Accepting the Moon: Prequel (Moonrising Book 0) by K. S. Haigwood
Starts with a table of contents and listing of other works by the author.
Book has chapters of characters names as you hear about their side of things that are happening.
Mena is leaving her spouse because he's cheated on her, and Marc is now abusive as well.
Story also follows Jaxon and Phoenix who we learn what they are all about.
Big confrontation at the motel and Jaxon gets away with Mena on his back and fights through the demons to a safe area.
We learn what they have in common along with what will occur in the future as she is bitten by her ex and she will now take on transformations.
Book starts out so normal til you realize they are talking about vampires and werewolves. I was always fascinated as a teen and watch Dark Shadows as it was filmed near our house in RI.
Have also watched Twilight series and am currently watching The Originals.
What I like best about this prequel is that it not only has definitions for the words used but the author tells you her interpretation of things as they appear in the book. I've read many other shifter books and so far just this prequel is so good that I read it on the weekend and I don't read books on the weekend.
Can't wait to start the first book in the series as I know the background of the characters.
Free on Amazon ( )

Mena recently found out her husband, Mark, has been lying to her and she’s ready to divorce him after 12 years of marriage. They argue and it gets ugly. Unfortunately, that isn’t going to be the end of her troubles for the day. Nope. Mena is in for a nasty surprise concerning werewolves and vampires.

There were things I really liked about this book and then there were things that just didn’t work for me. Mena is angry at Mark, and has every right to be so. She isn’t sticking around for more of his BS. I really like this attitude of hers. She’s not one to bow to another’s will easily and this stubbornness (or bullheadedness) works to her advantage through out the story.

Then we switch point of views and go to Jaxon who is at a questionable bar looking for something. He’s a vampire and it never becomes clear if he was hunting for sex or a meal or both. He bumps into Mena at the even more questionable hotel where he was staying and he is instantly drawn to her. Then the werewolves show up.

Now, here is one of those things that didn’t work for me. The fight scene was ridiculous. Jaxon had been carrying Mena and then he swung her up onto his back once the face off with the werewolves began. Yep. She fights and he fights and all the time she is on his back piggy back style. I know he’s a vampire, but she’s just a human. Have you ever tried to hold on to anyone piggy back style while they were moving fast, bending over, running, kicking, fighting? Plus Mena was doing some fighting herself. Yeah, it just doesn’t work. And it also looked pretty silly in my little mental theater I have going on as I listen to this book.

OK, but then we have more good stuff. There are several intense scenes as Mena deals with the vampires, especially the local leader Phoenix. She’s a strong-willed person and this is like catnip to the vampires. These scenes individually were very well written and I really enjoyed them.

Yet there is this one thing that bugged me. Mena has left her husband and had a few monumental shocks for the evening (Werewolves! Vampires!). Yet there is nearly no reflection on these events or the ending of her relationship with her husband of 12 years before she is falling in lust with another character. So that moved way too swiftly for me without even the casual nod to the events of the day.

But then we have more awesomeness with the ending. Mena has to deal with the werewolves and this is going to be tricky. Without giving out any spoilers, I found the ending satisfying and an excellent setup for the next book in the series.

I received this book at no cost from the author (via the Audiobook Blast Facebooks group) in exchange for an honest review.

The Narration: Pyper Down was a good fit for Mena. She had the hard feminine voice that worked so well for Mena (who was having the toughest day of her life). Her male voices for Mark and Phoenix were very good, and each distinct. She also had a distinct voice for Jaxon but it was not sexy at all, even though according to the text it was suppose to be. Instead, Jaxon sounded like a 50 year smoker that might have asthma. ( )