4 STARS | Moonlight and Oranges by Elise Stephens

Title: Moonlight and Oranges
Author: Elise Stephens
Age Group: New Adult
Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mythology, Retellings
Publisher: Booktrope
Format: PDF
ASIN: B0065U78MC
Published: November 10th, 2011
Source: Sophie Weeks
Events: Book Tour
Rating: ★★★★

Lorona Connelly is ready for a change from her carefully planned, bookish life. When sparks fly at a costume party, she embraces a chance for romance with the handsome Kestrin Feather. However, she quickly realizes that even love and destiny may not be enough to overcome the reality of 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.

I loved Moonlight and Oranges! As I was reading I had a feeling that the story was based off of something, and I was right when I read the author's note in the back of the book. Moonlight and Oranges is based off of the story of Cupid and Psyche. I don't know the story of Cupid and Psyche that well, but I do know that the story does involve a meddling mother who tries to keep the lovers apart. And in Moonlight and Oranges, Kestrin's mother is scary in her efforts of keep Kestrin and Lorona apart.

I'm a huge fan of mythology and folklore, so I was really happy that Moonlight and Oranges had Greek mythology and Mexican folklore.

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Elise Stephens received the Eugene Van Buren Prize for Fiction from the University of Washington in 2007, where she also received her degree in Creative Writing. Moonlight and Oranges is her first novel and was a quarter-finalist for the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

She lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband where they both enjoy swing dancing, eating tiramisu, and savoring the flavor of local live theater.


Disclaimer: This review was originally posted in 2012 to my book blogs, Zodiac Book Reviews and A Bibliophiles Thoughts on Books.