Title: Love in the Time of Wormholes
Series: An Ignisar Novel
Author: Jess K. Hardy
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Publisher: City Owl Press
Format: eBook (ARC)
ASIN: B09BPY2HHJ
Thank you to Jess for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Sunastara Jeka is passionate about two things: (1) meeting the needs of the varied species who holiday aboard her interstellar pleasure cruise during the day, and (2) avoiding attachments when the occasional guest meets her needs at night.
Sunny’s life is simple, straightforward, and safe, until the single most worlds-shattering one-night stand becomes her newest crewmember.
Freddie has never forgotten that night with Sunny. He’s ecstatic to see her again, until she tells him she never dates her coworkers. Determined not to lose this confident, sexy, hysterical woman again, Freddie bides his time, pursuing a purely professional relationship with Sunny when they’re on the clock, while he slowly charms her senseless after hours.
As Sunny breaks her own rules about workplace romance, her tragic past and a heartbreaking betrayal thrust her orderly life into chaos.
When a hostile species holidays aboard the ship, endangering VIP guests and even the known universe, Sunny and Freddie must decide. Will they let the gravity of their pasts keep them apart, or risk it all for love and fight for their future together?
First Impressions
When I first cracked open Love in the Time of Wormholes, I had no idea what to expect. I’d glanced at the blurb, but to be honest I was more excited that it was romance on a starship, and that Jess is a pub sister with one of my favorite authors.
As I dug into the first chapter, one thing I noticed is the author’s style feels like a contemporary read (it has that smooth, get-to-the-point feel). Right away readers are immersed in Sunny’s life and get a hint of her sarcastic charm, all while alien species and worlds are sort of tossed at you.
But honestly…. it doesn’t take long before those strange names and species start to become like a familiar warm blanket.
What I Loved About
Love in the Time of Wormholes
First of all… Garran is a stellar character. The giant purple Argosian has all the charm of a giant brute with the heart of a kitten. While he’s not the love interest, his tale woven throughout the story grabs readers by the cuddle bars and holds on tight. I adored his tale and I hope he gets to one day be in the spotlight with his own story.
Freddie… *swoon* …he is the book boyfriend we all need. Freddie is sweet, charming, and he’s the perfect blend of fiery passion and down-to-earth soul.
Part of what makes Freddie so wonderful is that Sunny is definitely his match. She’s sassy, careless, and knows exactly how to push all the right buttons to bring out his best and worst moods. I adored her sarcasm and how much she fought Freddie while simultaneously aching to rip his clothes off.
What I Wished For More Of
This is purely a me thing and should not stop anyone from reading this story.
I need my villain. That dark, dirty, lucrative asshole that readers love to hate and hate to love. While this story definitely had some baddies, I was aching for that one prick that stood out and made everyone’s life miserable.
Content Warning
This story comes with a content warning about grief for a lost child, and I would encourage anyone who can’t handle this subject matter to heed the warning. Sunny’s child has already passed long before the story starts, but how she processes that pain is woven throughout the tale. But it does not overshadow the fire of the romance.
Final Thoughts
I’d highly recommend this to almost any reader. If you love romance and would like to have it take place on a starship, or if you love science fiction and don’t mind some fiery passion with your shipboard parties–this book is for you!
It’s a quick read, clean prose, and the ache for Sunny to kiss Freddie kept me up for two nights. TWO!
I can’t wait for another Ignasar Ship romance, or for Freddie and Sunny to continue their fiery passion in the next tale.
