Customer Reviews

Moon Craving (A Children of the Moon Novel)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The new book in the "Children if the Moon" - series by Lucy Monroe is a great read and one of my favourite romances of the last months.

When Talorc, laird of the Sinclairs and leader of a powerful werewolf pack, is forced to marry English Abigail he is not interested in doing more than his duty. But soon after meeting innocent and strong-willed Abigail he realizes that she is the one woman whom he could love.
Abigail is also forced to marry and is afraid what the future holds for her. But she is fascinated by Talorc from the first moment and soon after their wedding Abigail couldn't be happier because she loves Talorc and her new home.
But both have secrets they don't want the other to know. Talorc that he is a werewolf and Abigail that she is deaf (she is great at lipreading so she can fool Talorc and his clan for some time). When first Abigail's secret and then Talorc's are exposed both have to overcome their distrust and disappointment to continue their relationship and have a chance for a happy end.

"Moon Craving" is one of the books that I couldn't lay out of my hands once I started reading it. The characters are great and the love story between Talorc and Abigail is truly wonderful and heartwarming.
Abigail is an amazing heroine. How she handles life although she is deaf is great and to read how she grows stronger and stronger throughout the book is wonderful. Talorc is just as great as Abigail. The way he cares for her even when he thinks that she has betrayed him is awesome. It's also very fascinating to read how Talorc and his wolf fall in love with Abigail.
There is a second love story in the book that is also beautiful and special. I'm not going to tell you who is involved in it, but let's just say that I was positivly suprised by the open-minded way Lucy Monroe wrote it (hint: same-sex couple).
I also enjoyed reading about the Sinclair clan, how they welcomed Abigail and especially how they admired her after they realized that she is deaf.
It was also very nice to meet Emily and Lachlan from "Moon Awakening" again.
Although there are paranormal (werewolves) elements in the book it's mainly a love story. So even if you are normally not a fan of these kinds of stories you should give "Moon Craving" a try.

So all in all "Moon Craving" is amazing and one of the best books by Lucy Monroe so far. I'm already excited for the next books by this great author.

The Laird of the Sinclair clan, as well as the Alpha of his Chrechte wolf pack, Talorc has just been commissioned by his king to marry an Englishwoman. Talorc and his clan know first hand the treachery of the English. Talorc doesn't want to marry, but is unwilling to defy his king. Travelling to the border between England and Scotland, he comes face to face with his bride and while he doesn't trust this beautiful woman, he and his inner wolf desire her. And it is for this reason alone that Talorc weds Abigail. To find out that she is his true mate is something that he never expects, but knows not to question. Until he trusts her, however, Talorc vows to be on his guard with her - there is no way she can ever know what he is - his wolf, however, feels quite differently.



Abigail has her own secrets to hide. Deaf since a childhood illness when she was ten, she has learned to read lips and function without anyone knowing of her infirmity. Being told she is to be married is something that Abigail never expects, even if it is just her sadistic mother's way of getting rid of her. When she meets Talorc before their wedding, she sees in him something that her heart desires. Now if only she can just hide the fact that she can't hear, all will be well - or so she thinks. Abigail doesn't count on the mistrust she experiences when she tries to make a life for herself in her new home.



Talorc is a familiar character to me having read Moon Awakening, book one of this series. Originally ordered to marry Abigail's sister, Talorc still remembers being called a goat so he isn't ready for the acceptance and sheer magnitude of the attraction he feels for Abigail. She is everything angelic to him and so what if she has her own idiosyncrasies. Their desire for each other is instantaneous and the lovemaking between Talorc and Abigail is heady and potent. They burn up the sheets, quite nicely if I do say so myself. While he thought of Abigail as an enemy, I could see his feelings for her change with every scene until I was confident that he loved Abigail as much as she loved him.



Moon Craving is the sequel I have been waiting for with bated breath. It is exactly what I needed to read and the fact that it is an excellent novel makes me all the more excited to joyfully recommend such a passionate and wonderful book. Fans of Lucy Monroe will sign with romantic delight as the pages come alive. Don't miss it!


Talia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

loved the first book, anxiously awaited the next book. It started well but the gay mating in the last chapters put me off.

The Romans called them Picts, but the Chrechte realized they had to adapt or become extinct as the human race multiplied much more rapidly. They became Highlander clan leaders, but were betrayed by the Scottish king. Their survivors took control of Celtic clans but these shapeshifters hide their animal nature from the humans they lead.

Scottish King David arranges a new bride for clan leader Tulorc, who rejected the last English one, Emily Hamilton. Tulorc agrees, but insists the marriage occurs in Scotland. When Tulorc and his fiancée Abigail meet she hides her deafness from him. She assumes once he learns she is imperfect he will send her to her beloved sister Emily. They exchange vows Chrechte style, but Tulorc says they will make love when they reach clan land. When they make love, he hides his wolf from her while she conceals her deafness. They make love again and he is shocked as he hears Abigail shout his name in mindspeak; she hears him too. He knows she is his true mate but when he learns of her affliction, he angrily howls betrayal like his stepmother did while his fiercest supporters insist Abigail is a warrior hiding her weakness.

The historical werewolf spin that is the underlying premise of the Children of the Moon saga is cleverly designed so that the readers will believe in the Chrechte. The return of the lead characters from Moon Awakening in critical support roles is a welcome addition, but the tale belongs to a strong heroine who as Barr the warrior says compensates for her deafness like a great soldier should. Although the lack of a strong villain limits the tension to hiding secrets between the lead couple, fans will enjoy this fine medieval romantic fantasy.

Harriet Klausner

Originally posted at:[..]

A Scottish werewolf who doesn't want to marry gets more than he bargained for with the wife chosen for him and his well ordered life gets a lot more complicated.

This tale is one I'd been waiting to read for many months, ever since Moon Awakening, the first in the series. I loved the idea of Scottish Highland werewolves and how Ms. Monroe always seems to find a way to twist my heart, and this book delivers that too. I am not sure how the author does it but she has a way of making me want to cry with sadness and abandonment at some point during her stories. Then her heroines reach down deep inside themselves to find the courage, bravery and sheer stubborn attitude they need to make a decision that takes destiny into their own hands. Ms. Monroe certainly succeeded in continuing that tradition of quality writing. It always makes the happily ever afters more powerful and memorable.

Abigail is a smart and clever woman whose life should have ended years ago. It was love that tended and healed her and it's love that eventually will bring a completeness to her life. However, she has a lot of explaining to do before that happens and it certainly isn't easy. Her handicap was considered a death sentence back in the day and it was a rare thing I guess for anyone to take the time to help someone survive and flourish, yet Abigail was fortunate enough to have her sister, who played a starring role in the first book in the series. It was nice to see some old familiar characters again, and some were not so welcome. However, Ms. Monroe's books always seem to celebrate the optimism of life even towards those to whom all you really want to do is boot them in their bums. The author has imbued Abigail with an understanding and nurturing nature that serves her well even when times get rough for her, and they do.

The main conflicts between the hero and heroine are internal and they both involve trust. For reasons that become obvious to the reader, both have secrets that evade a normal conversation. No one wants to make themselves vulnerable and that makes earning each others' trust almost an insurmountable obstacle. It's not helped when there are a couple of external influences that really don't want their marriage to work out either. And for all their nastiness, the author had Abigail handle it with class and respect. Ms. Monroe certainly takes the higher road with her characters when she can.

Talorc is the hero who is a really yummy sounding guy. He's tall, grumpy and adorably confused when he starts realizing that he's not averse to having Abigail as his wife after all. He is always aware that his clan's safety is of paramount concern so he's never quite free to be fully honest with Abigail which makes for some interesting reading. He does love being with her and those scenes are well written and sensual. I was a bit miffed with Talorc however. What is good for the goose is good for the gander and that man certainly needed to be taught that lesson. How dare he judge her! He's certainly no `chatty Cathy' but he needed to be taken down a peg or two. Sure, he's the laird and the guy in charge but that doesn't mean he makes all the right decisions all the time. A part of him knows but he's not listening too well and I guess that means Talorc is a typical man, no matter that he gets furry at times.

Secondary characters abound and there's even a subplot/romance between two frustrated characters. Because they play roles intrinsic to Abigail's happiness and safety in the keep, I got to know and care for them as well. So it was really nice to see that relationship being resolved in this story. It was beautiful and the friendship they give to Abigail made the reading experience that much fuller and special. Then there is the cranky character and the witchy character; both are thorns in Abigail's side and no one seems to believe that they pose any risk to her. That provided additional drama to the tale.

Moon Craving< provided me with everything I look forward to in a book written by Ms. Monroe. My emotions were involved; I was committed and cared about Abigail and Talorc's happiness, I feared for them, rooted for them and even sighed in satisfaction when they expressed their physical love. I thought the premise of Abigail's handicap to be unique and I was fascinated at how the author handled it. The ending provided a wonderful and complete wrap up and a very romantic happily ever after to appease and delight discerning romance readers. Moon Craving is a fun, entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable read and I totally look forward to reading more in this very exciting world Ms. Monroe has created. I love her werewolves!

I remember reading the first book in this series, Moon Awakening years ago and falling in love with it. I was so excited when it had book #1 by it-I couldn't wait to read about the other characters in this story. Little did I know how long I would have to wait. I want to thank all the fans who wrote to Lucky Monroe and asked for this book-in the dedications section of the book she thanked everyone who wrote in and begged for this story. I tried reading other books by her, but none of had the same magical feeling that Moon Awakening did.


This was such a sweet story. While Moon Craving is the second book of the Children of the Moon series, it can definitely be read as a stand alone book. Talorc is Laird of the Sinclair clan and he is ordered by the King to marry an Englishwoman-Abigail. Talorc isn't happy by this order, but is determined to follow his Kings order. Abigail is torn-she doesn't want to marry a man she hasn't met, but wants to leave the house where her mother has treated her horribly since she became deaf at age 10 from an illness. She also wants to go to Scotland, because it's where her stepsister, Jenny (from book 1) lives. Abigail figures that if her highlander turns out to be horrible, she can always escape and go and live with her sister-the only family member who really cares about her.

Abigail doesn't want her future husband to learn that she is deaf. She views it as a weakness, and based on the awful reaction of her mother and sister thinks that Talorc will never love her if he finds out about her deafness. Little does she know that Talorc has a secret of his own-he happens to be a werewolf, as is most of his clan. This is a secret that generations of his kind has kept secret from both outsiders and members of their clan that aren't werewolves for fear of what would happen when their secret was discovered. Then something happens that the two didn't expect-they begin to fall in love with each other. They have major obstacles to overcome but Abigail feels deceived when she finds out that Talorc has kept such a big secret from her, and he will do anything to win her back.

I really liked how Abigail wasn't your typical heroine. She was deaf, and the story dealt a lot with how she handled not being able to hear. I loved seeing her grow from someone who wasn't sure of herself into someone who knew what she was all about. I also loved how Talorc defended Abigail, and both were able to help each other out with their issues. I thought the book dragged a bit in the middle, but made up for it at the end. There was also another love story going on-between two of the guys in Talorcs guard, and while I have no problem with that kind of storyline I thought it was weird to be thrown into this story. It was well done, but just seemed out of place. This was a cute story, but I think my expectations were just too high after waiting so long for this book to come out.

I've been waiting for this book for a long time, and I want to say that I was not disappointed, It follows book one, but with more in depth situations than the first one, especially between Niall an Guaire, it was interesting reading of the male couple,something that it is not common on every day love story. And the connection between Abigail and Talorc it just beautiful. How each one of them deals with their feelings and fears,but coming to a beautiful understating and acceptation of each other.

For those who are fans of Miss Lucy, You'll simply fall in love with this book. There was only one turn off for me and it was regarding Sybil, Abagail's mother. I really want her punish, but I hope this will be deal with in future books.

Abigail, even with her inability to hear, is a very strong heroine. I believe this is due to her big sister Emily as well as her experiences with her step-mom. The way she adapted to her deafness helped her in dealing with Talorc's clan. Talorc never believed he would have a mate, let alone an English woman and a human. His attraction to Abigail is immediate upon meeting her but he has never experienced these feelings before so he doesn't know how to handle them. Talorc's moral character is very evident in what he does and what he says. I loved how the relationship progressed and how Abigail's guilelessness earned her the respect of Talorc's seasoned warriors and other friends. This story plays on all your emotions, from the witty and fun dialogue to the heart-stopping romance. The sex scenes were very satisfying with tenderness, sensuality, and an emotional connection between Abigail and Talorc. I loved how the book ended and will look forward to reading more about the Chrechte. Moon Craving is an outstanding paranormal romance with intriguing characters, an enthralling plot, and witty dialogue. - Lisa Freeman

Lucy Monroe's long awaited followup to Moon Awakening has arrived with the sensational novel Moon Craving.

Talorc Laird of the Sinclair clan has no intention of marrying ever, let alone an English woman. His first bride to be ending up marrying a neighboring Laird. Talorc isn't thrilled to be marrying her sister Abigail. Talorc first meeting with his intended has him being drawn to her quiet beauty and strength.

Abigail Hamilton has not had an easy childhood. She lost her hearing after an illness and some of her family changed how they treated her. Abigail decides to keep her affliction a secret from Talorc and his clan. She is afraid that they will reject her as well. But Abigail begins to blossom at her new home and the gentle care of her husband.

What Abigail doesn't know is that Talorc is keeping a secret from her as well. Talorc's werewolf is something he isn't sure Abigail is ready to face. But he underestimate his new brides strength and must do all he can to win her love and respect.

Moon Craving is simply spectacular. The relationship between Talorc and Abigail is deeply moving and on that shows love at its finest. They Start out a bit leery of each other but they let their attraction develop and grow into something they both cherish. Lucy Monroe stories always hold a special place in my heart and they are ones I go back to when I need some extra special comfort.

The first half of this book was really good, I couldn't put it down, but then the last few chapters fizzled out, Lucy Monroe seemed to wrap it all up really fast with all the mishaps that were happening with Abagail, I really couldn't believe it - I just felt 'What the!' And then there was the gay element to the story, I don't mind this when it fits into a story, but this just seemed so weird to be in this particular story, and the way it was written, what was LM thinking, what were the publishers thinking.It's hard to explain without giving the story away, but this novel was very bazaar at the end.