Title:  Ice Moon
Series:  Moon #5
Author:  Lisa Kessler
Genre:  Paranormal Romance
Published:  November 16, 2015
Publisher:  Entangled
My Rating:  4 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

Jared Ayers works outdoors, embracing a solitary life, hiding from his inner demons. But after so many of his Pack brothers have found their mates, he starts wondering if there might be a mate in his future too. His world turns upside down after he’s hired by the “Ice Queen of Lake Tahoe”. One touch is all it takes. One touch to send the wolf howling within…

A gifted psychic with pyrokinesis, Taryn Goldstone wields fire beyond her control– sometimes with dire consequences. With Jared, she discovers that some flames are meant for passion–and healing. She has enemies who covet her powerful gift, but they are about to learn just how far a wolf will go to protect his mate.

Read on for my thoughts on Ice Moon.  No true spoilers, promise.

We often make assumptions about people based on what we can see on the surface.  Little do we know about the reasons lying in wait underneath a carefully crafted persona.

Taryn can create fire.  When she is emotionally upset, when things are crashing in on her or even in an innocent touch, her ability to burn anything or anyone without warning terrifies her.  And she has reason for that fear from a personal cost.  Her way to deal with possible tragedy is to hide herself, her ability behind a wall of ice.  Never touching another human, not even her beloved son.  Taryn’s ability to create fire is beyond her control, there is no living a “normal” life for her.  Until Jared slowly began to melt the walls that she has erected.  Until a man who loved her as only a mate can saw beyond her fears and began to work with her to hone her abilities, to bring them under control and free her to love and to touch once again.

Jared is not without his own reasons to hide his true self.  Yet one inadvertent touch told him that Taryn was his, his mate at last.  And her son, this sweet young man would soon need guidance, help that Jared can certainly give him along with the love of a man who would love him as a father should.  But first Jared must break through Taryn’s walls.  That would be difficult under normal circumstances, but with an enemy closing in wanting Taryn’s specific ability for his own purpose, Jared must not only free the woman who is his mate from her own fears but fight for her life as well.

Ice Moon has many layers.  An evil man whose actions have harmed Jared’s pack and beyond has resurfaced.  There is Jared’s longing for a mate and his underlying anxiety.  Taryn’s fear of her power and her desperate solution to wall off any touch, any emotion as a way to protect those she cares about.  And the building of trust, of a new family for Jared, Taryn and her son, Charlie will be the reward at the end of a long, dangerous journey.

I enjoyed Ice Moon very much and it is an excellent addition to the Moon series.  I really hesitate to say that it could be read as a standalone.  You would certainly enjoy the story, and it is an amazing romance with additional suspense, tensions and a very hot couple (no pun intended).  So as a compromise opinion, if you haven’t read the entire series you will definitely enjoy this story, most of what has gone on before and relates to this couple is lightly explained, so I don’t feel you will miss anything if you pick up the series at this point.  But, as with any ongoing series, if you get the chance to start from the beginning you will have a better overview, a deeper feel for the characters.

I would recommend Ice Moon for any reader who enjoys Paranormal Romance and a very believable couple working on solving unique troubles.

*I received an e-ARC of Ice Moon from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

Available for the Kindle