Review: Paradise 21 by Aubrie Dionne

Posted 23 August, 2011 by Danny in / 6 Comments


Paradise 21


by Aubrie Dionne

Published: August 2, 2011

Links: IndieBound

(support an independent bookseller near YOU!)

Amazon, Barnes & Noble

(available as Kindle/Nook editions)

ARC provided by Kismet Book Touring for a fair and honest review

Synopsis from Goodreads

Aries has lived her entire life aboard mankind’s last hope, the New Dawn, a spaceship traveling toward a planet where humanity can begin anew-a planet that won’t be reached in Aries’ lifetime. As one of the last genetically desirable women in the universe, she must marry her designated genetic match and produce the next generation for this centuries-long voyage.

But Aries has other plans.

When her desperate escape from the New Dawn strands her on a desert planet, Aries discovers the rumors about pirates-humans who escaped Earth before its demise-are true. Handsome, genetically imperfect Striker possesses the freedom Aries envies, and the two connect on a level she never thought possible. But pursued by her match from above and hunted by the planet’s native inhabitants, Aries quickly learns her freedom will come at a hefty price.

The life of the man she loves.

Review

Ok, so I’m just going to admit it. I am a totally sci-fi nerd! Man how I love stories of far away planets and space travel and adventures through wormholes. I have religiously watched every Star Trek TV series/movie with my family (also big sci-fi fans), read all the Arthur C. Clarke and Issac Asimov I could get my hands on as a kid and wished harder to be issued my invitation to the Star Fleet academy more than Hogwarts (hey, I grew up in a different age!) So when I got the chance to read Aubrie Dionne’s Paradise 21 for a tour, I jumped at it, eager to return to a passion of my youth.

There were so many things I loved about this book. I loved all the characters. I love the hero, Striker, who I couldn’t help seeing as a young Harrison Ford, always on the side of good but looking just a bit too dangerous to be TOTALLY good. He’s a pirate but in the rogue sense of the word. He’s kind and generous and how anyone can’t like this man, I just don’t know. I also liked the heroine, Aries, who may not have been perfect but she knew what she wanted and she went after it. And I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the bad guys! From Tiff who stranded Striker on a desert planet (complete with all kinds of native creatures that go bump in the night) to the egotistical Barliss who can’t see beyond his own wants and needs, what makes the bad guys in this books so great is that there’s a little bit of all of us in them, making their motives believable, if really mean!

I also loved the descriptions of the different places we get to visit in this book. There’s the once great, now dingy space station (complete with Dickensian street urchins!), the vast, mobile metropolis of the New Dawn space ship and the barren wasteland of the desert planet Striker’s stranded on for five long years. Each location was fully crafted and gorgeously described. I was easily able to get into the story and enjoy every place Ms. Dionne took me.

The romance is on the tamer side, but very sweet and totally accessible for any age range. I definitely felt the love that Aries and Strider struggled NOT to share (why, oh, why must they thwart me in my pursuit of smoochie times???) but if you’re looking for hot and steamy, smexy times, you’ll need to look elsewhere else.

Bottom Line

A wonderful, light romance set in a fantastic (if somewhat dystopian) space future; Paradise 21 is a great read that will have you rooting for the good guys to get their happily ever after!

I give it 4 out of 5 books

Final Notes

I’m so excited to be hosting the author of this great book, Aubrie Dionne, here tomorrow with an interview! Please stop by tomorrow to get to know Aubrie a bit better and there’s even going to be a give away!!! *smiles* Hope to see you then!! Until then, let me know….are you a closet sci-fi nerd like me?

Now go and get lost…in a book!

The following two tabs change content below.
Obsessive Reader by Night - Scientist at Day! You can also find me on goodreads. I'd love to get to know you so, don't be shy and say Hello!

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Divider

6 Responses to “Review: Paradise 21 by Aubrie Dionne”

  1. hrose2931

    Sounds absolutely great! I didn't know if I would like sci-fi. Actually, I say I don't. But since starting Across the Universe, I have to say that I selectively like it. This one sounds very good. I'd probably like a little more smoochie time too, but pirates and a girl that escapes a spaceship for her own destiny- I'll take that!

    Heather
    My recent post Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

    Reply »

Leave a Reply

CommentLuv badge