Marooned - Book Review

Star Cruise: Marooned (A Sectors SF Romance #4)
by Veronica Scott

What is it about:
Meg Antille works long hours on the charter cruise ship Far Horizon so she can send credits home to her family. Working hard to earn a promotion to a better post (and better pay), Meg has no time for romance.

Former Special Forces soldier Red Thomsill only took the berth on the Far Horizon in hopes of getting to know Meg better, but so far she’s kept him at a polite distance. A scheduled stopover on the idyllic beach of a nature preserve planet may be his last chance to impress the girl.

But when one of the passengers is attacked by a wild animal it becomes clear that conditions on the lushly forested Dantaralon aren’t as advertised – the ranger station is deserted, the defensive perimeter is down...and then the Far Horizon’s shuttle abruptly leaves without any of them.

Marooned on the dangerous outback world, romance is the least of their concerns, and yet Meg and Red cannot help being drawn to each other once they see how well they work together. But can they survive long enough to see their romance through? Or will the wild alien planet defeat them, ending their romance and their lives before anything can really begin?

What did I think of it:
I will confess I judged this book by its cover. I was convinced it would be more romance than SF. The kind where the lead characters are getting intimate while the enemy is hot on their heels, but is kind enough to wait to strike until the sexy times are over.

Luckily I was wrong.

This is a SF Romance that balances the romance and the action really well. The story that develops once the lead characters are marooned is suspenseful, full of danger, and with only one moment where I wanted to kick Meg and Red for not staying focused on the task at hand. This being a novella the romance was a bit fast, but not unbelievably so.

The jungle planet they were stranded on was well described, and the alien creatures they encounter as well. All in all a very enjoyable read.

The one thing that bugged me was that one of the minor characters behaved a bit erratic. One moment she was clinging to Red so he could establish himself as protective alpha male, the next she remembered she was a snobby newly wed and was cuddling up with the hubby, acting petulant. I enjoyed the rest of the story enough that I'll just blame her behavior on the stressful situation though.

You might have noticed this is book 4 in a series, but it is perfectly readable as a standalone. From what I understand all books take place in the same universe, but each book is about a different couple. I have the first book (Wreck of the Nebula Dream) in my TBR pile. As it's described as "Titanic in Space" I think I'll have to read that one soon.

Why should you read it:
It's a very enjoyable SF Romance read.


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