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Friday 20 March 2015

{Review} Chasing Constellations (USG Constellation #1) by H.A. Fortman

22874608Posted by Melanie 
Release Date: July 28th, 2014
Finished Date: February 24th, 2015
Publishers: Self Published 
Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: eBook
Pages: 147
Buy: Amazon UK Amazon US 

Elisa Jones has just graduated college with her journalism degree and now she’s trying to make her way in the world alone. Without any idea what to do, Elisa turns back to her first love - cold serial killer cases. She decides to follow up on a lead she found that the police overlooked. It's a clue that takes her to California, where she thinks she might be able to assist in uncovering the killer. 

Commander Turock Gav’rin is on the hunt for a fugitive, one that has taken him across the stars to a small blue planet with worlds of potential. Hiding who he really is, “Chase Ricter” has to find and capture his fugitive before any of the natives discover who, and what, he truly is. 

Elisa and Chase are thrust on an adventure that will test their very beings. A twist of fate brings them together in a collision that will set their worlds on edge. Will the two of them survive as mighty hunters? Or will they lose it all as they become the hunted? 


The Review: Chasing Constellations is the first book in the USG Constellation series where we meet a recently graduated journalism student – Elisa Jones. The story is set in a time when women were second class citizens and Eliza wants to challenge that by making a name for herself. Having followed the case of the ‘Zodiac’ killer since it began, Elisa has made some new discoveries that she is compelled to share with the detectives that run the case, knowing she won’t have much luck with them over the phone, she decides to up-sticks to California where she plans to take her revelations right to the source.
When she arrives however, she has a strange encounter with a wanted man known as Chase Ricter in which he knocks her over and kisses her whilst sprawled on top of her – which is weird - but at least she caught the attention of one of the detectives on the Zodiac case. After giving the task force the information she has, Eliza must sit tight and wait for developments, but then she gets a phone call threatening her to leave and stay out of the case…. Then she gets a visit…. And she just might not make it out alive.
I really enjoyed this story and I liked how the author used a serial killer from our past in her story. The book is set in the seventies and boy, do those mens attitudes suck! That fact made me gel with Elisa straight away because I love when the oppressed stand up and show people what they are made of. She was very level headed and knew where she stood most of the time but also knew when to push and be heard which also made me admire her.
The story didn’t really have as much of a sci fi feel that I thought it would have, it dealt with a serial killer case in which Elisa tried to be heard and showing the police what she had come up with….. it’s only later that we see how the author blends the two together and opens their world right up. I liked the serial killer investigation and even if that was all that the book was about – I would have liked it, but when you add that to another thread, then the story got really interesting. Obviously from the synopsis you can guess that they are both chasing the same person but it’s the why that gets the curiosity going and that is where the romantic element comes into play. Elisa and Chase share a bond, only Chase is the only one who knows about it with him being ‘other’ – think soul mates and you’re on the right track. I love this type of concept but it was insta love to the max! and Chase seemed to be way ahead of Elisa in terms of where their relationship was and where it needed to go. Don’t get me wrong, I love these things but I wanted them to spend more time together before they were all loved up. There is an event that forces the issue and pushes them together in an intense way that also brings out Chase’s protective side -so that could be forgiven and it by no means stopped my enjoyment of the book.
Then it became all about catching the killer in a ‘need it done yesterday’ kind of way and I liked the plotting and planning that came about but their enemy is just as cunning. There are a lot of things that I liked about this that I can’t speak about because it ties into the why and who of the story but I enjoyed it all and thought it tied the real world drama perfectly with the sci fi drama. We also meet some of Chase’s comrades aboard the ship and see a little of how things are run with Chase being the commander, one of his friends in particular shines out – Tracker – and by the end of this book I think his book is set up. We also see just how important the bond is that Chase and Elisa share which I enjoyed and look forward to seeing it develop more because so far, it is rare to find. For a short book though, this had just the right amount of action & romance with good pacing to keep me entertained and I would definitely read a sequel. 

3.5 flowers!

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