Talking to the Moon

by Ineda Pearl

When escape isn’t enough, can love teach us how to feel again?

After years of abuse, 25-year-old Selene Lewis finally breaks free, finding refuge with her college best friend, Sam, in Hawaii—the first place that feels like safety. She hopes to rebuild quietly, to rediscover the woman she lost to trauma. But healing is rarely simple…and neither is the life waiting for her.

Enter Johnny—Sam’s older brother and a world-famous musician who’s more myth than man inside the family home. Behind his public persona, he’s private, grounded, and disarmingly magnetic. Their connection is immediate, stirring something in Selene she thought she’d forgotten how to feel.

As she begins to reclaim herself through a rising modeling career and her growing bond with Johnny, the past she tried to outrun resurfaces—bringing old scars, dangerous memories, and her relentless ex back into her orbit.

With love on the line and her abuser closing in, Selene must find the courage to trust herself—and Johnny—with a heart still learning how to beat freely.

556 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2025

Reviews

[Shawnaci Schroeder]

4/5
If you like drama, messy relationships, and to feel like you’re watching a movie while reading you’ll love this! I swear this felt like a messy soap opera. Can’t believe this book has so few reviews!!

[Courtney VanEck]

Selene is a young fashion model, she has had a hard childhood of control along with an abusive ex who she had to escape from. She had the help of her Bestfriend Sam and her family that took her in as their own family. Johnny is Sam’s famous rockstar brother who’s very successful and from the moment him and Selene meet it’s like an instant connection. If you’re looking for a cute contemporary romance 🥰 go pick this up and give it a shot.

[Gabrielle Filloux]

Immediately captivating. Looking forward to the audiobook coming out soon on Audible 😉

[Shayla]

DNF - The story has good bones, but I had issues with certain scenes that didn't make sense to me.

A few spoilers:

How does Kevin get by security detail, not once, but twice?

I find it hard to believe Johnny would leave Selene on her own to go out with the family after the security breaches took place. I don't care that Selene told him to go, he should have known better.

Why would Kevin leave Selene at the hotel by herself, able to get out of her bindings and have the ability to make a phone call? My higher mind thought maybe it was part of the "game", but I'm unsure.

[Marsha Simone]

This book could have been so much shorter, and still got the point across. I felt like there were parts that dragged on, being unnecessarily descriptive. Then there were parts that seemed so rushed and not believable.
I questioned so much about Selene’s ex, and how he was able to kidnap her. How was he able to get past security not once but three times. What ever happened to him? Did he get a hefty sentence afterwards. What ever happened to Rachel, and her false claim of pregnancy.

[Alice]

Normally I don't read romance novels but I've been trying to expend and try something new. Reading this book had me sucked in. My twin sister was a bit mad at Johnny when I read to her. It was very interesting and pretty good read. I'd go back to reading the other's work.