Daisy Under the Moon

by Kyle Sharpe

When twenty-something couple Bryce and Juniper are on route to a romantic getaway, a huge, wolf-like animal darts in front of their car and causes them to crash, injuring Juniper.

A stranger claiming to be a doctor appears and offers to help, bringing them to his secluded property. While Juniper’s condition seems to mysteriously worsen day after day, Bryce becomes entranced by his host’s sensual artist wife, and intrigue leads to obsession.

As the couple’s stay drags on, the forest surrounding them begins to reveal something sinister about their hosts. The longer Bryce and Juniper stay, the more their relationship and even their lives will be threatened. But how does one break away when physically and emotionally compromised?

222 pages, Paperback

Published April 8, 2021

Reviews

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is so much packed into these 222 pages, that I'm at a bit of a loss on how to describe it.
The story is well flushed out, the characters are well developed, and even though I know what was going to happen, I was still addicted to turning the pages.
His writing pulled me in and made me stay to see HOW we would get there.
My only negative is Bryce is a bit of an idiot, but it works with the plot.
Much love to Kyle Sharpe for hooking me up with my copy through a Goodreads giveaway.

[BOOKSTHATSTAY · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is just PERFECT!!!!🤩 Amazing concept, brilliant storytelling, and solidly written characters!!

First of all, I would like to thank the author Kyle Sharpe for reaching out and providing me an e-ARC copy way ahead of its release.

The story begins with Bryce and Juniper, a couple in their late twenties. Their vacation soon takes a horrible turn when their car crashes into a tree, leaving Juniper severely injured.

Fortunately, Jerome, a doctor, was just passing by and offered to treat her and let them stay at his place. We get to know the true character of Bryce when he meets Daisy, Jerome's wife. She was a beautiful, sixty-year-old artist who was fond of a rare variety of flowers which she used to call moonblossoms. Jerome and Daisy also had a gardener named Thomas.

When asked about the accident, Bryce told Jerome that they saw a "thing" that was huge as a bear and resembled a werewolf but wasn't either of them.

But was Bryce telling the truth? Did he really see that "thing"? If yes, then what was it really??

Throughout the story, I wanted to punch Bryce and knock some sense into him😤 (if only I could), and feeling so strongly for a character only shows how brilliantly every character has been written!🤩 More than feeling sorry for Juniper, I was being mad at Bryce.

Jerome and Daisy were highly hospitable and had allowed Bryce and Juniper to stay for as long as Juniper got completely recovered. But things took a strange turn when Bryce again encountered the "thing" and ran for his life.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this amazing, fast-paced thriller! It is an incredible page-turner!

Everything made sense at the end and even though it does not have the typical happy ending we are used to, it still felt right. The ending definitely was unjust to some characters but it is twisted endings like these that make a book remarkable!🤩

[J.D. Keown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted over at my personal blog site, Night Terror Novels

“No matter what Jerome said, that thing was not a normal creature. The shape of it was all wrong; it wasn’t something that should have even existed.”
– Kyle Sharpe, Daisy Under the Moon

🌼I received an e-ARC of this story in exchange for a fair review!🌼

Much like another story I reviewed, James Yeary’s What I Saw (2021), Daisy Under the Moon is another book that I have social media to thank for introducing me to. When author and filmmaker Kyle Sharpe reached out via email and offered me the chance to read and review this book ahead of its upcoming release date, I was very excited to do so. A quick look at the fantastically eye-catching cover design, the sleek design of his personal website, and a neat book trailer (which I’ve linked at the bottom of the review on the site), and I was totally onboard.

Daisy Under the Moon follows a young couple named Bryce and Juniper, who crash whilst on route to a romantic getaway, after a large, wolf-like creature darts in front of their car. Juniper is badly injured in the accident, but luckily Bryce manages to flag down another driver by the name of Jerome, who conveniently claims to be a doctor himself. He escorts the two to his secluded house, which he lives in with his alluring wife, Daisy. As Juniper’s condition inexplicably worsens each day, Bryce becomes intrigued in the sensual and enticing Daisy. This interest spirals into obsession, as Bryce develops a dangerous infatuation with the woman. This premise had me gripped from the beginning, and with each new layer to Bryce’s fixation, I was grew more invested in the story.

I think one of the strongest element’s of Daisy Under the Moon lies with its protagonist. Bryce is an extremely well-developed character, overall. I didn’t think he was a very nice person, but his flaws are extremely believable, and I am a total sucker for a lead who’s actions are often morally ambiguous. He’s human, and as such, he’s complex. The trajectory of his obsession with Daisy felt natural, as did his justification for neglecting Juniper more with each passing day.

The supporting cast of characters were excellent too. Bryce’s partner Juniper was solidly written, and the nuances of their relationship was very interesting. Both of them were credible, and so I was engaged with their narratives and fates. Besides the couple, there are only three other characters in the narrative, the man who rescues and hosts them, Jerome, his artist-cum-punk wife, the titular Daisy, and their mysterious indigenous American gardener, Thomas. All three of these individuals are also fully formed and fleshed out.

I’m putting a spoiler warning for this next section of the review, for anyone that is intrigued by this book and wants to go in completely blind. Though that said, these spoilers are only very minor and in regards to what the book is actually about; I do think the title and cover synopsis will clue most readers onto what sort of horror book this is, but I wouldn’t want to ruin it for anyone that doesn’t know. You have been duly warned!

🚨MINOR SPOILERS START🚨

So in case you hadn’t guessed from the title and plot description, the aptly titled Daisy Under the Moon is a story about werewolf-like creatures. As I say, this is actually a pretty small spoiler, as it is quite clear from the offset that this is where the story is headed, in some way, shape, or form. This actually isn’t a sub-genre I've read loads of, besides Stephen Graham Jones’ incredible coming-of-age story Mongrels (2016) and Jason Parent’s super fun historical horror, Where Wolves Run (2016). It is, however, one of my favourite sub-genres of horror cinema, and so I was excited to read this.

Interestingly, these supernatural elements of the plot very much take a back-seat to the psycho-sexual thriller elements of the narrative. It definitely doesn’t disappoint on the werewolf front, but the psychological themes of desire, infidelity and passion are prominent and, in my opinion, are what set this above being a standard story of bloodthirsty hounds. I hadn’t been expecting the more erotic and salacious components at all, but it was a pleasant surprise, and made this a memorable reading experience.

🚨MINOR SPOILERS END🚨

My only real gripe was that personally, I felt the ending was a little too rushed for my liking. There was an awful lot of intrigue and build-up to it, and although the finale absolutely fit the narrative of the novel, it all happened quite fast. The plot also didn’t deviate too much from what I had been expecting; I perhaps would have been fonder of more unpredictability in the way things played out.

Those relatively minor issues aside though, Daisy Under the Moon was an interesting and engaging read. Despite its pretty well-worn subject matter, this book sets itself a cut above the rest by being a story of perilous lust first and foremost, and a supernatural horror story second. So even if the theme isn’t usually to your liking, I’d still highly recommend it for that reason.

VERDICT: Daisy Under the Moon weaves a quite straightforward narrative with a tight cast of characters, but the story it tells, it tells very skilfully. The writing flows nicely and is enjoyable to read (one section where Bryce gets high was particularly fun), and the themes of covetous desire and carnal, lascivious fantasies really work wonders in setting this book apart within a crowded sub-genre.

It’s a solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from this reviewer, and a strong recommendation to check this one out when it releases. I also want to say a humongous thank you to Kyle Sharpe for providing the ARC and giving me the chance to read and review it early.

Book Information

Title(s): Daisy Under the Moon
Author(s): Kyle Sharpe
Publisher(s): Friesen Press
Original Publication Date: 8th April, 2021
Page Count: 222 pages
Format Read: Digital
Advance Review Copy (Y/N): Y
Website(s): https://www.friesenpress.com/
https://www.sharpestories.com/

[Wesley Colautti · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid read. Once it gets going it does not disappoint.

[Melissa McGuire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me emotional through the book. At first I didn’t think I’d like this book but midway through I had trouble putting it down. The ending was pretty vulgar but it was what was expected. Still not too sure how I feel about the ending. It left me confused

[Pasc Guill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Jordan Sharpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read, great characters, loved the ending!

[Shubham Lakhina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daisy Under the Moon
By – Kyle Sharpe
Format – Kindle Edition
Print Length – 221 Pages
Genre – Fiction
My Ratings – 4.6/5

Daisy Under the Moon by Kyle Sharpe, Initially, when I read the blurb I thought that the Title and Book Cover does not match the story’s vibe but later when I was riffling through the plot I got to understand the smartly chosen Title and the Book Cover which all makes sense and is quite attractive.
There aren't many characters in the narrative, and each one has their own place in the plot. It's the story of Bryce and Juniper, a young couple in their twenties. They were both on their way to a romantic vacation when they were abruptly involved in an accident caused by a wolf-like beast, leaving Juniper badly injured.
Luckily, they met a doctor called Jerome, who offered to aid the pair after seeing Juniper's condition. He brought them to his private estate, but something was odd: Juniper's condition continued to deteriorate, and Bryce was drawn to Jerome's wife, Daisy.
The longer Bryce and Juniper stay, the more their love, and maybe their lives, will be jeopardized. They suspected Jerome and Daisy of being dangerous. What was it, exactly? Is he really a doctor, or is there something else going on that puts the couple in jeopardy? Get your hands on a copy to discover more about the story.
While reading the book, I felt as if I were watching a movie with a lot of excitement and tension and the ability to pull the whole reader's attention to it, which is true because the author is also a movie buff. The language employed was reader-friendly, so I had no problem following the story. The story was fascinating and flowed at a wonderful speed.
Overall, I like this book and found it to be a page-turner since the narrative piqued my interest so much that I read it in two sittings. It's not a straightforward narrative, but it's full of surprises. The entire theme might give you chills because of Bryce's attraction to Daisy. I really advise everyone to read this book.
Happy Reading

[Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 . I understand the point of having this in Bryce's POV and I understand you're not supposed to like him but gods did that make this so hard to keep reading. Very slow start but strong as hell finish. He got everything he deserved and it was more than satisfying to read that ending. Honestly would have been an easy 4 star for me if the beginning was as strong as the ending. It just felt too repetitive and listening to the same feelings and thoughts annoyed me too much so I have to give this a 3.5.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

while predictable this book was great to read! I was captivated by Sharpe’s writing style. Bryce’s inner psyche was unbelievable to decipher. It was so good. My main critique aside from the predictability would be that all the characters suck. the only character i cared about was thomas and i barely cared about him. i didn’t care what happened to bryce or juniper because they were both annoying. but i can’t wait to see what else sharp writes! what a great debut!