Review: "The Stars Too Fondly" by Emily Hamilton

A sci-fi rom-com? Don't mind if I do!

When I saw Emily Hamilton’s 2024 sapphic science fiction novel The Stars Too Fondly described as part science fiction and part rom-com, I knew that I had to read it. As much as I enjoy serious and dark science fiction, I love it when people have fun with the genre while still infusing it with so much heart. The Stars Too Fondly does just that, telling an interesting story that involves fantastical science, loveable characters, loads of humor, and a touching message on the power of love.

In the year 2041, the entire crew of the Providence I spacecraft, a state-of-the-art space ship fueled by dark matter, vanished without a trace right as the ship was supposed to launch them on their 7-year journey to Proxima Centauri B. 20 years later, Cleo McQueary and her three lifelong friends break into the empty ship in the hopes of figuring out what went wrong on that fateful day. They have no intention of stealing the ship, but that’s exactly what happens when Cleo touches the engine and the ship launches them into space. They are also joined on their one-way, 7 year journey to a new world by the ship’s holographic AI who looks and acts like the ship’s missing captain, Wilhelmina “Billie” Lucas. As days turn to weeks and the laws of physics get weird, Cleo, her friends, and Billie have to figure out what happened on that fateful day, what caused their current predicament, and what parts they may yet have to play in a cosmic battle for survival. For Cleo and Billie, they also have to learn to manage their growing and deepening feelings for one another, something neither woman is prepared for.

The Stars Too Fondly does a great job in giving its reader everything they could want in a science fiction story about people exploring the great unknown, even if those people happen to be doing so accidentally. From the outset, it pulls you in with two intriguing mysteries: what happened to the crew of Proxima I and why are Cleo and her friends stuck on the ship. As the story progresses, it slowly doles out answers that are mind-blowing while also opening up new mysteries to be solved. It all leads to a thrilling and climatic third act that had me on the edge of my seat as our intrepid cast reached their final destination and the answers to all their questions. The pacing of the story was also great and felt very cinematic. Emily Hamilton did such a good job making sure that crucial character moments had their space to breathe while also ensuring that more exciting moments were well set up and delivered on their pulse-pounding potential.

From the very first page, I couldn’t help but fall in love with Cleo and her little queer found family. Cleo, Kaleisha, Abe, and Ros are really fun characters that felt unique and important. Their reactions to their journey and what happens on it are all distinct and fit with who they are as characters. I also loved the dynamic between them all. These four queer people have known each other since they were kids and that fact really shines through in how they interact with one another. The way they poke fun at each other, the way they argue with each other, and the way they take care of each other really showcases how much they love each other and highlights the theme of found family love so very well. As a reader, you can’t help but care about this group, which of course heightens the tension when danger rears its ugly head.

The romance between Cleo and Billie was also really well done. Their playful and sarcastic banter at the beginning is so fun and watching it shift over the course of the book into something deeper and more caring was a treat. I also liked how Emily worked with the concept of Billie being a hologram and its implications. Cleo’s struggle with the concept of falling in love with a woman she can’t touch and Billie’s struggle with the possibility of Cleo leaving the ship adds some great romantic tension between the two that ends up getting resolved in such a sweet and touching way.

The themes of power of love and trust, both between friends and lovers, was one that came through really well and I loved it. I love science fiction stories that don’t rely on a character’s cleverness or strength to win the day, but rather human love, trust, and kindness. The Stars Too Fondly channels so many of these kinds of stories beautifully. The only way Cleo, the crew, and Billie survive their trip is through their love for each other and the trust that they have in one another. The only way they defeat the evil villain (yes, there is one and it will both not shock you and totally shock you) through loving one another, being there for one another, and trusting in one another.

The Stars Too Fondly is a funny and touching story about the cosmic power of love written by a lover of science fiction for lovers of science fiction. More than that, though, it’s a story that any romance fan or fan of found family stories will enjoy.