It always surprises me how much I like this book.

At first glance it seems like a pretty ordinary SF book with fuzzy aliens, but there's a lot more to it. The aliens are pretty human-like; this is not a book which has a deeply developed alien culture or back story, but their small differences are consistent and they are complex enough that individuals are not cookie-cutter characters.

The story is entertaining and the writing competent. I liked the protagonist, who finds that true independence has a wrenching cost that many women and not a few men will recognize from their own experiences.

Worth owning. ( )