Beneath a Rising Moon

More like 4.5 Stars but leaning towards 5...

*(Very Minor) Spoilers*

Beneath a Rising Moon is a delicious tale of a sister seeking revenge by stepping outside of her carefully controlled life and into the pits of a life altering desire. Neva has seldom given into her desires as a young wolf, being reared in a home that prides itself on commitment and control, but that doesn't mean she hasn't wanted to. Heading into the midst of the moon dance and opening herself to her wolf, she plans to seduce Duncan Sinclair, the rebel badboy and only wolf not under suspicion for murdering several of the Sinclair pack's moon mates.

Duncan Sinclair had thought to leave this life behind 10 years ago, but with murders littering the Sinclair grounds and his show more family under severe scrutiny from the Rangers (werewolf police force) he has returned to uncover who is behind these acts and will do anything to protect his pack. Being seduced during the moon phase wasn't in his plan but he plans to make use of the lovely little wolf intent on spying on the Sinclair family - and enjoy every minute of it.

I connected with Neva right away, her determination and overwhelming strength in her belief that she would do anything to find who put her twin sister in a coma gave her an almost immediate like-ability. Although most definitely not a detective, Neva uses her instincts to guide her as safely as possible through the forbidden Sinclair mansion, picking the safest member she could to give her an excuse to navigate the forbidden parties and incorrigible Sinclair pack. But Duncan quickly discovers that Neva is there for more than just the moon party and begins breaking this new wolf to find out what she knows about the murderer.

Both characters were easy to like and even when Duncan was being an ass-hat I still understood why (and enjoyed his sexy torture!). The development of the storyline was very well done, I never felt lost and always understood why something was happening.

The only reason why this book isn't a 5 Star read was because of the resolution to the mystery. I am not going to give anything away, I just wasn't quite satisfied. That and a couple of repeat sections that seemed a little copy-and-pasted to me.

That being said, you should most definitely buy this beauty - and the next one too while your at it! ;) I can't wait to read Beneath a Darkening Moon and learn more about Neva's twin sister Savannah and her love affairs. So much about Savannah was presented in this book and left unresolved so I am looking forward to uncovering Savannah's past and *maybe* getting a cameo from Neva and Duncan...please?! :)

Overall, Keri Arthur builds a beautiful world spun with betrayal, trust, pack and growth, encouraging readers to be swept up with emotion and unable to detangle themselves from the painful mystery of love, loss, and forgiveness.

**This book was provided to me via NetGalley by Random House Publishing Group in return for an honest review.**

You can read this review in its entirety on my blog - Betweenthebind [dot] blogspot [dot] com. show less

Beneath a Rising Moon is an excellent start to a new series.The characters are complex and interesting. The plot has a lot of depth and is intriguing. My only two complaints about this novel are that the mystery wasn't that mysterious. I had it figured out when I was about 50% through the book. Also, at times Duncan was a giant ass, and I don't think that it was really illustrated how not okay some of the things he did were. Basically, if you're looking for a story with a strong, independent heroine, this is not a book for you. But if you're looking for a romance with political undertones, then you have found the right book.

This series is set in Colorado, and is about werewolves who live on a reservation, much like American Indians do show more today. However, the wolves on these reservations also have to undergo a bit of forced birth control. Once a month, the men must take a sterilization vaccine before participating in the "moon dance," which is the mating practice of the wolves. It obviously occurs on the full moon, like most werewolf things do. The cool thing about this whole werewolf reservation situation is that Arthur doesn't attempt to capitalize off of indigenous rights issues. She doesn't offer any comparisons, and she does not once talk about what she may or may not understand. She avoids the American Indian reservation system all together. Also, I do not feel that she was making light of the wrongs done to American Indians. She shows the werewolf reservation for what it was. There is always an undercurrent of oppression because of the reservation system, though. Also, this story shows the dangers of extremely conservative viewpoints and how they can do irreparable harm to those around you. Another topic touched on is conservative hypocrisy.

While I really enjoyed the political and moral elements to this story, there were times when I really did not like Duncan very much. He had a habit of forcing things on Neva, with or without her knowing and/or permission. I don't really mean sex (the mating ritual is very complex in this werewolf society), but there is a certain point when he does something that I would not be okay with, and she is perfectly fine with it. She doesn't even seem to notice the problem. However, part of her "growth" is supposed to come from her making her own decisions and learning to think for herself. She is supposed to be able to stand up for herself and what she wants by the end of the novel, but because this issue wasn't addressed in the manner I felt it should have been, I feel as if she is still co-dependent and a bit weak. Others may see it differently, but there was one part that just really did not set well with me.

My problems with a couple of the plot points aside, I really did enjoy this book. The characters are complex and three dimensional. They are flawed and realistic. I was able to both love and hate most of them. I felt bad for them when they suffered, and I was happy for them when something good happened. I fully connected with the primary and secondary characters of this novel. Furthermore. I enjoyed learning about the new world Arthur has created. It's a unique idea and one that I look forward to explore more thoroughly in the following installments. Additionally, the romance was super hot! The chemistry between Neva and Duncan was off the charts. In all, I'd recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a romance story with some substance. show less

I love the werewolves in this series. A lot like Judy Mays' but with differences particularly its a mystery and thriller novel inside a romance novel.

Neva Grant wanted nothing more than to avenge her twin, Savannah after an attack by a serial were-killer left her in coma. Neva began to pick up her sister's investigation which trace back to the notorious silver wolf packm The Sinclairs. Duncan Sinclair, a redeemed rebel in the family was determined to investigate the serial killings that seems to be related to his family. Neva seduced Duncan to gain access to the Sinclairs but instead she was snared when Duncan bound her to the moon promise as a slave to his dark desires. While they began to learn each other, a killer on the loose with show more them as the targets.

Intrigue already? Its compacted, the story is stand alone and I often bring this book wherever I go because of the pocket size and the cover is gorgeous. Recommended to anyone who like sweet, spice and something that is hardly nice. *wink* show less

Beneath a Rising Moon by Keri Arthur is a werewolf-heavy paranormal romance. A copy of the book was provided to me by the US publisher for review purposes. I believe it was first published in 2008 (UK/Aus) and the edition I read was a US re-release.

This is the second book of Keri Arthur’s I’ve read, the first being Full Moon Rising, the first Riley Jensen Guardian book. Because I can’t help comparing, I’ll say I enjoyed Riley Jensen more, partly because she kicked more arse, partly because Full Moon Rising was set in Melbourne and partly for reasons I’ll get to shortly.

Beneath a Rising Moon follows Neva and Duncan as they investigate a series of murders in a small werewolf town in the vicinity of Aspen, and discover that they show more are soul mates.

Neva’s twin sister — to whom she is psychically linked — is head ranger and was attacked by the murderer but survived. While she’s in hospital, Neva decides to do some investigating of her own. As the full moon approaches, she goes to the Sinclair Mansion, renowned for its debauchery, and seduces the one Sinclair she knows can’t be the murderer, Duncan.

Duncan, meanwhile, has returned to Ripple Creek to investigate the murders that are somehow linked to his family (the dead girls were all sexual partners of his brothers). He quickly becomes suspicious of Neva’s motives in approaching him, believing her to be somehow linked with the murderer. So he decides to be an arsehole to her to get her to admit her motivations.

That was the point where the book lost a bit of appeal for me. While I understood what Duncan was trying to do, some of the ensuing sex scenes were a bit rapey (yes, I mean forcing her to have sex with him when she doesn’t want to and also while she’s asleep) and rather put me off. Then later, when everyone works out what’s going on, Duncan feels bad and tries to make amends but at no point does he sit down and apologise and explain to Neva. That she got over it anyway made me like her less as a character, although in general she was pretty good. Apparently they were destined to be together, but I would have liked to have more time spent on them overcoming their issues as a couple rather than just their personal issues (which were also plentiful).

Overall, Beneath a Rising Moon was well written and full of steamy sex scenes (except for those discussed above). If you enjoy paranormal romance and don’t think my qualms above would bother you, then give Beneath a Rising Moon a shot. Personally, I think other Keri Arthur books might be more my thing.

3.5 / 5 stars show less

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Neva would do anything to find her sister’s would be killer, even if it means ruining her reputation by being with Duncan Sinclair. Duncan is a well known playboy who makes no promises. Will they work together to find a killer or let suspicions get in the way?

Opening Sentence: The music swirled through the darkness, its beat rich and seductive.

Excerpt: Yes

The Review:

This book is a very steamy romantic mystery. Neva Grant is a werewolf and a twin. Her twin, Savannah and she are linked and can share thoughts and feelings. It is because of this that Neva experiences Savannah’s attack. Neva makes a vow that she will find the person responsible for hurting her sister. To do so she show more seduces Duncan Sinclair, a renowned playboy. Duncan has his own reasons for wanting to find the person responsible for killing three women and injuring another. Neva and Duncan can either help each other or hinder each other. If they can get past appearances and reputations they may just find a killer and their soul mates.

Neva Grant is a man’s dream come true. She has long golden hair, dark green eyes and a really nice figure. Even Duncan, a man who has been with many others, is drawn to her. Thankfully though, Neva has more going for her than looks or I would not have liked her. Neva is very loyal to her twin sister and would do anything for her even if it means hooking up with a bad boy and stalking down a killer. At first Neva came off seeming too timid and controllable, but as the story progresses Duncan helps bring out her wild side and unintentionally helps her stand up to her very controlling parents. As I mentioned before, Neva is a werewolf like so many others in her home town. There are two packs that are the most dominant. The pack that Neva belongs to is called the Golden Pack, and the other pack is called, the Silver Pack.

If Neva is a guy’s fantasy then Duncan is a woman’s fantasy. He is tall, dark and handsome. He is also athletically built, gives off a dangerous air, and very protective of his pack. Duncan and the Sinclair’s are from the Silver pack. At first Duncan acts like a jerk and he is hard to like, but once he realizes he has made an error in judgment he becomes a different guy all together. No one can look past his past and so he tends to act like his old self to protect himself.

This book was a very good book. If you love mysteries you may like this one. Of course if you do not enjoy a lot of intimate behavior then maybe this book is not one you should read. I think though that even with all of the intimate details there was enough else going on to make it an enjoyable read. The villain becomes clear fairly quickly but the reasons behind it take longer to figure out.

Notable Scene:

I remember that smell. It belonged to the wolf who attacked me. Fear flashed though her, spreading like fire through her body, lending her feet greater speed. He’s in the hospital with you? Not in the room. Sav hesitated. But close.

FTC Advisory: Bantam Dell/Random House provided me with a copy of Beneath a Rising Moon. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. show less

I couldn't get past book 2 of Arthur's Riley Jenson series but this was oh so much better. I was pleasantly surprised. It's set in the same world with the same "rules" and although I believe the story to be forgettable but it was an incredibly satisfying read.

The characters were well rounded and mostly likeable. When I say mostly, I mean Duncan when he turned into a bastard and started pushing Neva too far, hurting her and damaging her relationship with her parents even if she did need to stand up to them he didn't have to force her to do it in such a horrible way.

The story was interesting and engrossing. I'm not usually a fan of so much sex in my books because the plot suffers more often than not. In this case it didn't. Yay!

"...I'm a big fan of romance novels, whether they're good or so-bad-they're-good, and I really enjoyed this one; I read it straight through in one night. The only other werewolf books I've read were Alisa Sheckley's Abra Barrow duology, and while I thought there was a lot of sexytimes either happening or being referred to in those books, this one has those beat. If you are one of those people who skims along and skims along in a romance novel, just to get to the juicy bits, you might like Beneath A Rising Moon. The smut begins early in the first chapter and is pretty constant throughout the entire book...Besides all the steamy moondancing fun, though, Arthur gives us a fairly light murder mystery to make guesses about. With the clues show more you as the reader are provided, it's pretty easy to figure out, but that always just makes the rest of the book more suspenseful for me, because I'm all wound up in my certainty and yelling at the characters' every move, anxious about whether or not they'll crack the case before anything else bad can happen..."

For full review, please visit me at Here Be Bookwyrms on Blogger:

http://herebebookwyrms.blogspot.com/2012/09/beneath-rising-moon.html show less