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Club Sanguine #1
Moonstone Maelstrom
It was a mistake I could never undo.
A mistake made with the purest of intentions.
A mistake that locked me in the crosshairs of the most dangerous beasts imaginable—Vampires.
"New Orleans is too dangerous for you, cher."
I thought Gran-Mere was being protective. Afterall, my parents were killed in a violent car accident in Nola when I was a child. That was when she moved us halfway across the globe.
But a Tremé witch needs to be laid to rest in the soil of our ancestors or she will never be at peace.
The moment I set foot in the city of jazz clubs and soul food, I felt the rush of ancient power. My cells came to life like never before, my connection to the ancestors taking root.
And then he found me— they found me. The men of my nightmares. The beasts who capture me and say I belong to them.
Laissez les bon temps rouler.
Don't miss a word of this sexy New Orleans adventure. Click "Read for Free" or "Buy Now" and find out what happens when Josie is confronted with a destiny she can't fight.
Author This is a dark paranormal polyamorous why choose series with enemies-to-lovers, fated mates, and band of brothers themes. There will be biting. There will be fighting. And there will be a continuation of the story over the three book trilogy.
A mistake made with the purest of intentions.
A mistake that locked me in the crosshairs of the most dangerous beasts imaginable—Vampires.
"New Orleans is too dangerous for you, cher."
I thought Gran-Mere was being protective. Afterall, my parents were killed in a violent car accident in Nola when I was a child. That was when she moved us halfway across the globe.
But a Tremé witch needs to be laid to rest in the soil of our ancestors or she will never be at peace.
The moment I set foot in the city of jazz clubs and soul food, I felt the rush of ancient power. My cells came to life like never before, my connection to the ancestors taking root.
And then he found me— they found me. The men of my nightmares. The beasts who capture me and say I belong to them.
Laissez les bon temps rouler.
Don't miss a word of this sexy New Orleans adventure. Click "Read for Free" or "Buy Now" and find out what happens when Josie is confronted with a destiny she can't fight.
Author This is a dark paranormal polyamorous why choose series with enemies-to-lovers, fated mates, and band of brothers themes. There will be biting. There will be fighting. And there will be a continuation of the story over the three book trilogy.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2023
396 people are currently reading
326 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 19, 2023
Great Characters but Weak Plot Execution
I enjoyed the heroine, she is witty and doesn’t hold back her sass. The characters felt really well rounded, but the plot lacked in clarity, and the world building left me desiring more.
At times the book felt almost glitchy, in that Josie went from an almost animalistic rage to a meet cute type date scene in the same chapter. The final fight scene also left me wanting, it came together too fast, and the reveal of the true villain came out of left field.
The premise of the book has a lot of potential, however it’s current level of execution has created a numerous amount of plot holes.
I enjoyed the heroine, she is witty and doesn’t hold back her sass. The characters felt really well rounded, but the plot lacked in clarity, and the world building left me desiring more.
At times the book felt almost glitchy, in that Josie went from an almost animalistic rage to a meet cute type date scene in the same chapter. The final fight scene also left me wanting, it came together too fast, and the reveal of the true villain came out of left field.
The premise of the book has a lot of potential, however it’s current level of execution has created a numerous amount of plot holes.
December 5, 2023
Not quite 3 stars, more like 2.75⭐️ Characters themselves intrigued me but the plot was boring. I was hoping that later it gets better and pushed myself to read till the end.
Not going to continue with this series, that’s for sure :(
Not going to continue with this series, that’s for sure :(
April 17, 2024
3.5 stars. Above average for sure. I was intrigued by the worldbuilding. The concept of the unity bond being an unintended side effect of the witches’ attempt to end the conflict between the wolves, vampires and witches was a good twist on the typical fated mates origin story. I was intrigued by the concept of moon witches for the werewolves and the sun witches for the vampires. I want to see more stuff with how the moon witches affect the wolves as well. A couple issues stopped me from rating this book higher.
The MMCs are pretty unoriginal: blonde, brunette, redhead; brains, brawn, leader; empath, psychopath, joker. The question of who killed the FMCs parents was not something that should’ve been strung along until the big reveal at the end—Sebastian should have mentioned that he didn’t kill the parents from the jump. It wouldn’t have changed the story or made FMC trust him any more, but it would’ve made her seem less ridiculous and oblivious when the real killer confessed at the end.
The fact that bougainvillea of all things is like vampire kryptonite made me roll my eyes too. We only find out about it right when the villain uses it on the MMC. They’re how old? and yet they had no idea? It was silly. Anything else would’ve been better… garlic, silver chains, a spell, a poison, any plant actually known for being deadly… nightshade, wolfsbane, deathcap… a made-up plant called “bloodbane” or “reaper’s kiss” or something… hmm, a smoke grenade filled with some noxious substance attuned only to vampires? Mustard gas? Anything but a perfectly harmless and common southern plant that the vampires ought to have encountered a thousand times before in their ridiculously long existences.
The setting being New Orleans didn’t really add anything to the narrative, as the FMC was trapped in various prisons the whole time, and I almost cringed out of existence when she took her shoes off and dipped her toes into the Mississippi… Where does the author come from that they think people swim/frolic in city rivers? I lived in Baltimore and Washington DC for a time, which gave me a healthy disgust of the water near human settlements. You don’t stick your feet in the Potomac or the Chesapeake Bay, and I’m pretty sure the same is true of Nola. Correct me if I’m wrong.
The book ends on a cliffhanger, because of course it does. *sighs *
The MMCs are pretty unoriginal: blonde, brunette, redhead; brains, brawn, leader; empath, psychopath, joker. The question of who killed the FMCs parents was not something that should’ve been strung along until the big reveal at the end—Sebastian should have mentioned that he didn’t kill the parents from the jump. It wouldn’t have changed the story or made FMC trust him any more, but it would’ve made her seem less ridiculous and oblivious when the real killer confessed at the end.
The fact that bougainvillea of all things is like vampire kryptonite made me roll my eyes too. We only find out about it right when the villain uses it on the MMC. They’re how old? and yet they had no idea? It was silly. Anything else would’ve been better… garlic, silver chains, a spell, a poison, any plant actually known for being deadly… nightshade, wolfsbane, deathcap… a made-up plant called “bloodbane” or “reaper’s kiss” or something… hmm, a smoke grenade filled with some noxious substance attuned only to vampires? Mustard gas? Anything but a perfectly harmless and common southern plant that the vampires ought to have encountered a thousand times before in their ridiculously long existences.
The setting being New Orleans didn’t really add anything to the narrative, as the FMC was trapped in various prisons the whole time, and I almost cringed out of existence when she took her shoes off and dipped her toes into the Mississippi… Where does the author come from that they think people swim/frolic in city rivers? I lived in Baltimore and Washington DC for a time, which gave me a healthy disgust of the water near human settlements. You don’t stick your feet in the Potomac or the Chesapeake Bay, and I’m pretty sure the same is true of Nola. Correct me if I’m wrong.
The book ends on a cliffhanger, because of course it does. *sighs *
November 21, 2023
I really enjoyed this book! I love all of Ruby Night and J.L. Madore's books, and Moonstone Maelstrom is no exception. It's a fun and easy read, a nice escape into the Supernatural world. The heroine, Josie, is a strong-willed woman who doesn't back down from a challenge. Her three love interests, Fintan, Rune, and Sebastian, are unique and distinctive characters and you can tell that a lot of work was put into developing their personalities.
My favourite part of the read was that I couldn't always predict what would happen next, unlike many other paranormal/fantasy romances that I've read. There were enough twists and turns to keep it interesting and fresh, while still involving classic tropes that we all know and love.
Can't wait to read the next book in the series and see what my fave moody man (Sebastian) is up to. Love me a tall, dark, and mysterious guy. 😉
My favourite part of the read was that I couldn't always predict what would happen next, unlike many other paranormal/fantasy romances that I've read. There were enough twists and turns to keep it interesting and fresh, while still involving classic tropes that we all know and love.
Can't wait to read the next book in the series and see what my fave moody man (Sebastian) is up to. Love me a tall, dark, and mysterious guy. 😉
July 8, 2024
interesting
Quick read, but the FMC wasn’t my cup of tea. Keep in mind, this review is of my personal preference. The story is well written, just the characters didn’t speak to me while reading this first book. The FMC was annoyingly too prejudice and stubborn because of what she’s told growing up. Given her initial experience with the other species was not all that good, but maybe a glimpse that she could be open to her own interpretation and opinions of those around her that would have given me the benefit of the doubt to keep going. The stubbornness on top of her prejudice is what stops me. This story could be a good read for others that likes that type of FMC, just not my cup of tea.
Quick read, but the FMC wasn’t my cup of tea. Keep in mind, this review is of my personal preference. The story is well written, just the characters didn’t speak to me while reading this first book. The FMC was annoyingly too prejudice and stubborn because of what she’s told growing up. Given her initial experience with the other species was not all that good, but maybe a glimpse that she could be open to her own interpretation and opinions of those around her that would have given me the benefit of the doubt to keep going. The stubbornness on top of her prejudice is what stops me. This story could be a good read for others that likes that type of FMC, just not my cup of tea.
June 10, 2025
Almost worth 5 stars
This has an interesting plot and some well thought out characters, but I read a lot and my decision to not give this 5 stars is based on having a FMC who is presented as incredibly strong who still keeps needing to be rescued. I have trouble with that contradiction.
This has an interesting plot and some well thought out characters, but I read a lot and my decision to not give this 5 stars is based on having a FMC who is presented as incredibly strong who still keeps needing to be rescued. I have trouble with that contradiction.
November 25, 2023
What a start
I was confused at times, I had to read some passages again. The amount of deception being used by even her own family, gives Josie a serious disadvantage. Can’t wait to read more.
I was confused at times, I had to read some passages again. The amount of deception being used by even her own family, gives Josie a serious disadvantage. Can’t wait to read more.
December 15, 2023
witchy vibes
When Josie’s grandmother passes she decides to take her back to Nola to her final resting place. Get in, lay her to rest and get out… easy right? What happens when plans don’t go as planned?
When Josie’s grandmother passes she decides to take her back to Nola to her final resting place. Get in, lay her to rest and get out… easy right? What happens when plans don’t go as planned?
May 22, 2024
Moonstone Maelstrom, book one of the Club Sanguine series, is an ebook I borrowed through Kindle Unlimited (KU). This story was fine, but not strong enough to hold my interest for a second book. Not sure why the main character didn't hold my interest, but the plot was good.
September 14, 2024
Sometimes I think the people who rate books like this 5 stars are only doing that so other suckers will suffer the same thing they went through, cause there's no way in hell you people actually think this crap deserves anything more than 2 stars.
April 27, 2025
Josie
Josie brings her Grandmother's body home. They have been gone from New Orleans for twenty five years. Now the Witches , Vampires and Werewolves are fighting for control of her.
Josie brings her Grandmother's body home. They have been gone from New Orleans for twenty five years. Now the Witches , Vampires and Werewolves are fighting for control of her.
May 13, 2025
very fun rread!
This was a fast and fun read. Great characters with the themes of family and love. Looking to learn more of the story and see the further development of the characters and their relationships.
This was a fast and fun read. Great characters with the themes of family and love. Looking to learn more of the story and see the further development of the characters and their relationships.
September 3, 2025
Could’ve been a five without the three-way
I don’t know why it’s so difficult for many authors today to keep three way sexual encounters out of their books. It’s a real turn off. Finn should have a been the the only one based on the story.
I don’t know why it’s so difficult for many authors today to keep three way sexual encounters out of their books. It’s a real turn off. Finn should have a been the the only one based on the story.
Read
September 22, 2025Livre 1
Certains passages ne sont pas assez détaillé, on dirait qu'on abouti dans contexte à un moment dans l'histoire. Malgré cela j'ai tout de même envie de poursuivre la série.
Intrigue 3.7/5
Épice 1/5
Certains passages ne sont pas assez détaillé, on dirait qu'on abouti dans contexte à un moment dans l'histoire. Malgré cela j'ai tout de même envie de poursuivre la série.
Intrigue 3.7/5
Épice 1/5
January 8, 2024
So good
I loved this book and am anxiously waiting for the next one! I don't know if I have read anything bad from JL Madore. Everything she writes is golden!
I loved this book and am anxiously waiting for the next one! I don't know if I have read anything bad from JL Madore. Everything she writes is golden!
December 19, 2024
This started so strong then just because a drag. No real answers are provided and I just got bored.
May 19, 2025
great read
Robots from start to finish
Characters are strong, plot keeps you guessing
Looking forward to reading the next book asap
Robots from start to finish
Characters are strong, plot keeps you guessing
Looking forward to reading the next book asap
May 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews