Marked by Moonlight

Moon Chasers #1

by Sharie Kohler, Sophie Jordan

“A riveting plot, steeping with sultry sexual tension and unforgettable love scenes” (Kresley Cole, #1 New York Times bestselling author), makes this first entry in the Moon Chasers series an unforgettable paranormal romance.

Claire Morgan has always been the quiet one: a shy, mousy schoolteacher, overlooked and unwanted. Until one day, out of nowhere, she wakes up a whole new woman—bold, wild, passionate...and impossible to ignore.

When Gideon March tells her she was bitten by a werewolf, Claire doesn’t want to believe the brutally handsome stranger. Sure, she was attacked by a nasty dog in a back alley, but this guy insists he’s a member of an underground society of lycan hunters and his mission is to kill her.

But Claire and Gideon are bound by a desire they can’t resist. And if they can’t break the curse by the next full moon, Claire’s soul will be lost forever and Gideon will be forced to end the woman who is dangerously close to devouring him, heart and soul.

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Romance, Paranormal, Werewolves, Shapeshifters, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 26, 2007

About the author

Pseudonym:
Sophie Jordan

Sharie Kohler took her adolescent dreaming one step further and penned her first story in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History. After several years teaching, Sharie decided it was time to pursue her long-held dream of writing.

She believes her decision to write paranormal romances stems from her long-sustained love of horror movies (big fan of Alfred Hitchcock!) and a good love story. This USA Today Bestselling author resides in Houston with her family, juggling deadlines, the demanding needs of her children, and a husband who loves her cooking. Amid the happy chaos, she finds time to write.

Reviews

[Ali]

DNF @ 59% (189 pages/ 320)

Listen, I wanted to love this given all of the not-so-positive early reviews, plus I've at least liked everything else I've read from Sophie Jordan. This was a book I wanted to love badly: the cover is stunning, the synopsis sounds SO GOOD, and who doesn't love a cheeky paranormal romance?

Gideon March is a lycan (werewolf) hunter, he kills any lycan that has fed; he's brutal and damn good at his job, but if he's as ruthless as his reputation says he is, why can't he kill her?

Claire Morgan is a schoolteacher who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. She has just a few days before the next full moon when she'll become a lycan forever, if Gideon and his team don't kill her first. She should hate him; he killed her student she was trying desperately to save, but he's doing everything he can to save her from the same fate, and she can't help but want him. A lycan and a lycan hunter shouldn't work, but damn them, it feels so good.

Womp WOMPPPPP. This had so much potential, a forbidden romance between the hunter and the prey sounds SO GOOD. I don't even care much for werewolf books; I'm more of a vampire girl myself, but this book sounded so good I was geeked. When I opened this advanced copy, there was a note saying this was actually Sophie Jordan's sophomore novel and it's now seeing the light again after first being published in 2012 under a different name, Sharie Kohler. This was definitely a product of its time with the insta-lust, but it's not the worst quality book I've read from Jordan, so I really can't believe I am DNF-ing this. I just can't do it anymore.

These characters are immediately attracted to each other in every way, which is fine when there is proper tension and yearning, but this has neither. These characters just suck. I don't like either of them, even though on paper I SHOULD love them. Even though this is a short book at 320 pages, and even shorter at 189, where I had to stop, every scene felt the same. It just was too repetitive, and when you already don't care for the romance, and the plot itself is lacking to make more space for the romance, repetition is a pain.

Thank you to the publisher, Gallery Books, for this digital advanced reader's copy! My review reflects that edition. This title is set to release on May 20, 2025!

[new_user · Rating 2 out of 5]

And another one bites the dust. I'm surprised I saw this mentioned so much in Goodreads groups. There were some interesting points in Marked by Moonlight: Claire's moments as schoolteacher, a troubled student's disappearance and the tiny glimpse of werewolf society, but Sharie Kohler did not develop any of this as realistically or at least as richly as I would have liked.

Instead of developing the hero, Kohler just kept repeating ad nauseum the same trifling, 10-second story like a press statement. Verbatim. "My mother turned into a werewolf. She killed my father." That's his story, and he's sticking to it. Don't worry, he has these lines prepared wheneever anyone asks him about his motivation, as the heroine does, again and again and again. Maybe she wasn't impressed with his story either.

"But why do you want to kill wolfies, Gideon?"
"My mother killed my father. Prepare to die."

Kohler, apparently satisfied that she had found a tagline for him, gave herself a pat on the back and went home. I mean, c'mon, if the man only has one card, shouldn't one be more careful playing it rather than reveal everything within the first few pages? The heroine also has a two-bit story ready in case anyone asks, and may I say, it's too absurd to be insulting, the way she tries to tie domestic abuse up in a bow.

The exposition suffered as much as the dialogue. Kohler seems infatuated with participial phrases.

"Stepping out of her car, Claire Morgan sniffed<...> Locking her door, she faced<...> Brushing<...>"

That is in just one paragraph. At the beginning of sentences, at the end of sentences, whereever she can find space. Needless to say, her writing is not tight and that makes for slumberous pacing, so that by the time we got to some action near the end, I had lost interest like five times.

I don't have to think about this one. I won't be reading the rest of this series. I can't even recommend it to read while waiting for an appointment with a root canal. Pick up Hotter After Midnight instead.

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ½ stars – Paranormal Romance

Great start to a steamy series about lycans and lycan hunters. I loved the sexy lycan hunter Gideon! The chemistry and sexual tension between the hero and heroine is palpable and the romance is scorching hot. There are a lot of werewolf series in the paranormal romance genre, but the Moon Chasers series definitely stands out. I’m looking forward to future books in the series and more books from this author.

[Lia Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was like twilight but instead of vampires it was focused on werewolves and their hidden society, ranks, etc. The issue is with twilight they’re teenagers so you can forgive the impulse decisions and the high hormonal decisions, but with this story they are supposed to be adults??

The book was fun I just wanted something more.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a teacher who gets bit by a lycan (werewolf) and has until the next full moon before she turns. If she kills at that full moon she is damned. Soulless. Vampire? No wait, this is a werewolf book, just a different take on it, but using the stereotypical Hollywood aspect. Soulless slavering beasts who kill indiscriminately.

The lycan hunter Gideon owes his life to the organization. He hunts and kills with a vengeance. His motivation? Vengeance. A lycan bit his ma, turned her wolfie, then she killed his pa. So imagine his surprise when he can't pull the trigger on mousy little Claire? So they have a month to find the alpha of the lycan who bit her, and ideally if they kill him, her curse will be broken.

On the whole a decent story, but there was no believable love story between Gideon and Claire. I believed it by the end, but it took some doing for me. it was as if one second he just thought of her as a target, the next he loved her. No connection.

I really was intrigued by Darius, the 1200 year old lone wolf who hasn't killed for over 300 years. I feel Gideon's sister Kit was introduced to us so we knew who she was, but in all her scenes, she could have been more, could have done more. Each time she was dismissed by her brother in a very abrupt way. I mean, she is holding a gun on Claire after finding her and Gideon in bed, and goes from about to kill her, to listening when big bro says "Go away" Riight, sooo not believable for what little we know of her character. I bought this new, and I won't buy the next one new. If the library has it, I'll pick it up, but no burning desire to go and get it now. I say 3 stars because it did actually interest me, but really it was ::shrug:: okay.

[Lydia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Apparently this is a reprint of Sophie Jordan’s second ever published book. She has published a ton of books so this must have originally come out decades ago. Personally, I think this one should’ve stayed in the past. I DNFed this sucker. The insta-lust that was so popular a couple decades ago is creepy to me and probably at least partially responsible for the stigma surrounding romance reading that is just starting to recede. So sorry, do not recommend this one.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I flew through it. The story flowed seamlessly. I connected with all the characters immediately and each time I would say, "I'll just finish this chapter ...", I had to keep reading to find out what happened next. Loved the relationship with Claire & Gideon and the hope they had for "curing" her. I also liked how his feelings for Claire opened his mind to the possibilities of helping, instead of just killing lycans in the future. I'm anxious to get started on book 2, Kiss of a Dark Moon.

[Personal note: Many thanks to Flib for mentioning my book choice for a challenge that led me to switch from a previous book to this one. Otherwise who knows how long this gem would've sat waiting in my TBR stack.]

[Darcy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made it just over 20% before giving this one up. I was bored to tears listening to it. Claire was such a Mary Sue character, which contributed to the boring. I did like that she had her students best interest at heart and hated how that changed her whole life. But watching her go from boring mouse to a sex nympho (or at least in her eyes) wasn't interesting. Nor was it enough to keep me reading to see how Claire would adjust to this new life and to see how Gideon was going to deal with his attraction to her and betray what he thought was his life's mission. In the end, this one just wasn't for me.

[Jess Renaye · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 only because it did make me laugh once but it was definitely one I kinda wished I skipped.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the most exciting werewolf (excuse me, lycan) story ever, but this was fun and kept my interest. I didn’t care much for Claire and her determined denial of what happened to her in spite of her 180 degree change in personality. For Pete’s sake woman, your eyes changed color, you can smell your next meal a mile away, and your sex drive went from zero to sixty in one night. Grab a mitt and get in the game.

Gideon, on the other hand, was a veritable dreamboat who had me from hello. I wanted to climb the man and shake his tree. Add the fact that he was the only person who tried to save someone who became infected rather than just shoot her and walk away, and I was putty in his hands.

I was intrigued by the lycan mythology, with its grace period before a bite victim went full-blown wolf. It added urgency to the plot and gave Gideon a valid reason to stall that itchy trigger finger.

Overall a good, quick read for a weekend.

[Maria Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you look through Sophie Jordan’s backlist, you’ll see many historical romances, some contemporary romances (including the Devil’s Rock series which I quite liked) and then books in a smattering of other genres, including an early 2010s dragon shifter series Firelight. In an author’s note at the beginning of Marked by Moonlight, the author reveals that this book was published around the same time (in 2007), and a little investigation on my part discovered it under the pseudonym Sharie Kohler (it’s still available on Amazon though not as an ebook and the print copies, as it’s out of print, are very expensive from used bookstores). So this is a reissue under the author’s current name but since I hadn’t read it before, I was intrigued enough to pick it up in its new form (though to my understanding the content remains the same).

Claire Morgan is a conscientious and quiet teacher who cares about her students. The night before a troubled student is supposed to write his SATs, she goes looking for him to make sure that he’ll make it to the test. When she does find him outside of his apartment building, he sprints away from her, making her follow him into an alley. As the full moon goes behind the clouds, Claire finds herself attacked by a large dog-like creature. Bitten through the shoulder, the attack suddenly ceases and she escapes, seeing two beings fighting behind her. But her ordeal is just beginning.

Gideon Marsh lost his family when his mother, bitten by a werewolf, became rabid at the first full moon after her infection and killed her husband. Rescued by a werewolf hunter, Gideon grew up to become an agent for NODEAL, the National Organization for the Defence Against Evolving and Ancient Lycanthropes. Their goal is to destroy all lycanthropes (werewolves), and most especially to kill anyone newly bitten before they turn at the next full moon to become an indiscriminate killer.

Gideon saw the attack on Claire (and killed the werewolf who attacked her, who unfortunately turned out to be her missing student) and he visits her in her home that night while she is asleep with the goal of killing her. But something stops him. He can’t do it. Instead he waits for her to wake and tells her what has happened. What he’s sayin is beyond belief – although she does believe he saved her from a dog attack. Still, when he points out her perfectly healed skin under the bandages and the newly silver eyes facing her in the mirror, she’s forced to admit that something has definitely happened to her. Despite knowing what he’s doing is wrong, Gideon offers her time to adjust to the news, with the warning that if she wants to survive past the next full moon and not turn into a killing machine, she needs to listen to him. Gideon knows the only way to save Claire is to find and kill the source of the infections before the next full moon. As the days go by and Claire’s transformation continues, she changes into a sultry female dynamo. Intense lustful feelings develop between Gideon and Claire making Gideon’s quest even more important. Because now he’s not just trying to save Claire for her sake, but for theirs. Will he succeed in time?

This story definitely has the feel of paranormal romance in its heyday. It has a darker, more violent plot than I was expecting – which I suspect may be because I’ve read a lot more of the light-hearted paranormals that exist currently (like How to Help a Hungry Werewolf by Charlotte Stein and Not Your Crush’s Cauldron by April Asher) than the intense J.R. Ward, Kresley Cole et al. novels of that era of romance publishing.

I enjoyed seeing Claire’s character evolve from the mousy schoolteacher to a confidant and sexy woman…errr …werewolf. She has an emotionally abusive father whom she becomes very comfortable standing up to, and her assertiveness doesn’t go unnoticed by her co-workers and friends either. Her attraction to Gideon is somewhat beyond her control as she is going into heat (and other men have trouble resisting her too, which Gideon uses to his advantage to try to draw out her werewolf ‘parent’). But Claire also sees what Gideon is willing to do for her, including hiding her from his NODEAL allies, which leads to stronger feelings for him. As for Gideon, he knows the risks he is taking but he also knows it’s only because Claire was trying to help her student that she’s in this predicament to begin with. Deep down she’s a good person who doesn’t deserve to die and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to save her. His sexual and emotional attachment to her only increases as the days to the full moon go by.

Eventually the moment of reckoning comes and there are several twists and turns as secret identities are revealed and the full moon rises. Claire and Gideon get their happy ending, though it’s a bit clichéd after all they’ve gone through. My feelings about the overall story are mixed and it’s difficult to articulate why. Maybe because I’m not used to the paranormal character being the bad guy? In so many paranormal romances I’ve read, the paranormal character can still be the good guy, whereas here, any werewolf is definitely bad. So it’s a human vs paranormal story, vs having the paranormal character as the central and usually positive figure. I hope that makes sense.

At any rate, it’s dark, it’s steamy, it’s insta-love/lust, and it’s the first in a series of what appears will be six books, assuming the whole series will be republished. I’m undecided whether I’ll continue the series (I believe the second book, if they are re-published in the same order, will feature Gideon’s sister Kit) – I’ll have to be in the right mood for it, though I’d definitely know better what to expect.

This review also appears at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...

[Anya · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you like poorly-edited, misogynistic romance books, this one is for you! It's 2 stars because the writing, though repetitive and uninspired, was at least not atrocious.

The two love interests only lust after each other which somehow becomes love because why? Who knows. His job is to be a werewolf hunter and he is about to kill her but he doesn't because he's horny??? It's a paper thin reason why he doesn't do his job and feels forced. All the characters are flat and I could not tell you a single personality trait that they have. Absolutely zero chemistry.

All of the villains are rapists because that's the only way a person can be truly evil. It's like comical how child-like the evil characters are. Absolutely no nuance at all.

If I took a shot every time the word 'hard' or 'hardened' was used in this book I would have died by page 50. Whenever they have sex he 'impales' her and the heat of his hands singe her (it's almost written verbatim from one scene to the next). The repetitive phrases and frequently used words should have been edited out so either Sophie Jordan needs to listen to her editor or hire a better one.

I was explaining a scene to a friend and she literally asked if a man wrote it because it was so sexist. Women can't be werewolf hunters because they menstruate(???????) This book hates women an awful lot for being something marketed towards women.

[JW]

DNF about a fourth of the way in. I just couldn’t continue. Instead of being “sexy” things felt downright creepy. There’s a scene pretty early in the book where the “hero” is holding a gun to the unconscious MC’s temple and he observes her body and starts thinking about how badly he wants her. He’s contemplating killing her while getting all horny. Umm no thank you. I should have stopped there, but since I’m a big fan of Sophie Jordan’s writing I kept reading, hoping it’d get better. It didn’t.

[Lisa (A Life Bound By Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, this was a new series that I found not all too long ago. I picked up the first and the third book... couldn't find the second which the author was amazing and sent a copy so I could read the whole series. The first book didn't disappoint me at all; it was a great beginning with an interesting take on Lycans and their hunters.

There was suspense, romance; danger and I mean come-on - Werewolves! Kohler does have a twist to her werewolves, or as they are called throughout this one, Lycan's in the fact that when they turn and kill there's no going back. Pretty much everything about who they use to be as a human is gone. There's a little bit more to it all in how it actually happens and what each person who gets bit goes through, but I leave it at that.

Also, we get to see things through the eyes of not only a woman - one of our two main characters Claire's eyes after being recently bitten, but we get to see through the eyes of our other main character - Gideon who just happens to be a Lycan hunter. And yep, you guessed it there's just a bit of tension and a HUGE conflict of interest when these two cross paths. Gideon sets out to go against his better judgment AND against all he knows to try to break the curse for Claire. Trying to save a person from the curse isn’t anything he’s done before and it brings up things from his past that is told throughout the book. He knows that if he can't do it, he'll have to kill her.

The story, characters and writing kept me turning the pages fast to see if Gideon could save Claire in time. If you want to find that out for yourself, be sure to pick up copy soon because I for one am glad that I have the next two books in the series because I can't wait to see what's coming next.

[Mojca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely horrifying. And not in a good way. There you have it.

Besides the style, which was shiver-inducing, the whole reading experience was a terrible exercise in eye-rolling and snorting at the ridiculousness of it all.

Lycans are supposed to be lycans. Once infected, there's no turning back. That's the lore. You can't change the lore. Apparently Ms. Kohler didn't get the memo. At least she kept the silver bullets.

The heroine was an absolute disaster and her disbelief as just what was going on with her too-long-lasting to be entertaining (honey, your eyes turned silver, why don't you cut the crazy guy telling you you're a werewolf some slack, eyes just don't change color over night, no matter how many pain-pills you swallowed), the hero seemed placed there only as an afterthought (not much personality, not much depth, not much development, besides being the resident stud for the horny new lycan), the pacing was so slow I wanted to cry, there were way too many pages with nothing going on but the characters inner broodings, and the whole "you can be saved if you're not damned yet" spiel grew boring quickly (and absolutely defied the lore!).

The only saving grace of this whole debacle was Darius, the "nice" lycan with an impenetrable vault he called home for those pesky three nights a month. But he got entirely too little screen time to actually make a difference.

P.S. If this wasn't a part of a reading challenge it would've remained unfinished!

[KOMET · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is centered around Claire Morgan, a young, shy, and unassuming schoolteacher in Los Angeles who survives an attack by a beast whose bite has made her a potential Lycan.

Gideon March, a werewolf hunter, is Claire's savior. The night that Claire was attacked by the four-legged beast that bit her, Gideon had been stalking the creature, which he swiftly killed following its attack on Claire. Claire collapses from shock. And in that moment, Gideon was transfixed by the serene look on her face. Cupid's arrow pierced his heart. Gideon knows he should kill Claire before her first transformation. But he is falling in love with her and is hesitant to kill Claire, and save her from her first transformation into a snarling, furry, bloodthirsty Lycan. To see what unfolds, I invite the reader of this review to pick up a copy of "MARKED BY MOONLIGHT" and read it to his/her heart's content. It's a well-told, compelling story.

[Amyiw · Rating 2 out of 5]

reprint of Marked by Moonlight by Sharie Kohler, I might have been harsher on this today but read it years ago. I don't recommend as I read the first 2 and struggled to give these the 2 star OK. Here is my review. I have no idea why the new blurb says it was written by Cole as they are totally different authors.

---------------------------------------------------

I just finished the second book in this series. After reading this one I wouldn't have started the second but I promised to give it to someone else.

This was good to OK, definitely not very original. The beginning and a bit of the middle seemed to drag on. I was wanting the story to progress or something to happen. The romance was marred by misunderstanding and general miscommunication. And the sex was marred by fighting the attraction and then kicking oneself once the couple gives in to the urges. Kind of typical in many romance to keep the sex scenes valid but didn't move me.

The one thing that redeemed the story was the twist and introduction of the lycan who controls his urges and doesn't feed, Darius. He was the most interesting character in the book. Unluckily you only get a little of him in the next book.

I did like Claire as she changes and grows out of her shell. She finally starts standing up for herself, though again she berates herself for it afterwards. Gideon seems real as he struggles with his conscience. But again this drags and repeats.

At the end, I had mixed feelings. The story was overall good, not great, with a definite dragging and then it seemed to end a bit abruptly. There were interesting points in the story but not enough to call it a great paranormal romance.

To read a great paranormal romance, look to Nalini Singh's psy-changlings, Kresley Cole's Immotals After Dark, and even really good Paranormal Romance like, Gena Showalter's Lord's of the Underworld, Alyssa Day's Atlantis Rising series, and Alexis Morgan's Paladin's of Darkness. This book is not up to the caliber of those at all.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This re-release of one of Sophie Jordan’s early works has a bold premise—lycan meets lycan hunter with all the forbidden tension that implies—but unfortunately, it just doesn’t land. It needed content warnings up front: on-page attempted rape, attempted suicide, child abuse, spousal abuse, and parental death are all present and largely unaddressed in any meaningful way.

While the plot starts with promise, it quickly derails into something strange and uneven. Darius’ backstory had potential but ended up feeling half-baked. Emotional beats failed to connect, and the pacing staggered between rushed intimacy and sluggish exposition. The romance itself leaned hard into lust without the groundwork needed to sell the connection—especially jarring in scenes that should’ve carried real weight but instead slipped into mechanical sex with no heart behind it.

The oddest touch? Every chapter opens with a quote from a dog training manual. Yes, really. While lycans are technically canine, this choice ended up making the heroine, Claire, feel more like a rebellious pet than a complex character. It was uncomfortable and added an unintentionally patronizing tone to her arc.

On the audiobook side, the narration didn’t help. There were multiple moments where I genuinely wondered if it was AI-generated—pronunciations were odd, timing was off, and any intended emotion was lost in delivery. It added to the disconnection I felt throughout.

In the end, this one just wasn’t for me. I’ll happily stick to Sophie’s dragon books, where her talent really shines, and let this one stay buried in the backlist. Some stories belong to the past for a reason.

[Empress · Rating 1 out of 5]

The level of denial the female protagonist engaged in was so monumental that it took half the book to get her to accept what she had become.

There was no romance...not the emotional kind. this was all about lust. I am not sure why lust is constantly being mistaken for love but I guess that's the era we live in. Sex makes everything rosy right?

This is a book where the female protagonist vomits desperation for attention and calls it love and the male character is so constipated emotionally that sex is the only expression of love you'll get.

Does she grow out of her emotional diarrhea? No.
Does he take an enema to let the constipation go and grow more emotionally mature? Also no.

Spoiler: The only feel good moment in this book was when her abusive father was put in his place. And even then, it was so sanitized, it made no sense. Was he an abuser or not because the resolution to this issue was so swift and lacked any credibility of real life abuser that it had me questioning who abusers really are. And if this was the feel good moment of the whole book...then yeah....the standard is on the floor.

[ᗰ.ᑕ. ✳ O͎L͎D͎E͎R͎ ͎&͎ ͎W͎I͎S͎E͎R͎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

3 good reads = 5 stars
(before 2017, 2020, 2023)




Claire Morgan is a 31-year-old high school English teacher. She's learned to close herself off to protect herself, thanks to an abusive, controlling father. She may be mousy and plain, but she has a big heart for her students.


Gideon March is a 32-year-old lycan hunter. Years ago, his infected mother killed his father, and was killed by a hunter. After his parents’ deaths, he raised his younger sister, and revenge became his main focus. Fifteen years later, he’s no longer satisfied just hunting and feels empty inside.

THE PLOT:
A desperate desire to help an at-risk student draws Claire into a darkened alley. Unaware of the danger, she finds Lenny—her student—who is now a lycan, about to transform into a savage beast. Before she can escape, Lenny bites her, and just as he’s about to kill her, Gideon arrives in a burst of gunfire. He shoots Lenny with silver bullets and ends his life. Claire flees into the night, trembling and alone.

Gideon finds her purse in the alley and enters her apartment, intent on killing her. As he watches her sleep, caught in the fever of her own transformation, something stops him—an unexplainable pull. She’s different, special. She reminds him of home, of family. In that moment, he chooses to give her the chance his own parents never had.

It takes time—long, uncertain weeks—for Gideon to convince Claire she’s truly a Lycan. She runs from him, trying to deny how she's changing, both inside and out. But finally, after Gideon shoots her and she heals within minutes, she’s forced to accept the truth. Together, they race against time to find the alpha who infected her, while evading both lycans and hunters alike. If they can kill the alpha before the next full moon, Claire will be free from the curse. The countdown has begun, and Claire's life hangs in the balance.

⋐⋑⋐⋑⋐⋑❉⋐⋑⋐⋑⋐⋑⋐⋑⋐⋑⋐⋑❉⋐⋑⋐⋑⋐⋑

The attraction may be on the "insta" side, but I didn't mind. I could feel the sexual tension building between them. Gideon tries to keep his distance in the event he needs to kill Claire, but his strong desire and need for her, soon leads to them becoming intimate.

One thing I really liked is that the lycans are clearly villains—evil, soulless killers. Once they feed on human flesh, they’re forever damned (how they know that is anyone’s guess 🤷‍♀️). There are no loving wolf-shifter packs here. It’s a straight-up good vs. evil story, with clear lines drawn.

★ Favorite Scenes:
• When Gideon saw something in Claire, and was unable to kill her.
• When Claire was willing to kill herself to keep Gideon from having to do it. He stops her from shooting herself, and they have sex for the first time.
• Seeing Claire transform into a strong, confident, sexy woman. In some ways, being bitten changed her for the better. She finally stands up to her bully father; this time he's the one to feel fear.

★ Darius is my favorite side character. The oldest lycan at 1,200 years, he hasn't fed in 300 years by locking himself in a steel room every full moon. Lonely without a pack, he wants Claire as his mate. Eventually, he realizes Claire loves Gideon and helps break her curse. (Darius' book is later in the series.)

★ Cooper is the hunter who saved Gideon and Kit from their lycan mother. Since then, he’s been a father-figure and mentor, teaching Gideon how to kill lycans. Initially, Cooper is upset and fires Gideon for wanting to save a lycan, but he later helps.

Gideon chooses Claire over his job, knowing that lycan hunters aren’t allowed to have families.

The evil alpha turned out to be: Cyrus, a fellow teacher at the school where Claire worked. He used Claire to find students who were without family or support, to feed him and his pack. Lenny was meant to be food, but he somehow got away.

🤩 Books 1 & 2 are my favorites in the series.
👩🏼 Gideon's sister Kit, is an MC in book two.

[Naomi Liftman · Rating 4 out of 5]

sexy, fun, and overall a quick enjoyable read

[Riley (runtobooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars --

this book really suffered from being incredibly underdeveloped. all of the ideas for a great werewolf/werewolf-hunter romance were there, but there was no chemistry, no explanation for character motivations aside from a tagline they each got, and one plotline thru the whole story that just kept repeating itself until it eventually came to a resolution. unlike other dark fantasy romances from the mid-2000s that i've read lately, this one really had little going for it. wasn't even a fun ride to be on.

[Chenoa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not good

[Cait M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty average, insta-lust between Claire, a mousy do-gooder school teacher who is accidentally infected by a lycan bite, and Gideon, the lycan hunter who is sworn to eliminate werewolves at all costs.

In order to save Claire's immortal soul, she and Gideon team up to find and kill the alpha of the pack before the first full moon. Neither MC was particularly exciting, and the love scenes seemed repetitive, but the story moved along quickly thanks to the 'against-the-clock' nature of the plot.

The most interesting character for me was Darius, an ancient monk-turned-werewolf who now refrains from feeding, despite his soulless state.

I'll stick to Sophie Jordan's HRs for now.

This book contains descriptive love scenes.

[Jane Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

The basic story was ok. The best parts were the timid teacher turning into the angry aggressor.

STORY BRIEF:
Claire is a mousy, timid school teacher. She lets people walk all over her because she doesn’t like confrontation. One evening she is bitten by a lycan (werewolf). Her eyes turn silver. She won’t turn into a wolf until the next full moon. Meanwhile, she begins feeling strength, hunger and anger. There are a couple of great scenes as she shows her anger and threatens her abusive father and a sneering, drug-dealing student. The hunger she feels is for both food and sex.

Gideon is a member of an underground society of lycan hunters. They hunt and kill all lycans using silver bullets. Gideon sees Claire being bitten and follows her home. He is reluctant to kill her and is strangely attracted to her. After he enlightens her about her circumstances, he agrees to help her. Claire was bitten by a newly created lycan. If they can kill the alpha leader of that lycan’s pack before the next full moon, Claire will turn back into a normal human. If they don’t kill the alpha, Claire will turn into a wolf at every full moon and need to feed off of humans while in wolf form. Future killing of the alpha won’t solve the problem. It must be before the first full moon after being bitten.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I loved the few parts where the former mouse becomes aggressive and strong. I also enjoyed the character Darius, what he did and what happened to him. As to the rest of the story, it was ok. It was primarily Gideon and Claire trying to solve the mystery and find the alpha. They fall for each other along the way. The story is good with a different take on lycans – she can turn back to being human if they solve their problem. I had no major problems with it. I just wanted to be a little more surprised or delighted in order to give it more stars. My favorite parts were minor parts of the story rather than the main plot.

CAUTION SPOILER:
The author used the typical romance formula which is: the couple falls in love, has a conflict causing them to be apart, and then gets together again. I’m ok with this formula, but I did not like the method used to separate them. Claire made the inaccurate assumption (one of my pet peeves) that Gideon didn’t love her or want to be with her, so she left him. The fact is they had just spent the night together. He never said or did anything to imply he didn’t want her. I say forget the formula if you can’t come up with something interesting. The story would have been fine without this brief separation. If you need to separate Claire and Gideon, consider using Darius or his housekeeper to cause it. They were intriguing characters.

DATA:
Story length: 346 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 6. Total number of sex scene pages: 17. Setting: current day Texas. Copyright: 2008. Genre: paranormal romance.

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sophie Jordan's Marked by Moonlight arrives as the inaugural entry in the Moon Chasers series, promising readers a world where werewolves aren't just Hollywood creations but ancient predators stalking modern streets. Having previously established herself in historical romance before venturing into young adult fantasy with her Firelight series, Jordan attempts to bridge her dual expertise in this paranormal romance that asks a compelling question: what happens when the meek inherit supernatural power?

The novel opens with Claire Morgan, a quintessential wallflower whose transformation from invisible schoolteacher to magnetic force of nature drives the central narrative. Jordan's decision to begin with such a dramatic personality shift immediately establishes the stakes—this isn't just about surviving lycanthropy, but about discovering who you truly are beneath layers of learned helplessness and societal conditioning.

Character Dynamics: The Beast Within and Without
Claire's Evolution: From Mouse to Predator

Claire's character arc represents both the novel's greatest strength and its most problematic element. Jordan skillfully portrays the initial confusion and terror of unwanted transformation, capturing the disorientation of suddenly possessing enhanced senses, inexplicable hunger, and an alien confidence that feels both liberating and terrifying. The author's background in crafting character development shines as Claire grapples with urges that contradict everything she believed about herself.

However, the execution occasionally stumbles when distinguishing between genuine character growth and supernatural compulsion. Claire's newfound assertiveness—standing up to her abusive father, confronting difficult students, embracing her sexuality—raises uncomfortable questions about agency. Is this the "real" Claire finally emerging, or simply lycanthrope instincts manifesting? Jordan attempts to address this philosophical complexity but doesn't fully commit to exploring its implications.

Gideon March: The Hunter's Paradox

Gideon presents a more straightforward yet equally compelling figure. As a member of NODEAL (National Organization for Defense against Evolving and Ancient Lycanthropes), his entire identity revolves around destroying the very creatures Claire is becoming. Jordan creates genuine tension by grounding his motivation in personal tragedy—the death of his parents at lycan hands provides believable justification for his initial ruthlessness and eventual internal conflict.

The romance between Claire and Gideon benefits from this fundamental opposition. Their attraction develops against the backdrop of his professional obligation to kill her, creating stakes that extend beyond typical romantic obstacles. Yet Jordan occasionally relies too heavily on instalove tropes, particularly in later chapters where emotional declarations feel rushed given the abbreviated timeline.

World-Building: Shadows and Silver Bullets
The Lycanthrope Mythology

Jordan constructs a werewolf mythology that borrows familiar elements while introducing distinctive touches. The distinction between "lycans" and Hollywood werewolves, the concept of alphas and pack dynamics, and the role of silver as both weapon and torture device demonstrate thoughtful world-building. The author's decision to make lycanthropy irreversible except under specific circumstances raises the emotional stakes considerably.

The inclusion of NODEAL as a secret organization hunting supernatural threats adds urban fantasy elements that complement the paranormal romance core. However, Jordan's exploration of this shadow world remains somewhat surface-level, focusing more on immediate plot needs than comprehensive mythology. Readers seeking the depth of Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series or Kim Harrison's The Hollows may find the world-building somewhat shallow.

Setting and Atmosphere

The Houston setting provides an appropriately gritty urban backdrop, though Jordan doesn't fully capitalize on the city's unique character. Scenes in dive bars, abandoned alleys, and suburban compounds create adequate atmosphere without achieving the sense of place that distinguishes truly memorable urban fantasy. The writing occasionally suffers from generic descriptions that could apply to any major American city.

Narrative Strengths and Stumbling Points
Pacing and Structure

Jordan demonstrates solid pacing skills, particularly in action sequences and romantic tension. The countdown to the full moon provides natural urgency, while the mystery of Claire's alpha creates investigation momentum. However, the middle section occasionally drags as characters repeatedly discuss the same information, and some plot threads receive inadequate development.

The author's experience in historical romance shows in her ability to build sexual tension, though the explicit content may surprise readers familiar with her young adult work. The balance between romance and supernatural thriller elements generally succeeds, though the scales tip occasionally toward melodrama.

Supporting Characters and Relationships

Secondary characters serve their plot functions without achieving memorable distinction. Nina, Claire's student, exists primarily to demonstrate Claire's caring nature and provide exposition about Lenny. Cooper, Gideon's mentor, represents institutional authority without developing beyond archetype. Even Darius, the ancient lycan with a conscience, feels more like a plot device than a fully realized character.

The relationship between Claire and her abusive father provides some of the novel's most emotionally resonant moments, particularly as her transformation allows her to finally confront years of psychological manipulation. Jordan handles this delicate subject matter with appropriate gravity, avoiding easy resolutions while showing how power can shift family dynamics.

Technical Execution: Prose and Style

Jordan's prose style proves workmanlike rather than exceptional, focusing on clarity and forward momentum over literary flourishes. The writing effectively conveys action and emotion without achieving the lyrical quality that elevates the best paranormal romance. Dialogue occasionally suffers from exposition dumps, particularly when characters explain lycanthrope mythology, though intimate conversations between Claire and Gideon generally feel natural.

The author's decision to maintain Claire's point of view throughout most of the novel creates appropriate intimacy with her transformation experience, though occasional shifts to Gideon's perspective provide necessary balance. Jordan demonstrates competent technical skills without the distinctive voice that would set this work apart from similar offerings in the crowded paranormal romance market.

Cultural Context and Themes
Power, Agency, and Transformation

Beneath its supernatural surface, Marked by Moonlight explores themes of personal empowerment and self-discovery that resonate with contemporary discussions of women finding their voices. Claire's journey from submissive victim to confident woman parallels real-world narratives of overcoming abuse and societal conditioning, though the lycanthrope metaphor sometimes muddles these messages.

The novel's handling of consent and sexual agency proves generally thoughtful, particularly in distinguishing between supernatural compulsion and genuine desire. However, Jordan doesn't fully explore the implications of Claire's enhanced attractiveness and sexual appetite, missing opportunities for deeper commentary on desire and authenticity.

[Plaama · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ами... Да помислим... Откъде да започна. О, знам. Аз - блахахах (истеричен смях). Не. Сериозно? Поглеждам корицата - блахахахаха (още истеричен смях). Защо? Ами да речем, че просто това беше реакцията ми за почти всеки ред, който прочитах, горе-долу от трета глава на книгата до края. И не. Всъщност нямаше нищо чак толкова смешно, освен абсурдите, които се редяха един след друг. Сериозно? Да. Напълно съм сериозна.

Преди време, любопитството ми да прочета още нещо на Sophie Jordan / Sharie Kohler, ме подтикна към Night Falls on the Wicked и тъй като книгата не беше никак лоша, имайки предвид, че е пета от поредицата Moon Chasers, не знам за кой дявол си казах, че първите четири книги няма как да са по-лоши от петата, при все че всеобщ феномен е първите книги от дадена поредица, която и да е, винаги да са по-добри от следващите. Кой да предположи обаче, че в случая ще се окаже точно обратното.

Абсурд 1: Ами всяка глава започва с цитат от книга "Кучето: Най-добрия приятел на човека - наръчник за вашия домашен любимец". И не. Не се шегувам. Наистина главите започват така, а още по-невероятно и абсурдно е, че онова, което се случва в самите глави наистина пасна на 100% на въпросния цитат. Сериозно, ако исках да чета наръчник как да си тренирам добермана щях да чета това, нали?

Абсурд 2: Всякаква липса на сюжет. През половината книга главните герои са толкова заети да се карат, да се целуват и после пак да се карат, че общо взето дори и малките къстчета история, които "уж" (кавичките не са там случайно) трябва да оправдаят цялото това "целуване" и каране, всъщност превръщат цялия "сюжет" в един наистина огромен цирк, в който сякаш дори и клоуните не знаят какво или защо го правят.

Абсурд 3: Е, естествено. Където има плосък сюжет, не можем и без плоски герои. Един от друг, кой от кой по-повърхностни и недоразвити. Не стига, че са малко на брой ами дори не знаят за какво са там (същински клоуни). Хора, които в единия момент са готови взаимно да си изтръгнат гръкляните, в следващия вече са първи дружки и търчат да спасяват поредната "damsel in distress", докато в това време същата девойка, както в единия момент е била твърдо убедена в нещо, в следващия вече е безвъзвратно приела точно обратното.

Сериозно? Кой чете такива идиотщини? Аз. Със сигурност. Никога повече!

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marked by Moonlight
3 Stars

Claire Morgan, a shy and timid schoolteacher, has no idea that the wild dog that bit her was, in fact, a werewolf. Nevertheless, Claire cannot explain the sudden changes in her appearance and behavior until Gideon March, a member of a secret society of lycan hunters, arrives on her doorstep to kill her. Fortunately for Claire, Gideon finds himself incapable of completing his mission and the two set out to find a way to save Claire before she turns into a mindless monster at the full moon.

Unlike the majority of books in the werewolf sub-genre, the creatures in this series are not powerful heroes struggling with their inner demons. Rather they are the monsters of myth and legend who attack humans indiscriminately either for food or procreation.

Unfortunately, this is the only original element in the story. Claire is as naïve as they come, and similar to many PNR heroines, finds it difficult to accept the truth of her situation, which inevitably leads to several TSTL moments. That said, the fact that she ultimately comes into her own and grows both in self-awareness and self-confidence makes her more appealing.

While the tortured hero trope is usually a favorite of mine, it does not work for Gideon perhaps because he is far too eager to relinquish his inner angst. For a man who has suffered so horrendously at the hands of lycans, it does not make sense that he would be so eager to help one that he has never even spoken to. Moreover, his tendency toward running hot and cold when it comes to his feelings for Claire becomes irritating after a while.

The manner in which Claire's furry problem is resolved is also predictable although it does lead to an exciting climax.

All in all, a rather mediocre paranormal romance and I can't see myself continuing with the series at this time.

[LouLou · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was right about the Darius charactor, a wolf after my own heart. Okay so the book was good enough that Im willing to read the next one. Not a wowzers, but there was something there, if the story builds more in the second book, I can see an obession building...

****Spoiler****
So the story is about Clair, school teacher by day, yawn by night. She takes a student under her wing that dissapears, so like most school teachers, she side steps a call to the police and goes looking for him herself, cuz the 30,000 a year is worth it! Too bad, the student Lenny, is now a lycan...uh ohhh, What the hell is a lycan (lycanthorp: Werewolf, one who changes in to a posterboy for laser treatment every full moon).

So fast forward to Clair finding herself in a bit of trouble, cuz its advisable to follow your creepy student down a dark alley, enter our Hero, a Lycan hunter named, Hummmmm, what was his name. I think it was typical 'save me big daddy save me." Except he really should kill her, because lycans are evil (unless they are shifters of course, then they are quirky: personal opinions aside) lycans in this world are evil, and its up to er, um Gideon, yeah thats right, to save humanity from them. Unless its during a full moon, then stay the hell out of their way.

Well, I won't give away the story, but let me just say, heroes should not work with kids, dogs or really hot 1200 year old werewolves named Darius, cus that combo can eclipes the lycan hunter with only the best of intentions. Ummmm Darius. So three stars for Gideon and Clair, and one more for Darius, cuz hell if given the choice (and she was!!!!!) I would have stayed with him and did his hairy ass until moonrise!

Smooches....

[Ryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for a good romance. And a good romance, to me, is a main character who is not a slut. I don't care if you're a modern woman and modern women can have sex whenever they want and celibacy is for losers and virginity is for freaks and yadda yadda yadda. If the heroine's in bed with the hero within the first ten pages, I'm done.

This one was a supernatural romance, which is even worse for that sort of thing because werewolves and vampires are, of course, sex maniacs. However, in this book, werewolves are evil, Claire Morgan hadn't wanted to be 'turned,' and she'd been single for years. And Gideon March (the lycan hunter) sounded damn hot. Again, I liked a relatively minor character (an old, old lycan who refused to feed and locked himself in a room every time the full moon rolled around), but the book was okay.

Kresley Cole did it waay better in Dark Desires After Dusk (whew, did it just get hotter in here...?).