Moonlight Sins: A de Vincent Novel (de Vincent series, 1)

I'm still shaking my head after reading this one. I love this authors work. She's a master at keeping me guessing and unfolding a story I didn't expect. Well she does it here for sure.This book has a paranormal feel. It's not but it feels that way. I kept expecting ghosts or vampires to jump out somewhere. Yeah okay, so the house is haunted and that reputation has been long standing. Those footsteps upstairs don't help. But the whole story gives off this creepy vibe that had me thinking paranormal.As for the characters, I'm still wondering about them. The brothers each have their issues. They keep their secrets but they are loyal to each other. Lucian is this man slut that I don't even like at first. He grows on me and I do end up loving him but the beginning of the book had me seriously questioning him.About the beginning of the book...yeah nothing like starting with a...nope not telling. Read it.The story is a complex puzzle that had me guessing all over the place. Was it this person or that? What is the motive? How is everything connected? It had me wondering so much. One of the guesses I was sure of at one point and then had dismissed ended up having a bit of the truth. But truth? What is that? This book makes you question that. And questions? I still have them.I'm assuming this series is companion but I think there must be some overarching questions that will fill the whole series. This reader certainly hopes we get the answers by the end.It's great suspense and emotional romance. It's great characters and great writing. It needs to be on your TBR list. It needs to be at the top of your TBR list. You know you want to read it! Do it.

Ten Things You Can Expect From Moonlight Sins1. Three Hot BrothersMoonlight Sins centers around the de Vincent clan, which admittedly, by the time we join the story, has dwindled to only a handful. But, it does include the three de Vincent brothers - Lucian, Gabriel and Devlin. All three are super hot, super rich, and super complicated. They even have foreboding nicknames - Lucifer, Demon and Devil. Charming, right? Each brother seems to be messed up by their family, and it's manifesting in different ways. But, you can be sure that, if a de Vincent is present, there will be smoldering broodiness.2. A Kick Ass SettingOnce again, Jen Armentrout has brought us to NOLA as a setting for one of her books. But, this time, we're not in NOLA proper. We're in the legit bayou. Complete with antebellum house, Spanish moss and humid nights. I love books set in interesting places - it makes them even more intriguing. Speaking of the house...3. A Creepy HouseThe majority of the book takes place in the de Vincent mansion, an old, southern-style home with widow walks, columns and secret passageways. And people use those secret passageways to their advantage many times during Moonlight Sins.4. A Brave GirlJulia is a nurse hired by the de Vincents to take care of their comatose sister. She's out on her own for the first time and is determined to take charge of her own life for a change. The de Vincents are domineering and scary, and Julia is not a bit happy with Lucian who first met her under false pretenses. She does her job well and asks questions when she needs answers. And she's careful, but not afraid to go after what she wants when she recognizes it.5. A Mean GirlDevlin's fiancee is a pretentious, snooty socialite, and I promise you'll get so mad at Devlin for being with her every time she's present.6. A Slow BurnIt's clear from the beginning that Lucian and Julia have crazy amounts of chemistry, but thanks to a bad choice made by Lucian in the beginning, Julia fights it for a long time. And good for her, too. I'd be so flaming pissed if I was in her shoes. But, when they're living together and helping to care for the same person, it's inevitable that her walls will fall and they give in to all that heat.7. A Hot RomanceLucian might be a enigmatic, cagy bastard, but when he falls for Julia, he falls HARD. He is so protective of her and so taken with her, it's impossible not to fall in love with him too. There was no hope at all for Julia. Especially when he puts the moves on her. And this man has MOVES.8. A Dysfunctional Family with a Mysterious PastThe brothers' family is seriously messed up. There's a "curse" that affects any woman the men in their family fall in love with. Their mother died a tragic death. Their father died under mysterious circumstances, Their sister is catatonic after having been missing for ten years. Their uncle is a controlling jerk. And the brothers themselves aren't super warm and fuzzy with each other. It's a complicated history that has affected their presents.9. A Mystery to SolveWhere has Lucian's sister been all this time? Is she really sick? How did the brothers' father die? Is the curse real? There are many mysteries to uncover within the pages of Moonlight Sins, and for the most part, by the end, you have your answers. At least some of them. There's some questions left unanswered, and some new ones created that will take us into Gabe's book next.10. An Exciting Beginning to A New SeriesMoonlight Sins pulls bits of lots of stuff I love about Jen Armentrout's books and brings them into one book. There's heat and heart and a mystery to solve. There's an epic romance and a complex family. I'm excited to see where it goes next.

I wanted to like this book. I pre-ordered and was excited to read it when it came out. My verdict: It was an easy read but sadly, not a very good one. The story was just all over the place.The de Vincent brothers are handsome, extremely rich bachelors who all live in this massive mansion in this gated compound. It's hard to tell if the brothers like each other, because it seems as if they don't - they diss each other quite brutally...but we don't know why. There is talk about a painful childhood but not the specifics. There is a mention of their "jobs" but not really what they do. And Lucian, the hero and youngest brother in the family, is good at playing this mysterious, sexy bachelor but he comes across as just someone young and pampered who is always at home, doing nothing. In other words: beyond the wealth and good looks, he's quite boring.I thought that when Julia Hughes, our heroine, starts working for the de Vincent family, that the book would get more interesting. It doesn't. Her character follows the same pattern: she talks about a painful past, but it's not really given in details. While she seems like a dedicated nurse, she doesn't seem to have any other interest. She's not even funny. She is as dull as the other characters in the series. So you wonder what is it about her that could possibly capture the interest of such a jaded playboy like Lucian.The only one worth looking into is eldest brother Dev - but only because he seems to have some dark layer hidden somewhere.Lastly, I couldn't help but wonder if this book is supposed to be somewhat of a mystery. There's a lot of those "hearing footsteps but no one is there " scenario, or video cams that don't work, and strange ghostly images and noises in the hallway. I half expect to read up about a haunting. But again, the book just states that but doesn't delve into it. It's like there's a shadowy image but that's it. There's a weird noise but that's it. Where is the context? When you add in the sexy brothers at play thing...I mean - what is this book trying to be about? It's like the author wants to put so many things into play but can't handle all the balls in the air.All in all, I'm really confused and disappointed. I was looking forward to this series and while I like most of Jennifer Armentrout's books, this one is just so uninspired. She could have done so many cool things with this series and she still might...but not in the first one. Sadly, I'd think twice about buying the other books in the series.

An absolutely fascinating story. So many twists turns and many ‘who dunnits’. I defy anyone to try and second guess the culprits. Julie is a bit of a door mat in the beginning, not in connection with her work, but certainly her ex -husband Adam. A nurse , Julie wants a challenge and takes a knee jerk job looking after a trapped in person at home. The De Vincent’s home. The royals of America. A change meeting with a guy called Taylor leaves her more than a little skittish, but life is worth living. An only child Julie has very supportive parents, and a normal life. The de Vincent lads are not normal. Known as Lucifer, Demon and the Devil, gives the reader an insight to this family dynamics. Lucien is a playboy, but is he after he encounters Julie?I will not say anymore as the plot is worth getting into. There is romance, lusty passages, intrigue, crimes of a questionable basis. Suicide, murder, cold characters, humour and much much more. This author just goes from strength to strength, each novel, if possible better than the last. Her mind is fantastic to write such vivid and phenomenal scenes, and yet it is such easy reading, you smell the vanilla and lavender. Well worth more than 5 stars.

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.I have to admit that this wasn't my favourite of Jennifer's books, I will admit to struggling a little in the beginning as I found it kind of slow going. I liked the main characters though, both Lucian and Julia, although the side characters could have done with a bit more development. I am guessing Gabe and Dev's turn will come though. I also like the element of mystery although the denouement seemed a bit rushed and maybe slightly obvious. A reasonable start to a new series though which I will carry on with.

Not a young adult book! Some scenes are quite graphic.Very entertaining, all the right ingredients from the incredibly beautiful moody man to the rescue of the not so vulnerable damsel in distress!I enjoy as a grown woman, that for once the characters are not teenagers.Looking forward to read the next book.

Jennifer has a real knack for writing hot as sin men. Lucian is dark, mysterious and of course gorgeous. Julie is caring, open and honest and the two compliment each other perfectly. I loved the creepy moments in the book - the footsteps and no one there, the feeling of being watched. The mysterious Maddie and her mysterious return after being missing for so long. A family with a closet packed full of secrets that all come out to reveal murder and betrayal. Great book.

It started off good, I was immediately hooked but after a few chapters it started to get repetitive, too descriptive, and a tad boring until the last few chapters when it got exciting again. The storyline is great as are the characters but for me it’s just too long with not a lot happening for 60% of the book.