Star Dust takes place in Houston in 1962. Anne-Marie Smith has just been recently divorced, and she's moved her two kids to a new neighborhood. Obviously, back in 1962, divorce was more rare and more stigmatized than it is now, and she has a lot to deal with. She's under significant pressure to go back to her husband because she shouldn't and can't be alone. She's also very worried about how her children are dealing with it all. Yet she perseveres.
Unbeknownst to her, she's moved into a neighborhood that is popular amongst the astronauts working on the Mercury Space Program. Anne-Marie almost immediately runs into her hunky neighbor, Commander Kit Campbell. She's attracted to him, but makes some assumptions about him and immediately dislikes and distrusts him. He did act like an ass when they first met, so it's understandable. Surprising no one, they grow to like each other, and Anne-Marie is dropped into the world of super-star astronauts and their spouses.
There were definitely some good parts to this book. From what I can remember the two had some good sexual tension. Also, the setting was unique and realistic enough that it made the book stand out in my head more than many of the less memorable romances I've read. It was certainly interesting enough for me to read and finish quickly.
On the other hand, I never became too attached to the characters. I understood why Sarah-Marie was defensive, but it almost seemed over the top at the beginning. She also smoked, which is probably realistic for the time period but was a huge turn off for me. There is nothing I hate more than the smell of smoke. I was also a little disappointed in the characters of the children. If you're going to bother giving your heroine children, then make them real people and a part of the story. Anne-Marie is desperately worried about them in the beginning of the book, and then they become placeholders. My final judgment is that it is free on Kindle and worth reading if you're looking for something.
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