Moonstruck

by Eija Jimenez

Maya Dimalanta is an investigative journalist. Or at least she will be someday. Right now, she’s a writer for In Other Worlds Magazine, where she writes crackpot stories about zombie uprisings and aliens. But when her boss gives her a story about the witches of her hometown of Ravensglen, her interest is piqued. The witches who once ruled Ravensglen had always just been an old wives’ tale, but now Maya is on the case to find the last living descendants and prove that witches are real.

It’s too bad for Ramona Washington that she’s exactly what Maya’s looking for, in more ways than one. Not only is she the beautiful woman Maya encounters daily on her commute to work, but Ramona is also a witch. Ramona and her sister have always kept their magical abilities to themselves, but something sinister is brewing in Ravensglen. With the Imperium Moon approaching, a dark presence seems to stalk the sisters.

While Maya is working on the biggest story of her career, Maya and Ramona’s lives intertwine as sparks fly between the two women. Will Maya sacrifice her big break for a witch? And will Ramona be able to reveal her biggest secret as a darkness looms over the town?

Genres: Romance, Queer, Witches, Paranormal, Fantasy

327 pages, Paperback

First published October 24, 2024

About the author

Eija Jimenez has been a writer since her elementary days where cardboard rocketships could fly to the moon. Still to this day, Eija avidly writes LGBTQ+ fiction, hoping to add to this ever-growing community and give representation to queer minorities.

She graduated from the University of Toronto in 2014 where she studied English and Psychology. She received her Honours Bachelor of Arts and tries to put four intensive years of schooling to good use through writing.

When she’s not crafting stories in her head, Eija can be found hurling axes (at bulleyes!), out for a hike, or jamming out in a good car-eoke session.

She lives in Toronto, Canada with her wife and their two dogs, Honey and Dijon.

If she could give one piece of advice to anyone, she would quote Max Erhmann's Desiderata: "You are a child of the universe. No less than the trees and the stars." No matter how small or insignificant you feel, the whole universe would be different without you.

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Moonstruck by Eija Jimenez, a journalist discovers that the crackpot magazine she works for might be on to something when magical things start happening around her. Maya is investigating the family lineage of the supposed witch families who founded the small town of Ravensglen when she meets Ramona. They begin on the wrong foot, but there is an immediate attraction. The romance is sweet and spicy and perfectly balanced with the witchy mystery. 
The characters are all likable, and our mains are mature and playful. Their relationship feels organic. 
Moonstruck is a cute, fun, and cozy urban fantasy set in Ontario, Canada, with a bit of a mystery that culminates in an action-packed showdown. 
This low angst, high spice, and sweet romance made for an enjoyable quick read.
Kudos for the interracial relationship and the BIPOC rep. 
#kissintherain #BIPOC #interracialrelationship #urbanfantasy #witches #journalist #digitalmarketing #SEOstrategist #cozy #Ontario #Canada #smalltown #Filipino #spicy #fallseason
I received this ARC free from the author. This is my honest opinion.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moonstruck is a dual POV book that follows Maya and Ramona who have the absolute opposite of a meet cute. Maya is a journalist for a paranormal magazine, and Ramona is a witch who works in digital advertising.

I absolutely adored this book. It was everything I could want in a witchy book. It had so much humour and sass, pining, clumsy chaos, banter, fierceness and I absolutely loved the side characters so much. I also adored Ramona’s adorable doggo, Morticia, the goodest of girls. The spice was equally as juicy as the plot and really complimented the budding relationship. All I’m gonna say is I’m very pro potion. As the plot got more into the thick of it, I was definitely caught off guard a little in, but absolutely loved the direction Eija took. It kept me interested and guessing. I absolutely recommend this for anyone looking for their next cozy witchy read.

I received an eARC from the author and all opinions are my own.

Rep: POC MC, Filipino MC, Enby SC, Lesbian MC, Bi MC

CW: Sexual content, violence, threats, toxic boss, stalking, mention of parental death, fire

Tropes:
GrumpxSunshine
Small town
Paranormal
Sapphic
Opposites attract
Cute dog
Spice
Cozy
POC leads

[Sherley's Reading Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Spice Level: 3.0 / 5.0

In Moonstruck we meet Maya Dimalanta and Ramona Washington. They are both living in Ravensglen, a small town north of Toronto Canada. Maya is a journalist and Ramona works in marketing. Living in a small town has its perks but Maya would give anything to be living in the city and working as an investigative journalist at one of the major newspapers in Ontario. However, she is stuck in this small town that is full of witch folklore, and on t op of everything going wrong in her life, she has the weirdest boss known to man. Just when Maya starts to settle in, her boss sends her on a mission to solve these mysterious deaths that seem to be happening in town and that involves witchcraft (something Maya doesn't even believe in). Then, Maya meets Ramona on a train, while attempting to sneakily use Ramona's charger after forgetting hers at home, and things go from weird to weirder when the universe is determined to keep bringing these two together.

What starts off as a chance meeting leads Maya on a whirlwind journey where she finds way more than she bargained for. Will she finally be able to solve the town's magical and mysterious happenings? Will her search lead her not only to the truth, but to love?

I absolutely adored this read. It had all of my favorites: romance, thrill, mystery, funny banter, and really likable characters. Both Maya and Ramona by themselves were funny but together, they were a hoot. I loved the funny banter when they first met and their relationship was just so realistic and organic and the author did an excellent job showing the chemistry between these two. I not only appreciated the main characters but I felt like the author did an excellent job with the secondary characters as well. From Maya's boss, who I could just see (short, balding, button nose). Lol. It was like watching a movie. I also loved Ramona's sister Stevie and her partner Amari (I want their back story so bad). I loved the POC and LGBTQ+ representation in this book. It was done so well and with so much respect and it is so true, representation matters. It was so good to see people who spoke and looked like me in this book. And guys, the ending blew my mind. I did not expect that at all!

The author did an excellent job with this book. I was able to read it all in about a day because it was so good! The pacing, the steamy chemistry between Maya and Ramona, the romance, the plot, the mystery, the thrill, and that ending! What more can you ask for? I really hope we get to revisit Ravensglen. It was a quaint small town full of mystery and lore and I cannot wait to go back!

10/10 I would HIGHLY recommend!

What to Expect:
🥲 Terrible first impression
👯‍♀️ Witch x Non-Witch Pairing
✊🏽 POC MCs (Representation matters 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽)
👀 Nosy friends and family
👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏿Interracial leads (Filipino x Black)
👻 Small town legend
🙈 Non-date dates
🌶️ Spice
🔮 Modern witches
🐩 A dog!

[SJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨4.5/5

🏳️‍🌈Rep: Black Bisexual MC, Filipino Lesbian MC, Nonbinary SC, Queer & POC SCs

📝Tropes/Themes: Witches/Magic, Adorable Dog, Small Town, Meet Ugly, Interracial Couple, Fall Festivities, Paranormal, Family Secrets, Grumpy/Sunshine, Femme/Femme, Canada

This was such a wonderfully witchy, sweet and spicy sapphic romance! I loved the world building and the backstory that Jimenez created for Moonstruck. It was a unique and interesting plot line that kept me hooked from the start.

Maya is a journalist working for one of those paranormal magazines writing stories about things like zombies and alien sightings that she doesn’t even believe in biding time until she can catch her big break. Then her boss finally gives her a story that seems like he might actually be something - thus begins her deep dive into the witches of Ravensglen. Ramona works in marketing. She also happens to be a witch. Her magic has been acting up lately and her new boss is a jerk, so she hasn’t been in the most stellar mood. And well…let’s just say that her and Maya do NOT get off to a great start. More like a meet ugly than a meet cute! But for some reason their paths keep crossing. And while Maya is very interested in getting to know the gorgeous grumpy woman, Ramona is a bit more reluctant. Especially when she finds out that this quirky, bubbly woman who has peaked her interest is a journalist investigating witches.

I absolutely loved the banter and the pining between these two. They were so adorable together and their connection was palpable. They truly belong together. Plus the way that Maya affected Ramona’s magic… So wholesome. I was beyond excited when they finally kissed. The tension building up between them was explosive in all the best ways! 🥵

I also loved Ramona’s relationship with her sister, Stevie, and all of Stevie’s sass! And Stevie and Amarie’s relationship was definitely goals. Plus YAY for nonbinary rep! I think I might have to steal the term “auncle” now! And I can’t forget adorable little Tisha. I’m a sucker for a story with a cute dog.🥹

I knew at some point things were going to go down and Maya would be caught between her job and her feelings for Ramona. I was not wrong about that…but the way everything happened was also nothing like what I expected. And there was a plot twist I never saw coming! This was my first book by Eija Jimenez but it certainly will not be my last!

I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest review.

⚠️TW/CW: Sexual Content, Violence, Attacks, Threats/Harassment, Stalking, Toxic Work Environment, Mention of Parental Death and Fire

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I received an advanced copy of this book as a part of the author's review team.

This is the first book I've read by Eija Jimenez. I read the basic premise of the book before diving into the ARC, so I generally knew what to expect. It took me a little bit longer to become invested in the character of Maya vs the character of Ramona, but that is probably because I quickly identified with the oldest sister qualities that Ramona exhibits throughout the book.

The initial meeting and subsequent interactions between the two main characters of Maya and Ramona were humorous, with witty dialogue sprinkled throughout the book. While it felt, to me, that things progressed quickly between the two, I thought their chemistry was well written and believable. I also like how the MCs interacted with the side characters in the story, and loved the meddling friends and family.

The witch aspect was also fun to read. Being a fan of fictional sci-fi/fantasy TV shows and movies helped me to follow along with the world that Jimenez built in this book. Overall I enjoyed this book a lot!

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was an intriguing mix of mystery and paranormal elements that made me laugh out loud on several occasions. The main character, Maya, is an investigative journalist working for a paranormal magazine. Her boss assigns her the task of finding the last remaining witches from the families that founded the town of Ravensglen. I appreciated the twist at the end of the story, which added an unexpected layer to the plot.

I received an arc

[Susan Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

About a 3.5 star read for me. This is a fun and easy read, with cozy vibes and a cute couple. I didn't love the cavalier use of memory potions as a device, it was too serious of a violation to match the coziness of the rest of the story. Other than that issue it was a simple and cute witchy story, generally well written and sweet.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable read

I enjoyed this book. Lesbian witches ,mystery, romance this book has it all. The characters are interesting and likable. Thanks For a enjoyable read.

[peaches · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun. Story was well developed, romance was cute, and I appreciated the diversity rep.

[Christa Hickcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The setting immediately draws you into a warm and cozy mystery with a spark of a love story brewing. I could not decide which of the two main characters I adored more, Maya or Ramona. They were both written so well. Maya had just the right balance of persistence and respect to keep Ramona coming back for more. The tender moments were so sweet, the spice was...hot, and the push and pull was just enough to keep you guessing how their relationship would play out in the end.

I must say I did not expect the ending! The author did a great job leaving just the right amount of clues, but subtly enough, that you were still super surprised by the ending!

[Elle Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moonstruck was a perfect read for the season. Romance with a hint of mystery! And a dog with lots of personality. 🐾 Maya meets Ramona the old fashioned way… by “borrowing” her charger while she snoozes on the train. lol. Without asking of course. Maya is a journalist and Ramona works in marketing. Ramona has a boss whose head anyone would want to smash in and Maya’s would probably be certified as a kook. They are both trying to navigate their career, friendships, family and each other. And maybe even a secret or two…🥹. I enjoyed the banter between the two ladies and I especially enjoyed feeling so seen as a black girl in this read. The author did a beautiful job of describing the constant changing of hairstyles and showing eye rolling as a form of affection instead actually being annoyed lol. I did side eye Ramona for putting that purse on the floor but southern black women have heard it’s bad luck all our lives so it makes me cringe lol. Adored Stevie, Amari and Fitz 🫶🏾. And it took a crazy turn events! Definitely recommend.

Oh and the kissing in the rain scene 🌶️