What do you think?
Rate this book
Stardust Beach #4
Starlight & Dark Nights
She’s mastered the art of hiding.
Now she has to find the courage to be seen.
Jude Majors seems to have it a handsome astronaut husband, beautiful twin daughters, and a house on Florida’s sparkling Stardust Beach. But behind the polished smile and perfect life, Jude is drowning. Haunted by a painful childhood shaped by wartime prejudice, she’s spent decades silencing the parts of herself that felt too different, too broken, too “other.” Now, the cracks are starting to show.
Drinking has helped her cope—until it nearly kills her.
Faced with terrifying consequences, Jude must finally confront the past she’s worked so hard to bury and the identity she’s long been taught to hide. But healing doesn’t happen in isolation—and this time, she won’t have to do it alone. With the fierce, loyal women of Stardust Beach by her side, Jude may find that even the darkest parts of her story deserve compassion, and even the most fractured hearts can shine again.
Raw, redemptive, and deeply human, Stardust Book Four is a gripping story of self-acceptance, found family, and the strength it takes to reclaim your voice. For fans of Kristin Hannah, Jodi Picoult, and Jennifer Chiaverini.
Now she has to find the courage to be seen.
Jude Majors seems to have it a handsome astronaut husband, beautiful twin daughters, and a house on Florida’s sparkling Stardust Beach. But behind the polished smile and perfect life, Jude is drowning. Haunted by a painful childhood shaped by wartime prejudice, she’s spent decades silencing the parts of herself that felt too different, too broken, too “other.” Now, the cracks are starting to show.
Drinking has helped her cope—until it nearly kills her.
Faced with terrifying consequences, Jude must finally confront the past she’s worked so hard to bury and the identity she’s long been taught to hide. But healing doesn’t happen in isolation—and this time, she won’t have to do it alone. With the fierce, loyal women of Stardust Beach by her side, Jude may find that even the darkest parts of her story deserve compassion, and even the most fractured hearts can shine again.
Raw, redemptive, and deeply human, Stardust Book Four is a gripping story of self-acceptance, found family, and the strength it takes to reclaim your voice. For fans of Kristin Hannah, Jodi Picoult, and Jennifer Chiaverini.
196 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 22, 2025
147 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Taylor
124 books37 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Miscellaneous/Multiple Authors
Miscellaneous/Multiple Authors
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 5, 2025
Another great book in this series! Keep them coming!
April 25, 2025
Another great installment in the stardust beach series. Cannot wait for book 5!! I’m so invested in these women’s lives!
June 14, 2025
Lovely story
Jude's life story is beautiful but based on reality of her time. Having an American father (who cheated on his American wife) with a Japanese woman. This was common happening pre war and during the war.
Mixed race children were not welcomed in Japan nor in USA. American soldiers viewed their life with Japanese "family " was a comfort to get thru the war. Then it's go home to USA.
Many couldn't bring home Japanese woman & children because an American family already existed or that our society would not accept a foreign family. A family that is viewed as the enemy.
Alice's reaction to Jude life story is bigoted by today's standards but back then justified. Alice lost family at Pearl Harbor. She saw Jude and her mother as the enemy and her American father as a traitor.
As time as passed there was less hatred but it's takes Jude being honest about herself to achieve honest acceptance.
Her step mom is stereotypical evil person. But she was a wife who was waiting at home for her soldier while he found comfort, sex and intimacy with another woman and a child.
The continuing back story of the missile explosion, the death of 2 astronauts and NASA's cover up involving Bill is bad. Jeanie is bad news for Bill, his family and NASA.
Maxine story arc seems unrealistic for it's time. Her choosing to not believe her husband's death was an accident because of what she overheard is fair. Would have been interesting if she used Bill and North to blackmail NASA for more money or go public.
Jude's life story is beautiful but based on reality of her time. Having an American father (who cheated on his American wife) with a Japanese woman. This was common happening pre war and during the war.
Mixed race children were not welcomed in Japan nor in USA. American soldiers viewed their life with Japanese "family " was a comfort to get thru the war. Then it's go home to USA.
Many couldn't bring home Japanese woman & children because an American family already existed or that our society would not accept a foreign family. A family that is viewed as the enemy.
Alice's reaction to Jude life story is bigoted by today's standards but back then justified. Alice lost family at Pearl Harbor. She saw Jude and her mother as the enemy and her American father as a traitor.
As time as passed there was less hatred but it's takes Jude being honest about herself to achieve honest acceptance.
Her step mom is stereotypical evil person. But she was a wife who was waiting at home for her soldier while he found comfort, sex and intimacy with another woman and a child.
The continuing back story of the missile explosion, the death of 2 astronauts and NASA's cover up involving Bill is bad. Jeanie is bad news for Bill, his family and NASA.
Maxine story arc seems unrealistic for it's time. Her choosing to not believe her husband's death was an accident because of what she overheard is fair. Would have been interesting if she used Bill and North to blackmail NASA for more money or go public.
March 23, 2025
I'm enjoying this series. Difficult for me to give a book a five, unless it makes it among the best books I've ever read, but I would give this series a 4 1/2 star rating, if I could. Each book builds on the last and you get a deeper look into different characters lives in each book while still getting updates on the other characters. I did not live in the 60's, but it seems realistic to me. Some unexpected deep moments that are extremely well written.
February 28, 2025
Tragedy and triumph
Great series! Jude’s story is very compelling, and you can’t help but root for her to be truly happy. The author excels at developing the characters in this series and capturing the essence of Stardust Beach in the 1960s. It’s been fun to reminisce!
Great series! Jude’s story is very compelling, and you can’t help but root for her to be truly happy. The author excels at developing the characters in this series and capturing the essence of Stardust Beach in the 1960s. It’s been fun to reminisce!
March 22, 2025
I won’t to become friends with the characters
With each additional book I fall farther in love with the characters. They seem so alive, not just a flat character in a book. I won’t to become friends with them.
With each additional book I fall farther in love with the characters. They seem so alive, not just a flat character in a book. I won’t to become friends with them.
May 2, 2025
starlight and dark nights
This series just keeps getting better and better. I grew up during this error and I remember a lot of this stuff going on. But reading about it and seeing how much we have advanced makes me want to keep reading on and on about these families.
This series just keeps getting better and better. I grew up during this error and I remember a lot of this stuff going on. But reading about it and seeing how much we have advanced makes me want to keep reading on and on about these families.
March 13, 2025
Enjoying the series.
May 9, 2025
Enjoyed another segment of these women (and men) of the 1960s era and NASA’s impact on each of them.
September 3, 2025
4/5 stars - I need to know if Jude finds/sees her mother. Overall, I really enjoyed this one. Very interested in the characters in this one and need more from all of them really!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews