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Night & Day #1

Marks on the Moon

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Tess

If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today?

Take a trip? Throw a party? Spend time with loved ones?

Say the words you never said?

Asking for a friend.

The man who was made just for me is dying, and he wants to see me.

How do I know?

His wife called.


Cade

I thought I was at peace with Tess and me living our own lives. Loving her from afar.

And then I found out my time was running out.

I let her go once. I didn’t think we could make all the pieces of us fit. So I set her free, swearing I would meet her again in another life.

Here’s the thing. I promised my wife ‘till death do us part.’

But now, death is knocking.

And I can’t bear the thought of leaving this life without saying goodbye to the one person I was meant to share it with: Tess.


Trigger Warning: Loss, death.

304 pages, Paperback

Published October 28, 2022

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About the author

T.D. Colbert

25 books178 followers
T.D. Colbert is a romance & women's fiction author. When she's not chasing her family, she's probably under her favorite blanket, reading a book, or writing one. Taylor lives in Maryland, where she was born and raised. For more information, visit www.tdcolbert.com.

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5 stars
117 (54%)
4 stars
57 (26%)
3 stars
29 (13%)
2 stars
8 (3%)
1 star
2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
Profile Image for Anne OK.
4,189 reviews555 followers
March 24, 2023

I'm way behind on written reviews -- hoping to post a better review later for this well-deserving and beautifully written tearjerker.

Readers will certainly want to begin with Marks On the Moon, the first book in the Day & Night Duet for the full benefit of introductions and back stories for each character’s heartbreaking journey to find their true soulmates. Overcoming the odds and adversities, this is Cade and Tess’s second chance story. From the time she was fifteen, she'd always been “the one for Cade.” There's a wide age-gap, tragedy happened and life doesn't always work out the way we would like. They parted ways. He married another woman, Stevie, and promised her "till death do we part." Well, that didn't really work out either. There's so much more to this story and it's a must-read duet in my opinion. This book shook me to the bones, made me cry and left me both happy for Cade and Tess -- but heartbroken for Stevie, now Cade's ex-wife.

Stevie’s story continues in Up With the Sun, the second book.
Profile Image for Jenn Lockwood Editing.
291 reviews9 followers
November 3, 2022
Picture this…a woman sits in the waiting room of a tire store, waiting for her car to be done. She is innocently reading the latest book from one of her favorite authors. Then, suddenly, her soul gets ripped out, along with her heart, and she is now trying desperately to hold back the tears that are brimming her eyes so that she isn’t seen ugly crying in public…
Y’all…that was me. I am the woman.
Thank goodness the waiting room was busy, and no one noticed the woman huddled in the corner with tears in her eyes.
But seriously….THIS BOOK IS PHENOMENAL! AND TOTALLY WORTH THE TEARS!
The angst is necessary. The steam is REAL. And the intense, soul-connecting chemistry between Tess and Cade is something you don’t find this well-written very often.
Taylor has written an incredibly unique and heart-stopping book—in all the best possible ways!
Postpone the rest of your TBR list and read this one!
Profile Image for Kira.
785 reviews33 followers
November 1, 2022
Title: Marks On The Moon
Author: T. D. Colbert
Hero/Heroine: Cade & Tess
Tropes: Friends to Lovers/Age Gap

TW/CW: Mentions of cancer, death of a loved one (both on and off page), depression and anxiety,

THE GOOD 😀

Man alive did this book put me through the emotional wringer. I was not ready for this book and the rollercoaster it took me on. Cade and Tess were two characters that went on an unbelievable journey of love, loss, grief and eventually found their way back to each other, but not in the happiest of circumstances.
Tess is fifteen when we first meet her and she’s literally the glue that holds her Dad and his colleagues at the fire station together. Constantly taking care of people and making sure they have everything they need, she rarely takes time for herself. So when she meets the fire station’s newest recruit Cade, she doesn’t expect the intense feelings she has toward him. From this point on the book flits between the past and the present, and I loved this, it helped to build a solid backstory for Cade and Tess. As a reader, we get to see how things between them progress from a strong, solid friendship to so much more, and let me tell you, it was pretty damn emotional. It never seemed like the right time for them and at one point I was ready to rip my hair out as I just wanted them to have their happy ever after.
As well as strong characters and an incredibly emotional storyline, this book touched on a number of sensitive subjects such as cancer, death, depression and anxiety. You might be left thinking ‘how could this possibly be a romance?’, but trust me it is. Romance isn’t necessarily all hearts and flowers, it’s sometimes about the tough decisions you have to make in order to get to your happily ever after, and this book is definitely proof of that. Seriously, heart wrenching isn’t the word, yet I still finished this story with a smile on my face. And Stevie? This woman is an absolute queen and pillar of strength, seriously hope she gets her hard won happily ever after.

THE BAD 🙄

Nothing. Not a thing.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this to read. This is my honest review.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: A wonderful yet heartbreaking romance that packs a serious punch
STEAM LEVEL: 🔥🔥🔥
STAR RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Profile Image for Thuy Taylor.
1,412 reviews19 followers
November 7, 2022
What would you do if you got a phone call from your soulmates wife, letting you know that he was dying?………..This is Tess and Cade’s emotional roller coaster of a story. Age gap, soulmates, grief and a lot of heart. So much emotional ups and downs. You could feel the chemistry and the love they have for each other throughout the book. Looking forward to the next story!!!!!!
Profile Image for Ashley Schounard.
739 reviews9 followers
February 5, 2023
**Top Book of ‘23** Think I know what my favorite book of February will be.
Holy crap this book… just broke me. I have read a lot of soul crushing (in all the best ways) books but this one.. just rose to the top.

I am not into age-gap books but this one was so beautiful. I could literally feel the chemistry and love between Cade & Tessa.

Tess has been through a lot. Growing up with a firefighter family that she takes care of and also takes care of her. She has gone through so much loss and Cade is there for it all.. and is part of her losses.

I felt every feeling in this book. This is apart of me now.. it will be difficult to forget this story. So heart wrenching.

Kindle unlimited// bought paperback
Profile Image for Emily.
205 reviews4 followers
January 16, 2023
this book was 😩🫣🤤🥰😍✨💕🤌🏼
read through this so fast, could not put it down. Colbert is a talented writer and i cannot wait to read more of her books!!!
pls read this
the steamy buildups are EVERYTHING😤🫣
Profile Image for kimblah.
153 reviews3 followers
November 6, 2022
I loved it so much. It ripped my heart out & sewed it back into my chest multiple times. You should definitely read it!
Profile Image for Mynightisbooked.
101 reviews15 followers
November 10, 2022
This book gets ALL the stars!! A definite favourite of the year. Absolutely breathtaking and epic. Simply perfection.
Profile Image for Annie.
161 reviews
September 19, 2023
I’m indifferent about the age gap trope. I looked past that and took in the growth and development of Tess and Cade. They had a soulmate kind of connection that I felt was described nicely.
Profile Image for Cassidy Colbert.
7 reviews
November 5, 2022
This book was 🔥🔥🔥 (literally). The angst, the back and forth through time, the heartache and love. Wow wow wow. TD reached a new level here and I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Profile Image for Nadia Masood.
265 reviews23 followers
March 10, 2023
I borrowed this book from a friend, and this is my first novel by Ms Colbert. There’s an age gap and a love triangle (both of which I am not a fan of) but wanted to give it a try since the story sounded interesting based on the blurb.

What did I love about this book? That it talks about family and good friends, people who love and protect you. I like that Tess is strong, independent, and caring. My favorite characters are Tess' father, her aunt, and Cade's grandmother.

However, I find parts of the story weird and uncomfortable. It starts when our main characters first meet - Cade's 27 and Tess is 15. She has a crush on him and that's about it, so all is fine. BUT, four years later they get into an intimate relationship (he's 31 and she's 19)! It's even weirder that he's literally seen her grow up. And he cheats on his current girlfriend to be with Tess.

They claim to be each other's soulmates. So I don't understand why they had to break up simply because she needed to move to a different state (just 8 hours of drive away at that) to attend college. They both drive and own cars, have cellphones and email addresses ... so? Remember they're madly in love?

Anyway, zero communication for 4 or 5 years. He's now married and is diagnosed with cancer. The wife (another weird character who claims to absolutely love him) decides that her husband loves her but doesn't want her. So what does she do? She calls Tess and walks away from the marriage. Her reasoning is that she didn't want her husband to die without seeing Tess, the love of his life (remember soulmate who broke all communication?). In the end, her husband doesn't die.

I like Ms Colbert's writing style and the book is easy to read. I finished it in 2 days.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
18 reviews
December 14, 2023
I borrowed this book from a friend, and this is my first novel by Ms Colbert. There’s an age gap and a love triangle (both of which I am not a fan of) but wanted to give it a try since the story sounded interesting based on the blurb.

What did I love about this book? That it talks about family and good friends, people who love and protect you. I like that Tess is strong, independent, and caring. My favorite characters are Tess' father, her aunt, and Cade's grandmother.

However, I find parts of the story weird and uncomfortable. It starts when our main characters first meet - Cade's 27 and Tess is 15. She has a crush on him and that's about it, so all is fine. BUT, four years later they get into an intimate relationship (he's 31 and she's 19)! It's even weirder that he's literally seen her grow up. And he cheats on his current girlfriend to be with Tess.

They claim to be each other's soulmates. So I don't understand why they had to break up simply because she needed to move to a different state (just 8 hours of drive away at that) to attend college. They both drive and own cars, have cellphones and email addresses ... so? Remember they're madly in love?

Anyway, zero communication for 4 or 5 years. He's now married and is diagnosed with cancer. The wife (another weird character who claims to absolutely love him) decides that her husband loves her but doesn't want her. So what does she do? She calls Tess and walks away from the marriage. Her reasoning is that she didn't want her husband to die without seeing Tess, the love of his life (remember soulmate who broke all communication?). In the end, her husband doesn't die.

I like Ms Colbert's writing style and the book is easy to read. I finished it in 2 days.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
940 reviews9 followers
August 8, 2023
The story of Cade and Tess is not without its emotional plot lines and scenes but overall, I found it to be a simple and easy read as there isn’t lots of twists and turns, it is simply a story of trying to be with ‘the one’. I liked how we saw their friendship grow and whilst the realisation of feelings may have been a little abrupt (at least on Cade’s side) it was easy to see where it had come from and understand why they felt the way they did. Seeing the development of their friendship built a solid backstory for both characters and built the angst which this book had plenty of. Their story touches on several sensitive subjects (death, cancer, depression, anxiety, and cheating) which are treated with dignity and solidified how well you will remember this book once you are done. I liked Cade and Tess’ story and will read the second book in this duet to see Stevie get her HEA too.

Favourite Quote:
‘Just like the stars know their place in the sky, mine is right here, next to her. And if I leave this life before she does, I’ll wait every night for that new mark on the moon.’

20 reviews
November 6, 2022
Just like the stars know their place in the sky, mine is right here, next to her.

This book was heartbreaking but beautiful. Tess & Cade have a love that will never break. I won’t lie and say I didn’t cry. Because I did. 🥴 I highlighted so many quotes in this book that I absolutely loved. The only complaint I have and the reason I gave it 4 stars is because I feel like it was kind of rushed after we got the backstory. I wanted to read all of the things that happened with his cancer that got us to the ending. I also wish it would have skipped years ahead to let us know how he is doing. But I know it will probably do that in Stevie’s book. I was shocked that Stevie was such a calm character. She didn’t put up a fight like I would have liked. I know I’m crazy. But I live for the OW drama and angst. She was such a sweet character so I couldn’t hate her. This was a really good book and I am happy I decided to give it a shot. I usually skip books with MC health scares because I feel like we have to much of that in real life.
Profile Image for NikiReadsRomance.
313 reviews16 followers
November 3, 2022
✨Just a note: I wrote this review right after I finished this story and I left it as is because 🤷🏻‍♀️ why not?😏 So please excuse any craziness!

🌓Wow. Just wow. I just finished this book and needed to immediately get my thoughts in order because I’m a bit of a mess! I typically give myself some time to process a book before I write a review but, my 2am brain is not letting that happen so here we go!

Tess and Cade’s story left me with happy tears. Full disclosure, I was a teary-eyed mess for about 40% of this book. In varying stages of emotions. What happens when you get a call from the wife of your lost love asking for you to visit? Well, in this case, Tess says yes. Without any question. And, not knowing what the future will hold once she sees Cade again after years of being absent from each other’s lives. Once they see one another again, the same feelings of knowing you’ve found your person re-surface in a big way. And, so does the CRAZY chemistry! Phew! The steamy scenes? 👀🥵🔥
This was such a beautiful (and intense) love that grew between these two and I loved Marks on the Moon from beginning to end!

🌓Quick Notes🌓
⭐️Age-gap
⭐️Steamy
⭐️Second chance
⭐️Small town
⭐️bit of a love triangle


🌓Ratings🌓
💗💗💗💗💗
🌶🌶🌶🌶
975 reviews
January 25, 2023
The blurb is definitely the best thing about the book. It really draws you in. I guess it’s hard for a book to completely live up to the expectation of that good of a blurb. I did like things about this but I couldn’t really connect with either MC and there is a big age difference, especially considering the h is 15 and the H is 28 when they meet. I also didn’t quite understand why they couldn’t even attempt a long distance relationship. Especially since they both considered each other their soulmate…with technology and travel, they could’ve made it work. There’s also a million other nursing schools so Tess could still have pursued that dream and not been quite as far away. It didn’t make sense and it felt like they just kept choosing other things or people over each other. They weren’t kept apart by external forces out of their control. So I’m rating this 2 stars b/c the book was just OK for me.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
930 reviews12 followers
August 11, 2023
Where do I even begin?

The synopsis on this book is what grabbed my attention, and from page one, it never let go.

This is one of the most emotional books I've read in a long time. Its beautiful and gripping, and really makes you evaluate what you think is important in your life. There is love and loss, growth and forgiveness, courage and perseverance.

There is a significant age gap between the two main characters, but their story proves that age can be just a number. This book is a type of what I call "real-life" romance. Its not all hearts and flowers and sunny days. That is what makes it so incredibly wonderful, and unable to put down.

This is the first book of this authors I've read, but it will not be the last. As this is the first book in a duet, Im very excited to get the second book. No spoilers, but there is a character from this one who gets to tell her story, and I can't wait.
Profile Image for The Dragon Den Book Blog.
3,011 reviews66 followers
October 30, 2022
ARC Review of Marks On The Moon by T.D. Colbert
* * * * *
A romance that will take you on an emotional journey over years of heartbreak, letting go and growing.

One diagnosis changed everything.
It took the most unexpected person to bring these two split soulmates together and rekindle something they know will hurt others.
Years ago, they were only friends. She was the teen daughter of his cheif. Then, he became family ans her protector.
But feelings evolved. Both grew and acted on their feelings. However, when the future came knocking he had to push her to her dream.
Now here they are again, facing possible death and the inevitable questions that need answering.

An epic read! Age gap check! Father's friend check! Some shocking twists and an ending that will have you guessing what will happen next.
Profile Image for Book Life With Jen.
1,269 reviews24 followers
July 23, 2023
Marks On the Moon, the first book in the Night & Day series by T.D. Colbertl is a forbidden age gap, second chance at live, fated soul mate romance that will pull at your heartstrings and leave you feeling so many emotions you can’t help but become immersed in this story.

This is the story of Tess and Cade, two souls that find each other early on but sadly the stars never perfectly align for them. Full of loss, heartbreak, pain and of course some burning hot chemistry this book will pull you right in until the very end. Did I understand why sometimes they made the choices they did instead of fighting for a deep love that was so obvious to see was real? No. But did I become 100% invested in this story as well as the next one because hello!!! Stevie needs her HEA? Why yes. Yes I did. So if you like age gap, forbidden, angst filled romances then this is the one for you!
4 reviews
October 24, 2022
WOW! This was an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish in the best possible way. The love connection between Tess and Cade from the first meeting was the definition of soulmates, and steamy to boot! You could physically FEEL their connection throughout the whole book, and all the ups and downs along with them. They just GOT each other in the way that everyone dreams of finding in their partner. Happy and sad crying both happened during the reading of this book lol. And phew those steamy moments! I finished it in less than 24 hours, just couldn't put it down!! Definitely a must read. Hoping this has another book that the epilogue hinted at! :) --Amanda
Profile Image for Wendy Livingstone.
20.6k reviews260 followers
November 2, 2022
This is the first in a new series, and this is Tess and Cade’s journey. These two were destined to be soulmates, and the love connection between them is tangible. One devastating diagnosis, and an unexpected source, who just wants the best for someone they love, brings Tess and Cade to meet again. Tess and Cade’s story is beautiful and a magical gem of a tale. This is a beautifully written story which is an emotional roller coaster throughout, with twists, tension, heartbreak, romance, and love, which leads to a riveting page turner.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.
Profile Image for Sharee.
238 reviews
November 9, 2022
Cade was a POS!!! Neither of these a holes deserved a happy ending. Neither of them really cared about who they hurt as long as they got to be together. Cade's disgusting ass has been sniffing around her since she was 15 and he's in his late 20's. They finally get to be together when she's 19, but he cheats on Lauren to do so. Lauren and Stevie deserved better. The only characters I liked and felt sympathy for. He betrayed Stevie but she made excuses for his lame ass. "Oh he tried to love me". BS!! I hate them lol. I hope they aren't even mentioned in the next book. (Make it a thriller and call it Dark Side of The Moon: Stevie' Revenge lol) I can't wait to read her story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
265 reviews4 followers
June 2, 2023
I'm not sure about this one

It could have been a lot better if the author had just come out and made it clear about what race the characters were. I thought the reason for the break up with Tess the first time was lame...and there was zero details on the year of cancer treatment. An entire year skipped. So apparently the cancer was not considered important. Then we have the author claiming to have a great epilogue but for your email. No, if it's that great why isn't it in the book ? Don't think I'll read any more from this author.
Profile Image for Heather Dochylo.
250 reviews8 followers
February 12, 2023
This is a hard one to review: a dying man whose wife calls the woman who got away, the great love of her husband's life ( whom she was not meant to know meant that much to her husband, until years of watching his reaction to word of the other woman comes to the married couple through friends and relatives). So much angst and melodrama; almost too much, really; but it was so well written that I kept reading . That deserves 5 stars.
174 reviews
July 2, 2023
Tears for days

So… this was a good book. That being said i really felt like there was not a true ending of the story for Tess and Cade. I even read the bonus chapter. I still really enjoyed this book i guess i just truly did not want it to end. That to me is the sign of a great writer, they draw you in and you never want to leave the story. I look forward yo more by T.D. Colbert.
492 reviews8 followers
July 12, 2023
Make your marks on the moon

Whoa.... This book had so many emotions going in me. I loved the family feel of all the guys from the fire dept towards each other and towards Tess. I loved Tess' dad and my heart broke for her... I loved Cade and Tess so much. And omg Stevie. That woman's got mad love for doing what she did. This book is all about the love that we have in our lives for our people. I loved the story behind the title. I recommend this book
492 reviews16 followers
December 19, 2023
The story was okay, the writing was decent, the editing was good. I just felt like it could have been so much more. I didn't feel a connection with either of the two MCs. The story felt a bit disjointed with so much time between each meeting between Cade and Tessa. As a result, I didn't see any change, growth or development in either of the MCs. Like I said, the story wasn't bad, it just feel a little flat and superficial.
Profile Image for Patti.
628 reviews7 followers
October 21, 2022
Gut-wrenching. Heartbreaking. Beautiful. I was excited to read this, and then I read the dedication and knew this story was going to do a number on my heart. It wasn't the present day situation but the history between Cade and Tess that had me crying so much. My favorite quote was from Cade: "When I was little, and I'd miss my granddad, Grannie would tell me to go leave my mark on the moon...She used to say that all those marks you see on the moon are messages people leave for their loved ones who've passed on. And messages that they leave back." I reviewed an ARC copy of this book.
Profile Image for Shelby Hausler.
2 reviews25 followers
October 31, 2022
I was hooked from the first chapter, first page if I’m being honest! Tess and Cade’s story is beautiful and magical and just all over perfect. You won’t be able to put this book down once you start but you also won’t want the book to end! 100000% a must read!
4 reviews
November 8, 2022
Couldn't put it down

The love between 2 people is undeniable . This book was amazing and I literally read it in a few days.I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. Great read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews