Lovely writing and strong voice. Highly recommend for those who are looking for a story with strong bones!

I got this book mainly because of the title, I love the name and the cover but I didn’t know anything more about it.

I had a hard time reading this book, not only because the formating still wasn't done (I totally get that) but still I had to check a few times to see if I was reading right. I never had the chance to identify with the main character. it feels at all times like the Main character has no feelings or maybe that suppose to be the case.

I got lost with the story, I felt like the scenarios change so fast and I couldn't really get the feelings and emotions of what was happening because on the next page we were dealing with another scenario.

Some of the things that I enjoy about The Moon Always Rising were the interaction between Eulice and Vivienne, and also Finley that's what really made me enjoy the book. the way the author writes is also beautiful I feel like she has so much potential but in this book, her words got lost a few times in the pages.

The only reason I'm giving this book 3 stars it's because I couldn't feel the story and the characters I felt at lost at all times and I never got to feel the warmth of the story.

Where better to take a break, recharge one’s mental batteries, than on the Caribbean island of Nevis? That’s certainly what protagonist Els Gordon of Alice C. Early’s The Moon Always Rising thinks when she arrives on the island. She wants to put the pressure of work and grief behind her. But, as any Scot like Els can tell you, the best laid plans aft gang aglae. This vivid book tells a story of stubborn people finding love, healing, purpose, and a new life on Nevis.

The opening of The Moon Always Rising tells you pretty much everything you need to know about Els. Els runs into a finance colleague and accepts his offer to go sailing. She’s used to making nice with others to make deals and investments. This doesn’t mean that Els is willing to take any crap. When this colleague pulls her into the water (still clothed) and then tries to push her into sex, Els pushes back in no uncertain terms. Els will not be forced to do anything she doesn’t want to do. The only bright spot of the trip is meeting Liz (a nickname because he had a pet iguana for years), another emotionally wounded person who is doing their best to keep moving forward.

Els’ plans to stay on Nevis for a couple of weeks immediately change when she sees Jack’s house. Jack died during the last hurricane after a drunken and ill-advised trip down to the sea wall. Everyone tries to warn her away from the house; they all believe that it’s haunted. Els brushes off all the warnings only to discover that, yes, it is haunted. Els falls in love with the house even though it needs a lot of work and is inhabited by some monkeys and a ghost. Her trip turns into an immigration. Something about Nevis and Jack’s house speak to Els. Within a week, Els has quit her job, bought the house, and sought citizenship.

What I loved most about this book is that nothing is too easy. From dealing with local bureaucracy to her own emotional struggles, Els’ progress towards her new life is slow enough that I believed it. Els is a prickly woman who has good reasons for how she feels. If Liz had been able to sweep Els off her feet right from the beginning, I wouldn’t have gotten so emotionally invested in her story. I have a hard time trusting a happily-ever-after that comes without honest struggle.

The unifying, overall plot of The Moon Always Rising is diffuse. The book is highly episodic as Els hires people to repair Jack’s house, in addition to facing old and new emotional challenges. So much happens in this book that book groups and readers who like realistic stories of psychological journeys will have plenty to talk and think about. Early’s rich description of the setting really made Nevis come alive for me—a wonderful bonus on top of the wonderful character development in this novel.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

The synopsis of this book was very intriguing to me and I really wanted to love it. Who doesn’t want to pack up everything and escape to a tropical island and start over? Unfortunately, this book was really blah to me.

First off, I couldn’t connect with the characters. Els, our heroine who gives it all up to start over, is not likable. She shows no emotion whatsoever. No heart. We’re lead to believe that she’s deeply rooted in her Scottish homeland and heartbroken to have to sell it. Didn’t seem that way at all. In one paragraph she’s telling the son of one of her fathers employees that he has a job for life managing the herds on the estate, the next she’s signing the papers to sell it to a Russian. No trying to find another was to save it, let alone the fact that she’s in the middle of buying an estate in the Carribean-if she really wanted to save her Scottish homeland she could have backed out. Oh, and she’s a financier working in International Banking and she losses everything when her bank folds? Glad she wasn't managing my money.

I did enjoy the relationship she develops with Finley, Vivienne, and Eulice. They sort of adopt her into their family. I will give Els credit for comforting to local ways and not being the ugly colonial on Nevis.

Then there is her relationship with Jack, the ghost. Probably the “realest” Els ever is.

I’m giving this 3 stars for what the author did right, and her use of language was superb. I kept picturing this as a BBC series or who done it movie though.

Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this novel.

Found the begining of the book very dull,also longwinded didn't managed to finish the book was not impressed

This is one of those times that when I look at the previous reviews I have to wonder, did we read the same book??? I was so drawn to this novel, especially with it being a debut and receiving such praise so far. However, with the exception of the author's beautiful use of language, I just did not like this novel. The formatting was confusing to me and I found myself back-tracking repeatedly to figure out who was speaking. Especially when it concerned Els and Liz. Several times I found myself just completely confused about where the characters were and what was going on - also resulting in back-tracking and rereading. But mainly it was Els herself. I saw a review stating that it took a while to warm up to Els, but with me, that wasn't the case. She was just completely unlikeable from beginning to end. The setting of the story sounded beautiful and idyllic, however as much as I hate to say this about a debut author, this just didn't work for me.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the She Writes Press for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was intrigued by the book description and so glad I received this as an eARC from the publisher through netgalley. The writing is beautiful, lyrical with the sounds of the Caribbean and culture of the island clearly coming through without overwhelming the narrative. It takes a while to warm up to Els, and in the beginning it's unclear who the prominent characters are but the story wraps you up in the slow paced lifestyle that unravels the mysteries surrounding Els's family and her community on Nevis. It's interesting how the ghostly owner of the house plays a role in the decisions Els takes to find herself and start living life again. I really enjoyed the read.

This was the first book I read by Alice Early and I loved it. The descriptive settings of both Scotland and Nevis island were beautiful. It was a wonderful, refreshing, and engaging journey that Alice takes you on through this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

i love The Moon Always Rising
A Novel
by Alice C. Early. Hard to believe this is a debut novel, and I hope it's the first of many. Great characters and a wonderful story. Highly recommended.

This book was such a good read, I couldn't put it down! The story and the characters were so well written it felt as if you were actually in the story!