarring and a bit frustrating

Overall, this was a three-star read for me. Solid writing, an enjoyable setup, and some charming moments—but also a few bumps that made the landing a bit rough.

This book follows two characters, Jen and Tam, who met in forums about aliens and took their interactions into a group chat with four other members. They've never met in person until now, where they've all decided to attend a Roswell-esque alien-related convention together. The obvious catch is that Tam is an alien who's gotten stuck on Earth and none of his friends know about it, not even his human crush, Jen.

The first ~50% of the book was decent, if a bit saccharine in its internal effusions of interest between the main pair. Getting to know the friend group was interesting, and I liked the interspersed group chat sections in idea, if not necessarily in practice. I've been in a lot of online chats with a wide variety of geeky people, and they just didn't feel like real people talking. "Stilted" is the best word I've got for it, though that's not quite it. The little peeks of convention culture were fairly surface level, but fun. I enjoyed seeing Tam navigate life on Earth and interactions with humans.

Things started to fall apart for me once the action moved away from the convention. The only things happening were entirely mundane and largely uninteresting. The parts I enjoyed most were insights into alien culture, planets, Tam's travels, that sort of thing. If the book had been more about that and less about the lackluster romance, I could probably have added a star.

But let's talk about the romance. I appreciate the ace rep here and that, while they existed in a fashion, sex scenes weren't the focus of this book. However. I didn't even believe their chemistry as friends, much less as people in love. Every conversation felt like they were tiptoeing around one another, having first date get-to-know you sessions (months into knowing one another), or being infuriatingly sappy and understanding. Like, sign me up for reasonable adults who have adult conversations and work things out rather than have misunderstandings, but it all felt so juvenile, like life problems can be solved every time by a, "They don't deserve you. You're wonderful."

The worst offender, by far, was the filler conflict that started at the convention and ended in the most anticlimactic way in the final chapters. No spoilers here, but I genuinely don't understand the point other than to pad out the story.

I'm really sad I didn't like this one more, because I had high hopes.

A pretty atypical story of finding love on the internet. Cute, although it was clear the romance was the focus, to the point where several other threads seemed under-developed. The sex scenes were for the monster lovers, and the romance itself was a pretty extreme wish fulfillment example—a partner who might literally drop the rest of the universe for you!—but that's just what this book's ideal audience is looking for.

This Space Con just got a whole lot hotter because the last thing alien loving SETI-Program girl Jennette ever thought would happen to her would be that her online best friend/crush is an actual alien and that he just might be in love with her too. Tamzier Jaarn aka Seeker is an alien who got stuck on Earth and has been stranded for nearly a year, his only comfort is the online group of humans he's befriended. Seeker hasn't told anyone who he really is but he finds himself dawn to Jenn. Jenn loves aliens and space, she even is part of an online group of friends who talk about aliens... and she just happens to have a crush on Seeker. So when the group agrees to meet iRL at Space Con Jenn can't wait to meet her online crush! Yet the closer they become Seeker is realizing that he'll have to reveal the truth... and ask himself if given the chance would he leave Earth or has he finally found a reason to stay by choice. This was a really fun Bi x Aro rep with a dash of paranormal quirky rom com. It was sweet, it was fun, the characters were all delightful. I had a fun time reading this and think it makes a great read for anyone looking for a fun cute time!

Release Date: June 17, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca | Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I got deceived by the cover. I was expecting something along Ice Planet Barbarians and I got something really adorable and cute. Jennette is a Sci fi/ alien enthusiastic and her ultimate dream is meeting an alien. What she didn't know that the guy from her chat attending Space Con along with some other friends she made in the forum..is also an alien, stranded in the Earth.

Tamzir aka Seeker has come a long way from his home planet for exploring earth and he was abandoned here
by the tour company. He has advanced techs those help him to blend here. Somehow. He hasn't stopped searching for ways to go back. He was very lonely and that's why the forum of alien lovers was a help. He is a bit awkward, in alien way. He is actually very nice. A perfect gentleman. He liked Jennette a lot through the chat and she developed a crush too. The space con was more that just a group of friends meeting. I loved the vivid descriptions of the con with the interesting people and the anecdotes and the history. I also liked how Tam confided in Jennette. And how they wanted to give it a chance.

The issue is calling it a romance. I didn't feel the actual spark between Jennette and Tam. I loved the group of friends and their chemistry. But I don't think there was a lot of romance between Tam and Jennette. If you take out that part of equation and let yourself enjoy the Sci fi parts, you will enjoy it.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

This wasn't a typical read for me wanted to try something a little different I enjoyed it like the concept found it very interesting to read

My Thoughts
I am always on board for reading this author so when the book came to my attention of course it went on my review request list and my library wish list as a backup plan.

Science fiction romance is always an interesting trope and especially when paired with an event where humans dressing up as Aliens means a real Alien can go unnoticed because their natural form would not stick out.

Tam and Jennette built a rapport online long before they and their chat Group from Aliens Among Us met at Space Con for a week of Sci-Fi fun together.

These 6 characters from different backgrounds were so much fun to follow on their journey from strangers to friends to "Family of the Heart".

The fact is that labeling this book as a sci-fi rom-com was not quite accurate as that is not all its story encompasses.

There is also a sense of connection that carries over to the reader as this group find themselves enjoying not only Space Con itself but each others company as well.

For our two main characters their relationship leaned heavily on friendship first while learning to trust each other, you will find out more about that as you read.

Not cringe-worthy at all as the romance side was not focused on at length and all in all an enjoyable foray into what may turn out to be a new series.

[EArc from Netgalley]
On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

DNF at 50%

“I Think I'm in Love with an Alien” is the first alien romance by Ann Aguirre and tells the story of Jannette and Tamzir.

I'm a sucker for a good alien romance like “Ice Planet Barbarians” and Ann piqued my curiosity with her story. She opted for a completely new concept (for me).

In “I Think I'm in Love with an Alien” we accompanied Jannette, who was already an outsider, on her way to an alien convention where she meets her online friends and Tamzir, who is a real alien and stranded on Earth.

What really got me was the cringe dialog. None of the characters seem to communicate with humans very often. I just found most of the situations uncomfortable to read and it just wasn't my cup of tea. I found many scenes super stiff and the writing style here was often a bit “edgy” too.

Unfortunately, most of the story consisted of exactly this kind of dialog, which is why I decided to abandon the book.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

this was a really fun read. I love unique romance books and alien/monster romance always delivers on that front. This book also had the added bonus of having con culture and Fandom which is another thing love. I just really enjoyed this book as a whole.

Well this was a charming contemporary romcom version of an alien romance!

You know how on the internet, nobody knows you're a dog? (Am I dating myself?) Turns out that on the internet, nobody knows you're an alien, either. Jennette and Seeker/Tamzir meet on the Aliens Among Us forum and start flirting through DMs. They meet up with their AAU group chat at Space Con, where Jen is hoping she and her internet crush can maybe move their relationship to RL. But Seeker has two issues: he's, y'know, an alien; and he still wants to get off-planet. That second one doesn't seem like a huge hurdle for a con fling, but Seeker's species mates for life, meaning he literally can't take things to the next level unless he decides to stay on Earth permanently. (Yes, this means Tamzir is a virgin hero. No, I didn't know this before I started the book, but now YOU DO. You're welcome.)

I have read my fair share of alien and monster romances, and TBQH I'm often uncomfortable with how the non-human bodies are eroticized for the reader. (No judgement if you love them, this is just my own personal discomfort!) This book sidesteps that issue a bit: while it's not closed door, there's not a focus on how Tamzir and Jen fit physically. Instead it's about navigating consent (Tamzir is very hesitant to do much, physically, since it could change his body chemistry or whatever), personal attraction, and how they can make it work emotionally and for the long term. I thought Aguirre made this aspect feel authentic: both Jen and Tamzir feel like loners in their own cultures, so finding a mate outside of those structures makes sense. On the physical end, Jen is gray ace, so she's used to feeling attracted to other people for their personalities and less for their bodies, anyway.

Definitely pick this up if you're a contemporary romance reader looking to dip your toe into alien romance. It's also a great choice if - like me! - you're both burned out on a typical contemporary romance while also being a little too chicken for the full alien romance experience.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

This was a great dual POV sci-fi romance with some light comedy. Our MMC is an alien who is stranded on Earth. Our MFC is a human who loves theoretical aliens with strong suspicions they are real. They initially meet in a group chat for “fellow” SciFi nerds, and then later meet up at Space Con! Secrets are uncovered, family is found in friends, and romance happens with later hijinks ensuing.

This was a nice medium-paced read for me. Our main couple has softer feelings for each other that deepen as they get to know one another. I loved their relationship. I did find our MFC to be a tad selfish, but given her background, I accepted it since it made sense with her character. The relationships were wonderful. I loved how the friends came together to be their own support system and escape from reality. This is often seen in real life, and I felt the author really showed this so well. Family can be something you choose. The writing is great, and the premise really flows well. The emotions you feel as you read have a real impact; I really enjoyed being taken along for the journey.

My one complaint? I felt like there was a slight overuse of miscommunication when it came to some conflicts. I did yell at my poor Kobo when it happened. So, I did dock 1 star for that. You can understand why there is miscommunication, but it is not something I enjoyed as a way to further the story along.

Overall, I had fun reading this eARC. I give it 4/5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley; I appreciate that I was able to get an eARC to share my opinions.

I haven’t read many romances in this style/theme but I do usually enjoy them when I do, so I went into this with high hopes.

I did enjoy the book overall, I felt the characters were well written. The little knowledge seeker had of human ways was done very well but I felt his personality and growth didn’t really develop at all throughout the book. I really liked the side characters and wasn’t expecting some of the things that were revealed about them.

The plot was interesting but felt repetitive for a part of it in the middle. I did enjoy watching seekers and Ken’s relationship develop and how they handles living as a human/alien couple. However I did struggle with the fact that the first half of the book was just her constantly thinking something was off about him and him not telling her, that’s where I felt the repetition became a bit irritating.

I really enjoyed the conclusion even after predicting what would happen as it was all wrapped up so well and just felt sweet and cute.

Overall it was a good read but more for the vibes than the writing. I did have a really good time and would read something by this author again.

This was cute!

Admittedly, this was a little too slow for me. Even as a demisexual and seeing a lot of myself in Jen, there was still too much filler in setting up the world.

I understand that this was also setting up the potential for more novels in the same universe (especially with some of the reveals in that same friend group) but I feel like it would've benefitted from a faster pace. Especially with the group text chapters also breaking up the pacing even more. I can understand that it's part of setting the stage for Jen and Tam but, they dragged a little bit too long.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for an honest review!

This is a very romcomy scifi romance, which was a surprise after the other scifi books I have read by Ann Aguirre. The story is cute though and set at a Space Con. It is dual POV, told from the point of view of both a human and her alien love interest. Jen is our human FMC who is obsessed with meeting an alien, but also lonely in her real life. She meets some like minded people online and then sets up a get together for all of them at Space Con. One of her online friends is Seeker, who unbeknownst to her is an alien! Seeker is stranded on Earth and trying to find a way home. While stranded he has experienced deep loneliness and the group chat Jen creates really helps him. This is a sweet story as they both bumble around each other trying to decide if they can truly trust the other. If you are looking for a unique romcom, this is the one to check out!