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Houston we have so many problems…
Curtis “Launchpad” Larkin’s career as an astronaut has had its share of ups and downs.
Alternately lauded as the single-handed savior of NASA and condemned as a reckless, hot-headed bully, Curt has been through the wringer of public opinion and come out on top. When he embarks on his final mission with NASA, Curt figures there’s no curveball that life has left to throw him.
But when the role of spacecraft communicator is passed to a young engineer back in Houston who he’s never met, Curt’s mission takes on a new trajectory.
“CAPCOM to commander. Do you read?”
Patrick Harte’s life is turned upside down when he’s called to fill in at mission control, working directly under his hero, Curtis Larkin.
Falling for Curt is just a small step for Patrick — but it’s one giant leap to think that the astronaut could ever return his feelings.
“The more I talk to you, the more I know that we understand each other.”
After Curt connects with Patrick from worlds away, he can’t imagine life on earth without the other man… Despite the fact that he’s never laid eyes on Patrick. And their problems won’t stop once he’s cleared for landing.
The bad-boy astronaut is no stranger to controversy — but will the genuine and soft-spoken man of his dreams be able to keep up with the trouble Curt seems to stir everywhere he goes?
Rating: Narration – A; Content – A
OMG, what an absolutely lovely story! One Giant Leap charts the progress of the longest of long-distance romances – one of the leads is an astronaut on the space shuttle Hermes on its way to the International Space Station and the other is on the ground at Mission Control in Houston. The two men ‘meet’ when engineer Patrick Harte is suddenly called in to take over when the existing CapCom (Capsule Communicator) for the shuttle mission is taken ill. He’s nervous and doesn’t think he’s the right person for the job – he’s always been more of a back-room boy and he’s a junior officer – but his boss at NASA insists he’s perfect for the role, especially as he designed the new comms system they’re now using aboard the shuttle.
Mission Commander Curtis Larkin isn’t too pleased at the change. He and the previous CapCom have known each other and worked together for years, so finding himself suddenly having to deal to someone he doesn’t know doesn’t sit well with him, and his first few interactions with Patrick are not very positive. But as the days and weeks of the mission pass and he begins to ‘forgive’ Patrick for not being someone else, and starts to really talk to and get to know him, the two start to realise just how much they have in common and a strong bond begins to form.
One Giant Leap is a gorgeous, slow-burn romance between two people who fall in love before they’ve even met face-to-face. Patrick has had a bit of a crush on Curt for years, but Curt doesn’t even know what Patrick looks like until around the three-quarters mark of the story – and he doesn’t really care; he knows how Patrick thinks and how closely their worldviews align, and that’s enough. So many romances are full of mental lusting and insta-love, so a story in which the characters fall for each other as people is incredibly refreshing – and the scene where Curt and Patrick finally set eyes on one another for the first time is one of the swooniest ever.
The author has clearly done their research when it comes to the scientific basis for the story, and the details of space travel and what it’s like to be an astronaut feel very realistic. The secondary cast is strongly characterised and the camaraderie between them is really well-written, the dialogue is smart, funny and poignant by turns, and I really enjoyed the way the story is structured; the author uses ‘past time’ media clips and interviews to both fill in the backstory and echo what’s going on in the ‘now’ and intersperses them with the present day story and romance.
I didn’t know much about the story when I purchased this audiobook – I think I’d seen it recommended a couple of places, and seeing Greg Tremblay listed as the narrator was the icing on the cake. His performance here is another to add to his already long list of excellence; he absolutely nails the emotional heart of the story and the connection between the leads, and all the characters are distinctly voiced and easy to identify aurally. His portrayals of Curt and Patrick are a great reflection of their personalities; the slight edge to Curt’s lightly-accented voice clearly speaks to his confident, outspoken and sometimes brash manner, and is a good contrast to the softer, warmer tones he uses for Patrick, whose dry humour and growing confidence are superbly conveyed.
One Giant Leap earns the strongest of recommendations for both story and narration – and a place on my ‘regular relistens’ list. I loved it.
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