Secret lineage, a ruthless vampire, and forbidden love.Willow Stevens dreams of stardom are eclipsed by the real nightmares of a sinister man haunting her dreams. Unbeknownst to her, Eli Walker, her hot but snobbish co-worker, may know the reason nightmares plague her, but their history shows he is more prone to reject her, than help her.Then Willow passes out at work only to wake in Eli’s … passes out at work only to wake in Eli’s apartment. There she has her chance to learn more about her heritage. But, knowing why the vampire king stalks her doesn’t make the nightmares disappear. If anything, they become more real as she now faces off against a slew of creatures she’d always believed were myth.
That Eli is one of those creatures is just her luck. Secret witch guild or not, his natural ways are casting spells her heart can’t escape. As a Protector his only focus should be her safety. Anything else is forbidden. He plans to stay in task, but some women break a man, or tempt him to break the rules.
Can Eli keep Willow alive and safe from the vampires long enough for her to grow her own powers or will both cast aside rules for a reckless passion that will only lead to danger?
AWAKENED is the first installment in The Oracle Chronicles series. This interracial, paranormal romance is a great mix of magic and adventure.
**This book is part of a series and ends in a cliffhanger**
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This was my first read from Moni Boyce and I am officially hooked!
I loved this book so much.
I expected the love story and got so much more.
What do you get when a chick, her standoffish – but super hot – coworker, her barista, her dog, and a random group of people from her life go on a road trip?
All I am saying is it is a great start to the series and if you want more you have to read it!
I hosted a spot on the blitz tour a few weeks ago for Awakened, and the book sparked my interest. Let’s be real, this one has a lot of the things that call out to me, right? There’s murder – or at least, there are some murder-adjacent activities taking place. (Does it count if they’re vampires?) There are all kinds of supernatural and paranormal happenings, and the people come from a variety of backgrounds. (I have to wonder about books where everyone looks the same. Don’t they worry about lethal gene factors?)
Anyway. That’s a tangent.
Awakened didn’t disappoint, not at all. I read this one on the train back from RWA Nationals and there were more twists and turns than I could possibly have imagined. Willow’s background delves deep into not only ancient history, but into the less savory parts of American history too. Willow herself, while falling into the trope of the “chosen one with the magical girl powers,” doesn’t just suddenly have these abilities and know how to use them. No, she struggles with them and has to truly work to know what to do.
At the same time, there’s a healthy dose of realism. While Willow is definitely new to this supernatural world, she’s not some concussed bunny rabbit who can only hang around and hope to be rescued. She’s resourceful, she’s cunning, she’s smart, and she’s not some prize. She pays attention to what’s going on around her, she asks questions, and she comes up with a solution to help the people fighting on her behalf. Willow is no damsel in distress.
In short, I love her.
So does Eli. Since it’s Forbidden, capital intentional, for someone in Eli’s position to be in a relationship with someone he’s protecting, he tries to minimize the chances they’ll actually be together by acting like an utter dick toward her. And honestly, in any other book, I’d probably throw it across the room and cheerfully consign Eli to the flames of Hell or the elevator lines at Nationals, either one is fine.
The thing is, Boyce did a fantastic job of presenting Eli’s point of view and showing his feelings for her. She showed the strain Eli was under, his need to follow the dictates of the Protector traditions and his desperation to keep Willow safe. I honestly empathized with Eli. I’m still not sure why Willow decided she was attracted to him, but I couldn’t hate him the way Boyce presented him.
The side characters are all ably and sympathetically shown. One of them kind of creeped me out a little, but I don’t want to give away their identity. I want that to be a surprise for you. I know I freaked the heck out when I found out.
If I had to pick one thing that gave me a truly hard time, it was the scene at the end. Boyce did tell us not to read it if we planned to continue the series – and I do. But I was also planning to review the book, so I felt duty bound to read it.
It was a sex scene, and I get that she added it in to give some kind of closure to the book for people who didn’t plan to continue with the series. It just didn’t match with the tone of the rest of the book at all, and it felt awkward and uncomfortable as a result.
So, don’t read past the point where the author says to stop reading, and you should be fine. Just sit back, and enjoy the ride. You won’t regret Awakened.
Another amazing book by this author! Just like her previous release, Redemption of the Heart, it left me wanting more. Can’t wait for the next in this series!
This book is awesome! I just finished reading. There are so many layers involved! Beyond the romantic element (which I probably enjoyed reading a little too much), it’s also about a journey of self-discovery, which is why I find the main character, Willow, to be so relatable. I also love how this story is woven into actual historical events that make it feel real. I’m looking forward to what Moni Boyce produces next! No spoilers obviously but….I have questions that need answers! Moni has a talented way of grabbing you into the story and keeping you in suspense while still satisfying your thirst for action. Highly recommend it!
Beautifully crafted, Awakened by Moni Boyce is sure to be a favorite in anyone’s library. I was immediately captivated by the wide range, but never boring cast of characters and their mission. Willow and Eli dominated the story with a relationship that had me cheering for them from the start. With Willow’s strong attitude and Eli’s sense of duty and honor, I was enthralled to watch their story unfold as they took to the road.
If you love a killer storyline with a sweet romance and a splash of amazing fight scenes, then this is definitely the story for you. Moni Boyce tells the story with a uniquely fresh voice that left me thinking about her characters long after I had finished reading the book.
I highly recommend this to anyone who likes paranormal romance, and think it is a wonderful choice as a first time reader of the genre. I can’t wait to see what this author comes out with next!
Give me more! This was a fabulous kickoff to the Oracle Chronicles. Willow has a lot of quirky charm and spunk as she learns about the world of magic and her role in it. Her love interest, Eli is super sexy in a refined, duty before pleasure, sort of way. This is definitely a slow burn romance leading to some steamy scenes worth waiting for. I especially love some of the secondary characters and their relationships. Moni Boyce wrote an intriguing story with a creative premise. It drew me in, held my interest, and I can’t wait for the next book!
Love all of Moni’s books!
I loved the world-building in this terrific series starter, as well as the well-developed cast of characters! The plot was interesting, and the action kept me invested from the very first page. I wish I’d read the book description more carefully, so I was prepared for the cliffhanger ending (my fault) but I’m looking forward to seeing where Ms. Boyce takes this story and these characters in subsequent books!
3.5 stars for me.
I got this book by attending a “meet the author” party hosted by Moni Boyce, and I was pumped to try her work!
I won a couple books following interracial couples and strong black female leads which got me very excited. Since it had been so long since I read a supernatural/paranormal romance I started with Awakened.
I’m pretty picky when it comes to supernatural books. Things can get pretty limitless pretty fast but I found Awakened to be a fast paced, easy read.
This story follows Willow, an average woman who discovers she is anything but. We follow her as she is taught how to access her inner power by the Protectors who have been assigned to guard her without her knowledge. Her surprisingly quick acceptance of her lineage helped the story progress quickly.
Early on you discover a few of her character flaws include her nosiness and her unchecked violence. She flat out socks the hero of the story, Eli, across the face a few times. Letting her frustration get the better of her. Eli likes her fiery however, but holds himself back because coven rules dictate he not have a relationship with her.
I wasn’t totally invested in the characters. The way Eli and Willow dance around each other would have frustrated me if I really “shipped” them together but there was never that urgency with these two. I was more swept up in the story surrounding them. I hope to grow more attached to the characters in the sequels.
As a person of color and urban fantasy/supernatural suspense/paranormal romance fan, I was excited to read Moni Boyce’s “Awakened.” The concept overall is interesting, and the cast of characters was compelling. I didn’t get the best sense of dramatic tension between the hero/heroine of the novel, so I found the romance portion lacking. Overall, it was a good read and an intriguing start to what I would characterize as an urban fantasy series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a good read. I found the story interesting and characters as well. It kept my attention throughout. I recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Moni does what I’ve been loving about so much Black media lately, she’s created a really cool character that just happens to be Black. I identify so hard with Willow. The way Moni writes this book is artistic and so inspiring. It’s one of those things that you’re sure took time and dedication and she makes pulling together a book look easy. I’m lowkey upset at how I suffered late nights because I didn’t want to put the book down. Thanks Moni and looking forward to all the things you write next!!!!