Black Moon Rising by Julie Ann Walker
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 Stars)
Tropes: Romantic Suspense | Slow Burn | Opposites Attract | Spin-off Series | Instant Connection | Damaged Hero
POV: 3rd Person Headhopping
3rd ACT BREAK-UP: YES
SERIES: Black Knights Inc.: Reloaded
TYPE OF SERIES: Series with an overarching storyling
RELEASE DATE: March 25, 2025
PoP: 70%
I went into Black Moon Rising, book four in the Black Knights Inc: Reloaded series by Julie Ann Walker hoping for a steamy romantic suspense with heart-pounding action—and while it delivered on some fronts, it didn’t completely work for me.
The setup? Pretty great. Britt Rollins is a former Army Ranger turned custom motorcycle mechanic who has major adrenaline junkie vibes. Julia O’Toole is an FBI agent with a soft spot for strays. They’re from different worlds. He is part of clandestine organization, while she is a fairly by the book agent. And their paths collide again when Britt’s brother ends up accused of murder. Add in a little stalking from Britt, and you’ve got the bones of an opposites-attract, slow burn romance with high stakes.
I liked Britt’s rugged charm and his absolute ride-or-die loyalty to those he cares about.
But I struggled a bit with how jaded he was about having a relationship. Julia is competent, clever, and kind-hearted—she brings home stray animals like it’s a full-time job. Honestly, I kind of loved that quirk about her. She pretends she’s okay with Britt’s “no commitments ever” mindset, but it left me frustrated. Because while she spoke the words, she wasn’t okay with them at all.
The romance itself is slow burn with lots of tension, but the emotional payoff didn’t completely satisfy me. I felt like there was so much internal conflict—him not wanting forever, her pretending that’s fine. And it never fully resolved in a way that felt solid. I wanted more vulnerability and more open communication.
The suspense plot in Black Moon Rising kept the story moving, but we don’t get full resolution on the overarching storyline yet.
If you’re already committed to the Black Knights Inc: Reloaded world, you’ll want to continue the series because the intrigue is just that good. These are NOT standalone books, so you do need to read them in order to get the full effect of the characters and their arcs.
Overall, Black Moon Rising is a decent entry into the series with some fun banter, a solid slow burn, and a good dose of action—but it didn’t blow me away. If you’re into protective, emotionally guarded heroes and competent heroines who deserve more than they’re given, this might still work for you. I’ll keep reading the series because I’m too deep now not to know how the bigger picture ends—but this one was just okay overall for me.
Check out my reviews for the rest of the Black Knights Inc.: Reloaded
