Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Moon Spell
SERIES: Fated
AUTHOR: Christina Lee
NARRATOR: Iggy Toma
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
LENGTH: 7 hours and 33 minutes
RELEASE DATE: March 15, 2022
BLURB:
Werewolves only exist in fairy tales…at least, that’s what most townspeople in Lunar’s Reach believe. Unless you’re a powerful healer who concocts a potion to help a fledgling shifter remain human during the full moon.
It works to Bellamy’s benefit since he’s been in hiding at Moon Flower from Ashwood, his beloved, who betrayed him two years before. But now that violet fever is sweeping through Etria, and Bellamy has fallen deathly ill, not even the madam from the apothecary can heal him.
Ashwood believes only he – his fated mate – can save Bellamy from the sickness. Unfortunately, he’s right. But Bellamy cannot bear being in his presence nor suppress the longing he still feels for the man. Despite their history, Ashwood still owns his heart, and soon it becomes clear that someone from their past presents a danger to them both.
Perhaps Bellamy could use Ashwood to exact his own revenge before dooming him to eternal loneliness without his mate. Except, that plan would require allowing Ashwood to touch him again, and Bellamy isn’t certain he can resist being cast under his spell. Not when Ashwood feels so perfect – and so right.
Contains mature themes.
REVIEW:
NOTE: This is the second book in this series and contains major spoilers for the first book. In addition, the world building really begins in the first book – recommended to consume in order 🙂
Bellamy is a young man that we met in the previous book, Moon Flower. He had worked as one of those who service the men who visited on weekend nights to pursue their “proclivities” without the issues of the constables. When the Violet Fever epidemic arrives, Bellamy is affected. While Bellamy is trying to recover, we get a glimpse of his life before he ran to the madam of Moon Flower.
Bellamy was orphaned as a young man when his mother was killed by a wolf. He was on the streets when he was “taken in” by a man named Gladstone who provided him with a roof over his head. He was required to beg for his keep. Another of the young men who are part of the group that Gladstone “takes care of” is named Ashwood. Bellamy and Ashwood are drawn to each other. Ashwood teaches Bellamy what he knows – about panhandling and pickpocketing. They also manage to figure out how to sneak away from their watchers to spend time together away from prying eyes. They make plans to get away and have a nice quiet life together. But then Bellamy sees Ashwood talking to some men. He overhears their conversation and then he sees Ashwood shift into a wolf. So does one of the other men and he is the same wolf who killed Bellamy’s mother. So Bellamy runs away.
Bellamy lands at Moon Flower and has been there for several years before the epidemic. He isn’t recovering well though. Ashwood believes that he can heal him and has him tucked away in his rooms. It turns out that the potion to cure the sickness that the madam had made at the apothecary unknowingly had an ingredient that is poison to wolves. Oscar, another young man from Moon Flower also tries to help Bellamy heal from the sickness. He tells Bellamy that Ashwood really does care about him and has done everything he can to save Bellamy. Bellamy stubbornly does not want to forgive Ashwood for his betrayal.
Ashwood is not so well himself. The wolves have taken out their anger at loosing Bellamy on him. Bellamy is furious with Ashwood for lying to him. He’s absolutely convinced that everything Ashwood did was only to convince Bellamy to join the pack of the man who killed his mother. He’s not willing to listen to much Ashwood has to say. Ashwood for his part is wracked with guilt. He wishes that Bellamy had given him a chance to explain – to understand why and what Kipling was doing to control Ashwood.
As Ashwood continues to care for Bellamy, it is clear that his proximity is helping Bellamy to heal. Bellamy is grateful for Ashwood’s help. They are spending days and nights together and while Bellamy is still angry, he does begin to understand Ashwood’s rationale for why he kept quiet and how he was trying to protect Bellamy. It’s clear that they are indeed fated – much to Bellamy’s consternation because he does not want to be a wolf! But of course he is one and eventually after he is healed, he does shift to his wolf and it’s not at all like he expected. He hopes to be able to use that to his advantage to see vengeance against the man who killed his mother.
Of course Kipling has not forgotten Ashwood or Bellamy and he does come seeking them. Luckily for them, they have a lot of supporters in their corner who are able to help them avoid the fate of being pulled into his pack. Only with the help from unexpected allies are Ashwood and Bellamy able to free themselves.
Oh this was such a lovely atmospheric love story of friends to lovers to enemies to lovers again. I will admit that there were times when I wanted to slap Bellamy and tell him to just listen. Poor Ashwood – he’s had it ever worse that Bellamy and it takes him a long time to share his past with Bellamy because Bellamy is just too stubborn and can’t get past what he sees as the ultimate betrayal. Ashwood literally has given up everything to find and cure Bellamy. He’s alone in the world and has no one to care for him at all. He’s incredibly sad because he knows that Bellamy has not accepted him and as fated mates, Ashwood has no desire for anyone else. It takes quite a while for Bellamy comes around. That part of the story ended up being a bit slow for me. I felt like the same ground got covered too many times with no resolution. Then when things finally do start moving, Bellamy and Ashwood make a lot of progress towards figuring out Bellamy’s past and while he’s still insistent that he doesn’t want to live his life as a wolf and that they need to sever their bond, it’s clear that he’s wavering in his resolve about that. I loved revisiting all the young men at Moon Flower and also getting to see Galen and Azriel living their best life. I really enjoy this series and this setting.
Iggy Toma is just a dream narrator. His portrayal of both Ashwood’s gutwrenching sadness and guilt are so spot on. Bellamy’s stubbornness made me want to strangle him – so kudos to Mr. Toma for that as well 😉 I loved all the voices here and it was a real pleasure to listen to this book. While the story was a bit slow for my taste at times, I though the narrator did a great job with keeping things moving for his part. Recommended for those who love a hard fought battle to a happy ending.
RATING: 
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