Three Kisses, One Midnight by Roshani Chokshi

Abstract

Reviewed by: Three Kisses, One Midnight by Roshani Chokshi Aaren Tucker Chokshi, Roshani Three Kisses, One Midnight; by Roshani Chokshi, Evelyn Skye, and Sandhya Menon. Wednesday/St. Martin's, 2022 [288p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781250797230 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781250797247 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys Ad Gr. 7-12 In the town of Moon Ridge, the quadricentennial Halloween is a special night, when the Lady of Moon Ridge (actually a star) descends from the sky to help young lovers find their way. Witchy Onny brews a love potion to share with her perfect star-sign match, but her annoying lab partner keeps getting in the way. Shy Ash has a crush on the girl next door, but he will have to overcome his anxieties to win her heart. Practical True, meanwhile, is afraid of getting hurt again; can she embrace her true self and open her heart to find love with someone new? These three novellas are united by a shared setting and characters but lack the cohesion needed to live up to the label of "novel." Early plot points are abandoned completely, mostly out of narrative convenience, and each story has a noticeably different tone: Onny's story is full of cozy fall magic; Ash's is a sweet, realistic romance; and True's leans into the thrills of Halloween horror. However, the tone difference could be a feature rather than a bug, and the stories eventually unite around a theme of letting go of the past and accepting what life has to offer, making this a uniquely structured treat for romance readers. [End Page 348] Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois