Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur

I never would have picked up this author if Ames hadn't been so in love and I'm happy to say that it definitely paid off.

Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur has a little thing on the spine that says it is fantasy which struck me odd at first because there are the numerous characters that I would consider paranormal. Then I remembered there isn't a 'paranormal' genre in the bookstore. Laurell K. Hamilton's books are shelved in three places at my local bookstore. Horror, Sci-fi Fantasy and Fiction and really, I can understand the 'horror' label but she has the same kind of characters in her books. So obviously I'm not the only one struggling with where a book would fall in the big scheme of things.

Cindy Blurb: Riley is half werewolf, half vamp and has a twin brother named Rhoan who is a Guardian. This secret organization is like a police agency that deals with 'nonhuman' crap that can be dangerous to all beings. Riley is part of the secret agency but prefers to be a paper pusher than a Guardian because Guardians get into many sticky situations and at times are called upon to kill.

The story opens with Riley sensing danger near her home and fighting some 'bads' because she knows there are humans in danger and the 'company' won't get there in time. After everything is taken care of her senses still warn her of danger and she realizes that the feeling is for her brother Rhoan who is on a mission.

Thus begins a quest to find her brother (the only pack she has as they are both 'tainted' and thrown from their pack), thwart her boss' plans to make her into a Guardian, keep the moon lust at bay and stop being attacked by weird crossbred creatures and clones. Oh and figure out why there is a naked vampire on her doorstep that doesn't know who he is. (It's okay, he remembers before it can fall into the OMG territory)

So we have the secret police thing and yeah, that's not new.

A heroine with untapped powers and potential that is only brushed upon in this book.

And rampant sex.

*ding* paging Laurell K. Hamilton.

All the same, this was an enjoyable read and I am going to read the next few in the series (since four books were released back to back). At least until I find out if I even like Riley as a person, uh, wolf or whatever.

Since I enjoy paranormals I tend to already have a soft spot for one that might be good. That said, I don't have any tolerance for poor world building or stories that don't have a spark of something fresh.

When I try and think about what I liked in particular I can't really pin it down. Obviously being the romance junky I am, I already have a favourite hero and that potential love match kept me reading. I liked the set up of the wolf world although I didn't really understand or feel comfortable with their thoughts on sex but then, I'm human and I'm probably not supposed to understand.

I think other authors have done a better job of showing 'pack' mentality and how they have a need to be touched by their clan. This part was not as evident in Arthur's world but the story takes place during the week before the full moon and the moon affects the wolves with the need to have sex.

Constantly.

And with whoever is around.

By the night before the full moon Riley's explanation of her lust suggests that it erases any kind of will or freedom of choice. It's have sex or fall into bloodlust (which apparently isn't good). It became something that reminded me of a drug addict and it did feel start to feel wrong for lack of a better word. It also reminded me of LKH and the hated 'ardeur'.

In all honesty, I see a character like this and can't imagine a HEA because the need to mate is so overpowering that their body will sexually respond to someone they hate. I mean, that's creepy. And how do you remain monogamous (it's hinted that a wolf can have a soulmate but Arthur doesn't go into specifics on how it all works)? So even though Riley loves her life and the sex life she has, there is a part of me that doesn't really like her. Bad Cindy. Also, some of the sexual banter when with her friends and her brother (ick) felt out of placed or forced.

The story started out with a fairly strong voice but by the end, I was skived out by the overly sexual nature of Riley. I'm hoping that in the next few books we'll see what Riley is like while not being pulled by the moon.

A straight B.

OH! This is yet another 'new to me' author! Boo-yah!