Moonlight in Odessa

Title: Moonlight in Odessa by Janet Skeslien Charles
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Rating: 4/5

Moonlight in Odessa is a humorous and delightful book featuring a strong, street-smart protagonist. After months of unemployment, Daria finds work as the secretary for a foreign company. Plagued by an amorous boss, crooked officials and a mobster who she has feeling for, she begins to moonlight as an interpreter for a "matchmaking" agency that deals in mail-order brides, where she finds an American who wants to marry her. But will life in America prove to be what's she's always dreamed it would be?

I really enjoyed Moonlight in Odessa and I quickly fell for Daria as a character. Despite her desire for a better life, she truly seems to care for Odessa and constantly praises the city, telling anyone who will listen such factoids as Odessa's opera house is "the third most beautiful in the world." Although she doesn't always make the right decisions, she tries to do what's best for her friends and family, particularly by taking care of the grandmother who raised her. I loved following her relationships with the other characters, particularly David, and seeing how she'd react to their actions.

The plot kept me captivated for the most part, and although I wasn't entirely happy with the direction it took towards the end, I found that it left me contemplating what had occurred and wanting more. I particularly enjoyed the way Charles used Daria's lessons on English verbs to emphasize events and Daria's emotions throughout the book. I also found all the factoids about Odessa that Daria recites extremely interesting.

Overall I was definitely entertained by the book and have already started recommending it to others. And with the holiday season approaching I think Moonlight in Odessa would be a great present, what with its red and white cover featuring the image of a snow globe.

For more information on Moonlight in Odessa check out Bloomsbury's website.