Review: Moonshifted by Cassie Alexander (Edie Spence #2)

Moonshifted (Edie Spence #2)
Cassie Alexander
Published: Nov. 27, 2012 (St. Martin’s)
Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon

Reviewed by: Chelsea

Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars

Note: This review is spoiler-free. However, it assumes you’ve read the first book in the series and makes references to key plot points from it. If you haven’t read Nightshifted, please check out my review.

I read the latest Cassie Alexander book because I relate and enjoy her main character Edie Spence. The fact that she threw a hot, tattooed, bare-knuckle boxing werewolf in this mix this time was just an epic bonus.

Moonshifted is the second book in Alexander’s series about a night-shift nurse who works on the supernatural floor of the county hospital. She’s not there out of devotion to the supes, but because like everyone who works on Y4 she’s been blackmailed into it by the powers that be (a.k.a. The Shadows). They keep her junkie brother clean and alive (he can’t get high no matter how hard he tries), and she works for sub-par pay in the most dangerous wing of the hospital.

At the end of Nightshifted, sweet zombie lover Ti left Edie under the guise of “for your own safety.” She’s still in heartbreak mode and that melancholy only is amplified by it being Christmastime.  She’s mostly just avoiding people at this point. Or she’s trying anyway. The childlike vampire Anna that Edie helped save in the last book is still around and needs a big favor from her favorite nurse. The kind that brings all sorts of attention down on Edie.

As if vampire drama wasn’t enough, the werewolf king has been brought into Y4 and it looks like he’s dying. Edie’s trying to save the guy and deal with his pack and family (who are very touchy-feely). Suddenly she’s being attacked by weres on during the day. Vampires are showing up at her apartment at night. And she’s pretty sure her brother is now selling drugs, even if he can’t get high himself.

Things go from bad to worse for Edie, but instead of wallowing, she sucks it up and tries to actually do something about it. We see Edie’s loyalty to those she considers friends really shine in Moonshifted. She does the right thing when it’s really hard to do so, and it makes you want to cheer her on all the more.

There’s a slow-burn romance subplot in this one. Edie isn’t ready for a relationship, though, and the ultra hot werewolf mentioned earlier hopes to change that. That said full-moon sex happens here and DAMN. That’s all I’m saying. Damn.

Edie’s character gains so much depth in this one. One of those where I feel like we’d be friends (albeit ones who don’t see each other all that often due to schedule conflicts). The mystery elements are strong. That said, there are several stories going on in this one and at times I found myself wondering what was happening with so-and-so and hoping we’d get back to that soon. A couple pacing issues aside, I adored this book.

A great mix of characters, strong voice and just the right amount of darkness make Moonshifted a win for me.

Sexual content: Sex