Jenn Bennett is quickly becoming one of my go-to's for contemporary with romance I know I will like, characters I know I'll be able to relate to, and plots that make me want to curl up with a blanket and just read all day. Birdie just might be, at least for me, her most relatable character yet. The way she loved mysteries and looked at the world reminded me of the young sleuths I grew up reading in Harriet the Spy, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys.
I loved the co-workers to friends to romance of Birdie and Daniel. It was just so fun to watch them bond over shared interests and put on their detective hats to solve the mystery of the recluse author.
I would say this is my favourite Jenn Bennett book, but every time I do, she hits the next one out of the park, so for now, this is my favourite Jenn Bennett book to date.

This was such a cute book! I really liked it. Sometimes, you need a good, light hearted romance read, and this was perfect. It's the perfect book with a cup of tea and reading it by the fire!

This was my first Jenn Bennett book that I've ever read. I've wanted to read her books for a while, and I've purchased a couple that are still waiting to be read. Now that I've read Serious Moonlight, I'm even more excited to read the other books I have by her, and I want to catch up on the ones I don't have. Her writing is so good, and I just loved her characters in this one. I was instantly hooked when I started reading this one, and that's when I know I'm in for a good read. I loved Birdie, and that she loved reading especially mysteries and detective stories. I connected with her since I also lost a parent and my grandmother within a 5 year period, I know it was a little longer for her but I still connected to the pain that never goes away from those experiences. Another thing I enjoyed was that she had narcolepsy, something I don't read about and didn't really know about until reading this book, so I found that part of her story interesting to read and learn. Of course, I adored Daniel!! He was such an amazing love interest, and I loved getting to know more about him and his backstory. His relationship with Birdie and the development they went through was really well done. I also really loved the side characters, especially Aunt Mona. Really cute and sweet read! I can't wait to read more from this author!!

REVIEW:

Birdie and Daniel meet one night and end up in his car having an incredibly awkward and embarrassing sexual experience (and for Birdie - it's her first experience).  After freaking out and running off - Birdie thinks that she will never see him again until she runs into him on the first day of her new job. They are drawn together by obvious chemistry and a desire to solve even the smallest of mysteries.

The characters in this story are so wonderful - from our two mains all the way to the minor characters of family and co-workers. There are many layers to each relationship that it is so wonderful to read about and discover. Daniel is not your typical male protagonist. He is nerdy, mysterious, soooo nice and also has a past. Birdie is quirky, smart and has a whole lot of baggage. Through the story - we watch him draw her out and not give up, while also dealing with major things from his past.

Sex: There are multiple references to sex and sexual encounters

Substance: There is substance use 

Violence: Minor

Language: ... I can't remember! LOL!

There are some references to abandonment, suicide and family deaths. I would suggest this book for readers aged 16 plus.

This was a fun and quick book to read. I really appreciated the authors ability to delve into sensitive subject matter, while still connecting to an enjoyable story line. I appreciated the realness that this book presented - it was very relatable. Also, as a resident of the PNW, it was fun reading about places that I have actually been, or will go to! (Bainbridge Island is now my destination for my holiday in three weeks!)

Serious Moonlight was a surprise 5 star read for me and among my favourites, that I’ve read this year to date. Set in the beautifully described Seattle, readers follow as two young people navigate a new romance and try to solve a mystery of a reclusive author.
There were so many things that I loved about this book including; the mystery and pop culture references and quotes, the diversity of the characters and the chemistry they had together. I found both Birdie and Daniel to be very relatable. I appreciate how the author chose to represent two very different health afflictions with a character who was deaf in one ear, and another who suffered narcolepsy. Both of which I hadn’t previously read about in young adult fiction.
I found Daniel to be especially charming and loved how he worked to win over Birdie’s affections.
Jenn Bennett’s Serious Moonlight was a wonderful romance with a touch of mystery, that I would highly recommend. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I am 14 years old. My mom received a copy of this book from Netgalley. Thank you to Netgalley, to the author and to the publisher. This is the second book that I have read from Jenn Bennett, I really like her books and will try to read more of them. I would say that this book was age appropriate, but would not really recommend it for someone younger than 14. The reading level was pretty good. I liked the idea and the plot of this book, I found that if was interesting the entire book. I really liked that it was a story inside a story, but it probably could have been split into two books, with both parts expanded.

I wasn't sure about this story at first but ended up loving it. On the surface its a light young adult romance, but that is just the top layer. Birdie lost her mother when she was a child and her grandmother just a few months ago. She is also dealing with undiagnosed sleep issues, which I don't think I have ever read in a YA book before. Throw in a little mystery and you had me hooked.

This was a great story!

I loved the mystery parts of the story. Birdie is a fan of mystery books. She has a huge collection of Nancy Drew books. I loved those same books when I was a kid so I could relate to her love of mysteries. Birdie got to live a real life mystery when she investigated a person who Daniel thought was an anonymous author who lives in Seattle. I liked the idea that they could try to find the man who writes under a pseudonym. However, it didn’t end the way they thought it would.

The story had some romance as well as suspense. I was rooting for Birdie and Daniel. They both had tragic pasts, so I wanted them to find some happiness together. There was also some representation of someone who had narcolepsy. There are a lot of side effects to the disorder that I didn’t know before.

I really enjoyed this story! It’s a great romance with a bit of mystery.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I seem to be reading a lot of romance lately, and Serious Moonlight is pretty much on par with how I tend to read romance books; I liked it, but it didn't blow me away.
Jenn Bennett is really excellent at creating these quirky, fun worlds and characters that are on the brink of being overbearing. I found this book toed the line of how much quirkiness I'm willing to read about while suspending my disbelief. Both Birdie and Daniel are very larger-than-life characters, despite being fairly introverted, and while I found them really cute I just didn't really see them as real people. Aunt Mona I really struggled with, honestly. I just struggled to see her as a realistic character.
But otherwise, this book was so cozy and atmospheric. I was expecting the mystery aspect of the book to be more in the forefront, but I'm not even mad that it wasn't because it still gives off those kind of vibes. Slightly spooky, old, quiet... (or maybe it's just the haunted hotel I'm writing this review in). Seattle was a perfect setting for this book, and Jenn Bennett's love for classic film really shines through even if all the references soared right over my head.
Another thing I really appreciated was the diversity of the characters and how it discusses grief and mental illness. Seeing an Asian boy with depression as a cute love interest was actually really great. And seeing Birdie struggle with grief over a long period of time and how that affected her definitely made me feel less alone. This book is really light-hearted while dealing with some serious topics, but it's not a serious book—it's still a sweet rom-com in the end.
I feel like romance fans will definitely enjoy Serious Moonlight, especially if you're a fan of Jenn Bennett.

Last year I went on a Jenn Bennett binge read and tore through three of her books back to back. I was absolutely in awe of her writing and Starry Eyes became one of my favourite reads of 2018. This year she is bringing readers Serious Moonlight. Serious Moonlight follows protagonist Birdie Lindberg as she starts a new job at a mysterious Seattle Hotel.
The book started a little slow for me and I think it’s because I had a difficult time connecting with main character Birdie. I enjoyed her relationship with Mona but I felt like the progression of their relationship throughout the story didn’t have the fluidity it should have. I really loved how Bennett wrote Daniel and for me he was definitely what kept me engaged in the story. He wasn’t your stereo-typical leading man, he was quirky and different and I found that very refreshing.
I don’t want to give any spoilers away but there were some things in the story that I didn’t really understand why they were included. At times there felt like there were almost two stories that Bennett was attempting to merge into one and the timeline of events just wasn’t working for me.
Serious Moonlight missed the mark for me a little bit, I personally have trouble when I can’t connect with a character and I feel like that’s what happened here. I am a fan of Bennett’s writing, she keeps the reader engaged with out-of-the-box characters and I think that’s why I enjoyed Daniel and Mona so much throughout the story.

I absolutely loved this book. I read it ages ago and thought that I had written a review, but I was wrong.

This was defiantly one of those books that kept me wanting to read more to see what was going to happen next. Lennon was the perfect match for Zorie (I love that name.)

This was defiantly a book that you would want to read if you’re in the mood for a light and easy read.

This story captured my attention from the beginning. Sweet love story, with lots of character development

Being an instant Jenn Bennett fan from the beginning and having loved Alex, Approximately, I was super excited for this one. I don’t know if that excitement was set a bit high, or if I just didn’t mesh with this book.

It took me a little bit to get into it and I blame that mostly on the fact that I can’t say I really loved Birdie. She was raised like a sheltered little …. birdie, and it showed. Honestly, I found her to be a bit dull, boring and very naive. To me she came across as much younger than 18.

Daniel is sweet and kind, but sometimes it felt like he was desperate or trying too hard, especially when it comes to Birdie, who practically shows negative interest in him. I do like his gentle nature. He is the kind of guy who would lay down in a puddle so you could walk across and not think twice.

I didn’t FEEL the “longing-pining-aching” that I love in a YA contemporary romance. I did feel the confusion between them because there certainly was a lot. I also found there to be a lot of blame and finger pointing between them.

There were some plot holes that kind of through me off and the whole detective/mystery aspect fell a bit short for me. I didn’t feel a connection with any of the characters nor was I invested in the plot. It took me longer to read than I expected and I actually found myself wanting to just finish it, not because it was bad but it was just uneventful.

It was basically 3 ★ for me till about half way, picked up a little bit, and then went back down. I will absolutely continue to read and anticipate all her books, this one just unfortunately didn’t quite tickle my fancy.

THIS BOOK IS SO DARN CUTE. It’s weird though…I fell in love with Birdie as a character, but hated her initial interactions with Daniel. I wanted to scream at her! He was just so stinking adorable and she was totally missing the memo! Of course, that makes this book all the more addicting to read. There’s something so magical about reading books about a first love. This one takes the cake.

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.

"Men. Can't live without them. You can't hit them with an axe"

4.25/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy in exchange for an honest review

This was so good! I really enjoyed it! It was so fun and the romance was so sweet and precious, but also very real at times. It's also sex positive like her other books! Yay!

This won't be a long winded-review because I think if you just go into this story and just let things unfold naturally, you'll have the best experience. Essentially you're getting a cute contemporary romance, mixed with some good representation, and a little mystery sprinkled in.

Minor Spoiler:
[I do have to say that the sex scene in this was fairly well done, and while nothing is graphic, it is heavily implied that he goes down on her and I think that's never done enough in books and was fantastic (hide spoiler)]

The only reason this is not a five stars, is that it just didn't have that five star feeling if that makes any sense. It was amazing, and I loved reading it, and I didn't really have any problems with it. I just didn't get that feeling.

I would definitely consider this book if you're into contemporaries that are a little more than your average ya romance. I am definitely buying a finished copy!

I received a complimentary ARC copy of Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada in order to read and give an honest review.

<i>“…filled with unique, quirky characters, incredible wit and it didn’t hurt she mentioned David Bowie a number of times…frankly, I was sold after that.”</i>

I’ve been a fan of Jenn Bennett’s urban fantasy series and when this popped up on Net Galley even though it was YA, I thought I would give it a try.

I have to admit I really did enjoy this book. Like her other books, this was filled with unique, quirky characters, incredible wit and it didn’t hurt she mentioned David Bowie a number of times…frankly, I was sold after that.

Our main protagonist eighteen-year-old Birdie after the death of her mother is raised by her grandparents along with the assistance of her Mom’s eccentric best friend “Aunt Mona”.

After living with her grandparents, and under the watchful eye of her strict and very religious grandmother, Birdie becomes a very shy and introverted young woman. Being homeschooled, having strict rules, and not really knowing what true friendship is, Birdie’s view of the world and her experiences are very limited. After her grandmother passes, her grandfather who thankfully had bonded with Birdie over their love of mysteries, was a bit more laid-back allowing Birdie some freedom. At first, Birdie goes a bit wild having a one-night stand with a stranger which doesn’t turn out as expected. She struggles with her poor reaction to the situation, more so when she turns up at her first job, the graveyard shift at a famous hotel and said one-night stand, Daniel, is a co-worker. As Birdie tries to navigate “adulthood” her and nineteen-year-old Daniel strike up a friendship working on uncovering the truth behind a mysterious hotel guest that leads to a shocking and unexpected discovery.

All-in-all a fun, well written, character driven book, I would highly recommend it. Just a note to parent’s this book does contain sexual content as well as suicide but it is handled in a very responsible and tasteful manner.

This book had everything I want: mystery, romance, a great main character. I loved Birdie and her character evolution during the book. Daniel was adorable and I’m so glad we got to see a lot of him! The setting was also amazing, an island overlooking Seattle and an old hotel?? Sign me up!

I very much enjoyed the setting of this book. Having the hotel as the backdrop for this love story was compelling. I also thought that the mystery element was interesting, though I do wish it played a larger role in the story. I liked the two main characters and learning about their pasts. However, they lacked chemistry for me. I also felt the book was too long and there were moments that dragged. I would be curious to read more from Jenn Bennett!