I've enjoyed all of Jenn Bennett's YA books. Serious Moonlight has a really well developed setting, in a vintage hotel in Seattle. I enjoyed the main characters and felt they had interesting backstories. I'd recommend Bennett's books, but I have enjoyed some of her previous titles more.

Ahhh, Jenn Bennett. That gal knows her way around a GD contemporary romance. I admit I stayed up too late devouring this one, which I have definitely done with previous Bennett books too.

This book is frustrating, but in the best way. You know the “somebody wanted... but... so... then” story structure? The buts in this one were plentiful, with Birdie and Daniel getting it, then not getting it, then finally telling the truth, then lying to each other again. I think many young readers will be able to relate to Birdie’s anxiety and feeling of not knowing what the heck she’s doing. And when love triumphs in the end (not a spoiler - you know it will; it’s just that kind of book), they’ll cheer Birdie on.

Though the basic plot isn’t terribly original, the subplots and story details are, with detective work, narcolepsy, magic, communal living, and long haired Asian boys complementing the girl-meets-boy storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me an eARC of this title in the exchange for an honest review.

It breaks my heart to rate this so low (why I always feel more guilty over three stars vs two I don't know..) but I just didn't love this the way I've loved Bennett's books in the past.

There's a lot of brilliant diversity and representation in SERIOUS MOONLIGHT and this author is always including such fabulous dialogue surrounding safe & consensual sex-positivity content but.. I didn't really love the plot (mystery surrounding the identity of a crime writer) and I kind of saw a few things coming that the MC, a sorta <I>Veronica Mars</I>-esque character didn't, and additionally I'm not sure I liked any of the characters?

I loved the idea of our love interest, I felt for some of Birdie's struggles and adjustments and emotional hang-ups, but.. I never lost myself in this one. It wasn't as funny, not hardly as swoony, and unfortunately the ending felt kind of rushed. There were definitely sweet moments and I was never bored or annoyed or anything. It was just.. fine.

The best part of this read, however, is that it's made me want to reread ALEX, APPROXIMATELY <b>and</b> STARRY EYES. And kinda makes me want to award extra stars to the latter. And maybe I will!

My feelings about this upcoming release aside, however, don't change the fact that I will a) be forever excited about whatever this author puts out and b) read all aforementioned things this author puts out. I love her quirky characters and her banter. This one just didn't quite stick the landing the way the others have.

Birdie s a girl on a mission. Start a new job at a fancy hotel, look for some interesting mystery to solve and try to block out the disastrous one-night-stand that happened a couple of weeks ago. Of course no plan survives contact with the enemy and on her very first shift she encounters Daniel - the other half of the one-night-stand, working at the same hotel and on the same shift. Before Birdie can figure out what do do, Daniel has drawn her into a mystery with a proposal to investigate a reclusive author who has been rendezvousing at the hotel. As Birdie and Daniel work together to solve the case, they will learn more about each other than they ever thought possible.

I really enjoyed this book. Even as you read about Birdie's struggle with her health issues, her family issues and her relationship with Daniel, you can't help but root for her. Daniel is an equally believable character - flawed yet sweet with secrets of his own. This isn't a fluffy teen romance - though there are some romantic elements of course - it's a story about figuring out who you are and who you want to be. As Mona would say - be a gusty gal.