Captain Zephyra “Zeph” Zamora and her Uncle Jack work best as a team. Together, they run missions for Cellexis, a powerful corporation that’s leading the ambitious effort to solve Earth’s water crisis by creating the LunaRing Reservoir, which consolidates water gathered throughout the galaxy. When a disaster tears apart one of the company’s space stations, Zeph is compelled to rescue Stellan, a man she’s only just met, and bring him aboard her ship. Though she’s reluctant to trust him at first, Zeph gradually allows Stellan past her defenses, revealing both the painful history she’s spent her life outrunning and a closely guarded secret: Vim, an alien “chaos bear,” is living on her ship. (“The creature pushed off the bulkhead and floated toward them, its eight stubby legs, each with a hand-like appendage, pumping in the air as if it were swimming.”) The delicate new balance of personalities is disrupted when Jack is kidnapped by the Corsairs, a brutal band of space pirates with ties to Zeph’s past. Determined to help him, the others set out on a dangerous rescue mission to save the family they’ve built. Former NASA employee Black delivers a sci-fi romance full of adventure, conspiratorial intrigue, and heart. While the worldbuilding can feel a bit ponderous at the outset, the pace quickly accelerates, and the narrative becomes a gripping adventure that’s difficult to put down. The novel easily balances thrilling space exploration with a sweet (and occasionally very spicy) romance and a memorable cast. Vim’s relationship with Zeph is reminiscent of the unforgettable friendship in the film Project Hail Mary but still feels unique. The explicit romantic scenes are enjoyable and well written, adding a welcome dimension to the story.