Customer Reviews

Must Have Been The Moonlight

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Egypt. 1870. A setting that gets an automatic thumbs up from me. And what was even more pleasing: the fact that this book is excellent.

Must Have Been The Moonlight is Brianna Donnally's story; the younger sister of the hero of the author's previous book "In My Heart". The hero, Major Michael Fallon is at turns enigmatic, sensual, honorable, conflicted and tender--a rare and exotic blend of character traits in the typical historical romance hero. Brianna, the heroine, is self-reliant, honorable, wise, and is possessed of a very down to earth sensuality that caused some very sensual moments in this book.

From a sandstorm to the halls of an English manor, MHBTM never let go of what it promised in the first page of the book: action, scorching sensuality, passion between the hero and heroine, passion for life and the friction that comes between two people whose lives are entwined with each other whether they want to or not. Unlike another reviewer, I didn't find myself frustrated with the reticence on Brianna and Michael's side when it came to declaring their love because it fit their characters. I also was glad there wasn't the oft-cliched "show-down" between Michael and his vapid mother--that also fit the story and his character. MHBTM wasn't a romance where the hero's entire personality(or lack thereof) was wrapped within the vagrancies of his family and past. It was a story of two independent and honorable people who were thrown together and who found an unexpected passion and love.

Another bonus was the vividly and near expertly drawn life of the British government within Egypt--one that wasn't sugar coated or washed over because the author was afraid of alienating those who mightn't want to read about the intricacies of the government and political system, as well as the tautly written suspense sub-plot. While the villain was somewhat obvious towards the end of the book, Thomas still kept me second-guessing my guess, and that was a delight.

If you're looking for a passionate, vividly drawn characterization, "unusual" setting and tangible setttings, Must Have Been The Moonlight is for you.

Melody Thomas can write and she creates a vivid and interesting backdrop for her story in the first half of the novel and also a vivid and interesting heroine. I'm a sucker for Victorian colonial settings and for unusual heroines.

Brianna was an engaging heroine, young, idealistic, courageous, self-confident but vulnerable and unlike other heroines she has had a life and purpose before she meets the hero. However the brilliant photographer, socialist and suffragist who wanted to lead an independent, self-determined life once gives it all up to lead a co-dependent life with the hero and submits herself to the rules of others, Michael, his mother and the obligations of his ducal home which was a big part of my problem with this book.

The moment Brianna meets Major Michael Fallon she is lost to the world. I have never seen a heroine who loved or sacrificed more for the hero. The fact that she doesn't admit to herself that it was soul-searing love from the first moment for her doesn't make it any less real. She might be lying to herself but all her actions speak a clear language. She's caught in a whirlwind of passionate emotions heightened to desperate degrees by a reticent and emotionally detached hero who shows her affection one moment and a cold shoulder the next. She pursues him relentlessly, not deterred by Fallon's outward show of casualness and negligence. Actually she goes so far in her pursuance that I cringed at some of her antics. Brianna is clearly beyond pride or a healthy sense of self-preservation when it comes to the hero. I found Thomas has captured the essence of female obsession very well.

Major Fallon on the other hand remains an enigmatic person. I never could make him out. He seemed emotionally detached even as he gazed hotly at Brianna. His behavior didn't make sense to me because the thoughts the author attributed him with seldom matched his actions. He allegedly feels like a green lad in front of the heroine and like wax in her hands but in fact his actions are that of an extremely controlled person who domineers the whole relationship because he's not ruled by his emotions as Brianna is. He claims later to be obsessed with her but you never actually see any sign that would indicate an obsession on his part especially compared with the very real seeming obsession his wife feels for him. He thinks of his wife only in sexual terms to the point where it began to repulse me. I had the nagging feeling he mistook sexual desire with love and never really was interested in what was behind the alluring form of his wife and erotic passion she showed to him..

One the surface Michael Fallon is the possessive, protective alpha hero with the standard problematic past but there was an undercurrent of something deeper here at work which was never fleshed out. Many threads were left hanging such as the issue with Michael's youthful painting and Brianna's problems with her mother-in-law and her initial reluctance to become a mother. She's actually unhappy to become a mother and this thread is left hanging also. And what became of the cottage that Brianna wanted to reconstruct for her photo-lab and which reconstruction her mother-in-law stopped eventually? What did Michael think of her work? Was he ever interested the least bit in that part of her?

Sadly enough, while Brianna's love for Michael seemed touchingly authentic, his alleged love for her never came to life for me at all. At one part of the story while she is already married to Michael Brianna demands from her husband that he courts her because she feels that he has never done so. The author closes that thread with the mere mentioning that Michael now courts Brianna. How he actually does this is not described at all which was most disappointing. I think Thomas should have pictured this instead of writing another superfluous sex scene where Michael exerts once more his tremendous sexual power over Brianna which successfully overruled her common sense every time (most annoying for this reader).

The ending left me quite sad for the heroine because I felt she was not happy with the life she never would have freely chosen for herself and which will be full of restrictions and obligations to subdue her once exuberant spirit. She had sacrificed everything and gained not much in return except a perpetually randy hero whose love for the heroine seemed shallow and of course a baby every year.

I enjoyed this novel from beginning to end. This was just the kind of romance novel I love. Wonderful characters. Characters that seem real because they are not perfect-something most novels like this lack. There are interesting plot twists and we get to know several secondary characters well. The secondary characters are not boring. The chemistry between Brianna and Michael was very sensual and immediate. The heroine is the perfect foil for the hero's cynicism and intellect. It was written with an amazing level of intensity and feeling that my heart was pumping furiously with both the palatable passion and the keen sense of danger infused in the story. Brianna and Michael were both wounded, intriguing, complex, wonderful characters. The action/suspense was fast-paced and thrilling. The setting was beautiful and exotic. The sex was HOT and perfect for the story. Melody Thomas stories are humorous, romantic and interesting - and she is excellent and creating characters that are real, interesting people - and that you remember vividly from book to book throughout the series. You want to know them better! I love the Donally family. This is the second book I have read from Melody Thomas and I love them both. I'm looking forward to reading more about the Donally family. All I can say in conclusion is if you like a good, emotional, heart-tugging historical, with characters that leap off the pages, buy Must Have Been The Moonlight.

Must have been the moonlight was the first book I read of the Donally series and I loved it! Brianna and Michels relationship is so passionately intense it keeps your interested through out the book. I've got to know Melody Thomas writing through out the Donally series and love her books. I highly recommend "Must have been the moonlight" to readers as well as "In My Heart" " A match made in scandel" and the newly released book "Angel in my bed"

I love this book and it is probably my fav romance. Michael is one of those "to die for" heroes. He has had a somewhat tortured past but I love the fact that he doesn't use that excuse to make decisions in his present day life. He is someone who knows what he wants and goes for it. And Brianna--what can I say. She is one "tough little cookie" that you gotta love. I've read this book twice and parts of it more than that. They are definitely my fav couple. I've read all books written by Melody Thomas and she is in my top 3 on my fav authors list. Please don't miss out--especially on the Donnally series.

In 1870 in the Western Sahara, Major Michael "El Tazor" (barracuda) Fallon rescues Lady Alexandra Donally and Brianna Donally, wife and sister of the Minister of Public Works Sir Christopher from assassins. He escorts the two women to Christopher's camp only to learn the man left in a rage having though his beloved spouse and sibling murdered. Brianna is attracted to her rescuer and tries to seduce him, but though tempted especially after a heated kiss he rejects her temptation as he does not want to get involved with the sister of a superior.

Instead he has a trusted Khedive escort the women to Cairo while Michael goes after Christopher. Later Michael offers Brianna a marriage of convenience, which she accepts. He sees this as a way to continue his activities without female interference while she knows a husband provides respectability while she goes about seeking social reform. However, as they head to England, Brianna falls in love with Michael; he refuses to reciprocate her feelings until an abduction opens his mind to his heart.

This is an exciting Victorian romance that uses Egypt as an intriguing setting for much of the plot; the locale provides freshness to the tale and enables Brianna's courage and independence to flow freely. The story line is fast-paced as Brianna seems more like Pauline and Michael her rescuer. Fans will appreciate these two protagonists as she softens her hardened champion (no pun intended) through love and want to read the second chance at love tale between Alexandra and Christopher (see IN MY HEART).

Harriet Klausner

This book was really good, more so the first half than the second half. From the beginning to the middle I was glued to the pages. The chemistry and interaction between the hero and heroine when they were in Egypt was amazing! The book was heading to a five star review until they got married. The marriage before the end took away from some of the chemistry between the two. They weren't dull after they got married, but after burning up the pages for half the book, their relationship was not as exciting by comparison. It's probably just a personal prefrence with me as I never did enjoy storylines in which the hero and heroine gets married before the end. I really enjoyed much of this book though and will now go on a hunt for more MT books.

I am not sure how Melody Thomas does it but she consistently manages to deliver the perfect hero in every single one of her novels.
I actually fell hopelessly in love with Michael Fallon. He's gorgeous, sexy as hell, steadfast, romantic, yet with a "je ne sais quoi" of mystery. Once you finish the book you still feel like there is much of this man that we still don't know about, you're in no way done with him, if anything, you're actually ready to start dating him: I want to see him every day, with his wife, with his kids, I want to know what he eats for breakfast, what books is he reading, I want to know how he ties his cravat and takes his tea. I'm simply not ready to let him go.

Regarding the novel in itself, it can be pretty much neatly divided in two parts: the "spicy part" which fittingly takes place in the exotic and lush world of colonial Egypt, and the "settling part" which takes our H/h to regency London and around the British countryside in general.

The spicy part, the beginnings of the romance between Michael and Brianna, are probably some of the hottest pages you've ever read. You can actually FEEL the spark, I was constantly fanning myself while reading and re-reading those passages. The chemistry between the H/h will leave you BREATHLESS. I have no other way to describe it. Their innuendos, their flirting, and - MY LORD - his LOOKS towards her, made this book a keeper.
She wants him quite desperately and shamelessly, and to be honest, WHO CAN BLAME HER? I doubt I'd be able to restrain myself either.

I'm surprised this novel isn't more popular... I can't help but recommend this to anyone who will listen. Forget the negative reviews, give this one a try, it is a seriously brilliant find and your next keeper!

I loved the setting for Must Have Been the Moonlight - late 19th century Egypt. The opening scene particularly is riveting and full of promise. Brianna Donnolly and her sister-in-law Lady Alex from the previous book have been stranded in the desert for days after their caravan was attacked. They barely managed to escape with their lives, but are being pursued. Major Michael Fallon, who was supposed to meet up with the caravan, is on their tail, but for the women it's very uncertain whether he's friend or foe.

Must Have Been the Moonlight was kind of rough in places - the prose especially could do with some polishing, but still the characters managed to shine through and capture my attention. Brianna is strong and intelligent, and I ended up liking her a lot - she's a suffragist, a photographer, a philanthropist, and something of a troublemaker. Michael Fallon is your disreputable rake type, but I like that he really lives up to the vocation and can be very naughty indeed. He certainly doesn't harbor any noble intentions towards Brianna. But what I like best about the book, about their romance and these two characters, is that Brianna doesn't either. She wants an affair, and ends up having to be the one to do the pursuing. Her aversion towards marriage seems sincere, credible, and consistent with who she is, especially with her suffragist leanings. I was impressed that Brianna didn't end up seeming desperate in her continued pursuit of Michael. Even after they do the deed, and he has no intention of contacting her again, and she can't keep away, it's clear that she's the one being honest with herself and him. Michael wants her just as badly but holds back for various reasons. He finds himself unable to disentangle himself from Brianna as easily as he would have liked - and ends up wanting to keep her.

While I liked the characters well enough, and their romance, the action/adventure bits and the plot got tamer as the book progressed. Still, I love the initial setting and the way Thomas describes the landscape of Egypt - beautiful. When we move to England about half way through, though, and the book settles into the more conventional frame and events of a romance novel, I'm disappointed to say the least - especially when the mystery element of the plot kicks in full force. The rest of the book was ok, the mystery not the best. The change in setting made it seem conflicted, and the second half wasn't nearly as interesting as the first. I have to wonder at this fixation on England for romance settings. It's a big world out there. Romances should try and venture out into it once and a while, and not turn tail and scamper back to the mother country whenever a first tentative step is taken beyond its hallowed shores.

This is the second book in the "Donally" series. The first being "In My Heart" which I hadn't read before this. This book stands very well on it's own. Melody Thomas has a nice writing style that keeps you wanting more. I have read the first three and this series and am saving "Angel in my bed" to savor. I highly recommend this author. She has been described as "a buried treasure" and I definitely agree!