All’s Fair in Love and Reality TV: Love Galaxy by Sierra Branham

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 Normally, if a book is billed as a “science-fiction thriller,” I put it aside, as “thriller” usually indicates to me that the crime or pulse-pounding elements are going to be played more than I enjoy. But the conceit of Sierra Branham's Love Galaxy, in which a down-on-her-luck trash collector has to compete on a reality show to date one (both?) of the heirs to the empire in order to save her family, felt just ridiculous enough that I thought I would set aside that thriller label and give it a go. I’m incredibly glad I did.

Love Galaxy by Sierra Brahnam

As a note, Love Galaxy is not a stand-alone, which is what I had expected. Instead, the book, named after the entertainment program that’s the bread-and-circuses provided to the empire, sets up a much larger series of political machinations, complications, and threats to all of humanity in space, all while leaning into the conceits of shows like The Bachelor. It’s gleefully silly while also building a really fleshed out setting, characters who have complex motives beyond their dating lives. It’s also a pointed commentary on propaganda, who controls information, and who ultimately determines a person’s fate.

The story opens with Temmi, an inventor (and trash collector) who must sell what could have been her greatest innovation in order to keep her family from getting kicked out of their apartment. When she meets two spoiled rich young adults blocking her garbage pick up, she understandably goes off on them—not realizing that they’re the imperial heirs.

Spie knows she’s not in the running to become the next emperor; her mother has been grooming her dutiful brother Nicky for the job, treating Spie like eye candy and entertainment. The twins are the stars of Love Galaxy for the season, dating 24 contestants and choosing the future consort to the throne. Many of the usual nobles will be chosen, and it isn’t as though the emperor would allow a lowly trash collector to really wed one of her children—but Nicky’s taken with how real Temmi is, and Spie finds herself strangely attracted to the brash trash collector as well. When Nicky wants just one real person on the show, Spie makes sure Temmi will participate—she bribes Temmi by promising her family will be supported and given the best medical care while Temmi’s gone. It’s an offer Temmi can’t refuse.

But while the whole show is a farce to Temmi, it becomes even worse when the contestants start dying, and the crew—and the emperor herself—are involved in the coverup. All Temmi has to do is make it to the finals, and she’ll get the payout that Spie promised. But while she’s supposed to be there for Nicky, it’s Spie she starts to connect with. And as the show finally comes to a head, both women realize they’re not quite ready to let the other go…

I am not a reality show watcher, but I love the narrative framing and gimmicks of reality shows. The asides to the camera, the penchant for the production team to use whatever footage they find to cast certain contestants as heroes and villains, no matter what the contestants are really like—all of those elements make the storytelling feel more fun when you’re getting the full, behind-the-scenes story. And while that’s a huge part of this narrative, the murder mystery element is maybe even stronger, taking the story in ways that were completely unexpected. Once revealed, all the pieces click into place, and throwaway bits of information from early chapters are suddenly shown as relevant.

Like reality shows, the manufactured drama here is high, but it’s given a counterpoint to real drama. Temmi isn’t a sob story or a villain; she’s a person with deep, complex issues and reasons for her prickly exterior. Spie, likewise, has reasons for being the playgirl, most of them having to do with her desire (and failure) to gain her mother’s approval.

Branham, whose prose does not read like a debut novel, parcels out hints about past events as the chapters go on. Immediately, Temmi’s betrayal by her ex-boyfriend is clear, but readers don’t know what he did or why, only that it has something to do with Temmi’s inventions. Spie comes across as shallow initially, but as the narrative continues, a truly caring and deeply hurt interior life are revealed. Both women are dedicated to their brothers, and neither woman really believes that love waits in their futures. The surprises in both their growing attraction and in the reasons behind the murders keep the narrative fresh even when leaning into silly tropes. And the way the stakes change completely at the end of the story sets up what is sure to be a trilogy filled with political intrigue, rebel factions, and the looming threat of a dangerous war.

Overall, this is a fantastic launch to a space opera trilogy with a will-they-won’t-they sapphic romance (with most of the flirting over the equivalent of text messages). Branham is off to an explosive start, and it will be exciting to watch how the series progresses. Rating: 9.3 out of 10.

Love Galaxy is now available at Bookshop.org and all your other local bookstores!