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Staying Afloat #1
Adrift
Some jobs are just too good to be true.
Captain Matt Spears learns this the hard way after a mysterious employer hires his ship to hunt down an ancient alien artifact but insists on providing his own pilot. Ryce Faine is handsome and smart, but Matt has rarely met anyone more obnoxious. With tensions running high, it isn’t until they are attacked by the hostile Alraki that Matt grudgingly begins to respect Ryce’s superior skills, respect that transforms into a tentative attraction.
Little did he know that their biggest challenge would be reaching their destination, an abandoned alien base located on a distant moon amid a dense asteroid field. But when Matt learns that Ryce isn’t completely who he says he is and the artifact is more than he bargained for, he is faced with a difficult choice. One that might change the balance of forces in the known galaxy.
Matt doesn’t take well to moral dilemmas; he prefers the easy way out. But that might not be possible anymore, when his past comes back to haunt him at the worst possible moment. When faced with a notorious pirate carrying a personal grudge, the fragile connection Matt has formed with Ryce might be the only thing that he can count on to save them both.
Captain Matt Spears learns this the hard way after a mysterious employer hires his ship to hunt down an ancient alien artifact but insists on providing his own pilot. Ryce Faine is handsome and smart, but Matt has rarely met anyone more obnoxious. With tensions running high, it isn’t until they are attacked by the hostile Alraki that Matt grudgingly begins to respect Ryce’s superior skills, respect that transforms into a tentative attraction.
Little did he know that their biggest challenge would be reaching their destination, an abandoned alien base located on a distant moon amid a dense asteroid field. But when Matt learns that Ryce isn’t completely who he says he is and the artifact is more than he bargained for, he is faced with a difficult choice. One that might change the balance of forces in the known galaxy.
Matt doesn’t take well to moral dilemmas; he prefers the easy way out. But that might not be possible anymore, when his past comes back to haunt him at the worst possible moment. When faced with a notorious pirate carrying a personal grudge, the fragile connection Matt has formed with Ryce might be the only thing that he can count on to save them both.
184 pages, ebook
First published January 26, 2017
5 people are currently reading
363 people want to read
About the author
Isabelle Adler
12 books112 followersIsabelle Adler writes M/M romance, sci-fi, adventure, and fantasy.
She has been a voracious reader from the age of five and always dreamed of one day putting her own stories into writing. She loves traveling, art, and science, and finds inspiration in all of these. Her favorite genres include sci-fi, fantasy, and historical adventure. She also firmly believes in the unlimited powers of imagination and caffeine.
She has been a voracious reader from the age of five and always dreamed of one day putting her own stories into writing. She loves traveling, art, and science, and finds inspiration in all of these. Her favorite genres include sci-fi, fantasy, and historical adventure. She also firmly believes in the unlimited powers of imagination and caffeine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
May 2, 2020
3.5 Sci-Fi Stars!
My weakness is anything remotely resembling the TV show Firefly, so when I came across this space adventure about heroic smugglers, evil pirates with dabs of military interference, all with a dystopian feel to it, I could not say no.
I wasn’t disappointed.
Matt and his small crew of two, eke out a passable living under the guise of transporting various goods all around the galaxy for questionable “businessmen”, definitely toeing the line but never crossing it. Lately though, times have been a bit rough so when a very lucrative job lands in Matt’s lap, he can’t say no despite his gut feeling telling him to do so. Enter Ryce. He’s going to pilot Matt’s ship to a remote moon fiercely guarded by an asteroid belt that’s loaded with bombs, all in the hopes of recovering a highly coveted alien artifact that most likely has damning consequences. Easy peasy, right?? Ha!
Almost immediately, Matt and Ryce rub each other wrong (and not in a good way) but despite having to deal with not liking each other based on many preconceived principles, they’re soon thrust in a dangerous moral dilemma while evading disgruntled customers, shirking Federation rules, and being caught by old hateful enemies.
The romance here is a slow slow build (which I appreciate greatly despite it vexing me so) with no culmination BUT that’s for the next book hopefully, as I have high expectations and am leaving room for a ratings bump!!
The last half had me on pins and needles and again, the setup of being in outer space with adventure and action, drama and violence, and a good dollop of weighty ethical issues - all of which have lately been my jam. So if you liked the series Mind + Machine then this should also be your jam too. Check it out!
My weakness is anything remotely resembling the TV show Firefly, so when I came across this space adventure about heroic smugglers, evil pirates with dabs of military interference, all with a dystopian feel to it, I could not say no.
I wasn’t disappointed.
Matt and his small crew of two, eke out a passable living under the guise of transporting various goods all around the galaxy for questionable “businessmen”, definitely toeing the line but never crossing it. Lately though, times have been a bit rough so when a very lucrative job lands in Matt’s lap, he can’t say no despite his gut feeling telling him to do so. Enter Ryce. He’s going to pilot Matt’s ship to a remote moon fiercely guarded by an asteroid belt that’s loaded with bombs, all in the hopes of recovering a highly coveted alien artifact that most likely has damning consequences. Easy peasy, right?? Ha!
Almost immediately, Matt and Ryce rub each other wrong (and not in a good way) but despite having to deal with not liking each other based on many preconceived principles, they’re soon thrust in a dangerous moral dilemma while evading disgruntled customers, shirking Federation rules, and being caught by old hateful enemies.
The romance here is a slow slow build (which I appreciate greatly despite it vexing me so) with no culmination BUT that’s for the next book hopefully, as I have high expectations and am leaving room for a ratings bump!!
The last half had me on pins and needles and again, the setup of being in outer space with adventure and action, drama and violence, and a good dollop of weighty ethical issues - all of which have lately been my jam. So if you liked the series Mind + Machine then this should also be your jam too. Check it out!
June 26, 2019
***3.5 Stars***
February 20, 2019
5 Lovable Misfits Stars
“Adrift” is an amazing sci-fi adventure. Mix together plucky space adventurers/lovable misfits, aliens, space pirates and you have a story that will capture your heart as well as your imagination. The romance is sweet and flirty, the characters are charming, and the action is fast-paced with danger lurking around every distant planetary outpost. I would love to read more about these delightful characters, and hope to see the romance flourish as the series continues.
This is an author to watch! Highly recommend.
“Adrift” is an amazing sci-fi adventure. Mix together plucky space adventurers/lovable misfits, aliens, space pirates and you have a story that will capture your heart as well as your imagination. The romance is sweet and flirty, the characters are charming, and the action is fast-paced with danger lurking around every distant planetary outpost. I would love to read more about these delightful characters, and hope to see the romance flourish as the series continues.
This is an author to watch! Highly recommend.
March 10, 2019
I'm always looking for new authors and I picked this on a whim, not really having an idea what to expect. It turned out to be a great choice.
The story follows Matt and his two person crew. They are freelancers who take various odd jobs. Some of which are not legal. When they get an offer for a new job Matt can't shake the bad feelings he has about it. The details are few and the money very high. He has a feeling that he's not being told the truth but against his better sense he ends up taking the job.
As it turns out Matt was right in his concerns. The job is dangerous and it turns out to test even Matt's questionable morals. In addition to the job itself, it brings them in contact with pirates and a group of aliens that hate humans.
The writing was really good and the plot moved along at a great pace. The story is filled with action and well written characters. I immediately liked Matt and his crew and the romance between Ryce and Matt shows a lot of promise. The next book is out in May so fortunately there is not long to wait.
If you are looking for something well written and unique I highly recommend this one.
The story follows Matt and his two person crew. They are freelancers who take various odd jobs. Some of which are not legal. When they get an offer for a new job Matt can't shake the bad feelings he has about it. The details are few and the money very high. He has a feeling that he's not being told the truth but against his better sense he ends up taking the job.
As it turns out Matt was right in his concerns. The job is dangerous and it turns out to test even Matt's questionable morals. In addition to the job itself, it brings them in contact with pirates and a group of aliens that hate humans.
The writing was really good and the plot moved along at a great pace. The story is filled with action and well written characters. I immediately liked Matt and his crew and the romance between Ryce and Matt shows a lot of promise. The next book is out in May so fortunately there is not long to wait.
If you are looking for something well written and unique I highly recommend this one.
January 18, 2017
4 stars – Before I get into my review of Adrift, by Isabelle Adler, take note that this novel is first and foremost a work of science fiction! While it has a small M/M romantic element to it, reading it with the thought that it is a romance novel, erotic or otherwise, will leave you sorely disappointed. I must admit, I fell into that trap, as I’m always on the lookout for good books that blend my two favorite genres. Viewing this through the lens as a purely science-fiction novel, I can comfortably and objectively state that this author’s debut novel is a good read for those who prefer their sci-fi not to be deep or heavy and are looking for sci-fi stories with LGBTQ characters that don’t involve graphic sex.
Matt Spears is the captain of his own spaceship with a crew of three, hired by clients requiring discretion in performing jobs of dubious (or not-so-dubious) legality. He’s just accepted a job that pays so well that he ignores his better sense about it being too good to be true. On the surface, it’s a simple salvage mission: fly to a moon in a remote part of known space to retrieve an artifact of an ancient and long-extinct alien race. The catch is that Matt won’t be flying the ship. The client’s biggest stipulations are that his man, Ryce Faine, will pilot Matt’s vessel and that everything else about the job is a secret. But when the artifact turns out to be of a nature far more dangerous than he bargained for, Matt is faced with a choice that could tip the balance of power in known space.
This sort of set-up is certainly not new in sci-fi. Throw in some tension with several shady characters and past nemeses, and it’s a recipe that has worked in many a genre. Fortunately, it works in Adrift as well. Much of the story feels like it could be the pilot episode of a TV show. There aren’t big pyrotechnics or epic space chase/battle scenes, just a well-composed story with plenty of tension set in a space environment with characters that can be easily identified with, even if they aren’t deeply developed.
These facts (along with the fact that the title page of the novel identifies this as book one of a series called Staying Afloat) make me think that Adrift is likely the first in a serial-type series of novels. Though I haven’t found any other indication of this, I hope it is the case, as there were plenty of loose ends that would allow a continuation of the story found here. The romance-lover in me also hopes that we will get a continuation, because the romantic aspect of this book is very light—three fully-clothed kisses is all we get. I want to get the feels I so love about romantic fiction, and these two characters definitely have potential. In this novel, though, outside the initial physical attraction, I honestly don’t understand why Matt and Ryce are attracted to each other in a way that is beyond the friendship that forms out of the mutual trust they build in the story. Therefore, more would be a good thing.
As far as the storytelling is concerned, this plot falls into the category I refer to as fun science fiction. By that, I mean the storyline isn’t the sort that makes the reader think deeply about some social issue or moral dilemma our modern-day existence presents. Instead, it’s a story that, with suitable changes, could as easily have taken place in another genre, say as a Western. The writing style is smooth and clean; nothing about the author’s writing pulled me out of the story. And the quality of the plot was well-developed enough to keep it from being predictable.
As a whole, Adrift is a good debut effort as a work of science fiction. From the romance standpoint, it’s almost not existent. That being said, I’m always appreciative of positive portrayals of LGBTQ characters in fictional worlds where the issue of a person’s sexuality is no big deal. I said before that more stories from this author would be a good thing. I must amend that to say that more would be a very good thing, because both aspects show potential.
The author and/or publisher generously provided me a complimentary copy of Adrift in exchange for this fair and honest review.
Follow Me: Reviews by Tammy & Kim | Facebook | Twitter
Matt Spears is the captain of his own spaceship with a crew of three, hired by clients requiring discretion in performing jobs of dubious (or not-so-dubious) legality. He’s just accepted a job that pays so well that he ignores his better sense about it being too good to be true. On the surface, it’s a simple salvage mission: fly to a moon in a remote part of known space to retrieve an artifact of an ancient and long-extinct alien race. The catch is that Matt won’t be flying the ship. The client’s biggest stipulations are that his man, Ryce Faine, will pilot Matt’s vessel and that everything else about the job is a secret. But when the artifact turns out to be of a nature far more dangerous than he bargained for, Matt is faced with a choice that could tip the balance of power in known space.
This sort of set-up is certainly not new in sci-fi. Throw in some tension with several shady characters and past nemeses, and it’s a recipe that has worked in many a genre. Fortunately, it works in Adrift as well. Much of the story feels like it could be the pilot episode of a TV show. There aren’t big pyrotechnics or epic space chase/battle scenes, just a well-composed story with plenty of tension set in a space environment with characters that can be easily identified with, even if they aren’t deeply developed.
These facts (along with the fact that the title page of the novel identifies this as book one of a series called Staying Afloat) make me think that Adrift is likely the first in a serial-type series of novels. Though I haven’t found any other indication of this, I hope it is the case, as there were plenty of loose ends that would allow a continuation of the story found here. The romance-lover in me also hopes that we will get a continuation, because the romantic aspect of this book is very light—three fully-clothed kisses is all we get. I want to get the feels I so love about romantic fiction, and these two characters definitely have potential. In this novel, though, outside the initial physical attraction, I honestly don’t understand why Matt and Ryce are attracted to each other in a way that is beyond the friendship that forms out of the mutual trust they build in the story. Therefore, more would be a good thing.
As far as the storytelling is concerned, this plot falls into the category I refer to as fun science fiction. By that, I mean the storyline isn’t the sort that makes the reader think deeply about some social issue or moral dilemma our modern-day existence presents. Instead, it’s a story that, with suitable changes, could as easily have taken place in another genre, say as a Western. The writing style is smooth and clean; nothing about the author’s writing pulled me out of the story. And the quality of the plot was well-developed enough to keep it from being predictable.
As a whole, Adrift is a good debut effort as a work of science fiction. From the romance standpoint, it’s almost not existent. That being said, I’m always appreciative of positive portrayals of LGBTQ characters in fictional worlds where the issue of a person’s sexuality is no big deal. I said before that more stories from this author would be a good thing. I must amend that to say that more would be a very good thing, because both aspects show potential.
The author and/or publisher generously provided me a complimentary copy of Adrift in exchange for this fair and honest review.
Follow Me: Reviews by Tammy & Kim | Facebook | Twitter
December 5, 2023
Matt Spears is a captain of a small ship; with a crew of two. He takes jobs of questionable origin and legality, often transporting illegal goods through space. Of course, these jobs do not come without risk, but that’s the price he pays in order to make money. Then a job comes along that seems too good to be true...a job that he knows he shouldn’t take, but his crew needs the money...and it is a LOT of money. So, of course he takes it...especially when he discovers it comes with an experienced pilot who will be commandeering his ship. Enter Ryce. Not only an expert pilot but he's good looking, and intelligent...seemingly perfect. In spite of his attributes, Matt is not pleased to have this cocky hunk on his ship, but he doesn’t have a choice if he wants the money. Instead, he decides to do the best he can and just…well, sleep with him. What should be a quick, fairly easy job turns out to be something else entirely. Danger is around every corner, there's modern space pirates, ancient alien weaponry and who knows if they are even going to make it out alive...and to make matters even worse...Matt hasn't yet even had a chance to sleep with Ryce!!! Matt is such a great character. He seems completely sure of himself, but he does have a soft spot in his heart for his ship and his crew. He also has a fairly complicated past that he tries to ignore, but throughout the story it comes back to haunt and actually, sometimes to help him. Ryce is a fascinating character. His backstory is intriguing, and although he comes across as close to perfect, he makes some rather poor decisions, but in spite of that he does learn to care about the people around him. Danger is everywhere in this story, and that does make it exciting. Just when things seemed to calm down, there was always trouble again in a new form. Somehow everything that happened made sense in the context of the world the events the story is based on. In the end, there were very real consequences for the men that will make you worry about their safety. I understand that there is a second book in the series but even though I didn't dislike the story, I wasn't a raging fan either. I would like to see if Matt ever figures out a way to sleep with Ryce though...so maybe. Fans of sci-fi, space pirates, and aliens, should enjoy this. It's a lot of everything crammed into a quick read. Actual Rating 3.5 Stars
October 24, 2017
This was a fun SciFi adventure with just a hint of gay romance to it - listed as book 1 of a series, I can hope for more from these main characters in the next book.
Matt is the captain of a smuggling ship, with a crew of 3. He's in a financial bind, and unable to turn down a substantial amount of money to let an unknown pilot take over his ship for a secret job. That pilot rubs him all the wrong ways - Ryce is cool, brilliant, and totally unimpressed by Matt's charm or his sexual come-ons. Matt doesn't handle rejection well (in fact, one of his moves could be considered a bit sleazy) but over time he comes to respect Ryce. And when the mission heats up, he's willing to put his life in the hands of Ryce's piloting skills. Although he's reserving judgment on the rest of the plan.
The secondary characters were promising, although not well-developed yet. I enjoyed the contrast between the main characters, and was actually glad that the romance wasn't pushed too hard and fast, until a connection could be built up. The plot was generally workable, with only a few little issues I could ignore for the sake of the story. The ending is a solid place to wait for the next book, not a cliffhanger, although a lot of story is still clearly waiting to happen. I'll look forward to reading it.
Matt is the captain of a smuggling ship, with a crew of 3. He's in a financial bind, and unable to turn down a substantial amount of money to let an unknown pilot take over his ship for a secret job. That pilot rubs him all the wrong ways - Ryce is cool, brilliant, and totally unimpressed by Matt's charm or his sexual come-ons. Matt doesn't handle rejection well (in fact, one of his moves could be considered a bit sleazy) but over time he comes to respect Ryce. And when the mission heats up, he's willing to put his life in the hands of Ryce's piloting skills. Although he's reserving judgment on the rest of the plan.
The secondary characters were promising, although not well-developed yet. I enjoyed the contrast between the main characters, and was actually glad that the romance wasn't pushed too hard and fast, until a connection could be built up. The plot was generally workable, with only a few little issues I could ignore for the sake of the story. The ending is a solid place to wait for the next book, not a cliffhanger, although a lot of story is still clearly waiting to happen. I'll look forward to reading it.
April 7, 2019
3.5 Stars
The romance aspect seemed a little forced and quite a bit Insta...but the rest of the story was pretty damned entertaining! This is labeled as the first of a series, and if another one comes out I'd definitely read it.
The romance aspect seemed a little forced and quite a bit Insta...but the rest of the story was pretty damned entertaining! This is labeled as the first of a series, and if another one comes out I'd definitely read it.
June 14, 2022
2.5 stars
This was fine but nothing unexpected really happens, and then it takes until halfway through the book for them to even get to the moon with the mystery thing they're supposed to retrieve. That part was pretty good, but since we're only given Matt's POV (in the third person), we miss most of the climax, or at least the fallout of it. Sometimes that works, sometimes that doesn't. It didn't here, for me.
The characters were flat and inconsistent, and the romance, such as it was, felt tacked on. There was no real chemistry between the MCs and they didn't compliment each other at all, not even in an opposites attract or enemies to lovers way. Maybe she was going for a slow burn, but it came across as forced. There were attempts to give them backgrounds and depth, but this information wasn't used very effectively.
The second half went by faster than the first half, but the ending didn't fill me with motivation to continue the series.
This was fine but nothing unexpected really happens, and then it takes until halfway through the book for them to even get to the moon with the mystery thing they're supposed to retrieve. That part was pretty good, but since we're only given Matt's POV (in the third person), we miss most of the climax, or at least the fallout of it. Sometimes that works, sometimes that doesn't. It didn't here, for me.
The characters were flat and inconsistent, and the romance, such as it was, felt tacked on. There was no real chemistry between the MCs and they didn't compliment each other at all, not even in an opposites attract or enemies to lovers way. Maybe she was going for a slow burn, but it came across as forced. There were attempts to give them backgrounds and depth, but this information wasn't used very effectively.
The second half went by faster than the first half, but the ending didn't fill me with motivation to continue the series.
February 4, 2019
Somehow this rubbed me the wrong way.
It wasn't bad, exactly, just not particularly good either.
The plot was okay, though not especially exciting or new, and pretty foreseeable. The mood was very Prometheus meets Guardians of the Galaxy, and it didn't always remind me of the good parts of those.
My main issue was with the main character, Matt, your typical morally ambiguous dude with a Past™ and a captital-A-Attitude who's ready to hump anything not up in a tree on the count of three. I might be exaggerating, but several of his (meant to be funny?) one-liners and mannerisms made me really uncomfortable.
Then there's Ryce (do you really pronounce that "rice"?), a genius pilot with a noble mind who somehow still ends up in this really shady business. I have absolutely no grasp on his personality because it didn't seem to be there. His traits don't add up, and what he does to save the day at the end straight up contradicts what was established earlier (I'd be willing to blame that on Matt being an unreliable narrator though).
Sadly, the romance aspects, sparse as they were, didn't really feel organic either.
It felt like half of the book was missing. I'm pretty sure there's a sequel planned that would deal with some of that, but I still don't know what exactly happened in parts of this book or why things happened because the information is simply... not there. Again, that could be blamed on Matt being the indirect narrator, his perspective and his lack of care, but as a reader who likes to have things neatly building up and coming together it left me frustrated.
It wasn't bad, exactly, just not particularly good either.
The plot was okay, though not especially exciting or new, and pretty foreseeable. The mood was very Prometheus meets Guardians of the Galaxy, and it didn't always remind me of the good parts of those.
My main issue was with the main character, Matt, your typical morally ambiguous dude with a Past™ and a captital-A-Attitude who's ready to hump anything not up in a tree on the count of three. I might be exaggerating, but several of his (meant to be funny?) one-liners and mannerisms made me really uncomfortable.
Then there's Ryce (do you really pronounce that "rice"?), a genius pilot with a noble mind who somehow still ends up in this really shady business. I have absolutely no grasp on his personality because it didn't seem to be there. His traits don't add up, and what he does to save the day at the end straight up contradicts what was established earlier (I'd be willing to blame that on Matt being an unreliable narrator though).
Sadly, the romance aspects, sparse as they were, didn't really feel organic either.
It felt like half of the book was missing. I'm pretty sure there's a sequel planned that would deal with some of that, but I still don't know what exactly happened in parts of this book or why things happened because the information is simply... not there. Again, that could be blamed on Matt being the indirect narrator, his perspective and his lack of care, but as a reader who likes to have things neatly building up and coming together it left me frustrated.
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February 6, 2017A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
Adrift is the first in the Staying Afloat series and right away I drew positive parallels between it and the Chaos Station series. Both contain crews of plucky space adventurers who bend the law in exchange for a measure of freedom in space. Additionally, both have fairly strong characters and do a good job of setting up future series additions. And this is all to the good. Adrift has a consistent plot with strong pacing and a real sense of forward movement. There is enough happening on page to keep you focused and wanting more. The stage was set quickly and the pacing never lags or lacks. Ryce and Matt are fairly interesting characters and while we aren’t given their full histories, we are presented with enough to make connecting with them easy. And given this is a series, I suspect more will be revealed about them in future installments. There is no real romance in Adrift. There is a bit of flirting and the creation of an understanding between Ryce and Matt, but nothing more and I really enjoyed this bit. It gives me, as a reader, a chance to experience the evolution of their relationship as another layer to the story, rather than having it dumped on too heavily. I’m more than interested to see how their romance blossoms.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
Adrift is the first in the Staying Afloat series and right away I drew positive parallels between it and the Chaos Station series. Both contain crews of plucky space adventurers who bend the law in exchange for a measure of freedom in space. Additionally, both have fairly strong characters and do a good job of setting up future series additions. And this is all to the good. Adrift has a consistent plot with strong pacing and a real sense of forward movement. There is enough happening on page to keep you focused and wanting more. The stage was set quickly and the pacing never lags or lacks. Ryce and Matt are fairly interesting characters and while we aren’t given their full histories, we are presented with enough to make connecting with them easy. And given this is a series, I suspect more will be revealed about them in future installments. There is no real romance in Adrift. There is a bit of flirting and the creation of an understanding between Ryce and Matt, but nothing more and I really enjoyed this bit. It gives me, as a reader, a chance to experience the evolution of their relationship as another layer to the story, rather than having it dumped on too heavily. I’m more than interested to see how their romance blossoms.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
July 15, 2019
I loved this book! I had to remind myself I wasn’t on the ship with Matt and his crew whenever I took a break from my Kindle. The setting descriptions brought every scene to life, and I enjoyed the relationships between the characters, friendships included. Reminiscent of Firefly but with a queer twist. Can’t wait to start reading book 2 ASAP.
May 20, 2019
I loved this book.
I.
LOVED.
THIS.
BOOK.
Adler's writing in "Adrift" is engaging, realistic without being needlessly gritty and descriptive without losing itself in the minutiae of overly-detailed prose. The characters feel like they have depth and nuance in a very little span of time, which is impressive, and each is to some degree relatable. The glue that binds them all is that they've all made mistakes, mistakes that they paid dearly for, and they accept each other despite (or perhaps even because) of it. Well, except for a CERTAIN SOMEONE, at least at first, but they eventually come around (don't want to spoil anything for anyone).
One of the things I LOVED about this book was the romance. It wasn't love-at-first-sight, and it wasn't an ever present, constantly distracting lust or objectification. What it was was two individuals trying to get the measure of the other. Romances aren't always smooth or organic. Sometimes the chemistry can be mistaken for something else, and even when it's finally noticed, it isn't always smooth sailing. This felt realistic and messy and wonderful.
For fans of science fiction in general, I can honestly highly recommend this fun journey. For fans of space adventure sci-fi in the vein of Firefly, Outlaw Star, Cowboy Bebop and the original Mass Effect trilogy, I can only ask: HOW HAVE YOU NOT READ THIS BOOK YET?
PS. I wasn't crazy about the audiobook reader when I first started, but by the end, I was 100% won over!
Added Note: Matt should invest in some space duct tape. That's all I'm saying. ;)
Also, another tiny note: I now ship Nora & Toni (Tony? I had the audiobook, so never saw how it was spelled in the print) together, and I don't care that it might be a complete figment of my own imagination. It can live there, a content, imaginary head-canon, if that's all it ever is.
I.
LOVED.
THIS.
BOOK.
Adler's writing in "Adrift" is engaging, realistic without being needlessly gritty and descriptive without losing itself in the minutiae of overly-detailed prose. The characters feel like they have depth and nuance in a very little span of time, which is impressive, and each is to some degree relatable. The glue that binds them all is that they've all made mistakes, mistakes that they paid dearly for, and they accept each other despite (or perhaps even because) of it. Well, except for a CERTAIN SOMEONE, at least at first, but they eventually come around (don't want to spoil anything for anyone).
One of the things I LOVED about this book was the romance. It wasn't love-at-first-sight, and it wasn't an ever present, constantly distracting lust or objectification. What it was was two individuals trying to get the measure of the other. Romances aren't always smooth or organic. Sometimes the chemistry can be mistaken for something else, and even when it's finally noticed, it isn't always smooth sailing. This felt realistic and messy and wonderful.
For fans of science fiction in general, I can honestly highly recommend this fun journey. For fans of space adventure sci-fi in the vein of Firefly, Outlaw Star, Cowboy Bebop and the original Mass Effect trilogy, I can only ask: HOW HAVE YOU NOT READ THIS BOOK YET?
PS. I wasn't crazy about the audiobook reader when I first started, but by the end, I was 100% won over!
Added Note: Matt should invest in some space duct tape. That's all I'm saying. ;)
Also, another tiny note: I now ship Nora & Toni (Tony? I had the audiobook, so never saw how it was spelled in the print) together, and I don't care that it might be a complete figment of my own imagination. It can live there, a content, imaginary head-canon, if that's all it ever is.
July 3, 2017
I absolutely love these kind of adventures, sci fi with some romance books. It combines all three genres and makes an epic read. This book had the adventure with Matt, Ryce and crew. The sci fi is a wonderful glimpse into the future of spaceships and roaming the universe. The romance is a bit thin though. http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/reviews/...
April 14, 2017
4.5 *
Essentially, what could go wrong when you let a mystery man captain YOUR ship to a far off destination so he could retrieve an artifact from an extinct society?
EVERYTHING!!!
You can see my full review on my website: http://christinasbookshelf.net/2017/0...
Essentially, what could go wrong when you let a mystery man captain YOUR ship to a far off destination so he could retrieve an artifact from an extinct society?
EVERYTHING!!!
You can see my full review on my website: http://christinasbookshelf.net/2017/0...
dnf
June 22, 2019Well, I'm giving up on this one at 20%. I'm not enjoying the audio narration, and the fact that MC2s name, Ryce, is pronounced "rice" aloud is somehow jarring. I mean, sure, that's how you'd pronounce that name, but I don't think it would bother me in print the way it's bothering me in audio. Plus, Matt is pretty dumb, so my eye-rolling muscles were getting too much of a workout. I may try this again at a later date in ebook format, but I'm going to abandon the audiobook for now.
March 9, 2017
Sometimes the universe works in mysterious ways to bring people together who would normally never meet. And when it does, it’s often with awesome results. Isabelle Adler has done that in the first book in the Staying Afloat series.
Matt Spears is a captain of a small ship; with his crew of two, he takes jobs of questionable origin and legality to transport often illegal goods through space. Of course, his jobs are not without risk, but hey, that’s the price he has to pay to make money. When a job that seems too good to be true turns up, he knows he shouldn’t take it, but his crew needs the money—and it is a LOT of money. So, he takes it with some reservations. Especially when he discovers it comes with a pilot who will be commandeering his ship.
Ryce is perfect. He’s good looking, intelligent, and an expert pilot. Matt is not pleased with the cocky man on his vessel, but he doesn’t have a choice if he wants the money. Instead, he decides to do the best he can and just…sleep with him.
What should be a quick, fairly easy job turns out to be anything but. Danger is around every corner, from the modern space pirates to ancient alien weaponry. Who knows if they will even make it out alive for Matt to get a chance to sleep with Ryce.
I loved Matt. He’s such a great character. While he seems completely sure of himself, he does have a soft side for his ship and his crew. He also has a pretty complicated past that he tries to ignore, but cannot, and throughout the story it comes back to haunt and sometimes help him. Ryce is another fascinating character. I found his backstory to be intriguing, and although he pretty much is close to perfect, he makes some poor decisions and learns to care of the people around him.
Danger is pretty much everywhere in this book, and that made it exciting. I never knew what to expect. Just when things seemed to calm down, there it was again in a new form! However, it never felt forced. Everything that happened made sense in the context of the world and based on either events in the story or events prior to the story that are briefly mentioned throughout. From the Alraki to the pissed off black market dealer, from the space pirates with a personal vendetta against Matt to the ancient alien civilization, everything was crafted in a believable way. Not once did anything feel forced.
In the end, there were very real consequences for the men, and I truly worried about their safety. Knowing that there is a second book on the way makes me happy. The book is left wide open and I cannot wait to see what new shenanigans this crew gets up to!
Fans of sci-fi, space pirates, aliens, and cocky pilots should enjoy this new series. It makes for a fairly quick and enjoyable read.
Reviewed by Jennifer for The Novel Approach Reviews
Matt Spears is a captain of a small ship; with his crew of two, he takes jobs of questionable origin and legality to transport often illegal goods through space. Of course, his jobs are not without risk, but hey, that’s the price he has to pay to make money. When a job that seems too good to be true turns up, he knows he shouldn’t take it, but his crew needs the money—and it is a LOT of money. So, he takes it with some reservations. Especially when he discovers it comes with a pilot who will be commandeering his ship.
Ryce is perfect. He’s good looking, intelligent, and an expert pilot. Matt is not pleased with the cocky man on his vessel, but he doesn’t have a choice if he wants the money. Instead, he decides to do the best he can and just…sleep with him.
What should be a quick, fairly easy job turns out to be anything but. Danger is around every corner, from the modern space pirates to ancient alien weaponry. Who knows if they will even make it out alive for Matt to get a chance to sleep with Ryce.
I loved Matt. He’s such a great character. While he seems completely sure of himself, he does have a soft side for his ship and his crew. He also has a pretty complicated past that he tries to ignore, but cannot, and throughout the story it comes back to haunt and sometimes help him. Ryce is another fascinating character. I found his backstory to be intriguing, and although he pretty much is close to perfect, he makes some poor decisions and learns to care of the people around him.
Danger is pretty much everywhere in this book, and that made it exciting. I never knew what to expect. Just when things seemed to calm down, there it was again in a new form! However, it never felt forced. Everything that happened made sense in the context of the world and based on either events in the story or events prior to the story that are briefly mentioned throughout. From the Alraki to the pissed off black market dealer, from the space pirates with a personal vendetta against Matt to the ancient alien civilization, everything was crafted in a believable way. Not once did anything feel forced.
In the end, there were very real consequences for the men, and I truly worried about their safety. Knowing that there is a second book on the way makes me happy. The book is left wide open and I cannot wait to see what new shenanigans this crew gets up to!
Fans of sci-fi, space pirates, aliens, and cocky pilots should enjoy this new series. It makes for a fairly quick and enjoyable read.
Reviewed by Jennifer for The Novel Approach Reviews
February 7, 2017
“When something sounds too good to be true…. it probably is.” This adage may be very right, and would save tons of people from disaster, but an adventurer at heart, like Matt in this story, or someone desperate for a well-paid job, again, like Matt, will not listen to this type of reasoning, no matter how helpful it is or how much trouble he could have avoided. And, in the end, I am grateful he didn’t listen – or I would have missed a great space adventure!
Matt hates authority, and being the captain of his own ship, even if he mostly skirts at the edge of the law when he accepts various types of cargo, suits him very well. So when a mysterious new client hires Matt’s ship and insists on providing his own pilot, Matt is initially annoyed at having to accept someone else’s authority, even if only temporarily. But he can’t resist the lure of excellent payment, so he ends up going for it. The result is an adventure of galactic proportions!
Ryce, the “pilot on loan” has more secrets than is healthy. As his background slowly emerges, it becomes clear he has a very interesting past. But since Matt is in dire need of qualified help as their mission to find an alien artifact becomes more and more dangerous, he can only be grateful for the help. This leads Matt to increasingly respect Ryce and that puts his initial interest, purely based on physical attraction and a need for a “diversion”, onto a different level. But the real trouble isn’t Matt’s budding relationship with Ryce – it’s what they discover the artifact to be and the moral dilemma Matt faces around what to do with it. The situation gives Matt a run for his money. It also provided me with suspense and some great entertainment.
If you like discovering details about mysterious aliens who may be long extinct but have left behind some dangerous items, if you want to find out how two men who seem to have very little in common learn to get along, and if you’re looking for a suspenseful science fiction story full of discoveries and unexpected obstacles, then you will probably like this novella.
NOTE: This book was provided by NineStar Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Matt hates authority, and being the captain of his own ship, even if he mostly skirts at the edge of the law when he accepts various types of cargo, suits him very well. So when a mysterious new client hires Matt’s ship and insists on providing his own pilot, Matt is initially annoyed at having to accept someone else’s authority, even if only temporarily. But he can’t resist the lure of excellent payment, so he ends up going for it. The result is an adventure of galactic proportions!
Ryce, the “pilot on loan” has more secrets than is healthy. As his background slowly emerges, it becomes clear he has a very interesting past. But since Matt is in dire need of qualified help as their mission to find an alien artifact becomes more and more dangerous, he can only be grateful for the help. This leads Matt to increasingly respect Ryce and that puts his initial interest, purely based on physical attraction and a need for a “diversion”, onto a different level. But the real trouble isn’t Matt’s budding relationship with Ryce – it’s what they discover the artifact to be and the moral dilemma Matt faces around what to do with it. The situation gives Matt a run for his money. It also provided me with suspense and some great entertainment.
If you like discovering details about mysterious aliens who may be long extinct but have left behind some dangerous items, if you want to find out how two men who seem to have very little in common learn to get along, and if you’re looking for a suspenseful science fiction story full of discoveries and unexpected obstacles, then you will probably like this novella.
NOTE: This book was provided by NineStar Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
April 24, 2019
Adrift was a great read! In the first installment of the series, the Lady Lisa is heading towards a planet on which there is a secret location. Ryce Faine had taken control of the ship and won’t give them any details about their journey. Captain Spears finds himself becoming intrigued by his mysterious guest. As the two men get to know each other, it’s revealed that Ryce is half-Onorean. The Onoreans are a scientific species and control the conception and birth of their offspring. Sadly, Ryce’s mother was raped by an off-worlder and gave up her son because he represented everything she was ashamed of.
One of the things I loved about Adler when I read her first books was the detail she puts into the worlds and people in her stories. The first story I read of hers was much shorter and I loved the character development. This series is no disappointment in character development! Matt Spears is basically a good guy, he drinks too much, can’t survive without coffee and he likes to hook up with people when they swing past a bar. Things get interesting when a bit more of Matt’s past is revealed. He’s had some run-ins with space pirates and still suffers nightmares because of the brutal assault that happened. Estranged from his family, Matt is fiercely protective of his ship and his crew.
Ryce and Matt manage to chip away at each other’s walls as they continue along with the mission. They end up with their lives in each other’s hands and learn that they can, in fact, trust each other. Ryce’s secret mission is a bit morally ambiguous. I don’t want to reveal too much about it here in this review, because it was an absolute pleasure to read along as it was revealed in the book.
Suffice to say that by the end of the book there is a fledgling relationship between Matt and Ryce.
One of the things I loved about Adler when I read her first books was the detail she puts into the worlds and people in her stories. The first story I read of hers was much shorter and I loved the character development. This series is no disappointment in character development! Matt Spears is basically a good guy, he drinks too much, can’t survive without coffee and he likes to hook up with people when they swing past a bar. Things get interesting when a bit more of Matt’s past is revealed. He’s had some run-ins with space pirates and still suffers nightmares because of the brutal assault that happened. Estranged from his family, Matt is fiercely protective of his ship and his crew.
Ryce and Matt manage to chip away at each other’s walls as they continue along with the mission. They end up with their lives in each other’s hands and learn that they can, in fact, trust each other. Ryce’s secret mission is a bit morally ambiguous. I don’t want to reveal too much about it here in this review, because it was an absolute pleasure to read along as it was revealed in the book.
Suffice to say that by the end of the book there is a fledgling relationship between Matt and Ryce.
December 3, 2017
2017 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Adrift (Staying Afloat #1) Isabelle Adler
1) I must admit I’m a sucker for a good sci fi book. I really liked this story. It’s one I’ll read again and will go back and buy to have on my kindle. I’ll also be keeping an eye out for future books in this series.
2) An entertaining SciFi space adventure with just a hint of gay romance, a plot that worked, and a contrast between the main characters that generated interest and sparks. Looking forward to the next in the series.
3) Clever, well thought plot with fast paced action. A strong developed bisexual male character in an everchanging sci fi setting, a book filled with twists and turns, some of them yet to be taken advantage off and promissing good things in regard to later books in the same universe. There are still plenty of questions left unanswered and information just not used yet so the possibilities for follow ups are there and shining. That being said, this book has a satisfactory conclusion, interesting debates and is an interesting read. The relationship between the main characters was a bit too sudden and at times I would have welcomed the Ryce's perspective too but Matt observations did a good enough job of setting things clear. You can feel that it's not a romace or anything else but a sci-fi, futuristic space opera and it works. Great read. Will be watching for the next one.
1) I must admit I’m a sucker for a good sci fi book. I really liked this story. It’s one I’ll read again and will go back and buy to have on my kindle. I’ll also be keeping an eye out for future books in this series.
2) An entertaining SciFi space adventure with just a hint of gay romance, a plot that worked, and a contrast between the main characters that generated interest and sparks. Looking forward to the next in the series.
3) Clever, well thought plot with fast paced action. A strong developed bisexual male character in an everchanging sci fi setting, a book filled with twists and turns, some of them yet to be taken advantage off and promissing good things in regard to later books in the same universe. There are still plenty of questions left unanswered and information just not used yet so the possibilities for follow ups are there and shining. That being said, this book has a satisfactory conclusion, interesting debates and is an interesting read. The relationship between the main characters was a bit too sudden and at times I would have welcomed the Ryce's perspective too but Matt observations did a good enough job of setting things clear. You can feel that it's not a romace or anything else but a sci-fi, futuristic space opera and it works. Great read. Will be watching for the next one.
November 29, 2018
Ah, this book was all I wished for; I've to add here that I normally *don't* read sci-fi books because in the past they couldn't hold my interest long enough.
Isabelle Adler had such a captivating writing I was hooked from the start & I could literally see the crew, their ship Lady Lisa, the flights and the danger Matt and Ryce were.
It has a nice ending for those who want to end after one book but it also leaves questions so I can't wait to read the sequel next year. *.*
I loved the slow-burn chemistry between Matt & Ryce and I am super excited what we can expect in the next books in this department. ;)
5 out of 5 (intergalactic) stars for it. <3
Sci-fi after my desires. :3
Isabelle Adler had such a captivating writing I was hooked from the start & I could literally see the crew, their ship Lady Lisa, the flights and the danger Matt and Ryce were.
It has a nice ending for those who want to end after one book but it also leaves questions so I can't wait to read the sequel next year. *.*
I loved the slow-burn chemistry between Matt & Ryce and I am super excited what we can expect in the next books in this department. ;)
5 out of 5 (intergalactic) stars for it. <3
Sci-fi after my desires. :3
April 19, 2020
2.5, round up to 3
This wasn't necessarily bad, but the author took the most often traveled road at every opportunity. I thought there was a lot of potential for an interesting story here. But Adler instead told one that every aspect of has already been told in the same ways too many times.
Further, aspects of it weren't well developed. There was a lot of hinting about a family rift that was never directly addressed, for example, and then it was easily rectified when the plot called for it. Again, without the reader ever really seeing what made that happen beyond, "Well, maybe I made a mistake." Basically we were told that the main character didn't speak to his family and then told he had decided not speaking to his family was a mistake and now he'd speak to his sister. It was never delved into and, as a reader, it felt tacked on and hollow.
I felt the same way about the romance. Let me preface this by saying the vast majority of what I read has a romantic plot or sub-plot in it. I love my romance books. But here I really, really wish Adler had either left it out entirely or stretched it over two books. It felt very much like the two men went from distrustful allies to friends and no further. So, when there were suddenly kisses and love it didn't feel developed and felt 100% forced and out of place. Had Adler allowed them room to become friends here and moved to lovers later, it might have worked. But she tried to get too much in too fast and it failed, in my opinion. I actually think it would have worked just as well if the two became platonic best friends. Certainly, Ryce's description would have moved to Ace/Gray-Ace a lot easier than it did to lover and been a more interesting story for it.
Lastly, I didn't love the narrator of the audio version. I listened to the whole thing at 90% speed and still thought it too fast sometimes. Plus, in the beginning it just didn't feel very natural. That improved as it went along though. I'd give the narrator a 3 out of 5 too.
This wasn't necessarily bad, but the author took the most often traveled road at every opportunity. I thought there was a lot of potential for an interesting story here. But Adler instead told one that every aspect of has already been told in the same ways too many times.
Further, aspects of it weren't well developed. There was a lot of hinting about a family rift that was never directly addressed, for example, and then it was easily rectified when the plot called for it. Again, without the reader ever really seeing what made that happen beyond, "Well, maybe I made a mistake." Basically we were told that the main character didn't speak to his family and then told he had decided not speaking to his family was a mistake and now he'd speak to his sister. It was never delved into and, as a reader, it felt tacked on and hollow.
I felt the same way about the romance. Let me preface this by saying the vast majority of what I read has a romantic plot or sub-plot in it. I love my romance books. But here I really, really wish Adler had either left it out entirely or stretched it over two books. It felt very much like the two men went from distrustful allies to friends and no further. So, when there were suddenly kisses and love it didn't feel developed and felt 100% forced and out of place. Had Adler allowed them room to become friends here and moved to lovers later, it might have worked. But she tried to get too much in too fast and it failed, in my opinion. I actually think it would have worked just as well if the two became platonic best friends. Certainly, Ryce's description would have moved to Ace/Gray-Ace a lot easier than it did to lover and been a more interesting story for it.
Lastly, I didn't love the narrator of the audio version. I listened to the whole thing at 90% speed and still thought it too fast sometimes. Plus, in the beginning it just didn't feel very natural. That improved as it went along though. I'd give the narrator a 3 out of 5 too.
March 17, 2019
An ace-ace-pilot, and a smuggler with a heart of gold vs pirates and corrupt military! M/M- but in the most casual way that just makes no show of the relationship being anything more than normal.
You can tell this novel was researched and the universe was fleshed out. The little details when the characters are strolling around in low-gravity, the atmosphere in locales are all very strong. I had actual chills when reading the ancient alien spaceship scenes, very H.R.Giger designs were curling in my head at the architecture.
The beginning was a little slow to warm up, but the characters were solid and likable. I read the last half of the book in a single sitting as it accelerated pretty well into a fun and fast paced run. I found the climax really satisfying. For those wondering about the heat level of the romance subplot, it's very mild and sweet. The characters falling for each other was very believable (I'm so over insta-love) and I really enjoyed their slow-burn cookie-sweet development.
Also, without spoilers, Isabelle's use of chekov's gun is superb and was a great 'homg, I didn't think that would come back from so early on!'
The characters get messed up and hurt, which I love. The thing I loved the most was the common sense of Spears- bordering on spoilers, there is a moment when he realizes precisely how hinky something is before Ryce because Spears has wisdom and common sense. Street smarts if you will. And he follows that conclusion through to its natural end. There's none of this naive 'oh but people would never be dastardly,' from Spears. It's refreshing as naive characters can be really tedious.
Overall, I really enjoyed and look forward to the second book in the series!
You can tell this novel was researched and the universe was fleshed out. The little details when the characters are strolling around in low-gravity, the atmosphere in locales are all very strong. I had actual chills when reading the ancient alien spaceship scenes, very H.R.Giger designs were curling in my head at the architecture.
The beginning was a little slow to warm up, but the characters were solid and likable. I read the last half of the book in a single sitting as it accelerated pretty well into a fun and fast paced run. I found the climax really satisfying. For those wondering about the heat level of the romance subplot, it's very mild and sweet. The characters falling for each other was very believable (I'm so over insta-love) and I really enjoyed their slow-burn cookie-sweet development.
Also, without spoilers, Isabelle's use of chekov's gun is superb and was a great 'homg, I didn't think that would come back from so early on!'
The characters get messed up and hurt, which I love. The thing I loved the most was the common sense of Spears- bordering on spoilers, there is a moment when he realizes precisely how hinky something is before Ryce because Spears has wisdom and common sense. Street smarts if you will. And he follows that conclusion through to its natural end. There's none of this naive 'oh but people would never be dastardly,' from Spears. It's refreshing as naive characters can be really tedious.
Overall, I really enjoyed and look forward to the second book in the series!
May 11, 2019
Isabelle Adler’s Adrift is the sort of book that makes me go squee quite frequently. Adventure, danger, bravado, in space nonetheless!
Now you might be wondering what on earth has gotten into me that I chose to read a book that is categorized as romance. Well, fear not, I’m fine, and let me tell you, this is still more science fiction than anything, even if a certain character became quite fond of another one and there were some undeniably cute, and sometimes deep moments.
At a mere 180 pages Adrift is a fast paced and action packed story with very little downtime between troubles. In the center of it all is Matt Spears, captain of the cargo vessel the Lady Lisa. With his fetchingly green eyes and perpetually tousled auburn hair this dude is not only quite the looker, but he’s quick witted, and above all a proper wiseass with a past he’s trying to forget.
When a mysterious stranger makes him an offer he can’t refuse, Matt and his crew sets out on an Indiana Jones style mission to retrieve an ancient artifact. They are thrown together with Ryce, a half human, half Onorean dude; highly intelligent, think genious levels, very logical, and not particularly sociable or romantically inclined. Basically like a Vulcan I’d imagine. The fact that said dude takes over his ship, turning Matt into nothing but a name on the flight logs certainly doesn’t bode well in terms of fostering the beginning of a beautiful friendship, but of course once the possibilities of immediate demise arise, opinions can change.
The tiny crew, consisting of Tony and Val were brilliant. Both of them had their fair share of troubles in the past, but on board the Lady Lisa they had a chance to reinvent themselves. While Val is not really a man of words, Tony often made me smile with her witty bantering.
Not often do I come across such rare gems like Adrift. An exhilarating sci-fi with packed with scavengers, friendship goals, jeopardy and some cute, fluffy feels, I can see this book appealing to a wide variety of readers.
Now you might be wondering what on earth has gotten into me that I chose to read a book that is categorized as romance. Well, fear not, I’m fine, and let me tell you, this is still more science fiction than anything, even if a certain character became quite fond of another one and there were some undeniably cute, and sometimes deep moments.
At a mere 180 pages Adrift is a fast paced and action packed story with very little downtime between troubles. In the center of it all is Matt Spears, captain of the cargo vessel the Lady Lisa. With his fetchingly green eyes and perpetually tousled auburn hair this dude is not only quite the looker, but he’s quick witted, and above all a proper wiseass with a past he’s trying to forget.
When a mysterious stranger makes him an offer he can’t refuse, Matt and his crew sets out on an Indiana Jones style mission to retrieve an ancient artifact. They are thrown together with Ryce, a half human, half Onorean dude; highly intelligent, think genious levels, very logical, and not particularly sociable or romantically inclined. Basically like a Vulcan I’d imagine. The fact that said dude takes over his ship, turning Matt into nothing but a name on the flight logs certainly doesn’t bode well in terms of fostering the beginning of a beautiful friendship, but of course once the possibilities of immediate demise arise, opinions can change.
The tiny crew, consisting of Tony and Val were brilliant. Both of them had their fair share of troubles in the past, but on board the Lady Lisa they had a chance to reinvent themselves. While Val is not really a man of words, Tony often made me smile with her witty bantering.
Not often do I come across such rare gems like Adrift. An exhilarating sci-fi with packed with scavengers, friendship goals, jeopardy and some cute, fluffy feels, I can see this book appealing to a wide variety of readers.
September 16, 2019
GREAT INDIE AUTHOR AUDIOBOOK
Captain Matt is a good captain and a better space smuggler. When he has an 'easy' job with a newcomer named Ryce, Matt's happy and intrigued because Ryce is handsome and available. Needless to say their first date becomes a butting of heads but soon the two find themselves on an adventure that could get them both killed. (and that's before secrets get spilled and space pirates show up!)
Sci-fi LGBT isn't usually my go-to genre but I met this indie author on social media and agreed to check out her book. The recording has places that is 'scratchy' but from a self-published author myself, I know first hand the challenges of getting a clear recording. Usually I look at three things with authors, the first is the POV. When there are issues with head bobbling and too many POV's, it's a turn off for me. Isabelle Adler does a good job staying in Matt's head. Two, realistic dialogue and three, predictability; again, the writing is good enough to keep you engaged and the plot and story keeps the reader/listener engaged. GOOD JOB ISABELLE!
Captain Matt is a good captain and a better space smuggler. When he has an 'easy' job with a newcomer named Ryce, Matt's happy and intrigued because Ryce is handsome and available. Needless to say their first date becomes a butting of heads but soon the two find themselves on an adventure that could get them both killed. (and that's before secrets get spilled and space pirates show up!)
Sci-fi LGBT isn't usually my go-to genre but I met this indie author on social media and agreed to check out her book. The recording has places that is 'scratchy' but from a self-published author myself, I know first hand the challenges of getting a clear recording. Usually I look at three things with authors, the first is the POV. When there are issues with head bobbling and too many POV's, it's a turn off for me. Isabelle Adler does a good job staying in Matt's head. Two, realistic dialogue and three, predictability; again, the writing is good enough to keep you engaged and the plot and story keeps the reader/listener engaged. GOOD JOB ISABELLE!
March 28, 2017
I don't know why this book took me so long--I loved it, absolutely. I guess life kept interrupting as I read it. It's a wonderfully crafted science fiction tale, with a believable universe and premise. The characters felt believable and real, as does the scenario. I might have questioned a few motivations along the way, but I don't mind having to guess or be curious sometimes. The pacing is top notch from beginning to end, and Isabelle Adler deftly handles the tension and unwinds the story in a way that leaves you itching to find out what's going to happen next. I cannot wait for the second Staying Afloat story. If you like MM romance and science fiction, I highly suggest this book!
September 25, 2019
There were elements of this I liked and other elements that dragged a little for me. I never really understood why Matt went along with things for so long. His connection with Ryce also felt a bit forced at first. But the story grew on me as it went along. I do think some of the plot points felt a bit arbitrary and pushed the believability of circumstances. It upped the tension of course, but took away from some of my enjoyment of things. I think the biggest problem I had was things were so clearly not right that I could never get behind Matt agreeing to go ahead with things.
May 13, 2019
Tedious reading. Skimmed last the 25% to get it done. Nothing sparked to life here. The romance is practically nonexistent and none of the sci-fi action was exciting.
February 18, 2021
3.5 stars
June 1, 2019
I really enjoyed this book.
The characters are well-rounded and interesting. The interactions between the crew members of the ship are great. The dialogue flows naturally; when the characters speak, they sound like real people. And the plot was engaging.
Another thing I really liked was that the plot didn't take a backseat to the romance. Instead, the romance is woven through the story, with just the right amount of tension.
I'm excited to read the sequel and will definitely be checking out the author's other books!
The characters are well-rounded and interesting. The interactions between the crew members of the ship are great. The dialogue flows naturally; when the characters speak, they sound like real people. And the plot was engaging.
Another thing I really liked was that the plot didn't take a backseat to the romance. Instead, the romance is woven through the story, with just the right amount of tension.
I'm excited to read the sequel and will definitely be checking out the author's other books!
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