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Earth Bound

(Fly Me to the Moon #2)

Emma Barry (Goodreads Author),

Genevieve Turner (Goodreads Author)

4.27 · Rating details · 262 ratings · 82 reviews

Houston, Texas, 1961

The race to the moon is on, and engineer Eugene Parsons has two enemies: danger and distraction. Nothing is more distracting than his attraction to the brilliant, beautiful computer scientist on his team, but he’s determined to overcome it since he needs her to help America win.

Charlie Eason is used to men underestimating her. It comes with being a woma ...more

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Kindle Edition, 244 pages

Published May 11th 2016 by Penny Bright Publishing, LLC

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Apr 08, 2016 Mandi rated it it was amazing

I absolutely loved this book. It is very much a stand alone, although I've enjoyed all the books in this series set in the 1960's. This book gives us two, very intelligent protagonists - a hero who falls in love with a heroine for her brain (and the fact she is wild in bed) and science. I love it.

Charlie is an extremely smart woman who decided to go into computers (instead of physics much to her parents dismay). She gets the job as the deputy director of computing at the America Space Department ...more

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Apr 13, 2016 Lyuda rated it liked it

Shelves: 1960-1980

Having read and liked the previous two installments in the Fly Me To the Moon series, I was looking forward to this read.

The series focuses on a subject that is sparsely covered in the romance genre- the legendary space race - a 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the Soviet Union and the United States, for supremacy in spaceflight capability.

When reading historical romance, both historical setting and romance are almost equally important. Unfortunately, neither worked for me Having read and liked the previous two installments in the Fly Me To the Moon series, I was looking forward to this read.

The series focuses on a subject that is sparsely covered in the romance genre- the legendary space race - a 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the Soviet Union and the United States, for supremacy in spaceflight capability.

When reading historical romance, both historical setting and romance are almost equally important. Unfortunately, neither worked for me here, albeit for different reasons.

Initially, the historical setting and the sense of place is what drew me to the story. I love the time period and the subject. It is obvious that the authors did tons of research on the subject of space exploration and the authors’ note at the end confirms it. The interworking of the fictional American Space Department (ASD), the pressure that its employees went through trying to win the space race occupies the major part of the book. Initially interesting, the story gradually became so bogged down by the “shop talk” that it turns into somewhat dry and uninspiring narrative. At times, I felt I was reading an engineering manual.

The main conflict of the story is a struggle of a beautiful and brilliant scientist, Charlie Eason, to overcome prejustice, forge a pass for herself as a woman, and succeed in male dominated world of scientists and engineers. Again and again, we are presented with examples of snubs, ignorance, and sexism she experienced while working with her male colleagues. The picture became so saturated that the only conclusion I could drew is that all of her colleagues, with exception of Eugene Parsons, our hero, were just a bunch of chauvinistic pigs. This environment and added expectation from her parents shaped Charlie’s character. And that is where I come to the point of why the romance didn’t work for me. I appreciate the fact that the authors wanted to show Charlie as being strong and capable enough to withstand the barrage of sexism coming her way. But it also made her unsympathetically harsh, detached, cold-hearted creature who used her looks to gain the advantage in certain situations.

Graduate school had taught her an important truth about being an intelligent woman, one she hadn’t been able to learn growing up in Princeton: It helped to be stunningly beautiful, especially when dealing with the Zeppelin-like egos of scientific men. The never saw her coming; it was only after she’d outthought them that they realized they’d been flanked.

Even sexual assignations she had with Parsons in a seedy motel room (of all places) were all about dominance, detachment, release of tension.

She was a capsule here, serenely making her orbits, while he was the rocket casing, jettisoned to burn up in the long fall back to earth.

There was almost no femininity left in her. That is fine and, I’m sure realistic, but it didn’t work for me as a romance heroine. (view spoiler) As far as Eugene Parsons, I felt there was a lot of potential there but his character was underdeveloped. I wanted to know more about why he appeared to be so grouchy all the time, so intense to the point of being intimidating to others, expecting perfection from himself and everybody around him. (view spoiler)
Overall, the book had a lot of potential but didn’t deliver it for me. The romance was not really romantic. ...more

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Apr 17, 2016 Maria Rose rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-star-reads, fully-reviewed-books, workplace-romance, best-of-2016, top-10ish-of-2016

Twentieth century historical romances are much less common than their regency or medieval counterparts so the sky’s the limit (or not in this case) for co-authors Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner to tackle the post-World War Two space-race era. Earth Bound is the second full-length novel in the Fly Me To the Moon series. The first book – Star Dust – is a fascinating look at the challenges of getting a man into orbit from an astronaut’s point of view (and a sexy romance, sixties style). Earth Boun Twentieth century historical romances are much less common than their regency or medieval counterparts so the sky’s the limit (or not in this case) for co-authors Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner to tackle the post-World War Two space-race era. Earth Bound is the second full-length novel in the Fly Me To the Moon series. The first book – Star Dust – is a fascinating look at the challenges of getting a man into orbit from an astronaut’s point of view (and a sexy romance, sixties style). Earth Bound continues on that theme but delves into the lives of the engineers who made the impossible happen in an absorbing and thoroughly entertaining read.

Eugene Parsons is an engineer wholly dedicated to the mission – get a man into orbit, and do it before the Soviets. When beautiful and skilled computer scientist Dr. Charlie Eason joins their team, his instant attraction to her is put on lockdown. She’s there to aid the mission, and though a super intelligent woman like Charlie might be the perfect fit for him, he’s not going to let anything get in the way of their goals. Charlie, on the other hand, finds Parsons a fascinating man, one she wants to get her hands on. When she approaches him with herself on offer, it’s too much to resist and they quickly get involved in a heated affair – but one that is kept secret and completely separate from their work. When their emotions spill over into the job, a decision Parsons can’t stop from being made makes Charlie withdraw, her trust in him shattered. Yet with their common mission goal in mind, they must find a way to work together. Can the embers of their affair be re-ignited, and more importantly, can it lead to a lasting love?

My fascination with this series knows no bounds. Any time I can find a book that mixes science with romance, you can be sure that I’m going to read it. But don’t worry, even if math and physics aren’t your thing, the authors have been able to take the parts of the story that require these things and make them readable at a level that everyone will understand. For me, the intense dramatic scenes that made up some of the story, the meetings and discussions between the scientists on the logistical challenges of getting a man into space, are some of the best in the book. Things I never thought of, and the science of what was possible then, how things were done, was really quite something to read about. This is world building at its finest, creating a picture of what it was like during that time for the men and women tasked to beat the Soviets into orbit. And then there are the personal agendas of the men and women in the room – the managers who are looking at the bottom line, the engineers who will be blamed for any failures, the astronauts and their egos. It all falls into place marvelously in a tightly woven tale.

Of course, a key aspect to the story is Charlie, a super smart mathematician who has disappointed her parents by choosing to go work for the US Space program instead of following a career path at a university. A woman in a man’s field in the 1960’s, she’s used to being overlooked, to having her physical appearance mean more than her brain, and takes all of these things in her stride. It doesn’t stop her from doing her best and devoting herself to her job, in this case, as deputy director of the computing department. She’s got some smart women who work under her as well (a timely reminder that some of the best code breakers in WWII were women) and together they play a significant role in getting the missions underway and salvaging some of them, too. For Charlie, Parsons is a man after her own heart, with the same work ethic. And more importantly, he’s a man who sees the real her.

Eugene Parsons is a man with a persona that isn’t eminently likable. He understands the gravity of his work, has no patience for fools (or self-absorbed astronauts), and has a temper. He seems an unlikely romance hero. But the truth of the matter is that he has a soft underbelly, one that stays hidden from view until Charlie exposes it. He keeps a saltwater fish tank at home, and his care of the fish is a direct link to his character, to show that when he loves something, he puts his full effort into keeping it (or her) happy, any way he can. I loved seeing the glimpses of that side of his character in these small scenes, and the adoration of Charlie that he tries to hide but can’t quite manage. And unlike many men of that time, he has a full appreciation of women as equally intelligent to men. The two of them together are a perfect match.

I enjoyed reading about the backgrounds that made them into the adults they are now. Eugene comes from a farming family, with one brother who died as a war hero, and another who has taken over the family farm. He’s a bit of the odd man out, his parents not really understanding his career choices. On the other hand, Charlie comes from a scientific family; her parents are both researchers (and her mother, bitter at her own choices, reflects that in her disapproval of Charlie’s chosen profession because she never had that freedom). Charlie knows her parents don’t really understand or respect her work, and this, while hurtful, she’s become accustomed to. It doesn’t stop her from doing what she wants.

The conflict comes naturally, with the hierarchy of their working positions causing them to sometimes be at odds with each other. And for Charlie, keeping her affair with Parsons under wraps is necessary to maintain the level of respect from her male colleagues that she struggles to achieve. Yet when an astronaut’s life is on the line, their true feelings can’t be hidden. I love how the story plays out, the dramatic scenes becoming real page turners as the mission becomes a life or death endeavor. Combining that with some very sexy love scenes and the eventual finding of a way to a compromise and happy ending makes for a wholly entertaining and memorable story.

This review also appears at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...

Note: a copy of this story was provided by the authors for review. ...more

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Aug 26, 2019 Anne Boleyn's Ghost rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical

3.5 stars.

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May 22, 2016 G. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-four-to-fives

Two sexy brainiacs fall in love while sending astronauts into space, and it's kind of amazing. No book is perfect, but, damn, if I'm not giving this one top marks, because this is probably as close to perfection as a romance set in the '60s fictionalized NASA (it's ASD, American Space Department, in this series) can get.

We met Eugene Parsons, the director of engineering and development at ASD and the hero of Earth Bound, in book one, where we quickly learned he was super serious about this space Two sexy brainiacs fall in love while sending astronauts into space, and it's kind of amazing. No book is perfect, but, damn, if I'm not giving this one top marks, because this is probably as close to perfection as a romance set in the '60s fictionalized NASA (it's ASD, American Space Department, in this series) can get.

We met Eugene Parsons, the director of engineering and development at ASD and the hero of Earth Bound, in book one, where we quickly learned he was super serious about this space business, very shouty, very competent and very scary. In fact, Parsons was one of the best, if smaller, parts of book one. He was as unimpressed with Kit, astronaut hero of book one, as I was. To be fair to Kit, Parsons enjoys making all astronauts cry, because they're too full of themselves.

Charlie Eason - Dr. Eason, thank you very much - is a woman in a man's world. While she's beyond competent and most likely far more accomplished and intelligent than her boss, the director of the ASDs computing department, she's stuck with the deputy director position, because it's 1961 and she has ladyparts. Annoying, you say, and Charlie agrees.

The romance between Parsons and Charlie is a thing of beauty. This is a meeting between two extremely intelligent, competent individuals, who have nothing but respect for each other. They also want to bang like whoa, but only after hours—keeping it separate from their work is important to both of them, because their work is paramount. So we get to see their working and after hours relationships, which they manage to keep clearly separate at first. Of course, life doesn't work that way and those separate spheres of their lives start to bleed into each other, even if they're not exactly happy about it.

Anyway, the whole thing is a joy to read. Both of the protagonists are such well developed characters, and their respect and attraction toward each other are well written, palpable and evolve into affection over a longer period of time, making reading Earth Bound an extremely satisfying experience.

While I enjoyed the first book (the romance between a playboy astronaut and a divorcee) and the prequel novella (tells the story of how one of the astronauts and his wife met and fell in love years ago), Earth Bound is where it's at for me. What can I say, these two sexy brainiac workaholics won me over completely. ...more

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Aug 24, 2018 OLT rated it really liked it

This Fly Me to the Moon series by Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner has been an unexpected reading pleasure for me. Taking place in the early 1960s, the romance series features characters involved in the early space race to the moon. Most of the books have male astronauts and their love interests as the main characters and I have enjoyed STAR DUST and A MIDNIGHT FEAST about two of these couples and plan to read more.

This EARTH BOUND is my favorite so far. Eugene Parsons, who appeared as a secondar This Fly Me to the Moon series by Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner has been an unexpected reading pleasure for me. Taking place in the early 1960s, the romance series features characters involved in the early space race to the moon. Most of the books have male astronauts and their love interests as the main characters and I have enjoyed STAR DUST and A MIDNIGHT FEAST about two of these couples and plan to read more.

This EARTH BOUND is my favorite so far. Eugene Parsons, who appeared as a secondary character in the other books I read, is our hero here. Parsons is an excellent engineer. He lives for his job coordinating, directing and keeping the space program on track and running as flawlessly as possible and he is demanding and abrupt and definitely not a people-pleaser. He is a perfectionist, as is, of course, necessary when you're sending men out into the great unknown, and expects perfection of his subordinates. Those he works with respect and fear him but do not like him. His character is developed well by the authors and the reader will grow to appreciate him more and more as the story progresses.

Enter new hire Dr. Charlie Eason. She's a brilliant and beautiful computer scientist, obviously the most competent addition to his team ever. But, of course, as a woman, she is not taken seriously by the good ol' boys of the space program. That's, of course, except for Parsons. He recognizes quality and extreme competence when he sees it. He also appreciates the fact that Charlie isn't cowed by him the way the others are and she gives as good as she gets.

The unfortunate side effect of working together is the strong sexual attraction that develops between them. When they finally act upon it, they decide it's just the scratching of an itch and must be kept compartmentalized. So what happens in the motel where they meet has no relevance to their work relationship.

Well, just keep reading to find out how well that works out. BTW, this is not just a romance. There are some relatively serious issues treated upon also: the role of and under-appreciation of women in space exploration, the relationship of scientists and astronauts in the program, pros and cons of the participation of private industry, and, all in all, a really splendid walk back in time to the 1960s. Although this particular space program is fictional, it bears a resemblance to the real one and shows that the authors have done their research. I'd suggest reading their Author's Notes at the end to round out your reading experience.

This is a good romance and a pleasant exploration of the past. (Well, at times not so pleasant as you may see that we women are still fighting that uphill battle for equality with men. But there has been a small step for womankind, I think.) ...more

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Jun 10, 2020 b.andherbooks rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical, office-romance, grumpy, pining, romance, friends-to-lovers, space-the-final-frontier, sex-pact

Eugene Parsons is the uptight and stern supervisor of the teams working on getting America to Space and the moon. We met him in the first book but in Earth Bound we finally get to see someone get under his skin.

Charlie Eason is stunningly beautiful AND brilliant, the best engineer Parsons has ever seen. But she also could be a huge distraction, but Parsons is determined to remain nothing but professional. Charlie is also not looking for any distractions or any hint of controversy. It is hard eno ...more

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Feb 16, 2016 Jess rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own-ebook, 2016-new, romance-historical, 2016-all, romance

Super, super, super into this.

Being honest, I wasn't sure I would be at all based on the sample (which I do not feel is representative of the book), but there are so many things in this book that hit all of my favorite spots.

1) The hero is in love with the heroine's brain.
2) Actual meeting of equals, despite the institutional sexism at work.
3) The passage of time, so you get prolonged relationship development.
4) People falling in love without realizing or without being willing to express it.
5) H ...more

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Apr 26, 2016 Amanda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2016, starchy-heroes, reviewed-books, historical-romance, heroines-of-my-heart, banter-gives-me-life, covergasm, best-couples, competence-porn, all-about-the-slow-burn

This was a very hard review to write. Not because Earth Bound was bad, but because it was SO GOOD. I’m sure that makes no sense but bare with me while I try, try being the operative word here, and get my thoughts out in what I hope will be in a semi-coherent fashion.

Just like in Star Dust, this book takes place in the early 1960’s during the Space Race. This time however, the story centers on a hero AND a heroine who are BOTH engineers working together at an imaginary NASA-type facility called t ...more

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Nov 10, 2017 Grace rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2017-all, 2017-new, historical-romance, romance

I kept just... not finishing this because I didn’t want it to be over. So yeah, this was great.

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Feb 16, 2016 Brandy Painter rated it it was amazing

Shelves: adult-fiction, favorites, historical-fiction, romance

This book was so very much my thing I can't claim in any way to be objective about it. It is from now on probably going to be my automatic romance comfort read go-to.

I fell for Eugene Parsons in his very first scene in Star Dust. I wanted this next full novel in the series to be about him because from that very first scene I knew he had the potential to be exactly my favorite sort of hero. I have a weakness for intelligent men who come across as arrogant asses on first encounter-because they ar This book was so very much my thing I can't claim in any way to be objective about it. It is from now on probably going to be my automatic romance comfort read go-to.

I fell for Eugene Parsons in his very first scene in Star Dust. I wanted this next full novel in the series to be about him because from that very first scene I knew he had the potential to be exactly my favorite sort of hero. I have a weakness for intelligent men who come across as arrogant asses on first encounter-because they are actually partly an arrogant ass, but also because they are equally a socially awkward nerd. Parsons lived up to every expectation I had for him in this respect and then some. He may be favorite romance hero ever. I'm going to have to give it a couple more reads to say that definitively, but I'm 98% sure of it already. He is a perfectionist who demands the best from the people working for him and is downright scary (and sometimes mean) when he doesn't get it. Parsons does not process or deal with emotions well. But he is also a man who refers to his mom as adorable, is sure to call his older brother on his birthday first thing in the morning, keeps salt water aquariums of beautifully colored fish he gets adorably dorky about, and does his best to work within a difficult system to include and boost the women who work for the space program.

Pair a hero like this with a heroine who matches (if not exceeds) his intelligence, doesn't take any of his crap, and teases him about his nonsense, and you have my exact favorite type of love story. Charlie is an amazing and perfect match for Parsons. She is super smart, incredibly competent at what she does, and her sly and sassy wit is more than a match for Parsons. He doesn't quite know what do with her most of the time and I looooove it. Charlie is in a position of being second in command when she should be first, but isn't because she is a woman. She went into a field her physics professor parents think is beneath her, and is often dealing with their disappointed expectations and her mother's projected issues about women in science and career sacrifice. Charlie also has a difficult time processing and dealing with her emotions and feelings, which leads to much of the conflict between her and Parsons.

Much of the attraction between Charlie and Parsons is intellectual. They are both incredibly turned on by the other's competence and drive. This leads to them having an incredibly steamy affair, but the main focus of the book is on their intellectual connection. As a result this book has a lot of magnificent banter, flirting at work in ways that no one else knows what they're doing, lots of heated looks, and some delightfully awkward moments. The majority of the book takes place in the labs and offices so there is a lot of technical discussions in it, which I loved. You can't tell me your characters are super smart and competent at what they do, and then not show them actually being that. We know Charlie and Parsons are these things because we see it. (YAY!) Personally I really loved all the politics and scientific details about the space program.

The last final conflict is one that could have been cleared up a lot faster if a rational conversation took place. Ironic considering this deals with two people who consider themselves uber rational. This ordinarily drives me bonkers, but it made sense for who Parsons and Charlie are. As I said, they are both terrible at dealing with their emotions. Parsons wants to ignore the problem and fix it with sex. Charlie is too angry at the sense of betrayal she feels and chooses to just walk away and pretend its unimportant. It made complete sense given her personal insecurities and position. It is frustrating in exactly the way it's supposed to be. My heart hurt for both of them. (I confess it hurt for Parsons a little more who was just so happy and excited and wanted to show her his stupid fish and then all hell broke loose.) The way this is resolved is perfect though. PERFECT. (Fish and everything. Seriously I never thought I'd be turned into a pile of mush over fictional fish. I have no patience for real fish.)

As you can probably tell by the length of this review (I never write romance reviews this long), this book is everything I wanted it to be. (And my expectations were super high.) ...more

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Aug 31, 2016 Kelly_Instalove rated it it was amazing

Shelves: era-historical, genre-romance, theme-kickass-women, favorites, theme-sci-expl-arch, hist-20th-century, theme-workplace, theme-beta-hero

This book KILLED ME DEAD and that is why it look me so long to rate it.

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May 25, 2016 Georgie-who-is-Sarah-Drew rated it it was amazing

Shelves: tag-reviewed, fiction, kindle, stars-4-5, genre-hr

Quite one of the best books I've read this year. It works on all sorts of levels - the background is truly fascinating (the early days of space flight and the role of computers), there's an indictment of the outrageous sexism of those times, and - above all - it's the moving love story of two flawed characters.

Charlie Eason is the first female senior appointment at the American Space Department (a lightly disguised NASA) - the deputy director of computing. Her adult life has been directed towar Quite one of the best books I've read this year. It works on all sorts of levels - the background is truly fascinating (the early days of space flight and the role of computers), there's an indictment of the outrageous sexism of those times, and - above all - it's the moving love story of two flawed characters.

Charlie Eason is the first female senior appointment at the American Space Department (a lightly disguised NASA) - the deputy director of computing. Her adult life has been directed towards such a role, and as she admits to herself "she was a damn sight smarter than most of the men they’d brought on". She's realistic about her success - "Graduate school had taught her an important truth about being an intelligent woman, one she hadn’t been able to learn growing up in Princeton: It helped to be stunningly beautiful, especially when dealing with the Zeppelin-like egos of scientific men. They never saw her coming; it was only after she’d outthought them that they realized they’d been flanked."

Her dedication to the programme to get a man into space is matched only by that of Eugene Parsons, Director of Engineering and Development, a man whose whole being is bound up in his work. He was either "he" or "him" or simply "Parsons"—no first name required.... An engineer [who] took precision and turned it into torture.

I liked the way Barry shows their growing professional respect for each other, undercut with lashings of UST, before they move into a scorching secret affair. Barry is particularly good on the edginess that surrounds Charlie & Eugene's decision to never to talk about work in bed & vice versa - it's a division that chimes with the way they have trained themselves to compartmentalise problems professionally.

Their deepening involvement is contrasted with the increasingly blatant sexism exhibited by the ASD bosses, and also, in a different way, by Charlie's own family. There's a brilliant scene where her family, professional and emotional worlds collide during a truly dreadful meal. Finally, of course, (view spoiler)

This is a brilliantly characterised book with taut (and often funny) dialogue, a strong plot, a fascinating setting and a satisfying romance.
...more

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Jul 10, 2020 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: on-my-shelves, owned-ebook-kindle

TBH I was somewhat on the fence about continuing this series, because I liked the two I'd gotten for free during a sale several years ago, but I'm always hesitant to buy books I haven't read at full price, even a relatively cheap one. I'm glad that I made this decision, though, because Earth Bound is great.

I just love the setting of this series, which takes place in the 50s and 60s during the space race. I've never read romance novels set in this era of history before, and it's so much fun to re ...more

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Jul 17, 2016 herdys rated it really liked it

Shelves: historial-romance, short-story-novella, astronaut-romance

Though they lost me with all the science stuff, I really loved this book and our two great leads. Plus I'm still amazed at how good this HR in the sixties turned out to be *_* ...more

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May 11, 2016 Melissa Blue rated it it was amazing

*INSERT MY USUAL DISCLAIMER ABOUT NOT BEING A REVIEWER*

This book was given to me for a fair and honest review.
Publishing is small. We breathe the same air.
Yada, yada.

Have you ever read a book and weeks later you're still thinking about it? Yeah. Earth Bound is that book for me.

First you have to understand Star Dust and Midnight Clear have been on my TBR pile. They were hand sold to me by fan girls of this series. And why not? I was promised romances that take place during the golden age that lea ...more

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Sep 22, 2019 Eliza E rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourites, smarter-romance, kind-hero, romance-w-feminist-bona-fides, 2019-favourites

Earth Bound is pitch perfect in practically all aspects of its romance novel-ness, but just in case you think romances are insipid and trashy (because they often are), I should also add that it’s just a damn fine book. It gets something so right that I didn’t even realize had been missing from many novels set in a workplace—that work, the right work, can nourish you in essential ways. That there is joy in competency and responsibility. That when someone sees your best self, the self that is effi ...more

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Feb 12, 2016 sraxe rated it really liked it

Shelves: adult, written-review, contemporary, third-person, heroine-non-virginal, romance, 4-stars, arc, secret-relationship

All she knew was that every moment for nearly two years had led to this. Every staff meeting, every time he’d gestured with his hands, every time he’d asked more of her, and celebrated with her when she’d offered it, it had all been about this.

About what she was feeling ... that she believed him when he said she was perfect.

She didn’t think she was perfect, but she thought that together, they might be more than they were apart.

Together they might be something like it.

I've been wanting to read th ...more

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Jul 01, 2016 Molly O'keefe rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-ve-read-on-vacation

The detail in this series just kills me. The historical, character and setting detail - it all pays off in the romance. If you're looking for something different - this series fits the bill perfectly. And Parson is the epitome of the grumpy hero - loved him. Just like everyone said I would... ...more

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Aug 31, 2020 Angelina Lopez rated it it was amazing

This book was brilliant from the very first page -- and I'm not just talking about the brilliant lead characters and their awesome space exploration jobs. The writing of Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner was so crisp, so perfectly 60s, with elegant descriptions of their one-of-a-kind lead characters and fascinating details of their work. I have such serious hots for Eugene Parsons and Charlie Eason. Eugene is a gimme: smart, intense, demanding but all gooey for the woman of his dreams. I love smar ...more

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Oct 15, 2017 Tori rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2017

This was excellent. I really liked the dynamic here. The book gives us something we don't tend to see a lot in romance:

1. A prolonged courtship! Their relationship takes place over the course of almost two years before they get their HEA.

2. Two characters who are both and equally aloof. A lot of that has to do with their circumstances. It was interesting to see the intersection of sexism and classism here, especially for a time period we don't see a lot of in historical romance.

And I mean, th ...more

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Dec 01, 2019 Emmy marked it as abandoned · review of another edition

Shelves: 20th-century, dual-pov, office-coworkers

Between watching The Expanse and going to the Kennedy Space Center, I was on a space kick and thought this would be the perfect book. Unfortunately, this just wasn't working for me. I don't know if it was that this was too much about the romance, or that I actively didn't like how the romance was developing, but I'm just going to throw in the towel. ...more

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Dec 28, 2018 Sarah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: z2018, own, romance-historical, competence-porn, best-of-2018

My favourite of the series so far. Excellent competence porn, highly analytical MCs, great chemistry, and smart details.

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Jan 02, 2018 Ashley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, kindle, romance-historical, series, read-in-2018

Great start to my reading year!

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Aug 03, 2018 Susan Talend rated it really liked it

Maybe just slightly less than a 4. But good.

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Jul 21, 2019 Sarah added it

This is a spectacular romance. I am amazed at how well the authors kept me interested in the details of the space missions Charlie and Parsons were working on. And then to add in a simply lovely romance? A+! Read this book based on a twitter recommendation and I am so glad I did.

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Jul 26, 2019 Viktoria rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: superior-romance, sbtb-slytherin-rec, slytherin-falls-for-ravenclaw, cold-war

This novel was everything I have ever wanted and more. Earth Bound is beautiful, thoughful and more than a little sexy. It played into my love for lingerie and smudged lipstick, my catnip for brainiacs and sensuality, late night rendez-vous in a shady place. Even if I could't do it justice in this review, it was smoking hot and satisfying.

"I met Parsons." She pinched her lips to keep from smiling.
"An engeneer? Be serious Charlotte.

Imagine a family where saying 'engeneer' is a high insult. You'v This novel was everything I have ever wanted and more. Earth Bound is beautiful, thoughful and more than a little sexy. It played into my love for lingerie and smudged lipstick, my catnip for brainiacs and sensuality, late night rendez-vous in a shady place. Even if I could't do it justice in this review, it was smoking hot and satisfying.

"I met Parsons." She pinched her lips to keep from smiling.
"An engeneer? Be serious Charlotte.

Imagine a family where saying 'engeneer' is a high insult. You've got it here. Charlie's family is full of theoretical scientists who live for science and consider mathematics a cheap substitute for physics that only weak people choose. Throw in the fact that Charlie herself fell in love with computers and not only switched to mathematics but decided to leave the research labs and participate in something practical and big and glorious - the space race, because she can and she will. My little academic heart fluttered hard.

Her relationship with Parsons has a great arc. The chemistry is there from page one, but it is not a 'we fall in lust, we fall in love' story in the classical sense. They fall in love with each other's brain and efficiency, their regard goes deep before they go deeper. We see the little things between them, the conversations on new equipment or an office meeting - it builds brick by brick and it is lovely. Especially with the backdrop of steamy goodness happening at night. There is a great scene where Charlie cannot reach perfection in work because a technical setback, and Parsons offers her every assistance in acquiring the technicalities needed so this will never happen again, because he hates to feel betrayed by her not being able to perform - this way it doesn't sound sexy, but there, it is the equivalent of a bouquet of twenty crimson roses.

Both Charlie and Parsons are sexy brainiacs, workaholics who actually find solance in what they do. It is not easy for them to enbark on any relationship at all. They try to draw a clear line between work and emotions. It has worked for both of them for years, but as time goes by, it starts to crack. The lines start to become blurry. Where their two carefully separated spheres meet, there is thunder. In that fragile, albeit promising state, comes a problem that plays into the greatest fear of each of them. Emotions break into their professional life and neither of them is emotionally fluent enough to untangle it.

The beautiful thing is that they really do know and accept each other. Parsons knows that she'll react this way and holds the blame, even knowing he couldn't do anything to change it - knowing that he does everything in his power to change it. It is a very interesting dynamic, especially seeing how their routine changes in the after. Going in, we see how gradually they move from respect to lust, from lust to friendship and to love. We see the little thing, barging into an office unannounced, not maintaining the facade when it's just the two of them, letting the other in more and more.

After their fallout, life freezes in time - neither of them knows how to step forward and both loose little parts of themselves that they just cannot get back. Their stupor only dissolves when disaster strucks. Then and there, it is the two of them against the world and they nail it. This is truly them ruling their world together, nothing held back. It was an amazing ride.

"Tell me that there's a backup for this," she said. " You have a plan, right? Or Maynard does? Someone has been preparing for this, and you didn't tell me about it."
He pulled his jacket off the hat stand in the corner and shrugged it on. Evidently this moment required more formal attire.
"I wish I could," he said after a beat. "But you? You're my backup." ...more

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May 03, 2016 Karen rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, for-review, favorite-authors, series, alternating-pov-s, adult, read-2016

Originally posted on 5/12/16 on For What It's Worth: http://www.fwiwreviews.net/2016/05/mi...

I adore the Fly Me to the Moon series, and especially the 1960’s setting. Earth Bound was less swoony/romantic than the previous books and more of a workplace focused.

Eugene Parson, the Director of Engineering and Development at the ASD (American Space Department), and Charlie Eason, his Deputy Director, carry on a secret affair for several years, meeting up in a seedy motel. They agree to never talk sho Originally posted on 5/12/16 on For What It's Worth: http://www.fwiwreviews.net/2016/05/mi...

I adore the Fly Me to the Moon series, and especially the 1960’s setting. Earth Bound was less swoony/romantic than the previous books and more of a workplace focused.

Eugene Parson, the Director of Engineering and Development at the ASD (American Space Department), and Charlie Eason, his Deputy Director, carry on a secret affair for several years, meeting up in a seedy motel. They agree to never talk shop while there – and never to talk about the relationship at work. They are both very career focused and the success of the astronauts mission to space takes precedent over everything. For the most part this arrangement works for the both of them.

Earth Bound does an excellent job of plunging you into the space race of that time – trying to beat the Russians and all the rampant sexism of that era. Charlie is the best and the brightest at ASD, she should be running the department, yet the men continually underestimate or outright ignore her (and the other female employees) at every turn. Her frustration is palpable – as is Parson’s – who is only concerned about getting to space and back safely. He doesn’t have time for sexist bullshit and I loved him for that.

The romance was so different than anything I’m used to. It was incredibly sexy yet very detached. While they meet for years at the motel, we – the reader – aren’t privy to most of it. So while I understood their connection and why they were so perfect for each other – it felt cold - or maybe sexy cool? - at times. It was one of those things that felt off while I was reading yet I really fell in love with them as couple when I closed the book. Weird but that’s how it worked for me.

While this wasn’t the super swoony romance of the previous books – I do recommend Earth Bound if you want to read about a snapshot in time – because these two authors get every 60’s era detail just right or if you are a fan of romances that are more career focused – especially if you loved the movie Apollo 13 because there was a lot of technical/space stuff for fans to geek out on. ...more

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Oct 26, 2017 Liz rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, historical, favorites

2/19 re-read: This has become such a comfort read for me. I love these two idiots so much.

--

~~Review in the morning when maybe I can be coherent about how damn good this was.~~

I think this might be the best thing I've read this year. I alternatively didn't want to put it down and didn't want it to end at the same time. Everything about it just hit all the right places for me.

I love that we got more about Parsons, that it fit with the glimpses we had of him previously, but deepened our understandi ...more

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May 09, 2016 Cathy Geha rated it it was amazing

I absolutely adore this series! I love the writing, the characters, the time period and the way it takes me back and makes me remember what it was like to live when the race into space was going on. Yes, I was young back then but I remember it well.

In this story we meet Dr. Charlie Eason when she comes in to be interviewed by Mr. Eugene Parsons. He is sure she is perfect for the job even though she is female and in the early 60’s females were more often relegated to secretarial jobs than those ...more

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About Emma Barry

Emma Barry

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Emma Barry is a teacher, novelist, recovering academic, and former political staffer. She lives with her high school sweetheart and a menagerie of pets and children in Virginia, and she occasionally finds time to read and write.