The first book in a new Romantasy trilogy that had real potential. However, I found the characters to be shallow and superficial, both in their structure and development, as well as in their choices. As they are, I don't think these characters can bring out the best in themselves; instead, they come across more as a jumble of actions taken just to move the plot in a certain direction. Even the spicy scenes felt... haphazard. In some cases, they were scattered throughout the narrative without any real purpose, as if they were included just to check a box rather than serving a genuine need in the story.

Moreover, the plot itself lacks surprising twists, as most of the choices are predictable for the reader well before the story actually heads in that direction. It’s discouraging and frustrating. The frequent repetition of the same words and sentence structures was also highly irritating; there are synonyms and different ways to express the same idea! I found this to be a sign of stylistic weakness, showing a still very immature writing style.

Unfortunately, I can't consider this a book truly worth reading, despite its advantage of being fun and entertaining without any pretensions. It's a shame because the foundation was really interesting. Hopefully, since it's a trilogy, we might see some improvements in the next volumes.

I didn't know what to expect opening this book. But the world I was thrown into was surprising. The main character started off as a give no fs kinda gal. As the book went on I saw the secrets unfold. The only issue I had was juvenile misunderstandings, things that could have been talked about. I understand why these happened and the characters being younger and scared. Over I did like the story and the details were great. It was a fast read and had me staying up late
Spice was 3.5/5
Thank you NetGalley and Hodderscape books for this ARC for me to review!

There was a lot I liked about the premise of this novel, and it had a lot going for it as well. Romantasy is very popular at the moment, vampires and werewolves are back and Buffy the Vampire Slayer is sort of old enough to be enough of a nostalgic trip that this has all the boxes ticked.

However, it doesn’t feel fresh. It feels like returning to the days of early 2000s, and not really in a good way. It ends up dated and cliche where it should have been a fresh take on nostalgic ideas.

A great premise that just didn’t deliver enough for me to grant more than three stars.

Oh I'm not going to complain this book was so good.. such a great urban fantasy, magic, witches, vampires, werewolves.. It definitly caught my attention.. And what a alpha... how can i review without spoiler?? Hard hard but I can't wait for what's coming next

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Shadowed Moonlight by K.C. Harper is a first person-POV paranormal second chance romance. Briar is a witch living in a city for paranormal beings and doing what she can to help her brother who is addicted to a drug called V. When several people end up dead, Briar is assigned to try to solve the murders but what she wasn’t counting on was for her ex, Kane, the new Alpha, to stroll in or for her Coven to ask her to pretend to be his mate.
One of the most interesting things was the deviations from typical werewolf romances. Kane has a lot more control regarding when or even if he marks Briar as his mate than there is in some interpretations of the subgenre. Because everything is from Briar’s POV, we don’t know if there is any lore relating to mates in the werewolf world or when exactly Kane realized Briar was who he always wanted. Other werewolf tropes are present, such as commanding someone a rank lower than you and then feeling compelled to obey, and we get to see that on the page and explored a bit.
The second chance romance starts off with Briar only going through with pretending to be Kane’s mate because she feels that there is no other choice. The added layer to this is what we learn much later in regards to why Kane was gone for four years and Briar’s sort of boyfriend, Mason. I didn't care for Mason one bit; he's a Nice Guy who's true colors get shown the further into the narrative we go. He pushed Briar into the fake relationship and I was really glad when she told him that they were over even if she did leave Kane because it was a big red flag how Mason handled all of that.
Trauma plays a major part in the narrative, from Briar and Kane’s sides. Briar finds her mother's behavior to be emotionally abusive and that her mother does not really consider Lucas, Briar’s younger brother, and his needs. While Kane was away, he was repeatedly SA’d by a pack member. While we don't get a ton of detail on this, it's pretty obvious that he didn't consent and, hopefully, his POV will be explored in later books so we can be told his story more fully.
Content warning for mentions of miscarriage, abuse, SA, depictions of emotional abuse
I would recommend this to fans of paranormal romance who prefer for all parties to have more of a choice in their mates, readers of Romantasy who want something set in our current world, and those looking for a werewolf romance that also features witches and vampires

Really nice book. Not the best I’ve ever read but he knew how to capture me, especially in certain scenes, kept me glued to the pages.
It is a paranormal urban fantasy with suspense scenes and an intriguing mystery related to a serial killer. The narrative is fluid, with a fast pace that makes the book perfect for quick reading and without too many prosaic descriptions that could weigh down the story.
The worldbuilding is well-designed and described: each place is told with enough detail to be able to imagine it clearly, without being too elaborate.
I liked the protagonist, Briar, very much: she is strong and brave but with her weaknesses. The relationship she has with the various characters, even with those secondary, is described in a deep and engaging way. I also appreciated that at times there were comic scenes that gave a touch of lightness to the narrative.
It was also intriguing the serial killer element that made me really question who he was. And until the end of the book I thought it was another character!
Overall, it is a well-written book, light and fast to read, but capable of giving intense and deep moments. I would recommend it to those who are looking for a smooth but compelling reading, especially for lovers of the paranormal with a touch of mystery.
Thank you @netgalley and @hodder&stoughton for the ARC copy.

There were things about this I adored: the premise, the witches/werewolves premise, the mystery, etc. However, I didn't love the main female character which kind of tainted my enjoyment of the book. She just didn't feel very likeable. The romantic aspects were well written and I enjoyed those parts of the book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton, and K.C. Harper for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded down, because it doesn't match the quality of other books I've rated 4 stars.

The year is 2004 and urban fantasy is in its heyday. Many books are published lording a badass female main character with spunk, magic, and some kind of attitude problem. These books slap, because at this stage in the publishing game, very few of these books exist, and it's refreshing to read about a powerful woman, rather than a demure one. Buffy-esque and trope-filled, they quickly become the perfect serials, most boasting at least a five book roster before fading into obscurity when the dystopian leads take over at the turn of a new decade.

I mention this, because Shadowed Moonlight is reminiscent of this bygone era. When reading this book, I felt as if I held a novel I'd pulled out of a time capsule that I'd buried in my backyard as a tweenager. I felt transported back into a time when Charmed dominated the ratings, and everyone owned a copy of Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. For better or for worse, this book will take you back to this era. I truly have no other way to describe it.

Unfortunately, this also means that Shadowed Moonlight was published more than a decade too late. I truly believe this would have been a hit with readers back in the day, but now? Now, because the marketplace is oversaturated with options, it is with great regret that I share the belief that this book is simply not exciting enough for readers like me. There's nothing wrong with it. In fact, it's a solid book with a solid plot. It's just that it is only a solid book with a solid plot. There is nothing new here.

That being said, K.C. Harper is incredibly gifted at writing smut — and coming from someone like me, who is usually repulsed by unrealistic comparisons or absurdly short refractory periods, that's saying something. Honestly, she could make $$$ if she ventured into the erotica market, be it with a pen name or her own.

Overall, I enjoyed Shadowed Moonlight, but it didn't wow me like its competitors. And it's such a tough world out there right now, so I have so much respect to authors who are consistently writing solid books with solid plots. I hope she continues to publish more content, as I suspect, much like the esteemed Charlaine Harris and her Sookie Stackhouse novels, K. C. Harper's work will only continue to improve as her narratives are developed over time.

This really just wasn't for me. I thought the premise was really interesting, but the writing of it all felt sort of chaotic. For me, it felt like jumping into the middle of a story (which we sort of are) and then sprinting to try to keep up. Some people are going to love this style of writing; it just wasn't really my thing.

**Note: This book is the first in a trilogy and the second one has not been announced **

I was a little nervous about this one - wasn't sure how I would like it. A lot of the new paranormal romances have been falling flat for me, but I found I really enjoyed this one.

The fast pace of the story kept from wanting to put the book down (that hasn't happened for me in awhile). And the characters and their stories were interesting. Sometimes the world building felt lacking and the murder storyline felt pushed to the side, but I think now that the characters history and time apart has been clarified, I think we'll see more of the focus on the murder part.

I enjoyed this book and I hope the next one comes out soon!

Not a bad beginning of a series. The pacing was good, not too slow but not too quick. The ending was...confusing? I was expecting more of a cliffhanger and I guess it was but others might think "okay, it's done."
The characters were okay. I think more could've been done with new descriptions rather than repeating the same thing about Kane's eyes.
The plot surprised me actually. I liked the 2nd chance aspect with werewolves and witches in an urban setting that was easy to understand. Briar's voice felt immature and repetitive. Not sure what humans have to do with anything...but this is supposed to be a trilogy?
Overall, I'd rate it about 3.5 stars and I might recommend it to others but it might need to be cleaned up a little first.

Shadowed Moonlight follows Briar, who is forced into a fake relationship with her ex-lover Kane, who’s now an Alpha, to solve a string of supernatural murders and save her brother. Old feelings start to resurface, and now they must navigate a dangerous political landscape with a killer lurking in the shadows.

As someone who reads a lot of fantasy, I found this one enjoyable enough but not without its flaws. The mix of second-chance romance and supernatural politics kept me intrigued, and I really liked Briar’s unique “Aura Magi” abilities, which allowed her to access past memories. That was definitely a cool twist. The chemistry between Briar and Kane also had its moments, especially if you're into some intense romance with unresolved tension.

That being said, the pacing felt rushed. The whole fake-dating angle and their past relationship had so much potential, but it was hard to buy into the sudden forgiveness between them. I would have loved to see more character development, especially with Kane. His Alpha status had a lot of promise, but I felt like there wasn’t enough backstory to really flesh him out, and their history together deserved more depth.

If you’re a fan of fast-paced urban fantasy with steamy paranormal romance, you’ll probably enjoy Shadowed Moonlight. However, if you’re like me and you prefer deeper character arcs and a bit more complexity in relationships, it might fall short in that department.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton, and K.C. Harper for the privilege of reading an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

K.C. Harper presents an intriguing premise in "Shadowed Moonlight" that is filled with witches, vampires, and werewolves, all wrapped up in a mystery involving a killer leaving a trail of dead bodies. As my first read by this author, I found the blend of supernatural elements compelling and ripe for exploration.

The story has a lot of potential, and the world-building is engaging, pulling you into a realm where dark magic and ancient rivalries coexist. However, I felt that some aspects of the plot could have been developed further; at times, the pacing felt uneven, leaving certain characters and their motivations underexplored.

Despite these drawbacks, Harper’s writing has a certain flair that kept me interested, and I appreciated the unique take on familiar tropes. While "Shadowed Moonlight" didn’t fully meet my expectations, it certainly piqued my curiosity enough to consider reading more from this author in the future. If you’re a fan of urban fantasy with a mix of suspense, this book might be worth checking out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this opportunity.

No. This is a were romance. I didn’t enjoy it. I was bored throughout. It felt formulaic. Like I have read the story before. It brought nothing new to the genre.

This is a fast paced urban fantasy book that is infused with mystery. I liked the world building , found family trope, and the spice. I struggled with the FMC. She seemed very immature, Overall, I thought this book was an enjoyable read.

[ARC provided by NetGalley and Hodderscape. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Shadowed Moonlight.]

Rating: 2/5

I’ll start by saying this simply wasn’t the book for me, and because of that I won’t go into too much detail in this review. The plot was intriguing, but the pacing felt off from the first page. And although I appreciated that the story sinks you right into the action, without a good chance to get through the exposition, developments felt a little rushed in that introductory stage of the story. That paired with a cast of characters that I didn’t particularly like made this a read I couldn’t fully get into.

Shadowed Moonlight is an urban fantasy / second chance romance with a side of murder mystery, and it’s the first in a trilogy that is written in first person. There are witches, vampires, werewolves, and a killer leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake. Our FMC with her particular skillset is able to assist with solving this mystery, but to do so she must fake being the mate of the man who abandoned her four years ago.

I will say that I found myself enjoying this story more at around the 60-70% mark, so if you’re struggling at the start then just stick in there because there are some fun plot developments down the line. I also think that if you prefer your fantasy reads to lean into the romance side of things more, with a significant amount of spicy scenes, then you’ll probably have a great time.

Alas, this wasn’t my kind of read. I’d still recommend it to others as I believe this was a ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ kind of situations. I’ve no doubt that this will find a great home with its target audience but in this case, that audience wasn’t me.

Shadowed Moonlight is the first book in a new fantasy trilogy. The main characters are witches and werewolves and what an amazing combination that creates. I wanted a bit more world-building as to how this world works with all the different types of beings. Overall the plot is good, it’s fast paced, there’s a murder mystery, substance misuse and second chance romance. The spice is spicy and fun to read but slightly questionable in terms of why they are having sex in the first place and the dubious consent this created. But there are some twists - slightly predictable but enjoyable to read. As with any werewolf romance there is plenty of possessiveness and posturing. The murder mystery really fell into the background. This is mainly a second chance romance with fantasy characters, so if you want a fun read with this focus I would recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

Yeah, not the book for me, in many ways.

The biggest problem is the general dubious consent for about 50% of the book, it just gave me so much ick I wanted to stop reading. I understand the general reasoning for it, but I think it could have been handled so much better. On top of that there is the **SPOILER** reason the MMC leaves is because he was essentially forcibly raped which that is not really fully explained (was it once or for years? WHY?) or in any way processed other than as the reason they broke up originally.

Then there is barely a HEA/resolution in regards to the mystery element. It left a bad taste in my mouth and I felt disappointed that it wasn't all pulled together like mystery books generally promise. Also, we barely get a good justification for why the FMC is the one who is investigating and other than moving the plot forward I strongly doubt she would have been able to move leeway with just her abilities.

The leaders, and generally all of the characters barely act like adults, let alone as beings who may be immortal. It also bothered me that many times large grievances were just immediately forgiven, but then later the FMC is completely not over them. I am all for complexity, but going from one to the other for no discernable reason is just bad writing and frustrating. The world building was also lacking - I barely understand the different types of supernaturals and almost nothing about the cultures of each. The random dropping in of flashbacks any time we needed backstory was also in my opinion less than ideal and a fairly underwhelming way to accomplish fleshing out the characters.

For being from a Big Five publisher, I am disappointed that this book didn't get more editing that it very much needed. It's a generally good idea, but at every point I was disappointed by the execution.

I really really wanted to enjoy this. And I suppose I did, but in a I want to know what happens way. You know like those ads you get sucked into reading on social media? It felt like that.

The story was compelling enough, a little all over the place and a little chaotic. It was enough that I read it in one sitting and had to know what was happening, so for that it was compelling. The fmc was whiney and very back and forth - her mood switches in a heartbeat. The main mmc, was meant to be an alpha however to me he seemed like a wet blanket. The story itself with the description is that they had a relationship 4 years ago, and I don’t feel like there was enough of that. Maybe a prologue would have sufficed instead of the random flashbacks - even though majority of it was predictable.

But as far as everything else, I’m 50/50 as to whether I would read another in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this book, however would have loved more world building to help me picture it better and more information about the magic side of things as I found this really interesting but it lacked details in place.