Well that was disappointing. For a series that started off pretty solid, followed up with two novellas ranging from excellent to solid, it now continues to go downhill. Star Crossed is the latest in the Fly Me to the Moon series, and it was by far the weakest one yet.
Geri Brixton is an astronaut in training. Ish. She’s in training, but she never expects to actually fly a mission (leave that to the men). Beverly (who’s last name I’ve already forgotten) is an African American computer at fictional NASA. They meet because while Geri has the flying chops to go to space she doesn’t have the math chops. Hence needing to be tutored by the beautiful Bev.
Setting a female/female romance in the 1960’s is ambitious to say the least. I give the authors all the credit in the world. The thing is though, I don’t think they really pulled it off. Geri and Bev are an interesting start of characters, but what I keep finding as a running theme throughout these books is that they’re not very three dimensional. And they are clearly working at building characters, but it continues to feel like something is missing. Geri is completely unfeminine and doesn’t know how to cook. Bev is beautiful and homey and social. They just don’t feel like “real people”. Also, and I know this is stereotypical of me, but bear with me on this. The main conflict in this story comes from the characters not communicating with each other (they’re terrible at communicating literally the entire book). As a woman, and one with her own communication issues with her partner, I would have loved to see a romance between two women who worked it all out with words. Stereotypical? Yes. But I still would have enjoyed the hell out of it. Instead of yelling at the book, “just say what you mean!”.
Anywho, between the most recent two in the series I think I’m out. I read a preview for the newest one coming out later this year, and it just doesn’t interest me (guy knocks up girl, then has to do right by her). I might come back to a later one at some point if the setup is right (or Carruthers gets a book), but otherwise I’m now out. They’re just not too meh to keep going.
I’ve been MIA for a couple weeks here, and now you’re ahead of me again! Argh! I read that they pulled this book like a day after it went live because of some bad backlash, and they will possibly be reworking it. https://authoremmabarry.com/2017/04/05/statement-re-star-crossed/
That’s a great statement from the author. I would take a chance on their reworked version based on that statement alone.
Wow. That shows a great deal of self-awareness. I’m pushing up my timeline to read some of their other works based on it.
They did pull it. I couldn’t find a real link anywhere. But I did read it and had major reservations and issues so good on the authors for realizing this.
Wow, they actually pulled it! I guess my response that I wasn’t going to read it is now redundant.