Reviews

The Astronaut and the Star by Jen Comfort

agrandromance's review

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5.0

Out of this World Romance Is Hot and Funny

What you need to know about “The Astronaut and The Star”:
✔ Opposites Attract Romance
✔ Dual Point of View
✔ Celebrity/Astronaut Romance
✔ Regina “Reggie” Hayes, astronaut, wants to be the first woman on the Moon
✔ Jon Leo, actor, trying to make it to the A list
✔ Forced proximity
✔ Grumpy x sunshine
✔ Complete Standalone

Regina “Reggie” Hayes is a tough astronaut who wants to be the first woman on the moon. She’s admittedly cold, emotionally cut-off and singularly focused on her goal. However, after a big mistake on her part, that moon mission isn’t looking too good.

So Reggie volunteers to be the NASA liaison / teacher for an actor looking for an immersive astronaut experience to prepare for a role. She hopes this will convey to NASA that she’s a team player.

She finds out that the actor, Jon Leo, is considered easy to work with and a “nice guy”. Reggie doesn’t like or want to be around nice people.

Reggie: “Was she cursed? Would nice people infiltrate her entire life, forever haunting her like ghosts who hadn’t died right?”

Jon Leo is an actor most known for the cult hit “Space Dude”, who feels a little out of his depth when first introduced. He wanted to be an astronaut when he was a kid (as a lot of kids do) so he’s incredibly excited to meet Reggie. But more than that, “This movie was his big break - a chance to be more than a show pony.”

When Reggie and Jon meet there is so much chemistry and attraction on both sides but neither wants to admit it.

Reggie is terrible in every social situation and on camera and Jon admits to her that it’s pretty much all that he’s good at. So, he offers to help her.

They fight themselves and each other as their attraction grows stronger.

The Astronaut and The Star is such a great romance. It is an opposites attract, grumpy woman, sunshine / cinnamon roll hero story. It’s funny, charming and resonates emotionally on so many levels.

For me, as someone who was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, it really meant a lot to me to have that represented in a romance that I absolutely loved.

It was also gratifying to read about two adults battling their own sometimes negative self-images. These characters were given many facets which made them seem more real. I loved their self-doubt, their strengths, their love, their faults, and their crazy (terrible in Reggie’s case) families.

I absolutely love personal growth in a romance so I adored how Jon and Reggie affected one another and that they learn and grow from that. They are always equals in their treatment of, and responses to, one another.

The Astronaut and The Star is an out of this world romance. It’s hot, funny, emotional and smart. I can’t wait to read more from Jen Comfort.

WRITING STYLE: 5/5
PLOT: 5/5
WORLD-BUILDING: 5/5
PACING: 5/5
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 5/5
ROMANCE: 5/5
HEAT: 5/5

I received an e-ARC of this book, my opinions are 100% my own.

chelle_thebelle's review

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I read this after being unable to put down Midnight Duet and wanted to see what else Jen Comfort could do. If it had been reversed, though, I don’t know if I would’ve given her sophomore novel a chance. I was so infuriated that the main character’s stalking wasn’t taken seriously by anyone, least of all her, that it interfered with my enjoyment of the rest of it. Not to mention I could see what she was aiming for with the male main character, but Alex Woodruff did it ten times better in All The Feels. Still a well-written book with some sexy scenes, and I’m still excited for her next book.

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alyo913's review

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4.0


The FMC is the smart, successful, emotionally devoid one. While the MMC is the actor with a romantic heart. Love It!
I loved the role reversal on this one. It was nice to see a woman not portrayed as the ditzy love-struct one.
Reggie and Jon's chemistry was wonderful. I loved reading all of their interactions. The way that Jon would just lay himself out there in such an adorable way made my heart melt for him.
A lighthearted, Rom-Com worthy of a read.

tessanne's review against another edition

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4.0

This book was a little bananas and a lot fun with some weird mixed in. That said, I super enjoyed it. Absolutely loved both MCs and look forward to reading more by this author!

missquiss's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

dontjudgefrog's review against another edition

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4.0

I'm sorry to the author for saying but WAY CUTER than I expected! Well written, really well researched oddly - great scenes, obvious bi character, good adhd representation. Overall, very fun time, worth the read.

agrandromance's review against another edition

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5.0

Out of this World Romance Is Hot and Funny

What you need to know about “The Astronaut and The Star”:
✔ Opposites Attract Romance
✔ Dual Point of View
✔ Celebrity/Astronaut Romance
✔ Regina “Reggie” Hayes, astronaut, wants to be the first woman on the Moon
✔ Jon Leo, actor, trying to make it to the A list
✔ Forced proximity
✔ Grumpy x sunshine
✔ Complete Standalone

Regina “Reggie” Hayes is a tough astronaut who wants to be the first woman on the moon. She’s admittedly cold, emotionally cut-off and singularly focused on her goal. However, after a big mistake on her part, that moon mission isn’t looking too good.

So Reggie volunteers to be the NASA liaison / teacher for an actor looking for an immersive astronaut experience to prepare for a role. She hopes this will convey to NASA that she’s a team player.

She finds out that the actor, Jon Leo, is considered easy to work with and a “nice guy”. Reggie doesn’t like or want to be around nice people.

Reggie: “Was she cursed? Would nice people infiltrate her entire life, forever haunting her like ghosts who hadn’t died right?”

Jon Leo is an actor most known for the cult hit “Space Dude”, who feels a little out of his depth when first introduced. He wanted to be an astronaut when he was a kid (as a lot of kids do) so he’s incredibly excited to meet Reggie. But more than that, “This movie was his big break - a chance to be more than a show pony.”

When Reggie and Jon meet there is so much chemistry and attraction on both sides but neither wants to admit it.

Reggie is terrible in every social situation and on camera and Jon admits to her that it’s pretty much all that he’s good at. So, he offers to help her.

They fight themselves and each other as their attraction grows stronger.

The Astronaut and The Star is such a great romance. It is an opposites attract, grumpy woman, sunshine / cinnamon roll hero story. It’s funny, charming and resonates emotionally on so many levels.

For me, as someone who was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, it really meant a lot to me to have that represented in a romance that I absolutely loved.

It was also gratifying to read about two adults battling their own sometimes negative self-images. These characters were given many facets which made them seem more real. I loved their self-doubt, their strengths, their love, their faults, and their crazy (terrible in Reggie’s case) families.

I absolutely love personal growth in a romance so I adored how Jon and Reggie affected one another and that they learn and grow from that. They are always equals in their treatment of, and responses to, one another.

The Astronaut and The Star is an out of this world romance. It’s hot, funny, emotional and smart. I can’t wait to read more from Jen Comfort.

WRITING STYLE: 5/5
PLOT: 5/5
WORLD-BUILDING: 5/5
PACING: 5/5
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 5/5
ROMANCE: 5/5
HEAT: 5/5

I received an e-ARC of this book, my opinions are 100% my own.

bandherbooks's review against another edition

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5.0

I picked up the audiobook narration for a song, and wow the male narrator sounds a bit like Archer from the cartoon Archer, and that really works for me in a sexy way (lol lol), and the voice REALLY brought Jon's slight himbo-ness to life in a great way. Upon a re-listen, I realize what I love about this book is how slightly campy it is, how much it centers the romance arc despite all the space details, and how much of an asshole Reggie is. A lot of people say she's too mean to Jon, but you know what, I'm fine with it, she apologizes. I'm sure she will again. We let cis men get away with far worse in romance novels so.

Astronaut Regina “Reggie” Hayes has her eyes set on the stars. The real stars, not Hollywood actor Jon Leo who Reggie discovers is distractingly and infuriatingly sexy after she’s assigned to train Jon ahead of his upcoming major film set in space to clean up her PR image. (full review to come in Library Journal).

When you find a new to you author who writes the perfect, utterly sexy rolling boil slow-burn horny romance of your heart, that is such a great feeling. I loved this one so very much. Jon's realization he might have ADHD was an excellent inclusion too.

The ending got a bit rushed and wild, with the inclusion of a Fake Moon Landing zealot who ends up
Spoilerkidnapping Jon and Reggie in the fake moon base
, but all's well that ends well.

My thoughts are sort of jumbled, but I'll definitely be re-reading closer to pub date!

Spoilery content notes

Content notes: slightly embarrassing public situations, kidnapping (of adults), threat with a gun

Thank you to the author for reaching out with the advance copy

jennchandler's review against another edition

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3.0

Enjoyable fluff with sex scenes (as it is a rom com).

brianneklodowski's review

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5.0

An astronaut romance? Sign me up. This was a quick, fun read and it was so unique. I absolutely adored Jon and Reggie and their hilarious banter. The only thing that was weird was how the sex scenes were described…the descriptions were a little awkward. I’m not really sure how to describe what was weird about them but overall it was a fun read!