Moon Called is the first book in the "Mercy Thompson" series. This is a series I have been itching to read for at least a decade. I tend to be very picky around UF books. To be honest, I never feel like they have enough romance, however, sometimes when I am in a certain mindset, I can really enjoy them. In this one, I did read Moon Called through audio which I think was a really smart decision. Especially with the romance just barely getting off the ground in this one. Maybe once the romance is more steady, I can switch to the ebook.

Moon Called was a really fascinating setup for the beginning of this series. I really enjoyed the way this story was written. It had some interesting intricate details that were blended into the story very well. I also really enjoyed Mercy's character. She was a surprise for me because she isn't your average UF heroine. She is a blue-collar heroine and isn't overpowering which makes her more relatable. What I tend to struggle with in UF is the too-strong heroines that can be cringe worthy. But Mercy was very likable in ways that I didn't expect her to be. I also was all over the fact that she
had a nature that isn't typical in UF. She isn't controlling but adaptable to whatever situation that she is placed in. We are also introduced to two men that she has a "bit" of interest in. Sam (who is the doctor and believes her to be his mate) and then we have the alpha of the pack "Adam" who was sexy as sin. I love this grump who is also a single dad. Their interactions were sexy but also witty and endearing.

It's not a five-star read (but it TAKES a lot for UF to get 5-star status for me) But it was a very solid read and I can't read the next book in the series. ( )

I had multiple problems with this book but altogether it wasn't that bad. I will at least give the second book a try to see if I continue with the series or not. ( )

Fun shape-shifter book. Why are urban fantasy covers so terrible? ( )

Other than the atrocious, misleading, off-the-mark cover, this was a surprisingly good book. Well written, kept my interest, fun, thought about it when not reading ... Surely nothing mind-bending or intellectual, but a good, entertaining read. I'd recommend. ( )

Yessssssssss, I remember why I tagged this series as one of my favourites. Love it!

Worldbuilding:
All scenes and environments were clear well detailed and you could tell that the author really did pay attention to getting all the info across (about the world Mercy lives in) in a very smooth and unhurried way.

Character development:
All the characters at this point are still pretty mysterious :)
We know a fair bit about Mercy and her family. She isn't a damsel in distress (by far) but she knows when she can't do it on her own and needs help. It might sting a little, but she asks for it. I really like, I mean, it makes her feel real and believable. Add to that a good dose of humour and some strong values and voila, you've got to love Mercy!
Adam, the local Alpha (actually one of the strongest in NA) wants you to think he's all badass and such, but his humour and little gestures make him more than just another Alpha male. But if he gets to goad Mercy, just so much more fun for him. We don't know all that much about him or any of the werewolves really, but the few things we did pick up on, lets us know he has dealt with a lot in his past, Jesse being one of the bright spots in it.
There are so many characters that I want to know more about, so I'm pretty lucky this is a long series ;) (goooooooo Warren!!!)

Pacing and flow:
It was a smooth and enjoyable read, I had a hard time putting it down.
The story had a good balance between all the action and conversation. If you'd think that the first book of this series was just setting the stage and not that much else, you'd quickly find out that is soooo not the case. It's more like: throwing you in and have fun ;)

The book:
The book itself was well written with no (noticeable) errors. There is so sex described (if that is important to you).
The book has 289 pages, spread over 16 chapters.

All in all:
As I'm reading (and partially re-reading) this series together with my Goodreads group SOS (Serious Overload of Series), I kinda have to wait for the next book... I'm not sure if I'm that strong, to be honest :D
But yeah, this book reminded me why I love this series so much, even from the first instalment you get a feeling for the depth the characters have (even the support cast) and Mercy is just someone you can only root for. ( )