Series: Space , #4
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Release Date: September 1st, 2021
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Growing up abandoned by her parents and left to the socialite wolves at an all-girl boarding school, Rose learned early on how to survive with a smile, a wink, and cleavage full of cash.
As an oil baroness, a soon-to-be honors graduate from a prestigious university, and a fairly attractive woman — if you’re into big hair and bigger boobs — Rose is poised to take over the world.
Too bad she has no idea what she wants to do with her life.
Hashtag quarterlife crisis.
NASA astronaut Vance Bodaway made a deal with himself a long time ago — be an astronaut, be alone.
After his Army captain father died in action, Vance saw first-hand what losing a husband did to his mother. He promised himself to never put someone he cares about in that situation.
So he keeps his dating life casual and has made peace with not having a family of his own.
Until a feisty blonde with a penchant for glitter and trouble enters his orbit, challenging all his hard-and-fast rules.
Hashtag friends with benefits.
But between Rose’s pole dance classes with Vance’s mom, their hands-free shot contest at the bar, and a run-in with mall security during a Black Friday shopping fiasco, their no-strings-attached booty calls agreement starts to cross emotional stopgaps neither one of them knew they had.
And when a different clock starts ticking, the kind with a “T-minus nine months” countdown, will these two be able to power cycle through their emotional baggage and lift-off into love?
Or will they crash and burn?
I can’t believe this series is over! Stumbling across Sara L. Hudson’s Space series was definitely one of the highlights of my life. Because these books are funny, sassy, smart and sexy and feature the most incredible group of characters. The best part? At least one of the characters in these books works at NASA, making the space company a huge part of the stories and that in itself was a draw for me. And now, we’ve reached the end and I’m sad. But, Sara is leaving us with an incredible story to tie it all up and that makes me so happy!
If you’ve read the rest of the series, then you’ve already met the quirky, vibrant and glitter loving Rose West. Her brothers – Flynn and Holt – have found their forevers in badass smart women and she’s just been sitting on the sideline looking in. because that’s what her life has always been. Rose might be a billionaire, but that doesn’t mean she’s got tons of friends or people to hang around with all the time. If anything, Rose lives a lonely life. She’s got her three best friends – Jackie, Jules and Trish – and she’s got her brothers, but that’s it. As the youngest of the group at 21, Rose is still trying to figure out where she wants to go with her life. I absolutely loved Rose. I’ve always thought she was the perfect balance to the trio we met in the previous three books and she brings about something refreshing at every turn. And to finally see her in her own book is a feeling I can’t fully express. She’s vivacious, she’s not afraid to be bright and loud, she’s learning how to pole dance, she likes sex and she’s proud of it. She’s basically everything we all wish we could be. Rose is also a lot, but she’s the perfect combination of too much and just enough.
“I have a feeling Rose is a lot like those asteroid showers I used to stay up late to watch when I was a kid. From a distance, their paths light up the dark sky, their glow beautiful in contrast.”
And when she meets Vance ‘Bodie’ Bodaway, also someone we’ve seen now and then through the series, her life is never going to be the same again. At 36, he’s finally getting his chance to go into space. And not as just Jules’ sidekick (which earned him the nickname ‘Flashlight), but as the lead on this new mission. That’s a big deal for Vance, because not only has he been dreaming of this for years, he’ll also one of the few Native Americans to be in space. And after losing his father in the army when he was very young, Vance has also made the decision to not get involved with anybody because of how dangerous his job is. He’s convinced and focused on the fact that while he’s an astronaut, love and marriage and kids is definitely not in the cards for him, no matter what. I loved Vance. I understood where he was coming from and I loved that even though he’s much older than Rose, he doesn’t see all of her shenanigans and behaviour as a bad thing. If anything, he’s drawn to her more because of how comfortable she is with herself. Vance’s choices have kept him away from lots of people and I understood that too, because his need to protect everyone is far more important than finding joy in the little things in his own life.
Vance and Rose meet with a bang, and I mean a bang. And I love when books instantly throw characters into a physical relationship that then becomes the defining factor for their storyline. They’re both sexually attracted to each other, even though at the time they’ve decided that they’re not going to feel anything more or want anything more from the other person. And if you think it’s just hot sex, you’re mistaken. There’s a lot of talking and laughing and incredible banter. Yes, there is hot sex, but the best part of the way they meet and fall into bed together is just how much chemistry they build right off the bat. It’s lust at first sight, which carries the rest of the story.
Their relationship is fantastic! Rose makes fun of their age gap, calling Vance an ‘old man’ all the time. And while she does that, he’s just completely in awe of this woman who has him wrapped around her little finger. They have incredible banter and their conversation sometimes borders on inappropriate for public settings, but I love how they just brush it off. And because Vance already knows all of Rose’s friends and family, he seems to fit into their world pretty easily. And all of that makes it harder for them to stay away from each other. The sexual chemistry is fantastic, they are attracted to each other and they settle on a friends with benefits deal that gives them everything they want. Even with that, their relationship builds so beautifully. They like each other and it shows in every little thing.
And just when you think you know what’s going to happen, Rose and Vance trip you up and their relationship changes! But it’s so nicely done! I love how Sara sucks you into their lives and into their relationship and how it all comes together so beautifully. It’s not even just Rose and Vance that will show you how to love each other with abandon, the friends group is still so wonderful! To see Jackie, Jules and Trish connect with Rose and to see Ian and Vance build their friendship – it’s all so fantastically done. I loved every familial interaction between Vance and his family, how he loves them with everything in him, but also holds them at a distance because of his fears. Altogether, this story was the perfect way to say goodbye to this group of characters and to get ready for Sara’s next series!
If you like glitter bombs, DIY queens, Pinterest boards, pole dancing, NASA, astronauts and engineers, smart and sassy women, hilarious banter and great steamy scenes – then Space Balls (and the rest of this series) is perfect for you. Sara L. Hudson has totally outdone herself with this group and I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us!
Thanks to Sara L. Hudson for generously providing me with an advance copy. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
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