They by J.T. Moon is a contemporary romance novel with a unique premise. Taking place on Memorial Day, the main character, Blake, is visiting a cemetery with his camera as he often does for peace and solitude. The last thing he expects to find is someone lying beside a gravestone: a young woman named Christine, aka Chris. His question about whose grave it is prompts a story from her that sounds farfetched. It takes two years of investigation and over 400 interviews for him to realize that the inspiring, heartrending love story she told him wasn't make-believe and needed to be written, and he's the one to do it. But Blake finds out that he may have more of a connection with the story than he knows.

Moon has spun a love story populated with colorful characters and a unique premise, one that begins with a bit of mystery and invites your own investigation. I like Blake's inner dialogue, how he describes himself, and his worldview. You really get a feel for his personality in the first few pages, and the story launches really early, immediately pulling you in. He's a talented, poetic, introspective individual. Christina's story is just as alluring as she tells Blake about her father's death, but more importantly, the relationship between They (short for Theyer, her father's name) and Maddie. The characters feel like real people. They aren't perfect, and they differ in their philosophies, making for good conflict and plot development.

This author has a lean style that gets to the point, which keeps the story moving at an even pace, and the dialogue is natural and easy. Some scenes are packaged in mystery, and you find yourself more invested with each chapter and reveal. As the story gets deeper, so do the issues until you realize there is much more to it than you may have guessed, but I won't spoil it here for readers. The result is an engrossing, interesting read about love, loss, and humanity. For an enjoyable romance with a touch of mystery and pathos, They by J.T. Moon should be on your to-read list.

They is a novel by J.T. Moon. Songwriter/photographer Edward Gordon Alfred Blake (better known as Gabe) knows he’s in love minutes after discovering a girl whispering to a headstone in Clements Cemetery that Memorial Day. The lure of her story is intoxicating. Before he knows it, Gabe devotes his life to Christina Smith. He shares the incredible life story of a father-in-law he never meets, Theyer Robert “They” Smith. As the product of an unhappy childhood, They grows into a man of never-ending kindness and the recipient of countless unrequested favors in return for his generosity and thoughtfulness. They is an inspiration to all those around him, and he serves as an example of continuous unconditional love. They is the heartthrob of many women yet gives his heart to only three wives over his lifetime.

Written in five parts, They by J.T. Moon can be compared to the likes of the timeless A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. J.T. Moon writes in a gentle flow of the realistic narrative and heartwarming detail. As the story progresses, the reader forgets the futuristic setting of the mid-2000s and is lost in a timeless story of positive influences in life that can be achieved with a humane and sincere spirit. Although a complex mix of themes and sub-themes, this novel is ultimately kindness set in print. They is a must-read, feel-good tale that deserves multiple readings in the current state of our chaotic world. The lives touched amid these pages, even though fictional, serve as a lesson to mankind.