Daring You To Read...Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur

Daring You To Read is a weekly feature here on Tynga’s Reviews where we dare you to read some of our favorite older releases (at least 6 months old). All the books/series we choose to feature are titles we adored and think you should give them a shot! We think it’s a super awesome way to discover that special book who might have slipped off your radar!

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This week, I'm daring you to read FULL MOON RISING, the first book in Keri Arthur's sexy and thrilling Riley Jensen series. There are nine books in the now-complete series and you’ll love each and every one if you’re a fan of strong characters, meticulous world building, steamy moments, and fast-paced plotting.

First off, let me say how refreshing I found the series’ setting. The books take place in Melbourne, making it stand out in a genre where most books are typically set in a handful of American cities. (I’m looking at you, Atlanta and Chicago! (There are other cities that get used in multiple series but I can’t remember them off the top of my head.))

And then there’s the characters. I loved Riley Jensen from the moment I met her, when she’s saving a group of humans even though she’s scared. She’s smart, sassy, obsessed with stilettos, unashamed of her sexual drive, and generally a lot of fun. She works at the Directorate of Other Races, which police supernatural beings, mostly because it was that or the military, because Riley and her twin brother Rhoan are hybrids – part werewolf, part vampire – though Riley is more in touch with her werewolf side and Rhoan with his vampiric one. Her boss, Jack, wants her to become a guardian (a.k.a. supernatural assassin fighting for the side of good) like her brother but Riley has, up until now, avoided that type of training. Of course, that all changes when she senses that her brother’s in trouble and she has a naked vampire outside her door.

We don’t see as much of Rhoan in this book as we do in future novels since he goes missing, which is the main impetus for Riley becoming more involved with Directorate work, but I think you’ll enjoy him when you meet him. And I know you’ll love Lysander, Rhoan’s partner. He’s probably my favourite character in the series even though he’s very much a secondary one. He’s so in love with Rhoan and he accepts Rhoan’s work but he’s not a wallflower and he has some fantastic moments across the series. I truly appreciate that Keri Arthur has included successful hetero- and homosexual relationships in her story and that her characters don’t make a big deal out of it. It’s a type of diversity that’s lacking in the genre as a whole and I love it when authors have a more representative world.

Of course, I can’t talk about any Riley Jensen novel without mentioning Quinn, Riley’s love interest. Quinn is alpha male all the way, plus he’s a vampire, so he’s more than able to keep up with Riley and her antics. He’s got a lot of secrets that come out over the course of the series and I really enjoyed the push-and-pull in his relationship with Riley as the books go on.

Before I sign off, I should let you know, though, that this book – and the series as a whole – has a lot of sex. It’s not erotica but it’s not fade to black either so you should be prepared for some extremely steamy scenes. As the series progresses, the A storylines do get stronger but there’s always a lot of focus on Riley’s romantic life, so you best be prepared for a lot of sexy time. I don’t typically gravitate towards books with many sex scenes but I really enjoyed the characters and the world that Keri Arthur has created so I’m glad that I got my feet wet with something a little sexier than my usual fare, maybe because the werewolves in this series, despite having copious amounts of sex, believe in soulmates.

Interested in finding out more? Here's the scoop on FULL MOON RISING:

A rare hybrid of vampire and werewolf, Riley Jenson and her twin brother, Rhoan, work for Melbourne’s Directorate of Other Races, an organization created to police the supernatural races–and protect humans from their depredations. While Rhoan is an exalted guardian, a.k.a. assassin, Riley is merely an office worker–until her brother goes missing on one of his missions. The timing couldn’t be worse. More werewolf than vampire, Riley is vulnerable to the moon heat, the weeklong period before the full moon, when her need to mate becomes all-consuming.

Luckily Riley has two willing partners to satisfy her every need. But she will have to control her urges if she’s going to find her brother….Easier said than done as the city pulses with frenzied desire, and Riley is confronted with a very powerful–and delectably naked–vamp who raises her temperature like never before.

In matters carnal, Riley has met her match. But in matters criminal, she must follow her instincts not only to find her brother but to stop an unholy harvest. For someone is doing some shifty cloning in an attempt to produce the ultimate warrior–by tapping into the genome of nonhumans like Rhoan. Now Riley knows just how dangerous the world is for her kind–and just how much it needs her. She doesn't see dead people, but…

Tynga's thoughts

Read an excerpt (scroll down)

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

The rest of the series:

What do you think of the Riley Jensen Guardian series?

Posted by jenn at 07:30

 Daring You to Read, Keri Arthur, Random House, Vampire, werewolf  9 People left their mark

Born and raised in the Toronto area, Jenn moved to St. John's, Newfoundland, eight years ago for school. She's still in school (thankfully on another degree!), now trapped in her dissertation. When she's not dissertating, which happens more often than it should, Jenn spends her time reading, watching movies, playing volleyball, travelling, and enjoying the local music scene. Her latest addictions: yoga and Almond Crunch cereal.