Moon Awakening Book

Moon Awakening is a book with an interesting premise - Scottish werewolves in a medieval setting. The story wasn't quite a knock out for me but it was still a good read.

Emily Hamilton is an English woman sent to the Scottish Highlands to marry a laird upon the demand of the King. She volunteered to go in place of her younger half-sister who is deaf from an illness because she fears what the laird would do to her. Upon Emily's arrival at the Sinclair holding, she finds the Sinclair laird wants nothing to do with her because she is English and refuses to marry her despite the edict of the Scottish King. She also finds a friend in the laird's pregnant widowed sister Cait.

Emily and Cait are kidnapped by the neighboring Balmoral clan in retaliation for one of the Balmoral women being taken by a Sinclair man without permission. Emily is pretty confused and angry about these Highland men who think it's okay to kidnap women. Cait knows that the Balmoral men think they are justified. Cait is a Chrechte, a werewolf shapeshifter descended from Ancient Picts, as are a lot of people in both the Sinclair and Balmoral clans. Lachlan, the Balmoral laird, is also a Chrechte. He is very attracted to Emily right away but knows he can't touch her because she is human and at first he thinks she is the wife of the Sinclair laird.

Lachlan's first in command, Drustan, forces Cait to marry him because his sister was the woman who was kidnapped by the Sinclairs. Cait is attracted to Drustan despite herself and starts to fall quickly under his spell. Lachlan and Emily have a fierce attraction between each other that Lachlan fights very hard because he wants a Chrechte mate who will ensure children who can shift shape, unlike a human mate where the chances are even for the children being human and shifter. Other outside forces are in play during this time, from a devious traitor who causes trouble to Cait's brother who will surely want revenge for his sister being taken from him.

I was a little disappointed with this book because it could have been better and more exciting. The story was pretty good but the pace could have been faster and the story could have been more imaginative. The romance seemed short changed because the author tried to stuff two romances in almost equally which hurt the depth of both couples. I would have preferred the focus be on just Lachlan and Emily because they had so many differences to overcome. The whole "oh no they are werewolves" reveal was really ho hum when it could have been something dramatic. Lachlan was pretty mean to Emily a few times because he was so hung up on not having a human mate, I am used to werewolves who recognize their mate imediately and treat them really well. I thought he should have groveled a bit more for some really harsh things he said in front of people.

Overall, Moon Awakening was a good book but a little disappointing in the romance and storyline. If the thought of a Scottish historical with werewolves sounds like fun, then I would recommend giving it a try. The story did keep my interest and make me want to read the next book which is coming out soon. Moon Craving will feature Talorc, the Sinclair laird. Hopefully the romance will feature more heavily in this one and will flow better because the world was established in Moon Awakening.