Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett
Pages: 432
Publish date: April 16, 2019
Publisher: Simon Pulse
ISBN: 9781534425149
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD
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.
Serious Moonlight:
I received an e-arc of Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett from Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about this book.
I’ve read two of Jenn Bennett’s books previously – and adored them. Starry Eyes was a great second chance romance, while Alex, Approximately just got to me. And Serious Moonlight was just so good, a mix of romance with a little mystery, it just worked here.
Serious Moonlight follows Birdie as she begins her summer job at a historic Seattle hotel. Closed off from the world, Birdie took comfort in a life where she could be a heroic detective. After an awkward encounter with Daniel Aoki, they now have to work the night shift together. But when they stumble on a real-life mystery, they have to work together if they want to discover who the famous reclusive writer is meeting at the hotel.
Birdie was a really interesting protagonist in Serious Moonlight and I am not sure how I feel about her. Birdie has had a hard life and that has really influenced her. While she does have an outgoing nature at times, I felt that she is also very withdrawn. Not only does she like to keep to herself, but doesn’t know how to handle certain situations. However, this made for an interesting read. Because Birdie’s character development and character arc were fantastic. The reader is able to see Birdie really grow throughout Serious Moonlight and not only become comfortable with others but also herself.
I felt the same about Daniel. There were times where I really enjoyed getting to know him, but then he did some things throughout the novel that just didn’t sit well with me. Daniel like Birdie has gone through a lot. Things are revealed as the novel goes on and Birdie and Daniel get to know one another. I really liked that Daniel had a positive outlook on everything that he did. Well, he had his own demons her really tried to help those around him.
One thing that I think that Jenn Bennett does so well, is create characters that are, honest, real and have flaws. And she did it again in Serious Moonlight. It makes reading her books, feel more real. Meaning, I don’t have to imagine these characters, these worlds. They just fit.
The romance in Serious Moonlight was really interesting and different from what I’ve read from Jenn Bennett. Birdie and Daniel had met before the start of the novel, and it wasn’t the most graceful goodbye. So when they have to work together, everything gets a little awkward. But it was kind of cute. I loved how innocent Birdie was and how Daniel loved playing upon that. But not in a bad way, he just pushed her out of her comfort zone a little – and that made both of them grow. There were parts throughout their relationship that I didn’t love. But it was out weight by how adorable they were together.
The theme of family was a big part of this novel. Both Birdie and Daniel have different family lifestyles and it was great seeing these two come together. Birdie mostly grew up with a very strict and protective grandmother. While Daniel’s family is more outgoing, after some events his mother becomes very protective of him.
I don’t think that Jenn Bennett gets enough love, this is the third novel of hers that I have read and I’ve loved. Like I said before Jenn Bennett knows how to write real and honest characters. They have their faults, but they are also so compelling and I want to cheer for them. Both Daniel and Birdie have been through a lot before the novel start, and the reader gets to see them go on a journey and grow.
Overall, I really enjoyed Serious Moonlight. It’s a great combination of mystery and contemporary that captures real characters. With writing that is easy to read, the characters float off the page. Jenn Bennett is able to create a story that is easy to follow and to fall in love with. Daniel and Birdie were fantastic characters that really stood out for me. If you haven’t had the chance of reading a Jenn Bennett, then I think you should get on it.
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