Mainly by Moonlight

5* Witty, classy, sexy and funny and with some great lines, and proving you don't need sex to sell a...

... great book. The first in a trilogy that I won't be missing.

This is the lighter side of Josh Lanyon, lighter even than The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks and The Ghost Had An Early Checkout. Literally, think a not-entirely-Disney Bedknobs and Broomsticks plus Bewitched (the 70s serial, not the 90s Irish pop girl group) and light police procedurals, then add Cosmo, a witch who wants to live as more human than, well, witch, and add in a career-driven police commissioner, John Galbraith, who's as serious as his name sounds, mix with some excellent red herrings and spells, allow to percolate and explode = one of *the* best books I've read this year.

It's clever, and sexy by how clever it is. It's not a tale bogged down in sex, rather, the tale is about a lightning-quick wedding (the leads have known each other about a month, and I seriously didn't think the many things that moved fast in this tale - I'm not just talking about love and romance - could move this fast. But, when you have spells and witchcraft on your side, maybe...) and the build-up, and machinations that might just well throw preparations off track, and two leads who don't actually really know each other properly yet. It sounds a little old-fashioned, and in one part (I can't go into detail or it'd Spoiler the scene) it is beautifully, romantically so. Everything combined, seriously, makes for a quality tale.

I loved Cosmo, but John took some time to grow on me - I think I only really liked him the night before the wedding when he came on an errand and ended up being so romantic, and when he softened towards Pyewhacket, despite not liking cats. Good old sulky, snarky Pyewhacket, a witch's familiar masquerading as a Russian blue with attitude and sass (well, purrs of displeasure - Cosmo happens to talk cat), who has a thing for booze and smoking, apparently. And perhaps some magick of his own that might be revealed in a later book, maybe? (there's something that I first thought was a continuity error, but I'm not so sure about after reading this, given Pyewhacket was miraculously there when Cosmo needed comfort and reassurance, despite being left home alone, so, hmmm...). Some of the best things in this book are Cosmo's time and relationship with his cat. And, I have to quote the following line, which gives you some idea of the quality of the writing - it's about two mamas not so pleased that their (to them, mismatched) sons are getting married:

<<Neither Nola nor my mother were crying for joy. In fairness, Maman was not actually crying: it was more of a light mist with a slight chance of thundershowers. Nola was experiencing climate change: a severe downpour with a high probability of freezing temperatures>>

This is quality writing, a quality tale, a tale with the right number of red herrings to have me suspecting at least 4 characters, some excellent obfuscation, followed by reveals that both had me thinking everything was neatly tied up with a bow, but then more came out of the woodwork, and as the tale ends, it's clear that things are only just beginning. Are Cosmo's friends really his friends? What of Rex? What happens to Ciara, and I'm not just talking about her at the wedding. What about the black Merc? And, what's with John being able to resist...? Yep, I have to leave out that word or I'd Spoiler this tale.

Book 2 isn't going to be all sweetness and light, at least from the synopsis included at the end of this book. Is it going to be a case of 'marry in haste, repent in leisure'? or will love and magic save the day? I'm not sure that we'll get an answer, as this is a trilogy, but the writing, the premise and the whole cast of characters has me invested in reading more. Oh, and the French in this is excellent and well researched; it's a bugbear of mine when non-English appears in a tale and isn't done properly. Here, the French was classy, disdainfully and snootily spoken as only the French can, and cleverly tied into magick and witchcraft, and, bonus, entirely right. This is a 5* Keeper of a tale.

ARC courtesy of the author-publisher and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

A new delightful romp from master mystery writer John Lanyon blends the world of witches and mere mortals. A paranormal feast that captured me from the first page. Antique dealer Cosmo Saville a non practicing warlock falls head over heels in love with police commissioner John Galbraith. Their impending nuptials are shocking everyone since they have only known each other mere weeks, yet both men are desperately smitten and to them the rushed wedding seems perfectly normal.
Dark times threaten their relationship when Seamus, a rival of Cosmo is found murdered and Cosmo becomes the number one suspect in the killing. The police are thrilled to pin the death on him as they believe their beloved commissioner is making the mistake of his life with this hasting marriage..
One of the many facets of the book that intrigues me was the set of ultra quirky and mystic relative and friends that revolve around Cosmo. Trying to prove his innocence, juggling the paranormal world, wrongly placed spells, attempts on his life and trying to keep John from finding out his true heritage are a lot to deal with right before a wedding.
I highly recommend this sexy celestial adventure and cannot wait for the next book in the series.
Reviews placed on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Good Reads and Kobo.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2929819597

So, what would you do if the person you are just about to marry is possibly under a powerful love spell? On top of that, you find yourself the prime suspect in the murder of your business rival? And what if your soon to be hubby is the police commissioner? Here we have the story of antiques dealer and witch, Cosmo and his fiance, the gruff and mortal, John.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a murder mystery with a witchy twist: the search for not only the killer, but a missing sacred Grimoire. The romance in this book was adorable and the unfolding of the case was so much fun! I was engaged and excited to learn what was going to happen next. The writing was great and Cosmo was such a likable main character. The magic system wasn't exactly forefront in this book; it was definitely more character driven which worked pretty well, and the cast of characters were all interesting (whether good or bad).

I received an ARC in exchange for a fair an honest review.

This was such a charming book, on the lighter side than what we usually get from Josh Lanyon. Cosmo found himself a suspect in a murder a couple days before he’s marrying the newest police commissioner, John. John is a very straight laced, serious guy who didn’t seem to like Cosmo at all when they first met. Cosmo isn’t sure if John is marrying him because he loves him or because of a lovespell. John has no idea that Cosmo comes from a magical family of witches and Cosmo just seems to get more caught up in the murder investigation.

I have not warmed up to John much yet but in true Lanyon fashion this has happened to me quite a few times. This book set up the beginning of a new series that promises to be exciting and fun!

I really enjoyed this very different book from favorite author Josh Lanyon. Set in a world where witches and magic are real, but mostly unknown to regular humans, Cosmo Saville is a refreshing character, partly because I can’t decide if I like him or not. Cosmo is not only a witch, but he also happens to be the heir to his particular coven, though he wants no part of that. In fact, he is distancing himself from all things witchy and magical because he suddenly find himself engaged to mere mortal John Galbraith, who just happens to be the Police Commissioner. Pretty convenient for Cosmo when he becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a local shop owner.

Things get very interesting when Cosmo discovers that his whirlwind romance with John is the result of a love spell. I struggled to decide if I liked Cosmo as he struggled to decide whether to break off his marriage knowing that John’s perceived love was the result of a spell and not in any way real. I thought it was horrible that Cosmo would even consider going through with it, knowing that his entire marriage would be based on lies and deception. What kind of person would do that to someone they claim to love? Did he think John wouldn't be hurt to know that his feelings weren't real? That he'd fallen for and married someone under completely false pretenses?

What I did love was watching the inevitable slide into distrust and skepticism as John slowly comes out from under the influence of the spell and begins to question his feelings for his fiancé as well as Cosmo’s questionable actions and outright lies. I thought the entire relationship would fall apart, but Lanyon was able to salvage it through Cosmo’s real love for John and John’s almost business-like approach to the benefits that will come from marrying Cosmo. I actually felt heartbroken for Cosmo when he thought John’s sole draw to him was the social niceties he could bring to John as a public figure.

The Witch and the Police Commissioner are two very different characters compared with Lanyon’s usual MCs. I look forward to seeing Cosmo and John in future books. I think they have a lot to learn about one another and many obstacles to hurdle if they want to have an HEA.

I really liked this! Lanyon gave me the perfect blend of whirlwind romance and murder mystery in this first installment. There was a lot going on in a very short period of time, so the story held my attention and made this a quick read. I didn't want to stop reading until I found out what was going on. This is the first part of a continuing story, so the end of the book was really just a stopping point. I'm so glad the rest of this series will be releasing soon because I don't think I could wait too long.

Because this was told in Cosmo's POV, we didn't get to know John very well, so I can't wait to learn more about him. So far he seems very 'by the book' and a bit detached, but resigned to love Cosmo, so I can definitely see the $hit hitting the fan when he finds out the truth! Cosmo is a bit different, but likable, and he has a big heart. I'm looking forward to more character development as the series progresses.

I'm also looking forward to seeing how hard Cosmo and John land when they come back to earth after their whirlwind engagement and wedding! Things are bound to be rough, and I do love my angst in romance books!

I really enjoyed this. It is quintessential Lanyon but different in a number of ways. There are elements of darkness that wind their way through the story. There are looming questions about the couple and whether they should be together, all of this mixed together with magic and humour. All these elements generate an underlying tension which runs through the story. Then there is the murder which is complicated by the supernatural nature of the story. All of these come together in a way that can only be described as deliciously perfect.

I wasn't sure about John. I think there is more to him than meets the eye. I wasn't sure about John and Cosmo marrying each other within two weeks of meeting each other! There were times when he and Cosmo felt like a couple on '90 Day Fiancé' and there were other times when they were echoes of Jake and Adrian. Both Jake and John were ass*****s at times and or 'alpha holes' and there are moments when I didn't like John because he is controlling, but this dislike was offset by the humour that also weaves through the story.

Although the story is humorous there is also a frisson of darkness and because of this I was on tenterhooks all the way through. This made for an exquisite reading experience because who wants a book that sends them to sleep? The magic is the icing on the cake. I loved this. I am a great fan of urban fantasy and this manages to weave magic and supernatural aspects into the story without diminishing the mystery or the romance.

This is a perfect story. It is one of those stories that I will need to read all over again and then buy the audiobook and listen to it and then demand the manga! I also really enjoyed the length. The story is just perfect, not too long and not too short, just the right size for the right kind of story.

With this new trilogy Josh Lanyon has really perfected her craft and I can't wait to read the rest. More please!

Copy provided by Just Joshin Publications via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Cosmo wants to just be your average human in the worst way. Disappointing most of his friends and definitely all of his family, he tries his best not to use the magic he has available to him in an attempt to lead a more ordinary life. Cosmo’s impetus for turning his back on his abilities is the man he cannot fathom has fallen for him, but whom Cosmo loves so very much, Police Commissioner John Galbraith. Then Cosmo discovers that John may have been influenced in a most devious way and that the love he professes to have for Cosmo could be nothing more than an illusion. With that painful possibility threatening to derail their upcoming nuptials, a murder landing in John’s precinct that has his fiancé as the key suspect is the last thing either Cosmo or John need. But the reality is that Cosmo was in the wrong place at the wrong time and not only discovered the body, but may be the murderer’s next victim.

Stepping outside her usual genre here, author Josh Lanyon delves into the fantasy world of witches and warlocks, with a dash of mystery on the side. Mainly by Moonlight is the beginning of a new series and so go in expecting that there are some loose threads left dangling in this fast-moving novel. With some great side characters and some unfinished business that could still spell danger for Cosmo, this story leaves more questions than it does answers, but that’s just fine for the important ones, such as whether John’s feelings for Cosmo are really genuine, do get revealed in the end.

What worked so well in this story was the idea that Cosmo never really deviated from his decision not to take the easy road that his magical abilities would have afforded him. Instead, he was willing to push that life aside in order to be with John, which made an early revelation about their mutual attraction so devastating for Cosmo and the reader. The author kept everyone guessing right up to the end and that made for a pearl-clutching kind of drama that blended seamlessly with the mystery element of who exactly killed Cosmo’s archenemy and was after Cosmo as well. Establishing this new world where magic was such a part of the fabric of daily life, but where humans were unaware of it being used, was done very well. We were introduced to key players in this paranormal world and the hierarchy of the magic wielding beings who inhabited it while being entertained by a cast of characters both human and magical that kept me invested in the story that unfolded.

I would say that this author’s first foray into the fantasy/paranormal genre was a rousing success. I am hooked and can’t wait for the next installment in this new series.