Moonstruck

The Gwen St. James Affair #2

by Nicole McKeon, Elena Nedeleva (Illustrator)

Gwenevere St. James may be a lady, but she’s never been interested in playing by the rules. Instead of ingratiating herself into high society, she spent a decade searching the world and studying the occult for a way to find her lost twin sister.

So when a coven of witches offers her a missing person’s case in return for a book of spells guaranteed to locate her twin at last, Gwen cannot refuse, even if it means doing something she swore she would never attend a country party for the wealthy elite.

But the case is far more complicated and dangerous than she expected. Villagers whisper of ghostly riders in the night, and an unknown monster hunts the nearby forest, putting everyone in danger.

As people go missing and innocent bystanders die, Gwen must make a how many lives will she risk for the thing she wants most?

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Historical, Fae, Magic, Witches, Historical Fiction

389 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 16, 2023

About the author

Nicole has been a soldier, photographer, freelance writer, and artist, but she truly found her home as the author of stories about magical worlds in which ordinary people become heroes through extraordinary circumstances…always with a little romance thrown in.

When she’s not writing fantasy novels or creating fantasy art, Nicole spends time with her husband and three boys, climbing, camping, hiking in the New Mexico wilderness, and daydreaming about chocolate chip cookies.

Reviews

[KMart Vet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much appreciate the author continuing to allow me to be an ARC reader so that I can continue to hype up these books that have totally stolen my heart.

I really adored the first book in this (hopefully long, long, long series), but the sequel far surpasses that. The characters all have had some growth since the first and they continue to gain complexity. I continue to adore each and every one of them while accepting them for their flaws. Readers will both love them and feel for their plights as they navigate their lives and relationships shift. I applaud the author for giving Sam more of the focus of the two children, though Sally remains a delight throughout. I love that little scamp. This book isn't cozy because the stakes are much too high for that, but it almost feels like it is because these characters feel like good friends. There are also wonderful new characters that I am eager to get to know.

In addition to the characters leaping ahead in growth, the setting also has been allowed to deepen and becomes even richer in the second novel. The world and the magic continue to impress me. Each book manages to surprise me; the author seems to be setting us up for a well-known trope and often pivots before we get there. I adore it. There are so many threads that are set up wonderfully for the future.

I remain in shock by some of the things that happened. I think the author portrays the grief of a lost sibling so exceptionally well. And I have SO many questions. I cannot wait for the next book! I'll miss my character-friends until then.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, the way I adore this series! These books consume me. I can picture everything that is taking place, and I love it. More magic, and mystery. More mysterious strangers. A new 2nd pov (🥹). And the slowburn is burning! We might only be getting morsels in the romance department, but those morsels are feeding me! Starting book 3 immediately.

[Minna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sequel to Vanished is even better than the first. How exciting the happenings and characters are! There are some surprises and the plot is well thought out. Gwen is a very remarkable woman, strong and capable. Very well written story!! I highly recommend Vanished series.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was okay. I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but somehow the magic did not continue in this second installment.

The plot in this book felt disjointed and unconnected with the chapters being told from multiple characters' perspectives. Sometimes this can work very well, but the storyline of Sam's perspective was not interesting to me.

I am also not really interested in Gwen's obsession with getting her sister back from the Fae lands. I understand it, I just don't find it interesting.

I won't be continuing on to book 3. This series has lost its charm for me.

[Ci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh wow, this series took an unexpected turn there, towards greatness, splendor and hot mysterious strangers!

Part one was quite good already but the romance I am suspecting to follow the end of this part, as well as the way the bigger plot arc in this part evolved are all going right into direction of that sweet spot.

Definitely reading on.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oof this one has some heavy themes. I just want them all to be happy, isn’t that possible???

[Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect! The book is just perfect, I just started reading fantasy and I feel so at home in this world that Nicole creates. The magic, the setting, the main character strengths and flaws, it is so playful and wondeful to sit with. I miss it already! Next book please!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There is nothing in this world—from the snow-capped peaks to the bottom of the ocean—worth more than you, Gwenevere St. James.”

This series is easily becoming one of my newest obsessions. The world building and characters are absolutely captivating. McKeon has an exquisite way with words that captures you and brings this world to life.

I love Gwen so much - everything about her just pops off the page. Her relationship with Sam and Sally is so beautiful and I love how determined she is to keep them safe. To be honest, her love for them is one of my favorite things about this series so far. I’ve enjoyed getting to see their bond develop and am looking forward to continuing to see it grow.

Inspector Hardwicke is a sweetheart and I’ve liked getting to read about his growing bond with the children as well. It’s fascinating to see how they sort of work in this unit together. But I’m absolutely torn about his relationship with Gwen.

“I don’t intend to give up. I’m not as breakable as you seem to think I am.”

He’s so invested in her and it breaks my heart because you can tell she cares for him but she’s not gonna risk it. THEN the mysterious stranger returns and I’m floundering because I’m a little obsessed with him (even though we don’t know his name). But every single one of their scenes had me squealing. I definitely have a guess on who he might be 🐦‍⬛ but I feel like I might be crazy for thinking it… so we’ll see 😅

4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

[Erin McGregor · Rating 5 out of 5]

How is a sequel even better than the first book?!

I have already read this book twice. I absolutely devoured it the first time, then couldn’t get it out of my head. Obviously I just had to read it again!

The characters are so complex and multidimensional. The storyline is enticing and a wild ride from start to finish. The magic systems are practical yet complex. The vibes are immaculate. The setting is easy to digest. The feelings are like a cozy hug or a warm blanket by a lit hearth in a quaint country cottage. The suspense is enthralling.

Gwen is the leading lady we need. Smart, witty, funny, brave, and complicated. Her reactions and thoughts make sense. I cannot describe her and give her the justice she deserves.

This book is the type of book where you can block the world out and immerse yourself in what feels like a universe parallel to ours. It is so full of description and colorful characters, I didn’t want to put it down! Honestly, I enjoyed it so much, I have put off writing a review until now. I didn’t feel like I could provide enough praise for Nicole’s writing.

Do yourself a favor and start this series! But if you are anything like me, prepare to be addicted.

I am so thankful Nicole has allowed me to be an ARC reader. These thoughts are completely my own and we’re provided voluntarily.

[Brittany Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

An afternoon at the zoo ends in chaos when a political protest turns into a riot, putting Gwen and her beloved wards in danger. The Triumphant Sisterhood extends and dinner invitation to Gwen and Inspector Hardwicke in hopes of hiring Gwen to help locate a missing housekeeper. Gwen has no interest in being involved or working for the sisterhood until they make her an offer she can’t refuse. Determined to earn her reward, Gwen, with the help of her entourage, must pretend to re-enter “proper society” while investigating the disappearance of dear Ms. Honeycutt. However, it doesn’t take Gwen long to discover the truth being withheld from her and the dangers that lerk in the woods. Can Gwen solve this mystery before anyone else finds themselves in danger or has she bitten off more than she can chew?

This book was phenomenal! The suspense had me hanging on to the edge of my seat for dear life. The mystery was so beautifully written that I was genuinely surprised when all was revealed. I love how effortlessly Nicole weaves the multiple subplots into the main plot, it’s highly entertaining and binge-worthy. This book actually gave me some thriller vibes, I was reading late one night, I can’t remember the exact scene, however, my adrenaline was pumping and I was suddenly nervous about what could be lurking outside my bedroom window! If a book can trigger that sort of intense feeling for me it’s an automatic 5 stars for extraordinary writing!

PS; this mystery character has me swooning and we barely know anything about him!

[CarlysGrowingTBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second installment to this mystery/gas lamp Fantasy held up to the fun and quirky time of the first book!

Disclaimer: I was initially commissioned by the author to read the first book in the series, which I did. I was gifted the entire series as an Ebook/audiobook. I chose to continue the series on my own.

I really enjoyed this second book in the series. I feel like the characters were just as lovable and endearing and had excellent character development throughout the storyline. The narrator for the audiobook continued to excel and make a story fun. The tempo and emotion lent to the story through the audiobook narrator was superb just like with the first book.

I really liked the mystery and the fantasy type characters that were within this novel. I got to experience one of my favorite fantasy characters of all time as a villain in this novel. I really liked the way the children got more character development from the first book and became more of a materialized part of the storyline. I really like where Sam in particular plotline is going. I would like to see more with Sally at the forefront.

Gwen St James remains one of my favorite female main characters of all time at this point. She is quirky and snarky and altogether lovable and bad ass. I am starting to feel like the romance may be getting a little too slow burn for me. I'm looking for some more heightened Happenings in that department. The slow burn being a little too slow for me might be the only thing keeping this book from a solid five star.

4.75🌟. Immediately moving to the next installment.

[Amy Wolford · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off thanks to the author Nicole for giving me the opportunity to be a BETA for this book. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite series.


This takes place a few months after the end of Vanished. Gwen is still trying to find a way to get her twin sister back while taking care of the orphans Sally and Sam. A secret coven of witches offers her a grimoire that can help her find her sister but in return Gwen has to help them in finding a missing person. Gwen has to do the one thing that she does not want to do: attend a country party for the wealthy elite. While there she discovers that people from the village are going missing and there are whispers of ghost riders.


I have completely fallen in love  with these characters. Gwen is someone I would love to be friends with. The plot moves along nicely and it is a well written gaslamp fantasy. I gasped and laughed in many of the scenes. My favorite new character is probably the woman in the woods and she is only in a couple of scenes but I loved her nonetheless. And Sam needs to be protected at all costs. 


I give this 5 out of 5 stars. It has the perfect mesh of mystery and fantasy for me. Gwen is still the sassy protagonist that I want to be reading about.

[Ruthless The Bookdragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed the second installment of the Gwen St. James Affair!!
I did find that for me this didn't hit as well as the first book. I think it probably had to do with our setting changing from the old London vibe to out in the country, which I liked but not as much as I loved book one's setting.

The characters are still just as intriguing! Gwen grows on me more and more, but I do worry that her headstrong stubbornness will get her in way more trouble than my stress level would like, and she has some bad habits that I worry will lead to more serious issues later on (cough cough laudnum cough cough). The dear inspector remains lovely and sweet and heart warming. I do, however, suspect we may be heading into the blonde love interest failure of most fantasies as Mr tall dark and mysterious was back in the game to intrigue and titilate my brain... (who is he?!?!?). I loved getting Sam's perspective and I am interested to see where his choices will lead him 👀

The tension and mystery was good! The side characters (new and old) captured my heart. The thread running through is definitely keeping me hooked and I want to know more about this world!!! So excited to dive into the third book!!

*I was given this book by the author for an honest review

[COQUI · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not surprising that I ended up loving this book. I believe the integration of each magical creature into the story is done so well that I want more! It did start a little slow and there were parts that may have been unnecessary in the first chapters by incorporating a summary of the previous book into the characters internal monologue but that is me. If you are also not a fan of that then be reassured that it is really in the first chapter or so and is not very overly detailed or prolonged. After that internal monologue summary of the first book is done then the plot slowly starts to grow.

Each character growth is unique and done really well. This book has a darker theme compared to the first one that really helps set the tone of what I believe the next books will be. Book One was an introduction of the world with some comedic relief but Book Two makes it real that what the characters are about to embark will be very dangerous.

By the end I got teary between the relationship between Sam and Gwen 'family' bonds, and between Tony and Gwen relationship and their limitations.

Thank you, Nicole for providing me an ARC of this amazing series. I am exciting to continue this series and see where it will go next.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A missing housekeeper, a chance for Gwen to reinstate herself at the top of British society, and a grimoire which will finally give her a key to finding her twin sister Lia ...
And all she has to do is find a missing housekeeper and get into bed with those pesky London witches (The Triumphant Sisterhood).
It's off to Chatsworth Manor to investigate, bringing Percy (the milliner and more), Tony (police detective and possibly romantic interest) and Sally (posing as a maid).
There's definitely something troubling in the area, mysterious figures riding wildly and kidnapping at random, the distinct possibility that there's a vampire in the area, not forgetting the mysterious crafty woman in the woods who no-one local seems to know.
Sam is told to stay in London but he has plans of his own!
“Moonstruck”, the second in the 'Gwen St. James Affair' series, is a fast read.
While each book in the series can be read as a stand-alone, there is an over-arcing plot (i.e. rescuing Lia) which advances throughout.
Surprisingly, while there are several 'scary' moments the writing style doesn't really reflect it.
3.5 Stars, brought back to 3 Stars.

[Andrew Rawlinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to receive this as an arc, i loved this book This is book two in the Gwen St James Saga, This book focuses around the Disappearance of Ms. Honeycutt the housekeeper of Lady Frances Chatsworth and the continuing story of Mr Capstone, and stars Lady Gwen St James, who is a non conventional aristocrat who loves to break all the typical rules, her companions Sally and Sam of whom she met and saved in the first book, and Inspector Tony Hardwicke, This takes place at Lady Frances country Estate where her housekeeper went missing Gwen has to contend with trying to act like she’s supposed to as an aristocrat as well as try and figure out what is going on with the disappearance, there is also a subplot with Sam and the Cutthroat King, During this story Gwen receives a Hagstone which allows her to see through the glamor that the Fae use to disguise themselves from humans, without revealing too much i'm just going to throw out Vampires, Werewolves, and Selkie, but you have to read the book to see where you will see them.

[Keke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series continues to knock it out of the park. I have always liked Victorian/Regency house party mysteries and this one had so many mysteries and sinister characters and happenings!! A lot of events are converging and I cannot wait to see where this goes. In terms of all of the new characters, I really dont like the Cutthroat King and cannot imagine where there is a spinoff book with him as a main character. Gwen is full of surprises and very clever, I liked the introduction of Little Red and her wolf!! Gwen and Tony hitting a rough patch is not surprising I guess but I think they both need the time to sort their own feelings and priorities out. As someone who also doesn't know if she wants to get married, I can empathize with Gwen. We are not exactly going to lead traditional lives. It was fun to learn more about fae and that one of Gwen's friends, her dressmaker, is a selkie in disguise?? Plot twist. And now the juicy part, the mysterious stranger who appears again is suspicious....could he be Aristotle??

[Pam Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I would like to thank Nicole for continuing to allow me to be an ARC reader for her. This has been an amazing experience so far. This series has quickly become one of my favorites. I can’t wait for the next book.

Moonstruck takes place about a year after the first book ends. In the second book, we get to see more of Sam's perspective. Boy, does he take us on quite an adventure. He seems to put himself in some unfortunate situations. Sally is sweet and sassy. The character growth for everyone is absolutely fantastic.

In the second book, we follow Gwen as she makes a deal with a coven of secret witches to find a missing person in exchange for a grimoire so she can try to find her twin sister. Unfortunately she has to go to the countryside to attend a weekend long county party with societies wealthiest people. While there a lot more stuff comes up that Gwen isn’t expecting and has to solve also with the help of the inspector.

[Melissa Halm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an ARC (advance reader copy) reader for Moonstruck, the second book in "The Gwen St. James Affair" series. As part of this opportunity, I was asked to provide an honest review.


In Moonstruck, the primary characters investigate the disappearance of a powerful aristocrat/witch’s country estate housekeeper. Lady Gwen finds this request unusual for an aristocrat.  However, in exchange, Lady Gwen will receive an artifact she desperately wants and agrees to investigate the missing housekeeper.  This investigation is more dangerous and complicated than expected. 


The character development of Lady Gwen and Sam was phenomenal. Lady Gwen is still the confident, pertinacious heroine; however, Moonstruck exposes her vulnerable and relatable attributes. Sam doesn’t exactly have the same moral compass as Sally, his sister. However, he is fierce in the protection of those he loves. I enjoyed reading Moonstruck and would recommend it to fellow fantasy readers.

[Chad E Spilman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm honored to be given this 2nd book in the series as an ARC.
I really enjoyed the first one and the second was fantastic as well. There are some new challenges by Lady St James in this fairy tale. She is promised a grimoire in exchange for finding the maid of the host of a party, sorry I already forgot her name. Her and Tony the investigator and Lady st James love interest, who she will undoubtedly fall in love with in the next book, have another adventure with fairies, vampires, and the shadow riders. They have a very action filled fight with all of them, sort of a brawl if you will. Aristotle the Raven makes another appearance in this second book in the best possible moments.

Maybe Lady St james will be able to get her sister back in the 3rd book which is her entire motivation for monster hunting.

Lady St James, Sam, Sally and Tony are quickly becoming a homely family and many friends and allies are joining the causes.

[K.C. Norton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got to be an ARC reader again, and I’m very grateful. I love this series, and when the whole thing is out, I’ll no doubt end up buying hard copies.

Gwen St. James is back with another mystery. This book, more than Vanished, felt like it was setting up the rest of the series and introducing characters and concepts that didn’t fully pay off in this book so that they can come back with a bang in later installments. Due to the nature of the mystery, there are also some moments of dream sequences, or “I came to in a different place…” which, while common in fantasy worlds for ✨magical reasons✨, aren’t my favorite trope, hence me enjoying it just a bit less. That said, I definitely still enjoyed this one, and I look forward to seeing the whole world unfold.

One major difference from Vanished: we get Sam as the secondary POV, rather than Sally. I am interested to see whether we go back-and-forth between the two or if we will get a different secondary POV with every book.

[Nan Lambertz-Schager · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a surprise ARC! After ARC reading the first book in the series, I was most excited to dive back into the world of Gwen St. James.

Much like the first book, the world building is spectacular. Gwen’s relationships with of the other characters we met in the first book (and some new relationships in this book as well) are each explored with as much care as the plot points driving the story.
Just incredibly well written.

I love that the books are being released so close together. I think the only reason this book get 4 instead of 5 stars is because I’m a woefully terrible mood reader, and it did take me a while to read through it. I can’t tell if it dragged or it was just my brain. Should that change upon rereading, it will definitely be updated. :)

Looking forward to the next one!

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery man you have stole my heart!!! Tony it’s time to step aside!

This book was even better than the first!!

In this book the characters came to life even more and unlike the previous book the side characters involved had so much more substance to them, which was my only criticism from the first book.

Gwen, Tony, Sally, Sam and the rest of their friends and “acquaintances” banded together in this book to solve a missing persons case. Mystery man from book 1 came back not once but three times… still not answering the question of who he is but having an undeniable chemistry with Gwen that made me want to squeal out loud.

I well and truly devoured this book in a day and immediately had to move on to the third one!


** I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review **

[Foxx Writer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fantastic continuation of a series. follow Gwen as she travels to the countryside in order to solve a string of disappearances, and uncover answers... and even more questions. With so many people at risk, Gwen must choose between saving her sister, and protecting the people she loves once again, all the while figuring out what the mysterious black shadowed figures want. Not to mention the yellow eyed man stalking the high society peerage that Gwen finds she must brush shoulders with.

This was a thrilling adventure from start to finish, and I find myself all the more anxious to get to book three. Answers are found here, but they bring up more questions, and I find myself staying up at night contemplating what might yet come, instead of sleeping. this is definitely a favorite series now, and I'll be reading it again and again.

[Bianka B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

My little family from before has grown more and it’s great to see them turn into this little damily even if at the beginning circumstances forced them together.

Now for the plot, I enjoyed this a lot. I think, regarding the plot I enjoyed the first book slightly more, but that might be because I expected one thing to happen and things played out differently and in my mind I was still set on the first scenario, so for a big part of the book I was just confused. Which is absolutely not the books fault but mine.
Anyway, it was great to see the different plots come together at the end, and damn the ending left a big impact, just like the first one.

We get some interesting new characters as well, and once again it was so easy to fall in love with (most) of them and to care what happened with them.

[Mamasita81 · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 freaking stars!

I've been lucky to get the arcs for both the first book and now this one and I have got to say I am loving this series thus far. I devoured this book in one day. The characters are fantastic, the relationship building between Tony and Gwen is titillating and the side characters are just as fascinating as the leading damsel, Gwen.

In book one, Gwen had to solve the mystery of orphans being kidnapped. In this book, Gwen has to solve the mystery of a housemaid gone missing while trying to be as "normal" as possible in high society. This book has witches, werewolves, elves, faeries, and vampires. Oh, and a very determined stubborn leading lady with great passion and empathy.

[Storm · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you thought Gwen and gang's initial adventure was an edge-of-your-seat mystery full of twists and turns, book 2 is going to blow you away! I'm so thankful to have gotten an ARC of Moonstruck!
The coven hires Gwen to find a missing housekeeper. Sam tries to be helpful, but just ends up getting himself into some nasty trouble. Even more supernatural creatures are revealed. Secrets are revealed. And Gwen makes a new friend! Oh, and, of course, Aristotle saves the day.
I'm still madly in love with the world and characters that Nicole McKeon has crafted. Sure, sometimes they make ludicrous decisions that have me pulling my hair out. But they are still some of my favorite characters of all time. And who would want to love a character that always did the sensible thing?

[Angela Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore this story, and I really love how much it builds off of the first book, and in my opinion it may be even better than the first book. The characters were more complex, and we get to see them experience different things, and learn how they perceive the world which is really artistically done. We get some crazy revelations that are awesome. The world is continually developing and it feels like with this development there’s no backtracking it’s like additional information instead of being like things are changed to fit a new narrative. I would recommend this to anybody as an amazing series that seems to be moving an upward trend of just getting better and better, and I’m really excited for book 3.

[This · Rating 5 out of 5]

- NO SPOILERS
This was book 2 in the series immediately picking up where book 1 (Vanished) left off. This can still be read as a standalone I think since it has its own storyline, but you miss out on some of the character development from book 1.

Moonstruck is a fast-paced multiple POV gaslamp fantasy following the FMC Gwen St. James as she galivants around an alternative Victorian London as she solves yet another magically inclined mystery. Witty, mysterious and fun this adventure is great from start to finish and will leave you clamoring for the next book. I know I can hardly wait for book 3 to be released.

Disclaimer: I received a digital ARC from the Author in exchange for an honest review.

[Molly Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to Nicole McKeon for providing me with an E-Arc copy of this book.

I loved this sequel to Vanished. It was exiting, the plot was so well done and there were some moments that definitely surprised me. The first book was amazing but this one is just a masterpiece. The characters have all grown up and they are developing into more complex people in each book. They are so easy to love and to root for, I simply love them. Gwen is such an amazing main character, she is strong and independent and I simply cannot wait to continue her story. This series is just awesome and I cannot wait to read the next book Nicole McKeon gives us.