Enter
INTERVIEWS & REVIEWS
  • Home
    • About >
      • Mission Statement
      • FAQ'S
      • Review Us!
    • Contact
  • For Writers
    • Resources
  • Interviews
    • Interview Submissions
  • Reviews
    • Book Submissions
    • Become a Reviewer >
      • Book Reviewer Guidelines
  • Team Members Only
    • Contemporary Fiction
    • Dual-Time Fiction
    • Fantasy/Sci-Fi
    • Historical Fiction
    • Mystery/Suspense
  • Book of the Month
    • January Nominations
    • February Nominations
    • March Nominations
  • 2022 Book of the Year
    • 2022 Book of the Year Finalists
  • 2021 Book of the Year
    • 2021 Book of the Year Finalists
  • 2020 Book of the Year
    • 2020 Book of the Year Finalists
  • 2019 Book of the Year
  • 2018 Book of the Year
    • 2018 Finalists
  • Our Reviewers
    • Marta Aldrighetti
    • Karen Baney >
      • Anna Bottoms
      • Ezara Boyce-Swann
      • Kassidi Brewer
      • Sandra Broome
      • Thomas Brown
      • Carolyn Bryant
    • Laura J. Davis >
      • Jeanette Durkin
    • Marie Edwards
    • Susan Feaster
    • Kristina Hall >
      • Joy Hannabass
      • Abigail Harder
      • Adriann Harris
      • Charity Henico
      • Mindy Houng
      • Monica Huyser
    • Christy Janes >
      • Heather L. Jones
    • Raechel Kelly >
      • Linda Klager
    • Beverly Laude >
      • Cassandra Lee
      • Tammy Lunsford
    • Kevin Maltsberger >
      • Rebecca Maney
      • Lisa McGuire
      • Jane Mouttet
    • Lauren Nel >
      • Rick Norris
    • Lori Parrish >
      • Deanne Patterson
      • Susan Poll
      • Mary Polyakov
    • Kathryn Sadakierski >
      • Kimberlee Sams
      • Connie Porter Saunders
      • Rob Seabrook
      • Erin Stevenson
      • Emily Stephens
      • Katelyn Sponaugle
      • Sarah Speck
      • Amy Smelser
      • Paula Shreckhise
      • Nora St. Laurent
    • Laura Thomas >
      • Winnie Thomas
    • Billi Varela >
      • Diana Varela
      • Elisha Varela
      • Juanita Varela
    • Nikita Wells >
      • Tina Williams
      • Ewurabena Wilson
      • Conny Withay
      • Cheryl Wood
  • Home
    • About >
      • Mission Statement
      • FAQ'S
      • Review Us!
    • Contact
  • For Writers
    • Resources
  • Interviews
    • Interview Submissions
  • Reviews
    • Book Submissions
    • Become a Reviewer >
      • Book Reviewer Guidelines
  • Team Members Only
    • Contemporary Fiction
    • Dual-Time Fiction
    • Fantasy/Sci-Fi
    • Historical Fiction
    • Mystery/Suspense
  • Book of the Month
    • January Nominations
    • February Nominations
    • March Nominations
  • 2022 Book of the Year
    • 2022 Book of the Year Finalists
  • 2021 Book of the Year
    • 2021 Book of the Year Finalists
  • 2020 Book of the Year
    • 2020 Book of the Year Finalists
  • 2019 Book of the Year
  • 2018 Book of the Year
    • 2018 Finalists
  • Our Reviewers
    • Marta Aldrighetti
    • Karen Baney >
      • Anna Bottoms
      • Ezara Boyce-Swann
      • Kassidi Brewer
      • Sandra Broome
      • Thomas Brown
      • Carolyn Bryant
    • Laura J. Davis >
      • Jeanette Durkin
    • Marie Edwards
    • Susan Feaster
    • Kristina Hall >
      • Joy Hannabass
      • Abigail Harder
      • Adriann Harris
      • Charity Henico
      • Mindy Houng
      • Monica Huyser
    • Christy Janes >
      • Heather L. Jones
    • Raechel Kelly >
      • Linda Klager
    • Beverly Laude >
      • Cassandra Lee
      • Tammy Lunsford
    • Kevin Maltsberger >
      • Rebecca Maney
      • Lisa McGuire
      • Jane Mouttet
    • Lauren Nel >
      • Rick Norris
    • Lori Parrish >
      • Deanne Patterson
      • Susan Poll
      • Mary Polyakov
    • Kathryn Sadakierski >
      • Kimberlee Sams
      • Connie Porter Saunders
      • Rob Seabrook
      • Erin Stevenson
      • Emily Stephens
      • Katelyn Sponaugle
      • Sarah Speck
      • Amy Smelser
      • Paula Shreckhise
      • Nora St. Laurent
    • Laura Thomas >
      • Winnie Thomas
    • Billi Varela >
      • Diana Varela
      • Elisha Varela
      • Juanita Varela
    • Nikita Wells >
      • Tina Williams
      • Ewurabena Wilson
      • Conny Withay
      • Cheryl Wood

Book Reviews​

11/12/2016

0 Comments

Moonlight Over Manhattan

 
Picture
Picture
Author: Carrie Turansky
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Christmas


Professional organizer Sarah Montgomery is hired to organize her elderly neighbor’s cluttered apartment by Justin Latimer, her neighbor’s grandson. Sarah believes free-spirited Justin is a lazy, unemployed poet who is taking advantage of his grandmother’s generosity. Though she is attracted to him, she guards her heart against her growing feelings. As Sarah and Justin work together to help his grandmother and enjoy Christmas events in New York City, romantic sparks fly. When Sarah discovers who Justin really is, she must decide if she will continue to hide behind her protective wall or open her heart and embrace love.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Reviewer: Jane Daly

​
Moonlight in Manhattan is a sweet holiday love story. The two main characters, Justin and Sarah, are believable and down-to-earth. They are an unlikely couple who meet after Sarah’s next-door neighbor, Lillian, is taken by ambulance to the hospital. Conflict arises as Sarah, a driven self-starter, thinks Justin is taking advantage of his grandmother, Sarah’s next-door neighbor.
 
There was a plot twist that I would have liked to see developed: a mystery anomaly of Lillian’s blood tests. It would add more tension to the story.
 
All in all, the story is an enjoyable read. The release is a timely one, right around the holidays. It made me want to put up Christmas lights and drag out my Nativity scene.


Picture
Reviewer: Mary Hemlow

Sarah Montgomery lives and runs her own business in Manhattan. A health emergency with one of her neighbours, an elderly woman, leads to Sarah’s discovery that the woman would benefit from her help. There’s only one problem. In order to help her, Sarah has to cooperate with the woman’s deadbeat, but attractive grandson, Justin. As Sarah gets to know Justin, she finds herself being attracted to him, against her better judgment. Justin isn’t being completely open and honest with Sarah. Added to everything are Sarah’s feelings of abandonment by her wealthy, money focused parents. Will Sarah deal with her fear and allow a man who loves her into her heart?

The  story offers a glimpse into the lives of two characters, strengthened by their faith, but wrestling with doubts about relationships and emotions left by events from their pasts. Sarah’s heroism lies not only in these struggles but in that she lives and runs her own business in one of the largest cities in the world. The book delivers in the romance reader’s format. It’s an engaging read.

The title and cover promise a journey to a different place, which I think could have delivered more. The city itself is weakly portrayed. Names of places will be well known to those who have visited New York, but as a person who has not had that pleasure, I was unable to make the connections with the places and would have appreciated more descriptive detail about them. In spite of this minor deficiency, I give the book five stars.


Picture
Reviewer: Edwina Cowgill

Moonlight Over Manhattan is a fun read for this time of the year! Set during the months of November and December, there’s just enough seasonal undertones to put you in the holiday spirit, or keep you there!
 
Ms. Turansky has done an excellent job in writing and developing characters who wiggle their way into your heart early in the book.
 
Although not the heroine, “Miss” Lillian will remind you of your grandmother. With her gracious manners and mischievous matchmaking, she quickly becomes your favorite character.
 
Justin, the hero, is Lillian’s grandson and has come to stay with her as she recuperates from a fall. He is the “boy next door” that every mother longs for her daughter to fall in love with. Strong, honest, good-looking…need I say more?
 
And then there’s Sarah. An independent woman who is a professional organizer and owns her own business, she is determined to marry a like- minded professional, who can easily support himself and a family. And therein lies the conflict.
 
This story is written from a Christian perspective and Ms. Turansky does a good job in balancing the romance angle with the Christian perspective.
 
Moonlight Over Manhattan is a book you will enjoy reading and a story you will remember for a long time to come. 


Picture
Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

Moonlight Over Manhattan by Carrie Turansky is a novella set in New York during Christmas and is a great way to get  yourself into the Christmas Spirit.

The two main characters, Justin and Sarah, meet by chance when Justin's grandmother Lillian has a fall in her apartment. Sarah takes care of Lillian's dog Molly, while Lillian is in hospital. When Justin shows up to take Molly back they discuss Lillian's cluttered apartment. One gets the impression she is a hoarder. When Justin discovers Sarah is a professional organizer, she is hired to get Lillian's apartment in order by the time she gets back from hospital. The author does an excellent job of introducing us to the characters and of presenting Sarah as a no-nonsense kind of gal who knows her job and does it well. But as "put-together" as Sarah is she does have a few insecurities and the author presents them well. Justin, on the other hand is clearly a strong Christian, but with a secret which we discover further in the story.

One issue that does need to be addressed bothered me through to the end of the story. It was the insinuation that while in hospital the doctor's discovered something strange in Lillian's blood. Right away one starts thinking this may be a very sad story that will bloom with romance and heartache, because of Lillian's supposed illness, bringing our two main characters together to support one another. Unfortunately, the subject is never addressed again. We are left wondering what the doctors found. So, as I said, I think this part of the story needs to be addressed.

Another aspect I found wanting was the assumed belief that everyone was a Christian. This is not done in real life, so it was not something that felt natural. I got the impression early on that Sarah was not a Christian and yet a few chapters in she is talking about her conversion to Christ. So this confused me somewhat. In addition, the actual relationship and growing attraction between Justin and Sarah felt forced. Justin's actions towards Sarah seem awkward and slightly creepy for someone who had just met her. And Sarah, while admittedly enamoured by his looks, makes it more than clear she is not interested. So when things changed between them it didn't feel right.


That said, the author is a very good writer who still manages to keep you reading and draws you into the story. The spirit of Thanksgiving and Christmas are heavily featured and so it makes for a short read (it's only ten chapters) that will get you in the Christmas Spirit. The author is very good at placing the reader in the action and I could clearly see Lillian's apartment, New York at Christmas and the church service where Sarah has her epiphany.  Despite a few inconsistencies, I did enjoy this book and would recommend it for your Christmas reading list.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed


    Categories

    All
    Action/Adventure
    Amish Fiction
    Anthology
    Bible Study
    Biblical Fiction
    Children
    Christian Living
    Christmas
    Church History
    Contemporary Fiction
    Contemporary Romance
    Cookbook
    Devotionals
    Dual Time
    Dual-Time
    Fantasy
    Fiction
    Historical Fiction
    Historical Romance
    Inspirational Fiction
    Marketing
    Marriage
    Memoir
    Missions
    Mystery/Suspense
    Poetry
    Prophecy
    Regency Romance
    Romantic Suspense
    Science Fiction
    Self Help
    Self-Help
    Social Issues
    Spiritual Growth
    Spiritual Warfare
    Theology
    Thriller/Suspense
    Time Travel Romance
    Women's Issues
    Young Adult

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016

    We are listed in The Book Reviewers Directory!

Services

Interviews
​Interview Submissions
Reviews
Our Reviewers
Advertise
For Writers
Book Submissions

Support

Contact


© COPYRIGHT 2016. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Disclaimer
FTC DISCLAIMER: All the books reviewed on this site are given to us for the express purpose of review. They are provided by publishers, publicists, authors and agents. None of our reviewers were required to write positive reviews and none of them were paid monetarily. All opinions are those of each individual reviewer. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”