Review: Magic of the Moonlight by Ellen Schreiber

Title: Magic of the Moonlight
Series: Full Moon #2
Author: Ellen Schreiber
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Supernatural Fiction
Elements: Werewolves
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books, Harper Collins
Format: Hardcover, 229 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-06-198657-4
Release Date: December 27, 2011
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 4.5/5

Tagline(s): Beware of a bite under a full moon... It will complicate your love life.

Summary: Celeste has more to worry about than a secret romance with a hot guy from the wrong side of town. That guy, Brandon, is a werewolf. With gossip and hostility swirling at school, it's time to find a cure for his nocturnal condition, and perhaps the one person who can help is his scientist father. But what if a "cure" makes things worse and Brandon becomes a werewolf full time?

To keep Brandon's secret safe, Celeste must hide her relationship with him from her best friends, but with the Moonlight Ball approaching, she must make a choice. Her dream is to go with her one true love--Brandon. But once the sun goes down, the clouds separate, and the full moon appears, could she really walk into the dance on the arm of a werewolf?

In this installment of the sumptuously romantic Full Moon series, Celeste faces her fears and her friends and finds out whether she's strong enough to stand up for herself and her one true love.

Review:

In Magic of the Moonlight, Celeste struggles with wanting to have a relationship she doesn't have to hide and wanting to protect Brandon and his werewolf secret. It's made even harder with Nash fighting to win her back. Ellen Schreiber has created a story that's just as compelling as her nocturnal werewolves.

I'm going to be completely honest and say that I like Ellen's Full Moon series better than her Vampire Kisses series. There's something about this story and these characters that seems more believable. The story just pulls me in and doesn't let go, whereas with Vampires Kisses, I'm pulled in but the line snaps and I'm let go until it hooks me again.

I love Celeste and Brandon. They are just the cutest, sweetest couple. I thought it was adorable how Celeste, at the very least, wanted to eat lunch with Brandon and hold his hand. I also liked that in this book, the female character, Celeste, is the most protective. I mean, there's absolutely nothing wrong with a hot, protective guy, but it was a nice change to see how protective Celeste is of Brandon.

Then there's Nash. It seems like every character I read that's named Nash ends up being a jerk in some way. Threatening and blackmailing the girl you supposedly love and her current boyfriend is no way to win her back. I just found Nash to be really annoying in this book.

And I was totally not expecting the twist toward the end. I mean, when you're given a warning saying, "Beware of a bite under a full moon. It will complicate your love life," it's going to make you anxious. But what actually happened wasn't what Celeste--or I-- was expecting. I don't want to say too much and give something away, but this little twist really is going to complicate things for Brandon and Celeste.

About this Author:

Ellen Schreiber was an actress and a stand-up comedian before becoming an author; she was also a real-estate agent. She studied Shakespearean theater at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and comedy at The Second City of Chicago, which is where she lived for five years. As a novelist she has had several works published in Europe and America. Her brother, Mark Schreiber, is also an author. He helped her start her writing career. The Vampire Kisses series was her real break. The "VK" series stars Raven, a unique goth girl who has wanted to be a vampire since she was little and Alexander Sterling, the vampire that loves to paint. Ellen says that "Raven is a blast to write for, because when I'm writing about her rebellious exploits, I feel the excitement of the rebellion too."

Recently Ellen announced an new series called Once in a Full Moon about "romantic werewolf!" The first book in the series was released December 28, 2010.