Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE: Strawberry Moon

SERIES: Wolf Moon Rising Book 5

AUTHOR: Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes

PUBLISHER: Self-published

RELEASE DATE: November 18, 2021

LENGTH: 234 pages

BLURB: 

He lost everything, and the only person who can give him what he needs is the heir of his greatest enemy

Ford McKesson lost his joy when his mate died of the mysterious Condition. Werewolves spent two decades watching their most vulnerable packmates wither and die, and now Ford’s own pack has unmasked the culprit. For many, it’s been a time to celebrate the end of a dark period of werewolf history, but Ford can’t let go of his grief. He watches his pack move toward a brighter future while he’s left behind.

Archer Sterling’s life was built on a rotten foundation. After his grandfather tried to destroy werewolves as a species, Archer is left scrambling to make things right. But a new beast is howling in his head, and he no longer fits into the human world of his youth.

The past year has changed Grovetown—and the world—and neither Archer nor Ford know where they fit anymore. Together, maybe they can make a new kind of home, where everyone belongs.

Strawberry Moon is an enemies-to-lovers romance with two hardheaded wolves—one a grieving widower, and the other an heir to a blighted corporation that nearly destroyed werewolf kind—in the one place with a home for them both, in a non-mpreg ABO world. This is the final book in the Wolf Moon Rising Series.

REVIEW: 

Strawberry Moon concludes the diverting Wolf Moon Rising werewolf shifter, urban fantasy romance series from the power writing duo of Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes.  This story wraps up the continuing storyline concerning “The Condition”.

Because the story arc embraces the five series books, you should only read Strawberry Moon after the previous books. Books 1-4 are excellent (Book 1, Black Moon, Book 2, Harvest Moon, Book 3, Hunter Moon, and Book 4, Cold Moon), so it’s no hardship at all to indulge from the very first page in this intriguing world Ms. Burns and Ms. Fawkes have brought to life.

**Note that the book and this review unavoidably contain spoilers for the previous books. **  

* * *

Strawberry Moon focuses on Ford McKesson and Archer Sterling, grandson of Jedidiah Sterling, the evil architect of The Condition. The latter shot and nearly killed Archer at the end of Cold Moon.  Archer is only alive because of Skye Johnson’s quick thinking in biting Archer to “turn” him into a wolf shifter so Archer could leverage its super-healing abilities.  Archer allowed Skye to turn him.  But now he is grappling with the changes in his body and controlling the wolf beneath the surface, itching to get out. Archer is terrified of who he is now. He’s also scared he’ll never be able to set right all of the devastation his grandfather caused. He’s weighed down by guilt, recrimination, and loneliness, just like Ford.

We’ve seen Ford in the background across the series. He’s an alpha mourning the death of his omega fiancée and unborn child from The Condition. Without an omega to help moderate his moods and behavior, Ford has been riding the edge of his alpha sanity, trying to keep his wolf in check despite the desolation and rage constantly prowling beneath the surface. 

As you can imagine, Ford and Archer are two opposing forces destined to clash.  Archer’s last name invokes a presumption that he was complicit in his grandfather’s actions, and Archer has to constantly work to dispel it. Ford is looking for someone to blame for his traumatic loss. With these differences, you’d expect Ford would hate Archer, Archer would never be able to prove himself to Ford, and never the twain shall meet. Yet Ms. Burns and Ms. Fawkes seamlessly create a plausible, authentic relationship between the two men despite this seemingly impossible barrier. 

Ford and Archer’s relationship is fascinating.  After Ford moves past the red cloud of rage to see Archer for who he truly is rather than his prejudice based on his last name, these two men find a way to bridge their brokenness and fear to find strength and support in each other.  

Like the previous stories, Strawberry Moon is thoughtfully and carefully crafted with a well-written storyline and dynamic, multi-dimensional characters.  While Ford and Archer’s romance is front and center, this book also gives beta Rowan Grove his well-deserved HEA with his boyfriend Cliff.  It also spends significant time demonstrating the depth of the Grove pack found family and how it effortlessly extends itself to embrace Archer as one of its own. The Grove pack, led by Linden Grove, the pack’s Alpha (and my favorite character of the entire series), gives Archer the home he’s always wanted and never had.  (The first book, Black Moon, tells Linden’s story.)

While I don’t think Strawberry Moon has the emotional intensity of Dante and Skye’s story in Cold Moon, different emotions thrum beneath the surface of this story – hope and redemption – and they are no less impactful. The authors’ excellent world-building continues to shine here in this last installment of the story.  

Strawberry Moon is light on the sexy times but has plenty of heartwarming romance to compensate. Ford and Archer make an engaging, endearing couple deserving of their HEA.  However, their relationship is almost secondary to what their relationship represents.  They are like two loose ends on opposite sides of The Condition.  On one end, we have Ford. He represents the victims of The Condition and Sterling’s vengeful attempt to wipe out the wolf shifter population. On the other end, we have Archer. He believes he is part of the cause and is out to atone for the sins of his grandfather and the Sterling Corporation. Unified, Ford and Archer are the bow tying the two sides of the story together, showing reconciliation and a way forward that is hopeful and bright.

I highly recommend Strawberry Moon and the whole Wolf Moon Rising series. It’s unique, clever, very well written, and wholly absorbing as the story ushers us into the Grove pack and the detailed, vivid world of Grovetown. I wish we could spend more time there, but alas, all good things must come to an end. Luckily, we can visit any time we want through a reread.  Also, we can now get some of the series books in audio format, giving us another way to fully immerse ourselves in these beautiful stories again.

RATING:

BUY LINK: 

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