Celtic Moon (Celtic Wolves #1) [Dylan & Sophie] by Jan DeLima

There are NO words. Really. NO WORDS. This is one of the best PNR I have ever read. Especially for being the first in a series where a new world is introduced. My "go to" PNR are ones with Vampires, somehow it also means that in the "endless battle between Weres and Vamps" I will always choose the night walkers.. I don't know if it's because of that, but I was never interested in shifters and were wolves in the past, not as the main paranormal theme but this one came HIGHLY recommended so I did my "due" and added it to my never ending list to read, I must say, with all the PNR series I have on my list I found it hard to find the right time to read this one. For me reading too many PNR series in a row (without other elements or genres) can be a little confusing.. Especially when there are elements that are very similar in those series. So happy I delve into it now before the next one in line (Immortals After Dark btw..) This one is different. SO different. 

We are first introduced to Dylan a shifter (=shifts into a wolf), we learn he is a leader of a 'cast out' group of shifters considered weak (and unworthy to live) by the high council of the shifters world. Dylan receives a warning the council are on their way and he dreads the lives of the ones he holds dear, even if not all he holds dear are close at hand.. 16 years ago he lost the woman that he loves because he wasn't willing to share with her the truth of the life he lives, and finally when he was it was too little too late and too aggressive / possessive for the young Sophie to handle.

Sophie came to the village Dylan lives in to do a research about nature. She didn't know anything about the "abnormal" nature of the village and its inhabitants.. she fell in love with Dylan, as he did with her, they married "his way" (=not in a church..) and Sophie got pregnant. Not long after that Dylan was forced to inform Sophie she can't leave, and especially can't leave with his child.. Not the right thing to say to a woman mind you.. especially an hormonal woman hehe

So lets just say it didn't really go that well for Dylan.. Sophie escaped and kept running from Dylan for 16 years, mean while teaching herself and her child how to defend themselves against Dylan when he finally catches up with them..

What she didn't expect – Joshua, her son, becoming more like his father, making her call Dylan and offer to come "home" so he can look into what's happening to their son.

That's all I'm going to say about the plot itself. What I do want to write about is how refreshing I found this book to be and why :)

First let's start with Dylan. I love that he is a man (well most of the time :P), he knows what he wants, he knows how he feels about Sophie, what he wants from her and he is willing to learn from his past mistakes in order to make Sophie his loving wife again. I loved Sophie, not being "bad ass chicka from hell" but also no being the "naïve maiden", no, she is neither, she is a 36 years old woman that have been through a lot in live, she treasures her family – her mother and her son, and she is willing to do everything and anything to protect her family. And not by screaming at the enemy to death, no, she spent the last 16 years making herself what she needs to become. But (!) when she meets Dylan again, she doesn't forget being a woman, a woman in love, a woman who can forgive and but before she forgets she needs her time to build the trust they misplaced.

Their romance in my eyes was just perfect. And I loved her mother and Joshua in this mix, not something we are used to in a romance where it is somehow backwards. Here the son makes the parents come together even if it wasn't what he meant to happen it just did, Sophie came to Dylan for help with their son, and she was willing to stay for Joshua, but she wasn't the annoying distrustful woman you can expect her to be after all she has been through when she was there 16 years ago. She is a mature woman and I can't express how much I loved that! Especially when my previous books have been Young Adult on the verge of New Adult.

The story itself with the council and the treat is interesting and not exactly clear yet, we had "move one" but it's obvious there is more to come. I understand this will be a series but there isn't a date for the next one, which isn't a surprise - this one was published about 4 months ago.. Since I couldn't contain my curiousness I went to Jan's website and as it seems there are (at least?) two books planned for Dylan's siblings' Luc and Ellen. I'm really curious about Luc's book (the next one) but I CAN'T WAIT to Ellen's I can feel the tears building up just thing about this one. awwww

Have I written it's been a pleasure yet? Oh, I did? Well, let's just say it again in case someone missed – A PLEASURE! If you're into paranormal romance – read it. Just do it. It's refreshing and original (in my eyes) and it's by a new author I stand here and applaud. Well done Jan. I'm waiting for the next one! :)

Additional Details: Kindle Ebook, 305 pages, 25-26 January 2014 / On GoodReads

 

ABOUT THIS SERIES

 

Celtic Wolves Paranormal Shifters/Werewolves series by Jan DeLima.

Books:
1. Celtic Moon (Dylan & Sophie) (Published 24 September 2013) ★★★★★
2. Summer Moon (Luc & Rosa) (Published 30 September 2014) ★★★★★
3. Autumn Moon (Elen & Cormack) (Published 29 September 2015) ★★★★★