Dissonance, Drift, & Realignment: An SV Demeter Novella

by M.D. Engel

She is the Chief Systems Engineer, and this is her final mission. He is the Chief Scientist and intends on taking a demotion upon reaching Ganymede. They have history.

During their four-year journey to Ganymede, they have intentionally maintained a distance from one another. However, by the commander's order, Sloane and Taylor are now required to collaborate on a project.

Their conversations, subtle looks, and banter bring back both positive and negative memories. Memories that highlight the depth and ease of their connection, and reasons why others may have failed.

A sci-fi rom-com where love has a second chance, easy chemistry, and a guaranteed HEA.

124 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 5, 2025

About the author

M.D. Engel writes at the intersection of science fiction and romance, leaning into everyday conversational tones, familiar tropes, and flawed but lovable characters. Because let’s be honest, not every book needs to be deep to be enjoyable.

By day, they work at a fast-paced start-up, which makes stress management a must. To stay balanced, M.D. Engel turns to reading, gaming, physical fitness, and now, writing. Their stories pull from real-life experiences and are filled with the humor and heart of everyday moments. At the end of the day, they write for one simple reason: fun.

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Reviews

[Caitlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I didn't think Joe & Stacy could be beat as my fav couple in this trilogy. Then here comes Taylor & Sloane stealing the show! I love the flashbacks and the hotdog bit (Carolina dog FTW). There is just something about a 2nd chance romance 💛💛

[El Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This honestly might be my favorite book in the series, but I LOVE second chance romance. It’s one of my favorite tropes! The love story here is so sweet, and the characters were really interesting. I also loved the epilogue, but I won’t spoil it! I loved this series.

[Marina Starling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I see an M.D. Engel novella - I jump right in. This one was a bit different! Like, I got teary-eyed so much. But it was a beautiful story of second-chance romance. Here are my notes:
Suspenders
Taylor is such a mood. I, too, hate team-building exercises and get anxious when they ask me to say a fun fact about myself.
I love seeing women like Sloane in fiction. She takes no bullshit.
The flashbacks are everything.
The little thoughtful details
Another consent king
So yeah. I loved it. Definitely more on the emotional side, but it was also funny and cute!