Book Review: The Difference Between Night and Day by Melissa Turner Lee

This is a Christian, clean romance. While I don’t normally read Christian literature that is too preachy, I enjoyed this book, primarily because it was well written and had a story beyond the lesson in the book. This review contains one or two spoilers integral to a review, but the plot of the story is not ruined.

The story follows a (very old) young man named Nathaniel who is always awake at nights, patrolling the town and keeping people safe. He comes across a young woman named Lilly, who seems out of place being wide awake in the wee hours of the morning shopping for crazy junk food–and all dressed up to boot! He thinks she is “special” at first and follows her to make sure she doesn’t get into (or cause) any trouble. He is immediately attracted to her, and we come to find out that he is a vampire who has somehow resisted he desire to bite or kill others or let his anger get the best of him. He spent ten years in a cave with his Bible, trying to figure out why God allowed him to be turned into a monster. Throughout the story, Lilly is less shocked than she should be when learning about Nathaniel’s condition. The two begin an uneasy relationship with its typical ups and downs—this is the part I will not spoil for you.

What I enjoyed the most was the good writing. It really pulled the story along and made this a quick, enjoyable read. I did enjoy the wholesome message of faith in the book, though I felt at times it was made too obviously and too many times. I also felt the story was slightly cliché—a very innocent girl falling for a “bad guy” or vampire. It’s been done, but the writing and theme of the book helped to avoid the monotony of that storyline. Overall, I recommend it as a quick read for someone wanting a book with a paranormal twist but a wholesome, uplifting message.