Under the Blood Moon

I voluntarily read this book as an Advanced Reader Copy ... I am now providing you with my honest review of this book.

I have never read a book by Tracie Provost ... this book was offered to me in Kindle format as an Advanced Reader Copy ... intrigued by the description I gladly offered to read; and since I always review what I read here it is ...

I was caught from the beginning and continuously captivated as I continued to read. The world she builds in is familiar as a long time reader if paranormal fiction and lover of Anne Rice. Still she managed to craft a world that was both familiar and new at the same time.

I loved that Juliette was both a strong female character while retaining the docile nature of an 18th century woman. Despite her often docile nature, Juliette is a tour de force for sure and I look forward to experiencing mire with her and the rest of the Cast of Characters! I also came to very much enjoy many other characters ... Sophie, Josh, Beau ... even Gabe ... Marc is an interesting character and I have not decided where he falls on the like meter.

Reviewed by Jennifer of the GothicMoms Review Team

Under the Blood Moon is the story of Juliette de Grammont, a vampire capable of practicing voodoo who has spent the past two hundred years staked and hidden from the world. Upon awakening, she's thrust into modern day New Orleans complete with stray werewolf attacks, demon uprisings, and power struggles amongst vampire coven members. The New Orleans envisioned in the book consists of covens of vampires coexisting with packs of werewolves that remain hidden from the human world. In the background, Gatekeepers exist that are responsible for keeping the paranormal world hidden from the humans. I thought the world building was pretty decent. Character development could have been a bit better. Juliette came across as a soulless creature at times. She didn't seem to express much grief when the man she loved and who sired her died just days after she's awakened. I felt like the author was trying to develop some kind of romance between Josh and Juliette, but it came across as a bit fake. I think anyone who appreciates a good urban fantasy would like this story. Overall, good world building and concept, but needed more attention to characters.

The first book in the new ‘Under the Moon’ series by Tracie Provost starts off a bit on the slow side or so I thought, really it starts off with a series of small events that keep readers’ curiosity spiked and it draws them deeper into the magical New Orleans setting. The author did a great job of setting the scene and the background so it really sets the mood for the book, so the reader becomes engrossed in the book and even though it seems slow, the reader is completely hooked, it does pick up speed and then things get even better.

The strong, compelling characters grab the reader’s attention and refuse to let go as Juliette and Josh get to know one other through all the trials and tribulations of the story. The romance is on the sweet side and the book focuses more on the thrilling events of the plot than the romance throughout most of the book.

I said above that the story is a bit slow but really the plot is a steady to fast pace that keeps the reader glued to the pages as the events unfold building suspense and anticipation throughout with some unexpected twists that surprises readers as well as the characters.

Overall, at the beginning, I wasn’t sure that I was going to like the story, but it didn’t take long before I was completely caught up in the story, the author created a great paranormal story with a few unique qualities that makes her story stand out and I am now looking forward to reading the next book and finding out just how the series progresses.

This is the first book in a new series titled Under the Moon. This is the first book I have read by this author, and TBH, I’m not sure she has written anything else. I admit that at first after starting this book, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it. However, before long I was very engrossed in the story so much so I looked up at the clock at one point and a whole hour had passed feeling like only a few minutes. Juliette was a very intriguing protagonist, someone from the past who was smart enough to figure out how to do deal with the present, with a few bumps along the way. I also really liked Sophie from the beginning; she was a great foil for Juliette. The other characters weren’t quite as fleshed out, but I did like them. On to the plot, it wasn’t really complex, but enough of one that it didn’t feel too simple, if that makes sense. After the initial unsure feeling, I enjoyed the book quite a bit, and I can’t wait to read more in this series! If you like urban fantasy, give this one a try! Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Bell Bridge Books for the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.

Juliette wondered how long she had been in her enforced sleep . Where was she? The Hunter had staked her and put her in a crypt. Andre was her sire as wella s her lover and she heard his voice that they should leave. Juliette was a vampire and she knew the cardinal rules of vampire culture was t o leave no evidence of their existence. Andre told Juliette she was too soft hearted and it would not serve her well in this time. Andre told Juliette they were still in New Orleans but it was much bigger than she remembered. Andre told her she had been in her tupor -was the vampire’s mechanism for dealing with great strain- for nearly two hundred and twelve years. Juliette had a vague memory of fighting with a hunter before he had staked her. .Andre let her know he had to inform the Grandmaster he had found her. Then he added Marc Gauthier was the grand master. As they sped through New Orleans Juliette fek]lt the same trepidation she had when she first set foot in New Orleans after fleeing St Dominique Andre said once he presented her to the grand master they will go and see frederique as she would be happy to see Juliette. Then the grand master’s Stewart was his sister Sophie and shew as introduced to Juliette. She offered to take Juliette up to refresh herself. After meeting Marc and being questioned alone Marc’s nephew Chris had been badly mauled and bitten twice by a werewolf. He had been brought in by Josh Juliette healed the boy chris who was sixteen. Juliette told his uncle that he would have his first shift into a wolf the next full moon. Then Andre said Juliette could do spells and witches stuff to prevent that. Juliette was Frederique’s friend before Andre changed her. There were more attacks by were wolves but they were man eaters this time and Juliette started to ward the city. Her friend Frederique as well as Andre and all the other aether in New Orleans, had died in a fire. There was no one to be found now. Juliette did stop Chris from shifting into a wolf and he would no longer have to worry about that. Chris was Marc’s nephew but also his heir. There was a lot of things going on in New Orleans. Juliette swore to be faithful to Marc and do whatever she could to help. Sophie begged Juliette to get a bodyguard. While magically warding the city against werewolves. Josh escorted her every night and Juliette found herself attracted to him but felt bad as it hadn’t been that long since the passing of Andre.
This was a great read and I loved it. I loved the plot nd the pace.I didn’t want to wait to see what was going to happen next. This book had my attention from beginning to to end. I loved Josh and Juliette together and how protective Josh was of Juliette. I loved how sweet Sophie was to Juliette and actually being her friend. . Also how protective of Juliette she was. I loved the intrigue, mystery, betrayal and suspense in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed this, it was a great supernatural book. I couldn’t find anything to criticize in this book and that was great. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend.

~~Reviewed by Monique~~

Juliette de Grammont, a vampire, was staked in 1797 by the Hunters and placed in a crypt. Her sire finds her and brings her to make her presence known to the New Orleans Grandmaster Marc Gautier. No sooner has she been introduced that the Grandmaster’s nephew Chris is brought in: he has been attacked and bitten by stray werewolves The twelve-year truce between the vampires and the werewolves is tenuous, but they must work together to stop the attacks that threaten the paranormals’ exposure. But the Strays are only the tip of the iceberg when the supernatural politics turn even deadlier.

UNDER THE BLOOD MOON is the first instalment in a promising new paranormal romance series. The paranormal beings are, for the most part, what we are accustomed to, albeit with a heavy dose of magic thrown in. New Orleans is an ideal location for this sort of series, and Ms. Provost uses the lush settings to its advantage, even providing a bit of local history while showing us around. As is customary, this first book serves to establish the world in which the series will take place, and apart from a few paragraphs of info dumping about the various members of the paranormal hierarchies – which I knew I would promptly forget anyway until they entered the narrative – the information was seamlessly woven in.

UNDER THE BLOOD MOON is told in the first person, from Juliette’s point of view, and I really liked her voice. She has retained the speech patterns of her time, which contrasted nicely with the other supernaturals who’d had decades to adapt. The “fish-out-of-water” element was skilfully exploited: Juliette is a smart woman, but there were a few amusing episodes with “novelties”. I also really enjoyed the fact that Juliette is a woman of colour, and her backstory is not what most readers would expect, which I found truly satisfying. There are numerous characters, but it was never confusing, as they were sharply defined, and I particularly liked Chris, Jaime Sprenger – a Gatekeeper, responsible for maintaining order – as well as Josh Bouchard, a vampire and nightclub owner, who ends up acting as Juliette’s bodyguard and budding love interest. If Juliette is intriguing, Jaime is a very exciting character, and Josh is an utterly delicious – and witty – cowboy. I loved the passages where he referred to choice vampire eating spots! If the pace is unhurried, it is steady, and it suits Juliette’s calm and poised nature, the writing is smooth, and it all adds up to a very pleasurable reading experience. UNDER THE BLOOD MOON is a fine introduction to a new magical series!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Juliette awakens after being staked for over two hundred years. Her beloved city of New Orleans has changes but the magic remains. She must learn all the changes that have occurred. Her sire, who should be helping her navigate the changes is distant and neglectful. Unwittingly, she becomes involved in vampire politics and develops powerful allies. She also has powerful lifelong enemies. I read this book in one sitting and loved it. Juliette will draw you into her inner circle and make you her friend before you know it.

I enjoyed this book. The heroin is self-possessed and confident in her abilities, which is refreshing for the genre. I really liked the fact that when she said she could do something magical, she went ahead and did it without dwelling on the hardship of it for pages on end. Some of the plot lines seemed incomplete, but I imagine the author was leaving herself the option of turning the book into a series.

I was totally captivated from the first page thru the last. Juliette is a vampire who is magical as well. She was staked for 200 years and has just now awakened by her Sire, Andre. Instead of helping her by showing her what she needs to know, he ignores her and her needs.. She was introduced to Marc, the Grandmaster of New Orleans, Gabe ,Marc's Lieutenant and Josh, the Lieutenant of another coven. Sophie is the Steward of NOLA and Juliette's friend. So most is happening in New Orleans, people are being bitten by stray werewolves. Chris who belongs to the Grandmaster and his heir was bitten. Juliette volunteered to help Chris and he was healed. Juliette's coven was destoyed, werewolves biting people, demons showing up and then the Gatekeepers who are here to help. Who can you trust. Juliette has learned to trust Josh who is there for her always.. It was the perfect book for me. I loved it. I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review and no compensation.

Hurricane Katrina was just the start. I felt I could see, feel, even smell New Orleans.

I couldn't put it down! I really enjoyed getting myself well and truly lost in a magical world full of vampires and other supernaturals. I loved our heroine from the word go. A strong, passion character, ripped from her home, her time and having to start again. To learn the ways of the modern world and how to survive it. Seeing though her eyes as she makes friends, enemies and more. I felt her struggle, her love and fear. 
This is a vivid world with well defined characters, both good and bad. A storyline that never hesitates as our heroine guides us through ultimately to her destiny. She creates her own path, is intelligent and beautiful. I never doubted her, even with a few twists and turns. 
Her ultimate goal of happiness and love, her road leads through power, confrontations and loyalty.
Rich colourful characters and an awesome lady at the centre, it comes down to her to prove herself....and to save the day! 
Highly recommended! I can't wait for more!

Happily surprised by this one! I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m a big vampire genre lover, but I have read my fair share. I think this was a good addition to the many vampire books I’ve read.
Ritually staked 200 years ago, Juliette is now awake and having to adjust to a new New Orleans. Juliette is a bad ass while also navigating having lived during the 1800s. She’s got to develop some powerful allies since she’ll have to battle some monsters now that she’s awake again.