Review: Touched by an Alien - Gini Koch

It was just another day in Arizona - and then the monster showed up . . .

Marketing manager Katherine "Kitty" Katt had just finished a day on jury duty.  When she stepped out of the Pueblo Caliente courthouse, all she was thinking about was the work she had to get caught up on.  Then her attention was caught by a fight between a couple - a domestic dispute that looked like it was about to turn ugly.  But ugly didn't even begin to cover it when the "man" suddenly transformed into a huge, winged monster right out of a grade Z science fiction movie and went on a deadly killing spree.  In hindsight, Kitty realised she probably should have panicked and run screaming the way everyone around her was doing.  Instead she got mad, searched her purse for a weapon, and, armed with a Mont Blanc pen, sprinted into action to take down the alien.

In the middle of all the screeching and the ensuing chaos, a tall handsome hunk of a guy in an Armani suit suddenly appeared beside her, examined the body, introduced himself as Jeff Martini with "the agency," called out to an Armani-clad colleague to perform crowd control, and then insisted on leading her to a nearby limo to talk to his "boss."

And that was how Kitty's new life among the aliens began . . .

Katherine "Kitty" Katt Series:
Touched by an Alien
Alien Tango
Alien in the Family
Alien Proliferation
Alien Diplomacy
Alien vs. Alien
Alien in the House
Alien Research
Alien Collective
Universal Alien
Alien Separation
Alien in Chief
Camp Alien
Alien Nation
Alien Education
Aliens Abroad
Aliens Like Us (release date to be confirmed)
Alien Galaxy (release date to be confirmed)
Alien Rescue (release date to be confirmed)
Alien Reckoning (release date to be confirmed)

Visit Gini Koch's website for more information

Review:
Katherine "Kitty" Katt has just finished jury service and is about to head back to work when she gets caught up in a domestic dispute.  When the husband suddenly mutates into a creature from Kitty's worst nightmares and goes on a killing spree she takes action without even thinking and manages to kill the creature using just her pen.  What started as a normal day goes downhill rapidly from there and she soon finds herself whisked away by a group of Armani clad hunks who want her to come and work for their secret organisation.  Kitty soon discovers that there are aliens walking amongst us.  You have the good guys from AC who are all drop dead gorgeous and the bad guys who are parasites that infect humans and turn them into evil superbeings.  The good guys want Kitty on their team but is she brave enough to face the bad guys again?  Does she even have a choice in the matter?

I'd seen a lot of rave reviews for this series and it's one that I've been meaning to start for a long time now but for some reason had never got around to.  The only reason I don't regret waiting is that the next 2 books are already available so I can spend more time in Kitty's world without having to wait!  I'll admit now that I haven't read a lot of science fiction but Touched by an Alien had me hooked from the very first page and I literally couldn't put it down.  Yes, there were a few things that bugged me - an entire race of aliens and they all looked like supermodels and Kitty was a tiny bit too perfect - but I absolutely loved the snarky sense of humor that runs through the story and I can't remember the last time a book make me laugh out loud as much as this one did.

Kitty is a likable heroine, although she is thrown in at the deep end when she discovers that aliens exist she keeps a level head and takes things surprisingly well.  She is smart, witty, speaks her mind and won't let anyone push her around which I appreciate in a main character.  Although she doesn't have superhuman strength she can hold her own and isn't afraid to fight back.  From the moment Jeff Martini walked onto the page he stole the show for me, I absolutely loved him and couldn't wait for more scenes with him and Kitty.  Being from AC of course he is gorgeous but he isn't just a pretty face, although he makes his feelings for Kitty known from very early on it soon becomes clear that he genuinely does care for her. 

Aside from two fabulous main characters we are introduced to a whole host of wonderful side characters who just made me love the book even more.  It was a little confusing trying to keep the different characters straight in my head at first but this is often a problem at the beginning of a series and I soon got to know who was who.  The whole secret organisation reminded me a lot of Men In Black (even Kitty makes a reference to the film so I think it's supposed to) but each member of the team stood out as an individual and I'm looking forward to getting to know them all better.  It was probably Kitty's parents that I loved the most though, they certainly had some surprises up their sleeves for Kitty to uncover!

Touched by an Alien is a hilarious book and if you're looking for something light hearted and fun to read then you can't go far wrong.  Don't be put off by the science fiction label even if that's something you wouldn't normally read - if you like a fun story with snarky banter, melting hot smexy scenes and a fast paced plot then look no further.  I loved Gini Koch's writing style and absolutely can not wait to see where she takes this series next.  If Alien Tango is half as good as this was then Gini Koch will definitely be added to my list of must buy authors.

Source: Purchased

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