Beth Torrington is the pampered daughter of a prominent lawyer with the almost-perfect life. She has a great marketing job, a handsome fiancé, drives a late-model luxury car, and lives in a high-end condo. But when she meets Jason, at a schoolteacher who moonlights as a magician, at a children’s birthday party, she wonders if her life might be missing something important.
Beth signs up to act in a local community theatre production, to the dismay of her fiancé, only to find the lead actor is Jason, the handsome magician who also happens to be good friends with her older brother. She’s attracted to Jason … yet she’s engaged to Blaine.
It’s obvious from the get-go that Jason is the hero, which means Beth and Blaine are going to have to break up.
This is good news.
There are red flags around Blaine from his very first line, and they add up until the man is flying more red flags than a circus. Blaine doesn’t respect Beth or her opinions, and it’s obvious he will be a controlling and possibly abusive husband. The only question is when Beth will realise Blaine’s true nature and stand up for herself. (And we know she will, because this is contemporary Christian romance, not a historical novel where the woman is married off to her father’s choice, regardless of her own feelings).
I loved the way Beth developed some sass and personality as the story progressed. I especially liked her openness to feedback and her realisation that her life—and faith—might not be as perfect as she assumed.
Jason was a perfect Christian hero.
In fact, that’s my main criticism with Moonlight and Mystery—Jason is possibly too perfect. He realises Beth isn’t a Christian, so focusses on developing a friendship with her that shows Jesus. He honours Beth and respects her relationship with Blaine, even though he is attracted to her. In that, Jason highlights Blaine’s disrespect towards Beth.
The addition of the play is brilliant.
I’ve read several novels where the hero or heroine is an author and where there are clear parallels between the main plot and the plot of the fictional writer’s story. But this is the first novel I’ve read where the plot followed a fictional play. The playwright is still writing (probably not aged way to stage a production), so we see the characters rehearsing the play as part of the story, and the story and the play track in a pleasing parallel.
There were a lot of things to like about Moonlight and Mystery as a contemporary Christian romance—Jason, the play, Beth’s faith journey, Beth’s brother and family, Jason (yes, the repetition is deliberate).
Yet, in some respects, Blaine offers the greater lesson.
Blaine says and does all the right things, and Beth is initially fooled. Moonlight and Mystery would make a good read for a young adults group so young women can see Blaine’s controlling and manipulative behaviours, and learn to avoid those men in their own lives. Instead, seek the Jasons of this world, the men who perhaps don’t look as polished, but who put God first.
Thanks to Pelican Book Group for providing a free ebook for review.
About Moonlight and Mystery
Is God really willing to stand by her side, even after she’s ignored Him for so long?
When Jason Brooks meets Beth, his head tells him to run in the opposite direction. Beth is a high-society snob engaged to another man, and he’ s not sure where she stands with God.
So why does God keep bringing the two of them together?
Can these two find love, in spite of everything that stands in their way?
Find Moonlight and Mystery online at:
About Karen Malley
Faith, Encouragement, and Happily-Ever-Afters.
Karen is an author of Christian fiction. She lives in Southeastern Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. She works full time as a scientist, but enjoys writing in her spare time. When not writing (with her left hand), she enjoys camping, hiking, playing board games, and especially reading! She loves reading faith-based stories, because we can all use a happy ending.
Karen loves to hear from her readers.
