Fans of the Titanic meets science fiction spaceships this is for you! This YA merges Titanic and star crossed lovers on opposite sides with high action in space! Keep reading this book review of Bound by Stars for my full thoughts.
Summary
She never belonged in his world. He never thought he’d leave it.
When Weslie Fleet wins a golden ticket aboard the Boundless, humanity’s most opulent starliner, it’s a dream―and a danger. Raised in the dust-ridden ruins of Earth, she is thrust into the gleaming luxury of Mars’s elite, where every whispered word carries weight and every glance is a silent judgment. And none watch her closer than Jupiter, the golden boy of Mars’s high society, bound by duty, legacy, and a future he never chose.
Their reluctant partnership was supposed to be a one-off assignment. Instead, it becomes a battle of wills, a spark that ignites, and a love neither of them anticipated. But fate is as cruel as it is unpredictable, and when the Boundless veers off course, love won’t be enough to save them.
The ship is failing. The odds are impossible. And in the darkness of space, survival is the only thing that matters.
But some loves are worth defying the stars for.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Bound by Stars is science fiction action plus romance. While I think it does a better job on the romance, I enjoyed the science fiction setting. For Weslie and Jupiter it’s a clash of not only wealth, but also background since Weslie is from Earth. Bound by Stars is dual POV, so we see both of their sides as they have to question their misconceptions. I thought Weslie works as a stronger narrator – considering she has more to lose – but I did like Jupiter as a character. I just felt like her emotional arc was more compelling.
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Weslie has a lot against her as she is treated awfully. There’s this huge prejudice against her for being from Earth even though she just wants a chance to go to the stars. I wish there had been a few more ends tied up with the larger macro science fiction world. I found myself being drawn in by wondering what was happening to the tech and the rumors swirling around. Pacing wise, I enjoyed how we are thrown into the world and into the mounting tensions. It capitalizes on the action on the ship and the simmering point, I just wanted a bit more of it at the end end.
Bound by Stars is a fun gender bent Titanic in space. It’s mostly focused on the romance with a subplot of science fiction action. I enjoyed it and found myself enjoying this mix of setting and chemistry. Find Bound by Stars on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.