Review: Starflight by Melissa Landers

Source: purchased @ Joseph-Beth book signing
Format: hardcover
Pages: 358
Genre: YA sci-fi
Rating: 5 Stars
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release: February 2nd 2016
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Life in the outer realm is a lawless, dirty, hard existence, and Solara Brooks is hungry for it. Just out of the orphanage, she needs a fresh start in a place where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. She's so desperate to reach the realm that she's willing to indenture herself to Doran Spaulding, the rich and popular quarterback who made her life miserable all through high school, in exchange for passage aboard the spaceliner Zenith.

When a twist of fate lands them instead on the Banshee, a vessel of dubious repute, Doran learns he's been framed on Earth for conspiracy. As he pursues a set of mysterious coordinates rumored to hold the key to clearing his name, he and Solara must get past their enmity to work together and evade those out for their arrest. Life on the Banshee may be tumultuous, but as Solara and Doran are forced to question everything they once believed about their world—and each other—the ship becomes home, and the eccentric crew family. But what Solara and Doran discover on the mysterious Planet X has the power to not only alter their lives, but the existence of everyone in the universe...

My review of Starlight...

It's not often that you will catch me reading a book about space travel. But THIS BOOK, OMG!!! I loved every minute of it! Following Solara and Doran's story was captivating, exciting, fun and oh so many swoons! 

The first thing I'd like to talk about is the romance. Going into this book I knew it'd be good. (I read Melissa's Alienated series and loved them!) What took me by surprise, in a totally good way, was the romance in this book. I didn't expect it to be oh so romantic and swoon worthy! I just adored Solara and Doran's witty back and forth banter! My favorite thing pertaining to the romance was the fact that THERE IS NO LOVE TRIANGLE! Hallelujah! 

“I like waking up in sheets that smell like you,” he said, gentler this time. “And I like the little wrinkle that shows up between your eyes every time you look at me. When I think about giving that up, I can’t breathe.”

One of my favorite things in a novel is great character development. I love seeing characters evolve throughout the story. The characters in Starflight did not disappoint. In fact I'd say the characters within the pages of this fantastic book had some of the best character development I've ever seen!

Normally I try and pick a favorite character. I'd say in this story I loved Solara, Doran, Cassia and Kane all equally. Of course I can't forget about the adorable, cute and cuddly Acorn! Acorn is a sugar glider that lives on the Banshee with the crew.

One thing I cannot go without saying is the pacing of this novel. There isn't a single dull moment and it's perfectly paced! OMG the ending, you'll never see the twist coming! I read the last chapter in the car while in the parking lot of my work. Luckily I had a bit of time to pull myself together because by the last page I was teary eyed. Oh what a perfect ending!

A valuable lesson Solara learned while aboard the Banshee was the true meaning of family. She goes from being utterly alone in the universe to finding the family she never dreamed about. Don't worry, I won't spoil anything for you. But I'll leave you with this excerpt from the back of the book.

She hadn’t realized it until now, but that’s what the people on this ship were to her. At some point during the haphazard journey, she’d fallen in love with a bespectacled kleptomaniac, a star-crossed seducer and his displaced princess, and most of all, an infuriating blue blood who used to call her Rattail. She’d learned that home was fluid thing, and whether on a planet, on a satellite, or on a rusted bucket of a ship, this crew was her home.

Would I recommend... 

 Yes! I'd recommended this book to anyone who loved to read!

SCI-FI ・ EPIC ROMANCE ・ PERFECTLY PACED