By the Light of the Moon series: “Readers who love being trapped in a character’s mind should relish this finely written, gripping series. A must read for fans of historical fiction.”–The Prairies Book Review A tale of precious things more rare than a blue moon… surrender her newborn son to her married twin sister, Valerie, to raise. A seed of bitterness grows in Vanessa. When the opportunity arises for her to have what she’s always wanted, Vanessa takes it despite the consequences to her family, getting more than she bargained for.
Meanwhile, Valerie, overcome with loss and grief, faces a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Will she and her husband, Felix, forge through their trials together, or will these upsets cause them to drift apart?
Will Vanessa and Valerie remain at odds, or will they allow the power of forgiveness to heal their strained relationship?
Love seems to bloom in the most unlikely of places in Webaashi Bay for an old friend of Jenay’s and a woman who owns the local dress shop. A parallel tale of love, forgiveness, and reuniting lost things is spun by a local author adding another dimension to the tale of the Gulet twins and their saga.
Fans of historical fiction, Christian historical fiction, clean romance, and literary fiction will enjoy this dramatic read!
”Knipfer creates a strong sense of place, and she draws on her own experience with MS to depict the course of Valerie’s illness with great sensitivity.”–Wisconsin Writers Association
“Blue Moon continues a well-written and highly engaging saga of family ties, betrayals, and heartaches. A must-read for historical drama fans everywhere.”–Readers’ Favorite
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MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
I love the cover of this book, the book cover is why I wanted to read the book, and it didn’t disappoint! I thoroughly enjoyed this historical read from author Jenny Knipfer, though sometimes it was a difficult read because of the circumstances. Vanessa is not married and was forced by her dad to give up her baby to her sister. I can not even imagine how difficult this has to be. And I can surely understand the bitterness. There is a good amount of stuff going on in this book but I had no problems. It made for a different more entertaining read for me. This is a book I think anyone who enjoys a good clean historical fiction will love this one. I’m giving Blue Moon a solid four stars!!
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Blue Moon is book two in a series and is the continuation of Ruby Moon. We have some of the same characters but add more plus drama.
I do want to start with saying that reading this book without reading the first book in the series is really not an option. You need to read them both and read them in order. This will help you understand the storyline and who everyone is.
Second I have to say that this is not a series that I would let me teenage daughter read. It’s not any overt but there are some references to adultery, ogling of bodies, etc, and some mild language.
Now onto the story!
I love seeing hard topics discussed and that is something this author does well. She does it in a timehop/gap way as well. So we’re in different time periods through out the book but they do identify themselves with when each section is taking place as you read them. It can get a bit confusing but all in all it’s easy to figure out by who is in the scene.
This book takes on babies out of wedlock and MS diagnosis. Plus we’ve got identical twins and love lost and love betrayed. Oh and people having decisions made for them.
Lily is such a wonderful character and I loved her addition to this book. Everything is better with a precocious young girl isn’t it? You’ll love meeting Vanessa and sharing her story while also getting to peak back in on Janay from the first book.
Enjoy!
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received through Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
A work of historical fiction, this second book in a series chronicles part of the lives of two twins – Vanessa and Valerie. Vanessa became pregnant out of wedlock and their father forces Vanessa to allow her twin and brother-in-law to raise the child.
I enjoyed the storyline and how the author handled the situation between Valerie and Vanessa. However, this story jumps around from character to character too many times for my liking. Vanessa provides the main focal point of the story along with her relationship with her son Luis, who believes she is his aunt. Jumping from characters to characters and from past, present, and future, I sometimes had to reread in order to know whose view I was reading. Yet in the long run, I have to say I am glad I read this book and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
So check it out for yourself.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.
Teach me how to live this life and live it unafraid of what may come.
Identical twins, carbon copies but are they really? Vanessa and Valerie have always been easily mixed up, until life sets them on completely different paths. Unmarried and pregnant, Vanessa must give her newborn son to Valerie and her husband Felix to raise as their son. You must remember this is 1885 so a great deal of stigma is associated with being a single mother, something that we perhaps do not understand today. I expect I would be most unhappy to be considered an auntie to the child that I carried and gave birth too, so the bitterness Vanessa feels seems almost acceptable.
Every now and again, I’m sure everyone imagines what they might do if they won that windfall. Vanessa did and made some decisions that affected the rest of her life and the lives of those around her. What would you have done in her circumstances? Between temptation, illness and new friends you will certainly want to read until the end.
Blue Moon is my introduction to the By the Light of the Moon series. It can be read as a standalone, but I’m sure reading book #1 first would make many things easier to understand. I received this ARC through CelebrateLit. All impressions and comments are my own and were in no way solicited.
I can’t contain my excitement that I am reading another book by this author. I love her writing style that keeps me on my toes. It is very important that readers play close attention to the dates at the beginning of paragraphs and chapters. It may seem like you can’t follow but be patient. As you get into the rhythm of how the author tells the story you will be submersed in the characters and fall in love with each detail the author accentuates.
This story is about twins Vanessa and Valerie. It is a tangled web of deceit, lies, surprises and a big lesson in forgiveness. I did feel for Vanessa as she deals with rejection and a great loss that will tear the twins apart. I loved how the author gave us both sides of the issue from the perspective of each twin. Did Vanessa do something that is unforgivable? When is it okay to take back something that you believe is yours even though you destroy bonds and families? It is a hard decision and I had a hard deciding who was right.
Valerie is given a gift that she has longed for only to see it stolen from her. Will she be able to forgive her sister’s betrayal? It broke my heart as I read that Valerie had been diagnosed with MS. It is not a kind disease and the author gives us an honest look at how it affects someone. I appreciate the author’s honesty about this disease and if you read her notes you will understand why this illness is personal for her.
The story does not lack twists and kept me on my toes. I was anxious to see how the twins would resolve their differences. What I liked the most about this story was the emotions that the author was able to convey in order for readers to become invested in the characters. Twins on different sides trying to do the right thing must come together to overcome hurt, dishonesty, pride and forgiveness in this story that embodies the true meaning of family and the importance of compassion.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
Blue Moon is a story of lost motherhood, separation from family, forgiveness, and new beginnings. My favorite character is Vanessa. She went through loss, heartache, and indifference due to her father’s actions. Vanessa’s sister, although a twin, was considerably different. She went through loss also and had to deal with ongoing symptoms of MS.
The story is written in the first person which isn’t my favorite but was well worth the read. The storyline was interesting, all the characters had their own personalities that contributed to the story’s excitement and suspense. The message throughout carried a Christian theme of love, and hardship, and hard feelings that forgiveness can rectify. The ending wrapped up nicely.
I received a copy from the author and voluntarily choose to review it.
Blue Moon is the second installment from the By the Light of the Moon series by Jenny Knipfer. Since it is my first book I have read by this author and series, I believe this one can be read as a stand alone. The writing style was a bit different than what I am used to. Once I got used to it, I quickly started enjoying this story. It involves some heavy issues that kept me engaged and made want to keep reading until I was finished.
I am giving Blue Moon four and a half stars. I would be interested in reading the first book of the Light of the Moon series, Ruby Moon, as well as, the third book, Silver Moon. I recommend this one for readers who enjoy historical fiction.
I received Blue Moon from the publisher. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
This is a well written book with a great storyline that continues from Book #1 in the series, Ruby Moon. However, 1st I am not a big fan of split storylines and these books go back and forth between the past and the present. Secondly there is too many sexual connotations in the book. Men admiring women’s bodies and an almost affair between a married man and single women. I like the Faith aspect but I don’t like how people just start praying for what they want from God but there is never any repentance that the Bible teaches. It is a wonderful historical romance otherwise and I am giving it a good rating because I believe it deserves it on the basis of the author’s subjects in the book, especially on the disease of MS which I understand she is personally dealing with. I wouldn’t recommend this book for young people.
This book is a continuation of Janay’s story one that I was delighted to read.
Jenny has done a wonderful job in bringing life to these characters that I could really “see” them like it was an actual movie.
I adore the setting of the book. Lake Superior is my favorite lake of all time. It’s so beautiful that it can make you not want to leave it. I know it does me.
I thought Knipfer has done a wonderful job with writing this story. I am really liking this series of books by her.
I loved seeing characters from the previous book especially Janay. She’s still my favorite in this book as well.
Knipfer has offered hope, faith and love throughout this book and again she weaves it in beautifully.
This book does have a split time line between past and present to help the readers understand what it is that the characters are going through at that moment and time in their lives.
The only thing I didn’t really like was the too descriptive scenes in the book. I had to skip over those but other than that I really couldn’t see anything else wrong with the book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
My thanks to Just Reads Tours for a complimentary book. I was NOT required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own.
Identical twins Vanessa and Valerie have shared a bond most people can only imagine. But life seems to want to pull them apart and divide them. As they come up against love and heartache, societal norms and demands, and crises of health and well-being, the sisters must choose to either love one another and remain in closeness and connection with each other, or let seeds of bitterness and doubt tear them apart.
Jenny Knipfer has crafted compelling characters. It is easy to relate to both of these women throughout this fantastic tale. They are easy to celebrate with and mourn for. As a surprising and painful medical condition becomes part of one sister’s life, another seems to be making her dreams come true. But it isn’t until they are reunited that they feel whole and complete.
This journey of love and loss, motherhood, sisterhood, and friendship is endearing and a definite must read.
I hope you grab your very own copy today!
While this is part of the By the Light of the Moon series, this book can be read independently and enjoyed. I highly suggest you check out Jenny Knipfer’s other two titles, Ruby Moon and Silver Moon.
I give this book 5 stars and consider it a must-read!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
Twins at Heart
Vanessa and Valarie Gulet are identical twins. When Vanessa trusts a sweet talking man named Renault and he leaves her an unwed mother she must surrender her son to her twin sister to raise as she is married . Her father gives her no choice. She smolders with the injustice and jealousy as her son call’s her twin sister mom and she is only auntie.
Vanessa lives with Valarie and Felix and grows closer to her son as she is the one that plays games with him and spends time with him. One day when he is ten years old she finds out that Renault has passed away and left her a small fortune and a business in Webaashe Bay. She leaves with her son Luis, leaving only a note for her sister, and travels with him to Webaashe Bay. She tells him she is his mother and that Renault is his deceased father.
As Vanessa and Valarie struggle to do what is best for Luis , and struggle with Valarie’s diagnosis of MS they learn once again to be twins and what it means to be family.
This book was a great book two in the series. I really enjoyed reading it. It had Romance, tragedy, sadness, misunderstandings, reconciliations and love. The feel of a small town where everyone knows everyone and all are friends and neighbors and help each other.
I love the description of the mining and how it was carried out from beginning to end. I also love the interaction between the other characters in the story. The poetic quality of the book and the verses throughout were very refreshing and made for a wonderful read. There is also a wonderful tart recipe in the back of the book.
This book was a joy to read and now I can’t wait to start on book three and see how the series ends. I would recommend this book and this series.
Thanks to Jenny Knipfer and Book Sirens for allowing me to read a copy of the book in return for an honest review.
My mother was a twin, and while she and her sister were not identical, we always joked that they had a certain telepathy between them. This phenomenon is central to Jenny Knipfer’s Blue Moon, where the special relationship between identical twins Vanessa and Valerie–born to a life of privilege in late nineteenth-century Toronto–is perhaps irrevocably broken.
Valerie has chosen a conventional life with her husband Felix Wilson, a wine merchant. Her sister Vanessa falls in love with Renault La Rue, a dashing rail magnate, but their love does not last: she bears his child, Luis, without his knowledge, and her politically ambitious father demands that she allow childless Valerie and Felix to raise the boy as their own. Ten years later, when Vanessa inherits Renault’s business, she spirits Luis away to Webaashi Bay on the shores of Lake Superior to teach him about his father and claim her privilege as his mother.
Life in Webaashi Bay is fresh, romantic, and wild. The town “is attractively set, almost like a well-dressed lady. Superior is as her swishing gown of azure, the buildings as her waist, and the cliffs as her head and shoulders with the trees as her headdress.” Here, Vanessa finds a welcoming community of strong, independent women. But her new friend Jenay is linked to Renault’s mysterious death, and when Vanessa learns the truth, Jenay must work to overcome the harm her silence has done.
In the same way, Vanessa must find a way to repair the terrible rift she has created in her own family. Back in Toronto, Valerie is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and Vanessa is called upon to help her adjust to her new limitations. In the process, the two of them will learn new ways to parent the son they both cherish.
Each section of Blue Moon is rigorously time-stamped; while this technique ensures clarity, it can also be a little distracting. But Knipfer creates a strong sense of place, and she draws on her own experience with MS to depict the course of Valerie’s illness with great sensitivity. As the twin sisters seek to recover their special relationship, each finds solace and redemption in a faith based solidly on gratitude.
I’ve read both of Jenny Knipfer’s books in this series and am looking forward to reading the third book in 2020. Blue Moon is the tale of identical twin girls growing up in the late 1800s. When one of the girls falls in love and has a child out of wedlock, she is forced by her father to relinquish her parental rights to her sister who is married. As you might imagine this leads to resentment and anger. But I won’t say anything more. Read it!
Another great novel by Jenny! I love the split timeline approach where Jenny so delicately weaves this tale. Again, I end the novel feeling as if I am intimately acquainted with these characters. Some I already loved from Ruby Moon and was excited to continue a glimpse into their world. Others I fell in love with and felt as if I was walking with then through their journeys of trials and forgiveness. I highly recommend this book!
There’s something about Knipfer’s writing that touches your heart. Maybe it’s the small town feel of her books, the endearing characters, or the plot that brings a message of truth and hope. And Knipfer wonderfully blends all these elements in her latest, Blue Moon. The second book in her By the Light of the Moon series, Knipfer continues to welcome her readers into Webaashi Bay, where we are welcomed back into the town and characters we fell in love with in Ruby Moon, the first book in this series. I am confident you will love this book just as much – if not more- than the first. For in this book, Knipfer has woven an entrancing tale we all need to hear.
Having read the first book in the series By the Light of the Moon, Ruby Moon, and connecting with that story, I eagerly accepted the chance to be an advanced reader for the next installment in the series, Blue Moon. This segment focuses on twin sisters Vanessa and Valerie and how Luis, the baby born to unmarried Vanessa, changes life for both women as he is given to her married, childless sister Valerie and her husband to raise. As Vanessa is devising a plan for a new life her to take back her son and be a mother to him, Valerie learns she has Multiple Sclerosis. The sisters’ story weaves us back to the shores of Lake Superior and Webaashi Bay and reintroduces familiar characters from Ruby Moon as they meet and become part of Vanessa and Valerie’s story. Using a split time line, scenes from past events give the reader an understanding of current happenings for the characters as a story of heartbreak, love, friendship, health issues, familial bonds and faith unfold. The flashbacks and side stories of some of the supporting characters added depth to the the story and created a sense of connection and community among the characters in the book. Knowing that the author herself is also working through the trials of Multiple Sclerosis made Valerie’s story of how she was handling the disease more realistic.
Readers return back to Webaashi Bay to discover the next chapter in the lives of Jenay Cota and many others met in the first book of the By the Light of the Moon series. The thought that someone could find true love twice in a life time seems to have happen once in a blue moon. Is it possible that the characters in this book might find love twice?
The book focuses on forgiveness and moving forward, rather than living in the past. The quotes at the beginning of the chapter were spot on and added so much value to the chapter as well as the depth of the story. The characters of the story were very relatable as they went through their struggles. The book is the second book in the series and I felt like it would be better understood if read in order. I look forward to the next book in the series.
I enjoyed Ruby Moon but I enjoyed Blue Moon even more. I found myself engrossed in the story line to see where things would go next. I also felt like I got a better viewpoint of what someone with MS experiences, especially after learning that the author wrote from a personal viewpoint.
I would really recommend reading this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own and I was not required to leave a positive review.
Blue Moon, by Jennifer L Knipfer, has a distinctive and dramatic plotline. The story features identical twins, Vanessa and Valerie, who are able, like many anecdotal tales, to intimately know and intuit each other’s feelings. Also, the historical and medical accuracy of the time and of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) are impressive. I am sorry that Knipfer has first-hand experience with MS, thereby giving her great insight and comprehension of the disease.
I had a hard time, however, getting into the book. Knipfer jumps constantly between different time frames and POVs. This can be a great tool for revealing more about a character or characters. However, when a point of view is introduced, then changes when a character reminisces or time and locations change, then again in the span of a few paragraphs or pages, then the changes become redundant. I know for many readers this probably isn’t a vexation, but for me the story becomes ponderous. I admire the author’s ability to write a novel this way.
Blue Moon works as a standalone, as enough backstory is covered you don’t feel you have missing pieces.
I enjoyed the story overall for its uniqueness and historical accuracy.
Due to a minor amount of adult subject matter, I would not recommend this to those under 13.
I received Blue Moon from Celebrate Lit. However, I was under no obligation to post a review.