Blood Moon

Insolita Luna

By: M. J. O'Shea

Narrated by: Michael Stellman

Length: 5 hrs

Publisher's Summary

Zack met his best friend, Noah, at Harper Lake when they were five years old. Summer after summer, his feelings grew, but he assumed Noah didn't feel the same. But one night when they were 17, Zack kissed Noah...and Noah kissed him back. Zack was sure he did. But the next morning, Noah put an end to their friendship and walked away, leaving Zack with a broken heart.

A year has passed, and Zack goes back to the lake - where every leaf, rock, and turn in the road remind him of the biggest mistake he ever made. He hates thinking about what he lost, and more than anything he wants his best friend back. He figures it'll be the longest summer ever. But then Noah shows up out of the blue, apologetic and more gorgeous than ever. Noah is sweet and attentive, and Zack can almost believe nothing had ever gone wrong. But there's something different about his old friend, something not quite right. Zack doesn't want to ruin the fragile new bond between them, but he has to know...what secret is Noah hiding?

©2013 M J O'Shea (P)2014 Harmony Ink Press

A bit juvenile, but enjoyable

Any additional comments?

Zack's family drags him back to the lake house for one final summer before he starts university even though it's the last thing he wants and certainly the last place he wants to be. The lake house is where he's had his happiest times and memories with his best friend Noah and it's where, last year, Noah shattered his heart after a fabulous kiss.

But when Zack returns this time it's different because Noah is there waiting for him, ready to pursue their relationship, and has some serious secrets to come clean about. There's vampires, werewolves, witches, hunters...I don't want to write anything else because it would give too much away.

The story itself is predictable and a bit juvenile, but it's got some sweet and romantic moments. It's all about the whole "true love never dies and conquers all" kind of romance. The sugary sweetness is mitigated by (and I was pleasantly surprised about this) quite a few sex scenes, though O'Shea never goes over the top with the action.

Michael Stellman delivers a solid performance without doing anything to really make or break the story.

Bottom line: A bit juvenile, but enjoyable.

Kind of like an M/M Twilight, only better

What other book might you compare Blood Moon to and why?

Well, Twilight, I guess... In that both stories are in the YA category with vampires, werewolves (sorry, Lycans) and teen love. Except Noah is actually a teen vampire and not a creepy, pedophile, stalker... and Zack, his (initially) human love interest isn't too-stupid-to-live. Oh, and no love triangles. And while there's angst, not the kind that made me DNF book 2 of Twilight because I couldn't stand the characters.

Which scene was your favorite?

The confrontation with Noah's grandfather.

If you could rename Blood Moon, what would you call it?

Well, Michael Stellman is one of my favorite narrators, and I've liked every other book I've read by M.J. O'Shea, so this is somewhere in the middle.

Any additional comments?

This is part of a series of three books, but only the first one has been released on audio so far :(

It's a complete story, though. So if you're worried about a cliffhanger ending, don't be. The ending is within what I would consider a happily ever after.

Great new YA PNR series!

What made the experience of listening to Blood Moon the most enjoyable?

The supernatural aspect of the story.

What other book might you compare Blood Moon to and why?

Vamp Camp by Wynn Wagner because of the group of friends and how they stick together regardless. That is not a YA book though.

What does Michael Stellman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He's young and vibrant much like the characters, and he really brings them to life, something you don't get by reading just the written story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Noah's cousin came to find him and he first found out that not everyone in his family shared his grandfather's archaic view point.

Any additional comments?

Zack and Noah have been best friends since they were five years old, growing up together spending summers together with their families at their cabins by the lake. Over the years, Zack's feelings drifted out of the friends zone and grew into something more intimate, but he doesn't think Noah feels the same way. Until one hot summer night when a kiss is shared and silent promises are made. With just one kiss everything changes and Zack has never been happier, until the sun rises and Noah breaks his heart. A year later and Zack finds himself at the lake house with his family again, under duress to please his mother. He didn't think he would ever see Noah again after that morning, but then he finds himself out by the lake at night, a night much like the night they shared their first kiss, and there he is.

Noah has been in love with his best friend for as long as he can remember, but he keeps the distance because of who he is and what his family does. As the years fly by and his feelings become more dominant than his heritage, Noah thinks he can have both, but then breaks Zack's heart when he feels he cannot. Then a poor decision not only costs Noah his parents, but his humanity as well. Back at the cabin where he feels safe and is surrounded by familiarity and the memories of Zack the two young men find each other again. Noah has to decide if Zack's love for him is enough to keep them together once he finds out the truth about who, and what, Noah is.

MJ O'Shea is the best YA author we have in the MM genre. Of course, this is just my opinion, but I absolutely love the fact that she truly writes a YA story. The guys in this story are eighteen years old, of course they would be exploring things like sexuality and MJ describes that exploration, well. It's not an adult story by any means, but there are sexual situations and descriptives, and it is all done in an age appropriate way so this story is safe for young adults to read. But I assure you us adults will enjoy the story as well. I think my favorite aspect of this story as far as the grit of the storyline was the fact that when Noah first told Zack the truth, he walked away, he didn't just believe what he said from the start. Zack had to come to the realization that regardless of truth or reality, he loved Noah and would stand by him, even if he was delusional.

Blood Moon is the first book in a series about a group of young vampires, hunters, shifters and witches that come together to make a new generation of friends and allies. The hunters have always believed the supernatural beings needed to be exterminated, that they were volatile and couldn't be trusted so they needed to be eliminated, no questions asked. But now that one of their own has been turned to a vampire, some of the hunters are rethinking the outdated, archaic ways of their people. Not everyone is so welcoming of Noah and his new abilities, or the fact that he is gay, which makes for not only an intriguing, but dangerous storyline.

A must read for fans of O'Shea's books as well as those that like shifter, vampire and paranormal stories. I've seen a lot of reviews for the print or e-book copy that didn't care much for it, I would probably suggest going with the audible version if you are on the fence. My first listen with Micheal Stellman and he reminds me a lot of Jason Frazier. Very young, fresh and vibrant as he tells the story. Stellman also nailed all the tone changes when going from one character to another so the reader never questions whose eyes they are seeing things from at the time. I cannot wait for the next book in this series to come to audible, and I hope Stellman continues to tell Zack and Noah's story.

Sweet Paranormal Romance M/M

In this sweet paranormal romance, Zack Parker and his best friend Noah Harper have spent every summer together at the lake from the time they were five. But then Zack spoiled it all last summer when he broke down and kissed Noah. Though Noah seemed fine about it at the time, the next day Noah told him that they could no longer be friends and disappeared from Zach's life.

Now, it's a year later and try as he might Zack's feelings for Noah haven't abated one bit. Now he's back at the lake with his family for their last summer together before college. And much to his surprise Noah's there as well but somehow he's changed...

I've not read much M/M vampire fiction and certainly nothing that might be considered a Twilight clone... until I heard of this book. I was intrigued with the parallels and by the fact that Twilight written by a woman from Arizona set it in Washington State while this woman who lives in Washington state set her story in New York.

Overall the book is a fast-paced fun read but is not entirely in keeping with the mood of its title. This tale concentrates on that honeymoon period in a relationship when the the two lovers finally get together. The scenes of discovery and forging of new bonds are sweet and a pleasure to experience. The sex scenes are clearly skewed toward the romantic. And while there are difficulties to overcome, they seem almost too easy given the abilities and the love of the main characters. If you're seeking the angst of a typical Gothic tale, seek elsewhere.

The audio-book version is read by Michael Stellman who ably portrays Zack Parker as the slightly emo, slightly whiny narrator of this tale.

Werid. Kooky. Good!

This was so weird and kooky...but I actually like it... Maybe because I am a huge paranormal romance fan...but darn it... I liked it..!

Ok.. so at first I had no idea this was a paranormal book, because well it didn't really start out that way...but c'mon from the cover alone, I was thinking vamp or weirs, right... so when the freaks finally came out to play, I was a bit excited...

I kinda felt a bit bad for Zack... but it all seem to work out with Noah and his family in the end...

It was a long listen, a bit drawn out in parts...but overall, I enjoyed it... the smexy time wasn't all that spectacular, but it was fairly decent...

I totally didn't like the narration.. .I mean it was hard to tell the diff between Zack and Noah at times... so I didn't really like that...

Nice credit or sale... I would actually wait for a sale... and save my credit for something with better narration...but it is worth a credit... but not a buy... unless it is a sale.

really nice ya story

This is a great YA/NA friends to lovers story with a paranormal twist.

There is some good action and this books sets up the series nicely.

While it’s a bit predictable, it hits all the things I love in a paranormal romance and leaves us wanting more. There is a surprising amount of heat and not as much angst as I worry about seeing in YA/NA stories. The action/adventure is good, too.

Michael Stellman does a nice job with the narration.


Overall 3.5 of 5 stars

Vampire Romance. Meh

Any additional comments?

The narration was pretty good quality. Had to get used to the getting over a cold voice. The characters are cute but the story is plain/predictable.