On this deep space pleasure cruise, love is in the recycled air.
Sunastara Jeka is passionate about meeting the needs of the varied species who holiday aboard her interstellar pleasure cruise during the day, and avoiding attachments when the occasional guest meets her needs at night. Sunnyâs life is simple, straightforward, and safe until a former one-night stand becomes her newest crew member.
Freddie is ecstatic to see Sunny again, until she tells him she never dates coworkers. Determined not to lose this confident, sexy, hysterical woman again, Freddie pursues a purely professional relationship with Sunny when theyâre on the clock, while he slowly charms her senseless after hours.
As Sunny breaks her own rules about workplace romance, her tragic past and a heartbreaking betrayal thrust her orderly life into chaos. When a hostile species holidays aboard the ship, endangering VIP guests and even the known universe, Sunny and Freddie must decide. Will they let the gravity of their pasts keep them apart, or risk it all for love and fight for their future together?
Content Warning: Prior to the events of this book, the main character lost a child. She continues to process this loss throughout this story.
On this deep space pleasure cruise, love is in the recycled air.
Sunastara Jeka is passionate about meeting the needs of the varied species who holiday aboard her interstellar pleasure cruise during the day, and avoiding attachments when the occasional guest meets her needs at night. Sunnyâs life is simple, straightforward, and safe until a former one-night stand becomes her newest crew member.
Freddie is ecstatic to see Sunny again, until she tells him she never dates coworkers. Determined not to lose this confident, sexy, hysterical woman again, Freddie pursues a purely professional relationship with Sunny when theyâre on the clock, while he slowly charms her senseless after hours.
As Sunny breaks her own rules about workplace romance, her tragic past and a heartbreaking betrayal thrust her orderly life into chaos. When a hostile species holidays aboard the ship, endangering VIP guests and even the known universe, Sunny and Freddie must decide. Will they let the gravity of their pasts keep them apart, or risk it all for love and fight for their future together?
Content Warning: Prior to the events of this book, the main character lost a child. She continues to process this loss throughout this story.
The Argosian farmer took up most of the bed, his massive arm slung over Sunnyâs waist, pinning her in place like a nova beetle on its back. Surveying his snoring faceâand extremely naked bodyâshe wondered, Did I actually fuck him last night? And if so, how? Physically, how was it even possible?
Her Viewchip (VC) comm pinged inside her head, alerting her to an incoming message: <Sunny, where are you? Youâre late.>
Sunny moaned, then froze as the Argosian stirred. <Wrong number,> she told her assistant, Elanie, over the comm in her mind.
<Do not.> Elanie was evidently in no mood. <Iâve laid an outfit out for you on your empty, unslept-in bed. We have a staff meeting to welcome the new Languages and Customs expert in twenty minutes. Please get your ass to your pod directly.>
<I donât appreciate your tone, Elanie. I am very hungover.>
<Really? Because you sound like youâre still drunk. And I did say âplease.â>
Gingerly, Sunny scooted back toward the headboard of the Argosianâs bed and sat up. Elanie wasnât wrong. She was still drunk. Argosian ripple didnât take any prisoners.
<What is it that you want?> Sunny asked.
Elanieâs sigh gusted between Sunnyâs ears. <Please, for the love of all the stars in all the skies, bid farewell to whatever disaster youâve wrought upon yourself and make your way to your pod. You do not want to miss this meeting.>
<Roger that.> Sunny pinched the purple skin of the arm squishing her belly. âAhem, darling? Wakey, wakey.â
A deep and resonant rumbling erupted from the enormous man whose bed, she presumed, she was currently trying to escape.
âMy sentiments precisely,â she muttered. âWould you be so kind as to remove your arm from my waist? Iâm rather late.â She was also rather worried she might break in two when she tried to stand up if what she feared happened last night actually had.
The Argosian rolled onto his back, taking his arm with him.
Air flooded her lungs. âMuch better.â She slid off the bed. âIâll just find my clothes andââ
âYou will not find them,â he grumbled, propping his head on an elbow and smirking sleepily at her. Golden tattoos embellished his expansive chest and firm stomach: a scythe, harvest moons glowing over a field of grain, exquisitely detailed seedsâimages meant to pay tribute to the agricultural life that drove his planetâs economy.
âI can see that. Happen to know where they are?â
âYou wore no clothes when I found you.â His smirk stretched into a full-fledged grin.
Sunny blinked. âIâm sorry? Can you repeat that?â She enjoyed a wild night here and there, but she had never once in her entire sordid career lost her clothes. Well, unless she counted her shoe, but sheâd given that away.
Scratching his chest between his stunning pectorals, he said, âArgos makes a strong drink. Do not feel ashamed.â
âDid weâŚ? Did IâŚ?â Sunny gulped.
He shook his head, rueful. âWe did not join. We were not worthy of each other.â
A profound relief buckled her knees. Worthy, on Argosâwhere males tended to outweigh females by one hundred kilos or moreâreferred to the way body parts might or might not fit together between two partners. Sunny offered a silent prayer of thanks to the sweet gods of fermentation who had blessed her with complete amnesia of the evaluation of said worth.
âApologies, dear man.â She clicked her tongue. âAnatomy strikes again, eh?â Snatching his yellow coverallsâthe preferred outfit for all Argosiansâfrom the bed, she wrapped them around her body like a robe.
âNo. Those are mine.â His deep voice reverberated through her ribcage.
âYes, well, I canât very well walk back to my pod in the nude, can I? Iâm sure you understand. I will have my assistant return your garment to you straight away. You have my word.â Her hand reached out awkwardly to pat his big toe, which he wiggled playfully under her palm. She straightened, ran a hand through her hair, and recited her customary closing remarks. âI trust you are enjoying your stay aboard the Ignisar, and I sincerely hope you will look no further than LunaCorp for all your future holiday and interplanetary travel needs.â
With a curt nod, she scampered from his room while he laughed at her, shaking his gigantic, golden-tattooed head.
***
Holding up the too-long legs of the Argosianâs coveralls, Sunny stumbled as gracefully as she could into the elevator, packed full with two canoodling, sunglasses-wearing Ulaperians, one quad-armed guest from Gorbulon-7âtwo of those arms busy teasing his hair straight upâand one rather handsome Blurvan. The Blurvan, leaning his humanoid torso against the back wall of the elevator while his gelatinous lower half jiggled above a tapping, seven-toed foot, took one look at her outfit and smirked. âRough night?â
Sunny pushed the button for deck twelve, mumbled, âNo rougher than usual,â and wished for the umpteenth time the crew had their own elevator bank.
After passing a party of hopping, one-legged guests from Vorp on her way to her pod, Sunny winced because there stood Elanie, blocking her door, scowling with her arms crossed tightly under her disgustingly perfect bionic cleavage.
âStaff meeting is in ten minutes, Sunny. I hope it was worth it.â
AI with DNA spliced between the wires, all bionics were designed to emulate the pinnacle of their particular speciesâ beauty. Elanie, for exampleâwith her silky brown hair, perfectly straight nose, and big brown doe eyesâalways looked as fresh as spring rain. Sunny, on the other hand, felt and likely smelled like the refuse compactor on jettison day.
âIs that a pair of Argosian coveralls?â A look of pure horror overtook Elanie as she realized who Sunny had shacked up with last night.
Always endeavoring to project the appearance of having her shit together, Sunny replied, âIt is, and it was completely worth it.â Her brow cocked. âAnother satisfied customer, if you ask me.â
âAn Argosian? You could have been killed.â
Sunny snorted, waving her off.
Elanieâs fist landed on her hip. âYou are not a prostitute, Sunny. You are a hospitality specialist. You do not need to sleep with all of these menââ
âAnd women,â Sunny interjected with a finger raised, sliding past Elaine into her room.
ââto be good at your job.â
Oh, the naĂŻve little woodsprite. âAt the risk of shocking your bionic sensibilities so thoroughly youâll need a hard rebootââSunny threw off her coverall robe and donned the outfit Elanie had picked out for herââI will say only this: life is far too short not to do what you love as often as you can.â Her smirk was salacious.
Elanieâs groan was lengthy. âYou have nine minutes.â
Sunny strapped on a pair of kitten heels, tucked a white button-down into a black pencil skirt, and pinched her cheeks. She waved her hand over her body, head to toe. âYes?â
Elanie frowned. âNo. Your hair looks like a trestalâs nest.â
âRight.â Running water from the sink over her hands, she wetted down her jagged blonde hair, then ducked underneath her QuikDri. A dehydrating film made of millions of microscopic sandguppies dropped from the device, clinging to her head and sucking before peeling itself off with a satisfied sigh. âBetter?â
One of Elanieâs shoulders rose a fraction, the gestural equivalent of I canât even begin to describe how little I care.
Sunnyâs eyes narrowed. âElanie, darling, are you all right?â
âFine. Why?â Elanie replied flatly.
âYou seem even pricklier than usual, if thatâs possible. Any chance you finally decided to install your upgrade?â The hormone simulation upgrade had just been released for all bionics generation twenty-six and older.
Elanie shuddered. âNo. Absolutely not.â
âWhy not?â Sunnyâs brows waggled. âCould be fun, you know.â
âI tried the trial version, momentarily. It was not fun. It feltâŚâ Elanieâs face pinched in disgust like sheâd just sucked the slime off of that elevator Blurvanâs seventh toe. âMessy.â
âThat is a fair assessment. But you should do it anyway. You may find it wonât kill you to participate in something other than categorical disdain every once in a while.â
âWell, Sunny, as someone once said, âLife is far too short not to do what you love as often as you can.ââ
As Elanie walked into the hallway with a flip of her perfect hair, Sunny burst into laughter.
Love in the Time of Wormholes takes place on the Ignisar, a luxury cruise line that caters to fun, relaxation, and pleasure to the galactic inter-terrestrial species. The staff of the Ignisar form the bulk of the story and have entertaining camaraderie
Sunastra Jeka AKA Sunny is a hospitality specialist with a commitment phobia who works hard and plays even harder. When she walks into a staff meeting to see the newest employee of Ignisar, Sunny comes face to face with Freddie, her one-night stand, who rocked her world multiple times and left quite the impression.
As Sunny and Freddie navigate this new relationship as co-workers and fight their feelings for each other, the Ignisar gains new occupants that could spell danger for not only the staff but everyone aboard. The romance was very subtle and sweet, centering on Sunny's inability to commit to a relationship based on her traumatic past and Freddie's determination to win her over.
I enjoyed the multitudes of emotions throughout the story from the fun light-hearted banter with the crew, to a deep resounding feeling of loss and lastly the feeling of danger on the horizon.
The stand-out for me has to be the cast of diverse, complex, and unique variety of characters. Each character had such phenomenal development that I am hyped for the future books to see what's in store. My only qualm was that the dialogue felt a bit monotone and I wanted more layers of intricacy with the plot.
Love in the Time of Wormholes is a highly entertaining novel featuring immersive world-building, rich description, and vivacious characters. It is a story of love, loss, sacrifice, friendship, and second chances.
Thank you to Reedsy Discovery for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.