I decided to read the first few pages of each book to pick which one would win the face-off this week. I pretty much thought I would choose the sci-fi book, so I read the first couple of pages of Mona Lisa Awakening first.

And ended up finishing the book in record time. I then went on to book two and book three. I finally halted before going to the next book. I needed to get some writing done.

Title: Mona Lisa Awakening (Monere: Children of the Moon, Book 1)/

Mona Lisa Blossoming (Monere: Children of the Moon, Book 2)/

Mona Lisa Craving (Monere: Children of the Moon, Book 3)

DESCRIPTION:

Book 1~

From the time she was an orphan child, Mona Lisa knew she was different—but she never knew how different until a man of otherworldly beauty arrived during her night shift in the ER. Gryphon is hurting and hunted…and he attracts her as no man ever has before. He is a Monère, one of the children of the moon—and what’s more, so is she…

Long exiled from the moon, the men of the Monère serve—and mate—with imperious Queens, who can channel the rays of their far-off homeland. Gryphon believes that Mona Lisa is a Queen—perhaps the first of Mixed Blood ever known. But her introduction to the nighttime court of the Monère, simmering with intrigue, casual lust, and calculated cruelty, is far from smooth. The other Queens are infuriated by her potential powers, and they are all menaced by a group of rogue males who have broken away from the women’s sway. Even as she battles threats from within and without, Mona Lisa is determined to discover who she is, and to explore the limits of her growing power—and her secret desires…

Book 2~

From the time she was an orphaned child, Mona Lisa knew she was different—but she never knew how different until the truth was revealed. She was a Mixed Blood of the Monère, the children of the moon. Stronger, faster, and more beautiful than any human, they were the origins of Earth’s darkest legends—and Mona Lisa was their newest Queen…

Accompanied by a loyal cadre of warriors and kin, Mona Lisa enters her territory of Louisiana for the first time. She slowly learns the erotic and savage customs of the Monère elite—though some of her new subjects are uneasy at being ruled by one whose lineage is diluted with the blood of humanity. Her reign is threatened by enemies old and new, and she is ensnared in the thrall of dark forces she cannot deny. In a hidden world of animal passions and unrelenting lust, Mona Lisa soon grasps the tremendous power she must command if she is to hold her realm together…and if she is ever to come into her own.

Book 3~

From the time she was an orphan child, Mona Lisa knew she was different—but she never knew how different. As daughter of the Mixed-Blood of the Monère, she has arrived to rule a new domain in the Louisiana Bayou. Now, under the full moon, she’s feeling a new and uncontrollable surge—and an instinctive new craving…

Dante, the warrior son of a healer, was cursed by the high priestess to endure a never-ending cycle of life and death, born and reborn into an ever-diminishing bloodline. Someone shares one of his past lives. Her name was Mona Lyria. Back then, on the moon in another world, she was his victim. Today, she is Mona Lisa. This time, she is his savior. Dante’s wish is to die by her hands to end his cursed existence. But she feels fate has given them both a second chance. For even stronger than her craving for blood is her craving for what every Monère female desires, and needs…to bear life. Now she has found her mate. But with this blessing could come a new curse under the shadow of a new moon.

Review:

I’m going to review the series instead of each individual book. There was something so engaging about the writing, that from page one, I was pulled right into the story and the characters lives. The people seemed so real, I immediately connected to them. The world-building wasn’t really lush in the normal sense, but I was hooked. Parts of the stories were savage, some tender, and the best part, the emotions came across on each page so I felt I was with the characters throughout the story. Unfortunately, that made the steamy sections a little uncomfortable at times.

I was correct about the heat level of the books, and each progressive book just got hotter. Since that’s the genre and I knew that going into the book, no stars were lost for the scenes that pushed the boundaries a little too much for me. The books were written in a way that I found only a few nits, more so with each book, but so little that I gobbled up the pages. The first book was definitely the best. Will I read more? Yes, the structure of the world is so engaging, the writing so vivid, that I need to know what happens next to these people. If you like paranormal words and hot books, I would recommend this series.