A solid paranormal romance with a good mix of action, mystery, and steamy moments. The story follows werewolf Niko and human Denny as they navigate a world filled with pack politics, danger, and, of course, their growing attraction. I enjoyed the chemistry between the two leads, and their romance felt genuine, with just the right amount of tension and heat.

The paranormal elements were intriguing, especially the werewolf lore, and there were some nice twists along the way. That being said, I felt like the pacing could’ve been tighter, and some parts of the plot felt predictable. There were also moments where I wanted more depth in character development, particularly with the secondary characters.

Overall, if you're into werewolf romance with some action and heart, Bad Moon Arising is an enjoyable read. It’s not groundbreaking, but it delivers a fun, fast-paced story that’ll keep you entertained. Perfect for a weekend escape into the supernatural!

*ARC kindly given by @netgalley for my honest opinion.*

"Bad Moon Arising" by CL Mustafic is a gripping and atmospheric tale that blends elements of mystery, suspense, and the supernatural. Mustafic's writing draws you into a world where the line between reality and the paranormal is blurred, keeping you guessing until the very end. With its complex characters and eerie setting, "Bad Moon Arising" is a captivating read that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

(3.5 stars, rounded up - for once.)

this was very fun, but it just felt like a fanfic rather than a published book. not that there's anything wrong with fanfic; some of it is fucking masterful. i just mean it falls into the trap a lot of fanfic does, where you get a couple of tropes you like and string them together with writing that might be good, but is clearly rather unpractised and mostly unedited. that's fine when it's a free thing online, but from an actual book i'd want the writing to be more polished.

the sex scenes were also not that great. explicit, but ridiculously brief. either fade to black or <i>commit</i> to your sex scenes, dammit. i'm not saying you need to go full erotica but i want something a little more than "i thrust my cock in him and spilled my seed." (okay, that's paraphrasing, but it did only last for like one kindle page, which is probably half a paperback page.

there's definitely potential here, i think. unfortunately, the raw potential was taken and published, rather than refining it into something that unleashes the writer's full potential. if this was self-published i might be a little more lenient, but if you're a publisher - even a small indie publisher - i do expect some level of editing and refinement, otherwise what's the point of publishing with them in the first place?

although it was all a wee bit too amateur, i definitely think the writer has skill. the characters were actually pretty well developed, and i liked the humour running through the novella. i'm a big fan of books that don't take themselves entirely seriously, but the writing needs to be top-notch otherwise it comes across as amateur. this came quite close to being very good, but unfortunately, it didn't quite make it.

the grammar and spelling was mostly fine; by "unedited" i just mean it feels a little choppy at times, and certain things should probably be elaborated on - such as clay with blaine - and more detail needed.

also, clay as a lil puppy werewolf is the cutest thing in the universe. this is the first werewolf story where newly turned wolves are puppies for about a year or so, and i'm not gonna lie, i'm obsessed with it.

i rounded up from 3.5 (which is something i very rarely do; i usually round down) because i can tell the writer is GOOD, they just got let down a bit by the lack of editing - unless you're in the 1% of excellent writers who are excellent even without editing, you're gonna need some good editors no matter how good you are. so i'm mostly blaming this book's bad points on Ninestar, who should have been able to iron them out, especially with a writer who has clear skill.

i'm really excited to see what c.l. mustafic comes up with next! she hasn't published anything for three years, but i'm still holding out hope - three years isn't that long when it comes to hiatuses (hiati?) of artistic endeavour, after all.

'Bad Moon Arising' is a good read if gay werewolf stories is your 'thing'. I enjoyed this book well enough, the new pups angle was different, cute and fun in particular, the pack dynamics quite interesting - and it definitely stands well as a cautionary tale against sex spurred biting and infected blood!
Some of the characters seem better developed and more believable than others - and this is one sense in which this story certainly feels like the beginning set-up for a series, rather than being a satisfying read in and of itself - and I didn't honestly feel particularly invested in any one of them (beyond Clay's puppy antics), or in the developing will they/won't they relationship.
Nevertheless a fun read - I'm definitely finding that Nine Star Press paranormal LGBTQ novels have become my 'go to' when I want something light and different as a break from my usual reading tastes.

Bad Moon Arising had an enticing hook from start and I really liked the author’s approach to lycanthropy, their community, and the way the shift/maturation of the werewolves work. I’ve read my fair share of shifter books, so I’m always excited to see new and different interpretations and this novella certainly offered up that. Despite the originality in this novella, for the bulk of it, I wasn’t sure this was a series for me. The writing throughout Bad Moon Arising was solid, but the pacing and narrative felt off at times. I’m not sure if it was too much plot in a shorter book, but it occasionally seemed big moments were glazed over rather than using them to develop the characters and relationship further. And, while the characters were okay, I never really connected with either Clay or Damian, nor did I detect a romantic bond or obvious chemistry beyond the physical lust between them. As I got to the final chapters, I suspected Bad Moon Arising would land in the okay, but not for me grouping; then some unexpected plot points turned the direction of the novella and reignited my interest. While the novella didn’t end in a cliffhanger, it did leave me with a few questions and a unique set-up for the second book, and I now plan to see where the series goes- hopefully it delivers some answers, excitement, and more of a romantic element between Damian and Clay. I think Bad Moon Arising is worth checking out if you’re a fan of shifter books, but don’t necessarily need or expect a straight forward romance in the story.

2.5 Stars
Clay lives a quiet life. He works at the DMV and spends most of his down time alone. When he wants to hook up, Grindr is available, but he’s hesitant about that as well. Clay can’t believe his luck when Damian responds to his message and the two men spend some time together. Clay is totally gone for how hot Damian is and, in the moment, he bites Damian hard enough to draw blood. Clay isn’t at all reassured when Damian freaks out, but Clay couldn’t even begin to guess what he was in for.

Damian lives in a trailer park in the quiet woods, but he has a secret. He lives with his pack, the Outcasts, and keeping a low profile is vital to their survival. Damian now feels responsible for Clay and is tasked with keeping an eye on him to see if Clay has been infected from biting him. As the full moon arrives, Damian resorts to drastic measures and then has to oversee Clay as he shifts for the first time. His responsibility doesn’t end there as now there is a werewolf pup to teach and watch over. Clay also now needs a mate to tie him to the pack and since he and Damian are at odds, he spends time with Blaine, Damian’s abusive ex. This puts Damian on high alert as he has to navigate his feelings for the pack, as well as his growing feelings for Clay.

This book didn’t much work for me almost from the beginning. Clay was fine when we first meet him as he’s contemplating a Grindr hookup. He’s attracted to Damian, physically, from the start, but the attraction ends there. Damian isn’t interested in repeats, so he acts like a red neck to thwart further interest. The guys hook up during their first meeting and there was no chemistry for me as Damian is rude and makes Clay uncomfortable. But the attraction for Clay was enough to have him biting Damian.

Damian is part of the Outcast pack, a pack without family that has come together. Damian has to now explain to his pack elders that he was bitten. They can’t be sure that Clay is in fact infected, so rather than explain to Clay what might be going on and risk exposure, they have Damian resort to nefarious tactics that were in bad taste. I say Damian, because until they are sure if Clay is infected, the pack leaves Damian completely on his own to deal with this.

So, of course, Clay is infected; it’s in the blurb, it’s out there. Once the pain subsides, Clay takes turning into a puppy extremely well and while Damian looks out for Clay, their relationship is more than a little prickly. Then, if Clay wants to become a member of the pack, it’s stated that he has to find a mate to then tie him to the pack. Enter, Blaine, Damian’s abusive ex.

The pack leaders know Blaine abused Damian, but since he was never brought up on formal charges he’s still a pack member and allowed to pursue Clay. Without calling out all the details, I’ll say that this didn’t work for me, and Blaine’s character was poorly developed, and the loose pack rules and leaders that didn’t protect or back their pack mates didn’t work for me either.

This is the first book in the series and I will not classify this particular book as a romance. While they’re softening towards each other, Clay and Damian have a great disdain for each other even at the end of the book, although they are together in the same location kind of way. The main plot of this book with the pack, the ex, and the lingering contempt was a muddled mess for me and I didn’t enjoy this one.

There were a number of things I struggled with. I'm not sure if the author was trying to cram too much into the story or it was points of interest that would be picked up in a later book. Not near enough detail on the relationship that was forming. There was a lot left hanging. Hopefully there will be another one to round these guys out.

This paranormal romance was a fun read.

I really enjoyed the fact that the author doesn’t adhere to the conventions of werewolf PRs. Damian, the werewolf, doesn’t bite human Clay; instead, Clay gets a little too carried away and bites Damian in a moment of passion. When Clay turns, he doesn’t become a savage werewolf. Instead, he turns into a puppy. (All newly-turned werewolves first manifest as pups in Mustafic’s world.) That leads to some comic moments where Clay runs around as a puppy with a mixture of human and puppy thoughts, including a desire to chase his tail. Then later, there’s a problem with his shifting, and he winds up in human form with “puppy brain.” That part got me laughing to myself.

It’s not a perfect book. Clay must find a mate within the pack because . . . well, I wasn’t sure, really, since it seems like the role the mate was given could equally be filled by a mentor figure, if this wasn’t a romance novel. The leaders of Damian’s pack claim to want to buck the conventions of the werewolf world, but when the plot needed complicating, they couldn’t avoid following them, conveniently enough for the purposes of the storyline.

Overall, though, I liked the book enough that I was willing to just suspend my occasional doubts and go with the flow of the story. I’m going to be looking for the next in the series, too. The author left some of Damian’s background a mystery, and I’m curious to find out more about the things she only alludes to. I’m curious about how the relationship between Damian and Clay will develop, too; it seems like they might be in for something of a bumpy ride.

Recommended for readers who enjoy werewolf paranormals with a bit of a twist.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Bad moon arising is a promising start to a series that seems to have a lot of potential. I really liked how the werewolf theme was dealt with, it was done in an original way. The whole puppy thing was the cutest thing ever and it was also very funny to be inside Clay’s head while he was in his puppy form. I think some parts were a bit rushed and some things were left unsolved, especially regarding Damian’s past. I can’t wait to read the second book in the series to get my answers and also to read more about Clay and Damian and to see how their relationship evolves.

Well written story that puts a different spin on the whole werewolf story. I liked the pack dynamics and the puppy parts were just plain adorable and so funny.

I'm still not quite sure how to rate this though. There are sooo many things unsolved (who's Damian's true mate for example? Why does most of the pack hate him? Doesn't seem to be only the Blaine thing) and the ending is barely a HFN. I know there'll be another book in the series so I hope it'll be about Damian and Clay again and not a new pairing so I'll finally get some closure.

Overall a very promising start to a new series.