REVIEW: A Sky Full of Stars by Samantha Chase

 A Sky Full of Stars by Samantha Chase is the fifth book in the Shaughnessy Brothers series. This is the story of astrophysicist Owen Shaughnessy, the quietest, shyest brother. The complete opposite of his outgoing rock star twin, Riley, Owen has always felt like a bit of an outcast, even in his own family. He’s socially awkward, never knowing what to say to anyone.

Brooke Matthews is a free-spirited artist. When her uncle Howard, a mentor and friend of Owen’s, suggests she asks Owen to hire her on as an assistant for his trip to a meteor shower in the desert, Brooke thinks it’s the perfect job. Not only would she be able to paint the night sky, but she’d get to bridge the social awkwardness between Owen and his students. Plus she would get to spend time with the attractive professor.

I felt for Owen. It was hard for him to connect with people, so he pushed them away instead and isolated himself. I liked how even though he felt like an outsider in his family, they didn’t actually view him that way, especially Riley. His twin is very protective of him.

“He feels I need someone to help me learn how to be better at social interaction.”
He expected his brother to laugh–or at the very least grin.
But he didn’t.
If anything, Riley looked fierce and pissed off.
“I hope you told them both to go to hell,” Riley said firmly.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” Then he stopped and took a calming breath. “Owen, there isn’t a damn thing wrong with you. You’re an amazing scientist, and you love what you do. That’s all that should matter.”

It was sad how he’s actually surprised that his brother Quinn would put off what he was doing to give him advice and support.

Listen, I have to go. I’m under this Mustang, and now I need both hands to get this pipe down.”
“You’ve been under a car this whole time?”
“Well…yeah. Why?”
“Why didn’t you just tell me you were busy?”
“Because you said you needed advice. You never call me for advice. There was no way I was going to blow you off. This is just a pipe. It will be here until I’m ready to remove it. You’re my brother, and you’re more important.”

Brooke had her own issues. She had a brother who was brilliant like Owen, a brother she picked on with all the other popular kids. After his death she vowed not to be that person anymore. Despite her behavior when she was younger, I liked Brooke. She’s no longer the self-centered girl she was; she was kind and compassionate. Not having a close family, she’s not used to the type of family the Shaughnessy’s are, which leaves her feeling like a bit of an outsider.

If you’ve read the previous books in the series, you’ll get to see all the Shaughnessy family members again. It was nice to see them all, but I will admit I was slightly disappointed in the way they first reacted to Brooke. It wasn’t the normal welcoming behavior I’ve come to expect from them.

I loved the flashbacks of the conversations between Owen and his mother when he was child. Their interactions were very sweet and it was clear she adored him and accepted that he was different from her other children, all while trying to teach him that it was ok to be who he was.

A Sky Full of Stars is a heartwarming story of opposites attracting, and of the unbreakable bonds of family love. This works as a standalone, but I do recommend reading the prior books to get a full understanding of the closeness of the Shaughnessy family, especially since this book didn’t exactly show them in the best light. Despite that, I believe this is one of the best books in the series.
 

Book Info:

Publication: June 6, 2017 | Sourcebooks Casablanca | The Shaughnessy Brothers #5

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE
Brilliant astrophysicist Dr. Owen Shaughnessy feels more connected to the cosmos than to people. He’s great with calculations, but when he leads a team of scientists to study a famous meteor shower, he doesn’t factor in his free-spirited artist assistant Brooke Matthews.

LOVE CAN DAZZLE YOU
Polar opposites in personality, the friction between them threatens to derail the project. But the beauty and mystery of the night sky draw Owen and Brooke together―and she’s going to surprise him in ways the stars never could.