Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Moonwish
SERIES: Sundowners #2
AUTHOR: RL Merrill
PUBLISHER: Celie Bay Publications LLC
LENGTH: 345 Pages
RELEASE DATE: February 13, 2025
BLURB:
Even a pacifist vampire can be pushed too far. Threatening his love is a hard limit.
Vampire Creed Lowell’s life was altered fifty years ago at the hands of an ancient being known only as The Source, right before rogue members of the cult he belonged to destroyed their way of life. Just as Creed discovers the identity of the responsible party for that terrible tragedy, temptation is placed in his path in the form of grad student Roman San Angelo, a stubborn, proud, infuriating man who’s everything Creed ever wanted in a partner. When Creed’s past catches up to them, Roman is snatched from his grasp and Creed is forced into hiding, saddled with the care of his former mentor. He’s the only one strong enough to heal them and prevent a catastrophic event, though his rage builds the longer he’s kept from his love.
When Roman’s safety is threatened once more, the two are finally reunited, and Creed is devastated to see the physical effects of Roman’s run-in with The Source. He wants nothing more than to secret Roman away and share whatever time they have left on this Earth in peace. But once again, Creed is forced to sacrifice everything when an old enemy sets their sights on his unique genetic makeup and skills.
This time, it’s Creed who’s taken, and Roman will do whatever it takes to rescue him, even if it means trusting the being that nearly ended his life. With the help of Roman’s long-suffering uncle, a determined FBI agent, and a mysterious benefactor with a multitude of resources at his disposal, they’ll need to bring down a shadowy financial powerhouse and put an end to their villainy before it’s too late for Creed to have a life with his beloved.
Moonwish is a continuation of the events in Sundowners and the books should be read in order. The events of this story are resolved by the end, but Roman and Creed will continue to work towards a resolution of the series’ story arc in future books. For readers 18 and over.
REVIEW:
While recovering from the events in Sundowners, Roman’s safety becomes an issue. Meanwhile, elsewhere, Creed continues to have struggles with The Source. Once again, Roman and Creed are on converging paths, as events suggest that the EVE Corporation has a long reach. Things must change. The questions are: who, how and when?
Initially, I thought this book was one of a duo, but I am pleased to see that there will be more in the series. Each book contains a complete story, but there is also an underlying tale that spans the series. Moonwish is a super read that took me in a delightfully unexpected direction, with evolving established characters and exciting new ones.
The story is told in the third person, primarily from the viewpoints of Roman and Creed. The worldbuilding is enough for me to form a picture without resorting to excessive detail, which suited my reading tastes. The tale also expands outside of Santa Cruz. I’ll admit that I had a little squeeee moment when Rey had a larger role, and looks to be a continuing feature.
In this instalment, I was treated to police interviews, investigations, rehab, healing, protective custody, and more, and that was just for Roman. As for Creed, he’s in a secure location dealing with The Source.
In the background, there are strong hints of a world of good, greedy, bad, and secret organizations that will undoubtedly be exposed in this and future books. I am chuffed that there are even more exciting times to come. One clear thing is that this series is an evolving world that could be something special. And in the hands of RL Merrill – I have confidence that it will be.
Oh, and let’s not forget the OAP home, where the extraordinary residents and sundowners form the heart of this story.
RATING: 
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