ARC Review: Dragonfly by Leigh T. Moore

On Amazon

Dragonfly by Leigh Talbert Moore  
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: eBook from Author

SYNOPSIS:

Three bad things I learned this year:
-People you trust lie, even parents.
-That hot guy, the one who’s totally into you, he might not be the one.
-Things are not always how they appear.

Three good things I learned this year:
-Best friends are always there for you, even when they’re far away.
-That other hot guy, the one who remembers your birthday, he just might be the one.
-Oh, and things are not always how they appear.

Anna Sanders expected an anonymous (and uneventful) senior year until she crossed paths with rich-and-sexy Jack Kyser and his twin sister Lucy.

Pulling Anna into their extravagant lifestyle on the Gulf Coast, Lucy pushed Anna outside her comfort zone, and Jack showed her feelings she’d never experienced... Until he mysteriously withdrew.

Anna turned to her internship at the city paper and to her old attraction for Julian, a handsome local artist and rising star, for distraction. But both led to her discovery of a decades-old secret closely guarded by the twins’ distant, single father.

A secret that could permanently change all their lives.

Be watching for Undertow, Book 2 in the Dragonfly series, coming July 18!

REVIEW:

Leigh Talbert Moore, a wonderful indie author that continues to grow with every book she writes. I was so happy when she asked me to read her fourth book that I emailed back with a yes in big caps and tons of exclamation points. I didn't even have to read the synopsis, I knew what I would be reading would be as good and even better than her previous books. Yes, I have become a fangirl. The squealing kind too.

Dragonfly is simply written. I like Leigh's writing style because it's clean, straight-to-the-point and smooth. Her style sometimes can be deep and with so much depth and other times it would be just too crisp. It was almost perfect but when I read this book, I get lost sometimes like I'm missing a few details or it seems like there were details cut out. I would have the book a lot more, if the author wrote more on the surroundings, the rich and glamorous world of the Kysers. Some details were there but I felt that there needed to be a little bit more of it - so I  could get myself in there along side Anna and the rest of the characters.

The characters are extremely realistic, starting with unconfident and naive Anna to the deep and dark secrets of the Families of Fairview. It's a mystery all wrapped around this huge web of cover-up stories mainly surrounding the Kysers. Jack and Lucy Kysers transferred into Anna's school and befriends her. Anna goes through this mood where she relishes in the excitement of how posh and rich the Kysers are. But then there is Jullian, the handsome artist and old friend of Anna that she is secretly in love with but now that Jack is in the picture, she is unsure what her feelings are for Jullian. And this back and forth between the two is simply ridiculous. I hate love-triangles with a passion. The main thing that really made the situation better was when Anna started snooping around to why Jullian has never really known his dad or who he is and why his mom never spoke about him. And then there is the mystery about the death of Mommy Kyser. Like I said, it's a whole web of mysteries Anna starts snooping around to figure out.

The verdict is that I loved the book. Leigh is growing so much as an author that this book had a lot more story behind it, a lot of realistic moments, a lot more glamour and depth. Her writing style is improving and she's getting sneaky with her plots! And I absolutely love that. The only thing I would change would be to add more color to brighten it up a bit, if you know what I mean and perhaps, a little more unpredictability. I might have figured out the mysteries already but I won't be completely sure until I read the next book in the series and I am so looking forward to that. 

4.5/5 Stars

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Release Week Special! Dragonfly is only 99 cents June 6-8!

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"Dragonfly swept me off my feet! Once I started reading this book it kinda sucked me into the story and I had a hard time putting it down." 
--Stephanie, My Thoughts... reviews

Five Stars! "Angst, longing, jealousy, mystery, secrets, love triangles, sexy scenes! Could you even ask for more? Well you can because it is also very well-written and fast-paced. Great book to dive into poolside, but I will warn you may get so swept up in it you may end up with some sun burn. So I STRONGLY suggest you invest in some sunscreen as well as a copy of Dragonfly." 
--Nichole, Goodreads reviewer

 "I truly enjoyed this one! I thought the characters were intriguing, the mystery and story were interesting and definitely have ME WANTING MORE!!!!!!!" 
 --Mandy, The Romance Bookie

  “Gossip Girl meets VC Andrews in this contemporary family saga. Love, lies, and betrayal become the new normal when Anna enters the world of Jack and Lucy Kyser.”
  –Magan Vernon, international bestselling author of The Only Exception
  

Falling in Love Changes Everything…

“C’mon,” Julian said, helping me stand. “Let’s blow off this party and catch a movie or go to Scoops. This isn’t our scene.” I shook my head. “I just really want to go home.” The tears were trying to start again. “Can I just go home now?” “Sure,” he said, holding my cheek. I took a limping step, and he stopped. “Does it hurt to walk?”  My leg was throbbing. I nodded, looking down, and before I realized what was happening, he was lifting me in his arms.  “Julian, wait,” I held his shoulders. “I’m too heavy!”  “It’s okay,” he said, walking on. I sighed and leaned my head against his shoulder. I didn’t feel like fighting. Gentle pressure against my temple, and he’d kissed me. “You’ll get over this,” I heard him say under his breath.

Get Dragonfly today:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

Leigh Talbert Moore is the author of the popular young adult romantic comedy The Truth About Faking, its companion The Truth About Letting Go, and the mature YA/new adult romantic suspense novel Rouge, a Quarter Finalist in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

She is an award-winning journalist and editor, who has also worked in marketing and public relations for many years. Her writing has appeared in newspapers and magazines across the southeast and Midwest U.S., and she runs the popular writing-craft blog That’s Write.

A southern ex-pat and beach bum, she currently lives with her husband, two young children, and one grumpy cat in the Midwest.

Connect online:

Facebook | Amazon Author page | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads

Read excerpts of her books on Wattpad and Figment!

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