Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: gay, bi
Reviewer: Tony
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About The Book
Several years ago, Will’s best friend ran away with an alien to live happily ever after. They’ve kept in touch, but Will misses the man that might as well be his brother. So, he decides he’s going to go visit. Who cares if visiting requires a trip to outer space? No big deal, right?
Ticheck met Will for the first time while trying to find a friend who had gotten lost. Since then, they’ve seen him a couple times a year at most. Ticheck wasn’t expecting him to be coming for a surprise visit, and they definitely weren’t expecting to end up with him as a temporary roommate when cramped quarters on the ship force them to share.
From strangers, to surprise roommates, to friends…and maybe something else? But do they dare to dream of a life together when they literally come from two different worlds?
Roommates and Space Trees is a sweet asexual romance. It is book two in the Iska Universe series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but reading Granola Bars and Spaceships first will give you a better introduction to the universe.
The Review
Roommates and Space Trees takes us back to the world of Iska traders and almost clapped-out space shuttles. We previously met a lot of the characters featured here in ‘Granola Bars and Spaceships’.
This time, the story revolves around with Will and Ticheck, two minor characters in the previous book. Will is the best friend Eric left behind when he departed Earth to live with Keeska. On one of Eric’s visits back to Earth, Will surprises him by saying wants to come along with him for a month-long vacation on the traders’ spaceship. This brings Will into prolonged contact with Ticheck, the pilot / engineer / jack-of-all-trades Iskan.
This is an acquaintance-to-lovers love story with an ace human and genderless alien who find more than just friendship together. It’s a nice, gentle tale with some fun moments and some feel-ones too.
While I found the writing a bit flat at first, once it got into its stride, it flowed well. Will and Ticheck are two somewhat misunderstood ‘guys’ who are respected by their wary colleagues. They do not work well in groups but when comfortable, they’re both cuddly and affectionate. Cute and snarly probably describes them best.
If you enjoy a quietly interesting read without too much tension, you’ll enjoy Roomates and Space Trees.
The Reviewer
Tony is an Englishman living amongst the Welsh and the Other Folk in the mountains of Wales. He lives with his partner of thirty-six years, four dogs, two ponies, various birds, and his bees. He is a retired lecturer and a writer of no renown but that doesn’t stop him enjoying what he used to think of as ‘sensible’ fantasy and sf. He’s surprised to find that if the story is well written and has likeable characters undergoing the trails of life, i.e. falling in love, falling out of love, having a bit of nooky (but not all the time), fending off foes, aliens and monsters, etc., he’ll be happy as a sandperson who has just offloaded a wagon of sand at the going market price. As long as there’s a story, he’s in. He aims to write fair and honest reviews. If he finds he is not the target reader he’ll move on.