Space comes in fifty shades of black. Twelve aliens, six couples, one dating service and one reality TV series both in desperate trouble. Buster the Belobrat thinks he knows about true love so can't understand why viewers are leaving his new reality TV show 'Love Planet' in droves. Nova, the head of the Human branch of the Intergalactic Dating agency, knows exactly where he's been going wrong and sets out to teach him using six examples from her company's history; six couples made up of the twelve species that exist in the known universe: An argibraffe pet who falls in love with a Spice Girls tribute singer in a tale of treachery, deceit and sleeping HabridatsA Camalosian actor in a long running science fiction series who falls in love for his Maggrumph colleague while both run up and down corridors with everyone's favourite Time Rodent.An Agrosian and a Belobrat who are meant to be signing their divorce papers but who end up wondering about missed opportunities and second chancesA clumsy Clandusprod and a faulty Mekkion who start long distance and end up as close as any couple can beThe voyages of ensigns Yoko Glabdihardit and Hamish Habridat, new trainees on the Well Fed-eration's mission to boldly track down recipes where nobody has tracked them beforeA Mrasianart 'Medium' who deals in futures and his 'Extra Large' Doosbury Giant friend who lives for the present, where neither of them want to remember their pastBut is Buster all that he seems? For that matter is Nova? And why are there two pages of sponsorship advertisements at the back of the book?!? So make a date with these six short stories celebrating romance between twelve of these beings and how love changed all their lives - and in the Doosbury Giants' case their lunches - forever. For what could be more universal in such a varied universe than love? More than just another collection of short stories, 'Ensconce' is yet another mad house, a love song to love and the lengths that the universe goes to in order to put the right people together at the right time and the hope that love might yet save us all. Now available in a special illustrated re-issue with illustrations by artist 'Under A Dreamer's Moon' that bring the twelve colourful alien species of the 'Kindred Spirits' universe to life. Look out for the special colour paperback edition also available!