Book Review: Beau and Bett

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Kathryn Perla

Format: E-book

Pages: 256

Publication Date: June 25, 2019

Categories: Beauty and the Beast Retelling, Romance, Young Adult

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

Book Blurb:

After Beau LeFrancois’s mother wrecks Bett Diaz’s luxury SUV, his family faces an impossibly large bill—with no car insurance to help pay it. To pay off the debt, Beau spends his weekends working at the Diaz Ranch.

Beau’s prepared to work, but he’s definitely not prepared for the infamous temper of Bett Diaz, also known as “The Beast” at school. As Beau learns the secrets behind Bett’s tough exterior, he finds himself falling for her . . . until he catches Bett in a lie.

A contemporary twist on a classic fairy tale, Beau and Bett is a timely story of family, friendship, and the power of speaking out and standing up for yourself.

MY REVIEW

Thank you to Edelweiss+ for the opportunity to read this free e-arc for an honest review.

Beau and Bett, is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast, minus the magic and minus an actual beast. This time Bettina Diaz, is the “Beast” in personality and Beau is Belle, which I thought was a cute twist. I thought the book got better in the middle where Beau and Bett spend more time getting to know each other. That’s where the story finally caught my interest.

Beau is a really good kid who is trying to help his family. He’s hard-working and seems like a pretty chill guy. Bettina is misjudged, she comes off like the materialistic rich girl. But she’s a lonely girl who loves the farm she lives on and finally makes a friend in Beau. I love that Beau didn’t give up on her.

This is a pretty straight forward contemporary retelling with no real surprises. Beau and Bett is a quick read, and a light-hearted young adult romance novel.

Book Review: The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Ally Condie

Format: E-book

Pages: 328

Categories: Dystopian, Young Adult, Grief, Revenge

Book Blurb:

There is something Poe Blythe, the seventeen-year-old captain of the Outpost’s last mining ship, wants far more than the gold they tear from the Serpentine River.

Revenge.

Poe has vowed to annihilate the river raiders who robbed her of everything two years ago. But as she navigates the treacherous waters of the Serpentine and realizes there might be a traitor among her crew, she must also reckon with who she has become, who she wants to be, and the ways love can change and shape you. Even—and especially—when you think all is lost.

Ally Condie, the international bestselling author of the Matched trilogy, returns with an intricately crafted and emotionally gripping story of one young woman’s journey to move beyond the grief and anger that control her and find the inner strength to chart her own course.

MY REVIEW

I have to admit, I borrowed this e-book because I was seeing the title and cover everywhere. I didn’t know what it was about only that it was the same author that wrote the Matched Trilogy.

This book hit me in a place unexpected and not because of the setting or overall story. Poe Blythe, the main character was recognizable to me, painfully so. This character is a sharp blade whetted by grief and anger. I recognized her as someone I used to know: once upon a time, when I was 29 years old, I was made a young widow unexpectedly. Poe Blythe was me. It was like looking into a mirror. So as I kept reading, I became highly invested in Poe. I understood all her thoughts, her coldness, her detachment, her anger, her paranoia, her obsession with her ship – all the things that made her unlikable as a character. I knew how she became that person and I felt for her.

It’s a dystopian story set in a future when resources are scarce. Poe Blythe is part of the crew on a dredge, a gold mining ship for the Outpost. The world building is sparse, because it only focused on the Outpost, the river and Poe. Her grief is a landscape on its own. She had tunnel vision and seeing Poe struggling to see more outside of her grief was triumphant.

A raider kills the one person Poe loves and she is consumed with grief, hate, and thoughts of revenge. Her grief inspires her to build a dredge ship that is equipped with armor to kill as many raiders as possible. But then she is sent on a mission where everything goes wrong. This mission makes her face her inner demons. There is a lot of action in this story and events that challenges Poe from the get go. The secondary characters are there to put dents into her armor, both her ship’s armor and her own emotional armor. As Poe says, if you understand her ship – you understand her. Poe needs to trust someone eventually – but can she? And who can she trust?

For me, this was a surprisingly quick, intense read. When it ended I was shocked – because I had no expectations of finishing it so fast. I also had no words to describe what I just read, because I was so bound to Poe, I had to decompress a little. This book took me on an emotional and familiar ride down the river of heartbreak, grief and anger. In the end, I needed to know Poe would survive her last voyage…like I did. It’s a stand alone book but I can actually see reading more books set in this world. It was well written, compelling, and it punched me in the heart. It definitely left an impression on me.

Book Review: Voice of Dominion (The Spoken Mage 3)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Melanie Cellier

Format: E-book

Pages: 316

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic

Book Blurb:

Elena may be the only Spoken Mage in history, but she struggles with limitations. Unable to stockpile written workings as her mageborn year mates do, she runs the constant risk of burning out. But when the Armed Forces draw the third years to the front lines of their war, Elena’s strength and flexibility may be necessary to keep them all alive.

As Elena wrestles with how much she will sacrifice for the war, Lucas must decide how much he’s willing to sacrifice for her. Faced with a greater threat than even they realize, Elena and Lucas must work together and either fight or be consumed by their enemies.

MY REVIEW

Elena is a Spoken Mage, whereas other mages write a composition of magic on paper and then tear it up in order for the magic to happen, all she needs to do is speak the words. In the first two books Elena is at an academy learning how to harness and expand her powers. Their kingdom, Ardann has been at war with neighboring kingdom, Kallorway. This time Elena and her classmates are sent to the front lines to observe the battle but gets caught in some skirmishes.

One reason I like this series is how the magic is created with the written compositions. It’s different! It would definitely be easier to speak out a command than spend time composing it but the author shows how writing could be beneficial in certain aspects as well.

There was a lot more action in this book now that they are at the front lines. Elena’s best friends are with her and still awesome. I’m glad she has good people around her. The romance has been a clean slow burn throughout three books now. It’s a back and forth thing between Prince Lucas and Elena. But I just wish they would just stay together. The twist in the ending, made me pause hard. It threw me off and made me wonder why that needed to take place. I’m not sure that I like it. I guess we will see how it works out in the next book – but it definitely surprised me!

All the books in this series are quick, easy, fun reads – this one wasn’t my favorite though.

Book Review: The Gamer’s Guide to Getting the Girl

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Kristine Scarrow

Format: E-book

Pages: 208

Publication Date: July 16, 2019

Categories: Young Adult, Gaming, Romance

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

Book Blurb:

Zach is used to living in a world of legendary battles, epic journeys, and life-or-death situations. As a gamer, he is hard-wired for adventure, even though it’s from the comfort of his parents’ couch. But nothing has prepared him for battling the biggest storm in Saskatchewan’s history.

On top of this, Zach has finally met the girl of his dreams, but he finds himself helping everyone else stay safe while his best friend spends time with her. What Zach doesn’t realize is that love always finds its way when you’ve found the right person and are ready to risk it all to save the day.

MY REVIEW

Thank you NetGalley and Dundurn for this e-arc of The Gamer’s Guide to Getting the Girl.

What drew me to this book was the title. My husband and young son are gamers. I dabble slightly in gaming when my son needs someone to game with. So I requested this book because I thought the story of this gamer boy trying to get a girl would be cute and funny.

The story is well written, there are no problems there, but I felt there was a lack of connection between Zach, our gamer, and Samara, the girl he’s trying to get. The references to video games I knew was fun and made me smile. The author took Zach’s love of gaming and put him into a real life challenging situation, to test his real life skills.

So Zach sees a girl, Samara, in the video game store and is stunned that she’s beautiful and is a gamer as well. It’s insta-love, but he just doesn’t seem to know how to approach her and connect to her, he sort of tries. Then a storm locks them and a few others in the mall. The rest of the story deals with keeping people safe, fed, happy and under control. Zach steps up to the plate and helps with all of this – he is a great guy, but does Samara notice him? It’s easy to say from all of Zach’s actions in this book he’s an all around good guy. He cares about people, he wants to save lives, he’s level-headed and smart.

It’s a crazy time to fall in love – during a storm and tornado watch! I really didn’t see how Samara was secretly crushing on him at all during the whole event. She was always upset and walking off after talking with Zach. And I don’t think Zach was doing much to get the girl at all. He was infatuated with her, for sure, but doing enough to get to know her? I didn’t feel it until much later in the book. Like his friend Cooper pointed out, Zach was busy helping everyone else. Cooper knew her much better than Zach did!

It was a fast read, with good writing and a great cast of secondary characters. I just wish there was a bit more build up to the romance and seeing Zach put more effort into really getting the girl.

Book Review: Honor Bound (The Honors #2)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Authors: Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre

Format: Hard cover

Pages: 467

Categories: Space, Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Cliffhanger

Book Blurb

Zara Cole was a thief back on Earth, but she’s been recently upgraded to intergalactic fugitive. On the run after a bloody battle in a covert war that she never expected to be fighting, Zara, her co-pilot Beatriz, and their Leviathan ship Nadim barely escaped the carnage with their lives. Now Zara and her crew of Honors need a safe haven, far from the creatures who want to annihilate them. But with two wounded Leviathan to treat, plus human and non-human refugees to help, they’ll have to settle for the nearest outpost, called the Sliver: a wild, dangerous warren of alien criminals. Zara’s skills from the Zone may be invaluable. However, Zara discovers that the secrets of the Sliver may have the power to turn the tide of the war they left behind—but in the wrong direction. Soon Zara will have to make a choice: stand against the ultimate evil or run from it. But she’s never walked away from a fight.

MY REVIEW:

The exciting space adventure continues with this second installment of The Honors series, Honor Bound.

I usually read books with romance in it but this book is different. I can’t describe it as a romance because the relationship is between Zara and her ship, a Leviathan named Nadim. I would call it a deep friendship bond – like soulmates and it’s a beautiful thing. I imagine these leviathans to be like whale space ships, who are intelligent and communicate with their Honor (their human). Are they in love? Sometimes I think they are but maybe it’s my own human limitations of my own experiences I’m applying to their relationship. I should know by now after reading two books in this series, anything can happen. And that goes for what happens when Beatriz is included in the bonding moments too. 👀😬

The world building is fantastic. I’ve only started getting into space operas, I’m not that big into the Sci-Fi genre but this series has kept me interested so far. I can imagine this world of multi-gender, slimy, blobby, tentacled, reptilian-like, God-like aliens. The writing is descriptive and the action scenes are so exciting, it kept me on the edge of my seat.

I thought the beginning of the book was slow but it does pick up when they have to dock somewhere for repairs. Of course they stop at the Sliver, a place with shady deals going on, where anything goes if you want to earn currency and is run by Bacia Annont. Zara Cole, shines in this book. She kicks ass, literally! Whether it’s in the Pits, on a mission for Bacia Anont, or fighting the Phage and the Lifekiller, this girl has the heart of a fighter and the smarts too. She’s saving her friends, making friends, and trying to keep everyone alive.

Now the ending is a major cliffhanger! I was like, NO, you can’t end there! One thing that threw me off a little and had to dig in my memory bank for was the issue back on earth with a part of Zara’s past. It emerges in the last part of the book and I was trying to remember who this person was to Zara from the first book. I think it will just make for more action and fighting in the third book, but I wasn’t sure if it was even needed? Zara is dealing with so much already in space. What’s one more thing to mess up her mission, right?

All I know is Zara Cole can handle anything that comes her way with the bonds she has solidified with her friends, new crew members and leviathans. Let’s hope she can make it out alive in book three!

Book Review: Kingdom Cold

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Author: Brittni Chenelle

Format: E-book

Pages: 278

Categories: Romance, Kingdoms, Young Adult, Royalty

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

Book Blurb:

Attempted murder, that’s how sixteen-year-old Princess Charlotte’s engagement starts. It seems like the only thing she has in common with Prince Young of Vires is their mutual discontent.

When her kingdom’s attacked, Charlotte’s parents renegotiate her hand in marriage to a handsome stranger with a sinister plan. With the people Charlotte loves dying around her, and her kingdom’s future at stake, the only person she can turn to is the prince she betrayed. But, should she save her kingdom or her heart?

One must fall.

MY REVIEW

Thank you NetGalley for this free book in exchange for an honest review!

I love the cover of this book, it’s what made me want to read the book in the first place. I like the premise of the story, but as I started reading I found myself thrown off by a few things, but mostly, the time discrepancies.

So much was going on. I see where the author was going with the twists and turns in the story, but I just wish the scenes were fleshed out more. More of show me, don’t tell me is needed. Time jumps fast throughout Kingdom Cold and not because the characters have some teleporting powers or anything like that. The scenes are rushed which is one of the reasons why I had trouble getting through this book.

It seemed like the story was just speeding down to a conclusion, with an attack here, a villain there, a love quadrangle thrown in, a few deaths, Princes available for marriage and I even got confused with Prince Young and Prince Minseo’s perspectives at one point!

This story has a lot of potential, it is a seed of ideas. But like a seed, it needs a few elements to grow. All the ideas from this one book, could be stretched out into a three book series. Kingdom Cold, needs some focus on world-building, the plot, pacing and character development. With those fixes, I think this could be a good series.

Book Review: Dark Shores

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Danielle L. Jensen

Format: E-book

Pages: 368

Categories: Adventure Politics, Gods, Magic, Young Adult, Fantasy

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

Book Blurb:

In a world divided by meddlesome gods and treacherous oceans, only the Maarin possess the knowledge to cross the Endless Seas. But they have one mandate: East must never meet West.

A PIRATE WITH A WILL OF IRON
Teriana is the second mate of the Quincense and heir to the Maarin Triumvirate. Her people are born of the seas and the keepers of its secrets, but when her closest friend is forced into an unwanted betrothal, Teriana breaks her people’s mandate so her friend might escape―a choice with devastating consequences.

A SOLDIER WITH A SECRET
Marcus is the commander of the Thirty-Seventh, the notorious legion that has led the Celendor Empire to conquer the entire East. The legion is his family, but even they don’t know the truth he’s been hiding since childhood. It’s a secret he’ll do anything to protect, no matter how much it costs him – and the world.

A DANGEROUS QUEST
When an Empire senator discovers the existence of the Dark Shores, he captures Teriana’s crew and threatens to reveal Marcus’s secret unless they sail in pursuit of conquest, forcing the two into an unlikely―and unwilling―alliance. They unite for the sake of their families, but both must decide how far they are willing to go, and how much they are willing to sacrifice.

MY REVIEW

This morning I’m trying to function due to lack of sleep because I was reading Dark Shores last night. And when a book leaves my heart racing, my nerves shaking and I whisper/cry out “No! I need more!” (because everyone is asleep in the house) then to me, it’s a really ah-mazing book. So far, it’s one of my top three favorite reads of 2019.

I was excited to learn this was written by the same author who wrote The Malediction Series, which I loved. The blurb for Dark Shores sounded intriguing: pirates? A soldier ? A quest? I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Don’t go into this book thinking it’s a typical “pirate” book, with adventures on the high-seas. This is not like the Pirate of the Caribbeans movie. It’s not swashbuckling and pirating, there is time spent journeying on a ship (there wasn’t much pirating going on) but this book takes place a lot on land. It has political intrigue, epic action, a sea monster, battle scenes between Gods, battle scenes among men and it’s quite a ride. And when I finished this story I still felt there was so much more to find out about the world of Dark Shores, hence my frustration because it means now I have to wait for the sequel.

Each chapter of this book had me hooked to find out more, I could not stop. Teriana is a sixteen year old girl and part of the crew on her mother’s ship, Quincense. She’s a Maarin, a seafaring people who survives on trade and the only ones in the East who aren’t conquered by the Celendorians. The Celendor Empire is similar to the Roman Empire with a Senate governing body and a large army at their disposal. They are an empire that does not believe in Gods and persecutes those that do.

Teriana and her people hold to a mantra, East must not meet West. Both sides of the world don’t know the other exists, though there are rumors in the East about the Dark Shores. The only way to get to the West is a magical waterway or current that acts as a hidden path between the two sides. But Teriana and her crew know the way between East and West because they have traveled the route countless times. It is a secret her people take to their graves to keep in favor with their Gods. But Teriana tells this secret in a moment of weakness. Teriana’s mistake binds her into a conflict between East and West. Marcus, a commander of the deadly Thirty-Seventh legion is tasked to lead a quest to find this new world, and Teriana has no choice to help him or else the lives of her people are forfeit.

The world building is so well done, and the writing flows beautifully, which is why I was already a fan of this author. There is use of profanity in this story, which I don’t mind at all, but for those who don’t like it, just know it’s there. The scene in the Sea of the Dead gave me goosebumps, I loved how we went from politics and the cerebral world of the empire to Teriana unveiling this new mystical world that is ruled by Gods and the belief in them.

The characters in this story are fantastic. We have Gods, heroes, villains, and side characters that add humor. I cared for Teriana, Marcus and the soldiers. Teriana is a carefree, feisty, worldly but sometimes impulsive girl, somewhat expected from a girl who lived her life in the open seas. Marcus is true to his commander personality: rigid, controlled and loyal to his legion but that doesn’t mean he has no weaknesses. The tension between them is there but the romance doesn’t overtake the book. When Teriana and Marcus finally acknowledge what is happening between them, I was more than ready for it.

The story was like a ship with one destination: forward. Or should I say like a legion of soldiers headed to battle: forward march. The Thirty-Seventh never falls back! 😉 Meaning, this story was relentless and I love it. It made me think about the conquerors and the conquered. Who was more evil, the empire or the corrupted? Who is more to blame? And how can they fix what is happening? This is a book I’m going to be thinking about for awhile and probably rereading a lot before the sequel comes out. This is an outstanding first book in a series and I’m going to be marking my calendar for the release date of the next book.

Book Review: Pride

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Ibi Zoboi

Format: Ebook

Pages: 304

Categories: Romance, Pride & Prejudice Retelling, Young Adult

Book Blurb:

Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable.

When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can’t stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding.

But with four wild sisters pulling her in different directions, cute boy Warren vying for her attention, and college applications hovering on the horizon, Zuri fights to find her place in Bushwick’s changing landscape, or lose it all.

In a timely update of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, critically acclaimed author Ibi Zoboi skillfully balances cultural identity, class, and gentrification against the heady magic of first love in her vibrant reimagining of this beloved classic.

MY REVIEW

Pride & Prejudice has to be one of my top five favorite stories of all time. And I have found that no matter the retelling, whether it’s through books, TV series or movies, I can’t get enough of it.

Pride, by Ibi Zoboi is a vibrant retelling of Jane Austen’s classic story. The story takes place in Brooklyn and the Bennett family is now the Benitez family. The Benitez family is well known in their neighborhood of Bushwick, but Zuri Benitez feels everything is changing around her and with the arrival of new, rich neighbors, she sees the changes even more.

I absolutely loved this retelling. It had all the elements of Pride & Prejudice which makes this a very quick read for me. I knew what was going to happen and I was looking out for the similarities to the classic story but I loved everything about this book that made it different as well.

I could relate to Zuri, growing up in a tight-knit neighborhood. The author made that neighborhood come to life! Reading this story made me hungry for the food Zuri’s mom is always cooking. I could hear the noise of the neighborhood she describes and it made me nostalgic. I grew up in a busy loud neighborhood in Hawaii, the noises eventually became comforting.

“Hot tea or iced tea? Spill it! I got my teacup right here!”
Pride by Ibi Zobo

The tension between Zuri and Darius Darcy is present and I liked Zuri’s sass. She came off as too dramatic, and plenty confident. Darius is true to his stiff, controlled personality and put those two together, they create the right spark. The secondary characters were all there in full force making it a story filled with people that were like my old friends, just in a different neighborhood. One of the main differences I noticed is Colin’s character. He isn’t obnoxious in Pride like he is in the original story and doesn’t have much of a role in this retelling. Also Wickham, is now Warren and he’s so smooth, I loved the way he and Zuri flirted, it reminded of the boys in high school always trying to talk to the girls.

I really enjoyed the poetry that’s added into the story. It gives us insight into Zuri’s personality – she’s not only this tough girl who seems resistant to change. She’s creative and feels deeply about the people and places she loves.

And because it’s a reimagining of a classic that was written 200+ years ago, times have changed a lot. Zuri doesn’t need to marry Darius, like how Elizabeth Bennett was required to find a good match according to society back then. Thank goodness for progress and a woman’s ability to pursue her dreams.

Overall, Pride is a fantastic lively retelling of a true romantic classic. It was nostalgic in a way I didn’t expect and left me feeling happy.

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.