Celtic Moon by Jan DeLima (Celtic Wolves #1)
Released: September 24, 2013
Paranormal Romance
Penguin
Reviewed by Mandi
I’m always eager to try new authors, especially when the blurb intrigues me. Celtic Moon has quite a strong start. I got a little tired by the end and I have some frustration with the romance, but let me set it up first.
Years ago, Sophie met and fell for a man named Dylan Black. They moved in together and eventually got married in a ceremony outside (nothing religious which did make Sophie question it). After she gets pregnant, Dylan turns overly protective, scaring Sophie. When she mentions that she wanted to leave, Dylan starts threatening her and saying he is keeping the child. He then dragged her out into the woods and changed into a wolf in front of her. Sophie flees, and for the next 15 or so years stays hidden from him. (and just to make it clear, Dylan isn’t a bad guy – just an alpha wolf – we all know what that means *wink*)
But now her teenage son, Joshua, is showing signs of possibly shifting, and Sophie will do anything to keep him safe, even if that means contacting Dylan. Off they go to Maine, so Sophie’s son can meet his father for the very first time. What Sophie doesn’t know is that no one for hundreds of years has born a child able to shift. While all of this is going on, Dylan, who lives with his ancient Celtic tribe, has the responsibility to protect his people from The Guardians, those who want to kill off the weaker (aka those who can’t shift) people of their tribe. A war is brewing, and Sophie is going to walk right into it.
As I said, the first half of the book is really strong. I love Sophie and Joshua together. He is written really great as a teenager (well written kids are hard to find in romance books.) Dylan is uber-alpha and all growly. He has a brother who may be even more alpha. People of his village dislike Sophie for running away all those years so her return is not a welcome one. There was much drama and action and just an overall great story.
The second half slowed down for me. We get deep into the Celtic lore and learn about The Guardians who want war with Dylan. It lost its appeal a bit. My biggest disappointment is the romance in this one. Dylan and Sophie do reunite and fall back in love, but it lacked warmth. There are a few intense scenes but I wanted more focus on the two of them. I guess this has a more urban fantasy feel than paranormal romance (although each book will feature a different hero and heroine).
If you are in the mood for a werewolf world, I’d say give this book a try. I like this author’s voice and with Luc (Dylan’s brother) book out next, I’ll definitely read it. Just hope for a bit more romance and a more engaging second half.
Rating: B-
Goodreads l Author Website l Series Guide
Nice review. I like the sound of this one. I may give it a whirl.
…no! I mean she keeps the kid hidden for 15 years. And if he was not bad after all then I can’t like her
Sounds like an interesting book. Nice review. I’ll have to check it out.
Lol B, you would have run too if your boyfriend threatened to keep you locked up or take your child away.
Thanks for the great review Mandi, I will put this on my wishlist.