This book was a little bit hard for me to read. I’m terrified of cars already and this book had a significant car crash in it.
My heart was broken for Taylor for about half the book. I couldn’t put the book down because I didn’t want to be left in a sad/heartbroken mood in my real life.
All that being said I think that as long as you don’t have a fear of cars and love sapphic romances you’ll really enjoy this book.

Gwen and Taylor have been best friends for over a decade they both been attracted to each other but never act on them. Taylor never really wanted a be in relationship and Gwen doesn’t want to be a one night stand with Taylor. As they prepare for their other best friend EJ wedding feelings starts to come out with the both of them as they move forward from friends to lovers they have to convince not just themselves but their friends that this is a real deal. I enjoy this read.


I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

My first Levig book which caught my attention with its description. I read this as a stand-alone which totally worked out because all characters and relationships were well introduced.
I will catch up on the previous book because I also want more of EJ and Jinx.

As for the MCs in Embracing the Moon I absolutely adored Gewn and Taylor, I'm a big fan of friends to lovers and the first part of the book was incredibly sweet, followed by steamy stuff and mushy feelings.
Apart from the one shower scene (which was horrible) I think the trope was realistically delivered and considering this relationship got established during the first half of the book that's a hats off to the author for not making it feel rushed.

Then there's a turn of events which I don't want to spoil but since it's know from hetero romance books & blockbusters I will mention I loved to see it in a wlw format. It got a bit tough to read after because friendships get tested and another character introduced who I really didn't like but maybe that's a realistic reflection of the hardships in life... I felt for both MCs during those parts and it gave me some serious heartache and I was so very relieved when it all resolved and I got to the HEA.

Overall I'd give this book a 3.7 stars because the writing was absolutely solid and I enjoyed the originality of an unusual storyline setup + Gwen and Taylor were wonderful characters.

*I received an ARC from Boldstrokes and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Really good book. Loved all the characters in this book. The relationship between Gwen and Taylor was such a fun dramatic one. I really liked that this was a age gap romance, between these two. Their romance was no an easy one by no means. There was quite a bit of angst, drama, and heartache in this story, but this is what makes this a fun read. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family, and I look forward to what comes next from this author.

Embracing the Moon is my first book by Jeannie Levig and I was completely blown away by how amazing this read was.
This book is the second of a series, but it stood well on its own. In fact readers of the first will really appreciate the “after the HEA” portion in the first half of this book.

Taylor is an unrepentant player, and has always had feelings for her bff Gwen but apart from mercilessly flirting with her, has never made a move thinking Gwen is straight. Gwen for her part doesn’t want to end up as a one night conquest for Taylor and has always erected a barrier of friendship preventing anything from getting started. Until that fateful day when she admits to having slept with a woman. 👀

The first half of this book is your classic friends to lovers romance, there is the slow burn, pinning and when they do come together an inferno of hotness 🔥🔥🔥. Like seriously 🥵. And then an unthinkable life changing event happens and it’s like the story got a turbo boost of awesome drama. I honestly couldn’t put this book down after that.

No spoilers, but Levig does such an amazing job pulling the reader in - from the suspense of what will happen next as each revelation comes to pass to some real emotional resonance that will cause lots of “heart squeezey” 💗moments. I absolutely loved how Taylor’s character evolves as the story progresses. Relationships, friendships everything is put to the test under the stressful conditions and the writing captured all of this beautifully.

I think you can guess by now that I really really liked this book 🥰 and am looking to get the first book of this series too. So in the end here’s my reco — come for the friends to lovers romance but stay for the fantastic drama of the second half - you will not be disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

'ARC provided by both NetGalley and The Publisher (Bold Strokes Books) in exchanged for a honest review'

**'All those negative voices in your head that tells you that you're not a good writer, and that both your storytelling and ideas sucks? Well, really strangle those voices...'

Fascinating read!
When i'm giving my perspectives on any book that i've finished reading, I try to not give up spoilers because I very much want interested readers to be entice just by what little i do highlight about the storylines. So as to 'EMBRACING THE MOON', this is why i found it such a fascinating read:-
It's an engrossing story that is the sequel to 'EMBRACING THE DAWN' which follows the lives and trials of both Gwen & Taylor -- plus their journey to falling in love. Even the many characters who did enthralled us, shocked us and also annoyed us in the previous book do continue to engaged us with their supportive roles in this riveting story -- also surrounded by a few new characters that played an important part to their (Gwen & Taylor's) story.
From the very beginning of the book, their storyline took off. There is no hesitation as to why Ms.Levig chose to have these two characters developed feelings for one another. Readers might have gotten a feel for their connection and chemistry while coaching and advising EJ on her own feelings towards Jinx in the previous book. So after a few intimate moments and spending time together both declared how each felt and got into a romantic relationship. Then deciding to have this fresh start to love, looked and felt grand only to be anything but perfect because later on in the storyline, Gwen & Taylor would face the most frightening, traumatic and humbling experience of their lives.
I like that Ms.Levig took her time telling this story because it's a story within a story and she does deliver a stirring story that should be devoured.
'EMBRACING THE MOON' is not a dreary story. It's very thought-provoking and intense at times and has this rollercoaster of emotions at certain intervening moments but at the same time the storytelling does not diminish from the breathless love story that the author is trying to tell.
A highly recommended 2nd book!

I read Embracing the Dawn last year when it came out and enjoyed it so when I saw this one set in the same universe I had to pick it up. I think I liked this one even better than the first so it was definitely a good choice! I loved Gwen and Taylor, they made great main characters and I was rooting for them from the beginning. I was not prepared for the major event in the middle of the story and it kept my attention way past my bedtime. I was reminded of all the great characters from the first book too and EJ and Jinx were very involved in the plot. The writing was well done and the plot was engaging. I didn't love some of EJ's reactions immediately after the major event but I could see how a real person may have similar reactions during such an emotional time. This could be read without reading the first one but I do think it'd be more enjoyable if you did. The characters made this book great and kept me wanting to turn to the next page, I would definitely recommend reading this.

Embracing the Moon is my first read of the author’s. With the introduction of the main leads, it was easy to acknowledge the depth and strength of the pair’s friendship. The pair’s familiarity and ease was further established when they attended EJ’s (third of the three best friends) wedding. All is well and good on the surface, except that Gwen has been harbouring a crush for Taylor, who simply does not commit, for a decade.

I love friends to lovers trope, especially when one of them is a player. For some, love can be instantaneous, others evolve and bloom in its time and some simply take years to come to fruition. When the pair finally decided on acknowledging and acting on their interests, a person from the past threatened their bubble. That part of the book was rocky and angsty but aren’t all things worthed fighting for come with it’s set of challenges?

I just reviewed Embracing The Moon by Jeannie Levig. Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the sequel to [book:Embracing the Dawn|27037518], which is one of my favourite Levig books. The relationship between Gwen and Taylor is hinted at in ETD, so I was happy to hear there would be a sequel about them. Unfortunately, I found it to be a bit of a mixed bag.

So, this features MC Taylor, who is EJ from ETD’s BFF of 20 years, and MC Gwen, EJ’s admin assistant and the other BFF, who’s been part of the group for about 10 years. Both women have long been attracted to the other, but never acted on it because of the friendships. Due to EJ moving away after the events of ETD and not being around so much, Taylor and Gwen’s relationship has changed as they spend more time together and they’ve both found it harder to deny the attraction. Things come to a head at EJ and Jinx’s wedding and they embark on a relationship.

I found the first 50% of the book to be fairly enjoyable, the only quibbles I had were the awkwardness of the scene of Gwen deliberately walking in on Taylor and her date in the shower, BFF or not, that was way overstepping, and the way they treated that woman was gross. The other issue was that there’s a lot of sex in the first half, I realised upon finishing the book why this was (and it’s hot so if you love sexy times you’ll no doubt enjoy it) but given what happens in the second half of the book, I’d have preferred less sex and more of the emotional connection to help sustain the relationship in the second half.

That brings me to the biggest issue with this book, at the 50% mark there’s a major plot development, and it derails the relationship between the MCs in a big way. It also forces the reader to spend way too much time with a character from the past that I just did not care for or about. The conveniences in the plot to allow this character in were also way too much for me. There’s also some metaphysical stuff, which I didn’t mind. I also found EJ very hard to take in the last 50%, and was ‘Team Taylor’ with regards to how she treated Taylor and Taylor’s relationship with Gwen.

On the plus side, we get to spend a lot of time with EJ and Jinx (who is her usual wonderful self in this book) and their collection of friends, including Sparkle and Reggie from ETD. There’s also a ‘newish’ character in Namastacey, who is mentioned in ETD but has a fair sized role in this and is a great character.

Overall though, I found this a bit uneven. There were other ways to write this but still include these elements that I think would have worked better (including leaving Krista out completely and just having Taylor and Gwen find their way back to each other to overcome what was already a significant plot point without the added complication). I’d rate the first half at 4 stars and the second half at around 3. So we’ll call this 3.5. If you haven’t read Levig before, of have read her books but haven’t read [book:Embracing the Dawn|27037518] I suggest starting there, and I also highly recommend [book:A Wish Upon a Star|42170200].

3.5⭐️ – Even though it’s set in the same universe, you don’t need to have read Embracing the Dawn to enjoy Embracing the Moon. I read it and, as usual, only remember that I liked it and nothing about the story. The couple from the first book is in this one and they’re essential secondary characters but it’s a whole new story. That said, since the MCs in this story are one of the other story’s MC’s best friends, I’m sure I missed a layer, but I don’t think it hurt my enjoyment of the book.

Taylor, 55, and Gwen, 37, have been best friends and colleagues for over a decade. They’re both attracted to the other but neither has tried to act on it beyond playful flirting. Taylor believes Gwen is straight, until, on the eve of their other best friend’s wedding, Gwen lets it slip that she, in fact, is not.

This book begins as a pretty lighthearted and steamy story then it takes a tragic turn. An interesting storyline involving a character from Gwen’s past allows Taylor to show who she really is beneath the player her friends know her as. And what happens to Gwen makes her instinctual personality take over, without any societal varnish. There are a lot of frustrating moments on both sides (and some of that frustration spills over to the reader) but the rediscovery of who they are, what they had, what they could have is more sweet than bitter. All the secondary characters add their own flavour to the story, especially EJ, the third best friend, who finds herself in a very delicate position on many levels: regarding the three-way friendship, Taylor and Gwen’s new relationship, Gwen’s brush with death…

I realise I’m being very vague. The tragic event I mentioned above took me by surprise and I’d hate to spoil it and what comes after.

We had a glimpse of Taylor and Gwen in Embracing the Dawn - which I recommend you read because it’s a great book. Jinx and E.J.’s story, portrayed in ED, play a significant role in Embracing the Moon but I believe the book can be read as standalone. Taylor and Gwen have been friends for a decade. Friendship lines are blurred at the wedding and a blissful few weeks follow. And then fate has a different idea. A great friends to lovers, age-gap romance that is filled with friendship, spirituality, love and passion. An excellently written book, it’s a must read for me.

Free ARC via NetGalley.

I am new to this author and am happily blown away by this book. Taylor Matthews is 55 and hasn’t been in love since she was 19. She is a smooth player with no plans for relationships. Gwen Jamison is 37 and has been attracted to Taylor for almost ten years since they started working together. They are the best of friends and Taylor has no idea that Gwen has ever been interested in women. All of that changes at the wedding of EJ, the other best friend in their trio. Gwen drinks too much, a kiss is shared and there is no going back from that moment. While EJ honeymoons Gwen and Taylor explore their long restrained feelings and passions. And then the author throws unexpected twists and turns making Gwen have to deal with her past. And Taylor has a hard time making their friends understand the depth of her feelings and how it has changed her. I’m not giving away spoilers.

I read as a stand alone but this is a sequel to Embracing the Dawn. The wedding is for the couple in that book. Not having read it I can’t comment on if Gwen and Taylor are part of that story. But that friendship group surrounding them and the chosen family add extra depth in this story. EJ. the decision maker, Jinx who tells dad jokes and Namastacey who gives spiritual advice are rich supporting characters. And I had tears in my eyes when Gwen gets to play frisbee with Dexter. You’ll understand when you get there.

I had no expectations other than a mature age-gap romance with a friends to lovers trope based on the cover information. I didn’t expect the quality of writing, complex relationships, steamy passion, side friends or the spirituality. I would like to have more time getting to know Taylor and Gwen as a couple but for the story you have to accept they already are intimately friends and have been for a long time. They are just going to a new unexpected level. I’m really happy to have read this story. A big thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

*On an extra note if you see this on the day I’m posting and are interested. I went to the publishers website to see about ordering the first book in the series and found it listed as the Daily Bargain (today only) which is substantially discounted. Yay me. I’m already clicking to purchase.