Blood Moon

In this swiftly moving paranormal romance series opener by Lewis (The Dark Place), Black 18-year-old Mirabella Owens reluctantly begins her freshman year at Lakeland University in the folklore-obsessed town of Timber Plains. As a child, Mira’s mother told her tales of feuding vampires and werewolves, but following her mother’s abandonment of Mira five years ago, she no longer believes in such stories. College life provides Mira companionship and normalcy she hasn’t felt since her mother’s departure, and she soon finds herself caught between her charming childhood crush Seven—a big-shot Lakeland athlete—and her mysteriously hostile yet undeniably attractive classmate Julian. Then a rash of alleged animal attacks—including one from which Julian rescues Mira—draws the attention of superstitious townsfolk as well as Mira’s absent mother. Now the teen must reckon with the knowledge that her youthful fairy tales might be real, and that, for some reason, these immortal creatures of myth and legend have set their sights on her. Finely sketched character dynamics—particularly those involving Mira’s swoony romances and her fraught relationship with her mother—and a charming backdrop add texture to this appealing romantasy. Ages 14–up. Agent: Katelyn Detweiler, Jill Grinberg Literary. (Sept.)