3 ⭐️ I’m usually not into love triangles (or squares) but Alejandra made me a fan!!!
Summary:
Billie Murphy has lived a sheltered life. After years of living abroad with her father, a top US diplomat, she's used to staying in versus going out, having a security detail, and her non-existent dating life. But now that she's twenty years old and they're moving from Paris to New York, her father decides it's time to give Billie some independence by letting her live in her own apartment. Sure, she'll still need a security detail and everyone she meets will need background checks, but it's a start.
Within days of arriving in New York City, things start to get interesting. Billie rekindles a relationship with Thomas, a Princeton athlete she met briefly in Paris; she meets the Swedish family upstairs with the most gorgeous sons; and her long-term bodyguard and friend, Caleb, starts acting strangely overprotective.
As Billie steps into an eye-opening world of wealth and secrets—where everyone may not be who they seem—she’ll have to navigate her volatile new relationships and the mysteries of her past—to find her path forward.
My Thoughts:
First off, thank you, Alejandra, for sending me a copy of your book to read! I enjoyed Billie's story and can't wait to see what happens next!
I enjoyed the fast pace. The story is more character drive than plot drive, so the scenes tend to jump from one to the next relatively quickly, which I found a little jarring at first. But once I read a few chapters, I started to enjoy how quickly the story moved. This really allowed for the juicy drama to unfold rapidly, which I'm not complaining about.
Billie is an interesting MC. Her sheltered life has made her inexperienced, but I find that endearing. I enjoyed following her on this journey to learn about herself and find independence. And even though she is naive and wants to see the best in people, I like that she still has self-respect. (I'm specifically referring to how she handles Thomas).
Billie's relationships with Caleb, Thomas, and William are all so unique and interesting. Caleb is the safe guy who's always loved and protected her, Thomas is the the guy who offered her many firsts, and William is the hot Swedish guy who she can't figure out but he makes her heart flutter. Billie has chemistry with each, making decisions about her love life extremely difficult yet very entertaining for the reader to follow along.
Honestly, I don't even know who I want her to end up with, between Caleb and William. I love them both for entirely different reasons. Caleb is just so loyal and loves her for who she is, but William is an adorable flirt and secret softie. But between the nicknames 'Red' and 'Alskling' (which is darling in Swedish), I think I'll go with the second.
There were some parts of the story I didn't love or understand.
Billie's security detail left her alone in her room while injured with the ex-boyfriend they don't like. They're super protective of her, especially Caleb, so I really doubt they would allow this.
Sometimes, Billie is too naive. I know she is a bookworm and not super social, but you're telling me she doesn't recognize internationally famous movie stars. . . It does make sense but felt a bit unrealistic to me.
I would have liked to have seen her interact with more female characters. Out of 15 or so side characters, there are only 3 females: Lily, Nina, and Heather. She had two other girlfriends in Paris, but they don't show up once she leaves Paris.
Moonstruck at Midnight was an entertaining coming-of-age story. This story crept up on me, but once things started to heat up between Billie and a few of the guys, I couldn't put it down. I'm excited to see Billie's relationships with Caleb and William unfold (who will she choose????) and learn more about the shooting in Mexico City. I also have a feeling we are not done with Thomas yet, so I can't wait for all that drama! My guess is he's going to go full stalker mode, and someone's going to get hurt.
Thank you so much Alejandra Andrade for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.
Favorite Quotes:
"Normal? What's normal? Who makes the rules, and why would you want to live by them? Make your own rules," he said. "Never wish otherwise."
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"Sometimes you were meant to be in a particular place, but ultimately life puts you where you belong. It's about learning how to deserve that new place, which might be very different from what you expected by perfectly designed for you in every way."
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I didn't care if he'd kissed a million girls before because if that had taught him how to kiss like that, then praise be.
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We kept saying never, hoping for always, and now its meaning had come to life - it was sneering back at me, mocking me - ready to eat me alive.
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