Luna and Sol: A Forbidden Love Story

Kusi, the pen name of the husband-and-wife team behind the Orchard Inn series, combines traditions from several ancient cultures in this sweet, if heavy-handed, romance. When five-year old Luna’s mother, Terra, dies giving birth to a stillborn son, Luna blames herself. Luna’s father, the chief of the Bardens, an ambiguous ancient tribe, blames their neighboring tribe, the Nets, as Terra had been in their care, and vows to get revenge. Sixteen years later, Luna’s familial and tribal loyalty is tested when she falls in love with a Net man named Sol. Through their deep connection and steamy stolen moments, Luna realizes that her father’s prejudice against the Net people is baseless. As tensions mount between the still-warring tribes, the lovers wonder if their bond could be enough to make their people reconcile. The vague setting and lack of worldbuilding make the political tensions difficult to parse, and dense narration often smothers the protagonists’ emotional evolution. Though unevenly told, this romance will gratify readers who always wished that Romeo and Juliet had a happy ending. (BookLife)