Review: Moonshadow by Thea Harrison

Moonshadow by Thea Harrison
Series: Moonshadow #1
on December 13th, 2016
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Goodreads

Her past is a blank, her future uncertain....

Recovering from a shooting, LAPD witch consultant Sophie Ross leaves her job and travels to the U.K. to search for answers about her childhood. When she encounters a Daoine Sidhe knight of the Dark Court, she becomes entangled in an ancient hatred between two arcane forces.

He has given his body and soul to fight for his people....

Barred from his homeland along with his surviving brother knights, Nikolas Sevigny is embroiled in a conflict that threatens everything he holds dear. Only by uniting his people's resources can they hope to prevail against Isabeau, the deadly Queen of the Light Court. He will do anything and use anyone to return home to Lyonesse.

When Nikolas encounters Sophie, he sees a tool to be used. The insouciant witch might be the key to unlocking every passageway that has been barred to the knights of the Dark Court, even as a fascination for her takes root in what's left of his soul.

Sophie has no intention of becoming anyone's pawn, yet the fierce Nikolas is so compelling, she can't deny the temptation that endangers her guarded heart.

As magic threatens Lyonesse, Queen Isabeau unleashes her merciless Hounds, and Nikolas and Sophie become embroiled in a race for survival. Meanwhile, the passion that ignites between them burns too hot to be denied and quickly turns into obsession.

Thank goodness they both know better than to fall in love...

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Two years ago I read Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison and instantly fell in love with it. I never finished the series because I’m terrible, but when I saw the blurb for her new book Moonshadow I immediately pre-ordered it! And it looks like that decision paid off! Moonshadow was SO FREAKING GOOD!!!!

I think what I love most about Harrison’s writing is how she can properly portray a female MC as strong, smart, and resourceful but also show that said MC, while obviously stubborn, can be reasonable. And you know what I mean! Headstrong MC meets typical Alpha who “for her safety” tells her to do X, but she’s all “I can take care of my damn self” and runs right into being captured by the bad guys. We’ve all come to expect this in PNR/UF books. It’s as much a staple as the tall, brooding, sexy as sin, controlling alpha male lead. NOT IN HARRISON’S BOOKS! Harrison crafts a female lead who is strong, both physically and mentally and who on many occasions takes care of herself in the face of danger. A female lead who is smart enough to know when to run and hide vs when to stay and be a sarcastic  smart ass to some dangerous and mysterious villain. Of course there are some troupes, like the “I always attract assholes” and the “I will not fall for him” but the journey within those troupes makes them not only acceptable but enjoyable.

Then you have the actual story line! Now this is tricky for me to discuss because I loved it so much and I want to convey that but I don’t want to make it sound like it’s something that it’s not. The synopsis does a fantastic job of giving you an idea of the overall storyline so I’m not going to regergetate that in my review. Instead I’ll share just TWO points.

1. The plot moves QUICKLY! But it manages not to feel rushed. The action starts right from the beginning and doesn’t lag or stop at any point.
2. The romance, while mostly expected, is better than you’d expect. Sophie has this determination to be her own person, and Nik is convinced he can’t give his idea of love, but somehow these “as to be expected” pieces morph and you can believe not just the attraction between these two but the genuine care too.

I know I’ll definitely read the sequels and I’m making it a personal mission to read anything else she writes. Between the characters, the storyline pace, and the romance, Harrison is the type of author I will forever auto buy.