Genre: Paranormal YA (UF)

Moonlight is a guilty pleasure. Not because it has naughty sex scenes or bad language jumping off the page—quite the opposite. It's pretty sweet and innocent, like PNR novels accept YA approved. Of course I have to say right up front if you’re seeking something that has mind blowing writing, hidden depths, and a unique plot this is the not the book. It’s not really fantastic in any form, but there is something about it that draws a reader in and just takes hold.

Moonlight goes where you expect it to and with a 263 page count it really doesn't get to explore all the fantastic ideas that are lurking around. It focuses on girl meets wolf boy, girl is soon to turn wolf, wolf boy perfects girl, and they mate for life. Moonlight is not all romance, there is an interesting plot about humans trying to get the secrets of the Guardians (werewolves) and an evil brother bent on revenge.

Again for how small it is, the characters are well fleshed out. This is Kayla’s journey to grow up and become her “true-self”. Lucas is the cliché brooding male lead that the ladies love to swoon over; mysterious, quiet, and devoted to his future woman. Kayla and Lucas bonded well together, both being really likable.

The world of the Guardians is clearly something that needs to be explored more in later books, there are more boys and girls to turn into wolves and find mates. All of the guys already have their future mates tattooed onto them, so my curiosity is killing me to see if I guessed the right couples. In the short course of the book Hawthorne made me appreciate the cast of side characters.

While it reads like a beach book, it does not have the tone of one. It deals with death, loss, fear, and dealing with the choices we make and living with them. There’s not much meat to it, but readers will find themselves engrossed in the world of the Guardians and the mystery of finding a life mate. Moonlight’s power is to take an “adult” plot from paranormal romances and turn it in to a YA read.

Sexual Content:
Kissing and a few heavy make out scenes. There is a scene where a boy pushes himself on to the main character in the acts of making it look like he might rape her. A few dirty jokes and questions sprinkled in every now and again.

3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back

Originally posted at Book Whispers.