And...don't judge this one by the cover.

Beware of a kiss under the full moon. It will change your life forever.

Celeste Parker is used to hearing scary stories about werewolves—Legend's Run is famous for them. She's used to everything in the small town until Brandon Maddox moves to Legend's Run and Celeste finds herself immediately drawn to the handsome new student. But when, after an unnerving visit with a psychic, she encounters a pack of wolves and gorgeous, enigmatic Brandon, she must discover whether his transformation is more than legend or just a trick of the shadows in the moonlight.

Book Review:
Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber

3 stars out of 5

And...here's an example of a book you shouldn't judge by it's intriguing cover because it was pretty lacking in substance and depth. Once in a Full Moon was a quick, light read. I admit, I was drawn in enough to read it in one sitting, probably because I kept waiting for the "really good part". However, the ending was abrupt, and I felt like the two main characters, Celeste and Brandon, were not nearly worried enough about the events of the final scene. The whole book felt underdeveloped and lacking in chemistry and intrigue, but it was a fun, light way to spend an afternoon.

I loved Celeste's voice and her caring ways. I appreciated her attempts to bridge the social gap between the Eastsiders and the Westsiders; however, I think she missed the strongest statement she could have made: publicly announcing Brandon was her boyfriend. I kept waiting for Celeste to show her friends and her classmates that she was going to date Brandon and who cares that he's a Westsider, but all we saw was Celeste defending him when Eastsiders made fun of him.

Ultimately, the message of "it doesn't matter where you come from" fell really flat because Celeste was only ready to admit that truth in private to Brandon and not with her public actions. She was so completely and utterly in love with him, and yet she wouldn't even be seen with him at school? I found it hard to believe that Brandon would go along with that--it was like she was too embarrassed or cared too much what her friends thought to publicly acknowledge that she liked him. I understand that she didn't want to lose her best friends, but if your lifelong best friends will desert you over something like dating a Westsider, are those really friends you wanted anyway?

Celeste provided an interesting narrative, but at times, some of the dialogue felt a little contrived and stiff. I can't really imagine teenagers really saying a lot of it. Celeste's volunteerism set a good example, as did her caring spirit, but wow, she made a lot of unwise and unsafe choices to keep seeing Brandon transform when he kept telling her to stay away. She had no idea if he'd turn into a crazed monster, and yet she insisted on staying by his side when he transformed. Not the smartest choice!

All in all, Once in a Full Moon was a light, fun read. The plot was simplistic and lacking in substance for the most part, but fans of Ellen Schreiber's Vampire Kisses series may enjoy it. Hopefully as the series continues, the plot and characters will becomes more complex and developed.

And for our friends at the FTC, I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.