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shereadstales's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
hhushaw's review against another edition
2.0
This is an honest review from Netgalley.
This book really had the potential to be a five-star read, I've read Cannon's books before and always liked them a lot. The description of Countdown drew me in immediately, and the plot was great the entire way. My problem was the main characters, I couldn't handle them. I was getting so annoyed with Kenner throughout the book that sometimes I had to stop reading. Her attitude got to me, I agreed with Andrea and all her opinions about her throughout the book. I just couldn't understand why she couldn't get how important her job was, and the position Andrea was in, it made me hate her. The sex scene in Andrea's office was hot, it was hate sex at its best. This book could have been amazing, but the characters just didn't do it for me.
This book really had the potential to be a five-star read, I've read Cannon's books before and always liked them a lot. The description of Countdown drew me in immediately, and the plot was great the entire way. My problem was the main characters, I couldn't handle them. I was getting so annoyed with Kenner throughout the book that sometimes I had to stop reading. Her attitude got to me, I agreed with Andrea and all her opinions about her throughout the book. I just couldn't understand why she couldn't get how important her job was, and the position Andrea was in, it made me hate her. The sex scene in Andrea's office was hot, it was hate sex at its best. This book could have been amazing, but the characters just didn't do it for me.
ekalmusla's review against another edition
3.0
Note: This ARC was provided by NetGalley & Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
Find the following review posted on my blog - FarNerdy.
3.5 stars
So we start out with a typical lesbian romance story line - uptight Andrea Finley has never let her hair down, so to speak. As Flight Director for NASA, Andrea has led and continued living a structured, predispositioned, and - frankly - boring life. When things go wrong on Andrea's current mission, in comes Kenner Hutchings, the girl with the gift of knowing how to solve problems in the technical and scientific world due to her photographic memory (even though neither character believes that's a real thing). Kenner is the opposite of Andrea, playing fast and loose with her life - and the women she takes to bed. Moving from lover to lover and job to job, Kenner doesn't let anything get in her way, and she doesn't have to listen to other people when she tends to be the smartest one in the room. When Andrea and Kenner meet, they are instantly at war, both with each other, and their growing attraction of one another. Will pristine Andrea be able to relax enough for Kenner to take her seriously? Will Kenner show the respect she needs to get Andrea to understand and trust her? Or will their budding "relationship" come crashing down before it even has a chance to lift off?
The premise of this novel fascinated me - NASA, a space mission in turmoil, love brewing between the anxiety and need to rescue the crew, and all the true-to-life science fiction nuances you could throw in to boot. But in the end, the story lacked in certain areas that made the novel fall short in some key places.
The Good
The characters, on their own and in their own realm, were interesting. They were complex in their one-dimensional issues and personal battles. Andrea Finley needed to learn how to relax and let go, relinquish all of the control she held onto in every aspect of her life. Kenner Hutchings needed to learn how to take better care of her authenticity and her personal life and, therefore, herself as a whole. They each had one thing to fix, but [a:Julie Cannon|3400476|Julie Cannon|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1359489850p2/3400476.jpg] showered each character with qualities and quirks to make those mundane and common characteristics used in novels across all genres seem unique and intricate amongst the stereotypical backdrop.
The Bad
Unfortunately, there were a few things that made the story hard to get through in the end. There were two aspects to me that caused the story to derail.
One was the fact that the angst riddled throughout the story was overwhelming, to the point that it was almost it's own character. Then, in the end, The ending was too rushed, too far out of left field to the rest of the story, and too...I don't even think they've developed a word yet for how it was both predictable in the way a bad movie's ending was predictable, but also surprising at just how far it strayed from the original story.
The other aspect was that it was often confusing throughout certain areas of the novel. On more than three different occasions, I had to go back and reread what I had just read as I felt as if I got stuck in a time loop somewhere, and didn't know what end I emerged out from before the next scene. Something wasn't right, something didn't add up, someone was in the wrong place, the wrong time, the wrong emotional bracket even. I'd reread the previous few paragraphs and, at times, pages, to find that - no - that actually WAS how it was supposed to read, but that the details were left out for you to fill in yourself. Now, don't get me wrong, I am the first person to tell you that I hate being TOLD what to feel and understand when it comes to reading. I love a writer that can write me through a way to figure it out on my own and give me my own special "light bulb moment" when it becomes clear what was meant to be conceived. But in many different areas of this novel, I was left to fend for myself in a way where I couldn't find the path to follow. As I said, it was just...confusing.
Any lesbian romance that breaks the mold, even in a small way, such as this one [b:Countdown|24693736|Countdown|Julie Cannon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1435519983s/24693736.jpg|44312763] by incorporating a spacey theme in the background and putting two women in powerful positions to show their strength and dexterity - these novels always appeal to me first and foremost. So I'm always a little extra heartbroken when these novels don't blow me away (and I call myself out for expecting that just because of a synopsis).
All in all, the book was worth the read, just to learn that I may find some other favorites in [a:Julie Cannon|3400476|Julie Cannon|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1359489850p2/3400476.jpg] and to see how lesbian romance is attempting to branch off into directions we haven't traveled to much (yet). It's nice to see attempts being made to break that mold as I described, and can't wait to find more that will do this, and blow me away in the journey.
Find the following review posted on my blog - FarNerdy.
3.5 stars
So we start out with a typical lesbian romance story line - uptight Andrea Finley has never let her hair down, so to speak. As Flight Director for NASA, Andrea has led and continued living a structured, predispositioned, and - frankly - boring life. When things go wrong on Andrea's current mission, in comes Kenner Hutchings, the girl with the gift of knowing how to solve problems in the technical and scientific world due to her photographic memory (even though neither character believes that's a real thing). Kenner is the opposite of Andrea, playing fast and loose with her life - and the women she takes to bed. Moving from lover to lover and job to job, Kenner doesn't let anything get in her way, and she doesn't have to listen to other people when she tends to be the smartest one in the room. When Andrea and Kenner meet, they are instantly at war, both with each other, and their growing attraction of one another. Will pristine Andrea be able to relax enough for Kenner to take her seriously? Will Kenner show the respect she needs to get Andrea to understand and trust her? Or will their budding "relationship" come crashing down before it even has a chance to lift off?
The premise of this novel fascinated me - NASA, a space mission in turmoil, love brewing between the anxiety and need to rescue the crew, and all the true-to-life science fiction nuances you could throw in to boot. But in the end, the story lacked in certain areas that made the novel fall short in some key places.
The Good
The characters, on their own and in their own realm, were interesting. They were complex in their one-dimensional issues and personal battles. Andrea Finley needed to learn how to relax and let go, relinquish all of the control she held onto in every aspect of her life. Kenner Hutchings needed to learn how to take better care of her authenticity and her personal life and, therefore, herself as a whole. They each had one thing to fix, but [a:Julie Cannon|3400476|Julie Cannon|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1359489850p2/3400476.jpg] showered each character with qualities and quirks to make those mundane and common characteristics used in novels across all genres seem unique and intricate amongst the stereotypical backdrop.
The Bad
Unfortunately, there were a few things that made the story hard to get through in the end. There were two aspects to me that caused the story to derail.
One was the fact that the angst riddled throughout the story was overwhelming, to the point that it was almost it's own character. Then, in the end,
Spoiler
the angst disappeared within two pages of the last paragraph, and suddenly the story was over and meant to be complete because, suddenly, Kenner had changed her ways, as had Andrea, and neither one of them was the same character whatsoever that they started as - but not in a warm, feel-good, progressive kind of way. Kenner was in love in 8 days (after living the life of a fuck toy for who knows how long), and Andrea had thrown in her pencil skirt and ironed blouses for a toss and tumble in a king-sized bed in Washington, DC. I'm sorry, but...what?!The other aspect was that it was often confusing throughout certain areas of the novel. On more than three different occasions, I had to go back and reread what I had just read as I felt as if I got stuck in a time loop somewhere, and didn't know what end I emerged out from before the next scene. Something wasn't right, something didn't add up, someone was in the wrong place, the wrong time, the wrong emotional bracket even. I'd reread the previous few paragraphs and, at times, pages, to find that - no - that actually WAS how it was supposed to read, but that the details were left out for you to fill in yourself. Now, don't get me wrong, I am the first person to tell you that I hate being TOLD what to feel and understand when it comes to reading. I love a writer that can write me through a way to figure it out on my own and give me my own special "light bulb moment" when it becomes clear what was meant to be conceived. But in many different areas of this novel, I was left to fend for myself in a way where I couldn't find the path to follow. As I said, it was just...confusing.
Any lesbian romance that breaks the mold, even in a small way, such as this one [b:Countdown|24693736|Countdown|Julie Cannon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1435519983s/24693736.jpg|44312763] by incorporating a spacey theme in the background and putting two women in powerful positions to show their strength and dexterity - these novels always appeal to me first and foremost. So I'm always a little extra heartbroken when these novels don't blow me away (and I call myself out for expecting that just because of a synopsis).
All in all, the book was worth the read, just to learn that I may find some other favorites in [a:Julie Cannon|3400476|Julie Cannon|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1359489850p2/3400476.jpg] and to see how lesbian romance is attempting to branch off into directions we haven't traveled to much (yet). It's nice to see attempts being made to break that mold as I described, and can't wait to find more that will do this, and blow me away in the journey.
friendleghost's review against another edition
2.0
Note: This ARC was provided by NetGalley & Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an review.
I was immediately drawn to the book's cover and its promise of spaceflight. Once I realized it was a lesbian romance I was sold. I appreciated seeing two highly intelligent, competent women at the center of the book's romance. It is always nice to see yourself reflected in a book, and while I may not always see myself as highly intelligent or competent, it was nice to be able to more closely identify with the attraction the two characters are experiencing.
I can never find enough romance that has characters who work in STEM fields to suit my needs and I was ecstatic to find a book that was taking place at NASA. Andrea and Kenner's work features heavily in the story and is central to much of the conflict between them. I greatly appreciated seeing both of them doing their jobs and being proficient in their fields. Having much of the conflict between Andrea and Kenner be based in their work helped to widen the story to more than just a set up for the two characters getting together.
Andrea and Kenner spark off each other from the first moment and the clash of their personalities builds great tension that builds up wonderfully to the sex scenes. THE SEX SCENES IN THIS BOOK! They are well written and extremely satisfying. If I had been reading certain scenes in public I would have been fanning my face and reaching for a glass of cold water. As it was I blushed, took a drink of something stronger, and told the cat not to judge me. Seriously, he has no taste.
I only have two (minor) complaints with this book. First, there are a few places where it gets a bit infodumpy. I wouldn't have too much of a problem with this, but at times the infodump gets into too great of detail. It only happens a couple of times and isn't a big issue, but it did bump me out of the story for a second. My second complaint isn't the book's fault, but mine. When I started this book I was in the mood for a plot in which the characters got together within the first two-thirds of the story and the rest of the book showed them negotiating how to be a couple. Countdown is not that type of book, so I wasn't in the perfect headspace to love this book. That said I did really enjoy it and would consider reading another book by Julie Cannon in the future.
I was immediately drawn to the book's cover and its promise of spaceflight. Once I realized it was a lesbian romance I was sold. I appreciated seeing two highly intelligent, competent women at the center of the book's romance. It is always nice to see yourself reflected in a book, and while I may not always see myself as highly intelligent or competent, it was nice to be able to more closely identify with the attraction the two characters are experiencing.
I can never find enough romance that has characters who work in STEM fields to suit my needs and I was ecstatic to find a book that was taking place at NASA. Andrea and Kenner's work features heavily in the story and is central to much of the conflict between them. I greatly appreciated seeing both of them doing their jobs and being proficient in their fields. Having much of the conflict between Andrea and Kenner be based in their work helped to widen the story to more than just a set up for the two characters getting together.
Andrea and Kenner spark off each other from the first moment and the clash of their personalities builds great tension that builds up wonderfully to the sex scenes. THE SEX SCENES IN THIS BOOK! They are well written and extremely satisfying. If I had been reading certain scenes in public I would have been fanning my face and reaching for a glass of cold water. As it was I blushed, took a drink of something stronger, and told the cat not to judge me. Seriously, he has no taste.
I only have two (minor) complaints with this book. First, there are a few places where it gets a bit infodumpy. I wouldn't have too much of a problem with this, but at times the infodump gets into too great of detail. It only happens a couple of times and isn't a big issue, but it did bump me out of the story for a second. My second complaint isn't the book's fault, but mine. When I started this book I was in the mood for a plot in which the characters got together within the first two-thirds of the story and the rest of the book showed them negotiating how to be a couple. Countdown is not that type of book, so I wasn't in the perfect headspace to love this book. That said I did really enjoy it and would consider reading another book by Julie Cannon in the future.
ekalmusla's review
3.0
Note: This ARC was provided by NetGalley & Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
Find the following review posted on my blog - FarNerdy.
3.5 stars
So we start out with a typical lesbian romance story line - uptight Andrea Finley has never let her hair down, so to speak. As Flight Director for NASA, Andrea has led and continued living a structured, predispositioned, and - frankly - boring life. When things go wrong on Andrea's current mission, in comes Kenner Hutchings, the girl with the gift of knowing how to solve problems in the technical and scientific world due to her photographic memory (even though neither character believes that's a real thing). Kenner is the opposite of Andrea, playing fast and loose with her life - and the women she takes to bed. Moving from lover to lover and job to job, Kenner doesn't let anything get in her way, and she doesn't have to listen to other people when she tends to be the smartest one in the room. When Andrea and Kenner meet, they are instantly at war, both with each other, and their growing attraction of one another. Will pristine Andrea be able to relax enough for Kenner to take her seriously? Will Kenner show the respect she needs to get Andrea to understand and trust her? Or will their budding "relationship" come crashing down before it even has a chance to lift off?
The premise of this novel fascinated me - NASA, a space mission in turmoil, love brewing between the anxiety and need to rescue the crew, and all the true-to-life science fiction nuances you could throw in to boot. But in the end, the story lacked in certain areas that made the novel fall short in some key places.
The Good
The characters, on their own and in their own realm, were interesting. They were complex in their one-dimensional issues and personal battles. Andrea Finley needed to learn how to relax and let go, relinquish all of the control she held onto in every aspect of her life. Kenner Hutchings needed to learn how to take better care of her authenticity and her personal life and, therefore, herself as a whole. They each had one thing to fix, but [a:Julie Cannon|3400476|Julie Cannon|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1359489850p2/3400476.jpg] showered each character with qualities and quirks to make those mundane and common characteristics used in novels across all genres seem unique and intricate amongst the stereotypical backdrop.
The Bad
Unfortunately, there were a few things that made the story hard to get through in the end. There were two aspects to me that caused the story to derail.
One was the fact that the angst riddled throughout the story was overwhelming, to the point that it was almost it's own character. Then, in the end, the angst disappeared within two pages of the last paragraph, and suddenly the story was over and meant to be complete because, suddenly, Kenner had changed her ways, as had Andrea, and neither one of them was the same character whatsoever that they started as - but not in a warm, feel-good, progressive kind of way. Kenner was in love in 8 days (after living the life of a fuck toy for who knows how long), and Andrea had thrown in her pencil skirt and ironed blouses for a toss and tumble in a king-sized bed in Washington, DC. I'm sorry, but...what?! The ending was too rushed, too far out of left field to the rest of the story, and too...I don't even think they've developed a word yet for how it was both predictable in the way a bad movie's ending was predictable, but also surprising at just how far it strayed from the original story.
The other aspect was that it was often confusing throughout certain areas of the novel. On more than three different occasions, I had to go back and reread what I had just read as I felt as if I got stuck in a time loop somewhere, and didn't know what end I emerged out from before the next scene. Something wasn't right, something didn't add up, someone was in the wrong place, the wrong time, the wrong emotional bracket even. I'd reread the previous few paragraphs and, at times, pages, to find that - no - that actually WAS how it was supposed to read, but that the details were left out for you to fill in yourself. Now, don't get me wrong, I am the first person to tell you that I hate being TOLD what to feel and understand when it comes to reading. I love a writer that can write me through a way to figure it out on my own and give me my own special "light bulb moment" when it becomes clear what was meant to be conceived. But in many different areas of this novel, I was left to fend for myself in a way where I couldn't find the path to follow. As I said, it was just...confusing.
Any lesbian romance that breaks the mold, even in a small way, such as this one [b:Countdown|24693736|Countdown|Julie Cannon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1435519983s/24693736.jpg|44312763] by incorporating a spacey theme in the background and putting two women in powerful positions to show their strength and dexterity - these novels always appeal to me first and foremost. So I'm always a little extra heartbroken when these novels don't blow me away (and I call myself out for expecting that just because of a synopsis).
All in all, the book was worth the read, just to learn that I may find some other favorites in [a:Julie Cannon|3400476|Julie Cannon|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1359489850p2/3400476.jpg] and to see how lesbian romance is attempting to branch off into directions we haven't traveled to much (yet). It's nice to see attempts being made to break that mold as I described, and can't wait to find more that will do this, and blow me away in the journey.
Find the following review posted on my blog - FarNerdy.
3.5 stars
So we start out with a typical lesbian romance story line - uptight Andrea Finley has never let her hair down, so to speak. As Flight Director for NASA, Andrea has led and continued living a structured, predispositioned, and - frankly - boring life. When things go wrong on Andrea's current mission, in comes Kenner Hutchings, the girl with the gift of knowing how to solve problems in the technical and scientific world due to her photographic memory (even though neither character believes that's a real thing). Kenner is the opposite of Andrea, playing fast and loose with her life - and the women she takes to bed. Moving from lover to lover and job to job, Kenner doesn't let anything get in her way, and she doesn't have to listen to other people when she tends to be the smartest one in the room. When Andrea and Kenner meet, they are instantly at war, both with each other, and their growing attraction of one another. Will pristine Andrea be able to relax enough for Kenner to take her seriously? Will Kenner show the respect she needs to get Andrea to understand and trust her? Or will their budding "relationship" come crashing down before it even has a chance to lift off?
The premise of this novel fascinated me - NASA, a space mission in turmoil, love brewing between the anxiety and need to rescue the crew, and all the true-to-life science fiction nuances you could throw in to boot. But in the end, the story lacked in certain areas that made the novel fall short in some key places.
The Good
The characters, on their own and in their own realm, were interesting. They were complex in their one-dimensional issues and personal battles. Andrea Finley needed to learn how to relax and let go, relinquish all of the control she held onto in every aspect of her life. Kenner Hutchings needed to learn how to take better care of her authenticity and her personal life and, therefore, herself as a whole. They each had one thing to fix, but [a:Julie Cannon|3400476|Julie Cannon|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1359489850p2/3400476.jpg] showered each character with qualities and quirks to make those mundane and common characteristics used in novels across all genres seem unique and intricate amongst the stereotypical backdrop.
The Bad
Unfortunately, there were a few things that made the story hard to get through in the end. There were two aspects to me that caused the story to derail.
One was the fact that the angst riddled throughout the story was overwhelming, to the point that it was almost it's own character. Then, in the end,
The other aspect was that it was often confusing throughout certain areas of the novel. On more than three different occasions, I had to go back and reread what I had just read as I felt as if I got stuck in a time loop somewhere, and didn't know what end I emerged out from before the next scene. Something wasn't right, something didn't add up, someone was in the wrong place, the wrong time, the wrong emotional bracket even. I'd reread the previous few paragraphs and, at times, pages, to find that - no - that actually WAS how it was supposed to read, but that the details were left out for you to fill in yourself. Now, don't get me wrong, I am the first person to tell you that I hate being TOLD what to feel and understand when it comes to reading. I love a writer that can write me through a way to figure it out on my own and give me my own special "light bulb moment" when it becomes clear what was meant to be conceived. But in many different areas of this novel, I was left to fend for myself in a way where I couldn't find the path to follow. As I said, it was just...confusing.
Any lesbian romance that breaks the mold, even in a small way, such as this one [b:Countdown|24693736|Countdown|Julie Cannon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1435519983s/24693736.jpg|44312763] by incorporating a spacey theme in the background and putting two women in powerful positions to show their strength and dexterity - these novels always appeal to me first and foremost. So I'm always a little extra heartbroken when these novels don't blow me away (and I call myself out for expecting that just because of a synopsis).
All in all, the book was worth the read, just to learn that I may find some other favorites in [a:Julie Cannon|3400476|Julie Cannon|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1359489850p2/3400476.jpg] and to see how lesbian romance is attempting to branch off into directions we haven't traveled to much (yet). It's nice to see attempts being made to break that mold as I described, and can't wait to find more that will do this, and blow me away in the journey.
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