Moonlight Over The Loveless Motel: A Stephen St. James Romance

by Stephen St. James

When it comes to love, it’s never too late… Thursday should have been the happiest day of Nathan Gardner’s life. The company he started over twenty years ago has just been acquired in a friendly takeover. Single, healthy, and barely middle-aged, Nate can retire with millions in the bank. His employees love him. He’s a pillar of the community. There are still a couple of weeks of spring skiing left. Life is wonderful. Then he gets the his oldest and once-best friend back home in rural Tennessee—Jake Fillmore—committed suicide a couple of months ago. Jake and Nathan—the two oddball nerds back in high school—had been so close they could finish each other’s sentences. But when they both fell in love with the same girl, Alice Spence, a gap widened between them that never closed again. Jake got the girl and Nathan got the scholarship to Colorado State University in Boulder, where he discovered a talent for business and technology that would make him more successful than anyone back home had ever imagined possible. The last thing Nate wants to do is go back to Benton Creek, Tennessee. He’s spent his whole life trying to escape the poverty he suffered there. But now Alice, widowed and bankrupt, needs help. Nathan journeys back to the place he least wants to be. In doing so, he confronts his long-buried feelings for Alice and his own loneliness. He also makes a discovery that changes his life when it comes to love, it’s never too late. Stephen St. James is the pseudonym of the Edgar and Shamus Award-winning author Steven Womack. This is his first foray into the romance genre.

146 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 15, 2020

Reviews

[Lolita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second chance, later in life romance. Very well done, I loved that the characters were so down to earth and in spite of the seriousness of certain situations, it didn't overshadow or take away from the moments of real life feelings and actions.

Basically they remained true to themselves instead of compromising and taking the values that were important to them for granted.

Great introduction to this genre!

[Brooklyn Taylah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alice did not deserve Nate

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit I downloaded this book because the name caught my eye. I normally read Historical romance but thought I'd give this a chance. I was so glad I did because I really enjoyed this love story. This was like a breath of fresh air to read and get lost in. I started before bed and could not stop reading until I was done because I really needed to know how it all turned out. It was well written and I was so happy for Nate to have finally found his love again.

[Eric Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like your romance sincere, tough, and honest, Moonlight... fits the bill. At times tender, at times passionate, this story is fueled by childhood nostalgia, teenage secrets, and baby boomer angst. A quick read, it is also a moving ode to what it means to rediscover lost love and the roots that bind us all.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was better than a glass of wine for nourishing the battered emotions of 2020. I immediately entered the world of the story at 10 p.m. and didn't surface until reaching the end early in the a.m.

The setting is word-paint; I could feel the atmosphere of the day, see the shadows of the trees at night, and smell the mustiness of the building. The characters' history brought memories of childhood friendships, and the dialogue was natural and honest.  

I hope the author continues to write in this genre as well as his mysteries (all of which I've read, recommended, and gifted several times). This romance is a welcome new venture for him, and I look forward to the next one.  

[Christine Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Content/Trigger Warnings:
- Suicide depicted on page (attempt as well)
- Loss of loved one
- Cancer
- Gore

Words that may bother some readers:
- 1 time
Asshole
Bitch
Came
Douche Bag
Goddamnit
Grating
Grind
Molest
Orgasm
Piss
Son of a Bitch
- 2 times
Bullshit
Goddamn
Hick
Lord (sometimes religious)
Nipple
Shit
- 3 times
Arouse
Bastard
Breasts
Laid
Smartass
Spaz
Virgin
- 4 times
Fuck
- 5 times
Ass
- 8 times
Jesus (not religious)
- 12 times
Damn it
- 14 times
Damn
- 22 times
God (usually not religious)
- 41 times
Hell

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't Put This Down

I rarely read books told from the man's perspective. If others are like this, I have missed a lot. The life issues the hero is dealing with are different and interesting, as was seeing the romance through his eyes. The way the ending happened was a total surprise, and filled with unexpected wisdom from an unexpected source. The emotions all felt real. The sense of place was strong.

All this still does not touch the most important thing about this book: it totally grabbed me. I was not an observer, I was, myself, emotionally involved in the story. That does not happen often. Few books are good enough. This one is.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving Loveless

There was so much I enjoyed about this novel. Author Stephen St. James made me care about his main characters immediately. I felt Nathan’s loneliness and emptiness, despite his hard work and windfall, and I rooted for him to win Alice. Alice’s guilt and grief were just as tangible, and I found myself frustrated with her for not initially accepting what was in front of her. The ending was appropriate and satisfying, and the book refreshingly showcased the main male character’s perspective. I couldn’t put it down.

[Rose Grabowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing and descriptions were beautiful in this story of a man revisiting his younger life after early retiring when he sold his company for enough money to last him the rest of his life. He travels to his hometown after hearing of his childhood best friends suicide and renews his relationship with the widow. This was told from his perspective and was very well done.