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The Stars Too Fondly
In her breathtaking debut—part space odyssey, part sapphic rom-com—Emily Hamilton tells a tale of galaxy-spanning friendship, improbable love, and found family.
So, here’s the thing: Cleo and her friends really, truly didn’t mean to steal this spaceship. They just wanted to know why, twenty years ago, the entire Providence crew vanished without a trace, but then the stupid dark-matter engine started on its own. Now these four twenty-somethings are en route to Proxima Centauri and unable to turn around while being harangued by a hologram that has the face and snide attitude of the ship’s missing captain, Billie.
Cleo has dreamt of being an astronaut all her life, and Earth is a lost cause at this point, so this should be one of those blessings in disguise that people talk about. But as the ship travels deeper into space, the laws of physics start twisting; old mysteries come crawling back to life; and Cleo’s initially combative relationship with Billie turns into something deeper and more desperate than either woman was prepared for.
So, here’s the thing: Cleo and her friends really, truly didn’t mean to steal this spaceship. They just wanted to know why, twenty years ago, the entire Providence crew vanished without a trace, but then the stupid dark-matter engine started on its own. Now these four twenty-somethings are en route to Proxima Centauri and unable to turn around while being harangued by a hologram that has the face and snide attitude of the ship’s missing captain, Billie.
Cleo has dreamt of being an astronaut all her life, and Earth is a lost cause at this point, so this should be one of those blessings in disguise that people talk about. But as the ship travels deeper into space, the laws of physics start twisting; old mysteries come crawling back to life; and Cleo’s initially combative relationship with Billie turns into something deeper and more desperate than either woman was prepared for.
336 pages, Paperback
First published June 11, 2024
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June 15, 2024
gotta make sure the queers in space have their iced coffees and rom com fixes
The Stars Too Fondly is a cozy and queer science fiction debut about the price of progress at the expense of the many, and a generation seeking salvation among the stars. Featuring: a diverse cast and fun twisty spacetime adventures –not to mention the accessibility of iced drinks and rom-coms on a spaceship (a priority if you have queers in space). Prepare to fall hopelessly in with Hamilton's crew of loud and loveable characters that feel like their own kind of family and love just as large. Emily Hamilton manages to pack a ton of information into her debut, balancing out the interpersonal conflicts with a compelling discussion of space exploration and scientific hubris. I loved learning more about the lore of the Providence crew and what went wrong in the initial launch, and the reveals with the dark matter and its powers. Altogether just a delightful mashup of romance and science fiction that will appeal to many readers inside and outside both genres.
thank you to emily for sending me an arc!!
Follow me on Instagram
The Stars Too Fondly is a cozy and queer science fiction debut about the price of progress at the expense of the many, and a generation seeking salvation among the stars. Featuring: a diverse cast and fun twisty spacetime adventures –not to mention the accessibility of iced drinks and rom-coms on a spaceship (a priority if you have queers in space). Prepare to fall hopelessly in with Hamilton's crew of loud and loveable characters that feel like their own kind of family and love just as large. Emily Hamilton manages to pack a ton of information into her debut, balancing out the interpersonal conflicts with a compelling discussion of space exploration and scientific hubris. I loved learning more about the lore of the Providence crew and what went wrong in the initial launch, and the reveals with the dark matter and its powers. Altogether just a delightful mashup of romance and science fiction that will appeal to many readers inside and outside both genres.
thank you to emily for sending me an arc!!
Follow me on Instagram
June 27, 2024
On my blog.
Rep: lesbian mc, bi mc, Black transfem side character, Chinese American side character, nonbinary side character
Galley provided by publisher
The Stars Too Fondly was a book that so perfectly checked every box of my (personal) how not to do sci fi list. And yeah, sure, this is probably another case of why didn’t you conclude this from the blurb alone. I mean, even if the blurb hadn’t signalled not-for-me-ness, then reading the first two pages definitely should have. In fact, that’s probably where I should have called it a day.
For a certain audience, this is a book that will hit all the right spots. From the second page of this book (coincidentally where it’s revealed that, in 2061, we still have TikTok, of all things), it was abundantly clear that I am not part of that audience. I will never be part of that audience. Every aspect of this book made me want to poke my eyes out with a sharp stick. You may think that an exaggeration, but no. It very much is not.
First things first: I wouldn’t often call writing bad, because it’s very much down to individual readers, I think. And then I come across books like this and I think I am absolutely justified in calling this writing bad. From the godawful textspeak (which doesn’t sound remotely like anyone would speak let alone text), to the character descriptions shoehorned into the text in the most awkward of ways, to lines like “also looking incredibly heist-chic in her black dress and leather jacket”… Yeah. Simply on a surface level this writing was bad.
I can’t say that a good plot would have saved this for me because once I’ve decided I don’t like a writing style, that’s it for the book. So, in that sense, this book was a lost cause from page one. Things didn’t improve in other areas, though. These characters are supposedly late(?) 20s, but they read like a bunch of hormonal teenagers. And, hey, to each their own, but if I’m reading an adult book I want to feel like I’m reading about adults and people with adult concerns.
On top of this, there’s a whole lot of telling and not a lot of showing. Take, for example, the found family that’s clearly being driven towards by the narrative. How do I know that’s what happening? Well, not because I’m being shown it, that’s for sure! It’s an exercise in the author being like I’m gonna hit all the sweet spots for found family and I’m going to describe them to you in detail so you KNOW that’s what I’m doing. This is just an illustration of how the entire flipping book progresses. Combine this with an annoying omniscient narrator who seems to know everything — and I mean, a question gets raised in Cleo’s POV and you think, okay, here’s something, only for that question to be fully answered by this omniscient narrator and any tension that might have been building plummets like a lead balloon — and you just have a really boring plot. Much of it, too, you can see coming a mile off. There was, briefly, a moment where there came something I didn’t expect, but it was so late in the game that it didn’t exactly have much impact. Somewhat predictably, this had a knock-on effect on the relationships (including the found family as mentioned above). Billie and Cleo’s in particular felt very weak and watery, which was a pretty big problem since this is effectively a romance novel with them at the centre.
My last gripe is more to do with marketing than the book itself. This is not science fiction. I would barely even call it science fantasy because that implies there’s some actual science involved instead of whatever this wishy-washy mess was. This book is more like fantasy wrapped up in some scientific words. But that one’s on marketing, I think. Just don’t go reading this one for the sci fi aspect.
Anyway, this all added up to a 1-star read for me that I could have seen coming from the very first few pages. One day I will learn to DNF books. Maybe.
Rep: lesbian mc, bi mc, Black transfem side character, Chinese American side character, nonbinary side character
Galley provided by publisher
The Stars Too Fondly was a book that so perfectly checked every box of my (personal) how not to do sci fi list. And yeah, sure, this is probably another case of why didn’t you conclude this from the blurb alone. I mean, even if the blurb hadn’t signalled not-for-me-ness, then reading the first two pages definitely should have. In fact, that’s probably where I should have called it a day.
For a certain audience, this is a book that will hit all the right spots. From the second page of this book (coincidentally where it’s revealed that, in 2061, we still have TikTok, of all things), it was abundantly clear that I am not part of that audience. I will never be part of that audience. Every aspect of this book made me want to poke my eyes out with a sharp stick. You may think that an exaggeration, but no. It very much is not.
First things first: I wouldn’t often call writing bad, because it’s very much down to individual readers, I think. And then I come across books like this and I think I am absolutely justified in calling this writing bad. From the godawful textspeak (which doesn’t sound remotely like anyone would speak let alone text), to the character descriptions shoehorned into the text in the most awkward of ways, to lines like “also looking incredibly heist-chic in her black dress and leather jacket”… Yeah. Simply on a surface level this writing was bad.
I can’t say that a good plot would have saved this for me because once I’ve decided I don’t like a writing style, that’s it for the book. So, in that sense, this book was a lost cause from page one. Things didn’t improve in other areas, though. These characters are supposedly late(?) 20s, but they read like a bunch of hormonal teenagers. And, hey, to each their own, but if I’m reading an adult book I want to feel like I’m reading about adults and people with adult concerns.
On top of this, there’s a whole lot of telling and not a lot of showing. Take, for example, the found family that’s clearly being driven towards by the narrative. How do I know that’s what happening? Well, not because I’m being shown it, that’s for sure! It’s an exercise in the author being like I’m gonna hit all the sweet spots for found family and I’m going to describe them to you in detail so you KNOW that’s what I’m doing. This is just an illustration of how the entire flipping book progresses. Combine this with an annoying omniscient narrator who seems to know everything — and I mean, a question gets raised in Cleo’s POV and you think, okay, here’s something, only for that question to be fully answered by this omniscient narrator and any tension that might have been building plummets like a lead balloon — and you just have a really boring plot. Much of it, too, you can see coming a mile off. There was, briefly, a moment where there came something I didn’t expect, but it was so late in the game that it didn’t exactly have much impact. Somewhat predictably, this had a knock-on effect on the relationships (including the found family as mentioned above). Billie and Cleo’s in particular felt very weak and watery, which was a pretty big problem since this is effectively a romance novel with them at the centre.
My last gripe is more to do with marketing than the book itself. This is not science fiction. I would barely even call it science fantasy because that implies there’s some actual science involved instead of whatever this wishy-washy mess was. This book is more like fantasy wrapped up in some scientific words. But that one’s on marketing, I think. Just don’t go reading this one for the sci fi aspect.
Anyway, this all added up to a 1-star read for me that I could have seen coming from the very first few pages. One day I will learn to DNF books. Maybe.
June 11, 2024
This book had a little bit of everything (seriously it was sci-fi, fantasy, romance, comedy, heartwarming). I’m a little surprised this was a debut because it was such a treat to read. I’m glad I found this on vacation so I could devour it in one day because it was a wonderful ride. I would love to see this book be made into a movie (even if a movie would have a hard time capturing all I loved about this story). The Providence 1 was the salvation for humankind. A mission with over 200 people to populate a distant moon that could be habitable. But on the day of the launch every single person disappeared and was presumed dead. 20 years later Cleo and her 3 friends are determined that they have the skills necessary to solve the greatest mystery of humankind. Despite having no intention of stealing the ship they launch into space and while they do learn what happened to the crew of the Providence 1 they learned so much more. This was the queer space rom-com I never knew I needed but I did.
January 19, 2024
This is being pitched as a “science fantasy sapphic romantic comedy.” My only complaint with that description is, in my experience, rom-coms usually don’t have nearly this much depth, and very rarely this much heart.
The story here starts 20 years before the book itself does. The privately-owned starship Providence I is off to Proxima Centauri B to found the first extrasolar colony, powered by its (details kept secret by the corporate owners) dark matter engine. Except when the engine is activated, the entire crew of the ship just … vanishes. Twenty years later, Cleo and her friends (having grown up first obsessed with humanity’s grand project colonize the stars, and then crushed with disappointment after the program was abandoned following the disaster) decide to break into the derelict Providence I to see what they can learn about what happened to the crew.
They had no intention of triggering the launch sequence and stealing the ship, but shit happens.
Next they discover that the captain of the ship (Wilhelmina Lucas, Billie to her friends) uploaded a copy of herself into the ship’s computer, and her hologram is there to boss them around and snark at them.
The story progresses as Cleo and her friends figure out how they’re going to survive and, hopefully, get home; what happened to the crew twenty years before; and how Cleo is going to manage her growing desire for a relationship that is obviously impossible.
As I said at the top, this is a book with heart. The science-fiction aspects were well done, and I was thoroughly invested in both what was going to happen and learning what happened twenty years before. But what really kept me going was the growing relationship between Cleo and Billie. The challenges of a relationship between a human and a hologram have been explored before, but seldom so seriously (though Rimmer and Lister kissing remains one of the funniest moments in television history). I wasn’t sure, for most of this book, whether it was going to make my cynical heart grow at least three sizes, or if it was going to rip it into a thousand pieces.
Since I don’t want to say anything more, I need someone else to read this so we can talk.
My blog
The story here starts 20 years before the book itself does. The privately-owned starship Providence I is off to Proxima Centauri B to found the first extrasolar colony, powered by its (details kept secret by the corporate owners) dark matter engine. Except when the engine is activated, the entire crew of the ship just … vanishes. Twenty years later, Cleo and her friends (having grown up first obsessed with humanity’s grand project colonize the stars, and then crushed with disappointment after the program was abandoned following the disaster) decide to break into the derelict Providence I to see what they can learn about what happened to the crew.
They had no intention of triggering the launch sequence and stealing the ship, but shit happens.
Next they discover that the captain of the ship (Wilhelmina Lucas, Billie to her friends) uploaded a copy of herself into the ship’s computer, and her hologram is there to boss them around and snark at them.
The story progresses as Cleo and her friends figure out how they’re going to survive and, hopefully, get home; what happened to the crew twenty years before; and how Cleo is going to manage her growing desire for a relationship that is obviously impossible.
As I said at the top, this is a book with heart. The science-fiction aspects were well done, and I was thoroughly invested in both what was going to happen and learning what happened twenty years before. But what really kept me going was the growing relationship between Cleo and Billie. The challenges of a relationship between a human and a hologram have been explored before, but seldom so seriously (though Rimmer and Lister kissing remains one of the funniest moments in television history). I wasn’t sure, for most of this book, whether it was going to make my cynical heart grow at least three sizes, or if it was going to rip it into a thousand pieces.
Since I don’t want to say anything more, I need someone else to read this so we can talk.
My blog
May 12, 2024
The vacuum of space is anything but dark when your found family is with you. This cozy space opera is delightful and full of heart.
Want to read
June 6, 2024You had me at sapphic sci-fi romcom but then I realized the title is a Sarah Williams quote so you can count me IN!
April 20, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC. All opinions are my own.
I’ll be completely honest, the moment I read that title my mind immediately went to the quote “I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night” and with a pretty cover like that, an instant need to read this story came over me. When I read the synopsis—part space odyssey, part sapphic rom-com—and saw that its release date is on my birthday in the middle of pride month, I was sold. And then imagine my glee when I find said quote in the epigraph! I thought things couldn't get better.
So to say that I absolutely did not like this book guts me. I’m so incredibly disappointed to say that there isn’t a single thing I liked about this book. It was such a drag to get through and I always picked it back up with a long face only to fight my way through it, my eyes skimming half the words.
My issues with the book started from the beginning. At only three chapters in, my first irk was solidified. To me, writing is one of the most important things in a book. It can make or break a story. One can have a brilliant story idea but not have the skill to properly articulate it. Sadly I feel like this was the case here. Taking the fact that this is a debut author into account, I do not entirely blame them for the abysmal writing and the many inconsistencies. In this case feel like the editor is partially at fault too. Because I felt like this book was missing some serious rounds of edits. It read like a first draft, its sentences jumping from one thing to another to the point of giving me whiplash.
To take an example sentence out of context to show you what I mean:
This is just all over the place. What does his ethnicity have to do with his height and how does it move on to an off-handed description of how he moves and a description of his physical appearance in the SAME sentence? These phrases have nothing to do with each other and it would have read smoother if they had been in separate sentences. On top of this, the book is written in the third person from Cleo’s perspective. If this man was resting his chin on top of Cleo’s head, there was no way she would be able to see whether his hair was getting into his eyes. Such inconsistencies should be edited out.
There were plenty more sentences like this, with phrases that don’t connect well but are forced together with nothing but a comma separating them. It doesn’t read smoothly and it can really throw the reader off. There were also plenty more of these inconsistencies that are (admittedly) very small details but in the grand scheme of a book matter a whole lot and should have been edited out.
Of course, this can be a personal preference. Other readers might not spend as much time on such details or on the writing style as I do and therefore take no issue with the way this book was written. I just feel like this is something the editor should have taken up with the author to try and elevate the writing of this book.
A second thing I took issue with was the characters and their age. This is an adult sci-fi, the characters are all 27+ or even 30+ years old. I was so excited when I found out. As much as I love reading about teens taking over the galaxy, there is something special about seeing queer adults get their spotlight as well. As a queer 26-year-old myself, this was heartwarming and refreshing to see. Unfortunately, I did not feel like the characters acted their age. It felt more like I was reading about a cast of 14-year-olds. I mean, what adult in their right mind says “LOL” in a normal oral conversation? Not even teens say LOL out loud. I’ve read YA sci-fi books with characters who acted more maturely than the adults depicted in this book. There wasn’t a single character I liked, especially none of the characters in the squad. They constantly threw tantrums, unable to get a grip on their emotions. They had petty fights that were resolved in the next chapter in a “now shake hands” kindergarten kind of way. Only for them to start another fight the chapter after that.
After the initial chapters took off the story and the group of characters found themselves in space, the plot fell flat. What followed was a sequence of boring chapters in which the characters spent their time mostly doing useless things. The reader only reads about Cleo watching rom-coms from the 80’s or reading poetry. She and Billy, the ship’s holo computer program, constantly talked about old movies from the 80’s(?) and Shakespeare and other dead writers. Then JFK was thrown into it and I was left wondering why on earth the author would write a sci-fi set in the future if all they were going to focus on was the past. It’s the future for God’s sake! An exciting blank space of things that have yet to happen. You can fill it with your wildest imagination! Why focus on the past and things you can’t change?
But what bothered me most of all was why the characters were constantly doing these mundane things instead of trying everything in their power to find a solution to their dire situation. If I was stuck in space with the possibility of never making it back to Earth again, I wouldn’t have time to watch romcoms and read poetry. I’d be up at all hours doing research and experimenting to try and fix this mess.
The world building also had some serious issues and its construction overall felt very lazy to me. Things just were. There was no real grounding for any of the science/magic/whatever you want to call it. There’s this “Other Place” around which the plot revolves and it is all constructed in a too-convenient way that doesn’t make sense if you really think it through. To top it off, the ending was very deus ex machina and didn’t require any real effort from anyone’s side. It was underwhelming and did not leave a lasting impression. It’s not something to be blown away by.
And then there was the romance. Ugh, the romance. Cleo falls in love with a hologram. I don’t care how realistic the AI programming is. How much the holo Billy resembled Billy the human. It’s not an actual person. It’s not real. It’s just a computer program with a very complicated algorithm. I couldn’t ship it. I just couldn’t. To me, it wasn’t real. It was like reading about a person falling in love with an innate object. And while I know there’s a Greek myth out there that could pull this kind of plot off, this book couldn’t.
All things considered, I would normally give it a one star because, as mentioned before, there wasn’t a single thing I liked. Nothing stood out to me. This book did not make me Feel the Feels not blow me off my feet. The only reason I’m giving it two stars is because it’s queer. And as a queer person, I always try to support other queers, especially queer literature because I think it is important to broadcast queer media in this day and age. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to compromise my integrity by lying and saying I loved a queer book when I didn't. I hope it finds the audience it is meant for and that there are other readers out there who will love the book and find whatever they need in it.
I’ll be completely honest, the moment I read that title my mind immediately went to the quote “I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night” and with a pretty cover like that, an instant need to read this story came over me. When I read the synopsis—part space odyssey, part sapphic rom-com—and saw that its release date is on my birthday in the middle of pride month, I was sold. And then imagine my glee when I find said quote in the epigraph! I thought things couldn't get better.
So to say that I absolutely did not like this book guts me. I’m so incredibly disappointed to say that there isn’t a single thing I liked about this book. It was such a drag to get through and I always picked it back up with a long face only to fight my way through it, my eyes skimming half the words.
My issues with the book started from the beginning. At only three chapters in, my first irk was solidified. To me, writing is one of the most important things in a book. It can make or break a story. One can have a brilliant story idea but not have the skill to properly articulate it. Sadly I feel like this was the case here. Taking the fact that this is a debut author into account, I do not entirely blame them for the abysmal writing and the many inconsistencies. In this case feel like the editor is partially at fault too. Because I felt like this book was missing some serious rounds of edits. It read like a first draft, its sentences jumping from one thing to another to the point of giving me whiplash.
To take an example sentence out of context to show you what I mean:
He was Chinese American, tall enough to rest his chin on the top of Cleo’s head, and bouncing on the balls of his feet so rapidly that his floppy black hair was getting in his eyes.
This is just all over the place. What does his ethnicity have to do with his height and how does it move on to an off-handed description of how he moves and a description of his physical appearance in the SAME sentence? These phrases have nothing to do with each other and it would have read smoother if they had been in separate sentences. On top of this, the book is written in the third person from Cleo’s perspective. If this man was resting his chin on top of Cleo’s head, there was no way she would be able to see whether his hair was getting into his eyes. Such inconsistencies should be edited out.
There were plenty more sentences like this, with phrases that don’t connect well but are forced together with nothing but a comma separating them. It doesn’t read smoothly and it can really throw the reader off. There were also plenty more of these inconsistencies that are (admittedly) very small details but in the grand scheme of a book matter a whole lot and should have been edited out.
Of course, this can be a personal preference. Other readers might not spend as much time on such details or on the writing style as I do and therefore take no issue with the way this book was written. I just feel like this is something the editor should have taken up with the author to try and elevate the writing of this book.
A second thing I took issue with was the characters and their age. This is an adult sci-fi, the characters are all 27+ or even 30+ years old. I was so excited when I found out. As much as I love reading about teens taking over the galaxy, there is something special about seeing queer adults get their spotlight as well. As a queer 26-year-old myself, this was heartwarming and refreshing to see. Unfortunately, I did not feel like the characters acted their age. It felt more like I was reading about a cast of 14-year-olds. I mean, what adult in their right mind says “LOL” in a normal oral conversation? Not even teens say LOL out loud. I’ve read YA sci-fi books with characters who acted more maturely than the adults depicted in this book. There wasn’t a single character I liked, especially none of the characters in the squad. They constantly threw tantrums, unable to get a grip on their emotions. They had petty fights that were resolved in the next chapter in a “now shake hands” kindergarten kind of way. Only for them to start another fight the chapter after that.
After the initial chapters took off the story and the group of characters found themselves in space, the plot fell flat. What followed was a sequence of boring chapters in which the characters spent their time mostly doing useless things. The reader only reads about Cleo watching rom-coms from the 80’s or reading poetry. She and Billy, the ship’s holo computer program, constantly talked about old movies from the 80’s(?) and Shakespeare and other dead writers. Then JFK was thrown into it and I was left wondering why on earth the author would write a sci-fi set in the future if all they were going to focus on was the past. It’s the future for God’s sake! An exciting blank space of things that have yet to happen. You can fill it with your wildest imagination! Why focus on the past and things you can’t change?
But what bothered me most of all was why the characters were constantly doing these mundane things instead of trying everything in their power to find a solution to their dire situation. If I was stuck in space with the possibility of never making it back to Earth again, I wouldn’t have time to watch romcoms and read poetry. I’d be up at all hours doing research and experimenting to try and fix this mess.
The world building also had some serious issues and its construction overall felt very lazy to me. Things just were. There was no real grounding for any of the science/magic/whatever you want to call it. There’s this “Other Place” around which the plot revolves and it is all constructed in a too-convenient way that doesn’t make sense if you really think it through. To top it off, the ending was very deus ex machina and didn’t require any real effort from anyone’s side. It was underwhelming and did not leave a lasting impression. It’s not something to be blown away by.
And then there was the romance. Ugh, the romance. Cleo falls in love with a hologram. I don’t care how realistic the AI programming is. How much the holo Billy resembled Billy the human. It’s not an actual person. It’s not real. It’s just a computer program with a very complicated algorithm. I couldn’t ship it. I just couldn’t. To me, it wasn’t real. It was like reading about a person falling in love with an innate object. And while I know there’s a Greek myth out there that could pull this kind of plot off, this book couldn’t.
All things considered, I would normally give it a one star because, as mentioned before, there wasn’t a single thing I liked. Nothing stood out to me. This book did not make me Feel the Feels not blow me off my feet. The only reason I’m giving it two stars is because it’s queer. And as a queer person, I always try to support other queers, especially queer literature because I think it is important to broadcast queer media in this day and age. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to compromise my integrity by lying and saying I loved a queer book when I didn't. I hope it finds the audience it is meant for and that there are other readers out there who will love the book and find whatever they need in it.
June 11, 2024
4.5. It’s a sapphic romance, it’s set in space, AND it’s well-written. Absolutely incredible.
Thanks to the publisher for a review copy!
Thanks to the publisher for a review copy!
Shelved as '2024'
May 30, 2024📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager
July 9, 2024
There was so much I loved in this book. So much. A bulleted list is needed:
1. Improbable romance. This is my ultimate catnip. Probably why I read The Host like 12 times. In this case, Cleo falls in love with a hologram. It’s just awesome that you’re thinking, how’s this going to work? Then when it does… Double whammy feels.
2. Sapphic love. The G|G romance between Cleo and Billie was just lovely. The pacing to the love declarations was a little fast but fit well in the overall plot of the story. This book was a specific Pride Month pick for me.
3. Space adventure! A clever mystery unfolds as the heroes hurtle through space.
4. Found family. Our quartet of intrepid explorers are like any loving family. They bicker, they call “BS” when BS is called for, and they love and support each other 112 percent. This story works because all four in the main group get their moments to shine.
5. Debut novel? Bravo. Though some of the prose was a little clunky in parts, but I think Hamilton has room to grow, and I expect she will.
I read this book twice since I got it five days ago, and I know I’ll read it again and again.
1. Improbable romance. This is my ultimate catnip. Probably why I read The Host like 12 times. In this case, Cleo falls in love with a hologram. It’s just awesome that you’re thinking, how’s this going to work? Then when it does… Double whammy feels.
2. Sapphic love. The G|G romance between Cleo and Billie was just lovely. The pacing to the love declarations was a little fast but fit well in the overall plot of the story. This book was a specific Pride Month pick for me.
3. Space adventure! A clever mystery unfolds as the heroes hurtle through space.
4. Found family. Our quartet of intrepid explorers are like any loving family. They bicker, they call “BS” when BS is called for, and they love and support each other 112 percent. This story works because all four in the main group get their moments to shine.
5. Debut novel? Bravo. Though some of the prose was a little clunky in parts, but I think Hamilton has room to grow, and I expect she will.
I read this book twice since I got it five days ago, and I know I’ll read it again and again.
June 17, 2024
This book features one of my all-time favorite themes: GAYS IN SPACE.
Imagine ‘Interstellar’, but instead of Matthew McConaughey, the protagonist is a lesbian who falls in love with TARS, now a hot, bisexual hologram. So, who could blame her?
✨ Plot ✨
The Stars Too Fondly is a cosy, queer sci-fi rom-com about a group of friends who accidentally get launched into space after sneaking into an old spaceship.
Twenty years ago, an attempt to colonise an exo-planet went horribly wrong when the entire crew of over 200 people vanished without a trace. Cleo and her fellow space-obsessed friends sneak into the old craft to uncover what happened all those years ago. Unexpectedly, the engine activates and propels them into space. Their only hope of returning to Earth lies with a snide hologram modeled after the ship’s old captain, Billy. As time passes, Cleo uncovers more about the vanished crew, all while grappling with confusing (and distracting) feelings.
Is it the most innovative, groundbreaking sci-fi book? No. But the lovely cast of likeable and diverse characters makes this sci-fi tale unique. We have lesbian, bisexual, non-binary, Black transfem, and Asian-American characters, each with distinct personalities, even though the story is told from Cleo and Billy’s points of view.
The characters are supposed to be 27-30 years old, though it reads more like a YA book. I love YA, so this didn’t bother me much. However, the audiobook narrator uses rather childish voices for some characters, which I personally didn’t find fitting.
Perfect for fans of:
- One Last Stop (sapphic, time/space mystery)
- Six of Crows (found family, powers)
- On a Sunbeam (sapphic love story in space)
- Cosmoknights (more gays in space)
- Becky Chambers (queer sci-fi)
Thank you to Libro.FM for the ALC!
Imagine ‘Interstellar’, but instead of Matthew McConaughey, the protagonist is a lesbian who falls in love with TARS, now a hot, bisexual hologram. So, who could blame her?
✨ Plot ✨
The Stars Too Fondly is a cosy, queer sci-fi rom-com about a group of friends who accidentally get launched into space after sneaking into an old spaceship.
Twenty years ago, an attempt to colonise an exo-planet went horribly wrong when the entire crew of over 200 people vanished without a trace. Cleo and her fellow space-obsessed friends sneak into the old craft to uncover what happened all those years ago. Unexpectedly, the engine activates and propels them into space. Their only hope of returning to Earth lies with a snide hologram modeled after the ship’s old captain, Billy. As time passes, Cleo uncovers more about the vanished crew, all while grappling with confusing (and distracting) feelings.
Is it the most innovative, groundbreaking sci-fi book? No. But the lovely cast of likeable and diverse characters makes this sci-fi tale unique. We have lesbian, bisexual, non-binary, Black transfem, and Asian-American characters, each with distinct personalities, even though the story is told from Cleo and Billy’s points of view.
The characters are supposed to be 27-30 years old, though it reads more like a YA book. I love YA, so this didn’t bother me much. However, the audiobook narrator uses rather childish voices for some characters, which I personally didn’t find fitting.
Perfect for fans of:
- One Last Stop (sapphic, time/space mystery)
- Six of Crows (found family, powers)
- On a Sunbeam (sapphic love story in space)
- Cosmoknights (more gays in space)
- Becky Chambers (queer sci-fi)
Thank you to Libro.FM for the ALC!
June 18, 2024
Wow. This was amazing.
This is a blend of space adventure and sapphic rom-com that hits all the right notes. This is a heartfelt story that will make you laugh, cry, and believe in the power of love and friendship across the galaxy. If your brain needs to feel like you've gotten an accepting hug, this book is for you.
Cleo and her friends accidentally commandeer a spaceship that was previously involved with the disappearance of 200+ colonists looking for a new world. The mystery of the vanished crew, the shock of the unexpected seven-year journey, and the moody hologram of the former captain set the stage for a thrilling story.
The character dynamics in this book are its strongest suit. Cleo’s evolving relationship with Billie is beautifully portrayed. The found family aspect is executed flawlessly, celebrating platonic and romantic love in its many forms. Conflicts among the crew are resolved in mature and satisfying ways, making their bond all the more compelling. I love these smart dummies so much.
Diversity and inclusivity are woven into the story. The characters’ diverse backgrounds and identities are represented with care and authenticity. It’s a joy to see such a wide range of experiences and perspectives celebrated and accepted.
Hamilton’s writing is beautiful and the themes of acceptance and love brought a tear to my eyes so many times. This is a rare feat, making this book even more special to me. There are darker themes here, but the positive and hopeful tone is uplifting. My brain really needed the sugar-sweet goofy romance.
However, there is a minor flaw in the audiobook narration. The voices for Ros and Abe are too similar for me and I have to wait to hear who is actually speaking. While this initially distracts, it becomes less noticeable as the story progresses. Despite this, Ortiz’s narration overall is wonderful.
This is a gorgeous and moving debut that excels in its portrayal of found family and diverse, inclusive love. Hamilton has crafted a story that is both entertaining and emotionally satisfying. I felt so content and happy after the last sentence. Cozy sci-fi fans looking for excellent characters will adore this.
Thanks to Netgalley, Avon/Harper, and libro.fm for the copies. This review is based on a complimentary pre-released copy and it is voluntary.
This is a blend of space adventure and sapphic rom-com that hits all the right notes. This is a heartfelt story that will make you laugh, cry, and believe in the power of love and friendship across the galaxy. If your brain needs to feel like you've gotten an accepting hug, this book is for you.
Cleo and her friends accidentally commandeer a spaceship that was previously involved with the disappearance of 200+ colonists looking for a new world. The mystery of the vanished crew, the shock of the unexpected seven-year journey, and the moody hologram of the former captain set the stage for a thrilling story.
The character dynamics in this book are its strongest suit. Cleo’s evolving relationship with Billie is beautifully portrayed. The found family aspect is executed flawlessly, celebrating platonic and romantic love in its many forms. Conflicts among the crew are resolved in mature and satisfying ways, making their bond all the more compelling. I love these smart dummies so much.
Diversity and inclusivity are woven into the story. The characters’ diverse backgrounds and identities are represented with care and authenticity. It’s a joy to see such a wide range of experiences and perspectives celebrated and accepted.
Hamilton’s writing is beautiful and the themes of acceptance and love brought a tear to my eyes so many times. This is a rare feat, making this book even more special to me. There are darker themes here, but the positive and hopeful tone is uplifting. My brain really needed the sugar-sweet goofy romance.
However, there is a minor flaw in the audiobook narration. The voices for Ros and Abe are too similar for me and I have to wait to hear who is actually speaking. While this initially distracts, it becomes less noticeable as the story progresses. Despite this, Ortiz’s narration overall is wonderful.
This is a gorgeous and moving debut that excels in its portrayal of found family and diverse, inclusive love. Hamilton has crafted a story that is both entertaining and emotionally satisfying. I felt so content and happy after the last sentence. Cozy sci-fi fans looking for excellent characters will adore this.
Thanks to Netgalley, Avon/Harper, and libro.fm for the copies. This review is based on a complimentary pre-released copy and it is voluntary.
February 8, 2024
“Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”
this was so cute and a lot of fun!!! cozy sci-fi rom com is a genre i didn’t know i needed until now
this was so cute and a lot of fun!!! cozy sci-fi rom com is a genre i didn’t know i needed until now
June 10, 2024
The Stars Too Fondly was quite an entertaining space adventure with a wonderful cast of characters! I mostly loved this one, save a couple things I didn't, so I think it best to break it down!
What I Loved:
►The premise was amazing. I was so excited about the premise, and it absolutely delivered. I mean, a whole ship of people just... vanish? And now the world is on its last legs, and then oops some randos accidentally steal the ship?! It is just such a great mix of high stakes and absurdity that I loved it.
►Speaking of high stakes mixed with absurdity, the balance of emotions was great. I mean- obviously there are going to be some harrowing moments, right? And there were. Intense, scary, sad, you name it. But they were interspersed with so many great funny and heartwarming moments that it was incredibly readable.
►As I said, I loved the characters. Cleo and her friends just had such a great rapport together. You could tell that they cared deeply for one another, but also were not afraid to call each other out when needed.
►There are so many mysteries to figure out! I loved the mystery element. There are secrets raging in the past and the present that the gang is going to have to figure out if they have any hope of getting home one day, and I loved reading about them all. It kept me guessing, and I could not put the book down because of them.
What I Struggled With:
►The romance. Sure, it's a little... unusual that Cleo and the AI have some feelings, but that isn't what bugged me. It was that they seemed to go from "moderate crush" to full-blown "I love this person more than anything in any universe" without a ton of development. It was just... not even too fast, just too understated? Like I legit wondered if I missed something, because to go from butterflies to love that quickly didn't add up.
►The ending was a little too easy/neat. It did end in a way that wrapped things up, so don't worry about that! It just seemed a little too easy for me after the entirety of the book not being easy, if that makes sense?
Bottom Line: Amazing premise and great characters, this was definitely an overall win!
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
What I Loved:
►The premise was amazing. I was so excited about the premise, and it absolutely delivered. I mean, a whole ship of people just... vanish? And now the world is on its last legs, and then oops some randos accidentally steal the ship?! It is just such a great mix of high stakes and absurdity that I loved it.
►Speaking of high stakes mixed with absurdity, the balance of emotions was great. I mean- obviously there are going to be some harrowing moments, right? And there were. Intense, scary, sad, you name it. But they were interspersed with so many great funny and heartwarming moments that it was incredibly readable.
►As I said, I loved the characters. Cleo and her friends just had such a great rapport together. You could tell that they cared deeply for one another, but also were not afraid to call each other out when needed.
►There are so many mysteries to figure out! I loved the mystery element. There are secrets raging in the past and the present that the gang is going to have to figure out if they have any hope of getting home one day, and I loved reading about them all. It kept me guessing, and I could not put the book down because of them.
What I Struggled With:
►The romance. Sure, it's a little... unusual that Cleo and the AI have some feelings, but that isn't what bugged me. It was that they seemed to go from "moderate crush" to full-blown "I love this person more than anything in any universe" without a ton of development. It was just... not even too fast, just too understated? Like I legit wondered if I missed something, because to go from butterflies to love that quickly didn't add up.
►The ending was a little too easy/neat. It did end in a way that wrapped things up, so don't worry about that! It just seemed a little too easy for me after the entirety of the book not being easy, if that makes sense?
Bottom Line: Amazing premise and great characters, this was definitely an overall win!
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
June 11, 2024
4.5 stars
Narrated by Vico Ortiz
Genre: science fiction, sapphic space romance
Space between Earth and Proxima Centauri B, 2061
Cleo and her friends accidentally activate a dark matter spaceship engine 20 years after the original mission crew vanished...and it's earned them a 14-year round trip journey to the planet Proxima Centauri B - which is only as fast as it is because of the Dark Matter engine. They awaken a hologram of Captain Billie Lucas, who may have been put in place to help untangle the complicated web of time and circumstances that activated the engine and also vanished the previous crew. All the while, Cleo wonders if it's ok to fall in love - with a hologram no less - while the fate of her friends and maybe the universe is in balance.
I ended up really loving the amount of science fiction and romance alongside one another. A great balance, with enough physics, dark matter speculation, and multiverse theory to satisfy me and enough of Cleo and Billie pining (though also grappling with the uncomfortable nature of wondering if corporeality and non-corporeality hampers compatibility...). If you’re a romance reader, the central plot of The Stars Too Fondly is the romance. If you’re a SF reader, it’s the nature of the dark matter engine and saving the world. I was fascinated that for me, neither plot overpowered the other.
This was a great debut novel. Even though the main characters are in their late 20s, and this is a slow burn open door romance, parts of it read a little YA, so reader be aware. But overall I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook.
Thank you to @librofm for the ALC and to @harpervoyagerus for the eARC for review. The Stars Too Fondly is out 6/11/24!
Narrated by Vico Ortiz
Genre: science fiction, sapphic space romance
Space between Earth and Proxima Centauri B, 2061
Cleo and her friends accidentally activate a dark matter spaceship engine 20 years after the original mission crew vanished...and it's earned them a 14-year round trip journey to the planet Proxima Centauri B - which is only as fast as it is because of the Dark Matter engine. They awaken a hologram of Captain Billie Lucas, who may have been put in place to help untangle the complicated web of time and circumstances that activated the engine and also vanished the previous crew. All the while, Cleo wonders if it's ok to fall in love - with a hologram no less - while the fate of her friends and maybe the universe is in balance.
I ended up really loving the amount of science fiction and romance alongside one another. A great balance, with enough physics, dark matter speculation, and multiverse theory to satisfy me and enough of Cleo and Billie pining (though also grappling with the uncomfortable nature of wondering if corporeality and non-corporeality hampers compatibility...). If you’re a romance reader, the central plot of The Stars Too Fondly is the romance. If you’re a SF reader, it’s the nature of the dark matter engine and saving the world. I was fascinated that for me, neither plot overpowered the other.
This was a great debut novel. Even though the main characters are in their late 20s, and this is a slow burn open door romance, parts of it read a little YA, so reader be aware. But overall I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook.
Thank you to @librofm for the ALC and to @harpervoyagerus for the eARC for review. The Stars Too Fondly is out 6/11/24!
April 27, 2024
There was nothing wrong with this book, but two big dealbreaker aspects of it that were decidedly not-for-me, so your mileage may vary. Dealbreaker one was the particular brand of banter used by the characters — lots of snarky back and forth with one-liners that didn’t seem very realistic to me. Dealbreaker two was that romance fell a bit flat for me. I couldn’t really feel the connection between the leads other than “our consciousnesses are stuck on this ship in space together.” I did like the diversity in the cast of characters and the themes addressed in the book, particularly “you can run away, but your issues will follow.” The story itself was also fun, though a little predictable (which was fine, I like being right).
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC!
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
June 11, 2024sorry it was so info-dumpy and cleo was actually the worst
May 15, 2024
I received an ARC
This was a great book and it was how I wish astrophysics and dark matter could be explained. I loved the premise of the book and it was just so cute. However the constantly changing narratives were slightly hard to keep up with.
This was a great book and it was how I wish astrophysics and dark matter could be explained. I loved the premise of the book and it was just so cute. However the constantly changing narratives were slightly hard to keep up with.
June 18, 2024
If To Sleep In A Sea of Stars had a younger, cooler, queerer cousin, it would be this! This book honestly had a little of everything from romance to sci-fi to dystopian adventure! It did read a bit closer to Young Adult than I expected, but it’s a great read overall!
January 17, 2024
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.25/5
This was a fun and fairly ambitious read.
I will get my issues out of the way first, as they may be more of me problems and not something that will bother most people.
First and foremost, the science in this book is really bad, which is to be expected of science fantasy, but I am not talking about the fantasy parts. I like science fiction and can usually get behind the ridiculous science in the name of immersion, but the trick to that requires keeping explanations vague and in the made-up territory. However, the "scientist" protagonists of this book often try to explain things and make references to real-life scientific principles and methods that are wrong on so many levels. The book gets rudimentary physics wrong, (and biology and chemistry and what the divisions of engineering involve) which pulls the biochemist part of me out of the story every time. The fact that the book is supposed to be near future doesn't help with this.
The second issue was that the tone of the book was a little too twee for me. I recognise that might work really well for some people, but for me, it was a bit much.
These two issues aside, this book was mostly in line with what I wanted to read right now, which was light science fiction. Light science fiction(well, fantasy) describes this book perfectly. It's an easy-to-read space adventure with likeable characters, found family vibes, and quite a unique romance. The romance brings up some very interesting questions(the answers aren't necessarily the most satisfying, but interesting nonetheless) and is definitely one that would get you invested.
As I have mentioned before, the tone can be a bit too twee, but the plot was still pretty ambitious and fun. It had some fun twists and narrational choices made for a cool literary device.
Overall, The Stars Too Fondly is a fun, ambitious multidimensional adventure as well as a love story. If easy to read sci-fi adventure/romance with generous helpings of millennial humour sounds like your jam, then I recommend picking this up(as long as you can deal with inaccurate scientific references).
3.25/5
This was a fun and fairly ambitious read.
I will get my issues out of the way first, as they may be more of me problems and not something that will bother most people.
First and foremost, the science in this book is really bad, which is to be expected of science fantasy, but I am not talking about the fantasy parts. I like science fiction and can usually get behind the ridiculous science in the name of immersion, but the trick to that requires keeping explanations vague and in the made-up territory. However, the "scientist" protagonists of this book often try to explain things and make references to real-life scientific principles and methods that are wrong on so many levels. The book gets rudimentary physics wrong, (and biology and chemistry and what the divisions of engineering involve) which pulls the biochemist part of me out of the story every time. The fact that the book is supposed to be near future doesn't help with this.
The second issue was that the tone of the book was a little too twee for me. I recognise that might work really well for some people, but for me, it was a bit much.
These two issues aside, this book was mostly in line with what I wanted to read right now, which was light science fiction. Light science fiction(well, fantasy) describes this book perfectly. It's an easy-to-read space adventure with likeable characters, found family vibes, and quite a unique romance. The romance brings up some very interesting questions(the answers aren't necessarily the most satisfying, but interesting nonetheless) and is definitely one that would get you invested.
As I have mentioned before, the tone can be a bit too twee, but the plot was still pretty ambitious and fun. It had some fun twists and narrational choices made for a cool literary device.
Overall, The Stars Too Fondly is a fun, ambitious multidimensional adventure as well as a love story. If easy to read sci-fi adventure/romance with generous helpings of millennial humour sounds like your jam, then I recommend picking this up(as long as you can deal with inaccurate scientific references).
January 9, 2024
This is a very fun mashup of found family in space meets queer romcom! I loved the dark matter science fiction magic (which yes, does of course border on hand-waving magic but it’s a VERY fun soft science-y explanation!). The romance aspects were lovely and well-done. SF romance can be hard to pull off, but Hamilton does a great job. This was all around a very fun read and would appeal to folks who like their SF on the lighter side, stories set on spaceships and outer space, and queer romance.
May 28, 2024
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
A sweet, cute, and entertaining sci-fi Romance, The Stars Too Fondly is great if you want a light, sapphic love story set in space.
This book is like a ray of sunshine. It’s sweet, has a slow-burn forbidden romance that starts off almost like enemies to lovers, and it’s also sapphic. I found it quite cozy with its found family friendships. It has a very queer and diverse cast of characters, which I found lovely.
This book was quite delightful, though it has its issues. It took me a while to get used to the dialogue, as it’s very colloquial and quite twee, which made the characters feel far, far younger than they were. This was a bit disappointing because I was excited that the characters were in their late 20s and early 30s, not young adults, but they acted even younger at times, like teenagers. Then, strangely, the characters had interests that felt a bit anachronistic for the 2060s, like 90s movies - for comparison, do we in 2024 watch movies from the 50s regularly? I mean, aside from a few well-known quotes that have pervaded through time (like from Gone with the Wind), most people I know don't watch movies that old.
In the same breath, though, the dialogue did suit the tone of the book and helped you understand the friendship dynamic right away. It just took me about 20% to adapt to it.
I also enjoyed the love story - I’m always one for a forbidden romance - though it took a bit to get going as the tension wasn’t really there at the start. Eventually, it began to grow - this delay could also be because one was a hologram - but by around the one-third mark, I did begin to ship them and hoped for a happy resolution. I much prefer this slow and subtle build to the typical Romance subplots that throw sex and yearning at you the first ten pages in.
I also thought the concept was actually quite relevant today with the rise in AI programs designed for people to have romances with. This wasn't the same thing but had a similar vibe.
The writing itself was a little clunky. I did not mind the POV swapping at all—it was integral to understanding the hologram’s point of view—but there were just some rudimentary writing errors that might be resolved in the final printing (so I didn't count that towards my rating).
I will also say that this is barely a sci-fi. The science in this book is heavily cocooned in fantastical elements so that the end felt less like resolving a quantum predicament than the characters battling a wizard. Had this been a straight-up sci-fi, I would have railed against this, but because it’s a Romance first and sci-fi second, it didn’t really bother me - I just went with it. I thought a lot of the plot points or devices were silly, but they also fit the tone of the novel. The plot made sense, even if the mechanics around the science felt a bit fantastical.
This might seem like a lot of critique, but, truthfully, I enjoyed the novel and thought it was a lot of fun!
A sweet, cute, and entertaining sci-fi Romance, The Stars Too Fondly is great if you want a light, sapphic love story set in space.
This book is like a ray of sunshine. It’s sweet, has a slow-burn forbidden romance that starts off almost like enemies to lovers, and it’s also sapphic. I found it quite cozy with its found family friendships. It has a very queer and diverse cast of characters, which I found lovely.
This book was quite delightful, though it has its issues. It took me a while to get used to the dialogue, as it’s very colloquial and quite twee, which made the characters feel far, far younger than they were. This was a bit disappointing because I was excited that the characters were in their late 20s and early 30s, not young adults, but they acted even younger at times, like teenagers. Then, strangely, the characters had interests that felt a bit anachronistic for the 2060s, like 90s movies - for comparison, do we in 2024 watch movies from the 50s regularly? I mean, aside from a few well-known quotes that have pervaded through time (like from Gone with the Wind), most people I know don't watch movies that old.
In the same breath, though, the dialogue did suit the tone of the book and helped you understand the friendship dynamic right away. It just took me about 20% to adapt to it.
I also enjoyed the love story - I’m always one for a forbidden romance - though it took a bit to get going as the tension wasn’t really there at the start. Eventually, it began to grow - this delay could also be because one was a hologram - but by around the one-third mark, I did begin to ship them and hoped for a happy resolution. I much prefer this slow and subtle build to the typical Romance subplots that throw sex and yearning at you the first ten pages in.
I also thought the concept was actually quite relevant today with the rise in AI programs designed for people to have romances with. This wasn't the same thing but had a similar vibe.
The writing itself was a little clunky. I did not mind the POV swapping at all—it was integral to understanding the hologram’s point of view—but there were just some rudimentary writing errors that might be resolved in the final printing (so I didn't count that towards my rating).
I will also say that this is barely a sci-fi. The science in this book is heavily cocooned in fantastical elements so that the end felt less like resolving a quantum predicament than the characters battling a wizard. Had this been a straight-up sci-fi, I would have railed against this, but because it’s a Romance first and sci-fi second, it didn’t really bother me - I just went with it. I thought a lot of the plot points or devices were silly, but they also fit the tone of the novel. The plot made sense, even if the mechanics around the science felt a bit fantastical.
This might seem like a lot of critique, but, truthfully, I enjoyed the novel and thought it was a lot of fun!
May 29, 2024
Cleo McQueary is lost in life and absolutely obsessed with what happened to the crew of Providence I. Twenty years ago all 203 of them had simply disappeared and no one at NASA seemed to care enough to figure it out. Cleo and her friends, though, hatch a drunken plan to break into the space ship to puzzle it all out for themselves. The plot spirals out of control from there in ways the official synopsis doesn’t touch on so I feel obligated to leave out as well.
The Stars Too Fondly is marketed as a queer space odyssey rom-com and while I can see where they’re coming from, it (along with the mention of a heist) wasn’t anything like what I was expecting. I’d compare it to Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers more than just about anything else and it has too much heart to be distilled down into just ‘rom-com.’ I can see it being an absolute hit with the right audience. That audience just really wasn’t me.
First of all, this is very much science FANTASY more than the hard sci-fi I’d expected. I’m a chronic overthinker so every modern day pop culture reference and impossible piece of science magic sent me spiraling. And there was a metric ton of that. So, if you’re the kind of person who will wonder why TikTok and Thomas the Tank Engine are still relevant in 2061 or if a ‘food extruder’ would be super convenient or a hellish prospect for someone with celiac, then this might be a skip for you. I think I’d have had an easier time with all of it if Providence I hadn’t been launching a mere 17 hypothetical years from now when it seems people from 2061 had made little to no new scientific advances (despite so many kids purportedly having gotten obsessed with Providence and then going into STEM fields). And also if there was a single pop culture reference that wasn’t from 2019 or later. I care far too much about the logic of it all and this is a book that requires the reader to largely just go with the flow. It is intentionally silly and often requires a hefty suspension of disbelief.
Because I am nothing if not nitpicky, a couple smaller things that made it difficult for me, personally, to stay within the narrative: Sometimes conversations lacked dialogue tags and it tripped me up every time. This is about a group of 20-somethings, but it absolutely leans very YA (by which I mean I haven’t read someone sticking out their tongue so often since fanfiction in 2010 but also the cadence of the writing/narration is very bright and young and often immature). I just cannot pinpoint why the formatting chosen for this novel didn’t work for me. It flips from a close third following Cleo, to old Providence I reports and private messages, to a [REDACTED FOR SPOILERS] perspective rapidly within each chapter. Usually I love having multiple weird perspectives, but I think there was a lack of separation, especially at the beginning, that got under my skin as a reader.
Probably the biggest issue I had over all was honestly a marketing problem where huge parts of what the plot of this book is about were fully left out of any synopsis I read before or after. I was honestly so excited to read this book (between sapphic space heist, the title, and the cover I was so sold) and I’d have never requested it if I’d known that it contained a plot point (plot gimmick, trope, ??) that I almost always dislike. For the record, it’s a totally fine plot point/trope and doesn’t require a content warning of any kind, I’m only not being explicitly clear about what I’m talking about here because they chose to leave it out of their marketing and I’m writing this review before the book is actually out. I’m trying so hard to avoid spoilers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not holding marketing decisions against Hamilton, it’s just super frustrating in general.
I feel like I’m being so negative when I don’t necessarily mean to be. This debut was not all bad. Not in the slightest. I can recognize that it wasn’t meant for me. It didn’t focus on what I wanted it to and I went in with all the wrong expectations. It’s just that as someone who often reads reviews before I pick a book up, I want to get all the reasons I wasn’t 5-star in love with this out of the way first.
So now for some of the things done right: There’s what I can see being a solid romance here and beautiful found family dynamics. I enjoyed the diversity and the different places each character was coming from and how easy it was to distinguish where their priorities differed. There’s action sequences that fully drew me in. I love the inclusion of multimedia bits, especially the ones that give new information from an unexpected direction (I mean, the one that’s very clearly the abstract for a scientific article? So good!). There are ideas and themes here that I absolutely adore, like how far people will go for those they love and how easily power can corrupt an ideal and just the messy business of still having growing to do into your twenties and thirties and probably forever. I can absolutely see this book being loved. Truly and fully.
I’m just so utterly bitter that it couldn’t work for me.
[I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this eARC.]
The Stars Too Fondly is marketed as a queer space odyssey rom-com and while I can see where they’re coming from, it (along with the mention of a heist) wasn’t anything like what I was expecting. I’d compare it to Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers more than just about anything else and it has too much heart to be distilled down into just ‘rom-com.’ I can see it being an absolute hit with the right audience. That audience just really wasn’t me.
First of all, this is very much science FANTASY more than the hard sci-fi I’d expected. I’m a chronic overthinker so every modern day pop culture reference and impossible piece of science magic sent me spiraling. And there was a metric ton of that. So, if you’re the kind of person who will wonder why TikTok and Thomas the Tank Engine are still relevant in 2061 or if a ‘food extruder’ would be super convenient or a hellish prospect for someone with celiac, then this might be a skip for you. I think I’d have had an easier time with all of it if Providence I hadn’t been launching a mere 17 hypothetical years from now when it seems people from 2061 had made little to no new scientific advances (despite so many kids purportedly having gotten obsessed with Providence and then going into STEM fields). And also if there was a single pop culture reference that wasn’t from 2019 or later. I care far too much about the logic of it all and this is a book that requires the reader to largely just go with the flow. It is intentionally silly and often requires a hefty suspension of disbelief.
Because I am nothing if not nitpicky, a couple smaller things that made it difficult for me, personally, to stay within the narrative: Sometimes conversations lacked dialogue tags and it tripped me up every time. This is about a group of 20-somethings, but it absolutely leans very YA (by which I mean I haven’t read someone sticking out their tongue so often since fanfiction in 2010 but also the cadence of the writing/narration is very bright and young and often immature). I just cannot pinpoint why the formatting chosen for this novel didn’t work for me. It flips from a close third following Cleo, to old Providence I reports and private messages, to a [REDACTED FOR SPOILERS] perspective rapidly within each chapter. Usually I love having multiple weird perspectives, but I think there was a lack of separation, especially at the beginning, that got under my skin as a reader.
Probably the biggest issue I had over all was honestly a marketing problem where huge parts of what the plot of this book is about were fully left out of any synopsis I read before or after. I was honestly so excited to read this book (between sapphic space heist, the title, and the cover I was so sold) and I’d have never requested it if I’d known that it contained a plot point (plot gimmick, trope, ??) that I almost always dislike. For the record, it’s a totally fine plot point/trope and doesn’t require a content warning of any kind, I’m only not being explicitly clear about what I’m talking about here because they chose to leave it out of their marketing and I’m writing this review before the book is actually out. I’m trying so hard to avoid spoilers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not holding marketing decisions against Hamilton, it’s just super frustrating in general.
I feel like I’m being so negative when I don’t necessarily mean to be. This debut was not all bad. Not in the slightest. I can recognize that it wasn’t meant for me. It didn’t focus on what I wanted it to and I went in with all the wrong expectations. It’s just that as someone who often reads reviews before I pick a book up, I want to get all the reasons I wasn’t 5-star in love with this out of the way first.
So now for some of the things done right: There’s what I can see being a solid romance here and beautiful found family dynamics. I enjoyed the diversity and the different places each character was coming from and how easy it was to distinguish where their priorities differed. There’s action sequences that fully drew me in. I love the inclusion of multimedia bits, especially the ones that give new information from an unexpected direction (I mean, the one that’s very clearly the abstract for a scientific article? So good!). There are ideas and themes here that I absolutely adore, like how far people will go for those they love and how easily power can corrupt an ideal and just the messy business of still having growing to do into your twenties and thirties and probably forever. I can absolutely see this book being loved. Truly and fully.
I’m just so utterly bitter that it couldn’t work for me.
[I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this eARC.]
June 13, 2024
When I picked up this book i was SOOOOO excited for a sapphic sci-fi adventure romance. I almost got it. Most of this book is adorable. that's my main way to describe it. Every character is adorable, the romance is adorable, but it feels a lot younger than an adult book. I would say this reads very YA with some adult themes. The writing felt a little disjointed at times with the perspective changes and a good amount of this book is spent with people just talking and watching 90's movies.
Overall i thought this was a fun read, love all the diversity and the science-y talk about dark matter, but a lot of things just left me wanting.
complimentary copy of this book was given through NetGalley but all thoughts are my own.
Overall i thought this was a fun read, love all the diversity and the science-y talk about dark matter, but a lot of things just left me wanting.
complimentary copy of this book was given through NetGalley but all thoughts are my own.
June 11, 2024
There needs to be more space books in the world!
I liked the characters, the story, it wasn't too heavy and sciency, and there was a nice side of romance. (and yay for a standalone!)
However, I felt like there could have been a little bit more time spent on the characters and exploring the ship/dealing with their emotions, especially in the beginning. The main relationship came on a little too quickly and I would have liked to see that develop a little more, especially with that one part that I can't say cause spoiler, but it was a little too convenient in the end.
But yes. Space. More Please.
Thank you to the piblisher for the ALC!
I liked the characters, the story, it wasn't too heavy and sciency, and there was a nice side of romance. (and yay for a standalone!)
However, I felt like there could have been a little bit more time spent on the characters and exploring the ship/dealing with their emotions, especially in the beginning. The main relationship came on a little too quickly and I would have liked to see that develop a little more, especially with that one part that I can't say cause spoiler, but it was a little too convenient in the end.
But yes. Space. More Please.
Thank you to the piblisher for the ALC!
Read
June 13, 2024Who is ready for a sapphic rom-com in space?! This joyous debut from Emily Hamilton is a thrill to read from start to finish.
I was drawn into Cleo and Billie's orbit by their witty banter and intricate relationship that blooms over the course of the engine visit gone wrong. The surprises are plentiful and the found family of a crew is a joy as the ship cruises towards risks abound.
I couldn't put it down for one minute-- you'll love it!
I was drawn into Cleo and Billie's orbit by their witty banter and intricate relationship that blooms over the course of the engine visit gone wrong. The surprises are plentiful and the found family of a crew is a joy as the ship cruises towards risks abound.
I couldn't put it down for one minute-- you'll love it!
June 14, 2024
Man I really wanted to like this book. The mystery set up in which the crew of the Providence I all disappeared before their mission to save the earth is fantastic. However, that fun momentum did not carry through the book. I think the first thing that threw me off was how our core cast was written, there was just something about their dialogue that made them feel like teenagers. It made the characters and by extension their relationships feel less mature. What I feel like was the major downfall of this book was that it couldn't decide if it wanted to be an epic fantasy space story, like The Locked Tomb series, or a sci-fi romance, like Winter's Orbit. Straddling the line between these two genres meant that the characters and the story felt underdeveloped. I personally think that they should have leaned into the romance aspect because Cleo and Billie were supposed to be the core of this story and I didn't feel any strong emotions for them. This is the author's first book though so hopefully they improve and I get to enjoy their second release.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 12, 2024
4.5 rounded up. Any time there's a book where something mysteriously happened on a space ship or a planet and the crew is trying to figure out what happened to its past tenants is my very specific jam, what can I say? This reads a little juvenile for an all adult cast but I didn't really mind that so much.
July 3, 2024
3.5
fofinho, mas chamar de sci-fi só porque se passar no espaço é um pouco exagerado...
fofinho, mas chamar de sci-fi só porque se passar no espaço é um pouco exagerado...
June 11, 2024
Well thank goodness that’s over. And thank goodness it was as short as it was. If I hadn’t gotten an ALC, I definitely would have DNF’d this.
It should have been marketed as YA. There’s an unnecessary spicy scene near the end, but you can’t convince me that these 20-30 year olds weren’t actually 14. Everything was so cutesy and twee. Most of the characters were so annoying.
The ending played exactly like a cringey super hero movie, complete with over the top speeches and heroics from all involved. I know I was supposed to be emotionally moved, but I just disliked the characters so much all I could do was roll my eyes.
I definitely think this story will work for a decent number of people! Just not me.
Many thanks to Libro.fm for the preview. All opinions are my own.
It should have been marketed as YA. There’s an unnecessary spicy scene near the end, but you can’t convince me that these 20-30 year olds weren’t actually 14. Everything was so cutesy and twee. Most of the characters were so annoying.
The ending played exactly like a cringey super hero movie, complete with over the top speeches and heroics from all involved. I know I was supposed to be emotionally moved, but I just disliked the characters so much all I could do was roll my eyes.
I definitely think this story will work for a decent number of people! Just not me.
Many thanks to Libro.fm for the preview. All opinions are my own.
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