Isabelle Rose's Under the Moonlight explores the myth of Countess Elizabeth Bathory, a woman who bathed in the blood of virgins to keep her youth. Morgan Carbone is a police detective who is bitten by a werewolf and turns into one. After she quits the force she is kidnapped by Mario, an alpha werewolf, who wants her to kill Elizabeth whom he believes is responsible for the death of his sister. In the course of exacting revenge for Mario, Morgan discovers she is unusual. She also discovers the truth. Will Mario have his revenge? Will Morgan be able to destroy Elizabeth?

Under the Moonlight was not what I expected. It is more gory than I like to see in a book, but it does set up the revenge plot and explain why Morgan does what she does. This is more than a romance. It explores our fascination with Elizabeth Bathory today. Elizabeth was a 16th century woman who was sentenced to death for the murder of over 600 young women whose blood she bathed in to keep herself young.  As Morgan becomes a servant in Elizabeth’s household and finally meets Elizabeth, she is fascinated, especially with Elizabeth‘s resemblance to a past lover where the relationship failed.  She also discovers the truth about Mario’s sister, Catalina, but I won’t ruin that part of the story for you.

As Morgan and Elizabeth’s relationship develops, it is interesting to watch. She has to be sure that Elizabeth isn’t a stand-in for her lost love. For Elizabeth, Morgan is the answer to her recurring vision. She may have finally found a strong woman to love.  I liked Morgan. She is strong and kicks ass. Mario seemingly has the strength to tame and defeat her but she is resilient and able to stand up to Mario. Her integrity is important to her and she will not lie even if it means she will not achieve the required ending. I have to admit I liked the ending. It was perfect for this book. I look forward to reading more of Isabelle Rose's work.