Review: Moonlight & Oranges
Series: —
Author: Elise Stephens
No of Pages: 220
Release Date: Published by Booktrope Editions

Synopsis:

“A timeless tale of young romance.

Lorona Connelly is ready for a change from her carefully planned, bookish life. When sparks fly at a costume party, she embraces a chance for romance with the handsome Kestrin Feather. However, she quickly realizes that even love and destiny may not be enough to overcome the reality of an overprotective mother-in-law and Kestrin’s long, tarnished history of relationships.

When Lorona’s curiosity leads her to Kestrin’s journal, doubt plagues them both with insecurities and threatens the relationship. Can true love overcome the odds, or was their whirlwind romance just a frivolous crush? Author Elise Stephens shares a journey of young love, fate, and wounded trust in the story of Lorona and Kestrin, a couple who must learn to overcome their fears to share a life together.”

My thoughts:

What a fabulous idea for a romance! Reading the author’s note helped me to understand this fully! I loved it even without the note but it just helped put everything into a perspective of understanding. Sadly letting you in on this would be a complete spoiler so I’ll just say that the note was worth reading.

The plot was really intense. I was left feeling like everything was settled in the end but boy to get to that point!! You have two people that are very different and I know they say opposites attract but these two are like fire. They up and marry within two days of getting to know each other only to have their friends ask questions about their decisions. Many, many, many questions. I just wanted to tell their friends and Kestrin’s mother to stfu already! But it really was that dynamic that keeps you reading, wondering what in the sam hell is going to happen with these two!?

“I promise to listen to you even if I think you’re being unreasonable,” he said.

“I promise to treat harmony as more important than being right,” she replied.

Wait. Can I add those to my vows please? I love them! They are so personal and yet so very man and womanish. But that is exactly what this relationship is about. They don’t adhere to their vows just three days into their marriage! Ack!! But it is the times like these that make me want to cheer for them even when they are being absolute idiots…

“Sometimes,” he whispered to Lorona, “I open the doors and stick my pillow out here so that I can look up and see the stars while I’m sleeping.”

“You can’t see the stars while you’re sleeping. Your eyes are closed, goofball.” Lorona sighed. “Or do you mean that when you sleep under the stars, they fall into your dreams?”

He pulled her close so that her hands and elbows rested on his chest. “I want more than starts to fall into my dreams.”

This is my wife, he thought to himself, and peace settled around his shoulders like a fluffy fleece jacket.

Lorona stretched her arms wide. The silver ring on her finger twinkled in the moonlight. “Then catch me.”

Oh my god! Right? How cute and sweet and tender and romantic is this!? But no… they let stupid crap get in the way. And I do mean stupid. But we all know how we are, how our thoughts can deceive even ourselves and that is exactly what happens. The fabulous part of this story is the trials they both have to go through to see IF they do or do not really want to be together. Is it destiny for them or has it all been a sham?

The characters are simply beautiful. Full of angst for sure but they are fabulous, definitely. Lorona is a thinker first and foremost and that is what does her in, Kestrin is a fly by the seat of his pants while believing in destiny and that is what kills him! It’s amazing and tragic. Yuki however is most definitely my favorite character. She reminds me of Tinkerbell, so happy one moment that she could cry but then crying the next because she is so suddenly upset by this whole situation. And then enters Amanda. Oh Amanda… you are a snake. Actually, I like snakes, you are a roach to everything and everyone around you… ohhh I would have loved to squash her and her meanness right out of this book!

So! With that said, this was a tremendous roller coaster of a romance but definitely fun! Fast read with lots of twists and it all comes together in the end. Everything but the oranges, but I love oranges so who cares!?

About the author:

Elise Stephens received the Eugene Van Buren Prize for Fiction from the University of Washington in 2007, where she also received her degree in Creative Writing. Moonlight and Oranges is her first novel and was a quarter-finalist for the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

She lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband where they both enjoy swing dancing, eating tiramisu, and savoring the flavor of local live theater. — Goodreads

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What a fabulous romance! Do you like a lot of conflict in the romances you read or prefer your couple not having to fight whatever is against them?