Book Review: Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett

Publish Date: April 16th, 2019
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Series: Stand Alone
Source: e-galley from publisher in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Synopsis:

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:

I couldn't stop staring at this book cover! Seriously, isn't it beautiful!? Unfortunately, I spent more time looking at the book than actually reading it. I had such a hard time getting into this one, and I have no idea why. The reviews have been great, as of today (release day!!) on Goodreads, its a 4.14 star book but I struggled! I think it was Birdie - I had a hard time connecting, in fact, I just didn't like her! Daniel, on the other hand was likable. I found that I was reading for him. About halfway through I was a little more invested and was able to fly through the second half. The story was interesting, and fun! But I felt like there could have been a better focus on one or 2 story lines - I still have a few unanswered questions. 

In the end, I finished Serious Moonlight and a few people were intrigued while I was reading my ARC so I know that at least one person was eager to get their hands on this one thanks to me! By the quick look on Goodreads, if you've loved Jenn Bennetts other books, then chances are you'll love this one too, it just wasn't for me. Instead, I'll showcase the cover and take a quick look at it when I need all the feels that it gives me.

Book Review: Little Heaven by Nick Cutter

Publish Date: January 10th, 2017
Publisher: Gallery
ISBN: 9781501168406
Pages: 496
Series: None
Source: ARC from publisher for honest review

Goodreads Synopsis:

An all-new epic tale of terror and redemption set in the hinterlands of midcentury New Mexico from the acclaimed author of The Troop—which Stephen King raved “scared the hell out of me and I couldn’t put it down...old-school horror at its best.”

From electrifying horror author Nick Cutter comes a haunting new novel, reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian and Stephen King’s It, in which a trio of mismatched mercenaries is hired by a young woman for a deceptively simple task: check in on her nephew, who may have been taken against his will to a remote New Mexico backwoods settlement called Little Heaven. Shortly after they arrive, things begin to turn ominous. Stirrings in the woods and over the treetops—the brooding shape of a monolith known as the Black Rock casts its terrible pall. Paranoia and distrust grips the settlement. The escape routes are gradually cut off as events spiral towards madness. Hell—or the closest thing to it—invades Little Heaven. The remaining occupants are forced to take a stand and fight back, but whatever has cast its dark eye on Little Heaven is now marshaling its powers...and it wants them all.

My Review:

I don't even know where to start on this one! All I can say is don't read this at night, alone and in the dark. Holy hell, this is a book that I will add to my list of scary books I've read. And to be honest, that list isn't very long (The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper is on the list too).

Little Heaven is gruesome, vivid, and just plain eerie and creepy. I've never read any other book by Nick Cutter and I can't say that I will if they are all like this one. Not that I didn't like the book, I just don't like to be scared! The writing is great in Little Heaven, the attention to detail is there for sure, along with the creep factor. Cutter definitely left a lot open for the readers imagination in terms of what the characters saw or felt and it was a different experience reading a book like that.

Micah, Eb and Minerva are all very different characters but are all bounty hunters who meet up to check on a young womans nephew. A very interesting plot where you'll go back to when they met for the very first time, or "Beginnings" as a part of the book is called. The way the novel is separated into parts with a few illustrations throughout added to the overall appeal of the book I think.

Overall, Little Heaven, while I was strongly intrigued by the synopsis was a little too much on the horrifying and gruesome end of things for me to thoroughly enjoy the whole thing. I tried, but I think I'll stick to my usual next time!