Melissa A. Graham

Let’s face it. Love it or hate it, Twilight will never be over. It divided the masses into factions way before Divergent appeared. Team Edward versus Team Jacob. Books versus movies. Twilight rendered quite a lot of fan fiction, swooning teenage girls, and dreams of what it would have looked like had Bella Swan chosen Jacob.

Harley Rayne knew she didn’t fit in with her family. Not that it was hard to guess. It seemed wherever they went her sister Lori was the center of attention, and she was the one in the background. Nothing was denied Lori, while Harley just watched. It’s no wonder she dreams of freedom. What better picture fits the bill than a motorcycle? Easy. A bad boy sitting right on top of it.

It was the gleam of machines under the sun that hypnotized her. Her ticket to freedom coincidentally had the same name as her. It’s not until Frank breaks her hypnosis at a fairground, that she discovers the owner may be better looking than the bike. Naturally, her parents and Lori’s impatience break her out of her reverie, and Harley is forced to participate in “family fun”. What she doesn’t expect is for her tall, dark, and handsome daydream to follow her. What girl doesn’t want to hear “run away with me”?

When all you know is the family you grew up with, even feeling unloved and unwanted, it’s natural to have some hesitation to leave. After eighteen years of feeling second best, Harley decides to cleave from her family and ride down that path to freedom.

Fast forward two years, and it has been nothing but open road, dilapidated hotel rooms, and seedy bars. Harley had been accepted into the group and had made friends along the way. For two years things in the exclusive group have remained the same, until Frank decides to make a play for leader of the group, and be up front and honest with Harley about what their pack actually does.

Torn between knowing the truth, or continuing to be in the dark, Harley has to make the hardest decision she’s had to make since leaving her family. With all the distance she’s put between her and her family, will they actually welcome her back with open arms? Better question is will Frank allow her to leave the pack?

As soon as I started this book, I was transported back to my teenage years. I was angsty. I was looking for trouble off and on. I will still nerdy and reading books, that has never changed. I was also a hopeless romantic. The further into “Deny the Moon” I read, the more it continued to remind me of “Twilight”. Only this is for Team Jacob fans, and it’s not the Jacob you remember.

While we all have our fantasies of living out the bad boy day dream, this book took it a bit far into the abuse scene. Harley was definitely in a controlling relationship. Frank was not only verbally abusive, but mentally AND physically. As much as I like to read, it kind of makes me cringe when that kind of abuse is in a book. I have read other books with abuse in them, I’m not condoning that action by any or all means. Some authors put it in a subtle way, and others are in your face with it. I do not prefer the latter.

There were a few times I felt that the main character contradicted herself. There’s a particular scene where Frank “gifts” (it’s more like throws) ripped up pieces of red fabric at Harley and tells her to change, he wants her to look nice for when they go out. Harley goes into the bathroom to change and can hardly believe these few scraps are going to cover anything- which she’s right about when she tries to get on the back of his bike. She throws shorts on underneath for the ride. Embarrassed of letting anyone see her rear end. Fast forward to her breakaway, and what kind of job does Harley have? She’s a Burlesque dancer- because in my mind that makes all the sense in the world (PLEASE tell me you caught the cynicism there?!)

Naturally, being shown how a person is able to change into a werewolf should come with pamphlets on how to cope. Although Harley was chased down, knocked out, and kidnapped, once she regains consciousness (and some space) she makes the bold decision to leave. . .through a tiny window in the bathroom. . . and steal Frank’s bike. In her time away from, well, all of that, she calls herself crazy for even thinking that werewolves walked among us. That her ex boyfriend didn’t just smash someone’s skull in. So when confronted nose to nose by a dumpster with a wolf of unusual size (WOUS- “Princess Bride” anyone?! COME ON!) Harley is put into panic mode. It’s only another wolf that helps her elude being devoured. Running up to her apartment, away from the wolf fight, it seems the savior wolf is limping and whining in Harley’s direction for help. Right here, RIGHT FREAKING HERE is where I’m shaking my head, already knowing what this stupid girl is going to do and wondering to myself why she’s going to do it. Harley grabs a sheet and a shirt, rolls this injured wolf into the sheet, AND PROCEEDS TO DRAG IT UP THE STAIRS TO HER APARTMENT. Once in her apartment, she bandages the wolf, TALKS to the wolf, and prays she (how Harley knows it’s a she even before this is astounding) doesn’t eat her. Doesn’t bring the wolf back down and outside, where all wild, untamed, unpredictable animals should go. No, it’s in her living room.

Other than that, it was just some obvious typos that stood out. I most likely will not be reading the next in the series, as I did not make a connection with the book. If you are into rough werewolves, controlling and abusive relationships though, I would definitely recommend this book.… (más)