Berkley (Paperback), ISBN 0425197115

I've long been fascinated by astronomy. Imagine then my delight when I discovered Shower of Stars by Nancy Herkness. This fun little book tells the story of journalist Charlotte "Charlie" Berglund. Charlie yearns more than anything to adopt a child, but her social worker questions her ability to provide a stable home amid risky assignments.

Enter Jack Lanett, the secretive meteorite hunter, who just stunned the scientific community with the discovery of a new meteorite from Mars. Charlie thinks a book on Jack would provide her the stability to care for a child, but Jack guards his privacy with iron resolve. So they strike a business deal: he will marry her to provide her with financial security, and she will keep her nose out of his past. But really, who thinks that arrangement will last?

This book focuses on things once lost, now recovered: a meteorite flung to earth, an orphaned child adopted, a childless woman become a mother, a loner embraced by family. For the most part, Herkness winds together the threads of her plot with skill and humor. Charlie and Jack emerge as individuals bumbling very believably through that slippery thing called a relationship. Even the minor characters Dr. Peter Burke and Jack's friend Miguel present themselves as memorable individuals. The dialogue flows straight and sure, and Herkness takes a great deal of care in her presentation of the science behind meteorites and meteor showers.

The plot strands develop so smoothly, in fact, that I found myself surprised and disappointed when they wrapped up almost too quickly and easily. After spending the entire book wondering what secret Jack hid, the revelation came too soon, which left room for a secondary storyline to steal the spotlight in the climax. As a result, the book felt a bit unbalanced. Still, the good outweighs the bad in this book, and the concept of meteorite hunting remains just plain cool. If you ever fantasized about making love beneath a meteor shower, you've found your book.

Kathryn Yelinek

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