Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Blue Moon Rising
SERIES: Moonlight Prophecies
AUTHOR: Amanda Meuwissen
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 282 Pages
RELEASE DATE: May 24, 2022
BLURB:
Alpha Jay Russell’s broken engagement may just be the best thing that ever happened to him. His ex-fiancé’s twin, Bari, is much more his type and straightforward about his flirting and desire to unite their packs.
Jay returns home after his misadventures in Centrus City to a new prophecy, an unknown enemy, and tribal unrest over a series of racially-driven murders. Furious, Jay is determined to bring whoever’s responsible to justice… but the unrest upsets the fragile peace he’s been working to achieve, threatens his new lover’s life, and undermines his position as Alpha, which makes investigating a challenge.
Can Jay and Bari work together to fight their inner demons—and a strange adversary dead set on returning to the past—or will mistrust and political machinations tear them apart?
Blue Moon Rising is the second book in the Moonlight Prophecies series. Fans of shifters, soothsayers, and shadowy villains will fall under Amanda Meuwissen’s spell in this suspenseful, sexy urban fantasy romance.
REVIEW:
Alpha Jay was supposed to have an arranged marriage to Bash, the alpha of Centrus City, who was also a Seer and a Focus. However, a prophecy determined that it didn’t happen. All was not lost when Jay found mutual attraction between himself and Bash’s identical twin brother, Bari. The two returned to Jay’s city, Brookdale, to tackle racism problems at home and see where their budding relationship goes. After all, Jay was a hopeless romantic and still hoped for love. But, romance must take a back seat when murder is added to the mix.
Another Amanda Meuwissen novel to add to my permanent bookshelf. There are changelings for almost every animal and other paranormal beings within the shifter world. However, wolves are considered top dogs. Some cities like Centrus are considered scandalously forward-thinking by treating all races equally. This is not the case in Brookdale, where there is segregation and elitism. Jay is trying to change that, but he faces traditionalists and upset within the ranks. Indeed, it is a story with many parallels with today’s society.
The story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Bari and Jay. I’m not going to comment on technical aspects as I received an arc copy well before the release date, and I’m unsure if it’s the final manuscript. My only observation is that it would have been clearer to have texts highlighted in a different font to the rest of the story.
The worldbuilding painted an image without going overboard, which suits my reading tastes. As Bari is a museum curator, I received as clear a picture of his environment as the cramped conditions in the shelter or various tense situations.
Both protagonists are delightful. Bari is stylish and flirtatious with talents that surprise him. I found his relationship with his brother Bash tenderly supportive. Strong characters surround Jay, and he overthinks his position as alpha. Bari and Jay bring out the best in each other. Regarding the wider cast, they are as varied in character as they are species, ranging from the strong, hostile, and flirty to the oppressed, geeky, and obnoxious.
In a city where everything is not equal, and there’s an unknown lurking with a long-term agenda, Jay and Bari have an uphill task to change opinions and foster tolerance. They have personal and physical battles to overcome, plus the talents of a paranormal society to see through.
Much of the story is background and build-up, with little grenades of action upping the heart rate before the end climax, which I was more than happy with. I pride myself on spotting the bad guy reasonably quickly, but this story kept me guessing. So, all in all, I’m a happy bunny.
RATING: 
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Great review!
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