Cosmic Boom

Project Enterprise #9

by Pauline Baird Jones

A critical mission, a cosmic event, and a secret….

USAF Captain Hedy Quinton joined Project Enterprise so she could travel to a distant galaxy. Excited about her first command, she never expected the headaches that would go with it. She’s dealing with a lonely AI in its systems, a really cute deck officer used to be a robot, a disgruntled ally who wants to be in command, and a passel of possibly dubious scientists. The only thing going for her is that none of them are named Dr. Smith.

BoomerJ—known as Boom—is still getting used to his new human body. His new form feels and needs things that his robot body never did, especially when he is around his new commanding officer, Hedy Quinton. His new emotions also make him realize something else—that his new form is fragile compared to his old one.

For Hedy, the pressures of command come into sharp conflict with the longings of her heart when Boom goes down to check out the weird happenings on an unknown planet. Things don’t go well down on the planet or up on the ship, making Hedy wonder if she should rethink her life’s choices.

Can their love survive a cosmic event, betrayal, and the secret of Boom’s past, or will they be destined to be lost in space?

If you love your chemistry interstellar, your action fast-paced, and your space opera sprawling, then grab COSMIC BOOM, the ninth entry in the award-winning Project Enterprise series, and take an exciting adventure into the unknown.

335 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 20, 2021

About the author

Pauline Baird Jones is the author of quirky, fast-paced romantic adventures that blend danger, laughter, and love in equal measure. She writes across genres—from romantic suspense and science fiction to comedy thrillers and steampunk—but her stories always share the same heartbeat: heroines who discover their courage, heroes who celebrate their strength, and humor as the best weapon in impossible situations. If you’re looking for an escape from the ordinary, her books deliver adventure, romance, and just enough laughter to keep you smiling long after “The End.”

Reviews

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, I was swept off of my feet with another Project Enterprise adventure. A feisty heroine (who is also sweet and polite) and an enigmatic robot-turned-human are joined by an AI ship, marines and scientists as they venture into unknown space. Their mission is two-fold. Escort a ship full of recently awakened cryosleepers home and try to establish contact via communication outposts in that quadrant.

Sounds like a pretty straight-forward mission. But now let’s throw in a cosmic event that seems to be messing with space in a big way and then add a few heretofore unknown species out in that area of space. Now, things have gone from straight-forward to Zigzagging with a capital ‘Z’.

Get ready to meet the Grikal, Fisse, and Niltu. (Who comes up with these names?) These are the alien races encountered along the way. The trick will be to sort out the friendlies from the not-so-friendlies. First contact is never boring, is it? Then there are the scientists, representing the Gadi, Garradians and Earth. Diversity at its scientific finest.

Captain Hedy Quinton is on her first command mission. Hedy can’t decide which Starfleet captain she is should channel but mostly she seems to settle on Picard. Mostly. BoomerJ (Boom) is the human-who-was-a-robot and is learning more and more about being human – from interacting with humans and from reading romance and mystery books. I was delighted by the many pop culture references centering around these two characters. Mostly because I got most of them.

Cosmic Boom is pure entertainment for anyone that enjoys a good adventure, a little mystery, some romance, hope and humor.

Cosmic Boom is another far, far away space adventure in Pauline Baird Jones’ Project Enterprise series. Spanning 9 books, several galaxies, a myriad of civilizations, and dozens of sentient species there is no end to the possible stories that can be told by this author. (I hope!)

Thanks to the author who kindly provided a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.

[Hillary Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the ninth book in this universe have I have read. And once again found it totally engaging. The world building continues to impress. Throughout the series we are introduced to characters who engage with each other in authentic ways. I spent the lock down reading free books on kindle some of which were dreadful and after a while I got disappointed with how shallow all these characters were, how they didn’t interact with each other and how the plot always moved forward with people trying to keep secrets from each other, stale inside dialogs, and unreal or immature motivations. And then I discovered these books, this gifted writer. sometimes they’re free on Kindle unlimited and sometimes I pay for them and I don’t care , I would pay for all of them. I’m glad that they can stay on my bookshelf and I can re-read them like visiting old friends. This particular one needs a direct sequel. Although the nine are more or less stand alone books one should read them in order as the characters and the universe grow, develop and get more acquainted. But Hedy and Boom along with their little friends need more stories. Common Pauline, write more for us!!!!

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun, but IMO not as good as the Key & Girl Gone Nova - seemed like a filler while we all were waiting on CabeX story.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Like Being on Board !! . . .

Boom used to be a robot but is now human. He is still dealing with all the feelings and urges his body reminds him about. Boom notices that his human body is not nearly as durable as the robotic one had been. At the moment, Boom is on the “Najer” berthed on the Central Outpost, going to meet the former robot captain CabeX. He told Boom about a mission to retrieve passengers and crew from an ancient passenger ship active at the time of the Dusan/Gadi conflict and found in a nebula. They are to take them back to their home world to “heal”. This was something humans needed sometimes, even though the former robots didn’t fully understand that need. Captain Hedy Quinton would be commanding their mission and CabeX showed him a picture of Captain Quinton on the tablet he passed to him. There is also another part of the mission being kept secret. The scientists want to examine the original Dusan home world. And the last issue, the real concern of the Earth military, is that the Garradian outposts in the region are offline and presented a security risk. Boom has the skills to bring the scanners and sensors back online.

USAF Captain Hedy Quinton had wanted to travel to a distant galaxy. She hadn’t considered all the problems that could arise, however. She has an AI who is lonely. Then there is handsome Boon who used to be a robot but is human now. Someone else on board, an ally, wants to be in command. And she has some scientists who are always acting a little strange.

Hedy’s first mission will bring many new situations to overcome. But the cosmic event may be more than they can cope with. If they can’t work together to figure this out, they may be lost in space forever.

I was very surprised to find this book so comfortable to read. The dialog was done well, and the descriptions of the characters made them unique and recognizable. I thought the description of the former robots who were now human was excellent, clearly showing how different the experience was for them now as they are learning to adjust. I further love the Star Trek and Lost in Space references. A casual mention and my mind conjured up all of my favorite parts of those shows. Anyway, this is an excellent story that I am sure you will enjoy. There is so much more here, but it will capture your imagination from the first page onward. Grab your copy and enjoy!

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cosmic event hurtles Captain Hedy Quinton into dangerous territory, one where she’s rethinking her choices in life. Captain Hedy Quinton has worked hard to get where she is today and now is nervous, excited, and many more emotions as she embarks on her first command. Things don’t go as planned and Hedy wonders what a certain bald-headed captain with the initials J.L.P. would do. Between a forlorn AI, a very handsome officer named Boom, a rival who’d like to take command, and a critical mission gone awry, Hedy doesn’t know how she should handle it all. The more time she spends with Boom, the stronger her heart beats the staccato of love. Captain Hedy must navigate through a cosmic event, falling in love, a dangerous mission, treachery, or else she’ll lose everything she holds dear.

Cosmic Boom is an action-filled science fiction romance I couldn’t stop reading. I’m a big fan of the Project Enterprise series and Cosmic Boom is my new favorite. Pauline Baird Jones is a brilliant writer and her ability to transport readers to outer space is renowned. Combining space opera and sci-fi romance with flair, Pauline Baird Jones pens an interstellar masterpiece. The descriptive narration is packed with action scenes, humorous dialogue, intricate futuristic technology, and romance. The characters are what make this a 5+ star book. Captain Hedy is such fun to read. Her personality is vibrant, original, and quirky. I connected with her right away. The romance between Hedy and Boom makes for a heartfelt read. Another bestseller in the making, Cosmic Boom delivers everything a sci-fi romance reader wants. Highly recommend!

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.

My Rating: 5+ stars

Reviewed by: Mrs. N

This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing and editing of the ARC version of the manuscript was clean, with no typos that I found and well constructed sentences. The world building was vivid, with the politics and technology of this alien space coming to life. The characterization was great, with the hero and heroine being sympathetic individuals with nuance. The development of the romantic relationship was natural and organic. The plot was action filled and exciting, and as a consequence the pacing flew by. There was a fairly low amount of angst and very high stakes throughout, which tends to be one of my preferred narrative structures for a romance novel. This novel used the Cyborg trope. The world building, plot, and pacing were all four stars. The characterization and development of the romantic relationship were also four stars. I therefore gave this novel a combined rating of four stars. I was somewhat confused my some of the plot and world building since this is the first novel I have read set in this world or series, but I was still able to follow most of the story. I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy a distinct space opera feel to their sci-fi romances. I would be interested in reading other books in this series. I will probably not buy myself a keeper copy of this novel, simply because I was a little lost, as a new reader to this world.

I received a free advance review copy of this book, and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ninth book in the Project Enterprise series. This story is well written with a very good storyline and flowed smoothly across the pages. There is so much action, suspense, drama, danger, enemies, twists, turns, and romance. This is mainly USAF Captain Hedy Quinton and BoomerJ—known as Boom a deck officer who used to be a robot, and the rest of the crew. I would recommend. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Martha Gettle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this love story with all it's twists and turns.
I was hooked from the start and could not put it down.
It's a great book I'm happy to recommend.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Juanita E. Arp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is filled with action and adventure. The interaction between the characters is great. I can't wait for more from this author. I received this book 📚,as a FREE ARC copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.

[Winnie Winkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hedy's funny self talk sucked me right in, and dual viewpoints are a favorite style. Loved the pacing and cool world-building. I'll definitely need another dose of Pauline Baird Jones -- she's the real deal!

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good sci-fi romance.. I enjoyed it! It has sweet romance and great adventure.. l love Boomer!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.