4.5 stars.
Not normally a fan of stories that start with sex between the MCs but this one worked. My favourite story from the advent for days. ( )

Always curious to see what an author might imagine “Christmas in space” to be like, I jumped into this story and came away not only totally impressed with the world building for this version of the 26th century, but also loving the characters who inhabited the colony ship and, eventually, Eridani VI. The underlying tension of “professional distance” between work partners versus falling in love and wanting to be a real couple in every sense provided a great plot. And the imaginative way in which both the OE (original edition) man and the Designed (genetically enhanced) man saw the world was not only fascinating, but brought out the central conflict of this story perfectly. And even the one thing I had least expected after all the high-tech and outer-space stuff—an emotionally fulfilling Christmas message—was provided in generous abundance. What more could I possibly want?

Michael is a scientist. He isn’t good with people, his work is methodical and perfect, and he wants nothing more than to join one of the teams to colonize other planets. He has been paired with a Designed human, an Aerial Morph who is perfectly adapted to the low gravity environment they will face upon arrival, and they are not just excellent work partners, but become good friends. It was interesting and heartbreaking to see the otherwise rational Michael struggle with the love he feels for Adrian. Against all the rules and protocols, nobody can find out they love each other or they risk their careers. And even though Michael’s superior officer explains the reasons for those rules, Michael cannot help but feel there is something wrong about them.

Adrian is impulsive, an extrovert, and always ready for a practical joke or a party. He may be a Designed human, adapted to low gravity environments and able to fly with his own wings, but he loves Michael to distraction. Adrian wants to fight for their right to love whom they want. Even though there are some special rules around Morphs, and the fact they are the responsibility of their scientist partners, Adrien doesn’t care and puts pressure on Michael for them to be honest about their feelings. It is only when Adrian realizes how important Michael’s career is to him, and how Adrian might ruin everything, that he starts to truly consider what the right thing to do would be.

If you like science fiction that combines imaginative future technologies with moral and ethical issues, if two very different men trying do what’s best for each other and almost messing it up sound interesting, and if you’re looking for a futuristic message about love and acceptance with a touch of Christmas spirit added for your enjoyment, then you will probably like this novella as much as I did. I think it’s brilliant, and definitely recommend it to everyone who has ever wondered what life—and Christmas— in the 26th century might be like.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
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