Kinky Book Reviews

Amethyst Moon (Prides of the Moon 5)
Author: Ann Mayburn
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Purchase: Barnes & Noble, All Romance Ebooks, Amazon 

Rating: 5 of 5 kinks!

Review by Penelope:
Madame Eve’s 1Night Stand Matchmaking Service arranges first time dates for all genders and species.  With an unusually high success rate, Madame Eve is the premiere matchmaker in her field.  So, when Marcus and Vashan, two shape shifters, need to find an alpha female for their mate, they look to Madame Eve for help. Finding out that the female’s beta, Noah, must approve them before the Alpha will even agree to see them, a night is set up to discuss the potential of their bonding.  But Noah is hiding a secret.  One that could become a deal breaker for all of them.

Noah, a were puma, is gay, so mating with his female Alpha is impossible.  Having searched on his own to find a match for his Alpha, he resorts to Madame Eve’s dating service.  Time is running out for him to fulfill a promise and find her a mate, before his own lack of bonding with an Alpha results in him turning rogue.  For if he does turn rogue, will have to be killed before he hurts anyone.  His last hope is that this Alpha/beta pair will have enough love to include him in their pride thus saving both him and his Alpha.

Though I’m usually not a fan of m/m/m, I had to read this one as it was written by one of my favorite authors, and I like the 1Night Stand Series as a whole. I’m so glad I did because this story was a roller coaster of twists and turns. With off the chart scenes of BDSM driven play and a tale of emotional conflict and vulnerability, I fluctuated between needing to cool off and grabbing a tissue as this story unfolded.

There is a lot going on in this short story. It’s not just goal driven.  The author provides depth and layering to the characters which makes me believe that three strangers could meet, spend the night, and form a lasting relationship in such a short amount of time.  As usual the series ‘happy ever after’ endings are more of a ‘happy for now’ ending but it was nice to see how Marcus and Vashan’s date had progressed to a permanent relationship.

The erotica scenes were frequent and oh so good.  Marcus is the type of guy that can’t be denied as a Dom. Vashan and Noah won’t if they know what’s good for them.  Once Noah’s character accepted his role there was no doubt who his master was.  I can’t stress enough how much I loved reading about these three.

Marcus’s and Vashan’s own story has already been featured in a previous 1Night Stand installment, Onyx Moon. If you haven’t read it, you won’t have any problems reading this as a standalone, as the series in general is meant to be independent of each other.  But, to get the full flavor, reading Onyx Moon is encouraged.

This story is full of BDSM driven scenes that are edgy and physical, but not extreme.  The paranormal aspects don’t factor in to the overall story except to set the framework.  I loved this book and so will you as it’s a naughty but oh, so satisfying, pleasure story to enjoy over a quiet afternoon or night.