Hope's Folly; Linnea Sinclair

This is the first title I've read by Ms. Sinclair & I think I'm in love! LOL :) Just kidding. I think. IMO science fiction romance is a difficult balance. As a reader I find that some SFRs are heavy one way or the other but not quite both. I suppose that's the trouble with hybrid genres- it must take a book or two to balance the two? Then again, from what little I know this could also be categorized as space opera. Anyhow, Ms. Sinclair has certainly gained a new fan. Hope's Folly is her March 2009 release from Bantam. It's the third in her Dock Five series. The first one being Gabriel's Ghost. Link to Ms. Sinclair's books page is in the title above.

In Hope's Folly we have your basic edge of your seat, life and death space war mixed in with liberal helpings of a May-December romance. You're familiar with the drill: giant galactic empire is faced with a small band of fierce rebels who struggle against long odds. Sprinkle liberally with treachery and mutiny and faceless bureaucracy and good old fashioned lust & you have a fabulous recipe for yummy reading.

Admiral Philip Guthrie is defecting to the rebels. He's in his late forties & has lingering medical issues, but he's determined to give the rebels the benefit of his years of spacefaring experience. Rya Bennton is in her late twenties & is the general equivalent of NIS (Naval Investigative Services- Navy security, more than police but not FBI either & way more than the tv show, btw). They last met when Rya was a girl. She has always loved Philip in a hero worshiping type of way, but now that they've met she falls in love with the man she sees, as opposed to the fairy tale she'd built in her head. Philip is now divorced & has trouble allowing himself to act on his feelings for Rya because they're in the middle of running for their lives and she's his mentor's daughter, although he's definitely realized that Rya's not a little girl any longer.

I inadvertently started the Dock Five series with this title. I didn't realize it at the time, but I didn't feel lost or overwhelmed- so you can dive right in with this one if you're so inclined. If you're anything like me, you'll rush out & buy a few more of Ms. Sinclair's titles. You'll be glad you did.