This is a good SF novel with the slightest bit of romance thrown in. The romance is almost incidental to the story, and at times the characters seemed romantically involved solely because they were the female and male leads of the story rather than the romance being generated out of any relationship building. Aside from that, the basic premise of the story is very good. I loved the pre-planetfall section, which was well thought-out and engaging. After planetfall, the main mystery of the story takes center stage, but unfortunately this is also the same time that the storyline started to lose my interest. The big reveal at the end seems almost anticlimactic, and there are some plot holes I wish had been filled. Overall, it's a very good SF book, especially for those who like stories involving interstellar travel or colonization of alien worlds. I will definitely seek out her next book, because the core ideas were fantastic, even if some of the execution was lacking this time around.
