e-ALC, 13:14:35
Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo
Release Date: September 9, 2025
Published by: Dreamscape Media
Read from: September 10-13, 2025
Blood Moon, #1
Source: Netgalley (I received a free ALC from the publisher and Netgalley. This did nothing to influence my review)
Content Warning: Blood, Abandonment, Gore, Violence, Kidnapping
For Readers Interested In: Audio, Sparkly Cover, Most Anticipated, Paranormal, Racial/Ethnic Diversity, Romance, Vampires, YAEighteen-year-old Mirabella “Mira” Owens grew up in Timber Plains, Kansas hearing all about the local legend—that werewolves had, many years ago, traveled to their small Midwest town to protect humans from the growing threat of a vampire enclave. Just a story of course, a fairy tale, one Mira had stopped believing in when she was young—just like she stopped believing in the idea of her mom returning, after she up and left without a trace when she was only thirteen.
Mira is grown up now, starting freshman year at the nearby Lakeland University. College feels normal, exactly the thing she’s been craving most… except for one particular classmate: Julian Santos, a mysterious boy with long hair, golden eyes, and a coldness that seems directed exclusively at Mira for reasons she can’t understand and he won’t explain.
When Mira receives an unaddressed letter from her mother, she’s told the world isn’t as it seems. She suspects her mom might be telling the truth when she stumbles across strange animal tracks on a hiking trail, and when she’s miraculously saved from a twenty foot drop by the one and only, Julian Santos.
The problem? Julian would have had to jump the length of the cliff to catch her, making him incredibly fast and strong beyond belief. When she confronts him about this, he denies everything.
But when a Blood Moon rises, Mira soon finds herself caught in the middle of an ancient, magical war, with Julian on the other side of the line. She discovers there’s much more truth to the old town legends than she could ever have anticipated—and her family’s historic role in it will change her world forever.
BLOOD MOON is a dark and thrilling, intensely romantic ride, a fresh take on a werewolf love story for a new generation of paranormal romance readers, and is the first book in a series. It is set against a high-stakes paranormal backdrop—a world ripe with secret identities, rich supernatural lore, and a forbidden romance… that comes with a deadly bite.
*MY THOUGHTS*
This is going to be one of the hardest reviews I write this year. I was SO EXCITED for this, but it just did not work for me. I felt too much like I had read it before. I thought I was crazy, so I told some co-workers, but they agreed. I’m starting to think maybe it just wasn’t me.
OK so the main thing I didn’t care for about this was the similarities to Twilight. And I’m not talking just the vampires. I mean her falling off a cliff and him being on the other side of the park, but he still saved her. Tell me that’s not the Car Crash Scene? Or the fact that her dad is a police chief and her blood is enticing to everyone. Now I am not advocating for Twilight after learning of the harm it causes, however that doesn’t stop me from saying this is too familiar lol This is crazy. I mean Damn she even finds out about them “for sure” through research from a book that she had to do some crazy things to get her hands on. You know, like go two towns over to get the book? It really just made me like this less and less.
The rest of the book is fine. It’s a vampire book and y’all know how I am about those. It’s usually hit or miss. Why? Because back in the day after Twilight came out everything was paranormal romance and vampires and I couldn’t take it lol I stopped reading them for a long time. But I WILL say this had me hella nostalgic tho. So if you’re looking for something to make you feel like it’s 2008 all over again, then yeah, you’ll love this one. (Also its been compared to The Vampire Diaries, but I never read that so I’m not sure.)
The ending was what made this interesting. There’s a hug plot twist that I saw coming lol But I can say if you can’t see it’s coming, you will be mindblown. I remember wishing that I hadn’t made the connections and that I was able to be surprised. I DID get to say, “I KNEW IT!” really loud tho lol And the love interest is not what you immediately think, BUT there is still a love triangle. It was just a lot lol
What saved this for me was the narrator. She did an amazing job. Even my husband walked in and while I was listening and he said her voice was “comforting.” She really had a great voice that seemed made for vampires and werewolves lmao It definitely made me go look her up to see what else she’s done.
This wasn’t my cup of tea, but I probably will be reading the sequel. If nothing else for the nostalgia that I got with this one. I also want to be able to answer honestly when I tell teens or librarians about this as they see it. You know, just in case they start drawing these specific parallels like I did.
Overall, I give this
I did note that it was heavy on the Twilight feels myself. I actually just saw Britney at a signing last week and she did mention drawing components from Twilight and The Vampire Diaries but I think she had said it was more the TV show than the books even though the books were wayyyy better! Lol. I read this as an ARC so long ago, so I can’t quite remember the twist but I do feel like I saw it coming too! It was a cute and fun read. I’ve always loved paranormal reads so I was excited to have another one in my hands after yet another insanely long dry spell.
I mean I could read one of the hundreds in my TBR pile, but I’ve been on an event reading kick all year so I just haven’t had time! Lol. Nice review all the same!