Spaced Out

by Natalie Debrabandere

GRAVITY SUCKS!

For NASA astronaut, Nicola Peake, this isn’t just a line on her t-shirt. Having survived a freak accident onboard the International Space Station, beating injury and saving her career is now her only goal. Houston is too familiar, too painful. When a close friend offers her to stay at her cabin in the mountains of New Mexico, Nic jumps at the opportunity.

In a neighboring house, Tayen Stoney is also working on putting back the pieces of her life. Separated from her husband following a miscarriage, and definitely at odds with her mother, Tayen is on a quest for self-acceptance and transformation.

She doesn’t know the woman next door. She’s not a SpaceX junkie. Not gay, either! As for Nic, why would she be interested in a straight woman? All she yearns for is a spartan summer, focused on training. Nothing can happen between the two women.

Nothing will… Right?

Genres: Lesbian, Romance, LGBT, Contemporary

297 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 27, 2024

About the author

My novels are about strong, grounded women who live, love, and thrive in adventurous worlds.

As Natalie Debrabandere, I write lesbian fiction with a romantic twist.
As N.D. Shar, I dive into edgy sci-fi with kick-ass female leads and non-stop action.

If this is your first experience with my books, I hope you’ll find as much pleasure in reading them as I do in writing them.

The best way to support me? Read, review, and share—share—share!
My books are available worldwide in Kindle and paperback formats on your local Amazon site.

You can contact me through my website: nataliedebrabandere.com

Reviews

[Lady Olenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Enjoyed reading Spaced Out. The drawn out uncertainty of the main characters’ feelings was pretty good, kept me on edge (even if I knew how it was going to end 🙄) but as I said, the circumstances surrounding their personal lives were believable deterrents which meant the conflict and friction added spice (not sexual) to the story.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

good

Not one of Debrabandere’s best but still enjoyable.
The storyline was good, the characters likeable and the setting beautiful. Little Yuri stole every scene he was in.

[Sonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story: The concept of the story was there but a few things felt sped up or didnt flow.
Spice: 🌶 of course

[Andrea (looseleftlesbian) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it at first. But it felt rushed, unrealistic and I found myself feeling like the characters and story fell flat. There were also some typos and at times the writing felt choppy.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This was really good. I loved the beginning with Nic in space. All of that was super cool and I honestly wish that would've went on longer. The romance in this was great as I thought that Nic and Tayen had such good chemistry with each other. Tayen is straight and on the verge of divorce so her and Nic really just have a friendship for the longest time which I liked because we got to really see them bond and fall for each other. Both women were incredibly likable as individuals and together. The drama in the third act got intense but it all wrapped up beautifully. Great read.

[Hope Freed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I keep trying this author because she’s pretty prolific and a lot of others seem to like her. I generally enjoy a ‘straight girl finds she’s not so straight after all’ aka ‘toaster oven’ romance, but this didn’t do much for me. The writing was OK and there was a decent amount of drama, but I just didn’t care about any of the characters. Nic’s dog Yuri was my favourite character in this (and I’m not a dog person!) I don’t know how some authors repeatedly ‘hit the nail on the head’ to engage you and make you care, but this was another slight disappointment for me from this author…

[Carolyn G. Manuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strong And Courageous Women

Lt. Col. Nic Peake is a NASA astronaut and Commander aboard the ISS when a freak accident occurs. Working to recover and save her career she retreats to a cabin in New Mexico. On her first day she meets Tayden, who turns out to be her neighbor, who is being treatened by her husband. The friendship between the two women is definitely worth pursuing. A sapphic woman by one of my favourite authors.

[Christine E Carcary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Off the planet

Once again this is a great page turning tale from this author. A hot NASA astronaut dealing with trauma and meeting a new person who will change her life. Its adventurous, sweet although some trigger warnings for DV scene, you will find yourself involved with these charactersasvthecdtory come to its conclusion. A little predictable at the ending but who doesn't love a HEA.

[Milena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spaced Out was a sweet story that hooked me from the start. The characters are so well written that you can't help but get involved with them throughout the story. Yuri is so cute and his antics just make you go ‘awww’. I love how naturally and at their own pace the MC’s fall for each other. That ending was just icing on the cake of a wonderfully penned story. Take two characters that need some solitude and put them together and it works wonderfully. Enjoy!

[Chyrl Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I pre-order all your books because I just know they will be good.

Each character had their own nuances that made a great story. I would have liked to hear more about Nic's injuries but I enjoy medical stuff. Thank you for writing so much. Can you write faster? Lol. Keep up the good work.

[Marybeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this book. The MCs are well drawn and I love their chemistry. New Mexico seems like a great place to get a new start. Fascinating stuff about space. All caused me to devour the book as soon as I downloaded it!

[Ness Reeve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic book from Natalie. Nic is flying high, literally, on a space Station when something goes wrong. Back down to earth she takes some much needed rest in a quiet cabin. Tayen is confused and questioning her whole life.
This sweet romance is absolutely brilliant.

[Gemma Goode · Rating 5 out of 5]

A journey of discovery

Both Taylen and Nic are on different journeys in life, however I enjoyed how they blended together. I have the biggest soft spot for Yuri though. Throughly enjoyed this

[Gene · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not up to my standards for Natalie, she’s written some great stories but this just isn’t one of them, for me, too much extraneous drama for my liking. I don’t like push-pull in relationships and this book was almost nothing but, the HEA doesn’t change that feeling.

[Gorgianna Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfect

Another excellent read by Natalie D. Character’s very believable and story line as well for many that can relate. Thanks

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

I have enjoyed this fun heartfelt adventure of two women that meet in the mountains and found that their friendship led to more.

[Donna Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing to read this while an astronaut is in difficulty on the Space Station currently. Natalie Debrabandere uses her strong characters in tough situations. This has such a fast pace Great read

[Maelie Royal · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,75

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

No trigger warning in the book, yet I got confronted with a violently abusive husband at 6%. DNF!!!

[Patricia Livers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story.