Moonlit Thorns
by P. Rayne
Self-Published
Book 1 in the Midnight Manor Series
No one knows what happens up at Midnight Manor.
The home of the Voss brothers sits like a sentinel looking down on our small town, remaining a mystery. The four brooding billionaires rarely leave the confines of the iron gates, fueling rumors that have existed for decades.
When my father dies, all the security I’ve known is ripped away, forcing me to come face to face with the eldest brother, Asher Voss. His outward beauty is just as I’d heard—it belies a predatory nature, irresistibly drawing me in.
A bargain is made, and I have no choice but to live in the shadowy confines of his gothic manor to save my family. As time passes, it becomes harder and harder to deny our attraction.
Asher Voss might be too old for me, and he’s definitely cursed by his own demons, but an inferno of passion between us threatens to either consume or destroy us both.
MOONLIT THORNS is a dark contemporary romance Beauty and the Beast retelling.
Genre:
Triggers
Death, Death of Parent (off page before story begins), murder, gun violence, alcohol, discussion of childhood physical abuse (off page), discussion of suicide (off page), depression, knife play, sex club, BDSM, attempted sexual assault by way of drugging
Before I begin, I would like to thank Valentine PR, P. Rayne, and their team for sending me an arc of Moonlit Thorns in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I'm no stranger to these authors (Piper and Rayne), but this is the first time I'm reading one of their dark romances under their other pen name P. Rayne.
If you are a regular reader, you know I binged their contemporary romance series' last year - The Bailey's and The Greene's - so it's no secret I really enjoy their writing.
I wasn't sure if I would like their dark romances as much as their contemporary romance, but I actually really liked it.
Was it a little bit too on the nose as a Beauty and the Beast retelling?
It was probably the closest to a modern day retelling I have come across.
At first I didn't love that aspect, but I came around to really enjoying that trope rather quickly.
P. Rayne did a great job adding a layer of tension and unease throughout the book. Because of how much the story resembles Beauty and the Beast, I was constantly left on edge, wondering if and when certain aspects of the original story would come into play. Considering retellings can be a bit predictable, I was left pleasantly surprised that Moonlit Thorns was written in a way that I wasn't always sure what was going to happen, or where the story was going to go.
Another thing I really liked?
The romance.
It was a darker, sexier version of Piper Rayne's other wonderful romances.
They just write great couples, and banter.
And even in their darker romances, I truly liked the characters.
Now that I've read Moonlit Thorns, I can't wait for the next book (the series will each feature a Voss brother, who all live in the wonderfully creepy Midnight Manor). I also now have to go and add P. Rayne's other dark romances to my TBR, because I've heard some great things about a certain mafia series .,. and I love a mafia romance.
Moonlit Thorns comes out February 29th, 2024! If you love dark romance and fairytale retellings, you will love this book.
Coming soon after release!
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