Waiting for the Wolf Moon

The Circle #1

by Evelyn Vaughn

Sylvie Peabody, a powerful witch, begins investigating the strange and terrifying phenomena that happens in the small town of Stagwater when the full moon rises, which leads her to Rand Garner, a man whose animal magnetism and sensuality touch her soul.

Reprint.

Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Werewolves, Magic, Fantasy, Witches

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Evelyn Vaughn is one of the nom-de-plume used by southern author Yvonne Jocks. Yes, the pun of E. Vaughn being her first name, Yvonne, is deliberate!

Reviews

[Brigid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh Silhouette Shadows you really were ahead of your time. An entire imprint of Silhouette dedicated to paranormal romances. I was in high school when these first came out, and I had finished my first year of college when they closed up shop. In a sense, these were the spookier, dirtier follow up to my youthful obsession with the Sunfire Romance series. However, unlike Sunfires, Silhouette Shadows had series within the series. While I might not have read all 66 installments in the Shadows line, I did read two of the three series: Maggie Shayne's Twilight vampire series (first published in 1993 - way before and way better than that other twilight vampire series) and The Circle, four stories by Evelyn Vaughn about four witches (each of the witches got her own book) living in rural Louisiana.

I read two of the four when they first came out. Online shopping wasn't a thing in the mid-nineties, so unless my mom and I were in our local Ames when the new books were released, I wasn't going to find these. (I could've subscribed as romance houses encouraged, but sixteen year old me wasn't in a position to do that.) I recently found the other two books in The Circle used on Amazon. I'm not sure what made me think of them ... perhaps witchcraft was involved. Okay, maybe not witchcraft, but certainly time travel.

Reading a contemporary romance from 1993 in 2017 is an amazing experience. I highly recommend it. The main character, Sylvie, filed a story (she's reporter) "from the modem." That phrase pulled me right back to hearing PFFFFRRRRRRRRRRKIKIKIKIKRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREHREHHHR as our family's desktop computer, approximately the size of a small Volkswagen, attempted to onramp onto the information superhighway.

Then she and her love interest who may or may not be a werewolf (thanks Silhouette Shadows! You're the best!) drive to New Orleans together to take care of separate business, and then meet for dinner. This requires planning, a place to meet, and wearing watches with the correct time. Our heroine then goes to the library to do research on a computerized card catalog. (New Orleans was well ahead of my small town in this regard in 1993.) She did, however, have to pay to photocopy everything at the print and copy shop in her little town before returning her books. So much happens around that photocopy shop that this book would have lost numerous plot points had scanners, digital cameras, or camera phones existed yet.

The actual story is also rather engaging. Sylvie is a developed character, and her backstory comes out in drips and drabs in a believable way. Although upon realizing that the women in this series are all roughly 25 and seriously for the most part have their lives together is simultaneously laughable and charming. They have good jobs, they have their own homes without roommates, they either are married or will be soon (these are romance novels after all), and generally are doing okay in that regard. Twenty-five-year-old me had three roommates and a soul-suckingly terrible job. But then again, maybe these witches in Stagwater worked some magic.

[Jae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Waiting for the Wolf Moon by Evelyn Vaughn is part of the Silhouette "Dreamscapes" line of paranormal romances. The main character is witch Sylvie Peabody.

When grisly murders begin happening during the full moon in the small town of Stagwater, LA, Sylvie and her friends are left wondering if the attacks are from a werewolf. The police have been chalking them up to wild dog attacks, but the witches know better. Sylvie can't help but notice that the attacks began after mysterious Rand Garner arrived in town. He purchased a crumbling old estate and is intent on turning it into a haunted house. Sylvie can't help but be drawn to Rand, and the attraction seems to be mutual. Although her friends caution her to stay away, Sylvie finds herself falling for the enigmatic Rand, even as she fears he may be the werewolf.

Ugh. Sylvie is dumber than a box of rocks, and as for Rand, he came across as a cocky, immature frat boy. Although the story was in third-person pov, from Sylvie's perspective, a few times, toward the end of the book, the narrative was in Rand's pov with no discernible break to warn the reader. It was jarring and distracting. Sylvie takes the cake in idiocy for letting her vagina control her actions. She literally fled from Rand in sheer terror at one point, but when he caught up to her (because the best way to convince someone not to be afraid of you is to chase after them), he kissed her, then took her to bed, after which Sylvie is convinced that he's not the werewolf at all. Because sex solves everything. I need some brain bleach. The story was exciting, if not for the right reasons, and there was some humor laced throughout, but I spent most of my time reading it wanting to smack Sylvie upside the head. And kick Rand in the balls just to wipe the smug smirk off his face. The ending was confusing. SPOILERS!!! Was Don an actual werewolf or not? If he was suffering the mental disorder, in which he believed he was a werewolf, to the point he was wearing a wolfskin, then how was he clawing/biting his victims? Why did Don think Rand was the werewolf who had turned/afflicted him with lycanthropy?

So...yeah. The plot was interesting, but the characters were aggravating, and things were left unexplained at the end. I'm giving this a generous two stars.

[Sarai · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the back cover:
Nobody had to tell Sylvie Peabody that some things were beyond human understanding. After all, she was a witch - a white witch of uncommon power. But even she was powerless to explain the nightmare that gripped the little town of Stagwater whenever the full moon approached. Was it really possible that a werewolf was stalking the Louisiana night? And was it pure coincidence that the horror had begun when the very mysterious Rand Garner bought that crumbling old estate on the edge of town? He was a man without a past, and Sylvie knew she must not fall prey to his lethal charm and animal grace. And yet nothing could keep her away from him - not even her rising terror.

I really enjoyed this book. There are four female friends and each gets her own book, but I appreciated that the friendship was so central to the plot. I also liked the hint of supernatural phenomena and the eventual explanation for things.

Published a second time by the Silhouette Dreamscapes series, this was originally published by Silhouettes Shadows in 1993.I was so excited when Silhouette introduced the Shadows series, which had lots of witches, vampires, and other supernatural stuff, but the series did not last long. I must have been the only one reading them. :)

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this one in one of my dozens of book boxes while unpacking my bedroom.

I had put this on my To-Read list, because my mom knew the author, and she's a local, or as local as anybody ever is in Dallas-Fort Worth. I enjoy the books I've read, at least in part because she makes positive generic references to Wicca in her books, and in later books, much more specific references.

After reading a chapter, I realized I'd read this one before, and decided to read it again. I couldn't remember how it ended, anyway. LOL

There's enough suspense to keep you trying to figure out who the werewolf is and whether or not it's Sylvie's love interest, and if it is, do you really care. Sexual tension abounds, of course, and is addresses at some odd moments, which actually makes it more believable than it might be otherwise. Silhouette and Harlequin seem to like their book sex at a certain level of description, so don't expect mainstream fiction sex here.

I looked at the publication date after finishing it, and it was 1993. The story, however, is not dated, and still enjoyable seven years later. I've read some that do not stand the test of time, so put this one on the good list.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sylvie Peabody, a powerful witch, embarks on an investigation of the strange and unsettling occurrences that unfold in the quiet town of Stagwater during the full moon. Along her journey, she encounters Rand Garner, a man whose irresistible charm and allure deeply resonate with her. As their paths intertwine, Sylvie's soul is stirred by his magnetism and sensuality, propelling her further into the enigmatic mysteries of their shared destiny.

I found this book to be highly enjoyable. It revolves around a close-knit group of four female friends, and I appreciated how their friendship played a central role in the plot. The incorporation of supernatural elements added an intriguing layer, and the eventual explanation for these phenomena was satisfying. The story kept me engaged as I tried to unravel the mystery of the werewolf's identity and its connection to Sylvie's love interest. The book skillfully weaves in sexual tension, adding another layer of excitement to the narrative.

[Isis Molina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read romance often. And when I do read romance, I expect it to be the side dish. When reading this book, I found the story captivating from the start. The characters felt real to me, and they all had interesting personalities.

What really pulled me into the story was the sense of mystery. As much as I wanted to figure out the big secret, I couldn't. Often you read paranormal books thinking you got the whole thing figured out, but I couldn't do that with this book. And when I did find out, I was completely shocked. What a twist!

So, I definitely enjoyed it. Fun little read. I would like to check out the rest of the Circle books since the other witches were all very entertaining.

[H. Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps it was my obsession with all things supernatural when I was young, but reading this book as a teen, I loved the depiction of witches in a small southern town. Especially when a lupine man comes to town opening a haunted house centered on a legend about a werewolf, and strange wolf attacks begin to happen... If you like Charlaine Harris' 'Dead Until Dark', or the movies 'The Craft', 'Practical Magic', or 'The Witches of Eastwick', you'll enjoy this book.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is well written, with quality higher than usual and well-defined complex characters. /the ending is too predictable and the paranormal aspect is never explained. It becomes anticlimactic after the quality of the first three fourths of the novel. Still, an enjoyable read with endearing hero and heroine.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

latest re-read 7/17/2011

[Melanie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many of the category books are overlooked-- and sometimes justly so-- but this one was a little gem and I try to read it every Halloween.

[Angela Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much pulp fiction for me, but an interesting twist on the werewolf theme.

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the fast pace and sexiness of the story. You can't go wrong with a good werewolf adventure.