Marked by Moonlight    by Sharie Kohler Order:  USA  Can Pocket, 2007 (2007) Paperback      Reviewed by Martina Bexte When shy, mousy high school teacher Claire Morgan is attacked by one of her most promising students, her uneventful life takes a shocking and violent turn. She wants to believe that Lenny's uncharacteristic actions are somehow related to his troubled upbringing. The fact that he's nervous about an upcoming SAT exam might have exacerbated the situation. But when she learns that Lenny is dead, and that his attack has doomed her to an unholy existence as a werewolf, the normal life she once took for granted is no more. Ever since his mother was turned and shattered his family by murdering those he loved, Gideon March has dedicated his life to eradicating Lycans. But the night he saves Claire Morgan's life, his devotion to that cause wavers. He knows that once a human is infected by a Lycan's bite, there's no turning back - ever. Once the full moon rises, they'll shift, go into a feeding frenzy, and forever lose their souls. But for some unexplainable reason, he believes that he can save Claire. Now all he has to do is convince her of the same thing. But working together to track down the Alpha whose ancient infection is coursing through Claire's body - and slowly changing her from meek to fearsome huntress - won't be easy for either of them. Claire and Gideon are nicely realized characters whose strengths, flaws, and personal baggage not only complement each other, but also add plenty of emotional depth to the story. Their chemistry leaps off the page from the moment they meet. Gideon knows that his years as a Lycan hunter are taking their toll, but even so is shocked to find himself falling for the silvery-eyed creature whose slow transformation from mouse to self confident temptress makes his mission even more challenging. Claire's reactions - from fear to denial to grim acceptance and then dark determination to win back her humanity, and perhaps find love in the process - are also well done and believable. Nice writing, crisp plotting, a cast of edgy secondary characters, and Kohler's fresh take on the werewolf mythos only add icing to an already engaging story and set things up nicely for a sequel. Marked by Moonlight is a fine debut and Sharie Kohler is a bright new voice in the paranormal romance scene. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews