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.
Kindle Edition, 432 pages
Published April 16th 2019 by Simon Pulse
Source: Publisher
Three and a half stars: A cute little romance with quirky characters and a delightful Seattle setting.
Birdie misses hanging out at the Moonlight Diner, but she can’t go there now, not after meeting him there. After weeks of avoiding her favorite hangout, Birdie runs into him again at her new job. Now Birdie has to see Daniel all the time as she works the night shift at the Cascadia Hotel. Daniel is delighted to see Birdie again, and he is determined to be her friend. After a few more awkward encounters, Daniel and Birdie find common ground and become friends. Soon the two are trying to unravel a mystery surrounding one of the guests, who might or might not be a famous author. As they grow closer, they share secrets, and eventually discuss that first meeting. Can Birdie and Daniel be friends or perhaps something more?
What I Liked:
- Jenn Bennett continues to write adorable romances with quirky characters and fantastic settings. While Seriously Moonlight wasn’t my favorite of her YA romances, I still found plenty to love.
- The Seattle setting was amazing. One thing that Jenn Bennett does so well is her settings. No matter where she sets the story, she always manages to transport the reader to that city. This time she takes us on a tour of Seattle, from the famous Seattle Pier and all of its wondrous shops, to the theater, the island and more. I loved experiencing Seattle through Daniel and Birdie’s eyes. I especially found myself wanting to eat pie!
- The romance is different, but I liked it. It starts out with a lusty first meeting that ends awkwardly. Birdie doesn’t want to have anything to do with Daniel after that because she is embarrassed. When the two continue to bump into each other, Daniel decides it must be fate. I love how patient and kind Daniel was with Birdie. I also loved how he gently became her friend. It was a joy to watch the friendship blossom. The two share deep secrets, establish trust and then move into romantic territory. It unfolded slowly and perfectly. Even with a few tiny stumbles it ended up being a lovely romance.
- I appreciated that both Daniel and Birdie were overcoming tough struggles in their lives. Birdie is battling grief after losing her mother at a young age, and then her grandmother. She is vulnerable and scared of commitment for fear of losing someone else. Daniel is trying to overcome depression. Together, they learn to battle their demons and find joy in life.
- Another thing that I love about Jenn Bennett’s books is that she always focuses on family. Her families aren’t always traditional families, and I love that. This time, family is about friends who are chosen as family as demonstrated with Birdie and her Aunt Mona. Aunt Mona is really Birdie’s mother’s best friend. I enjoyed the bond between Mona and Birdie, they loved each other like family, demonstrating that sometimes family can be what you make it. I also enjoyed exploring the relationship between Birdie and her grandpa. I also appreciated Daniel’s family, especially his relationship with his mom. One of the highlights for me was when Birdie had a heart to heart with Daniel’s mom.
- The ending was satisfying. The story jumps ahead in time with a little epilogue. It was delightful to see Daniel and Birdie happy and fulfilled as each took new steps toward their future careers.
And The Not So Much:
- A portion of the story focuses on Daniel and Birdie trying to uncover the identity of a mystery hotel guest. I wasn’t a fan of this part of the story. I especially didn’t like it when it reached the culmination. I don’t know, this part of the story was a let down, and it just felt icky to me.
- I struggled with the way Daniel and Birdie first connected. It seemed so out of character for Birdie to do what she did, and then a good portion of the story is Birdie trying to backtrack. It put this weird vibe on the relationship, I was glad they found a way to overcome it.
- I don’t know what it was about this one that didn’t quite speak to me. I usually love Jenn Bennett’s YA romances, but this one just didn’t make me giddy. It was good, but I didn’t love it like some of her other titles.
Seriously Moonlight is another fun romance from Jenn Bennett. While this wasn’t my favorite of her YA romances, there was still plenty to love from the quirky characters, the fantastic Seattle setting, the focus on family and the romance. Grab this one.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
