Moonlight and Oranges is a modern-day romance based on Cupid and Psyche from Greek mythology.
Beautiful Lorona Connelly attends a raving Halloween party with her best friend, but feels out of place outside of her usually sheltered and bookish environment. Shortly after arriving to the party, Lorona is confronted by sexy ladies’ man Kestrin Feather, who feels mysteriously compelled to protect this fragile, bookish girl from a throng of seemingly vindictive party-goers. After sharing a vodka screwdriver, Lorona and Kestrin kiss and sparks fly.
Hours after their magical kiss, Lorona and Kestrin can’t seem to shake off their cravings for orange juice—and each other. Finding their way back to each other with the help of mutual friends, and now passionately in love (or is it lust?), Lorona and Kestrin quickly marry without knowing much about one another’s background.
When Lorona finds and reads Kestrin’s secret journal featuring entries about the woman he’s destined to marry, Lorona leaves in a fit of rage, assuming he wrote the entries to trick women into his bed. And so the melodrama continues, until Lorona and Kestrin submit to their destiny.
If I had known ahead of time that Moonlight and Oranges was a modern-day retelling of Cupid and Psyche, I would have taken a lighter approach to the story. The book made no logical sense to me, and I was appalled by the characters and their actions.
Mainly, I didn’t like how the characters decided to get married so early on. It was annoying. I hope younger people don’t read this book and form unrealistic expectations about love. With Lorona and Kestrin, there was nothing charming, magical, or awesome about their relationship.
Lorona was clearly not ready for marriage and commitment, seeing as she left Kestrin in a heartbeat and like a coward without talking to Kestrin directly about the journal. It was so juvenile.
The characters were actually very juvenile. Kestrin apparently spent “many, many years” as a womanizer and was tired of the scene (okay, James Bond). Lorona spent “many, many years” leading a sheltered, quiet life. And without ever tasting a vodka screwdriver before.
Other books by Elise Stephens include:
I didn’t love Moonlight and Oranges, but I’m curious to know what you thought about it!
Last Updated on December 2, 2025 by Sarah Ann
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