REVIEW: Moonlight Sins by Jennifer L. Armentrout

In Moonlight Sins (de Vincent #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout Moving to the bayous of Louisiana to take an at home nursing gig might prove to be the most foolish thing Julia Hughes has ever done. She tends to over-analyze everything, but feeling like she’s still going nowhere a couple years after the end of her marriage, she’s ready for a change. She may end up getting more than she bargained for, though, when one of her bosses turns out to be the sinfully handsome man she had a brief but steamy encounter with the night before. Try as she might, Julia can’t push her attraction to Lucian de Vincent away. As she focuses on the care of his twin sister Madeline, she learns more about the family’s dark history. And she also becomes ensnared in the recent tragic events that might just put her in mortal danger.

“You really are a good girl. I like it.”
She stared up at him, her heart trying to claw its way out of her chest.
“But do you know what I like even more?” Lowering his head, his lips brushed along her cheek as he said, “I know there’s a very bad girl in there who wants to come out and play.”
There was a good chance that she did, she really did.

Right from the start, Lucian is intrigued and absolutely taken with Julia. He’s not used to people being straight up honest with him. Given his name and social standing, people are typically only looking to use him in some way that will only benefit themselves. He knows his brothers will have a field day when they find out he’s considering a real relationship with his twin’s nurse but Lucian couldn’t stop his reaction to Julia if he tried. However, unwilling to drag her down into the darkness that surrounds his family, he wonders if he should find a way to cut his ties with her. But finding someone who truly gets him and with whom he feels such a strong bond is precious. And Lucian is willing to admit that he’s a better man with Julia in his life.

“I’m not just screwed up, Ms. Hughes. I’m as broken as they come, but I don’t need to be fixed. I don’t *want* to be fixed.” He caged her in. “I like all my fucked-up shards and pieces. They make me who I am. They make me real. The question is, can you handle real?”

Heavy on the Gothic overtones, but lightened up by the modern, flirty vibe between the hero and heroine, Moonlight Sins was one twisted, messed up romance that proved to be highly enjoyable.

“They say our house is haunted.” He couldn’t help himself as he continued, “And that our family is cursed. Or it’s the land that is cursed and our family that is haunted? I always get those two confused.”

Possible Trigger Warning: Suicide, murder, stalking.

I can only think of a couple of authors who could do this type of dark, tumultuous romance justice, Jennifer L. Armentrout of course being one. (The others would be Tiffany Reisz and J.R. Ward.) I’ve been a fan of Armentrout’s work because of her multidimensional characters who are flawed and realistic, but also because she’s not afraid to explore darker themes. And this novel certainly didn’t shy away from, well, anything. So this might not work for all readers. But if you’re a fan of heavier stories that deal with deep family issues, emotional trauma, and that have complex plots, this might just work for you.

Okay, so the de Vincent family was seriously messed up. I mean…Messed. Up. They were compared to the Kennedy’s as far as money, affluence, and scandals went. The (grown) siblings all had attitudes in their own unique way which didn’t necessarily endear them to me right away. (lol) But I’m so glad that this was written from both Julia *and* Lucian’s POVs so we could see that underneath the playboy, devil-may-care persona he was a good guy. He was kind of a product of the horrible way his father treated him and the fact that he had every advantage otherwise growing up. So Lucian fought hard for his siblings, being the mediator a lot growing up, but in his personal relationships he kept things casual. No connections. Until Julia, that is.

I wasn’t sure about Lucian’s intentions at first. He seemed kind of sketchy. But I actually really loved the back and forth between him and Julia. They had lively, super flirtatious dialogue together that had me smiling and chuckling. (And fanning my face thanks to Lucian’s penchant for dirty talk!) It also seemed to pull Julia out of her shell a bit, as she had a tendency to over-examine things and be rather timid at times–although she had a great personality, as her humorous, witty inner monologues proved. Julia did end up taking charge of her life and showing she did have a backbone all along. And I loved how Lucian enjoyed that fiery side of her. He didn’t try to demean her or act like he was out of her league. Instead he only wanted to make her happy and take care of her, which confused and scared the heck out of him.

Moonlight Sins was family drama to the Nth degree along with some crazy, unexpected twists and turns. Rich with raw emotions and a touch of that New Orleans supernatural mystique, I can only imagine what direction Armentrout will take her readers with the next installment.

Book Info:

Publication: January 30th 2018 | Avon | de Vincent #1

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…