What do you think?
Rate this book
Meet Me in Moonshine: a novella
Dear Reader … Are you the one I’ve been searching for?
Florist Jillian Maitland is a ‘hot zombie.’ At least, that’s what she's heard. The death of her mother has left her shuffling around in life, passive and introverted. But with Valentine's Day looming, Jillian aches for connection.
With the discovery of a mysterious note in a local history book, Jillian must venture into the world once more to piece together the writer’s adventurous, romantic puzzle. A lonely mystery man is leaving her clues, and Jillian must rediscover the wonders of the town of Moonshine, or else face another year alone.
Can she uncover the identity of her mysterious note-writing gentleman? Or will she find herself alone as the entire town celebrates this Valentine’s Day?
Join Jillian and her Mystery Man in this romantic novella.
Florist Jillian Maitland is a ‘hot zombie.’ At least, that’s what she's heard. The death of her mother has left her shuffling around in life, passive and introverted. But with Valentine's Day looming, Jillian aches for connection.
With the discovery of a mysterious note in a local history book, Jillian must venture into the world once more to piece together the writer’s adventurous, romantic puzzle. A lonely mystery man is leaving her clues, and Jillian must rediscover the wonders of the town of Moonshine, or else face another year alone.
Can she uncover the identity of her mysterious note-writing gentleman? Or will she find herself alone as the entire town celebrates this Valentine’s Day?
Join Jillian and her Mystery Man in this romantic novella.
157 pages, Paperback
Published January 14, 2023
4 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Brooklyn Dean
6 books24 followersBROOKLYN DEAN is a perpetual daydreamer from rural Australia.
When she’s not writing, Brooklyn can be found practicing to become the world hugging champion, drinking coffee, throwing her head back in laughter, or stealing time to nap in the sun.
Her second novel, a sexy Aussie enemies-to-lovers novel, The Insufferable Adam James, won the BEST INDIE BOOK AWARD (Romance, 2024).
Meet Adam in Brooklyn's debut Moonshine Romance series.
When she’s not writing, Brooklyn can be found practicing to become the world hugging champion, drinking coffee, throwing her head back in laughter, or stealing time to nap in the sun.
Her second novel, a sexy Aussie enemies-to-lovers novel, The Insufferable Adam James, won the BEST INDIE BOOK AWARD (Romance, 2024).
Meet Adam in Brooklyn's debut Moonshine Romance series.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 26, 2025
A delightfully romantic novella. I enjoyed the love notes and scavenger hunt around the small town, as a wonderful way to get to know each other. There were many laugh out loud moments in this fun story.
I am keen to read more from Australian author Brooklyn Dean.
I am keen to read more from Australian author Brooklyn Dean.
November 8, 2025
PURE. SEROTONIN. Straight to the veins. Inject it, please.
We’ve got jillian Maitland — an absolute hot zombie queen. She’s been drifting through life on autopilot, passive, introverted, and suddenly she’s like, “hold up, my birthday’s coming, maybe I’ll actually live a little!” Next thing you know, she grabs a random book called Meet Me in Moonshine and BAM — life decides to get interesting.
Enter: a mysterious little red note.
Brooklyn Dean, you chaotic genius, that red note had me HOOKED. I was like, “who wrote it? where’s it going? how do I get my own mysterious note, please and thank you?”
What follows is basically a heart-hug disguised as a story — hidden gems, friendship, a sprinkle of romance, and a whole lot of rediscovering your spark. It’s sweet, cozy, small-town perfection, and honestly? I wanted to move there immediately.
Also… can we talk about that pig race? I would 1000% lose money betting on that I would not catch a pig and end up in mud, but I’d have the time of my damn life doing it.
Brooklyn writing? Chef’s kiss. Flows smoother than a flat white on a lazy Sunday. Easy, vivid, full of charm, and sprinkled with that glorious Aussie slang that makes my heart sing.
I laughed. I swooned. I got a little emotional. And I finished the book grinning like a loon because Meet Me in Moonshine is exactly what you read when your soul needs a hug.
We’ve got jillian Maitland — an absolute hot zombie queen. She’s been drifting through life on autopilot, passive, introverted, and suddenly she’s like, “hold up, my birthday’s coming, maybe I’ll actually live a little!” Next thing you know, she grabs a random book called Meet Me in Moonshine and BAM — life decides to get interesting.
Enter: a mysterious little red note.
Brooklyn Dean, you chaotic genius, that red note had me HOOKED. I was like, “who wrote it? where’s it going? how do I get my own mysterious note, please and thank you?”
What follows is basically a heart-hug disguised as a story — hidden gems, friendship, a sprinkle of romance, and a whole lot of rediscovering your spark. It’s sweet, cozy, small-town perfection, and honestly? I wanted to move there immediately.
Also… can we talk about that pig race? I would 1000% lose money betting on that I would not catch a pig and end up in mud, but I’d have the time of my damn life doing it.
Brooklyn writing? Chef’s kiss. Flows smoother than a flat white on a lazy Sunday. Easy, vivid, full of charm, and sprinkled with that glorious Aussie slang that makes my heart sing.
I laughed. I swooned. I got a little emotional. And I finished the book grinning like a loon because Meet Me in Moonshine is exactly what you read when your soul needs a hug.
March 25, 2025
DNF @ 37% I’m bored 🥱
June 28, 2025
This book was super cute! I loved the aspect of love letters as they got to know one another!! I need more books with the penpal/letters as a microtrope!! I’m excited to read the rest of the series!
April 12, 2024
As a disclosure, I was given a free copy of this novella to judge for the Ruby Awards.
Set in a small Aussie seaside town, this is an easy read, with an assortment of characters - some quirky, others more everyday folk - and the main focus being an intriguing plot-line as a 30-year-old woman is caught up in a mysterious romance through notes exchanged in an inconspicuous book left in a variety of places around town, and with little clues as to the letter writers tucked inside. It was definitely a clever premise and enough to keep you turning the pages.
Naturally, there are lots of hits and misses as to who this mystery man could be, but eventually the inevitable happens when they agree through more notes to meet up on Valentine’s Day.
It’s not exactly my style of writing, and I couldn’t really warm to the characters as there wasn’t enough interaction between the ‘leads’, although that would be hard due to the fact that they intentionally don’t meet until the very end, but overall it was a gentle story that I feel deserves a score of 6/10.
I would consider reading a regular novel-sized book from this author, as I felt her plot was an interesting concept, and it would be good to see how her characters develop through a much longer storyline.
Set in a small Aussie seaside town, this is an easy read, with an assortment of characters - some quirky, others more everyday folk - and the main focus being an intriguing plot-line as a 30-year-old woman is caught up in a mysterious romance through notes exchanged in an inconspicuous book left in a variety of places around town, and with little clues as to the letter writers tucked inside. It was definitely a clever premise and enough to keep you turning the pages.
Naturally, there are lots of hits and misses as to who this mystery man could be, but eventually the inevitable happens when they agree through more notes to meet up on Valentine’s Day.
It’s not exactly my style of writing, and I couldn’t really warm to the characters as there wasn’t enough interaction between the ‘leads’, although that would be hard due to the fact that they intentionally don’t meet until the very end, but overall it was a gentle story that I feel deserves a score of 6/10.
I would consider reading a regular novel-sized book from this author, as I felt her plot was an interesting concept, and it would be good to see how her characters develop through a much longer storyline.
March 1, 2023
I don't recall if I've ever read a novella before but I will admit that I was a bit worried it wouldn't have substance, that the story would feel thin. I must admit that my worries were totally unfounded! It was a brilliant story. I love the idea of the scavenger hunt to find romance. It was so cleverly executed and the humour that was injected throughout the whole story kept a smile on my face the whole time. Brooklyn has shown much talent with her debut. I’m looking forward to reading her next book ‘The Write Way to Love’
November 26, 2023
Meet Me In Moonshine was insanely frustrating and I couldn’t put it down! I have never wanted to jump to the end to find out the mystery person so bad in my life! Worst part, it wouldn’t have helped! You had to read the story and even then, Brooklyn had me bouncing back and forth between who the person was. Darn her and her red herrings! In all seriousness, I really did enjoy this book but wish I had read it before The Write Way for Love, not because it is necessary, but it gives a really good introduction to Adam, Billie, and Sam. Knowing their characters better, is softens the sharp edges of Adam and Billie’s brief interactions in The Write Way for Love. Back to Moonshine, this book will absorb you as you become more and more committed to Jillian and her wild goose chase of her mystery man. I even found myself looking forward to the “notes” each time! A recommended quick read for those who love that novella magic.
August 26, 2024
This one is a short beautifully written novella.
Our FMC is grieving the death of her mother and navigating a lonely single life when she finds a find a secret letter in a book. This leads her on a journey around her hometown of Moonshine as her and her mystery man exchange notes through the book.
Though this game not only does Jillian rekindle old friendships, she finds herself again, and love.
A beautiful easy read, and although short, the character building and scene setting was on point! The way the characters are all interwoven from the previous two books was seem less and I think worked wonderfully and really helped bring this novella to life.
Our FMC is grieving the death of her mother and navigating a lonely single life when she finds a find a secret letter in a book. This leads her on a journey around her hometown of Moonshine as her and her mystery man exchange notes through the book.
Though this game not only does Jillian rekindle old friendships, she finds herself again, and love.
A beautiful easy read, and although short, the character building and scene setting was on point! The way the characters are all interwoven from the previous two books was seem less and I think worked wonderfully and really helped bring this novella to life.
December 30, 2024
I loved the premise of this novella and Brooklyn Dean did not disappoint in her execution. A scavenger hunt through town following a series of notes hidden in a book while you wait to see if Jillian has found her match? Yes, please! Lots of cute character interactions, unique settings/events with just a sprinkling of spice. This book had me wanting to jump into its pages and explore the town of Moonshine for myself.
February 11, 2023
Absolutely loved this debut book from Brooklyn Dean!
The main characters were all easy to love and the story was catchy with just the right amount of 'keep ya guessing' up until the end!
Definitely give this one a go if you want a fun and romantic story that's not easy to put down because you're DYING to know who is going to sweep the main character of her feet! :-D
The main characters were all easy to love and the story was catchy with just the right amount of 'keep ya guessing' up until the end!
Definitely give this one a go if you want a fun and romantic story that's not easy to put down because you're DYING to know who is going to sweep the main character of her feet! :-D
February 13, 2023
What a fun story. Adventures to be had, following the red note to each new location. The pen pals are destined to meet eventually. But have they already met? Could it be the lawyer or Manbun, Coffee-killer, or even someone from childhood? Really enjoyed trying to narrow down the mystery man. Can't wait to read the next story.
August 20, 2024
Loved loved loved this short story! The premise of this novella gives the FMC a history lesson in her own town. The mystery man she gets a message from found in a random book takes her to different sites throughout her small town of Moonshine. It was perfectly put together and the small town characters had me laughing and wondering what their stories were. The Mysterious MMC was magical and charming and I loved how they got to know each other using the book and special places to each of them. Everyone who loves books, reading and romance should read this delightful story. I love Brooklyn’s way with words and cannot wait to dive into the other stories in the Moonshine Romance collection.
April 1, 2024
Super cute
Now I normally don't read 3rd person, but I absolutely loved this story! I love the mystery scavenger hunt, and I absolutely love that Jillian discovered herself while she found love.
Highly recommend this read!
Now I normally don't read 3rd person, but I absolutely loved this story! I love the mystery scavenger hunt, and I absolutely love that Jillian discovered herself while she found love.
Highly recommend this read!
July 19, 2024
I loved this romance. It was so beautiful. The way this book is written makes it a pleasure to read. I smashed through this book in a day. It made me laugh out loud. Absolutely loved it. Well done Brooklyn!
August 30, 2024
Loved the idea behind this. It is a very cute and clever story line. Only reason it didn’t get the full 5 stars is because I think it needed more sex and a dual pov.
But I’m hoping I’ll get this from her next books :)
But I’m hoping I’ll get this from her next books :)
October 30, 2024
RATING - 4
SPICE LEVEL - 0.5 🌶️
This was a fun little read by Brooklyn Dean that I enjoyed.
I really enjoyed the premise and the original story idea. The characters were great, the romance kept you hooked from start to finish, and the ending...just beautiful.
SPICE LEVEL - 0.5 🌶️
This was a fun little read by Brooklyn Dean that I enjoyed.
I really enjoyed the premise and the original story idea. The characters were great, the romance kept you hooked from start to finish, and the ending...just beautiful.
March 10, 2023
Omg I could not put this book down. I can't wait for the next one to come out. We'll done Brooklyn on your first Novella!👏
September 27, 2023
This book had me hooked right from the start. It is funny, real, heartfelt, and uniquely Australian. I felt like I was there experiencing the whole thing. Wonderful, feel good read! Highly recommend!
March 21, 2024
Light and so easy to read. Kept me guessing. Great read
June 28, 2024
Absolutely adored this book, such a wonderful idea that really sucks you in and keeps you wanting more, I can't wait to go back to Moonshine ❤️
July 2, 2024
Definitely a fun read, I loved it anyway
April 21, 2024
Such a sweet meet cute. What a great way to meet the person who likes you but doesn’t know how to let you know
October 22, 2024
The death of Jillian Maitlands mum, has left her a recluse. She goes to her florist job, then comes home, and often finishes the day with a peaceful swim in her pool. When grabbing a coffee, Jill picks up a book from the little exchange in the Cafe. In that book is a note that begins with "Dear Reader...Are you the one I've been searching for", what follows is a trading of notes in books as they get to know each other before meeting face to face. But will this be Jill's happily ever after or will she be spending Valentine's Day alone?
This novella was just adorable! I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to exploring the rest of the series.
This novella was just adorable! I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to exploring the rest of the series.
April 16, 2023
This novella was a fun and witty debut from Brooklyn Dean. A friend recommended it, and I wasn't disappointed. Some hilarious scenes with a big heartfelt story behind it and a romantic mystery. I'm excited to see how the town of Moonshine and the people who live there are explored over the series.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews