In Moonlight and Memories: Volume One

In Moonlight and Memories #1

by Julie Ann Walker

VOLUME ONE MOST LOVE STORIES HAVE ONE BEGINNING AND ONE ENDING. THIS LOVE STORY HAS MANY.From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann Walker comes an epic story about sacrifice, friendship, and the awe-inspiring power of Ten years ago, Cash Armstrong stole my heart. Then he promptly joined the army—dragging my best friend with him—and left me crying on the front porch in a red sequined prom dress. Now he's back. They're both back. Cash, the one who still has my heart. And Luc, the one who saved my How do you know if you’re at the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end? That's what I've been trying to figure out since a traumatic brain injury made me "unfit to serve." I'm back in New Orleans, and picking up the shattered pieces of my past means I must confront where my life's journey began... and where it all might Long ago, Maggie May was mine. Not mine in the way you might think. She was mine because she was my only friend. Then Cash came along and we became brothers by something stronger than blood. We became brothers by choice. When tragedy struck, I was forced to make a decision that changed all our lives. I thought, after ten years, it was safe to come back home. I was wrong...

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Amazon, Ebooks, Romantic Suspense, Second Chance

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2019

About the author

Julie Ann Walker is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She has won the Book Buyers Best Award, been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, and the Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA award. Julie loves to travel the world looking for views to compete with her deadlines. And if those views happen to come with a blue sky and sunshine? All the better! When she's not writing, Julie enjoys camping, hiking, cycling, fishing, cooking, petting every dog that walks by her, and... reading, of course!

Be sure to sign up for Julie's occasional newsletter at: http://julieannwalker.com

Or follow her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/julieannwalkerauthor and/or Instagram: @julieannwalker_author.

In Moonlight and Memories:
#1 IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES: VOLUME ONE
#2 IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES: VOLUME TWO
#3 IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES: VOLUME THREE

Black Knights Inc.:
#1 HELL ON WHEELS
#2 IN RIDES TROUBLE
#3 REV IT UP
#4 THRILL RIDE
#5 BORN WILD
#6 HELL FOR LEATHER
#7 FULL THROTTLE
#8 TOO HARD TO HANDLE
#9 WILD RIDE
#10 FUEL FOR FIRE
#11 HOT PURSUIT
#12 BUILT TO LAST

Deep Six:
#0.5 HOT AS HELL
#1 HELL OR HIGH WATER
#2 DEVIL AND THE DEEP
#3 RIDE THE TIDE
#4 DEEPER THAN THE OCEAN
#5 SHOT ACROSS THE BOW
#6 DEAD IN THE WATER

Black Knights Inc: Reloaded:
#1 BACK IN BLACK
#2 BLACK HEARTED
#3 MAN IN BLACK
#4 BLACK MOON RISING
#5 BLACK WIDOW
#6 FADE TO BLACK

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young love, selfless friendships, unfulfilled dreams, shattered hearts and now, ten years later, the cycle may all start over again when two soldiers come home and the girl they left behind is still waiting, her heart on her sleeve.

Julie Ann Walker’s IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES Volume I lays an emotionally taut foundation that will follow three friends, Luc, the best friend, the voice of reason, the calm in the tempest of life and the man who can never share his feelings for Maggie, so settles on being the best friend he can be to both Maggie and Cash. But are his loyalties a little too selfless?

Maggie and Luc were best friends, but her heart belonged to Cash, the rebel, the brash ruler breaker, the boy who broke her heart when he went off to join the army without telling her goodbye or why…now he has come home, damaged by war, permanently disabled by the head trauma he suffered, but still just as unpredictable.

Will she and Cash take up where Maggie thought they left off or have the past ten years she spent pining for him all been a cruel lesson in life?

The stage is set for a tale of three friends, three hearts and the power of pain, sacrifice and love.

Julie Ann Walker has done a remarkable job of bringing her characters to life, creating the world they lived in a filling in the “whys” of what made these people who they are. Not a rapid-fire read, the over-the-top “action” comes through the emotions of each character, High on angst, definitely filled with a mysterious vibe that resonates beneath the surface, this love triangle is not the standard fare, but more like a triangle that has broken connections that seem impossible to repair.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Julie Ann Walker!

Trilogy: In Moonlight and Memories - Volume 1
Publisher: Limerence Publications LLC (July 1, 2019)
Publication Date: July 1, 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Print Length: 260 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Jewlsbookblog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie and Luc became friends in high school, bonding over a love of Harry Potter. Things might have developed romantically between them, but in steps Cash, a transplant to New Orleans. He defended Luc from bullies and befriends him. When Cash checks in to see if Luc was okay, Cash and Maggie meet. And it’s young love at first sight between Cash and Maggie, with Luc essentially classified as a third wheel and it will all make sense when the story gets moving. Things are going great, until out of the blue Cash ditches Maggie on prom night, sending Luc in his stead while he disappears in to the night.

Ten years later, (all three are now in their late twenties) after no personal contact with Maggie since that fateful prom night, Maggie learns Luc and Cash are back in town when they show up on her doorstep. She knows through family and friends they’ve been serving in the military while she has gone on to open her own bar like the had all dreamed up. But ten years?! Personally, I’d be fighting mad! That time frame gives a woman a long time develop a grudge! However, Maggie likes to focus on the positives and hopes this may mean a second chance with Cash. Or is it? Because things have changed between the three. The friendship between them all is as strong as ever, but the dynamics of their relationships are shifting course in ways Maggie didn’t expect.

Maggie May, Luc, and Cash are like the Three Musketeers. Through thick and thin, these three have held tight to their friendship, even when they’re an ocean away. Cash is a passionate, hot-headed mess who loves hard and makes a splash wherever he goes. Luc’s charm lies in his Southern manners and slow drawl, but don’t view him as the underdog. It’s always the quiet ones you need to watch out for! Maggie is simply a cute sprite. She’s loyal, loving, and generous to a fault, but clings to a past she’s learning the hard way she needs to let go.

Personally, I’m all for Luc and Maggie getting together because he deserves his chance too. Cash and Maggie had their moment and while Cash obviously still loves her, something is up with him...and I think whatever it is means I’m going to require a whole lot of tissues before this trilogy is over!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dynamic and diversified group of characters play out their lives in the very unique and special city of New Orleans. The main characters, Maggie, Cash and Luc have a strong bond of love, friendship, loyalty and respect. They met as teenagers and had an instant connection but, Cash and Luc enlist and become Green Berets and don't speak to Maggie for ten years. Now, they are back and it is awkward because there are secrets and hurts that are hard to ignore. Plus, there is the mysterious missing Dean, a fellow teen that disappeared ten years ago and Maggie and Luc are under suspicion.

This is a mesmerizing story that keeps you wanting for Maggie, Cash and Luc to find their peace, their happiness and their future...which you need to read the following volumes in order to find out how they all fare. The writing is so good you feel as if you are in the French Quarter with this lively bunch and you can't put the book down.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Sheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when I thought there was no more room in my heart for favorite characters from Julie Ann Walker... along comes this bunch from New Orleans.

What a fantastic story so far! I am completely in love with the friendship and love amongst Maggie, Cash & Luc. The way things are being unveiled as the pages turn has me on the edge of my seat...

The loyalty is swoon-worthy, the southerness has me watching my manners, the real life stuff is woven throughout the book beautifully.

Loving these books!!

[Susan (susayq ~) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't tell you how much I am loving this series! Very unlike anything I've read from Julie Ann Walker, but definitely just as good.

I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give anything away because of the fact that it's a trilogy that will come out together. Just now that Cash, Luc and Maggie May have wormed their way into my heart and I'm glad I have the second book to start on :)

P.S. I'll give a fuller review at the end of the series. ;)

[Susan Jordens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tale of three friends, their hopes, their dreams and their aspirations. What became of Them? What is the deep dark secret from their Past? And what is The Plan?

There is a terrific insight into the bustling city that is New Orleans also the terrible tragedy of Katrina. I could almost feel the hustle and bustle along the streets as the music played and smell the various aromas from the local bistros and restaurants .

This is an amazing story full of emotion as well as humour as three friends reunite and try to put the past behind them.

Such a well written, intriguing and enjoyable story which continues in volume 2.

[Jacquie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie’s doing just fine. Her dream of owning a bar (well hers and Cash and Luc’s dream) has materialized. She has the support of family and friends and a full life, so why do old memories continue to drag her down?

Cash had no intention of returning to New Orleans. He’d put the past (namely his father) behind him and kissed it goodbye. His only regret- Maggie. But when a suicide bomber almost takes him out while on tour, Cash gains a new perspective on life and comes up with a plan to fix the mistakes he’s made and that requires going home.

Luc fell in love with Maggie May from the awkward age of fourteen, but the moment she meets his friend Cash he knows they’re fated to be together. Bottling his feelings, he takes the next best thing, her friendship. It kills him to leave her when Cash goes on the run, but his buddy needs him.

Now that Cash and Luc are back, the Louisiana swamp is giving up her secrets. Will they handle the fallout, or will the bayou swallow them forever?

I loved this book!

There were so many great moments. The characters leap off the page, they’re so well-written. The relationships between Luc and Cash, Cash and Maggie, Luc and Maggie May- I loved them all.

FAVORITE LINES
I read a quote that pretty much sums up my situation. True love is not the number of kisses, or how often you get them. True love is the feeling that lingers long after the kiss is over.

IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES- JULIE ANN WALKER

At first acquaintance, Luc comes off as an unobtrusive guy. Not so much meek and mild, but quiet. Self-effacing. And yet he has a particular brand of toughness I’ve only ever seen in other men of his ilk. Men who’ve come from the place where murky waters run through tall marsh grass. Where gators growl and bobcats howl.

IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES- JULIE ANN WALKER

Sometimes the past is like that whole objects in mirror are closer than they appear thing. The trick to forgetting is simply not to look.

IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES- JULIE ANN WALKER

There’s so many more, but I better quit now, lol. Buy the book, you’ll love it!

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (8/3/2019)! 🎁

[Kathy Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First in the In Moonlight and Memories contemporary romance series and revolving around three estranged friends in New Orleans around Halloween.

This eARC was sent to me by the author and Limerence Publications LLC for an honest review.

My Take
It's a story told from three different perspectives using first person protagonist point-of-view, and Walker makes it easy to follow who's speaking by heading up each chapter with that person's name. Perspectives where each of the three is too busy thinking they know what's best for everyone else, and Walker drags that tease on forever!

It did make me nuts how slow the pace was, meandering as it did through their reminiscing — handy for filling us in on the back history...that story about "Meat and Potatoes" certainly fills in "chapters" on Luc's school days. The traditions they speak of, especially the ones that follow their digging up the time capsule, lol. It's too sweet and pulls me right in to their lives. Cash is so sweetly protective back then. Now, his idea of protection drives me mad! How can he not see that he's making her miserable anyway!?!

And it's still slow, even in Luc's and Cash's post-military lives. Luc's living in his old home on the bayou (although the inside is a whole lot different from what Maggie remembers) and both of them spend most of their time fixing up Cash's "new" place. The sound of that house Cash bought is rather grim, but I've always loved fixing things up. Making it better, making it suit my wants. As for a future, Cash and Luc have only mentioned career possibilities.

There's a tangle of tension in this what with Luc in love with Maggie and refusing to tell her or acknowledge his loving her to Cash. And Maggie and Cash are in love, but Cash refuses to confirm his love because of the damage he suffered. The three of them continually hint about the horrific event that changed their lives, and Walker says nothing! Arghh. The reasons why Cash and Luc bailed out of town, why Maggie feels such guilt over her parents' tragic deaths and whatever happened to that danged bully, the Plan...the Viking funeral, lol. It's enough to drive one mad.

I love Walker's description of entering Maggie's building. It's the first time I've ever felt New Orleans... It was excellent show, making me feel the humidity, the age, glorious:

"...through the short tunnel into the courtyard. The brick pavers are old and rounded at the edges. Some are jacketed in a soft layer of green moss. Others are crumbling or missing..."

Oh, man, Maggie's pets...I love imagining Leonard riding around on that Roomba. Makes me want one to see if my kits would do this, ROFLMAO. Then there's Sally Renee who comes off badly at first, and then we learn an unexpected (and sweet) truth that made me want to cry for her.

"Southern women are sledgehammers camouflaged as fluffy marshmallows."

It's love. It's loyalty. It's protective. Annnd, as Eva points out:

"You [Maggie] tend to spend a lot of time living in the past and putting a lot of emphasis on what was. I think maybe that stops you from seeing what is."

It's a character-driven story with a lot of flashbacks that provide insight into the threesome's past. And it will make you want to cry for the sacrifices and good times these three had.

The Story
Luc and Cash have left the Green Berets and come home. Home to face the music of both New Orleans and their third musketeer, Maggie May. For the two of them had run out on Maggie. Haven't spoken to her in ten years.

Now they're back.

The Characters
Twenty-six-year-old Magnolia "Maggie" May Carter has fulfilled one dream with Bon Temps Rouler, the bar she's owned for the past four years. She volunteers at the animal shelter, hence Yard, her three-legged dog; Leonard, a tabby cat with a love for Roombas; and, Sheldon, a black-and-white cat who doesn't normally warm up to people.

The renowned Beatrix Chatelain is Maggie's very proper paternal great-aunt who took the girls in when their parents (David and Trina Carter) died. Miss June is the scandalous great-aunt who also lives in Bea's Garden District mansion. June had been married to "Good Time" Jack Goudeau, and that says it all. Their children had been Jack Jr and Danica. Violet is Maggie's prissy sister who blames Maggie for what happened.

Jean-Pierre Marchand is a musician and Maggie's upstairs neighbor and best friend. Evangeline "Eva" Bell is Maggie's best childhood friend and a sought-after fashion model. Granny Mabel is the woman who raised Eva. Lauren is more of an acquaintance...and fun.

The creative Master Sergeant Lucien "Luc" Dubois was an outcast in high school whose dream was to write songs. These days, his mom, Helene Dubois, is up in Shreveport with her own salon.

Cassius "Cash" Armstrong, born in Newark, loves New Orleans, where his first real friendship began, and where he fell in love, even if he was the "wrong kind". Even his doctors — Dr Henry Beckett and consultant Dr Corbin Winthrop, head of the Neurology Department at Tulane — say his self-medication is okay. The selfish and abusive Richard "Rick" Armstrong is his jerk of a father who left New Jersey as his reputation got around as a contractor. Says it all when you learn he's a good buddy of Sullivan's.

Bon Temps Rouler is...
...the name of Maggie's dream. Chrissy is one of Maggie's employees; Charlie is a barback. "Royal Earl" Greene is a local legend and a regular customer with his own legion of followers.

New Orleans PD
Superintendent George Sullivan is a corrupt bully. Officer Rory Ketchum is a good one; his wife, Jackie, and Maggie went to Tulane together.

The French Quarter Task Force is a private policing group in which many policemen moonlight.

Her neighbors include Mr and Mrs Monroe who are retired and live across the way; Vernon had been a famous artist, and now arthritis has stiffened his joints. The Ladies Who Brunch Club is one of Violet's weekly events with her friends Cheryl, Marlene, and Jessa who has a design company.

Linda Gilbert works at the Union Savings and Loan. Café du Monde is where you go for coffee and beignets; Bernice is a waitress there. Billy Dickson was one of Maggie's boyfriends. Jelly Bean Jenkins had been a revered and respected musician. Madame LaRouche is a fortuneteller. Samuel is a little boy at the park. Baseball Cap, a.k.a., Todd Dungworth, is another jerk. Harold Bahls had a most unfortunate dating experience. Curtis Southerland's cousin was a whole 'nother kettle of fish.

Devon is an Uber driver with a second cousin, Jimmy Don Collins, who does handiwork for Aunts Bea and June. Ellie is a friend of Miss Bea's whose son Jim is in a car wreck. Another friend, Charlene, has a nephew Stew whose law office sent him to Savannah. Della is a few years older than Luc with a son, Grady, in graduate school. Sally Renee (she started as a nail technician at Louisa Dandridge's and then encountered Old Man Silas Rutherford) bought herself a date. Jenny and Joyce are friends of Sally Renee's. A second line is a parade for anything.

Ten years ago, Braxton Academy was...
...an elite private high school where our protagonists were outcasts. Dean Sullivan is/was the police superintendent's bully of a son and the school's star quarterback. Wesley Madigan was another one that Cash fought with. Bernie Walters was one of Dean Sullivan's minions; his mom owned a flower shop. Leroy Baker had a pool party. Jessa Bryant had thrown a rave.

Luc was Benjamin Gates' nemesis.

The Title and Cover
The title is Volume One, which is certainly helpful in determining where this story is placed within the series, but is rather unimaginative... I'm suspecting the three volumes were meant to have been one but were too big. And Walker should have put some effort into proper titles for this three-parter.

The cover is pretty with its soft sunrise of pastel blues, pinks, and oranges, coming up behind the forest in the bayou, making the full moon disappear. Standing in that bayou is the silhouette of a man standing in the reflected glory of that sunrise, hands in his pockets, his body glittering with stars. It's a complicated gradation from that soft blue at the top to the deep blue of the bottom. The text is all in white, starting at the top with a teaser, the script of the title washing across the man's body with the volume info immediately below it. Below that is an info blurb followed by the author's name at the very bottom.

[Melliane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mon avis en Français

My English review

I was curious to discover this new series of the author and I was pleased to launch myself into this first volume.

Maggie didn’t have an easy adolescence…. Overnight, her best friend and boyfriend left to serve in the army. But it would have been easier and less difficult if they hadn’t decided to cut her off for 10 years. However, they are finally back in town and Maggie was not able to forget them. Yet can she really forgive them? Especially her ex-boyfriend, Cash?

You can imagine with the synopsis that this novel highlights a big love triangle, which is all the more present since our characters are very friendly. Maggie will learn to live again with her friends she missed so much and maybe finally turn the page. But Cash and Luc seem to have different designs, and if they have changed because of everything they’ve been through, it’s pretty hard to know what they want and I’m particularly curious to find out exactly what the exact Cash “plan” is.

An interesting novel and I just have to jump to Volume 2 now to find out what’s next!

[Romantically Inclined Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is totally different from the Julie Ann Walker I am used to with her Black Knights series. The BK series was hot and sultry and sexy and dangerous. In Moonlight and Memories is heart-wrenching, soulful, and troubled. There are hints of romance here and there, but so far there has not been much outside of a few kisses, so if you're expecting the heat of her BK series you may be disappointed.

But there is nothing disappointing in the way I feel like I'm experiencing New Orleans for myself, the way that she's woven this web of secrets and lies, and the way she's created these dynamic characters. I am dreading where this story is going, but only because things that hurt my heart are usually avoided (hence exclusively reading romance) and I can tell that this series will not be easy and breezy like so many of my usual reads.

I am loving it so far.
**received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Tamberlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got this book for free & am reviewing as requested.

Two big problems. 1) You can foreshadow every issue that comes up. And having a plot that predictable is a boring read for me. The regular rehashing of the woe is me is really unnecessary. 2) Each chapter rotates the narration between the main characters but there isn’t really any difference in those points of view. I had a hard time trying to remember who was talking. And the rotating didn’t help move things along or provide special insight. Same problem with the multiple bad guys. They all look & sound alike.

I did like the atmosphere. The writer did do a nice job setting up the feel of the locals. You walk back to & up the apartment stairs. You sit under the singing tree. You want to escape the snooty tea party.

Overall not one that’ll make the reread pile. Atmosphere isnt enough to carry a book for me.

[Barb · Rating 1 out of 5]

Many cliffhangers - which lowered my rating a lot! It was an okay story, but Maggie's easy forgiveness of EVERYTHING Cash has done blows my mind. Even though he treated her terribly while they were in high school, she has continued to 'love' him to the detriment of all future boyfriends. In other words, she's wasted a lot of her best years on him. I don't recommend that anyone buy this book, and I certainly won't read any of her others.
Maybe if all of us who hate cliffhangers decided to give '1' ratings to those we read it would teach authors not to write them!

[Jo13 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Would have rated higher but not stand alone and not warned.

[Brianna (The Book Vixen) · Rating 1 out of 5]

At 21% in, I'm not feeling a connection between Luc, Cash, and Maggie.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie and Luc were best friends in high school, two lonely kids who bonded over a shared love of Harry Potter they only really had each other and their friendship meant everything. Luc secretly harboured romantic feelings for Maggie and hoped for more but the minute she met new boy Cash it was love at first sight. That could have been the end of their friendship but Luc wanted Maggie to be happy and he had also become good friends with Cash. The three of them became a trio, Luc was on the outside of them as a couple but as friends they couldn't have been closer.

Ten years ago Cash walked away from everything to join the army leaving a heartbroken Maggie behind. What was even worse is that Luc went with him leaving her totally devastated and alone. They both broke off contact completely and Maggie never knew why. Now Cash and Luc are back and seem determined to pick up their friendship where they left off but neither of them are being upfront about exactly what happened all those years ago to make them leave.

Falling back into their friendship is easy, and if she's honest with herself Maggie knows she never stopped loving Cash but how can she trust him with her heart again if he won't explain his previous actions. Cash has his own demons to deal with, injured in an explosion he's suffering with constant pain and he's self medicating with alcohol to make it through the day. He's returned home with a plan but I'm not convinced he's being honest with either Maggie or Luc about what that plan is. Luc is trying to help get them back together even though he still loves Maggie himself, Maggie is still in love with Cash but finds it easier to trust Luc, basically it's all a little complicated.

It can be very hard to sell me on any kind of love triangle but this isn't quite like any other I've read. There is such a strong friendship between all of them that it doesn't feel like they're competing against each other. Luc is practically a saint in the way he's so willing to see his best friends be happy together even if it breaks his own heart in the process. At this point I'm 100% rooting for Maggie to end up with both of them but I have a sneaking suspicion about what is to come that makes me think I'll need a whole lot of tissues as I read the rest of the series. Either way I can't wait to see what happens with this trio.

[Kodie Mackay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be still my cold rock hard heart!.

Julie Ann Walker brings us her latest releases with not one, not two!! But three stories. A trilogy that follows the epic tale of Maggie, Luc and Cash who were once apon a time friends and lovers.


The beginning this is where the foundation gets built, where the history is revealed and the future begins to write itself. Get your tight panties on and your tissues ready for the ride because it's a fucking rollercoaster. Not the action packed kind you'd expect... but this will rip the rug from under you and take you through some shit.


Maggie and Luc are best friends who bonded over their mutual love of Harry Potter. The thing is there isn't complete transparency in their friendship because Luc has always loved Maggie a little more than just friends. Then in flies Cash whom defends Luc and whisks sweet Maggie off her feet before Luc ever had his chance. Cash is the bad boy who stole both their hearts in different ways. He's the protector. Maggie is the sweet temptation that neither man could resist. Luc is the glue that holds them together. Each character holds a special place in this story.

This is like nothing I've ever read from this author!. I devoured her Black Nights Inc series and comitted myself to that crazy ride but this series it's different. This is a slow build story laying the foundation for what's to come. It's fills in on some of the past giving us the backstory on them whilst simultaneously building the start of their future and the possibilities that come with it.

We're talking about an emotional rollercoaster. One women and two men she loved for many different reasons. A beautiful start, hot romancing, wonderful friendships and lasting memories. 10 years of doubt and pain. Then all of a sudden the past crashes into the future with all those raw emotions and your pretty much left with one giant pot of wtf is about to happen.

Your lucky with this trilogy. This author is releasing three books all in one day so aren't waiting months to find out what happens. Your getting it all upfront.

I enjoyed this one a lot and I can't wait to see where they end up next!.

Obviously the full review that will make a hell of a lot more sense will be up after the third book is read.

[Allyson Abu-Hajar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnolia May Carter (Maggie May) was just 14 when she met her two best friends, one of which would be the love of her life. Maggie May has a burden that she's carried around for a long time. She believes that she is responsible for her parents' deaths. She met the first of her two best friends in the library, where she asked him if he liked Harry Potter.

Lucien Dubois (Luc) was the high school outcast that the popular crowd likes to sling names at. Other kids looked down on him because of his mother and his social class. Luc is a very loyal friend and very pragmatic. He's carried a torch for Maggie May, since he's known her.

Cassius Armstrong (Cash) is protective of his friends. He's got a quick temper and the one to put bullies in their place. He took Luc under his wing and warned anyone not to say anything about Luc or his mom. Cash doesn't always find trouble, trouble finds him. Cash befriends Luc and Maggie May at a diner, where he just pulled up a chair.

Now, ten years later, Cash & Luc are back. They both left and joined the Army to become Green Berets. Cash fled without so much a word to Maggie May, and Luc joined to keep an eye on Cash. Other than a note, the two, cut ties with Maggie May when she was 16. Maggie May is angry with the two, although Luc thought it was best to leave to protect her; he learns that George Sullivan hounded Maggie May, but Maggie May has kept their secret.

Maggie May made good on her dream of owning a bar called Laissez les Bon Temps or Let the Good Times Roll. Cash is sporting a brain injury, and Luc earned a rank of Master Sergeant, but both discharged and living as civilians. Cash has purchased a fixer upper where he and Luc are renovating it. Cash is plotting The Plan. Cash is self medicating, which both his friends are concerned with.

I love how the story is told from each perspective and I've been guessing at what The Plan entails. Sometimes, I think I've figured it out, but then other times with Luc's voice I'm back to guessing. All three love each other deeply, but how does The Plan figure in, and can Maggie May get answers and have the love her life again?

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cash Armstrong and Luc return home after ten years and multiple tours in special forces, to New Orleans and the girl they left behind Maggie. Cash was Maggie's first love and Luc's best friend. Cash returned home with a plan, but not sure what that plan is. Cash has been deemed unfit to serve after a traumatic brain injury while in the military, the only place he wants to go is back home to be with Maggie and Luc. Cash buys a house and begins to fix it up with Luc while Maggie is unsure what is going on with the two men she grew up with and love.

Maggie had not heard from Luc and Cash since prom night in high school, but she continued on with their plans and opened her own bar. Even after ten years Maggie is optomistic for a second chance with Cash, but their relationship begins going in a direction that she didn't expect. While Cash has become an alcoholic, neither Luc or Maggie know what is truly going on with him and the true amount of pain he is in.

Throughout part 1 of the trilogy, I wasn't sure which way the story was going to go. Maggie was trying to convince Cash that they belonged together and was constantly let down. No matter what happened Luc was right there to pick her back up. I hope that Luc and Maggie get their chance because he has always stood beside her and helped her through the most difficult time in her life. Whatever is going on with Cash I think is going to make me cry in the end ... I hate crying. But I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with these three friends.

Received an ARC from Julie Ann Walker and voluntarily posted review.

[Kim Worley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story!!!!! It is a total different story line from Julie Walker and I fell in love with the series. I have not read a book in a long time that made me laugh one minute, cry one minute and want to strangle someone the next. Luc, Cash and Maggie got ahold of my heart.

It is a story of three friends from New Orleans that is told from each person point of view. These books are a story of three friends that their lives changed the minute they all became friends. Even with being separated for 10 years when Luc and Cash returned they picked up their friendship with Maggie as if they had never been gone.

I felt like I was right there in the story with them in New Orleans as thru their story telling you got to learn about and fall in love with New Orleans. I felt like I could feel the hustle and bustle along the streets and the music played and smell the aromas for the city and restaurants.

This story line of these books are stories that you can see and hear about happing every day. The heartaches, secrets and corruption going on in a city, where friendship and love makes it easier to face.

This is a series that I keep looking at the pages and saying oh no, don't run out!!!!!!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This new series is a different type of read from the BKI books that I have read of Ms. Walker's but in this first book of the trilogy I was hooked on Maggie, Luc and Cash's story. The plot of this book was slow moving as the trio go between past and present as well as reconcile some of their feelings and events from ten years ago. The story was detailed with enough mystery to keep me reading as I wanted to know what was going to happen next or to have some of their secrets from the past revealed. The characters in this story were well written and perfect for this emotional roller coaster of a read as they told the story from all of their POV. I look forward to seeing where the story goes in book 2 and would recommend this book to others.

[dlfuller54 · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first sentence I knew how this story would end but I know this author and really enjoy her books and there's always hope right. This isn't so much about the "how" it ends as it is about the "journey" of these 3 friends. Their "past" memories intermix with their "present" as they reconnect bringing us along as a "ghost" walking next to them. We also see into the lives of family and friends and start to understand what it means to live in and be from New Orleans. There's a mysterious death, secrets as yet unveiled while feelings grow and change. Don't stop with this first book. I encourage reading all 3 books as a whole. This book sets the stage, whets your curiosity but doesn't leave you hanging, just wanting more.

[Yvonne V (Naughty Professora) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julie Ann Warren diverts from her prior tales of romantic suspense, bikers, and ex-military men and creates a new series with characters that were unexpected and surprising.

Taking inspiration from her time in New Orleans, this new series introduces Maggie, Cash, and Luc. The three are high school friends, but Maggie hasn't seen them in years after Cash left her stranded on prom night, with Luc leaving soon after. The two have returned from being in the military, and they're determined to integrate themselves back into her life.

All three books are told from points of views from all three characters, and weave a tale that is heartfelt and heartbreaking. Cash is the carefree charmer, and has Maggie in his spell but is reluctant to start up a relationship with her due to his head injury. His constant headaches drive him to slug Gentleman Jack like water, and Maggie and Luc grow concerned. The three interact in locations varied between Maggie's bar, Cash's fixer-upper that he's renovating, and Luc's cabin by the marsh. Cash alludes to a "plan" and if you're saavy, you can tell what it is early on, but it's not fully revealed until book 3.

This was a fantastic story, and while the first one started a bit slow, the next two were better than the first.

[Loretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie Ann Walker is one of my favorite authors. She writes characters that make you feel and wish they were real so they could be your friends. This trilogy is no exception. Cash, Luc, and Maggie are friends that draw you in, bring you joy, frustration, laughter, irritation, happiness and sorrow. This first part introduces you their world with the men returning home to New Orleans after 10 years away in the military. It felt like a slow start to me, the story picks up a little pace in the second book, and in the third it hits its stride. I would have preferred it just be one longer book personally!

I received an advanced reader copy.

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The start of this series was so great. The detail in which all the characters are described, and how their backstories keep intertwining with the present is seamless. You can really tell the love and joy that Luc, Cash and Maggie all have for each other. Add in the great attention to detail, be it the livelihood and camaraderie of NOLA, or the architecture and design of the buildings, plus the rich history of the city. All of that blends throughout the story line. It makes you feel as if you are living there right along with the characters.
I received this book as an ARC, for an honest review.

[Speed · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the first volume of the M&M series, set in beautiful New Orleans, we are introduced to Maggie, Cash and Luc. Friends that bonded as teenagers. As Cash and Luc leave high school they enlist, leaving Maggie and return years later, changed. This is a very moving introduction to the series and I have to say that Ms. Walker hit this one out of the park! I won't delve into this volume too much as there are 2 more that complete this story. Suffice it to say, you will not be disappointed. 4 strong, starting stars****

****I voluntarily reviewed this book, provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.****

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beginning of a very heartwarming story. Three teenagers, Cash, Luc and Maggie, form an unbreakable bond, drawn together from tragic pasts, they experience new love, deep friendships and lives so intertwined, a day does not go by that they don’t think of each other. Set in the melting pot of the Deep South - New Orleans, with lots of charm and grace. Young adulthood and life marches on, ten years pass with Maggie getting left behind and not hearing from Cash or Luc. She’s hurt and broken-hearted. Well guess who’s back in town??

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew from the beginning this was going to be sad but you get pulled into their story, I couldn't put it down. I don't have words to described how touched this story made me feel. I just put the story down and letting the ending wash through me, I'm still shaking.

Julie Ann knows how to weave a story and get you hooked. It was profound and the conversations that Maggie, Luc and Cash throughout the story really get you thinking about life and love. You read about their relationship and what made them the way they are. I just don't know what to say without spoiling the story.

If you like books that will grip you with extreme emotions, you cannot let this book slip by. Guaranteed to give you all the feels. I couldn't stop crying and laughing. I received this book for my honest review.

[J Stryker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie Ann Walker’s new series of books “In Moonlight and Memories” is a masterpiece. The set of three books is a love story to and about New Orleans. I always wanted to visit there and now I feel like I just did through reading her stories of the city and its people and customs. These books are also a love story about Maggie, Luc, and Cash. They first met in school and their love for each other carries them through adulthood. Luc and Cash disappear from Maggie’s life on the night of prom and don’t show back up until ten years later. True love never disappears and it didn’t here either. What a journey these stories will take you on. Just make sure you have a box of Kleenex at the end. You will need it. I loved this story so much. Wish there was a higher rating than 5 stars.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I read the blurb on In Moonlight and Memories, Volume I, I was intrigued and after finishing, I’m still intrigued.

This isn’t your typical boy meets girl, they fall in love. And so on. There is so much more; I need answers, I need for my heart to stop racing....just waiting.

Okay, I’m diving into Volume II now.....