by Samantha Young
About this book
When event planner Hallie Goodman receives party-inspiration material from the bride of her latest wedding project, the last thing she expects to find in the files are digital videos from Darcy’s ex-boyfriend. Hallie knows it’s wrong to keep watching these personal videos, but this guy is cute, funny, and an astronaut on the International Space Station to boot. She’s only human, And it’s not long until she starts sending e-mails and video diaries to his discontinued NASA address. Since they’re bouncing back, there’s no way anyone will ever be able to see them…right?
Christopher Ortiz is readjusting to life on earth and being constantly in the shadow of his deceased older brother. When a friend forwards him the e-mails and video messages Hallie has sent, he can’t help but notice how they make his heart race.
Hallie and Chris are falling in love with each other, one transmission at a time. But can they make their star-crossed romance work when they each learn the other’s baggage?
Book review
The story and character development was good and not too abrupt. However, I found the story rather slow-paced, with Hallie and Chris actually meeting each other only about a hundred pages into the book. Before that the story develops video by video. While it might have been written this way to provide sufficient backdrop, I was impatient for Hallie and Chris to meet and talk to each other already.
There was a lot packed into the story – both Hallie and Chris had family issues to work through and overcome, personal insecurities with Hallie being a people pleaser, and Chris living in his brother’s shadow, unsure about his career, and finding his roots. I personally found it kind of tiring having to watch these characters overcome this long list of issues and would have preferred a lighter story with a stronger focus on the development of the romantic relationship.
I also felt the many issues that were loaded onto the story made the characters seem a little weaker and wishy-washy, and I especially didn’t like how towards the end when Chris found himself in situations with his ex-girlfriend leading to misunderstandings with Hallie.
Overall I would rate this book 3 out of 5 stars – an acceptable read but not particularly gripping.
Rin Ranger 