Customer Reviews

Moon Awakening (Children of the Moon, Book 1)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When Emily Hamliton's family disobeys the king, he decides to punish them by ordering that one of the daughters be given in marriage to a Scottish laird. Rather than give up her favorite daughter, Emily's stepmother comes up the idea of sending Emily's youngest step-sister, Abigail. Emily can't allow that to happen, Abigail is deaf and Emily believes she surely would be mistreated because of her handicap. She quickly offers to take Abigail's place as the Scottish Laird's bride. She soon finds herself living with the Sinclair clan where no one likes her and bethrothed to the Sinclair laird who has no desire to have her as a wife. She's not sure if things have gotten better or worse when she and her finace's sister are kidnapped by a rival clan.

Lachlan is the laird of the Balmoral clan, and the leader of his werewolf pack. When Lachlan went to steal the Sinclair laird's sister, he never intended to take Emily too. He's sworn never to take a chance of having a son who can't shape shift by marrying a human, but everything about Emily has him fighting to keep himself from claiming her. As an enemy inside attempts to put the Sinclair and Balmoral clans at each other's throats, Lachlan must face his own desire for Emily. He needs to decide if his growing love for her is enough to set aside what he's always believed would be best for his clan.

Moon Awakening is simply awesome! I just can't put it any more eloquently! From page one I was entranced. Stunningly sexy and emotionally riveting, Lucy Monroe has given us a paranormal romance that made me literally lose myself within the pages. Moon Awakening is easily one of the best paranormals I've ever read!

Melissa
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

To be able to write an entire book based almost completely on dialogue between the two main characters is the mark of a highly skilled wordsmith.
Still I missed more descriptive images of the world the female lead inhabits and our gal also has the nasty habit of not shutting up! In usual fashion our gal is alone--more or less-- with little money, skills or practical abilities and for some dumb reason, insists on irritating or insulting everyone she meets. The male lead tolerates her behavior, but when he compromises a deeply held belief--basically a 180 degree turn--for this surly woman, it was hard to accept. Worth the read, but don't put it on the top of your reading pile.

I started off liking this book and then the more I read, the more annoyed I became. Why? The heroine. One minute she's strong-willed, then she's crying, then she's insecure, then she feels insulted by something the hero says or does, then she wants to have sex even though she's still angry with him, then she's teary-eyed again, then fiesty and the cycle goes on and on... Did I say I found her ANNOYING?

I didn't really like this book but I'm not quite sure why. I think it is the heroine but it could be any one of several other things that bothered me. First off, I was confused at the beginning. I didn't realize that Talorc wasn't going to be the hero. Okay, Lachlan comes along and he's the hero. I can handle that, but it seemed that even though the author said that Emily (I forget, was that the heroine's name?) was there to save her sister from this awful fate and these bad things had happened to her, mom died, dad tried to kill her, etc., I thought she seemed awfully lighthearted and sort of mouthy and not really watching what she said around people who were in a position of some authority over her. She started to get on my nerves pretty early in the book.
I also didn't like the secondary story of Cait and what's his name, the wolf. She was pregnant already but took up with one of Lachlan's men. There was talk of mating like wolves (that turned up the ick factor for me), but she couldn't change to a femwolf (that's creepy in itself) whilst pregnant.
This book had some promise, but I really think the paranormal thing is running pretty thin pretty quickly. I don't think you can just take a Scottish laird and say, "Oh, by the way, I'm a werewolf". It doesn't always work. At least, this book didn't work for me. It has gotten some pretty good reviews here, but it wasn't my cup of tea.

From the prologue of this story ( where she masterfully entwines Scottish history and myth) Lucy Monroe swept me away, teased me imagination and creates a race in ancient times.

The King had summoned her father to wed one of his daughters to a Scottish Laird and Emily wants to protect her deaf sister so she volunteers to marry the laird. What Emily doesn't know is that Talorc is a Chrechte and they have different mating rituals. From the moment they meet they instantly disliked each other. She becomes very close to his sister Cait though and when they take a walk to the lake a rival clan abducts them.

The story is mainly about the fact that Emily doesn't know about the Chrechte race within the Highlands and the exact motive for revenge behind the abduction. Emily and Lachlan immediately have a sizzling chemistry but Lachlan needs to mate a femwolf for the survival of his clan. A major secondary story is that of Cait and Drustan. The two love stories are perfectly woven within the main story and they take you into a different world. What kept me enthralled was the way Lucy Monroe used rules and behavior within a wolf pack to a Chrechte clan. The way they love, claim, mate, hunt and establish dominant Alpha's as the leader and submissive behavior among the warriors. This gives a very true feel to their race, she gives the wolf a human face and I loved every moment of it!

The story is told in a pleasant pace, the passion is absolutely there but has a more functional role as to establish mates and the Chrechte males reactions to a woman. This gives more room for emotion, information and the plot, where a dark force hides within the clan lurking for a way to go up the food chain.

I hungered for a while to read a good highlander story and Lucy Monroe gave me the best off two of my favorite genres: Highlanders and Paranormal. The story itself is as old as time since highlander stories were told, but she gives her own voice too it with her Chrechte world. For me she took me to the Scottish highlands and made me breath in all I craved so much!

This is the first book in the Children of the Moon series and all I can say is that I will reserve space on my bookshelf for the future books! This novel is two thumbs up!

courtesy of realmsonourbookshelves

Emily Hamilton is a young woman scorned by both father and stepmother. When she overhears them plotting to send her deaf sister to the Highlands as the bride of a Scottish laird, in a move to save her sister from possible ridicule and pain, Emily volunteers to go in her sister's place. The entire trip is a trial in patience as Emily is glared at and treated with righteous anger because of her English heritage. Hoping to find a home where she can be loved and cherished, she accepts her unknown fate, only to be cruelly dismissed by a reluctant groom. Befriended by her affianced groom's sister, Cait, Emily begins to anticipate making her own niche in this clan, no matter that their ways are sometimes odd and oftentimes pack-like. It is during a trek to a stream to bathe that Emily's real purpose in life comes to the forefront when, in a surprising retaliation, she and Cait are kidnapped by a Sinclair enemy.

Lachlan, laird of the Balmoral clan, is also the pack alpha. Kidnapping the Sinclair's sister is a opportunity that he can't let slip away. When the woman accompanying Cait refuses to be left behind, Lachlan can't help but respect her unwavering loyalty. In addition, and much to his consternation, the Englishwoman makes his inner wolf pant and ache to break free. Soon though, the fact that she is the wife of his enemy tortures Lachlan's soul and haunts his every waking moment. When he uncovers the truth, he is at once relieved and secretly pleased because now he has no intention of ever letting Emily go.

I've been a fan of Lucy Monroe since I was in college. I've devoured every Harlequin and Brava release that she has written. Of all the books penned by this talented author, MOON AWAKENING is one of the most fascinating tales that I have had the pleasure of reading. As the first book of a new series titled "Children of the Moon," this engaging story just whets my appetite for more. A formidable man, Lachlan epitomizes strength, both as a laird and a wolf. His compelling character and limitless control had me hooked from the first moment he stepped onto the written page. As for Emily, she easily broke my heart with her almost fervent wish for acceptance. More than once, I found myself teary-eyed as she recounted despondent childhood memories. But this is not to be mistaken for a sign of weakness. For all her vulnerability, Emily is also a charming blend of wiles and stubbornness, which in turn, makes her a worthy mate for Lachlan.

Once again Lucy Monroe has penned an impressive novel that kept me turning the pages long past midnight. Shape shifters happen to be one of my favorite genres, and with MOON AWAKENING I received an outstanding plot, dynamic characters and a superbly detailed setting. I have a sudden desire to trek through the Highlands and experience all its magnificent glory! This is sure to be a popular series, and I am wiggling in anticipation of Ms. Monroe's next offering. This is a book not to be missed!

On the whole, I really enjoyed this book and recommend it. It was fast-paced, great dialogue and likeable characters. However, there were some flaws: #1 the narrative was a bit jumpy, especially between Emily and Cait's stories. And #2, the whole werewolf thing was totally unnecessary. I think book would have been much better had it been about normal humans. I know paranormal is the "it" thing right now, but I feel like it only distracted from the story.

I look forward to reading more from this author, as she made me laugh and cry!

This book is "Simply Marvelous." I've only read to Chapter 7 out of 21 chapters and so far this author's writing pleases me. To have the two genres (Scotland and paranormal romance...especially when it involves shapeshifters) I love so much combined in one book brings joy to this reader. I can't wait for the next sequel to this series and I hope the second book is released real soon. Ms. Monroe definitely sits right up there in my opinion with my favorite two authors Ms. Sherrilyn Kenyon and Ms. Christine Feehan.

I have only read half of this book! Yes only half and I did it in one night because I had trouble putting it down. I liked Emily. I liked her mouth too. She says what she thinks even if it is wrong and she isn't afraid to apologize if she truly knows she is wrong. And she does what is necessary to protect her sister and her newly found friend. I have a lot of respect for this woman even when she is somewhat disrespectful herself. She also was willing to talk about her deepest fears with Lochlan and accepts the comfort he offered. She has the ability to understand where someone else is coming from. I liked Lochlan also. He has a tenderness for Emily although letting her know he wouldn't keep her was probably not the best thing for Emily to hear. But it adds to the flavor of the book all the same. He keeps to his word even though Emily doesn't see that. He plays with his words and she feels tricked but his explanations make sense. I like the character of Cait too. I read a review where the characters of Cait and Drustin bothered her because they talked about the wolf inside of them, the mating ritual of their people, their desires to go with it and the quick and favorable union being too quick. Well this is a paranormal book. What can you expect. But it is a good way to explain why things happen so quickly among these people. Since a true mate creates a chemistry unbeatable by just having fun sex, it gives a lot of creedence to the fast paced romance involved. This book was also dedicated to Christine Feehan. She is my favorite author. And this book really gives her a run for her money. But then again, she was the inspiration for Lucy Monroe. She did take it to a different relm and did a wonderful job. This book is the first of Children of the Moon and I hope it is not the last. I will be looking and waiting for others.

I was disappointed to hear all the negativity. I, for one, enjoyed this book immensely. I especially liked the fact that the author bothered to take the time to set up the friendship between the two women before the man/woman relationship. Most authors are more interested in getting to the falling in love/passion part to even try. I also liked the fact that Emily was so independent, but also owned up to her foolish mistakes. I'm glad that Monroe was willing to have a herione that wasn't perfect. I'm also looking forward to reading more in the series and by this author. It was a fun read and I would definitely recommend it.