Serious Moonlight

by Jenn Bennett

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Birdie never expected to see Daniel again after their initial encounter turned disastrously awkward. But, lo and behold, there he was, a fellow night shift employee at the hotel. After trying, and failing, to avoid him, Birdie gave in, and a friendship developed, but would the two be able to unpack some of their personal baggage in order to make room for one another in their lives?

I love picking up a Jenn Bennett book, because I know it's going to be packed with fun and unique characters, who are sort of a mess, but always fabulous. Sure enough, I immediately fell in love with the cast she assembled for us in Serious Moonlight.

Birdie had so many attributes to appreciate. She was a bookworm with a passion for solving mysteries, and though her early childhood experiences were shaped by two outgoing and fierce women - her mother and her Aunt Mona, the second half of her life was spent in a sort of isolation under the watch of her overprotective grandmother. Six months after her grandmother's death, Birdie was attempting to branch out and be more independent, although she was still drowning in her grief and plagued by sleep issues. She got the hotel job, and was taking chances, but because it was all so new to her, she was prone to mistakes.

I couldn't have picked a better first friend and romantic partner to help her navigate all of this, than Daniel. Birdie waxed poetically about how he was sort of the personification of sunshine, and I don't think she was exaggerating, because that was exactly the vibe I got from him. Daniel's charm and effervescent personality jumped off the page, and I know he wormed his way into my heart quite quickly. I couldn't understand how Birdie could resist him, because every time he was on-page, a stupid grin appeared across my face. But, Daniel wasn't just a pretty and fun face, he had some personal issues he needed to deal with as well, and I loved that he and Birdie were eventually able to support each other in that task.

Mona was another character who stole the show, in my opinion. She had a HUGE personality, and I loved reading about her crazy outfits. As one of the "daring dames", she played a very important role in Birdie's life as a connection to her mother, and Mona seemed to serve as a surrogate mother to her as well.

The romance was awkward and precious and I loved Daniel and Birdie together so much. I found the incorporation of the mystery as a little extra, which facilitated more time together for these two, and when all was revealed, I appreciated the way it fit into the overall story.

Never afraid to incorporate more weighty topics, Bennett peppered the story with quite a few, and per usual, she handled it with care and without letting the issues overwhelm the story.

Overall: Bennett's stories never fail to make me smile and laugh, and they always leave me in a buoyant state. I am happy to say, she's has done it again with Serious Moonlight. From Birdie and Daniel's meet-awkward to that final slice of pie, I was thrilled to get to know them and all their loved ones, as they worked toward their HEA.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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