Customer Reviews

Moonlight Becomes Her (Zebra Historical Romance)

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

 

 

What can I say, this one is a keeper. If you liked Lions And Lace, you will love MBH. I also loved Fair Is the Rose (my fave Mckinney so far but MBH is a close second with L&L.)A Man To Slay Dragons would be next. I give MBH a solid A. Nicely written, intriging, fun, great hero and heroine, excellent villain and secondaries. I just loved it, even good old Caro Astor.

The book starts out with the heroine holding up the hero in his private coach in the Five Points district of 1880's NYC. And right from the get go the tension and attraction are there. This is no simpering miss and the hero a definite Alpha and he makes no bones about it. He could have given Trevor Sheridan lessons on ruthlessnes. I just loved him and I really, really loved this heroine.
Mystere is not a whiner, crier, or damsel in distress. Nope she takes the bull by the horns and does what she has to, to reach her goals. Same goes for the hero. They are both smart and driven by their goals. And their goals may not be altruistic, but they are very reasonable.
Well the heroine leaves the hero sans his clothing and money in Five Points and doesn't run into him until two years later in posh New York Society, where the Astors, Vanderbilts and new money reign. She and the villain are scamming the upper 400. Indeed, the heroine is a very accomplished jewel thief. But, the hero is on to her because he has been looking for her for two years and remembers even the tiniest nuances about her.
What I loved about this book was the Cary Grant/Grace Kelly rapport. The hero Rafe, was just so witty and Mystere was no slouch in that department either. This was one of the most entertaining books I have read in a long time. And let me tell you something. Meagan Mckinney does New York Gilded Age society better than anyone else. Her depictions and scenes are really wonderful.
If I had to describe this book in three words, I would say sophisticated, romantic and witty. I highly recommend it, even though it is out in hardback. And I know a lot of authors are doing the sequel thing these days, but this is one book I can hardly wait for the sequel and yes oh yes it looks to be very good. I predict that it can't miss.

The story line was great! And you can't beat the first scene- Rafe is riding in his private coach down a poorer side of town when he is stopped by Lady Moonlight and her bandits. Rafe is robbed and to slow him down, plus for a little bit of fun she has him to strip down to his underwear (she actually wants him naked but her bandits stop her at the underwear!). He is humiliated and vows to return the favor to her one day! Great first scene!!! But from there it was tough reading for me. Maybe it's just me but...I had a hard time staying focused and interested until well through the middle of the book. I didn't put it down because I knew it would get better and it did. I liked both of the main characters- Rafe Belloch made his fortune from the railroad but has a vendetta to settle with NY's aristocrates. Mystere was an orphan plucked from the streets by Paul Rillieux to be claimed as his debutante niece to work the NY aristocrates stealing their most valuable jewels right from under their noses. 2 years later Rafe and Mystere meet during a NY Society Social. Is she the one? Rafe vowed he would never forget those eyes, that body. It really is a good story. This was my first Meagan McKinney book and I do look forward to reading others. So read it for yourself-- See what you think..... P.S. I wasn't satisfied with the epilogue. It had a lot to be desired for me.

MOONLIGHT BECOMES HER starts off with a real tantalizing scenario. A masked woman and her cohorts robs railroad magnate, Rafe Belloch. The woman's not content enough with just his money and loose valuables. She has Rafe strip. And as she laughingly escapes the scene of her crime, she taunts Rafe. Rafe, embarassed and angry, swears revenge.

Two years later, Mystere Rillieux and Rafe are at a ball together. It is in New York (1883), and also present at the ball, people like the Astors and Vanderbilts. Rafe immediately suspects Mystere as being his masked robber, and also Lady Moonlight. Lady Moonlight is suspected of robbing rich patrons at New York's society's various entertainments. The games between Mystere and Rafe begins, that night.

I probably enjoyed that opening scene between Mystere and Rafe, more than any other scene in this book. Mystere seems adventuresome and tough. As I met Mystere as Lady Moonlight, she seemed more a victim, and less sure of herself. I guess I liked the first Mystere better. And Rafe's character seemed to switch between tortured and cocky. Because of these two--and I liked them--the appeal of the book faltered at times, for me. Also, I would have enjoyed seeing more interactions between them. MOONLIGHT BECOMES HER is heavily populated with a large supporting cast.

I really enjoyed MOONLIGHT BECOMES HER. Ms. McKinney's writing definitely took me to the New York city of the 1880's. This well-written book, was almost a keeper.

Ms. McKinney once again proves her status as a leader of the romance genre in this captivating tale of redemption and revenge.

In 1883 New York City, Mystere Rillieux is a toasted member of the Four Hundred, the elite of the city. Along with her Uncle Paul, she is able to bewitch those around her. Unknown to her social acquaintances, though, Mystere is actually the mysterious thief, Lady Moonlight, who has committed jewel thefts under the very noses of the wealthiest.

But railroad magnate, Rafael Belloch , is more than suspicious that Mystere is the masked woman that robbed him two years prior. When Rafe discovers that Mystere and her "uncle" aren't exactly who they appear to be, he must decide whether to expose them, even as he is powerless to stop his attraction to Mystere. And the attraction between Rafe and Mystere is a highlight of this novel- constant sparring and evasion of their true feelings lends a volatile aspect to their relationship keeping the reader glued to the pages. So while Rafe must decide whether to destroy the very society that abandoned his parents, Mystere must choose whether to leave thieving and Paul behind, and continue searching for her missing brother, Bram.

Ms. McKinney's latest is a historical that is sure to please the most discerning of romance readers. With the addition of supporting characters such as the high societal matriarch, Caroline Astor, the lines between true personality and society personality are carefully blurred. Even Rafe and Mystere can't always tell whether the other is speaking their true feelings or only spouting what society wants to hear. And the intrigue of the missing Bram and Mystere's true identity, though only partially explored in this novel, leaves the reader questing for more answers in an apparent sequel to this read.

I purchased this book hoping that it would be as wonderful as "Lions & Lace". What a disappointment! Although set in the same time and place,the main characters and storyline were nothing alike. Rafe and Mystere were thrown together by fate and the story surrounding their eventual love is pretty boring. Their relationship did not have any ... tension and I was not drawn into it at all. I must say, however, Ms.McKinney did paint an exciting picture of NYC in the l880's.

There were at least 4 or 5 already here when I submitted my review of this book last week. What happened with my submission and all the others that people spent time and effort submitting to you?

Disgruntled Customer Reviewer

I have found this book, like almost all of Meagan McKinney's books, impossible to put down. I read it in one sitting. The only thing that bothers me about the book is that the ending left too many unanswered questions, definitely paving the way for a sequel. Unfortunately, noting that this book was released in 2002, my research indicates that Ms. McKinney has not as yet completed one. I can only hope that her literary agent and publisher somehow read this, so that they will pass along to Ms. McKinney that her fans are waiting with bated breathe for the sequel to "Moonlight Becomes Her". This story must continue!

This is the first novel I have read by Mrs. McKinney. It is unfortunate that the jacketcover intro did a great job of wetting the appetite only to have the storyline fall short. The premise and characters had great potential yet fell flat after their inital meeting. Characters carefully designed to perfection somehow dissipate leaving one to wonder if they deserve one another or if it was even worth the hassle. Again great plot and characters quickly becoming....boring....

I loved McKinney's FAIR IS THE ROSE, but this book was a big disappointment. I didn't get to know, or like Rafe or Mystere, and if I don't like the characters, I don't like the book.

The events in the book didn't seem plausible, and that was distracting,too. It didn't make any sense that Mystere could be comfortable in such a bad part of town, robbing the rich with her vile companions, and within two years she's gone to charm school and becomes this perfect lady. How did that happen?

This novel had the potential of being very good. The time period that this book's setting played out in was very fascinating, especially since I've always been interested in Industrial Revolution of America. The overall plot was fascinating also - a woman living a double standard life of noblewoman and thief, and a man who she had once robbed trying to discover/seduce her - but this book just fell flat. I felt that the first half the book was excellent, but then seemed to lose steam as everything started to play out. The sexual tension was great in this book, but throughout all of that, the scene where Rafe finally unmasks Mystere was very short and abrupt; it didn't live up to all the trouble Rafe went through to finally find out that Mystere was Lady Moonlight and Mystere's attempts to allude Rafe. There could have been... well, more. The cat-and-mouse scenario could have turned out very well in this novel, but it just didn't hold my interest until the end. A lot of loose ends were just not tied.