3.5 stars!

Thank you to Emily Hamilton and Harper Voyager from this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Admittedly, I have very mixed feelings about this one. I requested this ARC because the premise made it seem like a sapphic version of The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer which I absolutely loved, and they are similar but not in the way that I was anticipating. Reading The Darkness Outside Us, I agreed with many reviewers that I thought it was mismarketed as a romance when the story really ends up feeling more like a conspiracy thriller with a romance subplot. The Stars Too Fondly is definitely more light-hearted than The Darkness Outside Us, but the mystery plotline is extremely prominent to the story. Just thought I'd note this so you know what you're getting into, especially if you're picking this up for the same reason I did.

First, let's look at the positives. The premise of the story is super interesting and generally well done, especially considering it's a debut. I liked the characters a lot and their development throughout the story felt pretty natural, including that of the antagonist. All of the transcripts and text conversations were a great addition and I liked how small aspects of the mystery were revealed through them. This is also a profoundly readable book, being entertaining as well as concise. I read pretty quickly, but I finished this one especially fast and it was a nice book to fall back on during exams. The story's message about the price of progress and ambition was well done if a bit heavy-handed. There are also some truly gorgeous lines in here, I highlighted quite a few.

Now for my issues. The dialog was so quippy that it feels forced at times, and the dialog is really the only thing contributing to comedy half of the rom-com so that whole aspect was pretty lost on me. The romance was fine but I feel like we didn't see enough direct interactions between Cleo and Billie for them to feel as strongly as they did. There are so many (necessary) time cuts that it feels like the reader is left to assume they were bonding more off-page. Other than those nice lines I mentioned earlier, the writing can be really juvenile at times. I'm not intensely against starting sentences with "And–" or "But–" but there are paragraphs here were every single line starts with that. If it weren't for the age of the characters and (fairly brief) sex scenes, I would have thought this was a YA novel, because the writing feels that way. Also, if you're looking for sci-fi with realistic or at least well-explained science, this isn't for you. Most weird things in the book, including superpowers, are just chalked up to dark matter without a lot of elaboration.

If you like YA sci-fi I think you'll like this, but I've heard it referred to as Becky Chambers meets Red, White & Royal Blue and that did not prove true for me at all. It's quite short and easy to read, so if it sounds up your alley giving it a shot won't be a waste of your time. It was just lacking in a lot of the areas where I was hoping for it to excel.

Happy reading!

“I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”

The Stars Too Fondly is a queer, cozy sci-fi adventure. It follows Cleo and her group of loyal friends who investigate the remains of a spaceship that never took off and whose crew mysteriously vanished. When they are launched into space, they must solve the mystery of what happened to the crew before them. Along the way, Cleo befriends the ship’s AI and the crew must rally together if they ever want to return home.

The Stars Too Fondly has such a lovable and engaging crew. It feels like a more adult, queer, and cozy version of The Aurora Cycle. Cleo is such a strong and curious character, who is unstoppable once she sets her mind to it. Cleo’s relationship with Billie is very sweet and the ending was satisfying. While it has a cozy feel to it, the discussion of space and physics is fascinating and will inspire readers to wonder. The Stars Too Fondly is an excellent sci-fi adventure, with compelling queer characters, and I’d recommend it to anyone. Looking forward to seeing what Emily Hamilton writes next!

Thank you to Emily Hamilton, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Instagram, Storygraph, Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc.

I adored this book. The science, the found family, the relationship between Billie and Cleo— it was absolute perfection. It drew such emotion from me that at one point this book had me crying in my car on my lunch break. I struggled a bit with the whole “love is the greatest force in the universe” bit (okay, so I’m a cynic), and the end was a little rushed (the pacing from the first 80% to the last 20% was just so wildly different), but honestly that’s it. The character depth and feeling behind the book is so profound. I cannot recommend this enough. I may have already read it, but I think I’m going to preorder it, too. It was the perfect combination of sci-fi and fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Holy moly was this a rollicking space opera. A journey filled with romantic yearning and believable sci-fi pedigree. So many unique and utterly awe inspiring ideas are brought to life in this story of otherworld mystery and romance. Definitely top five of the year so far.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager | Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for an honest review.

Twenty years ago a spaceship failed to take off and all members on board disappeared. Now abandoned, the spaceship sits, taunting Cleo with its mystery. When Cleo and her three friends decide to sneak onboard to see if clues can be found, the unimaginable happens- the ship takes off for its original destination - Proxima Centauri - and the original captain, Billie, who disappeared is back as a hologram.

Confused and angry, Cleo and her friends set out to find a way back to earth, as Billie is desperate to figure out what happened to the crew, and herself. As mysteries unfold Cleo and Billie are drawn together and into a relationship that can't exist. Time is running out and Cleo and Billie both have difficult choices to make.

Space adventure, mystery and Sapphic romance are all rolled into one delightful ride in this debut scifimysteryromance.

I like how, at the beginning, the story goes back and forth, filling us with needed information and after that the narrator interrupts the story now and then. I was sooo curious about who they were. And the revelation did not disappoint.
I love the way the relationship between Cleo and Billie developed. I fell in love with them, with their relationship. And they made me cry a lot. AND THE LONGING !!!!!!!!
I did feel like the end was a little rushed but I dont really mind.
It was a lovely found family trope with a little bit of magic powers and an amazing couple. And it was quite cinematographic.

I just read this is your debut novel and damn girl, you're really good at this.

Some thoughts I had while reading:
It felt unrealistic to leave a piece of technology like the engine of the airship without any security.

I LOVE the idea of the replicator. When I was little I saw this one scene in Spy Kids where they "printed" a burger in a microwave and I spent sooo much time wanting one of those machines to exist.

I really don't like when social media is included in books. It was mentioned one time but still. It makes it more realistic (I read books to avoid reality) wich in this case doesn't make much sense since this is a sci-fi book about the universe and dark matter (even though it does follows real events like the Cold War). It's a personal preference but it doesn't actually add anything to the story.

Who doesn’t love a good space opera? What is especially enjoyable is when said space opera doesn’t take itself too seriously. The Stars Too Fondly has a fun cast of diverse characters, an interesting premise, some mystery, drama, romance, and a little peril to round it out.

While the book was a very quick read, some elements were a bit unbelievable, the characters seemed very young for their genius and the story wrapped up way too quickly to be satisfying. This would be popular with fans of space opera and new adult readers. Those looking for believable sci-fi might be annoyed by the squiffy technical details.

Not without its flaws but a fun story overall. Also, the cover is gorgeous. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Avon/Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an advance copy of this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
QUEER ROMANCE. IN SPACE. ROMANTASY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The number of times I silent screamed while reading this cannot even be counted on one hand. This novel is so, so, SO funny and heartfelt. I've honestly never read anything like this before but I hope I get to read so much more from this author! You will not regret reading this beautiful story that has so much depth and loveable characters!!

The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton drew me in with a combination of a stellar cover and premise and kept me reading with its excellent pacing. While the tone and behavior of the characters often led the text to read with a more young-adult vibe that may have been just what I needed to jump-start me back into reading my arcs after a bit of a slump. This was a great time and I recommend it for fans of works such as An Ocean of Stars by Becca Minos.

I had high hopes for this book so maybe that was the first problem.

The problems mostly boil down to one for me: it reads like YA. Despite all the characters being 27 and older, the writing, their actions, all felt more believable for 16 year olds than for cynical 27 year olds with PhDs that they are supposed to be. I personally just don't like the tone of YA (which I don't penalize for as that is 100% a personal preference), but I just can't get over it to actually enjoy this book.

If all the ages had been dropped to say 17 and 18, and marketed properly as YA/NA, it wouldn't be a problem. It would be what it says on the tin. As it stands though I think there will be others like me who aren't super into it and it will miss the audience that would really like it. There is a lot here to like (diverse casting, a unique plot line, turns and twists aplenty), but it won't mean much if it's not given to the right people.

First off, I would say that this book has way more romance than your average science fiction. Not a bad thing, but be prepared that there is a lot of mooning and less actual moons. Also, this read pretty young to me. Like a teen book. Thought the characters are in their late twenties, they act much younger/immature.
The cast of characters is nicely diverse and have plausible personalities. I would have liked a little more in that department, but the majority of the book focuses on Cleo and Billie. It has a good mystery component but I also would have loved there to be more about the alien planet and their day to day.
I think hologram Billie and IRL Billie was an interesting concept, but I couldn't reconcile the two. Probably best not to overthink that.
#NetGalley

I really loved "The Stars Too Fondly," a powerful debut by Emily Hamilton that touches on climate change, human greed, a space odyssey, a sapphic romance and romance involving AI. So many issues and Hamilton managed to make this a fun, entertaining and compelling read. Her writing is really imaginative and takes the reader to many places that stretch the bounds of space, time and human relationships. It took me a while to get into the book, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. Cleo, her friends and Billie are all loveable characters that really humanize their adventures in space. Recommended. Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the eARC.

This just ended up not being my cup of tea. I got about 50% of the way in and it was just a tad too sci fi for my tastes, but I can see how this would be a favorite for those who enjoy the genre.

“The Stars Too Fondly” is a blend of comic space adventure mixed with a sapphic love story. With threads of friendship, family, love, loss, mystery, and a surprisingly poignant commentary on scientific progress and just how much one is willing to sacrifice to serve their own ends.

Cleo and her friends grew up on an Earth mired in decline. Their hopes of a better future were pinned on a daring space mission to Proxima Centauri B and a wonder engine field by dark matter. But things don’t turn out as expected (the crew vanishes on launch day), and Cleo, Kaleisha, Abe, and Rod end up “accidentally” hijacking the abandoned spaceship and get wrapped up in the mystery of why they were able to get it to fly, and just where all of the previous crew actually went when they disappeared all those years before. To help them, Cleo and the group turn to Billie, the holographic representation of the AI that the “real” Captain Billie Lucas left behind. The only problem is, Cleo and Billie seem an awful lot like they are falling in love, while the truth behind what happened before and what is happening to the friends now, slowly comes to light.

There was humor here, and deep love threaded in between the science fiction space story of survival. Told in interwoven snippets of ship communication logs, current events, and what appears to be some sort of observer, these overlapping elements keep the pace fresh and moving. Cleo, Ros, Kaleisha, and Abe are all well-drawn characters and even hologram Billie makes a mark very quickly. Billie and Cleo together are a joy to read and also make your heart ache for them and the seemingly insurmountable odds of falling in love with someone who is no longer a tangible person, but certainly feels like one.

Emotions run high as the stakes unfold. What starts as a simple misadventure quickly turns into a philosophical exploration of love, progress, and sacrifice. For not only Cleo and her friends but Billie and the previous crew of the ship. This was at turns fun and heartwarming and tense and managed to weave all of its’ story threads together well through to the end.

There was nothing wrong with this book, but two big dealbreaker aspects of it that were decidedly not-for-me, so your mileage may vary. Dealbreaker one was the particular brand of banter used by the characters — lots of snarky back and forth with one-liners that didn’t seem very realistic to me. Dealbreaker two was that romance fell a bit flat for me. I couldn’t really feel the connection between the leads other than “our consciousnesses are stuck on this ship in space together.” I did like the diversity in the cast of characters and the themes addressed in the book, particularly “you can run away, but your issues will follow.” The story itself was also fun, though a little predictable (which was fine, I like being right).

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

Have you ever cried over a hologram? Well now I have.

I'm adding this to the list of books I won't listen to criticism on. Not that there isn't any, but this was absolutely gut-wrenching and gorgeously written. This book sucked me in instantly, has amazing representation, a swoon-worthy (very unexpected) romance, a chilling mystery, and just enough humor to keep it optimistic and cozy. Hamilton crafted complex, flawed characters grappling with the cost of innovation and the question of who pays it.

This is perfect for anyone who steers away from scifi because of its complexity. This was easy to read and understand. Recommending to everyone and anyone!

Thank you to Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC version of this!
This was an interesting read and I’m not sure how to feel about it, even after having some time to think about it.
Did I think that Cleo and hologram Billie/real Billie had a super adorable relationship? Oh yes definitely
Unfortunately their relationship couldn’t save the fact that all the characters came off very immature. If you told me that this was written about high schoolers instead of mid to late 20 years olds I’d have no problem believing you. There was also so many characters I never felt like I never got to know them well enough to be super invested in them.
All in all even though I mainly had issues with the characters this was still a fun sci-fi/fantasy read and an amazing start for a debut author!

What a strong debut! The sci-fi was what drew me in, and the sci-fi was what kept me around. I don’t know if it’s all scientifically accurate, but I certainly bought into it. The mystery of what happened to the Providence crew sucked me in so quickly, and it wasn’t long before I needed to know everything.

The central romance felt forced in certain places, but it felt totally authentic in others. It was a little uneven, but that’s my only critique. Otherwise, this book was so awesome, and I can’t wait to see what Hamilton writes next!

4.5/5 stars

I didn’t personally care for the prose, though I applaud the author for their confidence in pushing the boundaries of the norm through POV switches and use of epistolary, playwriting script, etc. I stopped after chapter 1 (7%). I think this will be a lot more niche in terms of target audience, but those who love it will rave. Otherwise, probably a 3 to 4 star range.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager | Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book! MAJOR SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

It may have been the mood in which I was reading this but I found myself feeling at quite a distant. Starting out with the reference to TikTok in.. presumably the 2040s, watched and understood in 2061. After that, I found it difficult to connect to the characters-- of course I could understand the appeal of Billie, what was significant about Cleo seemed to be she simply... existed? As did many of her friends, who talked and spoke like they'd fit more easily into a YA book.

<spoiler> Somehow, Cleo was magnetic enough for the real Billie to fall in love with her in another universe but genuinely, I couldn't see it. The adding of this also made part of this feel incredibly cheap-- it might have worked better as duology, with learning about the real Captain Wilhelmina, instead of being reassured that well. . . since the hologram was a perfect copy and fell in love, the real one would as well. And turns out she fell in love just as hard! </spoiler>

What a surprise.

Every character seemed to exist for the sake of ... adding more, and simply were? <spoiler> They specifically got powers to match the villain and Cleo's power was so very super special enough that she seemingly had two? </spoiler>

The science fiction of of the book also felt. . . cheap. And maybe that's because the last science fiction I read was admittedly, Exordia, but. . .

Science fiction typically gives to me, a feeling of vastness and claustrophobia. Of wonder and horror. Of togetherness and apartness, and I didn't have much from the book.