A very cute story! There were lots of great descriptions of the scenery. Some of the snark between certain characters was fun, too.

3.75 stars rounded up Gems and Star Flowers is a sweet sci-fi romance with a lot packed into one novela. Fleur and Zerr have a lot to learn about themselves and each other. I think the world was unique, and loved the different alien races. I would love to see more stories about Perlians or Lurens or even others. To see more about their worlds and lives. Maybe some of Lisun? Or even some of Keiran's mythos. The romance was a little insta-lovey for my taste, but as the story went on, it really grew on me. Especially since they are clearly getting to know each other over time traveling between planets. They are just too cute together, and I fell in love with their relationship. There is a lot of intimacy but it's done well as they explore each other and talk through it. I would have liked to see more non-spicy intimate scenes. There are a few, but I think it would add to the coziness. The pacing is a bit off, as there's so much put into one novella. There were several points where it felt like this book would end, and I was shocked to see that I had so much more to go. It's almost episodic - there are several stories packed into one book. I think they could easily have been expanded out into a series or at least a full novel, giving more info on the world and the characters and building. There are some scenes that feel like they are too short, and some extra space would have helped. I do feel like the veneum plot thread was introduced, just generally accepted and even encouraged, then it gets handwaived away like it won't be a problem. I understand why it's introduced. I sort of understand why Fleur doesn't push the issue at first. I even understand that the root cause is being addressed. But that just doesn't magic the addiction away. It didn't really end up being a source of conflict, and it's not really dealt with either. I just wonder if it could have been left out or replaced with something else. I listened to the audiobook for this one, and enjoyed the narrator's voice. Rose Svetich did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life! The narration was a bit jarring at times, with no spacing between the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next. But overall, Rose has a very calming voice, and I look forward to hearing more of their narration in the future. I really did enjoy my time with Gems and Star Flowers and would love to see more set in this world. I think it would be a good read for folks who want a cute cozy romance with some darker themes lurking around the pages.