Book Review: Moonlight and Oranges (+Giveaway)

A timeless tale of young romance.

Lorona Connelly is ready for a change from her carefully planned, bookish life. When sparks fly at a costume party, she embrances a chance for romance with handsome Kestrin Feather. However, she quickly realizes that even love and destiny may not be enough to overcome the reality if an overprotective mother-in-law and Kestrin's long, tarnished history of relationships.

When Lorona's curiosity leads her to Kestrin's journal, doubt plagues them both with insecurities and threatens the relationship. Can true love overcome the odds, or was their whirlwind romance just a frivolous crush?

Author Elise Stephens shares a journey of young love, fate, and wounded trust in the story of Lorona and Kestrin, a couple who must learn to overcome their fears to share a life together.

Moonlight And Oranges
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 220 (ebook)
Part of Series: -
Purchased: Review for tour
Rating: 5/5 stars
Buy: Book Depository || Amazon (US) || Amazon (UK)

REVIEW:
The reason I chose this book was because of its summary. It sounded so romantic and normal. Plus, the cover wasn't bad, it is enough attractive. And the title was so weird that made me intrigued.

The story is not quite normal. The characters were normal. Kestrin is a womanizer, I can't say that there is something wrong in that. And Lorona is an innocent girl, who still believes that a knight in a shinny armor will come to take her far away to live their romance. Again, nothing wrong in that. What didn't feel normal were the pressure and faith Kestrin had put in his dreams. He was, practically, following them like a compass, letting them guide his life. Even though I loved this characteristic, I couldn't help but wonder that this was some sort of fiction and that those kinds of things don't happen in real life. Or, at least, in my life.

What I didn't like was how fast the things were moving. How rushing all of their decisions were. They rushed to move forward without knowing each other well or without thinking with their minds, only with their hearts. And when they started learning each other, they only found things they didn't like and starting having doubts about their relationship. Plus, there was Amanda, Kestrin's mother, who was messing in her son's life for the wrong reasons, making things more difficult. And she was a little creepy from time to time.

During the story, we learn many things that make your mouth pop open. The end was what changed my mind altogether. It is so romantic, when the characters realize their feelings and take certain decisions. It reminded me of the greatest and most romantic love stories ever. The author tells us at the end, where exactly she got inspired, and I'll admit that I wasn't familiar with the story, which was also very romantic.

Bottom line, I loved it, despite being fast and having to deal with rush and -sometimes- stupid decisions. It was painfully romantic. It made me believe in love at first sight and that sometimes we have to follow our hearts and not our heads when it comes to love.

P.S.: I know that the title sounds strange, but there's a reason for that. The oranges play a major role in the characters connection. Believe me when I say that after a point, I was craving for some orange juice myself. I finished two cartons during reading it.

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