Bunny's Reviews: Moon Scorned Review

I'm so pleased to be part of the book tour for Moon Scorned by Marty Mayberry! Read on for my review, more info, and a chance to enter a giveaway where you could win the prequel novella in the in the series called Moon Hunted!

Moon Scorned (Raven Moon Wolves #1)

Expected Publication Date: January 5th, 2022

Genre: Upper YA/ Shifter/ Paranormal Romance

I fell hard and fast for the alpha of an elite pack.

Then he rejected me.

Everly

Asher took off when I needed him most, rejecting me and my inner wolf. Then my half-sister is murdered at an exclusive college that’s enshrouded in magic and secrets. When the school offers me a scholarship, I accept and move onto campus. I’m going to find out who killed her, then rip them apart. And if I run into Asher while I’m there? He’ll learn I’m no longer his sweet little thing. He’s about to taste the fury of a wolf shifter scorned.

Asher

Everly’s everything to me, but to protect her, I had to shove her away. If I go near her, the Drudge Pack will discover who she truly is. My father—their enforcer—will kill her. But when she shows up at Ravenmire College, my inner wolf hungers. I’ll do anything to keep her safe—even if that means sacrificing myself and betraying my dangerous family.

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Moon Scorned is the first book in Marty Mayberry's Raven Moon Wolves series. The author introduces readers to a young woman by the name of Everly. Everly doesn't have much, but she has Asher, her sister, and her wolf. But things go left out of nowhere when Asher suddenly becomes distant from her and then breaks off their relationship. Everly is devastated, but the hits don't stop there. She gets notified that her sister has died. They claim "natural causes" but Everly doesn't believe that. Despite her heartbreak, when she gets an invitation to the college her sister died at, Everly takes the opportunity to find out what happened to her, and tries to ignore her broken heart as she once again crosses paths with Asher.

Moon Scorned is an engaging paranormal romance novel that really draws you in with the level of darkness and mystery that the author weaves from the very beginning of this book. Everly has magic, but she's told to hide it. No one but her sister knows about it, but now her sister is gone. What happened to her? The very first question that hits you, right? Well, the questions will keep coming as Everly learns strange things about the college campus. There is so much going on in the shadows, but it's not just the shadows that you have to watch out for. Asher's father is intent on finding something and that is something Everly holds without knowing it.

While Everly and Asher are the main focus of this story, the point of view shifting between the two of them, there are other intriguing characters as well. There is Olivia, one of the females Asher's father has picked for him to choose from. She's one to watch out for as she doesn't take rejection well. I get the feeling that she knows more than she lets on, and that makes her all the more dangerous. Then there is Kia. The questions really rain down for me concerning her. What happened to her? What is she really? Should Everly be wary of her? When I think I might have a bead on her as a character I'm thrown for a loop. Then there are the two fae characters who really intrigue me. They pop up here and there, but I never really can figure them out or what their agendas are.

There is a lot of back and forth between Everly and Asher. They are fated mates, but we see the pain that not just them, but their wolves feel. The romance sparks and then gets smothered as Asher tries his best to protect Everly, but you can just tell how hard it is for him. I kept waiting on something to try to happen between Everly and one of the fae...just to see how it would affect him, but it never really happens. I feel that Everly is harsher on Asher than she should really be though. I'd have preferred it if she had actually taken the time in some key places to ask questions concerning his behavior.

I truly enjoyed this book and I'm eager for more. I have to find out what happens next because the mystery is killing me! Be prepared for a cliffhanger at the end of this book as things are really about to go down a path none of them are prepared for. I absolutely devoured this book and I will be impatiently waiting for the next book. If you love paranormal romance novels with a heavy dose of mystery then you're going to want to check this book out.

I'm rating Moon Scorned 5 out of 5 stars. Engaging from beginning to end, you're not going to want to miss this book.

Keep reading to check out an excerpt from the novel coming in January and for a chance at a giveaway!

Excerpt

Asher was waiting for me outside work, standing in the darkness below a burst of evergreens. When he saw me, he strode forward and cupped my face with his warm hands.

Likes him, my wolf sighed within me.

“Missed you,” he whispered.

“You, too.” My heart rate picked up to double time.

His lips captured mine, softly at first, then harder and with growing need.

I wasn’t sure where this was going between us, but I did know one thing. Cats might rule and wolves might drool, but Asher was my catnip. Whenever he touched me, I purred.

Pulling away, he took my hand and guided me across the sidewalk and out onto the beach.

During the day, crowds of humans mobbed Old Orchard Beach. Once the sun had set and the tourists headed to their rented condos and hotels, the locals could breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy the quiet. And late at night, especially when the moon bathed the sky with her milky gaze, wolves like me and Ash could run.

I kicked off my shoes and shimmied out of my jeans and long-sleeve shirt—I wisely wore thin shorts and a tank underneath.

Asher watched, his smoldering eyes tracing my every curve as I moved. We’d come close to going all the way but hadn’t done it yet. I wasn’t sure why I resisted. He made it clear he wanted to. The heat simmering in my veins told me I did too. I guess I wanted to wait. We’d only known each other for a few months.

He had to leave for college soon, but he said he’d come back for each of his breaks. We had plenty of time to do things then.

We strode down to where the water licked at the shore and stood, staring out at the shimmering sea.

“You ever gone skinny dipping?” The grin Ash shot me was full of mischief.

“Umm…”

He lifted his shirt and ripped it over his head, tossing it aside. Moonlight teased across his muscular shoulders and defined abs. He told me he played soccer in college. Worked out now and then in the gym at his dad’s estate.

This was pure Asher. His amazing body was the alpha wolf in him shining through.

He reached for the button at the top of his jeans.

My breath jerked out of me. “I haven’t skinny dipped yet.” I nibbled on my lower lip.

With his jeans gaping open, he took my hands and squeezed them. His voice softened, something he did only with me. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”

“The water’s cold. It barely gets above sixty this time of year.”

“It’s not that bad. I promise I won’t touch…too much.” He shucked his jeans. “I’ll even leave my boxers on.”

“It’s not quite skinny dipping if we’re not naked.” My swallow got caught in my throat. I couldn’t drag my attention away from the corded muscles standing out in his thighs. The bulge in his shorts.

“Ev?” he said, his voice calling to everything inside me like a siren from deep beneath the sea. He lifted my chin, and our eyes met. His freakin’ smoldered.

“Okay, I will,” I said.

His fingers caressed my bare arms, and my skin tingled.

He splashed into the sea and turned when he was in waist-deep water. A wave crashed against his back, trying to thrust him back to me, but he maintained his position, watching.

I wanted to tease him, to shimmy my hips and dance while I did it, but I wanted to be close to him even more. I tugged off my shorts and tank. They fell from my limp fingers to the sand with a soft rustle.

Asher groaned. “You’re gorgeous.” His fingers swirled through the water at his sides.

Holding his gaze, I ran down into the water, dressed only in my underwear.

Asher reached for my hand and tugged me right up against him. He ran his palms up and down my arms. As if that would warm me up?

Actually, his touch did. It warmed me up too much. Maybe tonight, we’d…

Likes, my wolf said. More kisses.

I jumped up and he caught me. He’d always catch me. My legs went around his waist, my arms, his shoulders.

His lips sought mine, searing through me. His tongue stroked the seam of my lips, and I opened my mouth, letting him inside. I didn’t need to build a rocket ship to take us to the moon or the stars. Asher’s kiss took me there already.

“You…” he said when he lifted his head. “Have I told you yet how much you mean to me?”

“You can always tell me again.”

“Ev.” His fingers teased my spine, and I quivered, wishing now I’d taken off all my clothes. He kissed the nape of my neck. I melted, my knees pure mush.

Frigid water might bathe my skin, but Asher was the fire keeping me warm

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About the Author

Marty lives in New England, where you’ll find her plotting and writing while walking in the park–yes, at the same time! Otherwise, you might find her sitting in the shade with her feet up, reading everything she can get her hands on.

Marty Mayberry | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok

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