Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Moonlight
SERIES: Down the Short
AUTHOR: Evie McGlynn
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 302 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 29, 2022
BLURB:
I was the most sought-after concert pianist in the world. Now I barely leave my apartment. Injury and addiction have taken their toll, and I can’t seem to get my life back on track.
My best friend wants to send me on a month-long vacation to the Moonlight Inn to get ready to play for his wedding. In New Jersey. The place where I almost died. My friends think I should get “hot and heavy” at the Jersey shore, but I just want to be able to perform again.
I didn’t anticipate meeting someone like Sean O’Neil, the owner of Moonlight Inn. He’s down-to-earth and kind, and when I’m with him, I feel unaccountably safe. His quiet encouragement helps me conquer my fears and get back in front of an audience.
As my confidence grows, the world I thought closed to me, opens once more. Word spreads of my return, and people from around the globe are asking me to play for them. At last, I can get back to doing what I love most.
But the luster of touring dulls when a tragedy in Sean’s life prevents him from joining me. Will I have to choose between the career I love and the man who holds my heart?
REVIEW:
Jeremy Fitzgerald has been in recovery for a while. He’s a concert pianist who was injured in a car crash that his ex-boyfriend caused. He has recovered from the physical injuries – not without a considerable amount of work. But the psychological injuries and the addiction were not so easy to overcome. He’s worked on it for a while, but this best friend, cellist Evan, insists that it’s time he left the safe bubble of the apartment. Evan is getting married in a month to Rafael, and Jeremy has agreed to play for that. So he send him ahead to the hotel on the Jersey Shore that will play host to the event to get himself prepared to play publicly again.
Sean O’Neil is the owner of the beautiful Victorian hotel that will the wedding venue. He expects Jeremy to be a bit of a diva and a pain quite frankly. What he gets is a shy, humble, somewhat nervous gorgeous guest who intrigues him. He had no idea who Jeremy was really, so he’s surprised to discover which guest is actually the world famous Jeremy Fitzgerald. From the minute they meet, there is something there. The chemistry is off the charts, but Sean can sense that Jeremy has been wounded deeply and is trying move forward and recover from more than a shoulder injury.
Immediately Jeremy and Sean are together a lot. Their chemistry is off the charts. But more than that, they seem to share a lot of the same sensibilities and really enjoy each other’s company both in an out of bed. Sean is considerate of Jeremy’s feelings and past and really helps him to gain more confidence and get back to his old self. Well really a better version of himself if Jeremy’s friends are to be believed.
There are some who really do not want Sean or Jeremy to succeed. There is drama around the hotel which has Sean on edge. Jeremy’s ex resurfaces. They there is Sean’s worry about his brother doing NGO work in a war zone. They do have a lot on their plates! But together then will make things work.
Well this was a real surprise. This debut novel shows a lot of promise and I am anxiously awaiting the next book. I really enjoyed the characters and the story arc of this book. Jeremy has been through some stuff! Sean is a total stand-up guy. They come together and the right place at the right time and provide each other with things they weren’t even really aware that they needed. There is a wonderful cast of supporting characters – friends, found family, real family. The bad guys are plentiful too – but not in a cartoony way. Things get resolved in a way that felt slightly rushed, but I was there for it. The angst is there, but not crushing. I really wanted these guys to get their HEA in the best possible way. The connection between the two MCs was just well written and believable and I am looking forward to book 2! Highly recommended! Love finding new authors and series and I think will provide lots of good reads in the future 🙂
RATING: 
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