Kindle Edition Audiobook HywelaLyn The Wild Rose Press Category:  Romance Publisher: The Wild Rose Press ISBN-10:  1601543557 Type: Fiction Pages: 298 Copyright: August 29 2008 ISBN-13: 1601543557 Price: $5.64 (eBook) A romantic Science Fantasy adventure a stand alone novel and first in the 'Destiny Trilogy'. A young woman searches the galaxy for her lost love - but sometimes love can be so close there is a danger it will not be recognised until it is too late  When Jestine Darnell is rescued from her sabotaged starship by the crew of the Destiny her only objective is to complete her mission and keep her promise to save a world from slavery.  Love is the last thing on her mind.  However, she has not counted on losing her heart to Keri Marchant  the ship’s second in command, who makes his distrust of her painfully obvious, despite the chemistry between them.   The completion of her mission has consequences neither of them could have foreseen.   Enter Dahll Tarron, who becomes involved in a long and dangerous quest to find the Destiny.  Fates become intertwined, perils shared, culminating in the realization that sometimes love may be so close  there is a danger it will not be recognized until it is too late…          Excerpt He closed the space between them, placing a hand on her arm, and, taken by surprise, she dropped her guard, trembling at his touch. Blue eyes gazed searchingly into green, as if determined to see the truth she tried to hide from him...and she knew that he would find it, for she could conceal nothing from him now. She closed her eyes, conscious that it was already too late, and very gently, he stroked her face with the back of his fingers, before placing his hands on her shoulders, drawing her even closer to him. “If I appeared to be—hostile—before,” he said, seeming almost uncertain of himself, for the first time since she had known him, “it was because I had no intention of allowing myself to become involved with someone who might be a threat to the Destiny. So I tried to keep a distance between us, to convince myself that you meant nothing to me.” He paused, and opening her eyes, she was no longer afraid to meet his gaze. “You said I needed no one and nothing except myself,” he went on slowly, taking both her hands in his. “I thought it was true, but you were wrong, Jess, although I did not realize it until now. I do need someone. I need you.” “It seems,” she said, her voice unsteady, “that we’ve both been guilty of trying to hide our true feelings—” “Then—perhaps we’d better make a fresh start.” He wrapped his arms around her and she clung to him, finally surrendering to the strange, sweet emotion she had tried to deny. He kissed her, a lingering kiss that sent shock waves through her body, awakening the feelings she’d been trying to conceal for so long, her lips responding to his with a fierceness that surprised them both. Several minutes later, with obvious reluctance, he released her, his eyes still not leaving hers. “I only came to make sure you were all right. Perhaps I should leave now. I have heard of the strictness of the Sisterhood, I would not wish to risk compromising any sacred vows or beliefs—” She smiled, touched by his consideration in giving her the chance to back away, while she still could. “I’m a missionary, Keri, not a nun! The Sisterhood only condemns casual liaisons—not genuine relationships.” She lowered her eyes. “I—I’ve never been in love before, not—not like this, but I know nothing that feels this way could be wrong.” She slipped into his arms once more, unable to conceal the yearning that smoldered deep within her. “How could I ask you to leave when I want you to make love to me so much?” she said, her voice scarcely more than a whisper. He pressed her body close to his, and kissed her again, with a tenderness she would not have imagined him capable of a short while before, and she wondered how she could ever have thought him cold.

Starquest
Starquest by Hywela Lyn is a sweet and wonderful book. It is a story of Jess who travels across the galaxy to find the love of her life. An incident happen to her that makes her lost her memories and the man that she loves. She woke up with nightmares and a strong desire to find Destiny and her crew, especially the blue-eyes man who makes her tingles and her hearts ache. But her head hurts every time she tried to remember, and she needs to find Destiny to get the last piece of the missing puzzle in her brain.

Jess made a pact with Dahll to help her with her quest. But she was not aware that he has his own reason to help her. He has a secret, so deep that it can jeopardize their journey and their life. A woman with a mission, a man hunted by a killer, little did they know the journey will test their courage, trust, and most of all, their heart.

This is a wonderfully written book that will keep you on your toes and ended with a big smile on your face. An adventure like no other, this is a book that you don’t want to miss big time.

Reviewed by Amylove
http://blog.lyndacoker.net/2008/09/07/wrdf-review-of-starquest-by-hywela-lyn.aspx?ref=rss

Long and Short Reviews - Reviewed by Snapdragon
A love that will carry the heroine across the galaxy; a challenge that will threaten her life. Starquest by Hywela Lyn leaps into the deep end of galaxy right from the start, as the Jaii-onboard-computer announces a calamity that is but moments away. The navigational corrections are not enough, the starship’s drive is compromised; prepare to abandon ship…

Starquest kicks off with a literal bang, and you will feel your heart thumping at the race to abandon ship.

The heroine, Jestine Darnell, is setting off on a desperate quest and does not quite know why. Her personal trajectory is impossible to predict, as she soon finds herself in the hands of telepaths – who are telepaths and more. Unsought friendships emerge, but can she trust them? And can that sort of reliance (no matter how good a navigator she is) come to matter among a large starship crew? It doesn’t help that she has to start off with a lie, then wonders if they can see through it.


The Destiny’s crew find her competent, but they have reservations. Kerry and Jon acknowledge her competence, and you will find yourself hoping against hope that they will give her the benefit of the doubt. It is a troubled time; from the Union’s stranglehold on Earth, to the dangerous Grakk spies lurking all over the universe. Even as we hope for her to be accepted, you will feel a thread of doubt yourself. In an amazing way, Lyn will make you identify – even if just a little bit – with almost every character.

Some emotions, like a somewhat shared sense of longing, are common among these people that cannot help but remember, a little sadly, the Earth home they left, long ago. What seems like a minor emotion – a loneliness or regret, becomes surprisingly evocative in this tale.

Ms. Lyn does a great job making surprise characters, like Jaii and other ships’ computers, seem ordinary. And, it’s refreshing that various characters share a sense of pride and enthusiasm in their ships’ capabilities.

Dialogue tends to be to the point and believable. Events become more and more unpredictable as the story moves forward. The backdrop is a universe – a beautifully envisioned universe. It seems rare to find a story with a science fiction bent so beautifully described. Read a little slice:

“… watching the rapidly unfolding vista of stars, like shimmering jewels in the black velvet backcloth that was deep space. There was something about the sheer immensity of the Universe that made her feel very insignificant and, at the same time, very tranquil.”

The lovely, lovely descriptions never slow the action, but manage still to convey emotion and carry the narration forward. This is an incredibly original tale, and – for all the science fiction trappings – is truly a classic quest for love, and the romance, which at first seems very much at the periphery, will become not only a primary motivation, but the chief joy of the tale. Adventure may be the main motif, but the heartwarming side will be a surprising bonus.