Let me start by saying that I am a science geek. I absolutely loved reading all of the interesting things about astronomy.

The Space Between is pretty great. It took me on a wild ride through belief and disbelief, hope and ominousness (yes, I just made that up,) and so much more.

This is one of those stories that would make an excellent movie.

Though this is the first book I’ve read by Dete Meserve, it won’t be my last.

A woman discovers she knew nothing about her husband after he disappears, after telling their son to keep their doors locked. I liked the fact the female protagonist in this story was strong and determined and took the initiative to dig for the truth, no matter where it led her

Expected publication July 24th!

Where to start with this book? There is so much to discuss! Let's start with a shout out to Dete Meserve. I have never interfaced with her writing before, but let's just say she's gained a new fan in me! Her writing was beautiful, I loved the character development, and the story flowed extremely well.

The Space Between is a story of Sarah Mayfield, a brilliant astronomer, who often finds herself lost in the magnificence of the universe. She returns home from giving a presentation at NASA to find her husband, Ben, is missing. A million dollars has been deposited in her bank account, there is a handgun in the nightstand, and the security footage of her home has been completely deleted. As most missing persons investigations go, Sarah quickly becomes the prime suspect in her husband's disappearance, especially given the rocky nature of their marriage lately, the seven-million-dollar life insurance policy, and the inheritance she stands to gain in the event of Ben's death. Sarah must decipher the clues hidden around her to solve the mystery of her husband's disappearance before it's too late.

I would categorize this book as both mystery and thriller, but at it's core it is a love story. It is about the challenges and struggles of marriage, the unconditional love two people have for each other, and the "little things" in life. From a mystery perspective, I figured out the big twist very early on, so wasn't blown out of the water by the ending by any means. But, I enjoyed the story nonetheless, as there are so many great life lessons to be learned when all is said and done.

Dete Meserve's use of symbolism was impeccable. I have always been somewhat of a space nerd, so I loved the references to the universe, stars, planets, nebulas, galaxies, and the way the main character used those references in her journey to find her husband.

Overall, it was an enjoyable and quick read and I would recommend to anybody looking for a somewhat heartwarming mystery (is that a thing?). The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 stars is because of how predictable I found the plot twists, but otherwise it was fabulous!

-This book was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Dete Meserve, and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to review.-

A novel that's both mystery and women's fiction, The Space Between explores what happens in marriage and the suspense of a missing husband. Sarah Mayfield is a successful astronomer who makes a major scientific discovery but comes home to find that her husband Ben had disappeared. How much do we really know about the people we love? After 15 years of marriage, how much have we stopped noticing and what gets lost in the static of life?

Sarah uncovers pieces of Ben's ife she can't explain - an unexplained bank deposit of a million dollars, a loaded Glock in her nightstand, a video security system that’s been wiped clean. She's suspected of involvement in Ben's disappearance and makes some questionable choices in her actions. The scenarios made me think about what I'd do in her place and added to the read.

Dete Meserve does a beautiful job weaving through Sarah's thought process and emotions as she moves through Sarah's professional excitement, marital discord, handling of her teenage son's rebellions, and the investigation of Ben's disappearance. The 2nd half of the book ties together the threads that have been exposed, turning the story into one of redemption and finding one's way home.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Space Between.

Loved this book, even when I was not reading it I kept thinking about it and couldn’t wait to pick it up again and I finished it in a day. Would definitely recommend to others and can’t wait to read other titles from this author.

Highly recommend!!

The basic plot- a missing husband and mysterious goings on- is not unique but Meserve has done a good job of putting new flesh on those bones. Sarah is an astronomer and yes you might expect a scientist to take a more well, scientific, approach to the situation. Ben's the one with family money and now some mysterious extra money. Is he a murderer or is he hiding from a murderer? The cracks in their marriage and the lies they've told each other and themselves widen as things heat up. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a page turner where you might be wrong about what you think is going on.

Astronomer Sarah Mayfield comes home after a big presentation to find her husband Ben missing. During the investigation into his disappearance, the police begin to suspect her as she's the sole beneficiary of his business fortune and life insurance policy...and the fact that she asked for a divorce shortly before her trip.
Then Ben becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation and his disappearance takes on a more ominous meaning. Sarah never believes that Ben could kill anyone, and she desperately tries to decipher the clues he left behind.
Thank you to Dete Meserve, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this exciting book. I've always loved astronomy, so the facts about the stars and constellations were fascinating and the way they were used to also describe the relationship between Sarah and Ben was interesting. This was a great book that I couldn't wait to find out what happened, but I didn't want the story to end.

Thank you for the arc, all opinions are my own. When you feel things are broken do you believe the worst? In long term relationships do you tend to take your partner for granted or just assume they'll be there forever. When a husband is missing our lead questions everything she thinks she knows about him, have they grown so apart that he's capable of murder, she thinks not. Lots of twist and turns and many suspicious characters, will you figure the correct culprit, can a marriage survive,will the stars align?

I have to thank #NetGalley, #Lake Union and #Dete Meserve for this awesome book.

It had me from the title. I’ve always loved everything about space, the atmosphere, the whole thing. It’s the most fascinating thing ever to me. Like the oceans, it goes on and on forever. Not beginning and no ending and we are but one tiny dot. That is just awesome to me.

Sarah and Ben are a typica couple. Married a long time and have a son. They drifted apart in so many ways but can they find their way back to each other. Ben is missing and Sarah has no idea where he is or what he has done. She was gone when Ben went missing and now she is second guessing herself and him. What can you do when the person you loved and trusted more than anyone in the world becomes a stranger. Do you trust them or try to figure out who they are? Will things ever get back to normal. Will Sarah ever know what happened. Will Ben be ok? So many questions. So little time to figure it out.

Can Sarah and Ben find a way to get their lives back on track or is it to late. Will Ben be ok? This was a very good book from start to finish. A true love story with so much suspense, betrayal, lies and deceit involved.

Two of my favorite lines in this story are: “If we’re going to understand what happened to your day, we have to look beyond what we can see,” I say, “and search in the space between.”
That line is what gave me the reason for the title of this book. I loved it..
The human heart is not so easily understood. Sometimes what we’re seeking is right in front of us, even if we can’t see it. Sometimes we have to look beyond what’s concrete and measurable and trust in what’s unknowable.
I loved that line also. It sums up what can happen if you take things for granted in your life, relationships and friendships.

I loved this book and gave it a big 5 star rating. It was so good and the first book I have read by this wonderful author. I can’t wait to read more.

This was a well plotted, tight and tense novel exploring just how well we think we know a long term spouse. I enjoyed the way in which the protag mixed the passion from her job in nasa to the plot, applying beautiful star metaphors to the situations in which she found herself.
It was easy to read and excellently written, I found no clunky paragraphs or wording, and only suspected the "perpetrator" a few chapters ahead of the official expose.
My only criticism is it felt a little unreal and movie-like in the last few chapters, after the protag spent a good deal of time asserting that things like this just don't happen like they do in the movies. Overall, a very mild criticism.
Would recommend to anyone that likes star gazing and examination of the ties that bind.

When her husband goes missing, Sara must piece together the mysterious reasons why, while caring for her son. She ends up looking to the stars for answers. I really enjoyed how Dete Meserve wove the astronomy elements and the desert setting together. The book kept me engaged and interested.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

THE SPACE BETWEEN unwinds the familiar trope of the missing husband and the wife who finds her husband kept many, many secrets from her. Because this story line has been done so much recently, it takes a very adept writer to bring it to life as something fresh. Although Meserve's descriptions of the stars and all things astronomical were good, the rest of the writing felt somewhat pedestrian and the pacing just wasn't very exciting. The book moved along at one measured pace, which failed to build suspense.

This is the first book I've read by Dete Meserve, but it won't be the last. The story is a real page-turner full of mystery and suspense. I was hooked from page one until the satisfying ending. I loved the desert setting, and the astronomy elements added unique appeal. It was the perfect summer read. Thank you to NetGally and the publisher for allowing me to read this fantastic book.

"There's a lot more going on out there than what our eyes see."

Renowned astronomer Sarah Mayfield comes home from a NASA presentation to find her husband Ben missing. Initially Sarah is under suspicion as she was seen in a compromising position during the time Ben went missing. The Mayfield's marriage was going through a "rough patch" and upon her husband's death Sarah stands to inherit millions from his well off family's fortune.

Things escalate quickly when a potential business associate of Ben's is found murdered and he is their prime suspect. The cameras in their home have been wiped, Ben's business partners are alleging that he stole money from them, a gun shows up in her dresser drawer and suddenly a million dollars have been bored into a relatively unused account. There are so many questions and none of the answers look good for Ben's innocence. Suddenly Sarah's world is turned upside down - is her husband in danger or is the dangerous one? How well does she really know the man she has been married to for the last 15 years.

Sometimes we really can't know the people we love."

While I was honestly engaged in this web of deceit, turning page after page. I was also troubled by a big aspect of it. I know this premise has been done before - women who live with a monster and are unknowingly deceived. I've read books where that was the premise & loved it (like Stillhouse Lake). Yet, I never believed Ben was a monster. Sarah's flashbacks were of a genuinely good guy and one that honestly loved her. The moments she thought about were touching and heartfelt. There was even mention from the reporter that everyone she interviewed loved Ben and spoke well of him. Why then was Sarah so quick to believe he could be possible of something so heinous as murder?

I understand that Sarah was insecure in their relationship because he was supposed to be handsome and came from money and was therefore "out of her league". It was brought up quite a few times to remind us (too many if you ask me). I just found her insecurities to be whiny and unwarranted. Ben never gave her any actual reason to feel insecure - it was all her. Even her sister was quick to "villainize" him because he had money and was handsome so he couldn't be suitable for Sarah. Why the heck not? That aspect of the story bothered me quite a bit.

Ben was actually my favorite character & he wasn't even in the book that much. As for the actual mystery - I had it figured out early on. I was unimpressed with how long it took Sarah to figure it out! She spent 75% of the book blinded by supposed facts to actually figure out what was going on with Ben. She was supposed to be an intelligent scientist after all.

"I wonder if I've been accepting the facts of Ben's disappearance but ignoring what might be beyond them. I've failed to search for answers my eyes cannot see. The facts, like the stars we can see, command our attention with their bright lights. They also blond us to what else might be there."

Overall, this was an entertaining read and I really enjoyed the astronomy aspects that were woven in. The story started out strong but the middle dragged a bit for me. Unfortunately, I also found the plot to be a bit too predictable.

Sarah is a refreshing take on the woman left behind. A scientist, she shouldn't be easily fooled, nor take risks that less other characters might. There were questionable moments, but the difference is that Sarah acknowledges these. She mentions when her emotional mind is ruling over her scientific and logical one. Sarah’s status as a smart woman with a feminine appearance also has an influence on those who orbit her after Ben’s disappearance.

The characters are believable, easily imagined by the reader. But where Meserve really shines is in the setting. Meserve’s captivating descriptions of the starry night sky illuminate scenes throughout the novel. Her knowledge of astronomy is impressive, woven tightly through the narrative in both characters and allegory. The novel’s acknowledgements gives us a peak at how Meserve’s appreciation for the stars abetted in the creation of The Space Between.

The space between is a fantastic concept, and one that the reader becomes familiar with throughout the book. Unfortunately, I was pulled from the narrative at heavy-handed moments where the premise was explicitly stated. I realised what had transpired in Ben's disappearance quickly, which may explain why I found the statements so jarring. Knowing what had happened did not detract from my reading experience otherwise, and the journey to the end of the book was still very enjoyable.

The mystery, suspense, and beauty of the desert sky make for a compelling and stunning read. Meserve’s passion for astronomy and discovering the overlooked permeate the novel. It’s a stark and timely reminder for us all to look past our initial impressions, past the obvious answers, and past the words that people tell us to what really exists in the space between.

Sarah and Ben have been married for 15 years when Ben goes missing just days before a high profile lawsuit against his restaurant business partners. Ben leaves behind a gun in Sarah's nightstand, a million dollars in a rarely longer used bank account, a fully decorated Christmas tree and secrets that Sarah must decipher to discover what has happened to him.

The Space Between is a fast-paced, engaging novel from the very first pages. I guessed "whodunnit" but it in no way deterred from the intense ending.

This is the first book I've read from author, Dete Meserve, I look forward to reading her backlist and future novels.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I enjoyed this book, it was a quick easy summer read, just what I was looking for! I was hooked from the beginning and really wanted to know what happened, so glad I chose this one!

The Space Between was a captivating page turner. It was written with the perfect amount of suspense and formulated relationships. The author’s ability to build a detailed suspense story, without too much foreshadowing, kept me engaged through till the end.

Gone Geeky Girl. This book definitely has a Gone Girl kind of vibe to it as we follow a female NASA astronomer as she presents her findings in DC, then comes home to find her husband missing. Overall, it was a very cleverly written book from an angle not often seen, and so from that perspective was excellent. My only quibble is that I am one of those that virtually *never* sees the bad guy coming... and in this one, it was fairly obvious by the 60% mark. Still, an absolutely worthy read and highly recommended.

Caught my attention and held my attention throughout! Enjoyed the A-typical storyline. Great author, great read!