Ariel: After I lost my dad, my roommate, with his tighty-whitey, pizza eating, gaming habits, wasn’t worth staying in Seattle for. When I’m offered a job at an upscale mansion in the middle of Nowhere-Ohio, I take it. I mean, what did I have to lose? The answer? Everything. Not only do I discover that my exceptionally good-looking, albeit moody, landlord is a werewolf, (A-Freaking-Werewolf!) but get this... and it’s the real kicker, we're fated mates! The lust I feel for him is off the charts, which is odd since I’m human and humans being fated to werewolves is basically unheard of. There’s also the fact that I keep passing out and having these crazy dreams that scare Ryker half to death. Then, I find out that it’s no coincidence that my boss hired me. It seems everyone knows more about me and the fact that I might not actually be human after all, than I do. As I learn more about what I am, I’m left with more questions than answers. I know that if left untrained, I’m dangerous for both Ryker and his pack. I have to fix that, and fast!
Abby McCarthy is an Ohio author. She is the author of over ten novels ranging from contemporary romance, motorcycle club romances, and Paranormal romance. She is a mother of three, a wife and a dog person. When she is not managing a full household or writing, she enjoys being on the water, in a park, or with friends.
MY RATING: 4* RELEASE DATE: 21 December 2021 CLIFFHANGER: Yes
ARC was kindly provided for an honest review
*swoon*
There’s nothing better than stumbling upon a new to you author and they blow the shit out of your mind. While you’re at it, you give a new genre a try and the whole time, you have your “holy shit” face on because its more than you expected.
Paranormal/shifter romances are new to me. By new I mean I’ve only started reading them in the last 4 weeks.
Ariel finds herself in a predicament. With no job, recent passing of her dad, she finds herself a job in the middle of nowhere. With nothing to keep her in Seattle, she takes the job, but she is not ready for what she finds there. As it turns out, her whole life has been a lie. Who she is, what she is all a lie. Her new job, her new employers are not what they appear to be. Her landlord and his family are even more of a surprise.
She’s having a hard accepting and dealing with her new reality. But Ryker has been waiting for her for 300 years, and he will fight anyone and anything that tries to take her away from him. Including herself.
I’ve spent lifetimes waiting for you. My heart, my soul, it was yours before you were even conceived. I know you don’t grasp the depth of what id do for you. I know it frightens you. But you should know, id lay the world at your feet, just to see you smile”.
Man, I loved this book. I loved the mystery. The angst, the suspense, the romance. I mean Ryker is bae. I loved how protective he was. How loving, nurturing, gentle. I was here for it.
There are so many secrets in this book. So much to uncover, so many questions that need to be answered and I really hope book 2 answers them. I am here for it. But I hate and I do mean hate books written in singular point of views. 98% of the time when I open a book and it’s written in this way, I move on. I nearly didn’t read this book because of that. The whole time you’re reading it you’re just dying to see what Ryker has to say about what’s going on, what he knows about what’s going on and we get none of that. At the end you feel like while the story is about two people, yet you don’t know the other character at all. That’s me right now. I don’t know Ryker at all, and I hate that. That’s why it wasn’t a 5* for me.
I hope the author reconsidered and writes book 2 is dual point of view.
Wow. What a full of surprises and amazing feels ride. I've fallen for Ariel and Ryker and their friends and I need oh so much more of them. Ahhh. I didn't even realise when this one ended.
Ariel moves to a new town when she gets a good paying job. Nothing or no one was keeping her back where she was in living in Seattle, so the decision comes easily to her.
Travelling afar, First things first is her new apartment and finding her new landlord slash neighbor is a not so welcoming. But never did she ever imagine that same person would become her everything.
Mindy, Ryker the landlord's sister makes Ariel feel welcome and helps her settle in. Ariel is not used to having people as a support system but soon she finds, Mindy and her brothers and her bf all helping Ariel out without any expectations.
An instant friendship starts forming as this people are truly not only welcoming Ariel wholeheartedly but also being so helpful. Even Ryker helps in getting her settled and new furniture.
But the minute Ariel mentions her would be employer, the vibe changes and her friends act strange. Thinking nothing of it Ariel starts her job as the Valderes estate, and as a secretary to Mr. Valderes himself.
Life is starting to be good in her new place as well as her job but soon Ariel feels there's something strange about the Valderes and the strange conversations she accidentally listens too also make her all the more confused.
Not only that Ariel starts dreaming about visions and strange happenings with Ryker starring in what seems to be unable to grasp as a concept to Ariel.
Soon Ariel realises that she's surrounded by magic as she discovers her attraction to Ryker growing and then finding out her beloved friends and Ryker are all werewolves.
This has so many twisters that kept me surprising and wanting to know what would happen next as we go deeper and start finding out that the most different and magical amongst them all is Ariel herself and she's not even aware of any of it.
AHH.. I cannot say this enough that THIS ONE IS A MUST MUST READ PNR.
Sizzling freaking Hot chemistry and naughty times, Fated Mates and the special intimacy of their bonds, an alpha wolf and his mate who's a very special creatures with astonishing powers and unknown limits, this one was a SMASHING, WILD, HOT, SURPRISE FILLED MAGICAL RIDE FOR SURE.
AND. THAT. ENDING. NOOOOOOO.... I NEED MORE MORE. I'M OH SO EXCITED FOR WHAT'S TO COME AND CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK FOR SURE. LOVED LOVED THIS ONE. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
3.75 - Ends on huge cliffhanger. Interesting premise and characters, but needs more details and information/explanation as a few things were harder to accept without it. Insta-lust/love and a few cringy intimate scenes. Book 2, Intended by The Rose, is not yet out, but I look forward to reading it and hope to have Tyler's POV.
Grrr - My original review didn't save, I may try to rewrite it later.
I am the biggest Abby McCarthy fan you will ever find...but when I saw this book coming I honestly was a bit worried - but as a fan, I HAD to read it, and I am so glad I did! PNR isn't my typical read but this book just changed my opinion of PNR.
Elle (Ariel) & Ryker's story gave me everything I love about romance with a twist!! There are some twists and turns that kept my attention while reading. Ryker is a werewolf but what exactly Elle is - we just don't know - what and who is the question. The heat between these two - in and out of the bedroom was just - WOW!!
These characters are multifaceted and I know there's, even more, to come between these two! FANTASTIC READ!
Not sure if I would rate this a 3 1/2 or 4. I liked it, parts more than others. It ends in a cliff hanger but not a horrible one that makes you angry you can't see what's happening next.
I really like shifter romance and fated mates. I find there is always some intrigue, danger, suspense, or mystery to solve in them. I haven't found a lot that do it well. I have a favourite author and she set the bar pretty high. Saying all that though I really like Abby McCarthy's take on it. She throws in some humor and fun with the characters but leaves us guessing with lots of unanswered questions that will keep you hanging. Not to mention that the heat and chemistry between Ryker and Ariel (Elle) will have you wanting more.
If you like romance with some paranormal, suspense, and a nice serving of spice then I recommend giving this one a try. It is the first in the series and you are left with a cliffhanger. So be warned.
Ariel is moving to a remote town to start over after losing her Dad. She is a little lost and sad but trying hard to move forward. Her new employees offer her a deal she can't resist but she chooses to set some boundaries by choosing her own residence. This is where she meets Ryker, the landlord of her new building who also lives across the hall, and his presence even though he's not the nicest on their first meeting leaves Elle all mixed up.
Ryker doesn't understand the pull he feels towards Ariel, she's human and he's been waiting for his fated mate and he plans to keep waiting. But when Ariel is in danger of drowning it clears the path for Ryker to see what is true, his mate.
It's all a bit much for Elle to understand she never knew shifters existed let alone everything else she's been learning about and on top of all that strange things keep happening to her. She needs answers and her dad's oldest friend may have them.
Despite everything, they can't get the answers they need and Elle is putting people in danger. She makes a call that could not only put her in more danger but could break Ryker. Will either of them be the same after?
NOOOOOOOOO! It ended on a cliffhanger. It wasn't that bad, I could tell the story wasn't going to wrap up in the first book. I can't wait to see what happens next.
This book really sucked me in and before I knew it I had to put it down at 80% cause it was way past my bedtime.
After the death of her father, Ariel picks up and moves across the country. There is nothing keeping her in Seattle and the job offer she receives has her feeling like she's got nothing left to lose.
When she arrives in the small town in Ohio she's greeted by a moody hot biker named Ryker, who also happens to be her new landlord. Even though he's gruff, Ariel still finds herself drawn to him. And now, she's having dreams with him in them.
Hanging out with Ryker's family leads to her learning that her new employer and Ryker's family are sworn enemies. And when she starts working there things are odd, to say the least.
When Ryker and Ariel finally give in to their attraction Ryker realizes that they are fated mates. Whatever that means but it also explains why they can't seem to get enough of one another. And while she tries to learn what her father was keeping from her, Ryker confirms that she's not human and that the job offer was no coincidence.
Thanks so much to the author and Give Me Books for this ARC to review.
Wow! Fated Under the Moon is the first book by Abby McCarthy and I can officially say that I am hooked!!
This book was incredible and completely sucked me into the world of werewolves and the supernatural.
Ariel moves to Ohio after being an offered a job at an incredible estate. When she moves to the town that isn’t on any GPS and has to follow printed out instructions to get to, she begins to wonder what exactly she has gotten herself into. Not to mention the fact that her hot but extremely moody landlord, is a werewolf…who just so happens to be her fated mate!
Ryker has waited a long time for Ariel to enter his life. When he realises that she’s his fated mate, he will do whatever it takes to keep her in his life and by his side.
The twists and turns of this story were beyond incredible. I basically read this book in a day because I could not put it down! I am beyond intrigued to read what happens to Ariel and what she actually is. I loved how both Ariel and Ryker’s characters developed throughout the book. The book was written so smoothly that each chapter flowed into the next seamlessly.
I seriously cannot wait for book 2!! I highly recommend reading this book!
Ariel (Elle) takes a job in the middle of no where Ohio. From the moment she arrives in town things are weird. Her hot but annoying neighbor wasn't the greatest welcoming party. His siblings however become fast friends. Ryker is attracted to her but doesn't understand why.
I love PNR but this read was unique in the fact that we have an idea what Ryker and his siblings are but not what Ariel is. As the story unfolds the mystery becomes more and more troubling. Just when Ariel thinks she may have learned something about herself and her past there are more secrets. Ryker and Ariel are trying to work our their relationship with no one to help navigate the murky waters it is hard. All of the characters in the book are supernatural and most are great but there is a few that made me weary.
This was an awesome read that kept me turning the pages and trying to guess the secrets. Ms McCarthy did a phenomenal job of world building with this story and I can't wait for the next book. The cliffhanger was a nail biter.
Fated Under the Moon is a fantastic paranormal romance. I could not put this down. I'm already hooked with this series, and this is just the first book. I love Ryker and Ariel so much. Ryker is the Alpha wolf who will just own you in so many ways. Once you meet him you are just going to fall hard for him. Ariel is a bit of a mystery of what she is. You feel that magnetic pull between Ariel and Ryker from the very start. They burn the pages with their sexiness. I really could not get enough of Ryker and Ariel. You are going to be sucked in the entire read and will not want to put this down. I'm so looking forward to more Ryker and Ariel to come as we get to discover what Ariel is and what that will mean for the fated pair of Ryker and Ariel. This has to be one of the best paranormal romances I have read in a long time. I cannot wait for what Abby McCarthy brings next in the Destined by the Fates series. I loved every moment of this one. You need to one click it now.
After the initial fated mates and insta-love scenes, I began to really like this story. Elle is still grieving her father's death, and Ryker is trying to protect his family, protect Elle, and figure out what Elle is because she's definitely not human.
I enjoyed the found family aspect. Ryker's family is great, and I enjoyed reading about their bond. I wish there was a little more character development with Elle and Ryker both. Their relationship was very physical and not a lot of intellectual bonding time. When the book finally got to them having open communication, it was over.
I'm excited to continue learning about the different creatures in this book. I hope we get more Gabe and more of Elle's family background in the next book.
I immediately ordered the second book, so obviously, I'm hooked!
Be warned - ends on a cliffy and I will be reading book 2.
I was in the mood for something different and when I saw an author I enjoyed had a PNR book out I decided to give it a try. I liked the story, but I found some repetitiveness, for example how often we were told she was taller than most women. There are unanswered questions (like why did she pass out after they were "together") but there are unanswered questions for our characters too so that is why I'm looking forward to book two. At times I found it to be a bit Twilight like but since I enjoyed that series I was okay with that. Overall I enjoyed it and encourage others to give it a try
This book is phenomenal. Ariel move to the middle of nowhere and meets Ryker. He is all surly and mean to begin with but we all know there is more. These two banter back and forth and I cannot wait for the next book. Awesome writing.
This book is so great. Interesting characters with a whole lot of heart. Engaging storyline. And it's sexy, so sexy. Another fabulous read by Abby McCarthy. I highly recommend. Fated Under the Moon will not disappoint!
I didn’t realize how much I would like this book. Has all the prerequisites of hot Alpha and lusty scenes. You want to yell at Ariel to realize things already but the story still has you rooting for them.
This book is phenomenal. Ariel move to the middle of nowhere and meets Ryker. He is all surly and mean to begin with but we all know there is more. These two banter back and forth and I cannot wait for the next book. Awesome writing.
~~~~~~~~~~Tracy's ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review~~~~~~~~~~
This book simply is incredible. It has been a long time since I read all book like this and was just so enraptured that I couldn't put it down. I loved Ryker and how passionate he was about everything. The confusion Elle feels and feeling lost just was so well written that the reader can feel her pain jump off the pages. I need the next book like now!!! I cannot wait to read the next chapter in this journey. I highly recommend this book and author. Wow so amazed!!!
I absolutely loved,loved,loved everything about this book! I can’t wait for the second one to come out! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this fabulous page turner! I adore you & your writing!
What an awesome book. I loved the relationship between Ariel and Ryker, his alphamale behaviour was hooot. Also, I need the second book in the series like yesterday. It ends on a small cliffhanger, but before even that the book pulls you in and makes you not want to let go before you figure everything out -which we don't yet. All I can say is I love the book very much, it's an original PNR and I haven't read any like it. Can't wait for more from this author!
This is book one in the series and it ends in a cliffhanger. I didn't know that when I started this book. It seems like book two is coming soon, and I am anxious to read it. This book is written in first person from Ariel's POV. There are scenes where the reader is aware of Ryker's thoughts and feeling through the mate connection, but I wish I had the opportunity to know more of his thoughts. I honestly don't read a lot of single POV, and I am hopeful that I will gain more of Ryker's perspective in the next book.
The author creates a world that makes anything possible. As I read the book, I was constantly guessing what the answers might be to the many questions presented. I thought the world building was engaging, and I honestly stayed up way past my bedtime to read this on two consecutive nights. Ariel is an interesting, if sometimes clueless, character. I can see a lot of growth coming to her character as she learns exactly what she is and how to manage that. I also found her impulsiveness annoying. I really just wanted her to find her patience and settle in with Ryker to figure things out. She is a character who jumps first and questions her actions too late. Ryker is a possessive alpha hero who has waited for his fated mate. Initially, he fights the attraction but once he realizes there is more there, he is all in. I love his possessive and protective nature and I adore his wolf and his man. I am excited to get to know more of him in the next book.
There are several steamy, and explicit scenes: and I am here for it. One of my favorite things with the fated mates trope is the connection between the characters and how that enhances absolutely everything. When I reached chapter 20, I realized this was probably going to end in a cliffhanger. Normally. I do not read these unless I can binge on ahead into the next book. Yet at that point I was in it. I am excited for the next book. I hope it comes out soon.
Steamy heat, excellent world building, characters with room to grow, and so many secrets: I need the answers now.
This is the authors first try at paranormal romance. The result is a mix. PNR is filled with tropes and this author used them all. Normally, that would equal a did not finish for me but she saved the story with a thoughtful female mc. Tropes: Mary Sue. She is an object of worship by the mc. It feels shallow and uncomfortable, though both are likeable characters. The worship makes the male lead too one dimensional. Hopefully we see the author back off on this. The female lead is also filled with power that she doesn't know how to use. This trope of the so very powerful but clueless magic user is old and withered. The author does redeem herself by having the mc be adult enough to realize what a risk she is to others with such power that she can't control. The plot is pulled out of a saccharine YA theme by the fmc's handling of her own threat. Of course, she has a mystery parent who left her at birth. That trope is still playing out. The MC seems to be a little old for the orphan trope but we read it anyway. Still, the story is fast moving and entertaining. It ends on a cliffy that was almost a Mary Sue is too stupid to live trope saved once again by the more adult thoughtfulness of the fmc. I enjoyed the story.
DNF - quit at 72% I really tried to finish this, the flow was super duper slow, I thought I was never getting anywhere, constantly checking the percentages and kept thinking about quitting. Putting it down & dreading picking it back up again. This had a weird vibe, almost like a gothic mystery without the historical gothic part. The main characters just annoyed me, the FMC was just TSTL & constantly making choices without thought. The MMC was too domineering and just overall an @sshole. If I don't like the main characters, it ruins the whole story for me. I also hate when an author relies on a "fated-mate" bond to show a relationship, constantly reminding the readers that they are "fated-mates", without showing it actually developing into a real relationship when they don't get a long most of the time. Then reading the reviews & seeing there's a cliff-hanger ending, just pulled me out, since I know I wouldn't want to read book 2 at this point, so what is the point in continuing with book 1.
At my age (60), life is way too short & my time is too important to force myself to read a book I'm not enjoying, especially when there are so many other books out there waiting to be read.
The cliffhanger ending gave me such anxiety BUT I'm immediately heading to the second book because I need to know how this all plays out.
Overall thoughts: Would recommend it to anyone who likes the fated mates trope. I enjoyed the story and was pleased with how quickly I was able to read it. There's a decent amount of characters but not so many that it's overwhelming.
Pros: Here for the banter between Ariel & Ryker. Thoroughly enjoy the relationship with their friends/family. You can feel the love they all have for each other. Ariel's reactions are realistic for everything she learns/is going through. Ryker is a fabulous balance of Alpha male and sweetheart. Wish there was more motorcycle content ;)
Cons: Some of the intimate scenes were a tad cringy for me. We seemingly only have half the information which leads to some holes in the plot which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as we learn everything in book two (I'm also a rather impatient reader so this could just be a me thing).
I don’t like Elle - - much. There I said it. She’s contrary sometimes just to be contrary. She’s constantly pushing away Ryker et al or running away (both mentally and physically). She makes decisions based on whims or in the moment emotions and it amazes me she is alive because these decisions decidedly make me question if she’s TSTL. Yet it’s alluded to that she’s a nerd/geek girl. Yeah no. Ryker needed to watch how he said things, but at least his “demands” came from a good place. There’s frequent lusty scenes but I would have gladly traded some of them for scenes that showed meaningful development of the bond out of the bedroom instead of verbally telling me over and over they’re fated or relying on slightly corny and overused sentiments/declarations.
Honestly this book should have been shorter because I felt like there was a lot of redundant conversations and/or interactions. I’m undecided about continuing to the next book.
Ok so this book is a solid three stars for me. It is very spicy, so be warned. This book is full of cliches and the writing seems immature at times. She used the same descriptors over and over again, it got old fast. The story line was very predictable, and I saw the twist at the end coming from a mile away. What I really hate is what she did with the FMC powers. I don't want to give anything away, but it really annoyed me how she left the book. I don't mind cliff hangers, but this felt rushed and unnecessary. I don't know if I will read the second book, because the writing and storytelling in this one didn't do anything for me. That being said, I do thing the story had potential, I just wish it stepped away from the stereotypes. The romance felt very rushed and unnatural too. Overall, its not the worst book I've ever read, but its definitely not the best.
I liked the concept, I liked the characters and I liked the bit of romance that was in the book. But I was left wanting at the end. It ended on a cliffhanger which isn’t too bad, but I felt like I had no freaking clue what was going on and for every answer we got, we were left with 5 more questions.
I really liked Ryker and the grumpy he brought to Ariel’s sunshine. That is definitely the highlight of the book. I enjoy reading about possessive alpha males and this book didn’t disappoint in that department.
I don’t know if I liked Ariel or if I liked the side characters and they made her more interesting.