Review: Terms and Conditions Apply by Pippa Jay Green

 “Welcome to Venus Ascendant, a Public Grade space station in the Andromedan Galaxy. With our open-to-all policy, any being in the universe can find their perfect R & R, romantic getaway or dangerous liaison at our purpose built resort. The on-board empathic AI Ganesa ensures that anyone coming to Venus Ascendant will find their heart’s desire, with suites that transform from luxurious boudoirs to sunset-lit beaches to dark BDSM dungeons. So come to Venus Ascendant and find exactly what you’re looking for!”

It was meant to be a romantic getaway for Marie and the love of her life Jaisen; a chance for him to get to know her better after months of her denying him more than a few stolen kisses. Instead, Marie finds herself dumped and alone on Venus Ascendant with no credit for a transmat and the next starship home not due for another hour.

But the all-seeing AI isn’t going to leave anyone aboard the space station with their dreams unfulfilled. Marie's boyfriend might not have made it to the station, but there are others willing and able to take on the role - even if they aren’t entirely human.

I normally don't review short stories, but I think I'm gonna start. Somehow, within a few thousand words, Green manages to construct a world and a beautiful relationship that will leave readers breathless.

All the action takes place on the Venus Ascendant, which is practically a pleasure palace filled with anything you'd need to make yourself happy and Ganesa, the AI, to ensure all your needs are met. This is how virgin Marie meets Soren, an extension of Ganesa's AI in a gorgeous blond haired, blue eyed package. Soren acts as Marie's "companion" for the evening, and their one-night fling quickly develops into more.

There's a problem, though. While Soren is very real, he's not exactly human. Nor could he ever leave the Venus Ascendant, no matter if he wanted to or not. He's bound to Ganesa.

Thus begins one of the more excruciating doomed-ish relationships I've read in a long time. Marie's just experienced this immense heartbreak from Jaisen leaving her, and Soren comes out of practically nowhere to ease her hurt. However, Soren isn't just a part of Ganesa--he was once human and chose this life to keep from dying. Like a woman building beautiful statues out of spare nuts and bolts, Green takes all these working parts--the tragedy of Soren's past, Marie's broken heart, the promises of the space station, and creates something infinitely more beautiful than the sum of their parts.

Short though it may be, Terms and Conditions Apply is an experience you'd be stupid to miss out on. So go. Read it. I'll be waiting here to discuss when you're done. If you need more convincing, check out the excerpt I posted last week.

Find Terms and Conditions Apply at:

Smashwords.com 
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Free Excerpt Friday - Terms and Conditions Apply by Pippa Jay Green

It's no surprise that I love me some sci-fi, and I really love sci-fi written by the lovely and talented Pippa Jay Green. Today, I'm featuring her new short story release Terms and Conditions Apply.

“Welcome to Venus Ascendant, a Public Grade space station in the Andromedan Galaxy. With our open-to-all policy, any being in the universe can find their perfect R & R, romantic getaway or dangerous liaison at our purpose built resort. The on-board empathic AI Ganesa ensures that anyone coming to Venus Ascendant will find their heart’s desire, with suites that transform from luxurious boudoirs to sunset-lit beaches to dark BDSM dungeons. So come to Venus Ascendant and find exactly what you’re looking for!”

It was meant to be a romantic getaway for Marie and the love of her life Jaisen; a chance for him to get to know her better after months of her denying him more than a few stolen kisses. Instead, Marie finds herself dumped and alone on Venus Ascendant with no credit for a transmat and the next starship home not due for another hour.

But the all-seeing AI isn’t going to leave anyone aboard the space station with their dreams unfulfilled. Marie's boyfriend might not have made it to the station, but there are others willing and able to take on the role - even if they aren’t entirely human.

Excerpt

The door glided open and Marie stepped through, to find herself in the heart of the nebula. She squeaked and Soren grasped her arm in reassurance. The floor of the room was a burnished silver disk beneath the heavens. Crimson and gold light, woven in twisted strands of fire and strung with stars, formed a gauzy canopy overhead. As the door closed, the illusion was complete. They hovered in the fiery remnants of a long dead star. In a shroud of scarlet flames between them and a void full of shadows and distant pinprick suns. Marie forced herself to take a long breath, then another. Her heart fluttered. “I told Jaisen that if I ever had the credit, I’d do a tour of the nebula,” she murmured, as she drank in the beauty of it. “You can barely see it from the surface of the planet. Too much light pollution and atmospheric distortion.” She knew she was rambling but couldn’t seem to stop herself.

Beneath the glowing astral web, in the center of the silver disc, stood the bed. It was huge and circular, draped in midnight blue satin—a luxury beyond her means. A dozen people would have fitted in it comfortably. In fact, if they’d been able to squeeze it into one of the subsistence apartments in her block, double that number would have fought for the privilege of doing so.

Marie took a tentative step forward, her legs unsteady under the illusion of deep space. Her companion kept hold of her elbow until she found her balance again. She ran her hands over the silken fabric, savoring the soft chill of it against her fingers. Something else wove its way into her awareness. She held very still, hardly daring to draw a breath. Music filled the silence. “That’s Darkangel!” 

“Of course.” Soren’s voice startled her from her wonder. She closed her eyes and let the ballad drift over her. Tears squeezed into her eyes. “It’s ‘Eternal Love,’” she murmured. “My favorite track.” She drew in a long, slow breath then let it back out. “This is heaven. I’ve died and gone to heaven.” 

A hand touched her back. “Is this what you wished for?”

Awesome, right? 

Check out Terms and Conditions Apply at:

Smashwords.com 
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
Amazon US 
Amazon UK