Star Cruise: Outbreak

By: Veronica Scott

Narrated by: Michael Riffle

Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's Summary

She saved countless soldiers in the wars...but does she have the weapons to fight an outbreak?

Dr. Emily Shane, veteran of the Sector Wars, is known as "The Angel of Fantalar" for her bravery under fire as a medic. However, the doctor has her own war wounds - severe PTSD and guilt over those she failed to save.

Persuaded to fill a seemingly frivolous berth as ship's doctor on the huge and luxurious interstellar cruise liner Nebula Zephyr, she finds the job brings unexpected perks - a luxe beach deck with water imported from Tahumaroa II, and Security Officer Jake Dilon, a fellow veteran who heats her up like a tropical sun.

However, Emily soon learns she and Jake didn't leave all peril behind in the war. A mysterious ailment aboard the Zephyr begins to claim victim after victim...and they must race against time and space to find the cause and a cure! Trapped on a ship no spaceport will allow to dock, their efforts are complicated by a temperamental princess and a terrorist - one who won't hesitate to take down any being in the way of his target. If anyone's left when the disease is through with them...

©2016 Jean D Walker (P)2017 Jean D Walker

Despite its heavy subjects, the story was fast-pac

Star Cruise: Outbreak by Veronica Scott is the fifth book in a series called A Sectors SF Romance. Dr. Emily Shane reluctantly joins the crew of a luxury spaceship cruise liner as their doctor. Emily, a hero of galactic wars, struggles to overcome the flashbacks of trauma in her past that turned her into a reluctant hero as well as manage her growing feelings for the handsome security officer, Jake Dillon. However, before long Emily is no longer dealing with the overblown ailments of the rich and entitled passengers, but instead attempting to contain an outbreak of an unknown origin before it can take the lives of the passengers aboard.

This is a romance story wrapped up in a futuristic war where people take space cruises for vacation. I think the story is well done and keeps the reader engaged in the mystery of what the outbreak is and where it came from. The world that is hinted at through the dialogue and character's lives seems interesting. The characters work together well and the dialogue is engaging, but only the main character of Emily has depth. She struggles with the complexities of fame and post-traumatic stress disorder prior to even entering the cruise ship. This story is a romance wrapped up in a science fiction outbreak thriller. Scientific evaluation and journey in discovering the origin, cause, and potential cures for the outbreak were interesting to follow along with, but the solution seemed too neat. The romance aspect almost seems inevitable but is wrapped up in Emily’s feelings toward her experiences during the war. Despite its heavy subjects, the story was fast-paced and luckily didn’t get mired in the heaviness.  Ultimately, it was a satisfying and quick read

The narration by Michael Riffle is well done as well. He captures the voices of the characters well, especially Emily’s. The production quality is good as well. I would recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in a fast-paced story set in a technological future that is mixed with science, repercussions of trauma, and romance.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog.

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3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Great!

Great story. Action, drama, and a sprinkling of romance. The narrator was exceptional. Narration really brought the story to life. Will definitely look for other good books with this narrator.

A Thrillingly Romantic Audiobook!

Star Cruise: Outbreak written by Veronica Scott is sure to captivate Sci-fi/mystery/romance lovers from start to finish!

It starts with a heroine by the name of Dr. Emily Shane. She is a veteran doctor who has saved countless lives. Unfortunately the exposure and duration of the profession has taken its toll and Emily is faced with battling PTSD. She takes a job as a doctor on the luxurious interstellar cruise ship Nebula Zephyr. Sounds fun, right? A mysterious outbreak occurs on the ship which will take down every passenger one by one. This story gives you goose-bumps from the thrill, mystery and romance!

With strong and dynamic characters it's easy to get instantly drawn into this audiobook.

The book is narrated by Michael Riffle. He has a deep and assertive tone intermixed with a smooth and soothing delivery. Michael has almost a hypnotizing rhythm to his cadence and I found myself easily slipping away to another world. Michael Riffle has narrated multiple books for Veronica Scott which you can check out HERE.

The audio quality is top-notch. Beautifully narrated and mastered it easily scored a 10/10 for quality.

Emily has a lot on her plate when she has to juggle strong personalities, a love interest and an unexpected outbreak!

This story times out at just over 7.5 hours which leaves enough time to set up rich character development and set sail on a magnificent adventure.

Audio quality: 10/10
Narration/performance: 8/10
Storyline: 9:10

Audiobook Haven would recommend Star Cruise to any Sci-Fi/triller/romance enthusiast!

Stay Out Of the Water?

If you are planning to read this book, one can safely assume that you have checked out others in Scott's SF Sectors Romance series. The first I read was Wreck Of the Nebula Dream, a Titanic-style thriller set aboard a space-liner that meets disaster.
This title is similar, in that it takes place on a luxury space cruiser and meets disaster, of a very different kind. As often happens on "terran" cruise ships, a passenger comes down with a "virus" and it rapidly spreads. B... this is only the first stage.
As usual with Scott's tales, one is immediately drawn in by the depth of characters: from the annoying snobbiness of the upper class folks to the understated heroism of military officer turned doctor Emily, who is still traumatized by previous war experience.
This experience serves her well as, along with security officer Jake, (where the romantic interest arises) must figure out how to save the lives of all the effected passengers while dealing with clashing personalities, complicated politics, and one who is interested only in getting footage for his "trideos" (movies/documentaries). I found it a really good listen, as her usual narrator for this series brought it to life in the way he always does. Enjoy.

Yeah!

A space soap type of book that I can actually enjoy. A great story with great narration. Add medical outbreak in space and you have a number one book. I won this book in a giveaway and is one of the best prizes ever.

Loved it

Good blend of both story and romance. Characters were well developed, situations in the story made sense, and the romance grew naturally. Loved the narration as well.