Review of ‘Aspen in Moonlight’ by Kelly Wacker

I enjoyed this lesbian debut romance book more than I expected to. I wanted to read/review this book because I thought this was a paranormal-romance which is one of my favorite genres. After reading some of the early reviews, I realized this wasn’t a paranormal-romance but instead a romance with a slight paranormal twist. Since it wasn’t what I was hoping for, I could feel that my expectations where lowering quickly. I was hoping for something more paranormal-ish to read on Halloween. I’m happy to report I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Once I knew I was getting paranormal light, I was able to enjoy this really sweet romance.

This is the story about an art historian professor Melissa, who is spending her summertime in Colorado hoping to find out about the history of the artist of some paintings that have been in her family for generations. Melissa meets Sula, the director of a bear conservancy that might just have the answers she needs. The more time they spend together the more their attraction builds. Do they have a chance at a relationship when one of them is keeping a life-changing secret?

Wacker’s name wasn’t familiar to me so I wasn’t surprised to see that this was her full-length book debut. I was however pleasantly surprised how nicely written it was. This doesn’t feel like a debut and that makes me excited to want to read future books by Wacker. She has a nice smooth writing style and while this is more of a slower-paced book, I was hooked into the story instantly. I can sometimes get a little bored by more traditional romances, but this story had me from beginning to end.

As I mentioned before the romance is more on the feel-good side. There is some relationship angst but not a lot, the book’s conflict is mostly driven by the paranormal twist which was enough to keep things interesting. Both main characters are extremely likable so it’s easy to root for them and hope for a happily ever after.

If you are interested in a feel-good romance, this book would be a good choice. The setting in Colorado also shined so if you are a nature/wildlife fan especially for bears, I would also recommend this. The paranormal part is very small and only gives the book some added conflict and a teeny bit of excitement. I’m intrigued now by Wacker and I will definitely be reading her next book. 3.75 Stars.

An ARC was given to me for an honest review.