Book Review: Crying for the Moon by Sarah Madison

Title: Crying for the Moon
Author: Sarah Madison
Genre: Paranormal Romance, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy from publisher
Published: July 2011 by Dreamspinner Press

Vampire Alexei Novik may have the teeth and the coffin, but he’s given up the lifestyle for an old fixer-upper in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Weary of his past, Alex plans to keep to himself, but it seems his sexy, new neighbor, Tate, can’t take the hint—a good thing, since it turns out he’s handy for all kinds of things around the house. Tate even gets along with Alex’s werewolf friends, though one of them pointedly reminds Alex that their friendship is a bad idea.

If a platonic relationship is a bad idea, the growing attraction between Tate and Alex is a disaster waiting to happen. Loving Tate will draw him into Alex’s dangerous world, and Alex is torn between having the relationship he’s always craved and keeping Tate safe. Tate won’t take no for an answer, however, and seems to handle everything Alex can throw at him without blinking. Just when he thinks things might turn out all right after all, Alex’s past catches up with him—forcing him to make a terrible choice.

Reviewed By: J9

In a Nutshell: Decent romance with above average world building and plenty of humorous secondary characters.

The Set Up: Alex has left his vampire lover to live as a reclusive in the Blue Ridge Mountains. But his werewolf friends insist on being close friends and his noisy neighbor, Tate, wants to be more than friends. What’s a not-so-lonely vampire to do?

Why I Read this Book: I’m a Goodreads list junkie and I’d seen this pop up on a few best of MM romance lists so read it.

What I Liked: With vampires, werewolves and an abusive ex-boyfriend I thought this book would be dark but it was the opposite. It’s full of laughter and humor which I really enjoyed. Alex attempts to be grumpy and reclusive but he so enjoys Tate who loves to be the comedic center of attention and the playful werewolf pack. I love the one line quips and gentle poking Tate and the werewolves give Alex as it helps him become more engaged in life, just what he needed when he left the cold vampire world.

What I Also Liked: The romance, the characters and the plot balance very well. This isn’t a particularly erotic romance, which is fine given that the characters are well explored and the plot attention grabbing. Sure, any reader will know the mystery plot fairly early on but it was fun getting to the end. I also enjoyed that the vampire and werewolf lore is slightly different than in most paranormal. The author has nice twists on the paranormal lore. For instance, the vampire coffin plays a big role in Alex’s life and the story in general, which is different than in most vampire romances.

What I Didn’t Like: I wouldn’t say I didn’t like it but the romance is fairly drama free. The tension isn’t earthshattering but it’s satisfying enough.

The following may be considered a SPOILER so click the button and proceed reading at YOUR OWN RISK. And don't say I didn't warn you ;)

I do wish the ending was a little more HEA than HFN but it worked.

IMO: I wouldn’t put this romance on a best of MM romance list but I still enjoyed the humorous and entertaining read.

J9’s Rating: