A well-written romance set in the not so distant future. If you aren't a SF fan, you'll still enjoy this book as this a hardcore SF but the focus is more on the characters. Ready to embark on a mission to Mars, Ana Mitchell engages a struggling artist, Jolie Dann as a roommate/house sitter while she is gone. The relationship moves rather quickly and then the two are separated abruptly - pining for the woman that they barely got to know. There's definitely chemistry between the two, but they spend more time apart than together. This has a fair bit of angst but Esther's characters make it work and you can't help but root for them.

I had been expecting more sci-fi than romance but looking back at the title of this book after reading it I feel silly for expecting that. I'm sure others would enjoy this more than me, it's just not my cup of tea.

With low profile books like this one, I've learned to not expect too much. In this case, I ended up pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed this.

The Universe Between Us follows two ladies that fall for each other, but have the departure of one of them, Ana, leaving for Mars, looming over their relationship. I thought the romance was cute, though a bit on the insta-love side. I thought the subtle sci-fi elements and disability rep were very refreshing to read about. Everything was wrapped up nicely at the end.

Well worth picking up

Awful book. I'm sorry to say this but it's just a bad book: plot, characters, nothing is good. I had to force myself to pick up and read this book again and again.
The resume of this book sounded so appealing yet after 10 pages the charm faded.

This was a nice first novel from a new author in this space, and I'm looking forward to seeing what other interesting concepts she comes up with. I've found a lot of books in this genre don't go outside the box and into the "futuristic" or slightly "sci-fi" aspect, so I enjoy when someone has a new take on the world in general.

Jolie and Ana are both great characters onto their own. I found Ana maddening at times, but so did Ana! I was also engaged for the duration of the book, especially because it had a ticking time clock with the mission so conflicts had to get resolved.

I have a feeling the books she'll write in the future with get better and better, so I"m looking forward to the next one!

I don't think that I have read this author before. I was attracted to it because I really enjoy sci-fi. But after reading this I wouldn't consider it as sci-fi. More like the preparation for a future elsewhere. In this case Mars because Earth is dying. But romance is definitely the flavor of this book.

Bio Chemist Ana has been training for Mars since she was a child. She has even built a house that is self sufficient. Growing her own food and stuff. But because she is away so much training she advertises for a room mate who can maintain the house in her absence. Along comes Jolie and Ana knows things have just gotten very complicated. Romance is definitely at the heart of this book.

I would have preferred more action but it is a good read. I will definitely look out for this author in the future. Enjoy!

*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2284559153

https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R21G6YVRD27E0C/ref=pe_1572281_66412651_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

After reading this volume twice, I can safely say that I was satisfied with the direction and relationship, though, too much of a focus was placed on the physical, rather than emotional, connection between the protagonists. World building was also well conceived and presented a female scientist whose grit and intelligence I admired.

A solid work from a debut author (and librarian!) The plot and themes are nothing novel, but they are presented appealingly so that I never lost interest. Add in intriguing and smart female protagonists, quick dialogue, a complicated relationship with just enough sex, a slight dystopian twist, and (hallelujah!) no dead lesbians at the end, and it’s tough not recommend it. I almost passed it by, as I’m not the biggest sci-if fan, but that’s not what it is. The near future setting is believable and allows the story to grow organically, and all action takes place on terra firma. Overall, it’s the kind of not-too-sappy, not-too-serious love story that lesbian fiction need more of.

This love story between a college art student and a "undercover astronaut" is quite sweet and it really makes you stop and ask, "how important is love?" When Jolie moves in with Ana, Ana was quite prickly. She lacked many social graces as a result of living on her own since the age of 13 with no friends aside from her fellow astronauts who she only sees through tele-conferences. There is a real spark of chemistry between the women, which soon turns hot, but Ana makes it clear that she will be leaving and never coming back. But, they take the leap anyway and find themselves overwhelmingly in love. Ana has to leave and they make their good byes. Jolie figures out that Ana is part of the Mission to Mars space program and realizes that Ana actually has a really good reason for leaving...possibly saving the world. Knowing this, she accepts that the relationship is over and decides to put Ana behind her.
At first I didn't believe that these two very different women could fall so madly in love. Ana was the typical "mad scientist" with poor social skills made even worse each time Jolie would flirt with her. The thing that changed; that made me believe the romance is that Jolie is so refreshing and easy to be around. Where Ana is all hard edges, Jolie is smooth curves. Where Ana is hard facts and figures, Jolie is creative and experimental. I think that Jolie stumbled into Ana's very solitary, controlled life and brought her to her senses.
The writing was well done. The author puts a very nice spin on writing about the future; the mid 21st century. Its got some very futuristic changes without it feeling like we've stepped into a fourth dimension. A lot of the poor conditions on earth are due to climate change, so it was interesting to see this fleshed out.
The book is written in the third person from each woman's point of view. At times, I had trouble figuring out who was speaking so I'd have to go back a page to figure it out. This was also true in the sex scenes. I had to go back pages to try and figure out the choreography because it got really confusing at times. It's for these reasons that I had to give it two stars rather than three. For some readers, this may not be an issue.
For a first book, this was a great start and I definitely will look forward to reading Ms. Esther's next offering.

I was given a free ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

This is a romance between biochemist Ana Mitchel, who’s about to leave in a secret mission to colonise Mars, and her housemate, art student Jolie Dann. As time goes by, their feelings for each other grow but also the date for Ana’s departure to Mars gets closer. Will Ana put her commitment to science above all, even if it means losing her chance at love?

Solid debut novel by Jane Esther which is in my recommended lesfic new releases of January 2018 (see https://lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com/recommended-lesfic-books-by-month/recommended-lesfic-books-for-january-2018/). This is a sci-fi, young adult romantic novel, emphasis on the romance part. If you are a sci-fi fan, there is little to enjoy as the focus is on the romance between the main characters. There's a bit of insta-love, soul searching and angst but it is believable considering their ages and the particular situation they are in. My main concern is that some parts of the book seem to drag and others are rushed, specially the ending. Having said that, it's worth a read.

Overall, a good debut novel. Recommended if you enjoy romances with a bit of angst at the side. 3.5 stars.

ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com

DNF @ 33%
I picked this one up because I wanted to expand my reading and reading something with a lesbian romance is something I haven't read much of. Because of this need, I really tried to give this book the benefit of the doubt and tried getting through it. Unfortunately, that didn't work for me.

First off, the romance is totally insta-love -- seriously, though this is insta-lust. Why do they even like each other? There is not much mentioned about why they like each other, although maybe I'm not picking up subtle clues. Then again, this book is pretty much straight up romance. If you give me something else to latch on to usually I'm decently okay with this, but I have nothing to connect with the characters with even. This book felt like it jumped to moments of them together to moments where they think about each other and just a bit of outside influence thrown in too.

The characters I didn't think were really flushed out either. Who are they? Give me some details -- what year in school is Jolie? Why is Ana listening to her mother and not living her own life at the age of 26 !! when she obviously wants to stay on her farm. I know the basics, but these other details would be nice to help me get to know them and like them.
Unfortunately, the world-building left something to be desired too. I thought there was going to be explanations or detail about even the time so I could understand or get a sense of things, but this didn't happen. Instead, world-building is told subtlety with mention to: self-driving cars, global warming, sending people to the moon... all awesome, but I wanted just a bit more to ground me. Where are we? Why are people trying to live on other planets?

Why I quit? Honestly, I'm kinda bored. I do think others, especially people looking for a romance between girls will be able to power through or if people like subtle books where everything isn't told to them, but I wanted more of a story.

You have two characters that meet and are instantly attracted to each other. Good thing, right? Most of the times yes, because then the story will build on that attraction, get that dialogue rolling and capture your interest and propel you to keep reading the world be damned. Here not so much, and that will be the reoccurring problem. There is no dialogue only eye-catching beauty, lust, then lots of sex with a healthy dose of sorrow.

The premise of the book was great, it just got lost along the way. What could have been a great friend to lover relationship, with one of the mains who needs to leave to colonize Mars, turns into quick sex, now I’m upset and a bucket load of whining. Plus, the secondary characters do nothing for the book at all. If anything they bring the story down and muddle the story.

I needed a hell of a lot more details, more dialogue and the characters not having a quickie with someone else at the 85% mark. Not to mention chapters of anguish and agony are resolved in tow pages and that’s your ending. This book needs more polish, I hate writing bad reviews but I cannot recommend this one.

Set in the future where there is travel to Mars, this romance is a well written and enjoyable read. Ana and Jolie fight and find their attraction – one that does not seem to have a mutually satisfactory resolution. With her goals predetermined by her family history, Ana discovers a world of feelings for Jolie. Those feelings are at odds with her career and destination. Jolie struggles to insulate herself from the emotional involvement that will only result in loss. How do you deal with an earthshaking attraction that has no long-term future? This is worth the read.

The story had me entertained from the beginning with not only the characters but a glimpse of technology in the future and potential environmental changes. Ana Mitchell, a sexy and cool biochemist has been preparing since age 13 to go on a space journey to colonize Mars. Jolie Dann, a talented art student looking to save money and spend more time on her art. Can you say, love at first sight? I can appreciate a good romance with some angst...will she or won't she? I wish the story was longer so the reader could have learned more about Ana's experiments and family dynamics as well as Jolie's art and family. teh supporting characters were a nice contribution to the story as well as providing the characters with a sounding board.

Ana Mitchell has been carefully groomed by her mother to be the leader of a mission to colonise Mars. While Ana works at the University during the day as a biochemist, by night she is secretly conducting experiments to provide the mission with food and other survival materials on Mars. During the extended mission training in the Atacama Desert, Ana needs a housemate to look after the high-tech house and extensive fruit and vegetable gardens at her farm.

Jolie Dann is studying art at the local university. Freshly out of a job, she needs somewhere really cheap to stay. Spotting an ad for a housemate, cheap rates but labour required, she applies and comes face to face with the stunning Ana.

As Jolie and Ana find themselves heading into relationship territory, the one solid they have is that Ana is leaving for good in a matter of months. Secret mission or not, that timeline rapidly approaches. Will Ana choose to put the mission before her own happiness?

This was the first book written by Esther, but it feels quite accomplished. It was well plotted and the story worked well. The two main characters were engaging, particularly Ana. Both had well developed back-stories, and this gave them points of connection as well as points of difference. They were interesting characters to read. The secondary characters were two-dimensional, and more could have been done with them to give the story a bit more depth.

I thought it interesting to see how Esther handled the romance. I don’t want to give away spoilers, but there were scenes that were unexpected, which provided a greater understanding of the two main characters.

One of the aspects I liked the most was the near-future aspects of the book. Global warming wasn’t mentioned at all, but the weather had changed and so growing food and food security was an issue. There were changes to the technology, and the behaviour of the characters as a result, but Esther has been conservative in her socially integrated tech. It was perhaps a little disappointing that the ‘high-tech’ farmhouse didn’t actually have more technology in it, or perhaps more creative technology. However, the new tech was well integrated into the lives of the characters, and didn’t seem out of place.

This was a interesting lesbian romance set in the near future on the fading planet of earth.

Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Ana is a 26-year-old biochemist whose mother has raised her to be part of a private corporation's mission to colonize Mars. She's been training for it since she was 13. Part of her training included building a self-sufficient farmhouse. The problem is she needs someone to take care of it when she's gone if she doesn't want it to fall into dilapidation. 

Jolie, a student at the local university, answers her ad for a roommate in order to cut down on living expenses, quit her job, and make more time for her art. The two are immediately attracted to one another, but Ana can't tell Jolie anything about the upcoming mission. All Jolie knows is that Ana will be going away and soon. Is the chance at love, even if it's short-lived, worth it?

This story is set in a realistic near future, one where Earth is becoming less and less habitable, forcing humanity to turn to the next closest planet. Esther threads in details about what this future is like--automatic cars, screens everywhere, bracelets that let people take video calls. It's nothing earthshattering in terms of technology, but these details are enjoyable glimpses of the world, and Esther utilizes them well. If anything, I wanted more from the science. Ana is a biochemist and in charge of the colony's food supply. She mentions experiments but doesn't go in depth. I thought this aspect could have been explored more, but I did like what was there.

I felt like the writing could've been polished a bit more. I liked Jolie and Ana, but I didn't get enough of a sense of who they were outside their relationship. That's partly a constraint of the plot because the characters need to get together if Ana's upcoming departure is going to have emotional heft. I would've liked to see more of Jolie's life at the university and more of Ana's life in her terrarium and with her experiments. I would've been more accepting of it, I think, if the dialogue had felt more natural. It's sometimes stilted, and characters jump from one subject to another without Esther giving us their inner thoughts to make that jump. It was off just enough that it sometimes popped me out of the story.

I'm okay with endings being neatly tied up. However, where this one lost me was in the conflict that separates Jolie and Ana. Without giving much away, if Ana's job was so important, I would think there would be measures in place for replacements, maybe even an entire B-crew. In this way, the conflict felt a little too contrived for me to be worried about the fate of their relationship. 

Overall, this was a relaxing, breezy read, perfect for huddling up indoors when it's cold outside. I'd recommend it to readers who are romance fans. 

Thanks to NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books, and Jane C. Esther for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Going back and forth between two and three stars.

I always enjoy being dropped in a world and having to find my way in it without too much/any explanation.

However, this being a romance and thus the ending being clear from the start, the Mars mission was a bit of an unfortunate plot. I would have enjoyed this more in a non-romance setting.

This was a sweet romance set in a dystopian future. Unfortunately the way we are headed this could very well happen so it was a downer in the sense that I look forward to books as an escape from my ordinary life.
Our two heroines were wonderful and this book is a great start by the author. I particularly enjoyed the tech advancements and how interested they were in nature, taking pleasure in the simple beauty of it rather than immersing themselves behind screens and tech.

Definitely recommend.

I liked everything about this book except the timing. At certain points it felt a little drawn out and then towards the ending it got more and more rushed. I still can’t believe that the ending was the ending... first I thought there is a page missing but I guess the author just decided to end the story abruptly. I think that is my main and only complaint about this story.

The characters were were great and the futuristic snippets were well placed and not overpowering. Ana is a great character - she is smarty, sexy and is insecure, which makes her even more likable. Jolie is a bit too cocky but she fits with Ana and I can see how they fall in love and there is definitely chemistry between them.

I would definitely recommend this book!!!

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Reading this book, there were so many little details that jumped out at me. I often found myself thinking "I love that".

The novel is set in what seems to be the relatively near future, without specific dates. It involves, science, speculative thoughts, and an slightly positive view of a possible future. Although the world is continuing to fall apart, people are more open minded at least.

I enjoyed the novel, and the romance at its centre. However, there were a number of points where conflict seemed to be resolved too quickly - too simply. Within the space of a few pages turmoil turned to acceptance. This took away from the potency of the story as a whole. Never the less it was an enjoyable story to read. I look forward to more from this author.