Luna's Crossroads: A Gritty Romantic Suspense

by Roksolana Lebid

"Darkness. We met again. You once more reached me, stealing another piece."

At 19, Luna traded the shattered innocence of a small Italian town for a new beginning across the ocean. She arrived with nothing but a suitcase full of trauma and a desperate need to disappear.

From scrubbing tables as a waitress to sketching haute couture as a promising fashion illustrator, Luna is fighting to rebuild her life one messy, contradictory thought at a time. But scars run deep, and solace is hard-won. The moment the unexpected, dark magnetism of Lucas pulls her in, Luna is forced to confront whether this new, all-consuming love is a salvation or just another beautiful distraction from the darkness she carries.

The feeling of being watched never leaves, as Luna spirals deeper into Manhattan's dangerous elite. The secrets buried in Zane’s diary still bleed, hinting at a truth far more destructive than what happened in Italy. Luna realizes that New York doesn't hide monsters; it houses bigger, hungrier ones.

This is Luna's unedited story of her next six years, a journal of her fragmented mind. Every choice is a crossroads, and the city that promised freedom is quickly becoming a trap.

The prologue is finally explained, and it will shatter everything you thought you knew.

Can Luna survive the secrets of Luna's Crossroads, or will the shadows she fled finally consume the light she risked everything to find?

496 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 6, 2026

About the author

Hi there! My name is Roksolana, and I love exploring my limits. I believe that learning new things and discovering new passions is deeply fulfilling. I was born in a small town in Ukraine and raised by my mother before moving to a beautiful Italian town—a place I still love to visit every year with my family.
While I am a full-time photographer and a mom, I recently discovered that writing brings me immense joy. My journey began with a personal diary where I recorded my deepest thoughts; those entries became the inspiration for the Luna’s Diaries series. When I’m not writing or behind the lens, I enjoy reading, playing the piano, practicing illustration, and staying active through fitness. I currently live in New York with my family.

www.roksolanalebid.com
Instagram @bookstagramluna
TikTok @roksolanalebid
Facebook @roksolanalebidbooks

Reviews

[Summer Seeds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luna's Crossroads tugged at my heart strings from the first page and never let go. Much like the first book, Luna's story is raw and emotional. I laughed. I cried. It can definitely be a tough read at times, especially towards the end. She makes decisions that I hated and questioned - she made me want to scream at times - but I had to remind myself that Luna is still so young as the events of the book unfurl. We aren't supposed to always agree with her.

At its core, this is a coming of age story. The book spans the course of four years. We see Luna grow from that young girl in the first book into a young woman. Despite all the negative choices Luna makes - despite seeing her at her lowest low - Lebid has written a story that is full of growth and hope. There is always light in the dark.

I absolutely loved this book. All the twists and turns had me hooked. The ending had my jaw on the floor in absolute shock. I cannot wait until book three!

I received an eARC from the author. All thoughts are my own.

[Maria Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart shattered once again! I don’t know why I keep doing this to myself!!!!!!
My heart aches for the path Luna’s life has taken. How can one person manage to survive all she has endured. At several points I understand why she made the choice she did and seeing no way out. I’m so grateful for ANNA sticking with her and giving her that family comfort when she felt she had no one else. Not sure if my heart can endure the next chapter but I am here for it!

[Sandra M Choi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Luna’s Crossroads, a beautifully articulated sequel to Before the Light: Luna’s Journey. Roksolana Lebid delivers an emotional, edgy coming-of-age romance that follows Luna as she rebuilds after trauma and loss, starting over in New York City. Far from friends and family, Luna navigates grief, identity, and the messy work of healing—becoming more than a survivor and growing into the woman she’s meant to be.


Lebid pulls on your heartstrings with every twist and turn, balancing raw vulnerability with hope and sharp pacing that keeps the pages flying. The unpredictability of Luna’s choices feels honest and earned, and the city itself hums as a backdrop to her transformation. By the final chapter, my heart was both broken and mended—and I’m already aching for book three to bring everything together.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️An unforgettable, cathartic read.

[Jessica Verble · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could truly give more stars I would. I was warned about this book by the author but man oh man was I not prepared on how this book would make me feel. I had to put it down a couple times because with some of it, it hit home a few times. It was a rough read but absolutely a book I am so blessed I got to read and be apart of the arc team for!!! Lunas is still my hero, she is a 19 year old who has been through crap and is trying to navigate life!!! I was that 19 year old girl once to!!! If you ever have the chance get this book and book 1 and just go on a journey with Luna as she navigates life with emotions, heartbreak, strength, courage and wit. This book has a deep place in my heart forever and now im ready for book 3!!

[Monmonreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luna's Crossroads is a novel where it doesn’t just tell a story, but it reaches into your chest and wraps its hands around your precious heart and refuses to let go till you reach the end of the page. This book seems like a diary that was never meant to be witness and yet here we are- we watch as Luna unravels and moves to New York with Vee and from here on out she is still being haunted by her past and it followed her across the ocean. Her struggles and trying to make a future for herself you get to feel the aches she goes through, and it is real. She is messy, vulnerable and utterly human. She is the definition of a living, hurting person who is trying to pick herself up and piece herself back together in the only ways she knows how. While she works as a waitress on long hours and in between is sketching fashion illustrations it is hard to not root for her as she claws her way toward something resembling stability. – that is until she meets Lucas.

Lucas is a dark, magnetic and irresistibly handsome in which he is dangerous for her. Their connection is intoxicating yet unsettling, a perfect mirror to Luna's life wanting to be saved and her fear of repeating her past. She gets tangled with the Manhattan's elite where under all the glamour is there is rot underneath. We get to see Luna's pain that shows us why she was drawn to him. We witness her fear, hope, self-sabotage and her defiance.

The lingering mystery of her being watched, hunted and consumed is something larger than she can ever image. Roksolana had managed to wreck my heart once more for the second time and I am ready for what comes next! I recommend this book and please be sure to read the trigger warnings first—before diving into this book, they are very important: violence, profanity, bullying, rape, molestation, death, miscarriage, child abuse, and sexual content

[Charletta Scruggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I say I had to gather myself. Luna did not get a break. There was no disappointment reading this second installment of Luna Journey. Luna was trying to navigate through new beginnings and grief. I had to brace myself for the ending as I did figure it out when V and Davide got in town early and acted strange when they didn’t inform Luna and also when Luna felt that eyes were watching her always but couldn’t find who. I thought she found love again with Lucas but it went straight downhill and betrayal, but I wonder who was pulling the strings because he always knew where she was. I thought she was making progress in healing when she made new friends and trying to move forward with her life with getting a new job where she made her own new family and traditions. Its seemed as though she was always running away from old life but couldn’t outrun it. I had wished she had healed to go home to find peace within herself as Luna had a constant battle with herself due to the trauma of someone she was suppose to trust and the loss of her love. You also find out more about Zane and his love for Luna. “Hello, dummy. Miss Me?” Even though I felt it, I was still not prepared. Luna had suffered for years and I asked myself “Why” As this was not a short period of time that she went through suffering. She went to hell and came back just to feel as through she went back and after a failed love and grief of another loss, Luna did have a breaking point because just as an other person how much is enough to end it all. I can not wait til the next part of her journey and how she comes to term with this revelation of a loss love that has returns and how Luna moves forward after this.

[awkward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is Luna finding a fresh start in New York City, or is she just running away? Arriving just before the holidays, we follow Luna as she attempts to find her bearings in the cold, bustling city. This installment held a special place in my heart; Luna’s struggle to navigate life with little support mirrored my own experiences in a way that felt raw and deeply personal.

I found myself literally yelling to my Kindle, warning her, "LUNA, YOU IN DANGER GIRL." While she makes some risky choices, we also get to witness the beautiful, slow process of her beginning to finding herself. Even when V follows her own heart to California, Luna adapts. She finds new friends, hits the party scene, and lands her dream job.

Everything finally seems to be falling into place.
But with those soaring highs come devastating lows. Luna learns the hard way that people can be cruel, no matter how much you wish for their kindness. I was rooting for her to finally be swept off her feet, but this story reminds us that life doesn't always follow a fairy tale script. And fair warning: get ready for some serious whiplash right at the end. I actually had to reread the final pages to process the shock. WOW.

[Cris Alvarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hurt—in the quiet, lingering way that doesn’t let go.

Luna’s Crossroads isn’t about healing. It’s about surviving. It’s about carrying trauma across oceans and realizing it doesn’t stay behind just because you change countries, names, or dreams. Luna’s voice is fractured, messy, and painfully honest, and it feels like reading someone’s private thoughts that were never meant to be seen.

New York isn’t a fresh start—it’s a sharper cage. The love story is dark and consuming, blurring the line between salvation and self-destruction. The constant sense of being watched, the secrets hidden in Zane’s diary, and the weight of Luna’s past create a suffocating tension that never fully lifts.

When the prologue is finally explained, it hits hard and changes everything. Nothing feels safe. Nothing feels accidental.

This story doesn’t try to comfort you. It sits with the pain, the obsession, the fear—and asks whether escape is ever real. Luna’s Crossroads is heavy, haunting, and unforgettable.

[Lori Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a new adult, coming-of-age story. The pacing is fast and addictive, full of twists and turns that keep you hooked until the very end. A psychological thriller and the second installment in the "Luna's Diaries" trilogy.

The book follows Luna, at age 19, as she moves from a small town in Italy to New York City to escape past trauma. While rebuilding her life, navigating grief, and facing new dangers.

She is vulnerable, resilient, and at times naive, making choices that can be frustrating but feel authentic to her age and experiences.

Luna also has a complex relationship with Lucas a new character for us. There is also blurring lines between saviors and villains, or victim and monster.
Including Love, loss, and the consequences of choices.

This book had me in tears and definitely on a roller coaster ride, yet wanting book 3 now.

[Rane Sterling · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Luna’s Crossroads offers a raw and deeply atmospheric dive into the psyche of a trauma survivor, the execution often feels as fragmented as the protagonist’s mind. Roksolana Lebid successfully captures the gritty, "hungry" energy of Manhattan’s elite and builds a palpable sense of dread, but the narrative pacing struggles under the weight of its own melodrama. Luna’s journey from a fashion illustrator to a woman entangled in a high-stakes mystery is intriguing, yet the "dark magnetism" of the romance feels somewhat derivative of the genre, and the non-linear, unedited journal style occasionally makes the plot difficult to follow. It’s a solid choice for readers who enjoy heavy, psychological "shatter-your-world" twists, but it may leave those seeking a more cohesive or balanced plot feeling a bit lost in the shadows.

[Marianne Alfaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much like the first book, Luna's story is so vulnerable, wild, and real. My emotions were all over the place! Towards the end, I questioned why she was doing some things, I wondered if I was in her shoes, would I have done the same?? But at that age, I had not been through anything near what she had been through.
Luna's Crossroads follows her journey into young adulthood. Think all the trials and tribulations and HUGE feelings you felt when you were coming into your own, but then magnify it by 50.

I loved this book. Luna holds such a special place in my reader heart, I just want to protect her, scold her, and then protect her all over again. Another amazing story written by Roksolana Lebid!

I received an eARC from the author, but all thoughts are unbiased.

[Amber Sewa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What was that ending ? 😳 I need the 3rd book now 😭
Luna’s crossroad just sealed the feeling I had in Before the light (book 1) which is the fact that Luna feels like a best friend. One in which you aren’t entirely involved in their lives and decision making skills but you watch them navigate life, take steps and make decisions in which sometimes are good, sometimes aren’t . Friends that you share all their emotions, cry when they cry, laugh when they laugh.

This is a perfect written coming of age story that explores all emotions. For Luna who’s trying to rebuild her life in New York City after experiencing trauma and loss, trying to heal and embrace life for what it is 💝

But seriously, that ending?? 😱

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these characters. I love their stories. And I love all the feels that this author gives me each time I read one of her stories. Thank you for again allowing me to be a part of this ARC. All of the feels, Lebid once again does an amazing job of giving me all the feels. The emotions are not uncharacteristically like my own. The mistakes are so real and guttural and gut-wrenching. The ending was amazing with a perfect cliffhanger that I did not see coming. All I can say is, keep on writing, you have definitely found your perfect niche.

[CozyreaderLisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will have you feeling all the emotions, and I mean all the emotions! I laughed, I cried. I couldn’t help but want to reach out to Luna and tell her everything would be okay and hug her! At 19 and having to navigate through all her trauma and triggers just reminded me of what things I had to overcome in my life. I was warned but still wasn’t ready for my heart to shatter into pieces! I hope in the next installment Luna catches a break and we finally get to see her at her best! I honestly cannot wait for the next book! This series will forever be something I recommend!

[Crystal Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a roller coaster ride

I don’t know how to put into words my feelings on this book. After reading Before the Light I did not think Luna’s life could get any crazier. Boy was I wrong. The life that she lives in New York ventures in the direction of love, hate, addiction, sex and regret. What she thought was rock bottom wasn’t even close. The end WTH is all I can say. I’m left wanting more. The need to know. Roksolana has become one of my favorite authors. I definitely recommend you read Before the Light and the Luna’s Crossroads. Make sure you check the trigger warnings.

[After The Last Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow! I'm speechless 😶 I don't know what to say, definitely a 5 hearts for me.

it was fast paced, unstoppable - read whole night and whole morning to complete it just to know how Luna is settling in new York and how she is coping with everything she lost but the end.... it's mind blowing, unbelievable and unexpected. very happy for the ending but want to explore the next book in the trilogy to see what happens now with Luna 😇

even though I likes Lucas from the beginning, but not entirely with my heart because I know what right for Luna, always #LuNe 🥰

[Donna Heard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 2 in the series and picks up where "Before the light" left off. If you haven't read that one you should read it first. Things in the big city are too big and overwhelming to luna, everything is too big, too loud and too fast.
A new life in a new country could make all the difference, that is if she can find a way to stay in the country, find a place to live and get a job.  She is determined to make a fresh start and eventually make her dreams come true, but all of that comes at a price.

[Krystal Kraft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luna❤️🖤

She is a quick reminder that we all have to go through things to find our footing. That life is a continuous wheel of trial and error. Judgement calls and quick decisions. Lessons and consequences. Love and loss. Happiness and anger. Sadness and confusion.

This books was just so good yet so heavy- it felt all too relatable in one way or another and honestly it’s a story I sort of want to dive into and be a part of in a strange way. The sincerity in the friendships and the strength they have proven to have given all that they have stood against together- all of our main characters honestly, is desirable. The realness in the choices they all make. The vastness and dark sides of the city it takes place in is intriguing. It was a fast paced and very addicting read.

It felt like a movie when I read it. It had peace and chaos combined and I just adore the entirety of the series so far.

I don’t know what is next to come for her and what she has going on in her life, but I am here for it and ready to dive in when that time comes!

[Kedajaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.8 / 5 ⭐️

OMG my Poor Luna 😭 ! Lunas story continues to be full of emotion, vulnerability and wild decisions. I mean her coming of age tale is all over the place & written beautifully; considering all the trauma & trails she's been through. At a point I was getting upset at some of her decisions but then I realized that she's a fictional character 😂. Thats how it made me feel; like I forgot I was reading. I wanted to protect her & guide her. I can't wait for Book 3.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sequel was EVERYTHING. Luna’s Crossroads took what I loved about the first book and raised the stakes emotionally and psychologically. Luna’s growth over the years is raw, powerful, and so well written. I flew through this book, couldn’t predict the twists, and that ending?! Absolutely not okay. 😭 Roksolana once again has me impatiently waiting for the next book! If you haven’t stated this series…. What are you waiting for?

[Alejandra McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this one got feeling all type of emotions so many I feel like I was Luna I feel everything she felt and I kind understand how she feel sometimes.. i could stop reading feel all emotions that’s at this point I need book 3 because I can’t stop thinking what happen next why would happen to Luna she be able to be happy and be love overcame her pass ???

[Karisa ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luna’s crossroads is a sequel to Before the Light, I could not put this book down. It is written to have such a flow to it investing you in from the start. This book messed with all of my emotions and I’m still in shock a day later after finishing. I have so many questions and thoughts. Life is not perfect and this book and the 1st introduces the audience to the idea of that. I am on the edge of my seat waiting for book 3.

[Arianna Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really honestly couldn't even believe the ending!!!! I'm filled with SO MANY feelings and thoughts. I'm practically obsessed with what the author has built in book 1 and now this one. I absolutely love all of the experiences the main character had gone through even if they weren't all fabulous. Dying to read the 3rd!

[Penelope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real life, no frills just reality

A continuation of book one following Luna growing up and living with her choices and the consequences.
This is not your all sparkly everything is perfect style life. It's the raw, gritty dark side of life that many live through and it's good to see an author putting this out there.
I look forward to book 3.

[Crystal Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I stay up until 6 a.m to binge read the last 45% of the book? Yes I did! I’m absolutely mind blown! Luna goes through the wringer in the 7 year span! Friends, triumphs, betrayal, spice, and second chances mixed with a hint of thriller and now suspense at the end?!?! Wow! Just wow!

[Beth H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What the F***??

That ending is truly diabolical. I will never recover (until book 3 at least)

Luna's Crossroads is a continuation of Before The Light, and follows Luna's journey to New York.

The story was amazing and Lebid's poetic writing once again took my breath away.

My heart is not okay.

[Sarah Mickus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh you got me again. The second book in this series and it did not disappoint. I was laughing crying and getting mad all throughout this book our poor poor Luna. To go through so much at such a young age. I can not wait for book three

[Kim Finazzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! What an adventure Luna went through. All the ups and downs. You have to read book 1 Before the Light: Luna’s Journey to understand what’s going on. Roksolana Lebid is an incredible writer. Go check her out.

[Ashley Rockholt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my second reading of this author. I really enjoy her writing and the way she carries out the story. The whole book I was very undecided on if I liked the love interest. Everything ended well. I’m looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.

[Savannah Huntington · Rating 4 out of 5]

I inhaled this book in under 24 hours!! WOW WOW WOW. I love a devastating, sad read. I love it when a book makes me feel, and my goodness, this did JUST that! This author did a wonderful job in continuing the story of Luna. And the ending??? WHAT?!!!! I need more. So ready to read book 3! 🤎🤎🤎