In the old days, people whispered about the wolf, said he came only at night, and only by the light of the full moon. They locked their doors and huddled close to their fires, safe in the knowledge they could prepare for his coming. The truth is, no one is safe, because the wolf walks in the skin of the man. Always. Harlow Hayes is a runaway, thief, and failed Southern belle. Forced to grow up … grow up fast after what her mama delicately referred to as, ‘the incident,’ she learns the hard way not all strangers are kind, real monsters hide in plain sight, and family can be found in the most unexpected places.
Harlow Hayes is about to meet the Wolf.
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Wow! What a phenomenal read!
Sherri truly has a gift for storytelling.
Synopsis:
Crimson Moon is a saucy read about two supernaturally-enhanced humans. Grey is a much different take on a werewolf. His wolf resides inside in the background of the man’s mind, but he will emerge when he needs to–or if he thinks Grey isn’t making the best choices. Claws and fangs also show themselves when danger threatens. When he runs into seventeen-year-old runaway, Harlow, he is in danger of losing his heart. Harlow, or ‘Red’ as Grey likes to call her, is haunted by her own gift turned curse. Life has become very hard for the young woman ever since her skin ‘turned on.’ Not only can she knock other people on their arses; she will also take a piece of whom they are into her own mind for a limited amount of time, hearing their voice and becoming privy to some of their secrets.
Both are hard-core loners, Red’s own mother kicking her out of her home when she learned about her abilities and Grey leading the lonely life of killer for hire.When Grey takes pity on Red and attempts to buy her a meal in a diner, he gets more than he bargains for. Insulted, the young girl gives back the money for the meal but ends up accepting a ride with the surly werewolf, who decides to see her safely to her grandmother’s doorstep. But as they make their way to Alaska, the friendship developing between the two may become a bond neither of them can live without
Review:
There were two things I loved the most about this novel: the snippy dialogue between the characters (and internally between both of them and the wolf) and the pacing and development of the relationship between the pair. Grey’s dialogue with the wolf had me laughing out loud on several occasions, as well as the banter between Red and both Grey and the wolf’s voice inside her mind. Some examples:
Wolf: “Our cubs are going to be idiots if they take after you.”
Grey: “Shut up, flea bag. For once, you were useful.”
Harlow to Grey: “Go pee a circle around some other girl.”
Grey to Harlow: “I’ll track you. Bring you back.”…
Harlow to Grey: “Try it and I’ll zap your sorry ass into next week.”
The language was quite poetic in places, elevating the writing to a level beyond the norm. Some examples:
“Glass makes an almost cheerful sound when it breaks, like the shattering brings it joy.”
“The screams went on and on for the longest time. I lost my battle to stay awake and fell asleep to them like a nightmarish lullaby.”
“He tasted of cinnamon and coffee and dark promises.”
The characters and plot were developed as well as the very natural flowing dialogue. I felt like I knew both Harlow and Grey very well, and the supporting characters were miles away from two-dimensional. Although there was plenty of sexual tension between the two main characters, it didn’t slip into the realm of unnecessary, overblown sexual detail, nor did the characters just jump into bed together (besides to sleep) at the first convenient moment. A REAL relationship developed, one that is multi-dimensional and based on far more than base lust. The spicier parts of the book were executed perfectly with finesse and class and no nasty details (my own personal preference as a reader).
The action scenes were also well-written with plenty of detail and enough emotional impact to pull the reader into the scene and make me feel pain and anger along with the leading characters as I read them. There is a hint of mystery, especially toward the end, that left me guessing and eager to read the next book in the series. Like the best books and TV shows, the ending is left open, leaving me wanting to know more about the characters and how things would play out for them.
If you’re a fan of snarky banter, well-developed supernatural creatures and sexual tension that leaves enough to the imagination, you will love this series. I can’t wait to read book 2!
**An ARC of this book was provided to me, so I won’t address any errors found (although they were few and far between) as the book was set for further editing.Sherri A. Wingler