I was generously provided an e-book copy of this book from the author. Thank you!

My first impression was "Oh boy, a lovely introduction, but slow, slow, slow". Unfortunately there were two downsides to this book:

1. I wasn't a fan of the main character. She had little substance... other than her unique qualities.
2. I don't think Fairies or Fae are a subject I am interested in. I'm not sure if it was True Blood or reading Shakespeare that ruined them for me...

The novel begins with Moira being led back inside by her guards from a night of frolicking around the castle that is run by her father. While the descriptions and style of writing were intriguing, it just didn't go anywhere for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style. It's very relaxing and feels like I'm reading a good book. However, there was something missing for me in this particular story.

Moira is fascinated by the moon and enjoys sneaking off every night to be outside and in touch with nature. I loved that part. I understand the feeling. Unfortunately, I lost touch with the book after her character descriptions repeatedly described her as childish in nature and looks. When a Blaidyn, or a werewolf, Owain is introduced to watch over her on her nightly escapades her descriptions don't change and the romance falls flat because of this.

Besides the awkward romance with a Blaidyn, there was a betrothal to a controlling human who is from another part of the island and a fae story that were discretely introduced through just about every other chapter. I felt it was unique because of all of the hinted connections, but I can't decide if it was the fact that I didn't connect with any of the characters, they didn't fit well enough into Moria's life, or because each one of those chapters did feel like they were just character introductions. I felt a little confused and bored at times.

The ending left us with a HEA and enough background to this new world that the next story will be a new chapter in Moira's life. Hopefully with her a bit older.

Even though the overall story was good, the individual elements were severely lacking in quality. However, I would recommend it to anyone that loves unique fae stories that create a new world with complicated relationships, but I will be staying away from magical elements and childish young female characters in adult novels for quite a while because of this. ( )

Well, I wrote it and when I started, I had no idea how much I would fall in love with writing it. So as silly as it is to give my own book a rating, Goodreads keeps asking me to and it would be disingenuous to give it anything else - because I love the characters and the love story. But I can't wait to hear what you all think! ( )

Original review here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2013/04/interview-review-giveaway-by-light-o...

By the Light of the Moon is a story about a young woman named Moira. She is a lady, but she hates it. She feels like she is in a prison and tried whatever she can to leave. People think she is quite strange because of how she doesn't act like what they think a lady should. Not to mention, her appearance is sort of ghostly and she has dark marks under her eyes. There are men who are interested. One in particular, Sir Deagan Fairester, is very desperate to have her so he can get her father's land. But due to Moira's little walks, her father hires a Blaidyn named Owain. Owain is a warrior and a werewolf. Everyone is afraid of their kind, but he must watch over Moira. She is careful around him, but she finds that she can trust him. But can he trust her?

Wow, what a beautiful read. I really enjoyed this book a lot. I didn't really know what I was getting into, but I am glad I got into this. I really liked Moira. I did feel sorry for her and her situation. She was an independent spirit that was being held against her will. I loved that she didn't want to be Miss Pampered. But she was a great character and I was rooting for her. I really liked Owain. There are different stories about his kind, so at first I thought he would be a bad guy. But I loved him. I loved the slow build up between him and Moira. The chemistry between them was great. I loved the connection, it was just beautiful to me. The villain in the book, Fairester, was interesting and quite diabolical. He wants Moira, but he only wants her for her father's kingdom when he dies. I loved Moira even more for this because she wasn't blinded by Fairester's good looks that he used as a weapon. He even admits that he uses his looks to get what he wants. Moira felt uneasy around him and knows there is something slimy about him. Everyone else around her keeps telling her how great he is, but Moira knows better. And let's not forget Maeve. Again you don't know whether she is good or bad, it is great trying to figure it out. She is also a great character.

I loved this story. It was quite a mystery uncovering why the Fae want anything with Moira. We are also trying to uncover if Owain had an agenda. The Blaidyn had such a great history in this book. I would like more on them besides Owain. The Blaidyn are warriors specifically created by the Fae to fight their wars for them. It was great. There are some great twists in this book that definitely left my mouth hanging open. Boy oh boy Blake, you are awesome.

I definitely recommend this to people who love magic and mystery. The story was very intriguing. I loved it. Owain and Moira romance was definitely a favorite for me. Some may have issues keeping up with the characters since we do get a lot in a short amount of time. But it gets ironed out after a few chapters. I will definitely keep my eyes open for the second book in the Lakeside series. Make sure to add Blake to your authors you must keep your eyes open for list. ( )

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

By the Light of the Moon begins much the same as any other fairy tale; a soon-to-be-wed young woman is tired of doing as she’s told and living her sheltered life so she goes looking for adventure only to find it in the arms of a sexy werewolf. Laila Blake’s writing style flows well and fits the time period of this book nicely. I always enjoy a good forbidden love story! There’s great chemistry between Moira and Owain but I found that their relationship was, at times, overshadowed by the complicated fae plot line.

The first half of this book was difficult to get into because tons of side characters are introduced but we learn very little about their roles or their preternatural sides. From what I was able to piece together there’s a fae mother who’s trying to mend bridges with her estranged fae daughter by using her Halla as a messenger. That daughter is in turn trying to protect her estranged daughter through her other Crossling daughter. Are you confused yet? There’s more but I think you get the idea. I’d expected a nice love story with a trivial plot line featuring werewolves and hopefully a few good sex scenes. What I received was sizably more complicated than that.

Once the love story took over I quickly forgot about the convoluted first half and I only had eyes for Moira and Owain. Reading about old school courtships is one of the main reasons I enjoy Historical Romance novels and Laila Blake takes chivalry to a whole new level in By the Light of the Moon! I loved watching their relationship progress from reserved to passionate and I especially enjoyed Moira’s first encounter with Owain’s wolf. My only complaint is that I wish their electrifying chemistry had landed them in the bedroom on more than one occasion.

The origins of the Blaidyn fascinated me but I wish there’d been a tad more because I sometimes had difficulty understanding Owain’s motivations both as Moira’s guard and as her lover. Lady Rochmond is a sweet girl and I thoughroughly enjoyed her point of view; her noble blood in no way gave her a superiority complex, unlike her suitor Fairester, who’s downright loathsome. Also, I wasn’t a big fan of Blake’s terminology choices with regards to the paranormals in this book. I think she was trying to pick period appropriate names but in doing so she only added another level of complexity to an already weighed down plot.

Overall, By the Light of the Moon is a satisfying read and a good start to a promising new series. ( )