The Astronaut and the Star by Jen Comfort ISBN: 9781542032605
Published by Amazon Publishing on March 1, 2022
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 332
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An out-of-this-world romantic comedy featuring an astronaut tasked with training a Hollywood actor for a space flick.
Astronaut Regina "Reggie" Hayes wants to be the first woman on the moon--it's all she's ever dreamed of. But after a PR disaster, Reggie is off the list for a lunar mission. To rehabilitate her reputation with NASA, she agrees to a different kind of assignment: astronaut "training" with a Hollywood action hero.
Jon Leo is a charmer. With credits that include an underperforming sitcom and a campy action flick called Space Dude, his upcoming role in a prestigious movie could prove he's a star. But Jon isn't just big muscles and an otherworldly smile--he's also a total space nerd. He's pumped about his own personal space camp...until he meets ice-cold Reggie.
Although Reggie and Jon are polar opposites, their mutual attraction is undeniable, and it only takes a few weeks in close quarters for them to give in to its magnetic force. Jon is set on convincing Reggie this is a match made in the heavens, but her future is in space, and his is among stars of the Hollywood kind. The odds of successfully launching a real relationship outside the confines of the training base are anything but optimal.
Reggie, content with keeping things casual, is forced by a sudden turn of events to confront the possibility of losing Jon forever. Now, she'll do whatever it takes to win both the man and the moon.
Characters: 9, the two MCs were very believable in their personalities, attitudes, and ambitions. The side characters far less so- they clearly served only as plot devices, but that didn’t detract from the story given it’s spotlight focus on the two MCs.
Atmosphere: 7, a few locations were described in such a way that I could picture them clearly, but the environment really played background to the action. It wasn’t immersive, but I appreciated the character appearance details (like Reggie has acne scars).
Writing: 9, I don’t often enjoy romance, but the humor and dialogue were spot-on and really kept me invested. Also, despite my being grey-ace, the sex scenes were sizzling and just the right amount of detail to remain sexy without becoming squicky for me.
Plot: 8, the pacing felt solid- tension was kept consistent throughout, despite the reason for tension shifting. It slowed down a bit at the very end, but that’s expected with a dénouement. The premise also felt approachable (NASA does have a PR department).
Intrigue: 6, I didn’t feel driven to read this book instead of doing other things. It is a very readable story, but I zipped through it mainly because when Leilani falls asleep on my lap, reading is the only thing I can do that doesn’t disturb her.
Logic: 9, it’s a contemporary so the author didn’t have to do much world-building outside of NASA protocols…but those she did very well. She also described an authentic ADHD experience (based on my own) and the characters acted and spoke according to their motives and values.
Enjoyment: 7, I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this and hold it as an example to myself that some romances are fun for me, despite my own hangups. I’d pick up something else by Jen Comfort after this.
Read for the Orilium Academy 2022 Spring Equinox readathon and the Buzzword Challenge.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
This ne sounds good. I am adding it to my reading list.