Crimson Moon [Paperback]

Crimson Moon ended up being more exciting that what I thought it would be! I am so happy that I read this because the characters in this book are wonderful!

Crimson Moon starts off with a little background info on the main character, Emma. You get the opportunity to hear all about her lonely life. She has no mother or father. All she has is grandma, and she can't even remember who Emma is. Emma's life takes a sudden change the minute an old classmate talks to her at a diner. From that moment on Crimson Moon is all excitement! Emma is pretty much thrown into a world that she never new existed. She learns all about vampires and werewolves and how both creatures are a part of her life. She also learns that she is a member of vampire royalty, and that her life will now change forever. Her life is also no longer safe, and she must be protected at all costs. She is surrounded by several werewolves who have been given the task of protecting her and one of those werewolves is Caleb. Caleb is a total gentleman. He risks his life to get her where she needs to go safely while filling her in on what her new life will be. There are times that Emma wishes that her life could go back to what it used to be. But there is no turning back now.

Along the way we meet lots of interesting characters. One such character is Trent. The minute Trent came into the scene I knew that things were going to get a lot more interesting. If you like bad boy vampires, Trent is the one for you. He also becomes one of Emma's protectors and teaches her lot of things about the vampire world.

Crimson Moon was the type of book that sucked me in from the beginning. I just didn't want to stop reading and when the end came, I was sad. I wanted the story to just go on and on. That my people is a sign of a good book as well as a great author. Jaime has told me that Crimson Moon was the first book that she ever wrote and all I can say is that I am impressed. I am a huge fan of Jaime's writing and cannot wait for what she has in store for us in the future.

Another great work by J.A. Saare! I have to disagree with the reviewer who said they loved Dead, Undead, or Somewhere In Between and felt like Crimson Moon was written by a different author.

I don't think it's fair to compare CM with Dead. Crimson Moon's Emma is not Rhiannon and I don't think we should expect the same type of characters or writing from the author each time. I personally enjoy it when authors branch out so to speak and write different types of novels. Otherwise, you just end up with someone like Danielle Steel who writes the same novel over and over and over using different characters.

Saare is a versatile writer with excellent characters and I look forward to her coming works!

Emma is a young woman who is basically on her own. She doesn't know her father and her mother died when she was young so she was raised by her grandmother who is now incoherent most days due to her failing health. Her life is not that of an average 18 year old but certainly certainly mundane to say the least. That's all about to change with one visit to a local cafe. A former classmate from school spots her and stops to say hello. When Emma gets a strange vibe from him, she makes a polite but quick retreat. That's when her world is changed forever. She finds herself being chased down by a gang of semi-human creatures. In the process she is abducted by two men who claim they are they are there to protect her. They tell her she is the daughter of a powerful Trueblood vampire and her life is in danger. In a matter of minutes, Emma is thrust into a dangerous world of vampires and werewolves.

Caleb is a werewolf who is part of a unique group that has been hired by the Trueblood vampires for protection. This is supposed to be just a job but it doesn't take Caleb long to realize Emma is much more than a charge he's bound to protect. In the process of their journey together, Emma finds herself inexplicably attracted to Caleb, and he appears to feel the same way about her. Fate seems to have put them together, however it is now about to tear them apart. Emma must leave Caleb to go to her Vampire family to make a choice that will forever change her life.

Crimson Moon reads almost like to books combined. In the first half (the werewolf half) we experience Emma and Caleb's developing romance. Knowing they will have to eventually part ways it's a very emotional build on their romantic relationship. When the time comes for Emma to leave and go to her vampire family,(the vampire half) we're introduced to Trent, a vampire that has been watching Emma for years. He's been watching out for her on orders from her father. He acts as mentor to her when she is introduced to her vampire family, guiding her and teaching her in vampire ways and laws. He also has a romantic interest in Emma which she resists, but due to her circumstances, things become very complicated.

I found myself very torn in this love triangle which I didn't think possible. Caleb is certainly a swoon worthy hero and he captured my heart right away. When Trent entered the picture I was immediately suspect of him and never dreamed I might be tempted to the vampire side. However I found myself to be quite fickle in my affections for the heroes in this story and a bit torn in how I feel about the ending. I most certainly look forward to the next book in series, in hopes that all the heroes I loved in this book will find their happily ever after.

I really only have one tiny complaint with this story and it's one I can't discuss fully without spoiling. So, I will put it this way: I was not fully convinced at the reaction one of the characters had to an epic betrayal. Although this particular character seemed to take pretty much everything in stride, the betrayal was major and the reaction just didn't seem inline with the offense and it felt glazed over. I wish I could go into more but that's really all l can say without ruining a major plot twist, sorry.

J.A. Saare has written a wonderfully romantic story in Crimson Moon. The characters are emotionally authentic and the writing is crisp with with an exciting plot that is sure to pull you in and keep you captivated with every page. If you like stories with sexy, romantic heroes, strong, quick witted heroines, and intriguing plot twists, then you'll want to read Crimson Moon.