A Cosmic Kind of Love is a cute, stand-alone rom com featuring an astronaut and party planner. The premise is a bit far-fetched (even for a rom com). A party planner accidentally (and then completely not accidentally) watches the videos an astronaut sent his then-girlfriend from space. He then watches the video diaries that she records, thinking that no one is on the other end of the email she sends them to. Both characters are intrigued with the other, and sparks fly when they contrive to meet. Add in more than a dash of family drama on both sides, a potentially jealous ex, and some serious soul searching, and you've got a cute romp with some bite.

It took me a while to get invested in this book, most likely because I found the premise so ridiculous. But once the characters actually met in person, I enjoyed it a lot more. The plot line focusing on Hallie's divorced parents especially resonated with me. Over all I found it a cute, and rather standard, rom-com.

Oh my heart!! This latest rom com from Samantha Young is OUT OF THIS WORLD! I truly couldn't have loved it anymore. Brimming with heart and swoon, this is the love story of Hallie, a NYC event planner and Chris, a retired astronaut. Brought together by happenstance, it was a joy to read about these charming yet flawed characters, their careers and their families. Their chemistry practically sparked off the page and of course the steam was smoldering. Young did a fantastic job bringing these characters to life through her writing and balancing the feels and swoon with just enough conflict to keep the plot moving forward. Their romance was truly written in the stars and I'm confident this will be one of my favorite romances of 2022.

Thank you so much to Berkley and Netgalley for my copy.

This was super cute. I liked how the main characters got to know each other before they even talked. Fun premise from an author I've previously given 5 star reviews to.

A Cosmic Kind of Love by Samantha Young (pub date Oct 18, arc from NetGalley & @berkleypub)

" It seemed we were drawn to each other like binary stars. It was addictive and disorienting."

I don't know what tropes to categorize this one, but the big thing about it is that both characters struggle with people pleasing. The FMC especially, I almost didn't like her character, but it's that I'm maybe only 5% a people pleaser. Young did an excellent job with their backstories and family drama to show the good/bad of that characteristic as well as growth. The couple also worked through relationship issues in an uncommonly realistic, mature, and helpful way. Just a few open door romance scenes.

Well written, great character development, fun drama, and seriously, this book is somehow both entertaining and helpful.

i liked the characters, especially our leads - hallie and chris. i don’t really have an major criticisms, i just didn’t completely love it, or fall into it to the point where i couldn’t put it down.

#netgalley

Omg this is such a sweet, funny, and lovely story, it made me laugh and sigh, I loved it.

Hallie is an event planner and one of her clients sends her some material for an engagement party and by mistake she sends videos of her ex-boyfriend, when he was in space, Hallie can't help but see them and feel captivated by Chris, the charismatic and funny astronaut, and she decides to send videos to Chris, to his old NASA email, telling him about her life.
I loved the videos, the connection they both feel towards the person behind the screen and how little by little they both fall in love through them.

Sparks fly between them from the first time they meet, and as the story progresses we see that their deep connection is not just physical but emotional. They are so good together, and so cute, I swooned so hard. I liked the way the author tells the story and how Hallie and Chris help each other to be the best version of themselves and support each other to overcome the complex baggage they both have, they are soulmates, they are meant to be. I loved Chris's aunt, she's my spirit animal.

This is a captivating, adorable and funny story about self-improvement, love, friendship and second chances.
This book is perfect for fans of
Star-crossed romance
Slow burn
RomCom
Soulmates

Hallie and Chris were absolutely adorable. I love Samantha Young's writing and saw alot of buzz about this book. I also haven't read a story about an astronaut before so I was very interested!

Overall I think the characters were fantastic. Hallie was independent and confident and Chris was just delicious. I will admit that this story was a slow start for me. I love slow burns but I didn't feel a huge connection between them. Furthermore I usually love emails in a story (technology as a whole such as texts/emails etc.) But I found that this story felt slightly off. I didn't feel the chemistry between them as much as I wanted to. I felt like the story focused more on self-improvement and their family life vs a romance. As a whole, though, this story was a nice sweet read that showcased Young's amazing writing. 4 stars! ~Ratula

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review!

“Something tells me that no matter where we end up, it will always be together. What we have is kind of cosmic like that.”

Hallie has been planning an engagement party for one of her clients, but the bride-to-be accidentally sent videos of her ex-boyfriend detailing his experiences up on the ISS. Instead of deleting the videos, she ends up watching the videos and starts making her own video diaries talking about her crazy and messy life. Chris has been readjusting his life back on Earth after being in space and things aren’t going easy with him especially with his father. But when he starts to receive video diaries from Hallie, he’s eager to meet the woman that’s been making his life better.

A Cosmic Kind of Love was a blast to read! I love the idea of two complete strangers falling in love without meeting or even talking to each other yet. Sounds scary in real life, but it was heartfelt and beautifully written.

🪐READ IF YOU LIKE🪐:
- dual POV
- event planner x astronaut
- video diaries
- opposites attract
- NASA
- family dynamics
- Back to the Future movie
- Mexican-American rep
- mental health x LGBTQ+ rep

cw: death of loved one, toxic families, derogatory, divorce, cancer, verbal/psychological abuse, cheating, manipulation, grief

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleyromance for the advanced copy! A Cosmic Kind of Love is available on October 18, 2022!

The writing was decent, but the tropes used to progress the plot were *so* trite and overdone. Fantastic premise, lackluster final product.

I just adore Samantha Young. She writes characters that grow and evolve and her characters are visceral on the pages. A Cosmic Kind of Love is no different - with perpetual people pleaser Hallie paired up with former astronaut Chris, the chemistry comes alive immediately.

And the seggsy scenes were *chef’s kiss*

Not a whole lot happens in this one. I feel like it could have been a lot shorter. The author did a lot of telling instead of having the characters show what's going on through the dialog. I got 70% of the way through and just kind of skimmed the ending because I didn't want to spend any more time with it. This one was just kind of blah.

If you read the acknowledgements of A Cosmic Kind of Love, Samantha Young mentions that she doesn't think she's read a romance with an astronaut featured and it got me thinking, and I don't think I have either. It's something I didn't realize I was missing until I read this novel.



In this novel, Hallie is a smart, ambitious event planner for one of the hottest firms in NYC and Chris is a retired astronaut trying to figure out his next move. They end up together through an unusual meet cute--she accidentally opens up his video diary (sent to her client (his ex-girlfriend) who accidentally sent it to Hallie) and becomes hooked on the smart, sexy, kind Chris. In an effort to even the score, once she's binged all of his videos and feels guilty about it, she sends him some video diaries, thinking he's never seeing them (even though he is) and all of that leads to them meeting at his ex-girlfriend's engagement party, planned by....you guessed it, Hallie. Upon their first meeting, Hallie admits to watching his videos, he doesn't admit to watching hers, but the attraction is immediate so he concocts a plan to have her plan an event for him as a way to get to know her better.



It's through their meetings that their romance begins and we get to know more about them--their messed up childhoods, their insecurities, and just how really awesome they both are. Of course, their path to an HEA isn't straight--there are several events and obstacles that throw them some curves--but ultimately, the things that they have to overcome aren't too terribly painful and we don't have to suffer too much to get to that happy ending.



A Cosmic Kind of Love is a quick read with pages packed with funny moments, as well as moments that are more emotional. The characters are easy to fall in love with and you can't help but want them to end up together, living their best lives.

I really loved this book! Samantha Young has become an auto-buy for our store! She always writes a wonderful romance and the customers adore her books! Can't wait to put this one on our shelves this Fall!

This was a sweet read, and while the miscommunication trope is often a miss for me, this story managed to pull it off. I loved the main character (honestly related to her so much) and felt that the romance had so many great moments with minor quibbles.

Rating- 4.5
Firstly, I am a huge fan of Samantha Young’s books- they are always fun, flirty, and full of lively characters, and this one is no exception! I ADORED THIS BOOK! Shall I say it was ‘out of this world’!?! Bueller?...Bueller?...Anybody?

What’s it about?
Meet Hallie, a successful event planner whose client accidentally sent her a link to videos from their ex-boyfriend, Chris, a famous astronaut on the space station. Instead of ignoring the videos, Hallie can’t stop watching this stranger talk about his life and decides to send an apologetic video back to Chris for impeaching his privacy, but when the video bounces back, Hallie starts using this as a way to cope with everyday life… after all, no one is watching them… right? Meet Chris, who just got home from space and is having trouble readjusting to life on Earth. One day NASA’s I.T. department forwards Chris a video of Hallie and he can’t help but be captivated by her. While he keeps bouncing her emails back, he starts to gravitate toward her and begins to wonder if their story was destined for more. The adventure that follows is full of friendship, authenticity, humor, and growth as these two try to navigate the stars in hopes that maybe one day they will align.

What I loved:
The Relationship: This was a story about 2 people that GENUINELY cared for one another. They were so supportive, constantly validating, and continuously trying their best. I loved that this story focused on the growth of the couple, but individually both Chris and Hallie had their own character growth and fought their own goliaths.

Vulnerability: I’ll be the first to admit that a lot of the side characters were extreme, and at times, Hallie was at well (with her quirky/clumsy nature). But in terms of vulnerability, I think Young did a great job of displaying that through Hallie. I think I saw myself in her at times and it was refreshing to see emotions that were dealt with maturely and with authenticity. This is reflected in her insecurities, how she sees herself, and the messy family dynamics from family.

Some of the plot and background characters that just loved to stir the pot got old for me, but in terms of the 2 love interests, truly I don’t think I’ve ever read about a couple that was so supportive- it really felt like they knew each other and were real.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for gifting me this copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book!! It was so unique and unlike anything I’ve ever read. I adored the plot, the characters, everything. I’m so excited to get a physical copy!

The premise of this book was refreshingly different! I liked how the characters met. There were a couple of conflict moments that made me want to scream in frustration but they were resolved in a way that actually made sense so it was okay!

It was nice to see how Hallie learned to manage her people-pleasing tendencies. I am a people pleaser so that was QUITE a revelation for me and I went through that journey with her. Chris was interestingly naïve for a male character and that leads to some miscommunication. I liked their pairing and I really would've loved to smack some sense into their parents!

I loved this book so much. It was fluffy and just sweet. Spicy scenes were spicy but not overly spicy. I really adored the main characters, especially Hallie. I think I felt like I related to her which made me love this book even more. I really hope there is more in this series. I couldn’t put it down and blew through it in 2 days.

Hallie, an event planner, is accidentally forwarded personal video from Chris, a hot astronaut. They were intended for his girlfriend while he was in space (ISS). Hallie can’t help herself so she watches one, then all of them, and develops a crush on him. Feeling guilty, she send him a video confessing her transgression. Irritated, he has NASA bounce the videos back… while secretly watching them himself. Of course, he develops a crush on her. All quite cosmic, eh?
This is a sweet, and sexy, slow burn romance. Hallie is a quirky sparkling character but sheesh does she have some personal body issues and people-pleasing issues. But I think that makes her human. Chris is a charming and amazingly honest guy. He is just a bit clueless about his ex and his father. But that simply makes his character less of a Boy Scout.
It is an endearing, sexy, and amusing tale. I would recommend it to my patrons.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This book is trying too hard.

The premise is novel: an event planner who gets nothing right falls for an astronaut who gets everything right. They connect when she watches the videos meant for another woman so she sends one to him to apologize and when the video is returned, she decides to send videos into the world (knowing they’ll never make it anywhere) to talk about her life. Except, dun dun dun, he gets the videos.

But that’s it. I mean, c’mon. How many fucking romcoms do we need where the heroine is barely 30, is an events planner (or in advertising, or works for a glossy magazine), in NYC? Why not move it to Boston, or DC, or somewhere else. It’s always got to be about NYC which takes control over the story itself. Yeah, we get it, you know NYC. Woop de doo.

I stopped reading after the first 15%, I just couldn’t tolerate another rom com set in NYC that is trying too hard. The story is just average. At best.