I enjoyed Star Dust when I read it a few years ago, but I didn’t follow up because the next book was about Eugene Parsons and the grumpy, emotionally unavailable engineer did not sound like someone I wanted to read a romance about. Friends, I was an idiot. What a difference there is between 48 and 50, because now I know that a grumpy, emotionally unavailable engineer is my thing. Especially when paired with a super smart, emotionally unavailable engineer/mathematician.
Eugene Parsons is one of the directors of the space program. He is tasked with getting American men into space and onto the moon safely and before the Soviets. He is feared and is generally seen as an unreasonable, humorless perfectionist. Dr. Charlie Eason probably ought to be the director, but she’s a woman, so instead she is a computer and in charge of the other women.
In response to a writing prompt several authors have described their books as if their characters were submitting their stories to the r/relationship forum. It’s genius and my tbr has grown to dangerous levels.
I (35M) am absolutely not attracted to my coworker (32F). Without her, the US doesn't stand a chance in the space race; she's stunningly competent and her hair is perfect. I wish I could bone her–I mean clone her. How do I get over this inconvenient attraction? https://t.co/wCzcKimQMX
— Emma Barry (@AuthorEmmaBarry) August 7, 2019
Eugene and Charlie begin an affair, one in which they meet at a seedy motel where they never talk about work and they never talk about their affair at work. This is the most unusual romance novel I have read. On it’s face it is unromantic, but at it’s core it is seething lust and pining hearts. It is sappy and emotional in ways that feel entirely earned.
I don’t know if I would have appreciated Earth Bound two years ago. I think I would have found it a little cold. I don’t entirely know what has changed that now I am swooning over these two people who are so allergic to emotion. I am though. I am swooning.