In a sleepy trailer park in the backwoods of Minnesota lake country, there lies a secret—threatened by a Grindr hookup gone bad.Clay Anderson gets more than he bargained for when, in a moment of passion, he bites his Grindr hookup hard enough to draw blood. The man’s reaction isn’t as reassuring as Clay hoped, but of all the consequences Clay considered, lycanthropy wasn’t among them.Damian … them.
Damian Maccon leads a simple life as part of the Outcast pack. Not realizing at first that Clay swallowed his blood during their wild romp, he feels responsible when it’s evident that Clay has become infected. Worse, he now has a new werewolf on his hands until Clay learns the rules, and he has to oversee Clay’s decision to choose a mate within the pack.
Damian thinks his biggest problem is that Clay hates him, but when Clay chooses Damian’s abusive ex-boyfriend, Blaine, he goes on full alert. Can he save Clay from the same fate that befell him at Blaine’s hands
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This is book one in a series called Outcasts. With the title, Clay sitting in the gay friendly Blue Moon Bar, and arranging a Grindr hook-up with MoonGazer, we are clued in this will be about shifters. Enter Damian, his hookup, and a short drive into the woods where they do they deed in that awkward way that strangers do, which was written in such a way to be found entertaining. The sense of humor is one of the best things about the book. I also like enemies to lovers, and I liked the switch of lovers to enemies. Clay is pretty mad about being made a werewolf, even if it is his own fault–especially because it is his own fault. After we get past their hook-up personas, both characters are actually likable, even when mad or grumpy, and well matched, even when things do not go smoothly. Clay has shut himself off from people after the death of his parents while Damian has shut himself off from people after a toxic relationship. Neither man actually wants a relationship, so them accidentally bonding is not actually a positive experience. People are not always pleasant when they feel cornered or frightened.
We get to meet a few other characters like, Willard and Pete, a human and werewolf bonded mate pair. I am still a little confused about the difference between fated mates and bonded pairs. Still, this story really focuses on our MC’s and not side characters. The badie here is Damian’s ex, Blaine, but he is a bit of a cartoon villian and not fleshed out. Then, there is the werewolf council for this town; there are some politics here with good and bad werewolves, just like people.
I really liked the idea of werewolves having to grow into their wolf. With born weres that would happen at the same time, but with made weres, those adult humans still have a pup that needs to grow and learn. This is a great way to build a sense of community so it’s a shame that fails them in this book. But, that sets up the conflict and change for the next book. I think fans of Eli Easton’s Howl At The Moon series might like these if they let go of the idea of the happy ending being in one book and each book being about a different couple. I think we will see the relationship evolve over many books. There is still a lot of anger and bitterness here, even with some humor, so it will take time to adjust and work things out. I would call this a HFN.
I would rate this 3 stars.
3 stars- Bad Moon Arising had an enticing hook from start and I really liked the author’s approach to lycanthropy, their community, and the way the shift/maturation of the werewolves work. I’ve read my fair share of shifter books, so I’m always excited to see new and different interpretations and this novella certainly offered up that. Despite the originality in this novella, for the bulk of it, I wasn’t sure this was a series for me. The writing throughout Bad Moon Arising was solid, but the pacing and narrative felt off at times. I’m not sure if it was too much plot in a shorter book, but it occasionally seemed big moments were glazed over rather than using them to develop the characters and relationship further. And, while the characters were okay, I never really connected with either Clay or Damian, nor did I detect a romantic bond or obvious chemistry beyond the physical lust between them. As I got to the final chapters, I suspected Bad Moon Arising would land in the okay, but not for me grouping; then some unexpected plot points turned the direction of the novella and reignited my interest. While the novella didn’t end in a cliffhanger, it did leave me with a few questions and a unique set-up for the second book, and I now plan to see where the series goes- hopefully it delivers some answers, excitement, and more of a romantic element between Damian and Clay. I think Bad Moon Arising is worth checking out if you’re a fan of shifter books, but don’t necessarily need or expect a straight forward romance in the story.
*eARC received via Netgalley.*
4.5 stars, rounding up because I laughed so many times!
This shifter story is different than any I’ve read before. Clay and Damian have a one night Grindr hookup that changes both their lives. Whether the changes are for better or worse, I’m still not sure. The pack members are well written, and I really like some and hate others. The interaction between them all is interesting. This original and very entertaining story has a HFN (happy for now) ending, leaving room for the follow-up coming out in August. I can’t wait for that one!
My favorite moments are when Clay is in pup form or mentality. He is freaking adorable. With a few exceptions, I like him so much better as a pup than as a human. I am hopeful that he will be extra sweet to Damian in the next installment, since he was such a pain in the butt to him in this one. I am excited to see where life takes them, and I look forward to going along for the ride.