Creepy and captivating - Moonlight Sins Review

Title: Moonlight Sins
Series: de Vincent
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 4 hearts
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Pub. date: January 30th 2018
Publisher: Avon
Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout delivers the unforgettable story of a woman whose new life has just begun—but may end in murder...  

Julia Hughes has always played it safe until she learned a very painful lesson. Now Julia’s starting over with a job in the Louisiana bayou—and a scorching encounter with a stranger, only to discover he’s Lucian de Vincent... her new employer. The de Vincent brothers share a massive fortune and a dark reputation. Julia cares for their troubled sister, but a menacing presence in the mansion—and the ever-present temptation of Lucian—prove dangerously distracting.

Lucian’s grandmother claimed de Vincent men fall in love once—and hard. Apparently, it’s Lucian’s turn. Julia’s compassionate care of his twin makes Lucian want to lay himself bare. But some secrets are better for Julia not to know.The recent “suicide” of Lucian’s father is the latest in a string of deaths on the estate. Someone is eliminating the de Vincents. And the best way to get to Lucian may be through Julia... (synopsis from Goodreads)

This book was incredible. It’s not what I usually like to read, but since it’s a JLA book, I had to read it, and I’m so glad I did. It was amazing. The writing was stunning, the characters relatable and the plot captivating. I loved every moment of reading it. There’s just this something in Armentrout’s writing that makes it so easy to get lost in the book, no matter the genre. And she writes such believable and real voices that it’s impossible to not like them.

One of the reasons why I adored this book so much was the characters. Julie is really great. She gets pulled into the de Vincent family as a live-in caregiver. She’s really caring and selfless, and loves helping people. She has such a big heart, but she can also stand up to herself. I loved her from the get-go. And the fact that she’s scared of living life to the fullest, but trying to ignore that fear, trying to live despite it, just made her all the more relatable.

Lucian… I honestly don’t really know what to say about Lucian. At first, I’ll admit I was a little hesitant… but here’s the thing: he won me over pretty quickly. Because, while he is a bit messed up – the entire family is – he has redeeming qualities, and I liked getting to see the softer sides to him. He can be a jerk. He is definitely arrogant. But he is also really sweet at times, and by the end of the book, I loved him.

And the romance... The romance was amazing. From the second they meet, the tension and the attraction between them is obvious. It’s so intense I had trouble breathing at times, and I kind of wanted to fan myself, too. The romance and the romantic tension is a big part of why I couldn’t put this book down. It didn’t take long before I was ready to go down with the ship.

What really caught my attention, though, was the paranormal feel it had to it. The de Vincent house is rumoured to be haunted, and to be honest, I have no problem believing the rumours. There’s this paranormal feel to it that just grips the reader. And, while my brain kept telling me there was no ghost, I wouldn’t have been surprised if one jumped out suddenly. This, and then the mystery, made the book impossible to put down.

I have to mention the beginning. One of the reasons why I got so caught up with the book was the beginning. I won’t tell you what happened, but I will tell you the mystery starts right away, and it will keep you guessing through the whole book. And what’s more is that there are so many twists and turns, and by the end, you won’t know what hit you. One of the things I don’t like about mysteries is that I often feel like they’re predictable, but I was totally shocked at the end of this book.

I’ll just sum this up with one sentence; read this book.