One thing I will say about this book is *French kiss* regarding the smut! The book is written in the POV of Briar and just a heads up does start out slow, but gradually moves faster if you can get past the first few chapters.

There are multiple plot holes missing and the dialog can be a bit rough to understand but the premise is there. If we can fix the plot from jumping all over the place this would be a solid book.

I won’t lie, I was frustrated a couple of times because it seemed like why we’re focusing to much on common slang and reusing words. One less “iron hells” lol.

I think the world itself is interesting and I truly wish there was more world building, but there isn’t much. There is some explaining but there isn’t much, it felt basic. So I didn’t really get pulled into the book like I wanted to.

I would truly give this maybe a 2.5 rating because I honestly see where this can go, but it needs some massive edits and a big white board to fill in the missing plots.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

“My nerves were bare. Torn open and debrided. Being in Kane's presence, having him touch me, inside of me, it stole my breath, and I wasn't sure I'd ever get it back.”

"And I'm not stopping until you scream my fucking name so loud, the whole world knows it."

"There it is," … "That's my girl. Take it all."

Paranormal creature. A drug no one knows how to deal with. A brother she is trying to save. The love of her life who abandoned her four years prior back in town. A series of murder mysteries to solve and she is the only witch with Aura powers to help. Basically a recipe for disaster right? Add to that the fact that he is an alpha of a pack and you have a very tension packed, quite spicy and possessive romance story in quite a dark setting with an unresolved past and a second chance romance with marriage of convenience. This book started out as confusing as it sounds but, at the end of the day every single fantasy book starts that way. But then the author slowly solved every mystery, answered every question and gave us all the spice we wanted in this complicated story. I enjoyed getting through it possibly even more than I was expecting. It didn’t feel like a particularly hard book to read and I have to admit that it hooked me in pretty fast. And the characters were frustrating at times but all with their good parts. I enjoyed reading about their dynamics and their found family tropes and their possessive alpha male, claiming mate scenes. The FMC was sometimes a bit too vexing (not always in the good way) but overall I could understand her point of view and I can’t complain. While for the MMC … well, he is another story entirely. Did I fall in love very fast very early on? Possibly. So much so that I would list him in the top ten? Not really. But the story is far from over so … I supposed he’ll have time to rise !!

"Power-hungry little minx." His fingers flexed against me. "Being mine, carrying me inside of you, makes you Pack, but it doesn't give you our powers."

"I held back because you hated me. I held back because this was my shot to fix things, and I wasn't about to fuck it up by scaring you off?" His head slanted toward mine, hands landing on my hips. His mouth was so close, the heat he kicked off enveloped me like a cloak. "I held back because if I fucked you, if I tasted you, if I kissed you the way I want, you wouldn't have been able to handle it."

“I smiled, soft and deep and not nearly sated enough. "Don't tell me you're done already, big bad?"
His predatory laugh was a hungry promise that brushed against my soul. I squealed when he flipped me onto my stomach and cocked my ass in the air. "Not even close."

DNF. Im happy i gave this book a try, i wanted to try reading a book revolving around alphaverse because i havent before. Maybe due to the fact i havent read this type of book before i didnt enjoy as much i wish i could have. I found some of it cringe and hard to read. I was more annoyed than anything while reading this. I also didnt understand what was happening it felt all over the place. The main character made stupid choices and was overall idiotic. The main characters whole personaliy was her trauma, nothing else. I plan to come back to this book once i feel more comfortable with these kind of stories. I felt the writting to be easy and understandable. I just didnt really like what its about.

This was a really fun, fast-paced urban fantasy! I enjoyed the cast of characters and the mysterious spins that the story takes. A great start to a new series!

Sex-filled, this book really leaned into the werewolf dominance dynamic - "Look away Briar" quickly became commonplace! Thankfully K.C. Harper managed to write this romance without the some of the other elements like Knotting. This book was an easy read, with comfortable tropes and a recognisable love triangle. Harper provides easy reasons to hate the people we should and redeeming arcs for all of the characters we are supposed to like by the end of the book, so very little thinking was needed our end to parse out any 'grey'. It took a while to understand some of the language of the world which you are launched into without preamble but overall this helped keep the books pace.

If you read books for the plot, I would give this one a miss. In between the sex scenes, the murder mystery plotline within the political machinations of werewolf/vampire/magi clans feels secondary. At least the usual communication problems that fuel romance stories were dealt with head on - thank goodness the protagonist's friend literally told her it was actually her making it all more complicated!

Unfortunately the ending felt rushed with a plot that neatly tied up with just about enough of a cliff hanger for that potential book number two, but again, if you're reading this for the plot alone then you're probably reading the wrong book!

Overall an enjoyable, guilty pleasure type read, I'd be hard pressed to suggest this to fantasy fans who love significant world building, but any fans of romantasy books like Fourth Wing or Bride would enjoy it!

I love fake dating and anything supernatural, but something about this book just didn't grab me until I was halfway through. Since it was an ARC, I pushed through to finish it before reviewing. The second half really picked up, so it went from a 2-star to a 3-star read for me.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC of Shadowed Moonlight.

A fun read but lacking substance. The ending was unsatisfying and felt open ended but this is a standalone?

I don't know, the smut was smutting and the dialogue was good but there were elements that felt shoe horned in.

Nice book.

I LOVE paranormal urban fantasy and I was so excited to see this come out!

The pacing is so brilliant and the characters are to die for and you will feel with them. It's sexy and fun and excellently positioned.

I think I could have done with a tiny bit more plot but I loved it regardless.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder Books for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a fun read! Super fast-paced and entertaining. I could really feel Briar's desperation to help her brother from the very first chapter. The fast-paced plot kept me hooked until the end. I docked one star for the miscommunication between Briar and Kane that did feel a bit YA for an adult book. A few conversations could've solved some of the biggest issues between the two characters. Additionally, I was a bit confused with the motives for our main villain, but I'm hoping this will be flushed out further as this is the first book in a trilogy.

Overall, I recommend this book if you're looking for a fun, fast-paced read with good spice!

Thank you to Hachette and Hodderscape for the ARC!

Shadowed Moonlight is a refreshing urban fantasy full of surprises and spice. The main characters, Briar and Kane, have amazing chemistry, and I loved the world-building created by the author. The new interpretations of witches, vampires, and wolf-shifters was one of my favorite parts!

This was a little slow for me to start out, and despite how much I loved the idea of this book, it was hard to push through.

⭐⭐⭐ Not really my cup of tea. I did not feel any connection to the characters, didn't really see any development. Plot holes were frustrating. Just didn't draw me in, sadly.

I received this book as an ARC. I enjoyed the story and most of the characters. The world reminded me of Crescent City, but I didn’t fall in love with any of the characters bar Lisa. The murder plot was intriguing but left something to be desired as the focus waned.

I liked the relationship between Briar and Kane and could have read several more chapters of their interactions. I strongly disliked Mason, which I’m sure was the point. However, I felt like a great majority of his problematic actions were excused in the last quarter of the book rather than acknowledging that they were repeated behaviors (albeit less drastic).

I think there is definite potential and I am intrigued to see where the storyline could go in a second book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, specifically the author's ability to drip feed just enough info about our main character's tortured past to keep me wanting more. Great twists and turns, interesting worldbuilding, and lots of trauma make for an exciting read!

It doesn't end on a cliffhanger, as such, but I NEED the second book so I know what happens next!

If shifter/vampire/witchy romance is your genre, this ticks lots of boxes without being one-dimensional.

I was more annoyed than entertained while reading this. I think this had great potential, but it was poorly executed. The sheer amount of repetitive phrases such as "shadowed moon", "shadow and sage!", and "iron hells" really got under my skin. I will admit there were parts I enjoyed, but I was cringing all the way through this book. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me.

While I loved the pacing of the book, I think the plot kind of jumped all over the place. I thought the plot about the mystery killer would be the main point, but I feel like it got thrown on the back burner.

I also did not care for Briar. Some of her decisions were so out of left field.

Now while the book wasn’t terrible it just wasn’t my favorite.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC.

I really, really didn't like this book.

I've read a few urban fantasies featuring magical creatures and strong female main characters (FMCs), so perhaps my expectations were too high. I also don't mind unlikeable characters if they're written well. Unfortunately, after a promising start, this book really disappointed me.

The story is told from the first-person POV of the FMC, and it was almost unbearable how much I disliked her. Her decisions and actions felt idiotic, making it hard to sympathise with her. The other characters weren't much better either.

I pushed through and didn't DNF the book, hoping it would get better, but I was frustrated until the very last sentence. This is book one of a planned series, and unfortunately, I will not be continuing with the rest.
2.25/5⭐

Disclaimer: I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was an emotional rollercoaster! It is like a second chance paranormal romance, but with a mystery/thriller spin. The book was a little slow for me at first, and then it just escalated into a great story. There were times I completely related to the main character, and then there were times I was like "girl, get it together". At around 70% of the book, I thought I had everything figured out, and then by 90% I realized I didn't even know which characters I even liked anymore! One of the side characters, Joaquin, was honestly one of the best characters, and I wanted so much more of him. There was a twist in the end. Some things happened that I was not a huge fan of, but I understand that they were needed for the story to progress. I was not a fan of the ending, and I have SO many unanswered questions. I truly hope there will be more books within this series as I feel there was so much left unanswered in the end. Highly recommend if you want a story that will make you laugh, cry, and want to throw the book across the room but can't stop reading!

I loved it!

Shadowed Moonlight is written from the perspective of Briar, a human with magical powers who has her walls well and truly up thanks to her former love Kane (current Alpha of a nearby werewolf pack) breaking her heart some years earlier before he disappeared.

But now Kane is back and Briar is thrust back into his life, whether she wants to be there or not.

I found the overall plot really interesting and the ongoing hunt for ‘The Phantom’ (someone committing mass murder within the sectors) kept me on my toes. I also really enjoyed the twist at the end, the killer was not who I thought it was going to me.

Although at times I was frustrated with Briar not sharing details of the blackmail against her with Kane, it wasn’t enough to deter me from continuing with the story.

I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading future pieces by Harper.

Thank you for the read.

This is a supernatural murder mystery with dark elements, spice, an arranged mate situation and plenty of feminine rage.