REVIEW: Moonlight Seduction by Jennifer L. Armentrout

In Moonlight Seduction (de Vincent #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout, When Nicolette “Nikki” Bresson agreed to fill in for her ailing mother at the de Vincent estate, she thought the biggest worry she’d have would be avoiding memories of her youth there. She didn’t realize her job as the cook and housekeeper would put her in the middle of the drama that evidently has been unfolding since the de Vincent siblings’ father passed away recently. One of the brothers in particular, Gabe, has a knack for appearing just when Nikki needs him. And as she begins to get veiled threats from a few outlying members of the de Vincent social circle, as well as having odd accidents occur, he proves he’s still willing to come to her aid–albeit with a bit of an attitude. Unfortunately, the attraction that’s always been between them is still smoldering as well. And that leaves Nikki scrambling to get her head right and hopefully avoid the de Vincent curse.

“What happened to you?” The question burst out of her. “You were never like this. Devlin? Yes. But you? No. What in the hell happened?”
“You happened to me.”

Gabe and his brothers have had some serious blows to their lives lately. But he knows his brothers will always be there for him, no matter what. With a new path in his personal life opening up and his woodworking business booming, he should be keeping his nose clean. But then Nikki, aka Nic, walks back into the de Vincent household and everything gets thrown out the window. Gabe has never felt right about how they left things between them four years ago. And he’d love to at least restore the easy friendship they once had. But as he messes up again and again with Nic , Gabe has to wonder if it’s camaraderie he truly wants or a way to capitalize on the chemistry they share. Because he’s never felt so strongly about a woman before. Just as he’s ready to explain this all to Nic, his past and some other unknown threats come after them both. And Gabe will have to determine if fighting for their relationship is worth the possible devastation they may face.

‘Most considered him the good brother. The decent one. The kind one. The one who acted right. And here he was, practically the most fucked-up one of them all.’

Mysterious and atmospheric, passionate and surprisingly sweet, Moonlight Seduction was a Gothic-style reunion romance that kept me glued to the pages. Just when I thought the de Vincent family saga couldn’t get more complicated, Jennifer L. Armentrout threw a few more curveballs our way.

‘Gabe wanted her, but he knew he wasn’t going to get to keep her, because she was going to want more. She deserved more, and he didn’t have that in him.’

Possible trigger warning: attempted rape and brutal assault.

Whew! Now that was one fascinating story. And I have to say right off the bat that I think readers would benefit from starting with book one before jumping in here, so they get a true feel for how the events from that installment led us to where we are in book two. Armentrout has been building layer upon layer of intrigue and mystery so far, as well as detailing the complex relationships within the de Vincent family. And boy didn’t she leave this book off in a perfect way for Devlin’s story to begin, with lots of shake ups and changes happening in the de Vincent compound thanks to the events that happened here.

Gabe and Nikki’s romance was…interesting. And funny and awkward. And rather swoony, too. Some readers may have a difficult time getting past the fact that they were ten years apart in age, but out of all honesty, the majority of the time I felt like Nikki–the younger one in the relationship–acted more mature than Gabe did. He had a tendency to put his foot in his mouth, saying or doing the exact opposite of how he should have handled things. But I do have to give him credit, even though he had me shaking my head many, many times, Gabe did own up to his mistakes thankfully.

I loved getting more in depth with Gabe’s part of the de Vincent story, his tragic past with his college girlfriend and his problematic history with his parents. He did seem like the most levelheaded of the three brothers and I thought it was cool that Gabe was such a talented woodworker. Not something you would normally think of when it comes to an uber wealthy family. (Think: the Kennedys) But it was his realization of how deeply he truly felt for Nikki, aka Nic, that was my favorite part.

Nikki herself was a hoot. She might have been young, which her internal monologues reflected perfectly, but she’d been through enough in her life to know herself–and know what she wanted. She was dealing with her mother’s serious health issues and by filling in at the de Vincent estate as their housekeeper/cook, it threw her into Gabe’s path again. Armentrout did a fantastic job, I thought, with making all of Nikki’s reactions feel genuine. Her emotions were all over the place as one would expect given the tough situation of facing Gabe again after the awkward spot they left things in. And I must admit that Nikki gave him more chances than probably most women would to redeem himself. But even that felt right to me, given that she was such an openhearted, caring woman.

A compelling romance with a winding plot that ended up in places I didn’t see coming, Moonlight Seduction was a thrilling new addition to the de Vincent series. I can’t imagine what Jennifer L. Armentrout will wow us with in Devlin’s book up next: Moonlight Scandals.
 

Book Info:

Publication: Published June 26th 2018 | Avon | de Vincent #2

The de Vincent brothers are back—and so is the intrigue that surrounds them—in New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout’s sizzling new novel…

Nicolette Bresson never thought she’d return to the de Vincents’ bayou compound. It’s where her parents work, where Nikki grew up… and where she got her heart broken by Gabriel de Vincent himself. Yet here she is, filling in for her sick mother. Avoiding Gabe should be easy, especially when so much of Nikki’s time is spent trying not to be stabbed in the back by the malicious hangers-on who frequent the mansion. But escaping memories of Gabe, much less his smoking-hot presence, is harder than expected—especially since he seems determined to be in Nikki’s space as much as possible.

Gabriel spent years beating himself up over his last encounter with Nikki. He’d wanted her then, but for reasons that were bad for both of them. Things have now changed. Gabe sees more than a girl he’s known forever; he sees a smart, talented, and heartbreakingly beautiful woman… one who’s being stalked from the shadows. Now, Gabe will do anything to keep Nikki safe—and to stop the de Vincent curse from striking again.