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For Aphrodite Miller life has been an never-ending push to avoid finding a husband. When she manages to avoid her best friend, Jessica's need to set her up on blind dates with her cousins, she gets cornered by her mother who thinks she should marry the town dry cleaner. Despite the avoidance, Aphrodite manages to find herself in an unusual situation when she meets Jake in one of her dreams. Now Aphrodite is left to figure out the difference between reality and fantasy.
"Knowing that there was no chance of sleep she sat by the window watching the stars. She watched one shooting by and wondered when she had stopped wishing on them. The moon was half and narrow. She wondered if a moon had the power to feel, what would it be like to know you were half missing? But it wasn't really missing. She just couldn't see the other half yet. She opened her book to the next page and waited for sleep to come."
Editorial Reviews:
Reviewed By Peggy Jo Wipf for Readers' Favorite
Katie M Marshall's romantic comedy, The Other Half of the Moon, will amuse and delight the reader with the friends and family that push men at Aphrodite Miller. Named after the goddess of love, Aphrodite lacks the qualities of her namesake. Her lack of luck with men could be funny, but there is one man who just adores her, though he has the "personality of dishpan water." Her lack of luster and sleep involves a plethora of remedies that allow her to sleep but at the price of weird dreams. Who is this man that continually shows up in her dreams? Are her thoughts playing out while she sleeps?
The Other Half of the Moon by Katie M Marshall is just one of the different genres this author has penned. As a short romantic comedy, this novella takes on folklore treatments for sleeplessness and romance. Everyone in Aphrodite's life feels she is missing out on love, but her resolve to wait for love is admirable. I love how the author shows the strength of Aphrodite's personality and her realization that she doesn't have to have a boyfriend to prove her worth to the world. Her first date with Auggie will leave you laughing as he envisions their date playing out like a Disney movie. The author's desire to make readers feel emotion is obvious as Aphrodite faces the reality of her dreams. At one point she must decide between a real man, who is boring, and the man in her dreams, Jake.
Reviewed By Heather Osborne for Readers' Favorite
The Other Half of the Moon by Katie Marshall is a short romantic novella. Aphrodite Miller is forever being hooked up with the wrong people. Coupled with a pushy mother who wants nothing more than to see her daughter wed, Dite, as she likes to be called, is fed up with men and wondering if there is more to life than love, marriage, and family. However, when her mother offers a cure for her sleepless nights, Dite finds herself cast into a dream world with Jake, a seemingly ideal match for her. Yet, is there more that meets the eye with this handsome stranger?
Full of witty retorts and literary references, The Other Half of the Moon by Katie Marshall is a quick romantic read with quirky characters. Dite was a likable character and the supporting cast really entertaining. I wished the novella was longer, maybe delving deeper into Dite's relationship with Jake, and perhaps prolonging some of the other interactions to build up to the ending. There seemed to be a great deal of potential with Dite, and it would have been fun to see more of her personality. However, in terms of romance, it fits the genre nicely and the story flowed well. I liked Dite's father as I found him a humorous foil to her mother, who was definitely a Mrs. Bennet type! Overall, I would recommend this novella to someone who is wanting a quick read on the beach. The Other Half of the Moon by Katie Marshall was a nice way to pass an afternoon reading.
Reviewed By Edith Wairimu for Readers' Favorite
The Other Half of the Moon by Katie M Marshall is a charming, contemporary romance story that is set in two different worlds. Unlike her parents who met in high school, Aphrodite Miller is thirty and still waiting for her prince charming. Her mother is more anxious than ever to see her daughter settle down soon. Though well-intentioned, her efforts only push Aphrodite to endure embarrassing and boring dates. The situation is worsened by Jessica, Aphrodite's matchmaking best friend who has a myriad of cousins. As Aphrodite suffers through another string of dates, this time with a dry cleaner who even Jessica disapproves of, Aphrodite begins to have striking dreams. The dreams transport her to another world with a mysterious but stunning man. Aphrodite can only hope that her dreams will come true.
The Other Half of the Moon by Katie M Marshall includes a funny and quirky set of characters who include a Mrs. Simon with long manicured nails who has been trying to arrange Aphrodite and her son's marriage since they were in pre-school and Margie, who runs a bakery and who will take any chance she gets to remind her husband he was late for their wedding. The story contains many elements that make it enthralling including folklore that features goblins who sit on people's chests and cause bad dreams, Celtic sea salt that helps with sleep, and dreams so powerful that they seem real. Conversations between different characters, especially those between Jessica, Aphrodite, and her mother, are also enhanced by humor. The Other Half of the Moon by Katie M Marshall is a light-hearted chick-lit story with amusing characters and an entertaining plot.
Amazon Reviews:
April 30, 2019
Katie Marshalls books are hard to put down. This new author is going to go somewhere in her life with writing! If there was anymore stars to give I would give them. Her other book is amazing as well and I read it within 3 days because I couldn't put it down wanting to know more and more! A definite GREAT read!
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2021
I enjoyed this romantic novella because of its unique premise and dreamy vibe. Loved the touches of fantasy. It was sweet and entertaining, and unpredictable at times. I like that the other guy was still nice which made it more realistic. A fun, quick escape read.
Good romance from a talented, original writer
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2020
I read this book full of realistic characters in one sitting. Clever use of a change of view in the beginning, wonderful dream sequences, and good dialogue drew me into the relationships and somehow made for feelings of care and love for the the whole cast. This is a good story for a young writer to attain. Look forward to many more.