Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

Jack Parker Saves the World by Bill Flanigin is a delightful rendition of what I would call soft science fiction. Yes, it is set in the future and yes, it involves space travel but the timeframe and technology are such that it is not only believable and relatable but it revolves around an event scientists have been warning us about for decades; a rogue asteroid striking Earth. Jack Parker has the most recognizable face in the world - after all, he was the astronaut who landed on an asteroid and managed to change its direction enough to miss Earth. Jack Parker saved the world. For the last six years, Jack has lived alone with his beloved dog, Lily, in an isolated cabin on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. He has shunned human contact since returning from his mission. There is nowhere he can go without being recognized and feted. He’d had enough - until the day his darling Lily was sick and he was forced to rush her to the vet, where he met the beautiful veterinarian, Emily English. 

Jack Parker Saves the World is a wonderful piece of escapism but, more than that, it is a sweet love story that will tug at the heartstrings. Author Bill Flanigin has taken a realistic and somewhat familiar plot - shades of Armageddon - and woven a lovely romance around it. The story is conveyed in two distinct time phases, from Jack’s perspective as the mysterious Guardian who is tasked to fly an almost impossible mission into space to divert the asteroid and that of a lonely, hermit-like character, six years later, seeking to reconnect with humanity and love. This juxtaposition between the astronaut Jack and the hermit Jack gives the narrative a poignancy and adds depth to the tale. For me, the most powerful moment occurs when Jack is working outside the spacecraft and catches his first glimpse of the tiny blue dot that is Earth, his home. He realizes the enormity of the mission he is undertaking. Seven billion people are collectively holding their breath, waiting for Jack to either succeed or fail. I appreciated Jack’s intense need to find human connection and love after his self-imposed isolation. I enjoyed the tension in Mission Control as much as I enjoyed the gentle growth of romance between Jack and Emily. This is a beautifully written and balanced story that I greatly enjoyed. I highly recommend this read.