Frothy, screwball, science fiction romances is a type of book that Connie Willis has mastered. Like Bellwether, To Say Nothing of the Dog, All Seated on the Ground, and Crosstalk, The Road to Roswell belongs to this category. I read this book for precisely this reason: I adore Willis’s romances.

The science fiction is an important descriptor of these stories. Although they aren’t, quite, “hard” science fiction, they are clearly science fiction. In The Road to Roswell, this is the facts behind alien conspiracies, and some of the theories around alien visitation, both pro and con. As the title suggests, some of the theories center around Roswell, New Mexico, and the incident that happened in 1947. The story also leans into the alien abduction and first contact tropes, and mines both suspense and humor from them.

Once you understand the type of novel this is, spoilers aren’t really an issue, so I won’t try to avoid them. Yes, the girl gets the boy in the end, although I think he deserves to get a little more roughed up before he gets his happy ending. As well, Willis has a delightful way with zany side characters, some of whom aren’t quite what they appear to be. The alien is actually alien, communication is difficult through most of the story, and their motives are clear as mud through almost all of it.

A delightful romp, as I expected and hoped for from Willis.

Willis, Connie. The Road to Roswell. New York, New York: Del Rey Books, 2023. 127,103 words. 5 stars.