3.5 Stars!

​​​​​I have read quite a few books from author Abigail Strom and liked them very much. Her latest offering, Show Me, is an interesting narrative with a plot that is most definitely replete with originality. If you enjoy the idea of space travel combined with some sizzling romance, then this book is for you.

After twenty-four years of surgeries and therapies, Airin Delaney's heart is absolutely perfect. She has always wanted to be an astronaut and travel into space. Her overprotective mother, a renowned scientist and entrepreneur, is on the cusp of making space travel to Mars a reality. Before Airin can explore her dreams, she wants to experience her first kiss. Luckily, she bumps into astronaut Hunter Bryce and they share an instant attraction. Hunter can't wait to make Airin his, but there are many obstacles they need to overcome in order for their dreams to come true.

This is the second book from the author's Me series and it can be read as a standalone. The Hawaiian setting is absolutely breathtaking and the secondary characters are engaging as well as fun. Overall, a solid read.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

4 stars — While this story did NOT go in the direction I assumed it was going from the blurb (honestly, I thought she was going to get pregnant and there would be a secret baby that he wouldn’t find out about until after he finished his 8 month mission…WRONG), I still very much enjoyed this one! It was the perfect read to followup a WWII historical, as it was quick, fairly light, and with a solid romance!

I was sucked into this one basically from the first page. The characters were fun, I felt their initial chemistry and attraction, and the story went in some interesting directions. I wish I hadn’t had the false assumption, because I did keep waiting for something that wasn’t going to happen. But once we got to a certain turning point I was able to just enjoy the story I had (instead of the one I thought I was going to have…hahaha, if you read the book, you’d understand this is a bit of a meta comment). I was a bit concerned with the glaring secret that you could tell from the moment it was introduced was going to blow up and likely provide the conflict/climax. I’m not a fan of intentional lack of communication/hiding something, but in the end it wasn’t dragged out like I expected, so I was OK with it (even if it was entirely predictable).

Airin was kind of a hoot. I loved that the fact she was so sheltered resulted in her just speaking whatever was on her mind…she felt very innocent, but not necessarily in a bad way…just untainted by the societal expectations that many other women would have. It was kind of refreshing. But at the same time, she wasn’t a pushover…she was actually very strong and smart. I loved that she was so accomplished even as she was sheltered, and she wasn’t afraid to go investigate world when it was opened up to her. And while she did get some guidance (a lot of which came from Hunter), so pondered things on her own and used it as just that…guidance to help her make her own choices. I also appreciated that not only was she biracial (which helped my diversity challenge), but being half Iranian (Kurdish?) in particular provided a few unique challenges/history. It didn’t come into play very strongly, but it wasn’t just a passing mention either.

And Hunter was both frustrating and super sweet…it was kind of unexpected. I expected this typical alpha male, and while he had a lot of those qualities, I absolutely loved seeing him just so taken with Airin. Honestly, he didn’t see her coming. He was so happy in his world with his own view on how it should be, and she just kind of shook him up and made him consider things in a different light. I loved that. I loved seeing his struggle with his feelings. I loved seeing him open himself up. And while yes, he did make some bad choices, being in his head, I understood how he came to certain decisions…don’t agree with them, but it wasn’t as bad as I’d anticipated. It’s not everyday that an author can make me tolerate willful secret keeping, and the inevitable blow up when the secret is out.

And they really were super cute together. I LOVED their parabolic flight, and I was so satisfied with how their relationship inevitably developed. I expected not to be, but I was.

I was not impressed with Airin’s mother…that surprised me a bit, I didn’t expect to be so mad at her. But at the same time, while she wasn’t completely redeemed, I liked that by the end I understood her more. Even if she made a huge mistake. And I appreciated how Airin stuck to her guns.

One thing that I wasn’t expecting was how much discussion there would be about astronauts, and all the things required to become an astronaut, and the whole mission to Mars stuff. I don’t know how accurate any of it was, but it felt believable, you know? And it made me think about it. I liked that too.

So yeah, solid first read for the year. I love it when I start the year off right, you know?

3.5 stars

Show Me by Abigail Strom is an emotional and entertaining read.
The story is well written, the plot is entertaining and I my attention was held all throughout the book.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Airin and Hunter develop. I found them likable characters that shared an instant attraction and the more time they spent together the more their connection grew.
I also enjoyed learning about out of space and what NASA puts their astronauts through and how life is for them.
I feel the author did her homework and made it easy to follow as a reader.

The only thing that held me back from giving Show Me a higher rating was the deal Hunter and Airins mother make. I wasn't a fan and to be honest Airin is more forgiving than me lol

Overall, Show Me is a quick, heartfelt romance that will pull at your heart strings and leave you with a smile on your face.

Show Me is released on January 2, 2018 and available from Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Show-Me-Abigai...

*An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts.*

First, I want to address that when I posted my review of Tell Me I listed it as a standalone. With this story I realize I was wrong and the author has it listed as part 2 of a series with Tell Me listed as the first book. That being said, you absolutely do not have to read one book to read the other. They are more a series in the way they have strong female leads who spent their lives sheltered in some way but find a way to break out of that shell and experience life to its fullest. At least that’s the way I see them…making the series name “Me” very apt in my eyes.

The books I’ve ready by Abigail Strom tend to be very real. They have heroines and heroes I can imagine knowing in real life going through experiences I can imagine in real life. While this story is in no way a science fiction or fantasy book (which, I believe, this author also writes, but under the nom de plume Chloe Hart. I have yet to read those works though), it takes the category of fiction a bit further than those other stories. I mean, how many of us can really say we know an astronaut? Or the grown child of a genius billionaire scientist? So there is a bit of handing over the reins to the author and trusting where she’s leading with this book. Airin and Hunter are both regular people under their titles and experiences. They both have their flaws, their weaknesses, and their strengths. Down deep, people are people.

I always say I can judge how well an author is doing their job by how often I talk to the book as I’m reading. Let me tell you, Airin’s mom had me yelling at this book. For that matter, so did Hunter. Ugh! The mom is so frustrating! That she could get me riled up only tells me the author did her job of getting me to feel the things her characters are feeling. I also cannot tell you how many times I yelled, “Just tell her!” to this book. My husband may have been counting as I would somewhat startle him each time I did it.

Another indicator of a good story is how badly I want to learn more once I’m done reading. Well, I really want to go to Hawaii even more now. And I’m super curious about what strides are being made toward a real mission to Mars someday. I guess that should tell you something.

I’ve been lucky enough to read quite a few books by this author in the last month. I’ll have to dive back into her older works (or those of Chloe Hart) to get my fix.

I loved this love story! The attraction the author generates between the two main characters is so strong that you can feel it coming off the page as you read. That they were both such unique individuals in rather bizarre circumstances made the story that much more intriguing.

Things definitely didn't go how I would have expected at several different junctures. This kept the story intriguing and interesting throughout the book. The fact that we were bascially following Airin as she experienced so many new things in life also kept things fresh.

The fact that Hunter is the big brother of Caleb from "Tell Me" went totally unnoticed by me at first, despite reference to their relationship and situation in the opening segments of the book. But once I realized that, it made it all the more fun to read.

This is definitely a book that I would recommend. In fact, I wish there were more brothers so that there could be future installments in the series.

Unlike its predecessor, ‘Show Me’ is written in a very different vein—much more than just an astronaut looking to fulfil his lifelong dream beyond Earth’s atmosphere and a woman so sheltered that the whole world seems new. If ‘Tell Me’ is an opposites-attract story, ‘Show Me’ continues this trend in a different way. Unlike Caleb and Jane who are inherently different in their personalities and what they wanted out of life, Hunter and Airin are opposites in in their experiences though there’s the ironic twist of the latter having much to teach the former as well.

There was something whimsical and lofty about ‘Show Me’—I essentially thought this read like a dreamer’s book with lots of hopes that pour through the pages—where talk extended beyond present reality to interstellar travel and the inevitable rush of philosophising that comes with it. The undertones were great: the ideals of humanity vs. the pragmatism needed about reality as we know it, the long-debatable merits of space exploration, the politics that comes with it.

I wasn’t entirely thrilled though, with the extremes in Airin’s and Hunter’s experiences; too often it comes across in many books as the manwhore and the virgin trope and the inevitable comparisons of how special a heroine is in contrast to his countless other flings. And I was even less enthused about a meddling mother whose protective desperation turned so manipulative that it caused most of the rift and the push-pull dynamics in the story.

It’s not easy to rate this story nonetheless. Strom’s writing was enjoyable and there were parts that I could relate to, just as there were bits that I couldn’t, like Airin’s wide-eyed honest cataloguing of every new thing. Hunter’s and Airin’s HFN ending was given that same dreamy tinge, though the look into the future remained just that—a veiled hope that still left me wondering if this was a pairing that could weather the storms.

While I did enjoy this book and found the writing and character development top notch, the story just failed to grab my attention the way other books have. Some of the events where a little hard to believe and I just didn't feel the connection between Airin and Hunter. I loved the first book in this series but this one is completely different. Again it is a well crafted book it just wasn't for me.

Show Me by Abigail Strom is a romance written to make you swoon.

Airin put aside her childhood dream of going into space the day she was diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition. She also ended up putting aside all chances of living a normal life. But now she’s been declared fit and healthy by her doctors and sets out to live the life she was shielded from. Hunter’s less than perfect childhood shaped him to be a determined, self-sufficient, adventurous man. He dreams of exploring the unknown. Little did he know, the unknown he would be navigating would be love.

I adored this latest Abigail Strom novel. I’ve read several other novels by her and when I saw this title on NetGalley I knew I had to try it. I was not disappointed.

A major part of this novel is the journey to Mars. That might seem a bit odd for a romance novel. However, it’s clear Abigail Strom did a lot of research into the life of astronauts and the preparations for Mars exploration. I’m no scientist and can’t dispute the technology she presents. I liked it though. I found the technical descriptions were interesting. The jargon and explanations used were creatively woven into the story. Dialogue where more technical issues were discussed flowed well. I found the conversations to be believable and well-scripted.

The characterization is well-done for the most part. I enjoyed watching Airin struggle and fight for independence. Because of her sheltered upbringing she is inexperienced but not naïve. She has a good understanding of people’s motivations and is refreshingly, quite self-reliant. She’s extremely intelligent and unafraid to show it. It was an entertaining juxtaposition to have a character who can discuss the merits of compressing hydrogen to conduct electricity, yet has never had to make her own coffee.

Dira, Airin’s mother, is another key player in this story and she is also quite well drawn. I wanted to dislike her for the way she tries to control Airin, yet I still felt for her. She’s a complex character and her impetuses are mixed. Beneath it all, however, is simply a mother terrified for her child.

The Hawaii setting is vividly described. I could almost smell the flowers and if I closed my eyes I could see the double rainbow that enthralled both Airin and Hunter. I was just about to pack my things and head to Hawaii when the giant cockroaches showed up.

One thing I thinks can be better: I felt Hunter maybe needed a little more fleshing out. He’s an extremely likeable character but somewhere along the way his motivations and actions seemed not to mesh.

Beautiful characters, drama, spicy romance, science and a gorgeous tropical setting all combine in this well-paced, delightful novel. Try it!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and Montlake Romance. This did not affect my opinion in any way.

show me, the companion book to tell me, follows hunter bryce's story. days away from going into a biosphere for eight months, hunter meets airin delaney in a bar and is drawn to her. she's mysterious and innocent in a way he doesn't expect. and she is reluctant to tell him everything because she's afraid of how he'll react, that he'll treat her differently if he knows that she's the daughter of a billionaire space scientist who has struggled with a heart condition her whole life.

when they are in a freak car accident the night before hunter is scheduled to leave, everything changes. he refuses to leave her side, even if it costs him his position in the biosphere. and when he learns who she really is, when he must face her mother, everything really does change. her mother is reluctant to let her go. she's been protecting airin from the world for so long.

so she blackmails hunter into spying on airin for her. in exchange, she promises to give him the one thing he gave up when he chose to stay behind instead of going into the biosphere, a chance to be a pilot on the first mission to mars.

he can't say no. but he feels terrible about spying on airin. so he chooses to ignore their chemistry and focuses on being her friend. but their connection is magnetic. and the pull proves irresistible. and at some point, everything is going to blow up in hunter's face. he only hopes he'll be able to explain himself to airin in a way that won't allow him to lose everything.

because he thought he wanted to be the first man on mars more than anything, but the truth is, after meeting and falling in love with airin, she means more.

**show me will publish on january 2, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/montlake romance in exchange for my honest review.

Show Me is the second book in the Me Series, which at the time I read this I want aware it was part of a series. But it seems that you don’t necessarily habe to have read the first book. I had no issues, it was different characters. On to the story now. Airin has had health issues since she was a little girl, and has lived a severely sheltered life because of them. She’s a little socially awkward of course when she ventures out to a bar of all places for her first outing. It doesn’t take long before Hunter, who happens to be quite handsome steps in and saves her from a man who is just an ass. And Hunter doesn’t seem to mind her awkwardness, he’s rather intrigued by her. But with his upcoming training mission with NASA, it will take him away for several months and he doesn’t want to start something he can’t continue. But destiny seems to have already intrigued and is taking them both down a different course.

Airin was a little naive sure, but she was so sweet and so smart. Her love for space was something I enjoyed. And for a girl who lived a sheltered life for so long, she sure did know what it was that wanted to do with her life. Hunter’s attraction to Airin wasn’t superficial, it was more. They connected through their love of science and space, but don’t get me wrong the physical attraction was strong just the same. But never over powering to their story. It had it’s up and downs but it was such an enjoyable read following them on their path. Show Me was a sweet, kinda steamy romance, certainly worth reading.

I was given a free copy of this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
My favorite parts were few and far between. I have read several books by this author and I've enjoyed all of them. They are not too steamy or too clean - they have the right mix. You can feel the chemistry between the characters and the conflicts they endure. I thought that this book was on a subject that was a little "out there" and seemed a tad unrealistic.

Hmmm. Talk about a one night stand that well.... Airin and Hunter both have issues. She's just freed from the restrictions of her illness and he's about to enter a long period of isolation in prep for space travel. Good characters, a bit of info about space travel, and a well thought out plot line made this a diversionary read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Show Me is a story about Airin and Hunter. Airin has always had the dream of becoming an astronaut, but years of dealing with a heart condition crushed that dream. It was such an unrealistic dream until she met Hunter. Hunter is an astronaut who wants to go to Mars and explore the universe. They meet one night and since then, they can’t keep each other out of their heads.

Show Me is such a beautiful cute romance book. I didn’t really know the synopsis anymore when I started reading Show Me, but I was immediately hooked. I love that this story is about space and astronauts because I always thought that it was so cool to be an astronaut. I also love how Airin and Hunter are, they are so cute and adorable yet so sexy!

To be honest, I’ve never read the first book Tell Me. I started reading Show Me and I didn’t know that this was a sequel until I saw it on Goodreads. You can perfectly read Show Me without having read Tell Me because there are other main characters. You still have Jane and Caleb from Tell Me, but the main focus is on Airin and Hunter.

After having read Show Me, I cannot wait to read Tell Me! I really love Abigail Storm’s writing style and I really loved Show Me!

It was a good beginning of the book, totally plausible between Hunter and Airin. But as soon as the accident happened and the deal with mother, the story became too far fetched and the pace very slow. I have checked out after the deal with the mum and it was hard to finish the book.
I've this ARC from netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

4.5☆
What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Standalone
HEA

I liked this book better than "Tell Me", Caleb's story.
I look forward to reading more from Abigail Strom.

Show Me is a well written romance. I enjoyed the plot, characters and the setting. This is a new to me author and I anticipate reading more of her work.

Hunter Bryce is about to take the next step to reaching his biggest dream…going to Mars. He’s all set to spend the next eight months in isolation with fellow astronauts preparing for the future. On his last night of freedom Hunter stumbles upon a woman that completely changes his mission and life’s course.
Airin Delaney is taking the first steps to obtain something she’s never had….freedom. 
After spending years in hospitals and having numerous surgeries for a heart condition she’s finally receive a clean bill of health. Airin is finally going to break free of her helicopter mom. On her first night of freedom she stumbles upon a man that will show her freedom has more than one meaning.
The storyline for this book was good as was the writing; I liked the characters and the dialogue between them but I struggled with this book. We met Hunter in “Tell Me” his brother Caleb’s story, although the introduction was brief it the Hunter in that book seemed so different from this Hunter. When it first started this book I felt like I was coming in in the middle of a story or the middle of a thought. Unfortunately throughout the book I kept feeling like I was missing something. Also, for someone who is not a science person at all, this book was very science heavy. There was so much background on space travel and NASA that the story dragged for me.
I’ve read other books by Abigail Strom and have liked them, but unfortunately, this book just didn’t do it for me.

I loved the connection between Airin and Hunter, but I thought the story line to be very slow moving.

I usually enjoy this author's books but I could not get through the first chapter of "Show Me". I found the plot hard to believe and I didn't feel the H/h had any chemistry. I was disappointed...I received a free ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.