Review: Serious Moonlight

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 the most confounding mystery of all may be her growing feelings for the elusive riddle that is Daniel. - Summary from the Publisher

My Thoughts: I really liked this book. I loved the references to Clue, Mystery Mansion, and Nancy Drew. I love how the mystery brought Birdie and Daniel together. I enjoyed the moments in the diner and of course my mouth drooled while they were eating pie. I liked how their relationship started off quickly but then they became friends and shared confidences. But they both held back from each other - emotionally and with secrets that of course eventually came out. I love how Birdie gained independence. I loved her attempts at swearing. I enjoyed the different family dynamics and how that made the characters more fleshed out. I loved Mona and her relationship with Birdie. A sweet romance with a side of mystery. 

Cover Thoughts: Charming
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation:  Grab this one for your romance collection, but hand it out to your mystery readers too.