Book Review | House of Salt and Sorrows

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: House of Salt and Sorrows

Author: Erin A. Craig

Format: Hardcover (owned)

Pages: 416

Categories: 12 Dancing Princesses Retelling, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Horror

In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.

In a Top Ten Tuesday topic about childhood favorites, I listed the Twelve Dancing Princesses as one of mine. House of Salt and Sorrows was exactly everything I wanted in a retelling of one of my favorite childhood stories.

But let me talk about the cover first! I got the OwlCrate version and it’s lovely. I love how the inside cover is black with a octopus and masquerade mask design in gray. It’s gorgeous. This totally spoke to the island girl in me with the tidepools and the tentacles on the cover.

Quick personal story: My dad had a boat when I was young, I mean it’s Hawaii so he loved to fish, many people do. He’d be out with our neighbor fishing in the early morning and he’d come back with so many kinds of fish, limu (seaweed), crab, and octopus. He sold some to our neighbors, gave some away to relatives and freeze the rest. One of the chores my sister and I had to do was help clean…everything. I hated cleaning octopus because some of them were huge and still alive and my dad would hold it as I would watch it wrap its large tentacles around his arm. Then my dad would show me its teeth, which looks like a little black whole. As a child I was so afraid it would eat my finger! 😩 So instead he let us clean the baby octopus, and we cleaned it with….SALT. I’ve come to respect octopus and love how beautiful they are, tasty to a lot of people, but they are just awesome, smart creatures. Slimy though. The octopus is the crest for the Thaumus family in this book – which I adore!

House of Salt and Sorrows was the perfect book to get me into the fall season with Halloween around the corner. I am a wimp and when this book went into creepy and horror territory, I vowed to only read it in the day time! Yes…I did start off reading it at night until a few scenes in the book gave me the spooky tingling feeling. 😅 And one sister’s name is Lenore?! A name I love because of Edgar Allan Poe. I LOVE IT. I am trash for Poe. This whole book was a vibe that I was looking for!

Annaleigh is one of twelve sisters, but four sisters have lost their lives, leaving her, Camille, the three Graces, and the triplets. These sisters are close and have a special bond which I love. I would want them to be my sisters! They live on an island surrounded by the sea. When someone dies they return them to the Sal, to the sea. I enjoyed learning about the rituals of the Salann Islands.

I wish this book had a map because the other parts of this world sound fascinating! The world building was intriguing with its own mythology, similar to Greek but except Poseidon ruling the seas, the god of the sea in House of Salt and Sorrows is named Pontus. We learn about a few other gods and goddesses in the book, but I want more. I want to learn about all the other parts of this world that was mentioned in this book: People of the Bones in the Cardanian Mountains, People of the Stars in Versia and so much more.

Now let’s talk about the mystery, just like in Twelve Dancing Princesses, Annaleigh’s father asks that someone uncover the truth about the princesses ruined slippers. I loved the mention of it and I loved the twist! I seriously thought I was losing my mind along with Annaleigh at one point, but the reveal at the end was good!

And the horror? One scene involving a bathtub scared me, which was why I decided to read it in the day time. Yes, I’m so weak! 🤣 Horror is not my favorite genre. But I could totally see this story as a horror movie! There were other scenes in the book that gave me even more nightmarish vibes but it’s so fun. Scary fun!

Of course, because there is a little bit of everything in this book, there is romance! It’s not one that the book centers on, but I loved it because it was a little shining light in Annaleigh’s life which up to that point was just mired in death, curses, nightmares and….madness. It was sweet!

This has to be one of my top favorite books this year! I really hope we get to visit this world again, even if it’s just to follow where the surviving sisters go. I want more mystery/horror/romance stories set in this world! Basically I want to read whatever this author writes next. House of Salt and Sorrows is a fantastic debut novel that surpassed my expectations. 😍

Book Review | Sadie

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Sadie

Author: Courtney Summers

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 311

Categories: Sexual Abuse, Drug Abuse, Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery

A missing girl on a journey of revenge. A Serial―like podcast following the clues she’s left behind. And an ending you won’t be able to stop talking about.

Sadie hasn’t had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she’s been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie’s entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister’s killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.

When West McCray―a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America―overhears Sadie’s story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie’s journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it’s too late.

Courtney Summers has written the breakout book of her career. Sadie is propulsive and harrowing and will keep you riveted until the last page.

Sadie is an important book. It is a story that cover tough subjects like child abuse, drug abuse, and murder. It broke my heart.

The way the book is written is really interesting because it starts off with a podcast. West McCray the show’s host is trying to find Sadie by following the trail she’s left behind. But time is not linear in this book, it starts off with the show, but when Sadie shows up in the story and we are following her, these are flash backs. They are trying to find her trail but I don’t know, with the ending…is it too late for Sadie? As West rushes to put the clues together, we learn the horrifying things that has happened to Sadie through her memories. Sadie’s journey made me feel so helpless.

I was engaged in the story right away but in all honesty, I started this book and put it down for a week because my out-of-state family was visiting and I didn’t want to read something sad. The beginning of the story gave me a feeling this would not end happily. ☹️ Sadie is a gritty character, a girl with a stutter who was already ostracized so much for that in her short life. She is a girl hurting so bad and she’s so empty – you just wish you could protect and help her. Sadie is also angry, resourceful and has a desire to hurt the man who’s hurt her and her sister. I was cheering her on, but oh was I scared for her.

Sadie has had it rough since birth – all stemming from her mom’s drug abuse. The only joy and love she had in life was for her little sister Mattie. And when Mattie’s life is taken, Sadie is more than devastated. What she uncovers on your journey to find her “father” is more sick and depraved men like him. Stories like these gut me and make me afraid for my own kids, there are some scary people out there, and it’s the ones you don’t suspect. For Sadie, all she wants is revenge and to find the man that hurt her. But everyone else back home is trying to find Sadie. Of course, she doesn’t know that. 💔

The only thing that bugged me about the story was the open ending – ugh…..I want to know what happened to Sadie. 😫😢 I have a feeling she died…did she die?! If you did read this already – what do you guys think about the ending? What are your theories? I know that part doesn’t matter, because the story was about the girls out there being preyed on – the ones who don’t, can’t, or won’t tell their story because they are dead, very afraid, or just too broken. But goodness, in the time I spent reading Sadie (and it’s a quick read), I felt like she was real and I had to know if she’s okay.

The story subject matter is not enjoyable, but it is real. We hear the stories, we see it in the news, we know people who have been been abused or abused drugs. The story is raw, suspenseful, heart-breaking and relevant. Read it if you can, but if you can’t, that’s okay too.

Book Review | In the Teeth of It: A Gingerbread Hag Mystery

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: In the Teeth of It (A Gingerbread Hag Mystery, Book 2)

Author: K.A. Miltimore

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 217

Categories: Paranormal, Supernatural, Mystery, Adult Fiction

It’s been two months since the fiery events of Burned to a Crisp, and it’s Christmas in Enumclaw. Hedy is back to hosting visitors in her waystation, while Mel and Darro are decking the halls and telling tales of Krampus in between batches of cannibal Gingerbread Men cookies—just another Christmas at The Gingerbread Hag bakery.

But the holiday spirit isn’t the only thing making its way through Enumclaw. Something definitely from the naughty list is attacking the local farms and the children are possessed with mischief. Hedy’s worries increase when the Concierge sends someone to investigate her house and possibly shut the waystation down for good.

Who’s been naughty, and who’s been nice? Not every gift under the tree is one she’ll want to open, but Hedy better hurry, before all of Enumclaw gets caught In the Teeth of It.

Here we are back at The Gingerbread Hag bakery, a fictional bakery that I want to visit in real life. Hedy is dealing with the aftermath of the events in book one, when Lyssa, a demi-goddess brought chaos to the small town of Enumclaw. Now it’s Christmas time and Hedy has new visitors staying at her waystation but the threat of Lyssa is still real, though no one knows where she is.

This story is a Christmas in July treat! Reading this book made me yearn for cooler weather, Christmas decorations, a cup of hot tea and maybe a sweet delight from The Gingerbread Hag bakery. 😋

In the Teeth of It, the second book of the The Gingerbread Hag Mystery series, introduces us to some new characters. The menagerie from book one makes an appearance as well, though it seemed a lot more brief this time around. I do wish we had more time with my favorite talking animals and ghost in this book, hopefully they are featured more in book three.

I love how this series takes place in a small town, but it’s filled with diverse characters of different ethnicities and supernatural powers. I really enjoyed the new characters, Yami – a kitsune (fox) and Raluca – a Moroi (vampire). I’ve always loved the Moroi and Strogoi legends so I really enjoyed Raluca’s character a lot.

Hedy is a great main character with her signature style: beehive hair and a 1960’s style wardrobe. She’s always a gracious host and storekeeper making friends wherever she goes. But this time around we also get a glimpse of Hedy’s past and I can’t wait to find out more of her time in New Orleans! It sounds intriguing! There was less havoc caused in this book compared to book one, but I think that was okay because it got me into such a cozy holiday mood.

Author, K.A. Miltimore always infuses her stories with the strange, different and interesting whether it comes to baked goods, supernatural creatures, mythology or legends. I look forward to the next book in the series. If you like quick reads and mystery stories with supernatural elements, then definitely give this series a try!

Get it here: Amazon

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About the Author of the book:

K. A. Miltimore is a writer living in the Pacific Northwest who has followed the advice of her 5th grade teacher, Miss Hammond, and become a writer. She loves mid-century fashion, 80s music and nachos (not necessarily in that order). With her husband and son, she loves exploring quirky local towns, and dreams of dragging them both to Iceland for a tour someday. Her tombstone will likely read “Always Creating”. In addition to writing, she enjoys making jewel spiders, looking for great Washington red wines, and re-watching the movies that she has forgotten over the years.

Arc Review: Heartwood Box

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Ann Aguirre

Format: eBook (NetGalley eArc)

Categories: Mystery, Time Travel, Paranormal, Romance

Pages: 336

Publication Date: July 9, 2019

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

In this tiny, terrifying town, the lost are never found. When Araceli Flores Harper is sent to live with her great-aunt Ottilie in her ramshackle Victorian home, the plan is simple. She’ll buckle down and get ready for college. Life won’t be exciting, but she’ll cope, right?

Wrong. From the start, things are very, very wrong. Her great-aunt still leaves food for the husband who went missing twenty years ago, and local businesses are plastered with MISSING posters. There are unexplained lights in the woods and a mysterious lab just beyond the city limits that the locals don’t talk about. Ever. When she starts receiving mysterious letters that seem to be coming from the past, she suspects someone of pranking her or trying to drive her out of her mind. To solve these riddles and bring the lost home again, Araceli must delve into a truly diabolical conspiracy, but some secrets fight to stay buried…

Thank you to MacMillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this eArc.

Heartwood Box is a mystery story that builds slowly in the beginning and packs a punch at the end with an ending that is somewhat bizarre but it works. I thought it was creative and different. My reaction was more like, what?……🤔

While reading this book, I was wondering if this was a ghost story but some things didn’t add up especially when there are people going missing in this strange town. I mean if it was just haunted, why would people go missing? Also, this is the second book I’ve read this month with references to World War I! That’s pretty cool since most people are engrained in World War II history, so I like having the spotlight be on WWI.

I enjoyed the diversity represented with the characters. Araceli is a strong young lady who grew up abroad in Central and South America, so she’s seen a lot of things, especially with parents who are investigative reporters. But this town is something different and she has a challenging time figuring things out.

I thought the ending was a nice twist and a bit strange. But I still enjoyed it because the story is well written. It flowed nicely from a slow mystery, which took me a few days to get into and then it took a turn with full on action and time-travel in the last part of the book. Yes, it did that.

Overall, I like this book! It’s not usually the type of genre I read but it was a nice change of pace.

Get it here: Amazon

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Book Review: Four Dead Queens

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Astrid Scholte

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 432

Categories: Young Adult, Politics, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Romance

Book Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but she’s, in fact, one of Quadara’s most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara’s most enlightened region, Eonia. He runs afoul of Keralie when she steals a package from him, putting his life in danger. When Varin attempts to retrieve the package, he and Keralie both find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara’s queens dead.

With no other choices and on the run from Keralie’s former employer, the two decide to join forces, endeavoring to discover who has killed the queens and save their own lives in the process. When their reluctant partnership blooms into a tenuous romance, they must overcome their own dark secrets in hopes of a future together that seemed impossible just days before. But first they have to stay alive and untangle the secrets behind the nation’s four dead queens.

MY REVIEW

This was a fast read for me because it was a mystery and I was pretty invested in wanting to find out who was killing these queens. But the ending fell flat for me.

What did I like? I enjoyed this sci-fi/fantasy world with four queens ruling their own quadrant. Each quadrant is different: Archia’s main economy is agriculture, Eonia excels in technology, Ludia celebrates the arts, and Toria is about curiosity and exploration. These quadrants help their kingdom survive and it seems pretty fair, as long as all the queens aren’t conniving.

The story is told between six perspectives but in essence told mostly through five of them for most of the story: Keralie and the four queens. Keralie is a Torian who is an expert thief but she steals something that leads to surprising consequences. Keralie as a thief, comes off as untrustworthy, naturally, but not sinister. Paired with Varin, the Eonist she stole from, they make an interesting pair. Eonist are taught, scarily so, to be void of emotions. But I did find the technology of Eonia fascinating, I just wouldn’t want to be born and raised there. Yikes.

The mystery of who is the killer of these queens kept me in this book all the way through. The writing flows nicely and I really enjoyed the queens. Their characters are strong and different but with any mystery, each of them carries a secret. They carry the story until three-fourths of the way when Arebella is introduced.

This is where the story kind of lost me and I understood what was happening and it makes sense, that part is all fine. But I wanted the twists and turns of the ending to pack a bigger punch than it did. It fell flat for me. Other than that it was a quick read, a murder mystery with a little bit of romance combined in a unique setting and it is promising for a debut novel.

Book Review: What The Woods Keep

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Kataya De Becerra

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 365

Categories: Mystery, Psychology, Physics, Dark Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Mythology

Book Blurb:

On her eighteenth birthday, Hayden inherits her childhood home—on the condition that she uncover its dark secrets.

Hayden tried to put the past behind her, and it worked. She’s getting ready for college, living in a Brooklyn apartment, and hanging out with her best friend and roommate Del. But now it’s all catching up with her: her mother’s mysterious disappearance a decade before, her father’s outlandish theories about a lost supernatural race, and Hayden’s own dark dreams of strange symbols and rituals in the Colorado woods where she grew up.

As soon as Hayden arrives at her hometown, her friend Del in tow, it begins: Neighbors whisper secrets about Hayden’s mother; the boy next door is now all grown-up in a very distracting way; and Hayden feels the trees calling to her. And among them, deep in the woods, Hayden will discover something incredible—something that threatens reality itself.

MY REVIEW

This is one of those books where I borrowed it because of it’s lovely cover. The book blurb sounded interesting but I didn’t quite know what to expect.

What The Woods Keep, follows Hayden, who just turned eighteen and inherits her mother’s home in Promise, Colorado. Hayden has a quite a past: a childhood in Promise with memories of these dark woods, her mother disappearing, her dad who is a physicist but obsessed with Nibelungs. And yes I had to google Nibelungs to see if they were a real thing and they definitely are a thing, a thing of legend and lore.

This story is different and I was drawn into Hayden’s psychosis. She has dreams that haunt her, she’s a warrior on a horse. Hayden’s past also revolves on an incident of unexplained violence at her school – her counseling sessions are presented to us in the book like evidence.

When she goes to Promise with her best friend Del, more strange things start to happen. The people in town have eyes like her, one color different than the other. The woods around them are creepy and a white raven is constantly watching her. Plus there is a facility called Blue Haven Research Institute in Promise with security guards. What is going on? I kept reading to find out, so this book definitely kept me engaged.

This book is hard to categorize. It’s a mashup of sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery. I really loved how most chapters started off with some scientific tidbit on physics or psychology. And some parts were creepy too whenever it was about the woods. What is in these woods? What did Hayden’s mom do there? How did she die or disappear? Are the Nibelungs real? The story moved along quickly for me. I loved all the extra things in this book like Hayden’s case files, newspaper clippings and her mother’s hand written notes.

The only thing that didn’t grab me was the romance between Hayden and her old childhood friend Shannon. It happens a bit quick after they reunite but I guess I can surmise the feelings were always there because they grew up so close together.

Overall, this was a pleasantly surprising fun book to read! It is a really good debut from this author. I look forward to seeing what she writes in the future.

Get it here: Amazon

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Book Review: Burned To A Crisp (A Gingerbread Hag Mystery)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: K.A. Miltimore

Format: E-book

Pages: 154

Categories: Paranormal, Mystery, Ghost, Supernatural, Indie Author

Disclaimer: ** I was gifted this ebook by the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**

Book Blurb:

Hedy Leckermaul runs a strange little bakery in the sleepy town of Enumclaw, Washington. Her bakery may be bizarre but it is the non-human guests who stay at her home, along with her resident ghost, and her menagerie of talking animals that truly is strange. Hedy hosts a waystation for supernatural travelers and while hosting two such travelers, the town is rocked by an arsonist who is kidnapping women, and pitting the residents of Enumclaw against each other. Hedy and her friends must solve the mystery when one of their own vanishes, leaving them racing to find out who is behind it all before it is too late.

MY REVIEW

Thank you to author K.A. Miltimore for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb for this book already told me this was going to be a slightly out of the box read for me since I usually stick to romance and young adult books. But a baker who bakes unusual things like rat shaped cookies? A menagerie of talking animals and a ghost? It made me wonder, what else could happen in this sleepy town? Apparently, a lot!

“…but then I remembered that things are only strange to you if they are outside your normal experience.”
Burned to a Crisp (A Gingerbread Hag Mystery) by. K.A. Miltimore

The writing is wonderfully descriptive and I got a real sense of this sleepy town and it’s diverse characters. I liked that there is also LGBTQ+ representation. I wanted to visit this bakery that is run by Hedy Leckermaul and sample all these unusual goodies.

This bakery acts as a waystation for supernatural travelers. Think of this waystation like a bed and breakfast, where Hedy is an accommodating host. I really like Hedy, she’s level headed, doesn’t let a lot of things bother her, she’s brave, quirky and is accepting of all things strange and different. I love how her house is filled with artifacts and talking animals. The menagerie was fantastic, it made me smile whenever they emerged in the story.

Now as two travelers arrive on Hedy’s doorstep within days of one another, an arsonist is going around town, ramping up fear and discord among the people. Hedy, her guests, her menagerie and a few more interesting characters that are introduced in the story find themselves in the middle of a mystery. Hedy is usually so calm about strange things happening around her but when events concern the people she care about, even she senses something is more wrong than usual. Will they piece together the puzzle before it’s too late?

The story moves at a steady pace and it kept me in it until the end. I loved how there was a mixture of mythology and fairy tale lore infused into the story. If you are into paranormal mystery or just want to read something to break up the monotony of what you are reading, definitely give this one a try. I’m glad I did! Overall this is an enjoyable, unique story full of mystery, surprising characters and bizarre happenings.

Book Review: LUCID

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Kristy Fairlamb

Format: E-book

Length: 248 pages

Publication Date: April 23, 2019

Categories: Paranormal, Dreams, Romance, Young Adult, Mystery

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Book Blurb:

A Terrifying Power. A Horrifying Curse.

Lucy Piper lives a lonely existence on the precipice between life and death. She possesses the horrifying ability to resurrect real-life tragic events in her nightmares, reliving over and over, as if she were there, the last few moments before the victim takes their final breath. Car accidents, drownings, plane crashes – Lucy has seen it all. No one understands what it’s like living death by night and fearing sleep by day.

When Tyler Sims and his family move to town to escape past traumas, Lucy is drawn to him. The two of them are linked through their dreams, and with Tyler’s trust and friendship, hope for a brighter future returns to Lucy’s world. But Tyler’s presence awakens something else in Lucy, and with this new knowledge she will be forced to make impossible decisions. Decisions that will change history, and the future.

Chilling, haunting and compelling, this novel is the first in a two-part series for fans of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and The Hidden Memory of Objects that will leave you breathless for days.

MY REVIEW

I wanted to read something different from the romance and fantasy novels on my TBR list so thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC of this book. LUCID, is more mystery than thriller, but still very unique.

What I really enjoyed about this book was venturing into Lucy’s dreams, or should I call them nightmares? After Lucy hears about an event or an accident, she dreams about it. I would not want to have her gift – saving people’s lives is cool yes, but enduring the nightmares, NOPE. For most of the beginning of the book, Lucy wonders why she dreams these things.

Tyler moves to her small town, which happens to be a mountain tourist town in Australia known for their snow. And he and Lucy are drawn to one another, but not because they find each other attractive – which they do. But Lucy has seen him before, in her dreams. Tyler has a past that is linked to one of her dreams. So what will happen if she alters the dream that he is tied to? Does she have the strength to do it, if it means losing Tyler?

The one thing I wanted more from this book was information about why she dreams this way. Her Grandma Tess has had similar dreams before so I’m thinking it runs in the family but I felt like Lucy needed someone who could give her concrete answers. With a power like altering reality, I would think there would be someone to guide her to do the right thing. Grandma Tess does her best, but even this is out of her realm, at least that’s the way it seems. Lucy eventually figures things out on her own, but still, what a responsibility to have on her shoulders.

Overall this was an enjoyable, solid debut from this new author. It was a quick read at only 248 pages. I am very curious to see what happens next in Lucy’s dreams!

Book Review: Serious Moonlight

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Jenn Bennett

Format: E-book

Pages: 434

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Mystery, Sex, Mental Health

Publication Date: April 16, 2019

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Book Blurb:

After an awkward first encounter, Birdie and Daniel are forced to work together in a Seattle hotel where a famous author leads a mysterious and secluded life in this romantic contemporary novel from the author of Alex, Approximately.

Mystery-book aficionado Birdie Lindberg has an overactive imagination. Raised in isolation and homeschooled by strict grandparents, she’s cultivated a whimsical fantasy life in which she plays the heroic detective and every stranger is a suspect. But her solitary world expands when she takes a job the summer before college, working the graveyard shift at a historic Seattle hotel.

In her new job, Birdie hopes to blossom from introverted dreamer to brave pioneer, and gregarious Daniel Aoki volunteers to be her guide. The hotel’s charismatic young van driver shares the same nocturnal shift and patronizes the waterfront Moonlight Diner where she waits for the early morning ferry after work. Daniel also shares her appetite for intrigue, and he’s stumbled upon a real-life mystery: a famous reclusive writer—never before seen in public—might be secretly meeting someone at the hotel.

To uncover the writer’s puzzling identity, Birdie must come out of her shell…discovering that most confounding mystery of all may be her growing feelings for the elusive riddle that is Daniel.

MY REVIEW

Jenn Bennett is becoming one of my favorite young adult contemporary authors. When I saw this book cover, I didn’t realize it was the same author from Alex, Approximately and Starry Eyes, two books I really enjoyed, but now she is an author under my radar! So let’s talk about Serious Moonlight ~

What I Liked:

The writing – the author sucks you into the setting. I felt like I was in Seattle and I’ve never traveled there before in my life! This story is complex, it’s not just a romance novel. In this book the author touches on mental health, dealing with death, sleep disorders, love of mysteries, sex, and how to bridge two people coping with these issues and falling in love.
The characters – they are so wonderfully unique. There’s Birdie, who has an interesting upbringing, plus her sleep disorder. Mona, her aunt, who was my favorite. She comes off the page as eccentric and lovable, just a huge personality that I wanted to hug. Daniel is half Japanese, which I love about Jenn Bennett’s books. She adds diversity and that’s always needed. Daniel is easy-going, funny, but with a very surprising past as well.
The romance – it’s a sweet slow burn. The slow part is mostly because Birdie and Daniel trying to get together is challenging. They both have their own issues to deal with, more so Birdie since it’s like she’s been freed from her cage. They are awkward, there is miscommunication when they try to talk, and basically it reminds me of my own teenage years. When I read the romance parts of the book I cringed, I laughed and I smiled.

What I Didn’t Like:

I’m not a big mystery buff, so the beginning was hard for me to get into. If you LOVE mystery (think Columbo and Murder, She Wrote) – you will love all these elements in the book. For me, it dragged but I got through it. I thought it was super cute that Daniel picked up on Birdie’s love for mysteries and basically got her out of her shell by enticing her with a mystery at their work place.

While it’s not my favorite Jenn Bennett book, I still loved the story once I got through the beginning. The writing is fantastic, the setting draws you in and the characters are people you want to know in real life. I definitely enjoyed this unique take on a young adult romance contemporary novel.