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Moonlight Springs #1
Starlight Antiques: a cozy fantasy with a touch of magic and romance
There’s no guidebook for being a magical Guardian—just a glowing brooch, a skeptical historian, and a very opinionated bell.
When Maura Redding inherits her grandmother's antique shop in the charming Ozark mountain town of Moonlight Springs, she plans to sell everything and return to her sensible corporate life in Chicago.
But she didn't plan on the shop having opinions, discovering she's the town's new magical Guardian—thanks, Gran!—or the distractingly handsome, stubbornly skeptical historian, Cole Brinkman, who thinks her visions are just elaborate parlor tricks.
Throw in a ruthless developer who threatens to bulldoze a historic fountain—a fountain with more secrets than a cat has lives—and Maura and Cole find themselves unlikely partners.
She sees visions. He sees...a need for better lighting. She’s inheriting a magical destiny she never asked for. He’s discovering that Moonlight Springs operates by rules that weren't covered in graduate school.
Maura must decide if she’s ready to trade her power suits for... well, actual power. Can they protect the town's enchanting magic and the legendary Amethyst Stone before it's too late?
Step into Moonlight Springs, where magic is woven into the everyday, romance simmers gently, and you might just find you don't want to leave. Starlight Antiques is the first in the enchanting Moonlight Springs series, where small-town charm meets a touch of magical destiny.
Starlight Antiques is book one in the Moonlight Springs
Starlight Antiques - Book OneSweet Memories Bakery - Book TwoEnchanted Bookshop - Book Three
When Maura Redding inherits her grandmother's antique shop in the charming Ozark mountain town of Moonlight Springs, she plans to sell everything and return to her sensible corporate life in Chicago.
But she didn't plan on the shop having opinions, discovering she's the town's new magical Guardian—thanks, Gran!—or the distractingly handsome, stubbornly skeptical historian, Cole Brinkman, who thinks her visions are just elaborate parlor tricks.
Throw in a ruthless developer who threatens to bulldoze a historic fountain—a fountain with more secrets than a cat has lives—and Maura and Cole find themselves unlikely partners.
She sees visions. He sees...a need for better lighting. She’s inheriting a magical destiny she never asked for. He’s discovering that Moonlight Springs operates by rules that weren't covered in graduate school.
Maura must decide if she’s ready to trade her power suits for... well, actual power. Can they protect the town's enchanting magic and the legendary Amethyst Stone before it's too late?
Step into Moonlight Springs, where magic is woven into the everyday, romance simmers gently, and you might just find you don't want to leave. Starlight Antiques is the first in the enchanting Moonlight Springs series, where small-town charm meets a touch of magical destiny.
Starlight Antiques is book one in the Moonlight Springs
Starlight Antiques - Book OneSweet Memories Bakery - Book TwoEnchanted Bookshop - Book Three
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 27, 2025
717 people are currently reading
374 people want to read
About the author
Lula Ward
5 books11 followersHi, I’m Lula—lover of soft magic, small towns, and stories where the heart always finds its way home. I write cozy fantasy for women who crave a little wonder, a little warmth, and just enough enchantment to make you believe in the impossible again.
My books are filled with gentle magic, old secrets, and strong, heartfelt characters—often with a cup of tea in hand and a second chance just around the bend.
The Moonlight Springs series is my love letter to magical places that feel like home. If you enjoy women’s fiction with a touch of romance and a sprinkle of everyday magic, you’re in the right place.
~ Lula
My books are filled with gentle magic, old secrets, and strong, heartfelt characters—often with a cup of tea in hand and a second chance just around the bend.
The Moonlight Springs series is my love letter to magical places that feel like home. If you enjoy women’s fiction with a touch of romance and a sprinkle of everyday magic, you’re in the right place.
~ Lula
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 11, 2025
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
A cozy fantasy for when you want a little whimsy without the risk of every character you love dying. I really enjoyed Starlight Antiques, it offered a fairly short read that kept me interested enough to still be reading at 2 am.
We arrive in Moonlight Springs with Maura, who has some corporate job I can't remember anything about and is here to sell her grandmother's antiques shop and head back to her really cool desk job. I struggled a bit the first few chapters, Maura felt somewhat 2D and the writing wasn't entirely my style. It didn't last long, though, I got fully sucked in by chapter four.
The characters are lovely and all get enough time on stage, but they weren't completely fleshed out. The novel is too short to spend much time on characters, but I would have liked a little more. They felt off in the early chapters, like they weren't sure about their own personalities, though they recovered later on.
The 'touch of romance' is correct. It's there, it's cute, but it doesn't consume the whole plot. Maura and Cole suddenly have hands brushing and sparks flying in their second meeting. The timeframe of the story is too short for a full love story, so it can't give them the time to really develop their feelings. I do like where it went, in the end. The other romance, much less in the forefront, felt more natural to me. Which makes sense, as this one has a much longer history.
There is a good amount of show, not tell, to bring the world to life. The magic belongs in that town, the shop really is alive. I enjoyed the soft magic, leading to the right thing at the right time. Verena adds to that, providing information (and exposition) when needed but only interfering directly when it's absolutely necessary.
The choice of villain is excellent, I think 'businessman who wants to revitalise' is pretty high on my list of small-town nightmares. Descriptions of him give a perfect picture of who he is, yet still leave a little intrigue. Every time he opened his mouth, I wanted to slap him.
My biggest gripe was that sometimes, it gets a little repetitive. Maura seemed to occasionally realise things she already knew, leaving me slightly confused at her surprise. She and Cole have the same conversation about his skepticism five different times. Maura keeps joking about Cole being skeptic, even though he pretty much isn't anymore halfway through the story.
The brooch is a good example of my slight annoyance. Its temperature fluctuated like crazy, which does make sense for the story, but the brooch came up once every two pages on average. It's also amethyst. Like the magical Stone. This was my first thought on the brooch, but Maura seemingly never made a connection. This wasn't a dealbreaker for me, so I just skimmed these parts and moved on.
All in all, if you're looking for a cozy fantasy, I'd recommend this one. It's fun, magical and a little mysterious. If you like a little romance on the side, secrets that you discover alongside the protagonist and a calm pace in the writing, this one is definitely for you.
A cozy fantasy for when you want a little whimsy without the risk of every character you love dying. I really enjoyed Starlight Antiques, it offered a fairly short read that kept me interested enough to still be reading at 2 am.
We arrive in Moonlight Springs with Maura, who has some corporate job I can't remember anything about and is here to sell her grandmother's antiques shop and head back to her really cool desk job. I struggled a bit the first few chapters, Maura felt somewhat 2D and the writing wasn't entirely my style. It didn't last long, though, I got fully sucked in by chapter four.
The characters are lovely and all get enough time on stage, but they weren't completely fleshed out. The novel is too short to spend much time on characters, but I would have liked a little more. They felt off in the early chapters, like they weren't sure about their own personalities, though they recovered later on.
The 'touch of romance' is correct. It's there, it's cute, but it doesn't consume the whole plot. Maura and Cole suddenly have hands brushing and sparks flying in their second meeting. The timeframe of the story is too short for a full love story, so it can't give them the time to really develop their feelings. I do like where it went, in the end. The other romance, much less in the forefront, felt more natural to me. Which makes sense, as this one has a much longer history.
There is a good amount of show, not tell, to bring the world to life. The magic belongs in that town, the shop really is alive. I enjoyed the soft magic, leading to the right thing at the right time. Verena adds to that, providing information (and exposition) when needed but only interfering directly when it's absolutely necessary.
The choice of villain is excellent, I think 'businessman who wants to revitalise' is pretty high on my list of small-town nightmares. Descriptions of him give a perfect picture of who he is, yet still leave a little intrigue. Every time he opened his mouth, I wanted to slap him.
My biggest gripe was that sometimes, it gets a little repetitive. Maura seemed to occasionally realise things she already knew, leaving me slightly confused at her surprise. She and Cole have the same conversation about his skepticism five different times. Maura keeps joking about Cole being skeptic, even though he pretty much isn't anymore halfway through the story.
The brooch is a good example of my slight annoyance. Its temperature fluctuated like crazy, which does make sense for the story, but the brooch came up once every two pages on average. It's also amethyst. Like the magical Stone. This was my first thought on the brooch, but Maura seemingly never made a connection. This wasn't a dealbreaker for me, so I just skimmed these parts and moved on.
All in all, if you're looking for a cozy fantasy, I'd recommend this one. It's fun, magical and a little mysterious. If you like a little romance on the side, secrets that you discover alongside the protagonist and a calm pace in the writing, this one is definitely for you.
September 1, 2025
It was an entertaining easy read. I enjoyed entering the magical world created by the author. I do recommend
September 23, 2025
I would give this book more along the lines of 2.5-2.75 stars. While I enjoyed the overall plot of this story, the pacing felt really off. Until about 25% of the way in, it is unclear as to whether Maura actually knows about the existence of magic, then suddenly she knows that magic is real. The same can be said for the character of Cole. We are told that he is a logic-based individual, a historian, and then quite suddenly as well, Cole does a 180 and goes from skeptic to believer.
A lot of the time in this book it comes across as the author telling us what a character is feeling, believes, etc. instead of writing it so that it comes across through their words, interactions and so on. The author repetitively tells us facts about the characters and then suddenly those characters switch what they believe in so quickly without the story itself progressing in such a way as to allow it to happen through the storytelling.
The other issue is the lack of build-up in the relationship between Maura and Cole. It is obvious the author is wanting us to know, that the author is telling us that they are attracted to one another, but even 60% of the way into the book, it is still just an attraction. They haven't really spent a lot of their time together getting to know one another, but yet Maura is suddenly considering staying just because she is attracted to Cole? It all seemed rather forced and too farfetched to buy into Maura basing a decision to stay on attraction, since she really knows nothing more than surface-level characteristics about Cole at this point.
You can see this happen in a lot of books, where the author seems to be in such a hurry to get to a certain point in a story, whether it be getting two characters together or reaching a certain point in the plot that they miss the importance of building up a relationship, a background of a town, its people, and so forth.
This story had so much more potential than what was given.
A lot of the time in this book it comes across as the author telling us what a character is feeling, believes, etc. instead of writing it so that it comes across through their words, interactions and so on. The author repetitively tells us facts about the characters and then suddenly those characters switch what they believe in so quickly without the story itself progressing in such a way as to allow it to happen through the storytelling.
The other issue is the lack of build-up in the relationship between Maura and Cole. It is obvious the author is wanting us to know, that the author is telling us that they are attracted to one another, but even 60% of the way into the book, it is still just an attraction. They haven't really spent a lot of their time together getting to know one another, but yet Maura is suddenly considering staying just because she is attracted to Cole? It all seemed rather forced and too farfetched to buy into Maura basing a decision to stay on attraction, since she really knows nothing more than surface-level characteristics about Cole at this point.
You can see this happen in a lot of books, where the author seems to be in such a hurry to get to a certain point in a story, whether it be getting two characters together or reaching a certain point in the plot that they miss the importance of building up a relationship, a background of a town, its people, and so forth.
This story had so much more potential than what was given.
July 17, 2025
This was a wonderful story. Well labeled as a “cozy fantasy” as it had real mystery (not a murder) and imaginative fantasy elements. The characters were well done and the area of Moonlight Springs was beautiful and full of hidden delights. The next one in the series comes out in about 10 days and I’m looking forward to to getting it. I strongly recommend this book.
Amazon notes:
When Maura Redding inherits her grandmother's antique shop in the charming Ozark mountain town of Moonlight Springs, she plans to sell everything and return to her sensible corporate life in Chicago.
But she didn't plan on the shop having opinions, discovering she's the town's new magical Guardian—thanks, Gran!—or the distractingly handsome, stubbornly skeptical historian, Cole Brinkman, who thinks her visions are just elaborate parlor tricks.
Throw in a ruthless developer who threatens to bulldoze a historic fountain—a fountain with more secrets than a cat has lives—and Maura and Cole find themselves unlikely partners.
Amazon notes:
When Maura Redding inherits her grandmother's antique shop in the charming Ozark mountain town of Moonlight Springs, she plans to sell everything and return to her sensible corporate life in Chicago.
But she didn't plan on the shop having opinions, discovering she's the town's new magical Guardian—thanks, Gran!—or the distractingly handsome, stubbornly skeptical historian, Cole Brinkman, who thinks her visions are just elaborate parlor tricks.
Throw in a ruthless developer who threatens to bulldoze a historic fountain—a fountain with more secrets than a cat has lives—and Maura and Cole find themselves unlikely partners.
October 20, 2025
The premise of this book and series is intriguing, but I barely made it through this first book. The author uses redundancy to fill the pages and pays little attention to a timeline for Maura. The magic is apparent and it seems to take Maura about two days to become deeply steeped in it. She has no problem calling out Cole for being a skeptic over and over and over again. Maura discovered her purpose and that she was meant to be in Moonlight Springs several times. It just wears the reader down with wanting to get to the point. This book dragged on and on and basically reduced the magic for me.
July 6, 2025
A sweet and clean cozy fantasy story. The characters were enjoyable and the story was engaging. Moonlight Springs sounds like a cute town you’d see in a Hallmark movie that you wish you could hop in the book and visit. 😊 The magic system that is introduced is intriguing and I will definitely be looking forward to learning more about it in the next book in the series.
July 23, 2025
Reviewed at Shifter Haven
Starlight Antiques begins the Moonlight Springs series with the charming introduction to a magical small town, hidden from the world, known to those it connects to. Maura grew up in Moonlight Springs, headed off into the world seeking career advancements and corner offices. The recent death of her beloved Gran brings her home… for a time. Her intent is to settle her grandmother’s affairs and sell the antique shop, then head back to Chicago. Yet, the magic of this small town has other ideas, and other needs.
I was easily drawn into this world, where Maura begins to sense and see things that just don’t make sense. The mystery that her grandmother left behind pulls at her, needs her to unravel clues and take positive, if hesitant, steps to protect her legacy and this town. In spite of an unnatural developer’s attempts to take over, Maura and the residents of Moonlight Springs have other intentions that lean toward protection of their home and guardianship of their secrets. With the help of Cole, librarian, researcher, historian, and skeptic of anything magical… and perhaps a romance in the making, they, along with other members of the community, will do all they can to thwart an evil plot and protect what’s theirs.
I adored Starlight Antiques by Lula Ward. (who also writes Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction under Kay Correll) It’s a well-written, engaging, emotional, and gripping story of finding exactly where one belongs, and accepting the role one was born to step into. Maura and Cole’s developing romance is charming, slow-burning, and an ever-changing emotional journey for them both. This appears to be a six-book series, and we’re introduced, slowly in some cases, to other characters we’ll learn more about as time moves on. I had a fun time in this world, and I’m already heading to download the second book. If you love an engaging, fun, magical mystery with touches of romance, then you’d love Starlight Antiques by Lula Ward.
I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Starlight Antiques begins the Moonlight Springs series with the charming introduction to a magical small town, hidden from the world, known to those it connects to. Maura grew up in Moonlight Springs, headed off into the world seeking career advancements and corner offices. The recent death of her beloved Gran brings her home… for a time. Her intent is to settle her grandmother’s affairs and sell the antique shop, then head back to Chicago. Yet, the magic of this small town has other ideas, and other needs.
I was easily drawn into this world, where Maura begins to sense and see things that just don’t make sense. The mystery that her grandmother left behind pulls at her, needs her to unravel clues and take positive, if hesitant, steps to protect her legacy and this town. In spite of an unnatural developer’s attempts to take over, Maura and the residents of Moonlight Springs have other intentions that lean toward protection of their home and guardianship of their secrets. With the help of Cole, librarian, researcher, historian, and skeptic of anything magical… and perhaps a romance in the making, they, along with other members of the community, will do all they can to thwart an evil plot and protect what’s theirs.
I adored Starlight Antiques by Lula Ward. (who also writes Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction under Kay Correll) It’s a well-written, engaging, emotional, and gripping story of finding exactly where one belongs, and accepting the role one was born to step into. Maura and Cole’s developing romance is charming, slow-burning, and an ever-changing emotional journey for them both. This appears to be a six-book series, and we’re introduced, slowly in some cases, to other characters we’ll learn more about as time moves on. I had a fun time in this world, and I’m already heading to download the second book. If you love an engaging, fun, magical mystery with touches of romance, then you’d love Starlight Antiques by Lula Ward.
I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
July 11, 2025
Maura and Cole . . .
Maura Redding inherits her grandmother's antique shop in Moonlight Springs. Her initial plan was to sell it and go back to Chicago. However, she doesn’t get the last say about it since the shop had a very different opinion about her future. She has become the magical Guardian of the town.
The town’s historian, Cole Brinkman, is not convinced by talk of magic. But when Blake Denton, a developer, plans to destroy the Crescent Park historic fountain, claiming dangerous structural concerns, Maura and Cole join up to stop him as they attend the town hall meeting. They know the fountain is protecting something very important and they need to prevent its destruction no matter what. At the town meeting, Cole passed out blueprints of James Morrison’s original specifications for the fountain’s construction, including a unique mechanical feature. Because the fountain represents this unique example of 19th-century hydraulic engineering, destroying it would mean losing irreplaceable historical and mechanical innovation. Because of this, Maura suggested bringing in an independent structural engineer to assess it. This bought them some time, but Denton is definitely after something in the fountain and could not be trusted. Six magical stones, hidden throughout Moonlight Springs, each has its own power and purpose. They need to find the legendary Amethyst Stone, the most crucial of the six and hidden in the fountain, before Denton finds another way to get to it. Is Maura now ready to stay in Moonlight Springs and accept her Guardian magic? And will Cole stand beside her?
Maura Redding inherits her grandmother's antique shop in Moonlight Springs. Her initial plan was to sell it and go back to Chicago. However, she doesn’t get the last say about it since the shop had a very different opinion about her future. She has become the magical Guardian of the town.
The town’s historian, Cole Brinkman, is not convinced by talk of magic. But when Blake Denton, a developer, plans to destroy the Crescent Park historic fountain, claiming dangerous structural concerns, Maura and Cole join up to stop him as they attend the town hall meeting. They know the fountain is protecting something very important and they need to prevent its destruction no matter what. At the town meeting, Cole passed out blueprints of James Morrison’s original specifications for the fountain’s construction, including a unique mechanical feature. Because the fountain represents this unique example of 19th-century hydraulic engineering, destroying it would mean losing irreplaceable historical and mechanical innovation. Because of this, Maura suggested bringing in an independent structural engineer to assess it. This bought them some time, but Denton is definitely after something in the fountain and could not be trusted. Six magical stones, hidden throughout Moonlight Springs, each has its own power and purpose. They need to find the legendary Amethyst Stone, the most crucial of the six and hidden in the fountain, before Denton finds another way to get to it. Is Maura now ready to stay in Moonlight Springs and accept her Guardian magic? And will Cole stand beside her?
July 12, 2025
Maura comes to Moonlight Springs after her Gran dies thinking she will sell everything but the town and store have other plans. Cole is an historian who relies on research and what he can see. When a developer comes to town trying to bulldoze everything they team up to fight and discover something else very important. A wonderful book and I can hardly wait for more books in this series!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 2, 2025
Fairly cute. As advertised - a little bit of magic, a little bit of romance. A different kind of magic than most of the cozies I've read, but that's okay. Makes it a bit more fresh that way. I like the setting and I like the characters so far. Needs a sarcastic talking cat! lol. But worth the read as is.
August 25, 2025
I’ve always felt a connection to antiques and old photographs, like they’re telling a story, and I loved how that idea came to life in this book. While the storyline was a little disorganized, overly repetitive, and quick to unfold, I adored the imagery and descriptive language and sprinkled like glitter throughout the pages. A visit to Moonlight Springs would be a treat!
July 16, 2025
I always enjoy town vs developer stories. Mix in some magical realism and it's even better. I am really looking forward to seeing what happens next.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 21, 2025
Magical
Again this author does not disappoint. The characters are magical in their own way. I thoroughly enjoyed every word and can't wait to start the next book! I hope you enjoy this enchanting book.
Again this author does not disappoint. The characters are magical in their own way. I thoroughly enjoyed every word and can't wait to start the next book! I hope you enjoy this enchanting book.
July 28, 2025
Great Read!
I really enjoyed book 1 in this series watching Maura and Cole's journey to finding their HEA. 8m looking forward to book 2 in this series and will definitely recommend this book to everyone.
I really enjoyed book 1 in this series watching Maura and Cole's journey to finding their HEA. 8m looking forward to book 2 in this series and will definitely recommend this book to everyone.
September 2, 2025
Fantasy and magic
Coming home to sell her grandmother's antique shop, Maura gets caught up.in a developer's scheme to demolish the historical district of Moonlight Springs, and walks into an ancient magic.
Coming home to sell her grandmother's antique shop, Maura gets caught up.in a developer's scheme to demolish the historical district of Moonlight Springs, and walks into an ancient magic.
September 26, 2025
Nice easy read, a little mystery, low stakes, which I like. I am not for too much drama, so I appreciate this book. Also for someone who has a strong bond with their Grandmother and misses them, this is a nice literary hug for you
November 23, 2025
This book is incredibly redundant. You can literally skip 6 plus chapters at a time and not be confused as to what’s happening because it’s so slow and repetitive. Hard pass on continuing this series.
Read
July 11, 2025DNF
August 1, 2025
Not what I expected. A little boring and one note. I am disappointed and will not continue the series.
I guess I'm not a fan of fantasy.
I guess I'm not a fan of fantasy.
August 4, 2025
DNF
The characters were one dimensional and the story didn’t even make sense!
The characters were one dimensional and the story didn’t even make sense!
August 21, 2025
3.5 Stars!
Sweet cozy mystery, with a little romance and a lot of magic!
Sweet cozy mystery, with a little romance and a lot of magic!
August 23, 2025
This was a very cute read!
August 31, 2025
This book has my heart. It has quickly become one of my top favorites and I’m expecting the series to rate as my top favorites. ❤️❤️❤️ This book was a 5 star read for me.
September 30, 2025
A fun and enjoyable romp into finding oneself. Learning to listen to your truths and instincts. Magic is a great tool to uncover self- discovery.
An easy read.
An easy read.
October 2, 2025
I like this series and have already ordered the others available. I like the time shifts, the hint of magic without referencing witches. Just simple magic that anyone could tap if they listen to clues given to them.
November 4, 2025
A nice cozy fantasy. A good read for readers who enjoyed The Spellshop series. Lighthearted and sweet, this book is 224 pages of fun. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
November 6, 2025
Cozy, Mystical, and Entertaining
I love that the book is so cozy but still manages to hold my attention. It doesn't drag on like some do. It is so well done!
I love that the book is so cozy but still manages to hold my attention. It doesn't drag on like some do. It is so well done!
November 17, 2025
Love this book. Im reading the second one right now.
December 2, 2025
I feel like the author repeats herself too much. This could have been 50 pages to be honest.
December 7, 2025
Believe
Lost strange things happening!
New beginning, love
Return of lovers from long ago
Evil,magic and goodies n coffee n tea! Yum!
Lost strange things happening!
New beginning, love
Return of lovers from long ago
Evil,magic and goodies n coffee n tea! Yum!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews