Moonlit Mirage (A Cook Islands Romance) by Amy McKinley – Review by Jennifer Wolbeck

Moonlit Mirage (A Cook Islands Romance) by Amy McKinley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a pleasant, short and sweet romance. If you’re looking for a brief, fast-paced romance with a plot that could have been spun into a larger novel, then you’ll enjoy A Moonlit Mirage. Personally, I’m not a fan of the secret agent/spy trope, but I was willing to give it a try because I read Amy McKinley’s Fake Fiancé: A Second Chance Office Romance and I immediately fell in love with her writing.

There were two main reasons why this book didn’t work for me. First, the narration by Regan Brown was subpar. The performance felt rushed and monotonous, and the story could have benefitted from being read with more emotion or at least voice inflections.

Second, I had issues with the structure of the romance. As a reader, I didn’t appreciate the “big reveal” McKinley was going for at the end. You don’t find out who Nadia really is or why she’s a secret agent until we find out why she was involved with Cade’s nearly fatal car accident, all of which is only discussed right before their *spoiler warning* happy ending together. Without having proper context for their characters, it felt like they just fell in love for no reason. If you don’t mind the “love at first sight” plot device, then this romance won’t bother you.