e-ARC, 432 pages
Release Date: April 16, 2019Published by: Simon Pulse
Read from: April 6-7 & 8-14, 2019Stand-aloneSource: Edelweiss (I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss and the Publisher in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)TW: Mentions a Suicide AttemptFor fans of: Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Diverse Characters, POC MCs, YAAfter an awkward first encounter, Birdie and Daniel are forced to work together in a Seattle hotel where a famous author leads a mysterious and secluded life in this romantic contemporary novel from the author of Alex, Approximately.
Mystery-book aficionado Birdie Lindberg has an overactive imagination. Raised in isolation and homeschooled by strict grandparents, she’s cultivated a whimsical fantasy life in which she plays the heroic detective and every stranger is a suspect. But her solitary world expands when she takes a job the summer before college, working the graveyard shift at a historic Seattle hotel.
In her new job, Birdie hopes to blossom from introverted dreamer to brave pioneer, and gregarious Daniel Aoki volunteers to be her guide. The hotel’s charismatic young van driver shares the same nocturnal shift and patronizes the waterfront Moonlight Diner where she waits for the early morning ferry after work. Daniel also shares her appetite for intrigue, and he’s stumbled upon a real-life mystery: a famous reclusive writer—never before seen in public—might be secretly meeting someone at the hotel.
To uncover the writer’s puzzling identity, Birdie must come out of her shell…discovering that most confounding mystery of all may be her growing feelings for the elusive riddle that is Daniel.
*MY THOUGHTS*
“I was pretty sure karma was doing its best to make me pay for what I’d done“9%
Birdie and Daniel had a chance meeting and then Birdie dashed away because of it. She was happy with the fact that she would never have to see him again…. Until she did. And worse yet, they work together. They build a bond together to find out more about a mysterious author who is trying to hide under a pen name and uncover way more than they bargained for.
“If this doesn’t wash off, I’m going to strangle you. Is this permanent?” “Nothing’s permanent, Birdie.”19%
As a character driven reader, I loved this! Daniel was such an interesting character and I loved Birdie. She seemed so much like me with her love for mysteries and detectives. (I am obsessed with Joe Kenda lol) I also loved learning more about Birdie and Daniel. They turned out to be some very deep characters that I couldn’t have predicted if I tried.
“Knowledge is winning, Birdie.“32%
The reason I didn’t like this one as much as her others was the almost non-existent plot. The plot I thought was supposed to be about Daniel and Birdie solving the mystery. Which it was, but it seemed way too drawn out. It got a bit repetitive after a while to me. The character arcs is what kept the story going. The ending was what got me tho. I didn’t put two and two together until the other person did. It was a great ending that I wish hadn’t waited until the end to be in the book if that makes sense.
“No one plans vengeance […] Yes! They do! […] It’s a planned act of revenge.“55%
There was also so much more that I liked about this one. I LOVED the sex positivity and how Bennett wasn’t afraid to show them being safe about it. (That’s my personal opinion about sex in YA.) I liked that Daniel talked about his medicine in a positive way. And I also loved the way that there was a trade school and a different route of life after high school taken in this one. Not everyone has the same route and it’s important to remember that.
“I never listen to warnings. Life is better when you wing it.”77%
This book wasn’t what I was expecting, but it was still an enjoyable read. Jenn Bennett has shown again that she writes the best boys and the best relationships. I know others will like this one more than me, but there were just some things that I couldn’t’ look past.
