Three Kisses, One Midnight by Roshani ChokshiMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review
This Halloween celebrated the four-hundred-year anniversary of the town’s founding. Local legends said that on every hundred-year anniversary, magic woke up in Moon Ridge and all things became possible, which made the midnight gala the perfect opportunity to use her lola’s spell.
Three Kisses, One Midnight is three short connected stories told by three different authors about high school students who find love on Halloween night. The town legend tells of a young couple that fell in love but their parents forbade them from getting married, so they decide to run away together. But the girl fell sick before they could go and died at midnight on Halloween, becoming the “Lady of Moon Ridge”. While her beloved was alive, her ghost and him meet in the woods every Halloween, spending the day together and when he died, he joined her in the stars and the two stars in the sky became known as the Lovers of Moon Ridge. Now, every four hundred years, the Lady of Moon Ridge helps lovers find their way.
Onny wasn’t so much a witch as she was “witchy adjacent.” She didn’t want to wield magic so much as know that it was there.
The story starts with Apollonia “ Onny” Diamante and her finally looking at the “grimoire” her grandmother, who died six months ago, left her. Inside she finds a love potion and thinks what better time than to try it on the Lady of Moon Ridge four hundred anniversary. Onny has had a crush on Alexander for awhile and plans on having him drink the potion with her (there's relaying that everyone using the love potion will tell the other and the potion only brings out love that is already there to stop any lack of consent) but on the night of her parents' Halloween gala, her enemy, Byron, accidentally drinks the potion. He agrees to help her source out the ingredients to make another but as they work to remake the potion, Onny starts to see things about Byron she was too busy crushing on Alexander to see.
This first installment was young adult cute and did a good job laying out the setting and characters. We're introduced to The Coven, Onny with her two other bestfriends Ash and True, and the mission of true love Onny has set-up for them on this legendary night. It was obvious that there were feelings from Byron and I enjoyed as they had to spend the night together to recreate the potion and Onny got to see a different side to him. This had a lot of fun facts incorporated in it, I had thoughts at times that they were speaking in a way that didn't quite feel right for teenagers (some of the references felt like they fit more for an older generation), but overall the romance was pretty cute.
Maybe it was time to put himself in the game. Maybe that’s why the Lady of Moon Ridge had shown herself to him.
The next story was about Ash and his unrequited love for his neighbor Cassidy. For years he's wanted to work up the courage to talk to her but she's a popular star athlete and he's a nerdy artist guy. When Cassidy tries dunking on her basketball hoop and crashes through their fence, Ash finally is forced to get over his shyness and talk with her.
This also had the cuteness factor with Ash being shy and Cassidy obviously having some feelings of her own. There was a little bit of heaviness with previous health issues that Cassidy had experienced but it's not dwelt on and her sunshine personality is the main focus. They end up having to go to a scary, could be haunted house to retrieve Cassidy's Halloween mask her little brother hid and have an almost kiss. Some quick third act breakup with Ash overhearing something but then a secret Cassidy had is revealed and a happily ever after for the two. This had the young adult vibes, some purple prose, felt a smidgen slow in the latter second half, but continued the sweet tone.
If you asked True Tandon, love was a giant scam.
The last story is with True and she's been broken up with her first and only boyfriend of five months for a year. It turned into a miserable experience and she now doesn't believe in love. She's a major science lover and introvert, so when she shows up to Onny's Halloween gala, she has no plans to stay long. When Orion, a boy from another school starts talking with her, she can start to feel the attraction building and that scares her. She's wanting to go but her teacher gives her the responsibility to watch over Wicked Wyonna, a mannequin that supposedly grants your wishes when you whisper them in her ear. Her ex-boyfriend steals the doll and Orion helps her search for them the rest of the night.
Even though all three see the ghostly Lady of Moon Ridge, she makes most of her appearance in this story and along with a Ouija board scene, this one probably is the most spooky but still in a YA fiction realm. This was another cute couple, True felt a little forced at the end with her “I can't lose myself in a relationship again”, but what is highschool without some angsty angst. Orion was probably the character I felt like we got to know the least but he was sufficient as just about too good to be true highschool love interest. This finally had a reference that I felt fit more with the characters' ages (saying someone looked like a Disney show actor) and wrapped up the Lady of Moon Ridge night nicely.
The ending gives us an epilogue where the three friends unite and share their coupled up happiness to each other before going off into the night with their new loves. This had great Halloween vibes atmosphere, definite YA toned (but with some character speak that didn't always feel teenager), young love, and ghostly fun. If you're looking for a book to join in the Halloween fun but want less scary and more light spookiness, this filled with YA cute romance with a few kisses, story could be a fun one to pick up.
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