Deep Merge by Linda North

Geneticist, Kaesah, comes from an all female species living on the opposite side of the galaxy to Earth. Kaesah is stranded on Earth after her beloved mate Atimki died suddenly. Without Atimki, Kaesah can’t pilot the starship back home. It’s imperative to the survival of her species that Kaesah returns home to report events happening on Earth that could have serious consequences for her people.

Kaesah must find a human female capable of Deep Merge, a process which will enable the starship to maneuver through the galaxy to her home planet. The problem is, Kaesah does not like human women, so how can she form a close bond with one?

Antonia Lorne, (Toni) is still grieving from the death of her wife Lisa. She is on the brink of trying to turn her life around and to join the land of the living again. The last thing Toni envisages is waking up on a starship with an alien, even though she’s an attractive one, after being kidnapped. Nor can Toni comprehend the new life Kaesah has mapped out for her. Will Toni be able to move past her fears to Deep Merge? More to the point, will Toni want to leave everything behind her for a new and unknown life?

This is a beautifully written romantic science fiction story that is as realistic as any other romance in any other genre. The settings are so well described, I found myself lost in with the characters. Both Kaesah and Toni are fully developed and multidimensional as are all the secondary characters. 

A story of two very different women who have loved and lost their life partners and how they found the courage to take a chance on love again in the most extraordinary circumstances.

Linda North has created a wonderful new world that is alien, yet has a familiarity about it that enabled me to identify with the surroundings, people, plant species and food. Different, yet not so different, so it was very easy to visualize. Linda has perfected the art of showing the reader rather than telling them what they are seeing.

The way this story unfolded is a true delight to read. A book I was unable to put down until I’d reached the end. There is just one problem, this story is screaming out for a sequel. What happened to Kaesah and Toni? How did Toni cope with her new love and life? Did they have children? All questions and more that are running through my mind as I’m thinking about this book days after I finished it.

This is a definite re-read for me.