An out of this world read that will spark your space travel fantasies! This book was a great escape into a different world.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

I liked how this was so different from most alien romances, Sandra is a skeptic who takes a chance to see if the astral plane device works and finds herself unable to get back to her body. She finds a body to use on a different planet as this "body" was the daughter of the villain and arranged to marry Daveck, who is trying to save his planet from destruction.

I would agree that this was not a deep read but not just pure fluff either. It was a nice story that kept me reading and engaged on how the characters would interact and if they could find the device and save the planet. I liked both characters, Sandra was a strong woman and not afraid of standing up to Daveck! Poor Daveck was labeled a murderer for an accident, and most people were terrified of him, which made their interaction fun to read.

I was also curious if the Romanian prince who is mentioned in the beginning would have anything to do with the conflict but while he was not, he did get another mention at the end of the book! Little details like that matter to me!

The Shimmering is an entertaining short read that starts on Earth with an experiment in astral projection and ends up on a planet far far away. During her out-of-body experience, Sandra is pulled through the stars to the world of Farii, giving the term ‘astral projection’ a double meaning.

Travelling directly into a politically charged socially awkward situation, Sandra lands in a body that belonged to a woman who purposefully left her body to avoid said awkward situation. That was the first sign that Sandra was in a predicament. It doesn’t take long for Sandra to get into this situation so you know that story is going to move right along.

The action does proceed quickly and Sandra comes face-to-face with her true predicament – a man. Daveck is his name and he and the body formerly known as Lira are to be married. A lot of trouble (action) ensues, intermingled with an equal amount of flirting. Both Sandra and Daveck challenged/frustrated the other sexually at every step of the way – a little equal opportunity flirting on a world where women taking charge is not the norm. Sandra and Daveck quickly formed an alliance, so-to-speak, in order to face the bad guy head on. If this had been a longer novel, the bad guy would have been a great character to expand on. He was definitely insane.

If you are a Stargate fan, you might think fondly back on a particular episode – Touchstone – where the team had to hunt down a climate control device. Similar circumstances apply in The Shimmering with the addition of a heated romance.

The Shimmering is my first Susan Kearney book since I enjoyed the Pendragon Legacy series several years ago. Both series are a fun combination of genres that will appeal to scifi romance readers who enjoy a little paranormal mixed in. At a mere 98 pages, don’t expect a deep, complex story. Do expect what is advertised – a couple of hours of pure escapist fun, no strings attached!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Shimmering Kindle Edition
by Susan Kearney
I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A mess of violently pink cotton candy that would give Gloria Steinem and Rachel Maddow `sweating nightmares. A talented journalist, ~Sandra interviews a `scientist who claims he can release human conscience from their bodies and allow them to travel interdimensionally and through time.

And that is precisely what investigative reporter does, by switching bodies with someone llightyears away and doesn't do it in 12 parsec`s. (Kessel Run? Star Wars)
As the story goes along, Sandra realizes that ` she isn't as independent as she thought and beginning rely on her rescuer who happens to be the prince. (of course) With all the changes in her mind and heart, `she begins to wonder if she is truly t a modern woman.
That is a all a bit disturbing as` it takes women back about 80 years. Beyond that, the writing it clunky. The dialogue injection used in order for the diffed ten `species is `so played out. If there is an anti-Katniss contest ~Sandra would win hands down, her excuse that 'her people need her' is weak. All in all, this` feels as if the Duggar`s wrote this in order to justify beginning fat, happy and with no ambition to do otherwise
I was bitterly disappointed. The Archetypal princes` in a land far away, once upon a time

This book is not Book Nerd Approved

2 our of 5 `]stars

The shimmering By Susan Kearney was a sci-fi romance that was very reminiscent of the stories I have read in my younger days and I was such a sucker for these, So this book had me feeling rather nostalgic, wanting to experience this all over again.
This was my main reason for wanting to read this novel and I have to admit I was also looking for something light, fluffy and just easy to read, a bit of romantic instalove to warm the old heart, sigh.
And The Shimmering does all that, you get exactly what it says on the tin.
This was an ok read, not amazing, but it passed a few hours and was enjoyable in an easy non-brain taxing way.
Basically, you have our intrepid heroine journalist Sandra Lowell testing out an astral projecting machine for a story.
This device manages to, with a little help from an ancient Totem the Zorash, to send Sandra across the universe and into the body of a woman about to be married to Daveck. Daveck is intent on marrying his enemies daughter to force her to reveal the location of the same object that has helped propel Sandra here to his planet from across the stars.
So what worked for me and what didn't.
well, I felt that the storyline here is so imaginative that much more could have been done to expand on this, I would have liked to see this more of this new world, to explore and meet its alien people properly.
Sandra also seemed a lot more fleshed out than Daveck, who I really struggled to get a fully dimensional picture of and to connect with, also I'm all for instalove but I felt that Sandra after lamenting all through earlier chapters why she didn't have a man and how important her career was gave up that job unbelievably fast.
Now that is out of the way, why should you read The Shimmering?
Well, This is a charming uncomplicated tale of instalove across the stars, it's very imaginative and though it's a simple angst-free story it does kind of give you a warm nostalgic glow, This wasn't quite a three for me but a two seemed too low so I've rated this 2 1/2 on the Goodreads rating I would have rated it slightly higher if I was able to connect more with the book's characters, for me this was an ok read that pleasantly passed the time.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free readers copy of the Shimmering. This is my own unbiased opinion.