Book Review: Moonlight Over Manhattan...plus a special giveaway

By Sara Steven

For Harriet, a professional dog walker who feels she understands canines better than humans, she’s decided to conquer her shyness and other challenges she faces by doing one thing that frightens her, every single day. This includes online dating and talking with people she ordinarily would shy away from, and included on that list is ER doc Ethan, a man who is suddenly thrust into her world when she least expects it while handling a last-minute dog walking job. She’s dealing with anxiety, and he has a load of baggage, too, stemming from what he’s seen in the ER, the fact that he can’t give way to emotion, for fear of what that would do to him. The moments where Harriet feels she can actually open up to Ethan, are the moments where he closes himself off to her and everything else around him, and the rare times he shows compassion, she’s wounded. It makes for a very interesting dynamic with this couple.

I felt as though Moonlight Over Manhattan was a labor of love, showcasing how imperfect life can be, even for two people who want nothing more than to be loved, to be happy. Even when Harriet and Ethan begin to feel as though they might be good for one another, stumbling blocks, the past, the present, even the future stands in the way. How true to life. And, as with every book in this series, there is serious evolution of character. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst, but it’s always nice to see the characters in a Sarah Morgan novel change by leaps and bounds. It was nice to see that with Harriet, in particular.

This was a great read for the holidays. As part of the synopsis on Goodreads states: “She’ll risk everything for her own Christmas miracle.” This made me wonder if, while Harriet risks everything, will Ethan step up and give just as much, or will he revert to old patterns, and protect his heart? There is an element of hope, of yearning that felt very much like the wishes and wants during the holidays, because at what better time will all your dreams come true, than the holidays?

So far, I’ve loved every single book in the "From Manhattan With Love" series, but there was something extra special about this one. Being given the opportunity to live inside the mind of someone who struggles with shyness and a touch of social anxiety, like Harriet does, felt like a chance to open up within my own life, my own struggles. While I don’t think many people would describe me as shy, I’ve been edging towards that within the last several years, and I can tell I’m becoming more of an introvert. It was nice relating with someone else who deals with that, too.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours for the book in exchange for an honest review. Visit the other stops on the blog tour.

Enter the giveaway being hosted by TLC Book Tours:

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Check out the other books in the series!