A SKY FULL OF STARS

An artist and an astronomer are brought together through admiration of the night sky’s beauty.

Though the novel gets off to a slow start, that can be seen as a direct reflection of the main characters' personalities—Brooke is a self-conscious artist named after a model, Owen is a shy astrophysicist—when they first meet through Brooke’s uncle. The book could have fallen apart, but Chase (Speed Dating, 2017, etc.) focuses on the humanity of her characters, which turns out to be the most rewarding part of the story. Brooke’s anxiety about love is acutely portrayed; she wonders if Owen is involved with another woman, or if he finds her attractive, and how her feelings will play into their future business dealings together—specifically, a stargazing trip Owen is planning to lead in the deserts of Nevada and which Brooke is going to assist him on. Their first kiss is especially satisfying in that Owen unravels; although it initially seems his only desire is to study the stars, his desire to know and love Brooke turns out to be as vast as the galaxy he’s committed his life to understanding. While this new layer of his character seems natural, his and Brooke’s sudden decision to hop on a flight to Las Vegas ahead of the pre-planned desert trip seems too far out of character. However, the unusual circumstances do push both lovers to their limits; whereas tension in historical romance is often accumulated through class differences or social expectation, the catalyst here is more psychological in tone. Both Brooke and Owen simply fear rejection.

A sweet romance that takes its time to court the reader: classic, thoughtful, and sometimes as lyrical as the stars.