Lindsey R. Loucks is a USA Today bestselling author of paranormal romance, science fiction, and contemporary romance. When she's not discussing books with anyone who will listen, she's dreaming up her own stories. Eventually her brain gives out, and she'll play hide and seek with her cat, put herself in a chocolate-induced coma, or watch scary movies alone in the dark to re-energize.
Check out her website for more information and to contact her. She would love to hear from you! http://www.lindseyrloucks.com
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I liked the idea behind the book, but the execution just wasn't there.
I felt like there was a lot of telling instead of showing. For example, our MC spends a lot of time telling us how she breaks the rules and isn't a "typical" girl, but I wanted her to show me that instead of telling me.
I also felt like this first book's plot wasn't fully fleshed out. I would have liked to have been given more hints about the "reveal" at the end besides what happens in the fighting ring and at the very end. I would have also liked it if we switched who we were competing to marry. And lastly, I wanted to know more about our character's past or her mother.
There were still some redeeming qualities to this book. I felt the sex scenes were spot on. I was never confused about what was going on in them and thought they were hot. I also enjoyed the pacing a lot. This book takes place in a week and I felt like nothing was too slow or rushed. I also really liked the romance, but I wish that was who we were competing for.
Overall, this book/series holds a lot of potential, but it's just not there yet.
I really enjoyed reading Harlows story! I wish it would have been longer and I was not ready for it to end!
Overall the story was pretty fast paced and sucked me right in! I loved the witty banter and Harlows inner thoughts 🤣 she had me cracking up 😂.
It’s been a while since I have read a shifter romance but this was soooo good! I wish she would have had the opportunity to explore whatever powers she potentially has in book one but hopefully that will come in book two!
Aimes….the bookstore god 🥵 I loved this character but my heart broke for him over and over.
I gave this story 4 stars mainly because I felt like the characters and plot could have been fleshed out a bit more. Everything moved so fast and I wish there had been more world building.
If you love the bachelor, alpha vibes, and wolves definitely check this one out! 🐺
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book is part one in a series, so it does end on a cliffhanger , just for info for anyone considering, but book 2 is out now, so no long wait for that 🥰 I love a paranormal romance and if it’s steamy all the more, well this definitely ticked all my boxes and I’m about to jump into the next, great characters with chemistry abd an addictive story. What’s not to love
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I really was enthralled by the whole plot of this story. I felt it was original and exciting.
Saying that, I felt like it was super rushed. The pacing was off. It made certain things not make sense. We needed more building and reasoning for things. For example, why did she hold on to the scarf? She told the MMC about the scarf but he had doubt in his eyes when they found it. This was one of the minor instances as I don’t want to spoil anything.
The dialog seemed immature at times giving more of a YA feel. Especially with the “mean girl.”
Our hero felt underdeveloped as well. He had the Tamlin effect most of the book of not doing a damn thing. He should have been planning an uprising or something. What the hell was he thinking taking her to a sex/shifter club as a first date. That’s the underdeveloped part playing in this book. That may have made sense later in their relationship. The spice was on point! I really enjoyed the way it was written!
The Alpha was confusing as well. I almost thought he was secretly protecting her for Aimes because he seemed nice for most of the book. Seemed concerned about his uncles death and the pack deaths. Sure the beginning was petty by putting her in the games but after that he seemed alright… until he became rapey towards the end.
I feel like nothing was resolved in this book.
What did our heroine’s mother know?
What is our Heroine?
What are her powers?
What is Connelly’s deal?
Why does the alpha hate Aimes?
Who’s killing shifters?
This honestly felt like a general basis for what could be a truly amazing story if is developed more.
The concept is addicting and I will probably read the next book to find out what happens.
No cheating. No OW/OM drama (well, our FMC shut down any advances from the alpha)
College student Harlow Vale had her morning class cancelled, so she went to her favorite place – the Alakazam Bookstore! Wolf shifter romances were her current addiction. She found just the one she wanted, and a deep male voice commented on it! He looked amazing and he even smelled good! He was too “hot” to be a bookstore nerd like she was. She opened the book to a sexy page, and he took it from her to read. Watching his jaw drop made her laugh and proved her point that he was not the fan of romance that he claimed to be. When she mentioned the wolf shifter book, he asked what kind of wolf she was! He described his own wolf self – big, fast, confident, suave, sandy gray coat, with a scent like the sea during a rainstorm. She thought he was teasing her, but he told her something about her keeps drawing him in. So he asked her name. His sexy voice was melting her as he repeated her name. His name was Aimes. She tried to walk away, but he stayed close. When their arms touched, she felt a strong spark of electricity. Aimes’ eyes were wide open in surprise… he knew what that feeling was. So he laughed it off as nothing. Then he invited her to a party, and told her to keep an open mind. But for some reason, her mom didn’t want her to go out “tonight of all nights”, and she needed to tell Harlow something “later”.
Harlow went to the party, but didn’t see Aimes. The party seemed strange, but she didn’t know why. So she decided to leave but Aimes walked up. He went to get her a drink and a guy walked up saying this was his party and demanding that she dance with him. She tried to get away but he was strong. Aimes came up and angrily asked what Stride was doing. Another old guy walked up and he and Stride walked away. Aimes was in protective mode asking if she was okay. She decided she had enough and was leaving, but the doors were now blocked. What kind of trouble was she in? And what were the “Full Moon Games” she now has to compete in? If she loses, she will be put to death to keep the secret she is about to learn. And her true mate, Aimes, may not be able to save her.
I want to thank Lindsey and Book Sirens for the ARC copy of this book! Below is my honest review and thoughts.
Summary
Harlow is your average college student who is just looking to get by. To her unfortunate surprise taking a stranger up on an invite to a party turns into her competing to be a wolf shifters wife.
My Thoughts – spoiler free
This book caught my attention as it had a hunger game vibe but ultimately fell a little short. The plot felt predictable at times with some story telling issues. It left off with the setup for a spinoff and has potential if some of the plot and story issues are corrected.
What I Liked
• I did enjoy that Aimes was setup as her first love interest but he wasn't the one Harlow was fighting for to be married to that was an enjoyable unexpected twist • It does have a slight hunger game vibe too it • Harlow didn't immediately want to win for a guy but she did want to win so she stayed alive
What I didn’t Like
• Harlow the MC was a little flat the story starts with her in a bookstore reading smut and then very quickly we are at the party where she figures out she is among wolf shifters, while I love a book that jumps straight this robbed us of knowing Harlow better. Her character development wasn't there and made it hard to root for her throughout • While I love the hunger game aspect of the games they are fighting I didn't enjoy that all the girls were fighting over one guy who didn't seem to have any real substance
This was an okay read there is more that could be improved upon but overall a solid 3.5!
⁃ Voyeurism ⁃ Sex “Club” ⁃ Mom Knows Best ⁃ Captive Romance ⁃ Fated Mates ⁃ Twist on Fantasy Competition ⁃ Dreaming of the wrong guy! ⁃ Eyeball Soup ⁃ Attempted Rape
If you stop at chapter one, you might get the wrong impression as I did: it seems like a beautifully written but bland meet-cute in a bookstore. I dropped it despite loving the prose. But I forgot to delete the book and accidentally opened it...and couldn’t stop.
The descriptions are so interesting. Fated Mate Aimes is “Bookstore Aimes with his 1-800-SEX-GODS voice.” Stride, the alpha wolf is “tall, blond, and clearly Photoshopped...”.
Invited to a party, Harlowe ignores her mother’s warnings and dresses up all bohemian grunge to find a semi-formal event where the invited are locked up after Stride announces a wife competition. Unamused, she slaps Aimes hard and tries to vacate the premises. It doesn’t work and the crew hired to provide her a makeover declare she is a load of work.
What do you do when the mean beech is a diamond-encrusted runway model with a mud mouth? Harlowe fights back...with words. She’s smart enough not to anger a wolf-shifter.
Spoiler: The guy she is competing unwillingly to wed is NOT the guy she is fated to. Aimes tries hard to keep away, to look away, to ignore her. Harlowe doesn’t reciprocate, and they end up with sexy time twice after she dreams of Stride...no, Aimes.
Wolf Moon Magic: A wolf shifter fated mates competition romance, book one of Full Moon Games, was everything I expected and so much more! Lindsey Loucks spins a unique tale, different from the run-of-the-mill shifter lore.
The storyline is fast-paced and very well written, filled with werewolves, danger, subterfuge, potential murder, kidnapping, pack politics, hot sex and serious sexual tension. Ten females vie for the honor of becoming the Alpha's wife. Only one will win. Let the games begin!
Only to Harlow, the only human contestant, this is far from a game. This is survive and marry a man she can't stand, or lose and quite probably lose her more than she bargained for. All of the characters are well developed and engaging. You can practically feel the tension between Harlow and the top contender, Sloan. As for tension, the sexual heat between Harlow and Aimee is off the charts. I found myself routing for them out loud on more than one occasion.
Overall, this is an excellent read. It does end on a doozy of a cliffhanger though, so be forewarned. Like me, you will be begging for the next installment to see where this exciting story takes us!
'Wolf Moon Magic' by Lindsey R. Loucks is the first book in the 'Full Moon Games' trilogy. It follows a human woman named Harlow who finds herself competing to marry the Alpha, Stride, just to stay alive when it's really another shifter that she's drawn to.
I thought the sex scenes were where the author was most confident throughout the book. Each book is around 200 pages, so I think all three could have been condensed into one book and with editing and removal of some filler, it could have been a solid 450/500 page book. Or the story could have been more fleshed out to make each one around 300 pages with more detail given to the relationships and the Games. With a bit more detail, some of the characters might have been a bit more well rounded and complex, and more time devoted to Harlow and Aimes as a couple beyond sex/lust.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from BookSirens, but this is my voluntary and honest review.
A great beginning for this series with interesting characters and a lot going on to keep you reading. I didn't want to put it down! Harlow is a college student that loves reading and wolf shifter books. While at the bookstore she meets a hot god lime guy that invites her to a private party. She tells her mom she wants to go but she says it's not safe because she doesn't know what's out there and its a ad night to go. Her mom is acting odd and she says she has something to tell her but they get interrupted. Harlow goes to the party and looks for Aimes, it's not like any party she's been to and things go from bad to worse when she finds out shifters are real and she has to compete in dangerous games to marry the Alpha. She's the only human being held captive, she can't stand the Alpha and something is up with her reaction to Aimes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Wolf Moon Magic was an interesting wolf shifter romance with college student Harlow Vale unknowingly finding that she has been selected to compete in the Full Moon Games to become the wife of millionaire Alpha Wolf Shifter Stride. What’s a human girl to do?
It becomes obvious early on there is more to Harlow than even she is aware and add in the shifter who got her mixed up in the mess, Aimes, who is definitely her real mate and things are about to get dicey. I liked this story that was competently written and filled with humor, mystery, spice and intrigue. The story ends on a cliffhanger leaving me invested enough to await the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Rcvd an advanced reader copy for giving my two cents. We meet bookworm Harlow who meets a hunky God at the bookstore who invites her to an exclusive party. Her mother doesn't want her to be out on a night like tonite… weird. when Harlow arrives at said party she pretty much stumbled into one big orgy and doesn't know why Aimes invited her. But then another good-looking man asks for a dance and then thing get heated btn aimed and slade. Then it's gets even weirder when Harlow is selected to compete to be a wife and everyone in the room turns into a wolf. Harlow wakes up in a nightmare with vindictive women trying to kill her to win a stupid competition. Things are not as they seem and wolves are ending up dead… and she can't get a hold of her mom…. is this connected?
First of all, it is not a complete story it is book 1 of? The plot is a good one. Human meets wolf shifter, then she is kidnapped to be part of a bride game. Harlow is outspoken and does not care what anyone thinks. When her and Aimes finally realize what you knew all along it is magical. I liked the story but I am not a fan of multiple books for a story to continue. There are so many unanswered questions still left to be unraveled and figured out. If you don’t mind a multi book story that then this is a good read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I like the storyline and plot of this book and the main characters sass and sense of humour. I do however feel like it could have been fleshed out a bit more, it felt a bit short and I didn’t really feel like I knew our main characters, I was just kind of thrown into the whole thing like Harlow was which is good and bad. Unfortunately, I couldn’t quite disappear into this book and be absorbed by it like I thought I would.
I’d recommend this book to werewolf lovers and if you’re looking for a book with some spice, mystery and a human thrown to the wolves (somewhat literally).
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book was a very cool addition to the wolf shifter/fated mates books that I've been reading recently. The idea of the full moon games was unique and was an awesome twist on the fated alpha mate trope. I really liked the plot arc and the story was very cohesive. There were no major plot holes or unanswered questions that impacted the story in any unintended ways. I felt like the characters could have been developed a bit more, as I didn't find either of the MCs to be terribly likeable and didn't feel either attempted to rebel against their circumstances in any significant way. Overall, this was a good, quick read, but I likely won't read the rest of the series.
WOLF MOON MAGIC is well written and edited. The some of the characters are interesting and Aimes is just yummy. The reason I didn’t rate it higher was the fact that I just couldn’t care one way or another whether Harlow survived especially as she wasn’t doing much to rescue herself. Also I never could ‘feel’ her emotions as it felt like there was a glass wall between us.
This might be the perfect book for other paranormal romance readers but I find that I need to at least relate to the main character and in this case, it wasn’t a fit.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Imagine going from reading about wolf shifters to learning that they are actually real! Well that’s what happened to student Harlow and this fast paced and thrilling read is how it turned her life upside down! She finds herself being the only human competing in the Full Moon Games to be the wife of the alpha and it’s turning out to be quite the challenge and she definitely needs to win or she will be disposed of!! It’s a gripping and exciting read filled with tension, drama, danger and that ending has me eagerly waiting for book two!
As far as Harlow knew, the only wolf shifters were the ones she read about in books, but that changes when she is invited by Aimes to a party. Harlow is suprised by what she sees there. Now she has been roped into a competition to become the wife of the alpha, but she would rather not be included. Will Harlow survive the competion, especially when it has some mean girls in it? I loved Harlow's challenge, the scorching steam and I need the next one (please hurry).
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book is like hunger games with a little bit of the selection. I really enjoyed it, the writing style made me feel like I was reading on whattpad (loved that) and it really captivated me from the first chapter. I wish it was longer tbh, but over all it was good. I will most definitely read the rest of the books once they come out. The only reason I gave it a 4 stars is because it was faced paced, but not enough pages and the smut could’ve been more detailed.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Loved this book. So much intensity. Harlow loving wolf shifter romances only to be thrown into one in real life. Being thrown into a world you know nothing about and trying to make sure you live to see another day and all she wants to do is live and make sure her family is ok. Can’t wait to read the next one will Harlow get out f where she is, will Ames rescue her so they can run away together, will see she her mom again. So many in answered question, even who’s killing wolves. Can’t wait to read the next one.
Omg omg omg! I looove wolf shifters but most gets on the same road or similar at one point!
It was such a great surprize to read sg. different! It was kinda wolf-hungergames (lol not entirely) but loved the competition and Harlow’s personality. Aimes also made me curious in other ways (never got a BF with PRCgs ;))
So anyway: great base story, awesome and steamy romance, adventure a bit of ruthlessness and wolfs all around…
… What else?…
Cant wait to put my paws to B2 💋
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This was a very interesting story from the start. Following the main character getting introduced to a world she didn’t know about. As I started reading this I didn’t want to put it down. The way in which it has been written I enjoyed as it allowed the pacing of the story to be nice. The way in which the characters developed throughout the story was interesting to read to see their changes. With the ending of the story I was even more intrigued.
I thought this book was quite entertaining. Harlow is captivated by Aimes when they meet in a bookstore. He invites her to a VIP party and when she shows up, the unexpected happens. There is so much action and angst that happens in this book, and it does end on a cliffhanger. I cannot wait to find out what is going to happen next.
I received a free advance reader copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my fair and honest review.
Intrigue and mystery started in the first chapter when Harlow met Aimes and continues to the last page. There’s a puzzling plot twist that Stride and his father are involved in which I think will include Harlow and Aimes, but they don’t know It yet and not in a good way. Harlow is in for a surprise of her own from the hidden clues.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ends with a massive cliffhanger so even though I really enjoyed the story, I can't give it more than three stars. Well written, fast paced but ends right at the climax so you have to buy book two. I felt the characters were developed in a way that you get very invested in the book but the ending just left me in turmoil, with an unresolved situation, and definitely feels like there should be another quarter or so of the book left.
Harlow is a college student who loves reading. She's scoping out the bookstore when she gets invited to a private party. Aimes catches Harlow reading wolf shifter books and decides to invite her to a party. This party doesn't go the way either expects and a whole new world opens up for Harlow. I really loved this and can't wait to see what happens next for these two.
Wolf Moon Magic is the start of Harlow's journey and you better put your seat belt on because it is a wild ride. Being the only human in the Full Moon Games is a challenge but Harlow is strong spirited and does not allow herself to be picked on. This is a uniques story with interesting characters - not your typical shifter story. The cliffhanger has me eagerly awaiting book 2
I loved this book from the first page, the story that played out surprised me at every turn. Harlow and Aimes make a wonderful pair and I love them together! There is so much evil to overcome and Harlow finding out what she is. This is a fantastic read and I have to read the next one because I want more and I am hoping that the couple can get a break. Fantastic Read!!! No Spoilers!
I received an advance copy of this book and Wow I couldn’t put it down once I started reading I couldn’t stop the twists in the plot were great and the detail of the characters were brilliant I could picture the main characters clearly I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
I received this free and this is a voluntary review
I Love a good shifter romance and this one didn’t disappoint. It was a telling point of view instead of showing point of view but still good. It was a short quick read. I would recommend for anyone who likes this type of story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.