From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann Walker comes an epic story about sacrifice, friendship, and the awe-inspiring power of love.Maggie: Ten years ago, Cash Armstrong stole my heart. Then he promptly joined the army—dragging my best friend with him—and left me crying on the front porch in a red sequined prom dress. Now he’s back. They’re both back. Cash, the one who … he’s back. They’re both back. Cash, the one who still has my heart. And Luc, the one who saved my life.
Cash: How do you know if you’re at the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end? That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out since a traumatic brain injury made me “unfit to serve.” I’m back in New Orleans, and picking up the shattered pieces of my past means I must confront where my life’s journey began… and where it all might end.
Luc: Long ago, Maggie May was mine. Not mine in the way you might think. She was mine because she was my only friend. Then Cash came along and we became brothers by something stronger than blood. We became brothers by choice. When tragedy struck, I was forced to make a decision that changed all our lives. I thought, after ten years, it was safe to come back home. I was wrong…
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I have to start by saying that I LOVE Julie Ann Walker’s writing. I’ve devoured her Black Knights & Deep Six series & anxiously awaited each new installment. That being said, “In Moonlight and Memories” is nothing like those action-packed books but because of what an amazing writer she is, I was going through Walker withdrawals & I was anxious to get my hands on these books. They did not disappoint.
Though in three volumes, “In Moonlight and Memories” is really one continuous story of the love & friendship and highs & lows, between three friends, Maggie May, Cash & Luc. Though they are the main characters, you can’t dismiss the fact the Ms. Walker has introduced a fourth character — New Orleans. She vividly captures the idiosyncrasies of that most unique of all American cities. It’s New Orleans that sets the gentle, unhurried pace of the story, a story where the details matter. Unlike most books, the setting is important. The characters were shaped by the culture & geographic location of New Orleans so their actions & reactions are not so much predictable but understandable in that context.
I won’t share the details of this epic story because you honestly need to read it for yourself. Knowing what will happen will make some readers impatient with the story‘s pace but the pace is important. It allows you to really feel what the characters are experiencing. The emotions you’ll experience are the highs & lows of a roller coaster but a slow-moving one with beautiful scenery along the way. Carve out plenty of time to enjoy the ride. This is one you don’t want to rush.
I was given all three volumes in exchange for an honest review. This review is for all three volumes because there is no way you can read Volume 1 and stop. This book pulls at your heart strings and then kicks you in the gut. Its been a long time since I’ve read a book that made me cry with tears rolling down my cheeks but this one definitely did it. This is the story of a love triangle….that isn’t.
The story itself takes place in New Orleans which truly becomes a fourth character in the story (and if you know anything about NoLa you know that is not unusual). Julie Ann Walker’s previous stories have been full of tough military men and the suspense/mystery of who is the bad guy. Although this story doesn’t fit into that mold on first glance, it still contains a great deal of suspense – trying to figure out what is going on from multiple aspects of the story.
The story centers around Cash, Maggie and Luc. The three met as teenagers and seemed to form an unbreakable bond. But for reasons unclear to Maggie Cash and Luc effectively disappear, running off to join the military. And then all of a sudden they are back. We are brought into the stories of the tragedies of each life (that we all experience in one way or another) and the mystery of what did really did happen. Then there is the mystery of what is happening now. You are trying to tie everything up in a pretty bow and instead there are a bunch of knots. You are easily wrapped up in the story that there is only one choice – to finish all three volumes. The emotions (and crying) I felt as Walker wrapped up this story were rough, raw and yet oh so beautiful. And right….and complete. Don’t miss out on this epic saga of love, loss and life!
WOW! Just WOW! I binge read all 3 volumes of Julie Ann Walker’s In Moonlight and Memories, and all I can say is WOW! This is an epic story of first loves, second chances, friendship and all the messy bits in between.
In Volume One, we’re introduced to three friends, Maggie, Luc and Cash, who are reunited after 10 years. Cash and Luc run away to the Army, each for his own reasons, and leave behind Maggie. Not only do they leave, but they cut all ties, leaving Maggie to pick up the pieces of what left.
Walker’s world building in this epic story, which can’t be contained in a single volume, let me tell you, is masterful. She expertly switches between points of view, and weaves a tapestry of how these 3 lives are intertwined through memories and flashbacks, while telling the story of their present.
But there’s an additional character that has to be acknowledged, and it doesn’t take you long to figure it out. In Moonlight and Memories is also a love letter to the city of New Orleans. I’ve never been there personally, but I’ve read a lot of books set in New Orleans. Walker’s descriptions make the city an active character in the story. It’s the most beautiful love letter I’ve read a unique city with it’s own culture and beauty.
I absolutely loved these books, they made me laugh, cry, get angry and sad, 3 people with such a range of emotion for one another. Was like going back to High School where my best friends and I started out. Julie Ann has once again done it for all of us. Thanks Julie
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume One by Julie Ann Walker is my first time reading this author. This book is very well written and so full of emotion with some humor thrown in. The characters were well developed and realistic. The descriptions in this book are so vivid you feel like you are right there with the characters you could the music being played, smell the food from the restaurants, the scents from around the city and you could feel the hustle and bustle happening in the streets. I was drawn in from the first page and can’t wait to continue this trilogy with volume two. I don’t feel you will want to read this book as a standalone because you will want to follow the characters and see what happens to them. After reading the first line you can pretty much guess how this will end but you will want to follow the path to get there. I am so glad the author is releasing all three books at once so I won’t have to wait to read the next installment.
Let me start out by saying I have loved the characters and worlds created by Julie Ann Walker ever since I read the first entry in her Black Knights Inc. series and through to her most recent Deep Six series. Those books were full of alpha males (and females) who are covert black-ops operators who ask questions, shoot, then ask more questions. That is the Julie Ann Walker novel that I am used to. So when I was given the opportunity by her to review a new “trilogy” , needless to say that I jumped at the chance!
Little did I know what I was getting into with the three volumes of In Moonlight and Memories. Because the three books are so intertwined, I am reviewing them as one complete work.
Against the haunting backdrop of New Orleans, the story focuses on Maggie, Cash, and Luc – childhood friends who met at school and bonded with each other through feelings of loneliness, loss, abandonment, and a devoted friendship to one another. Flash forward (or backwards as the case may be) ten years. Cash and Luc, who “disappeared” from Maggie’s life, return to New Orleans to pick up the pieces of the lives they left behind. The story is told from the perspective of each of the three protagonists which gives the reader a glimpse into the hopes, fears, and minds of each of them.
Adding to the drama of attempting to renew the close bond the three friends shared, is a looming mystery of the disappearance of a classmate ten years earlier whose father happens to be the chief of police and the hatred that Cash’s father feels towards his own son. I
The books start slowly, setting the backstories of the characters and the city that they inhabit. New Orleans, itself, often feels like one of the main characters as the atmosphere, both exciting and oppressive, adds to the emotional impact of the books. The peripheral charters are compelling, as well.
I can’t remember a series that put me on such an emotional roller-coaster. One minute I was sharing laugh-out-loud passages with my husband and a few chapters later I was grabbing for the tissues. The conclusion of the trilogy left me both ecstatic and “ugly-crying” at the same time.
If you want your characters real, believable, and people you genuinely want to be happy, then I highly recommend this trilogy. Kudos to Julie Ann Walker for taking a giant leap into the unknown with this style of writing, character development, and emotional impact.
I received ARCs of all three novels from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This is a trilogy of books that takes us on a journey with the 3 main characters. What starts off seeming to be a love triangle, in reality it truly isn’t. Part 1 gives us a lot of the back story and shows us where the characters are in their lives currently. Part 2 expands on that and starts laying the groundwork for how their future relationships may become. But it also highlights how much people can hurt along with the lengths they will go to in order to deal with them. Part 3…oh part 3. It may have broken my heart. But it also shows just how much someone can love other people and want to do what they know is right for them. I really don’t want to go into a lot of details with the way this all plays out because I honestly feel like that will ruin the journey that these books take you on. Let me just say, be prepared with tissues in part 3. Because not only do events happen that will break your heart-they just show the depths that someone people feel and what they are willing to do for those people. I definitely recommend reading all 3 but just remember that this is a trilogy so the first 2 are left on cliff hangers although they are full length novels. Well worth the reads though!
A totally different vibe from everything else I’ve read by Julie Ann Walker–heck, it takes place in New Orleans, a setting known for its laid-back, party atmosphere (where I totally want to go now, BTW–thanks for that, Ms. Walker!) not one of her usual adrenaline-fueled locations–I knew this 3 volume, 900-page series was going to be quite a commitment going in, but since I loved everything else I’ve read from her, I was game.
Even though it’s not a romantic suspense, there is plenty here to keep the reader guessing. Even though we get 3 POV characters in Maggie, Cash, and Luc, there are secrets that they’re keeping–from the world, from the reader, and even from each other. One big secret (why Cash left 10 years ago) is finally revealed toward the end of this book–that question was driving me crazy–but there’s plenty more to come in the next two volumes (what’s “the Plan”? What exactly happened 10 years ago in the swamp?) and of course the suspense of whether or not the past will come back to haunt them all might make me crazy before the story’s over. Thank goodness all 3 volumes are available at once!
I can honestly say I’m not 100% sure where this story is going to end up, and that might keep me up for a few nights because I have to know, darn it. I’m not a huge fan of love triangles, and this one definitely veers that way–hopefully Ms. Walker can bring us to a resolution and HEA that takes into account how much I like all 3 of them…
Now–back to reading for me. Volumes 2 and 3 await!
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Wowza! This is something different for this author and just let me say Julie Ann Walker. nailed it!
This is a 3 part series that follows the lives of 3 people who are tied together by more than friendship.
Young love is always something that shapes a part of our souls. And that first love, though not anything close to being lasting is something most of us hang onto, remember and appreciate.
Cash, Luc, and Maggie are just finding out who they really are and what they really want.
This book is written about one of the best cities in the world. New Orleans is full of history and magical stories. All of which this Author included in every page. It’s so very obvious that Julie spent a lot of time with research.
Please don’t miss this sweeping saga of love, reconnections and loss
Moonlight and Memories made me sigh, laugh and cry.
Thank you Julie Ann Walker for writing this book!
In the first volume of the M&M series, set in beautiful New Orleans, we are introduced to Maggie, Cash and Luc. Friends that bonded as teenagers. As Cash and Luc leave high school they enlist, leaving Maggie and return years later, changed. This is a very moving introduction to the series and I have to say that Ms. Walker hit this one out of the park! I won’t delve into this volume too much as there are 2 more that complete this story. Suffice it to say, you will not be disappointed. 4 strong, starting stars****
****I voluntarily reviewed this book, provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.****
A story about three friends: Magnolia “Maggie” Carter, Cassius “Cash” Armstrong, and Lucien “Luc” Dubois, who’s friendship started in high school. They share secrets that can eventually destroy them all.
Cash and Luc are former Green Berets, returning to New Orleans (and Maggie) after ten years of service. Cash has a “plan” he intends to see succeeds. Luc tries to help his pal the best he can but Cash does not make it easy.
Maggie has conflicting emotions about Cash and Luc’s return, especially when neither male will tell her the reasons why they left her behind.
This story, especially the voice and tone, differs from the author’s BLACK KNIGHT INC. and DEEP SIX books. Maybe that difference is why I had difficulty getting into the story or connecting with the characters. The pacing felt slow to me, which often made me put the book down.
Despite all that, I like the three’s loyalty towards each other. They always look after the other no matter the odds. I feel that Luc has made a lot of sacrifices for Cash and Maggie.
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Julie Ann Walker
When the opportunity arose for me to read this trilogy in advance, I was very excited. The covers are gorgeous and I was drawn in by the synopsis.
Unfortunately, I had a few issues with the book.
It took time for me to get into the book; frankly, I wasn’t very invested throughout this entire volume. It was slow-moving, and I just couldn’t get hooked but I kept reading hoping to get to something more.
While I realize Cash was dealing with multiple issues (physical, emotion, psychological), I found it very difficult to like him. Also, he did not seem to fit well with Maggie and Luc, then or now.
Maggie also was frustrating for me. On one hand, I found her sweet and refreshing, but then I wanted her to snap out of it and open her eyes when it came to Cash and Luc.
Speaking of Luc…thank goodness for him! For me, he was the saving grace of this book. His character was perfect book boyfriend material, and I did love his interaction with Maggie.
I also enjoyed the atmosphere and vibe of New Orleans. I’ve never been there, but the way it’s portrayed makes me want to go visit and explore.
Overall, I struggled with this book.
I probably should have realized these books would be full length (around 250 pages each), but I guess I was thrown by the “Volume” label and assumed (silly me) that each book would be closer to the 150 page mark.
I personally felt the length was too long, and the storyline didn’t progress much in this first volume.
***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the author.***
“ True love is not the number of kisses, or how often you get them. True love is a feeling that lingers long after the kids is over.”
This series will have you trying to piece together what happened years ago and what the future holds. Each book in this series will dig a little deeper into your soul and have you on the edge trying to piece together the friendships and how they will move forward.
“There’s a weariness that lives under his skin, giving him the hunting pallor of a man who’s seen too much and who needs the soothing touch of a tender hand.”
This book will have you feeling the friendship, love, loss, yearning and tragedy that has brought them into and out of each other’s lives.
This story misted out of the pages and wrapped around me, holding me close, drawing me in, invading my senses. It clouded over, parted to allow sunlight in, drenched me in dew and rain, warmed me with humidity, and cooled me with breezes. It wasn’t something I read; it was something I experienced
Cash, Maggie, and Luc are imperfectly perfect. They were closer than family back in the day, but Cash still held back and hid things. Maggie and Cash were the dream couple, but he wasn’t honest with her about who he was, why he was the way he was. Luc and Cash shared everything, even a love for Maggie, then, now, always. But this isn’t a love triangle, the friendship bonds between these three are too strong. The love flowing isn’t sexual in nature, it is pure, kind, and open. Binding them together.
Cash, Luc, and Maggie have lived a lot of life in the past ten years, but the pull of the past is still strong. As they get to know what they are, who they are, and what life has planned for them, what will happen with that pull?
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book since it is a departure for Julie Ann Walker from her Black Knights series but wow I was blown away by this book. Volume One is pretty much Luc and Cash coming back to New Orleans after being gone for 10 years and meeting up with the girl they both love, Maggie May. While Maggie and Cash dated, Luc was their best friend even though Luc loved Maggie in his own way too. This volume is the friends getting back together and trying to find the new normal for them. Cash is back with a horrible injury sustained in the war and he is trying to find his place now. Cash has a plan he is trying to follow (even though we don’t know his plan yet) and keep his pain at bay in the meantime. I have really enjoyed the relationship between Maggie, Cash and Luc. I am really looking forward to Volume 2 since Volume One ends in a cliffhanger. But luckily all 3 yes that is right all 3 volumes will be released on the same day!
Maggie May has spent the last ten years wondering what has become of Cash and Luc.
They left her without a backwards glance and haven’t been in touch since.
On their return to New Orleans, they reconnect and desperately try to regain the friendship from long ago. But, there is so much left unsaid and secrets that are, as yet, untold.
As the three try to move on from what had been, new truths start to appear that affects the nature and previous intensity of their bond.
This is the first of three volumes that will complete this epic tale. After its completion there is most certainly a desire to find answers to the many questions that have been posed throughout this initial stage. Fortunately, volume 2 is also available.
This is different from what I’ve read previously from this author but I’m keen to discover where this tale is going and how it can possibly come to a HEA!