Book Review for Waves: Inhuman Love Collection by Howl Avery

I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form. 

Waves, by Howl Avery, is the first in the Inhuman Love Collection, and delves into the surprisingly wholesome relationship between a male selkie and his human counterpart. The book is separated by month. May introduces Ezra, a marine biologist who had recently broken up with his fiancé, and Kai, a male selkie who had lost his coat and their meet cute. June demonstrates just how difficult it is for selkies and humans to be intimate, although it’s more than clear that the two are infatuated with one another. July and August showcase the lengths that Kai and Ezra are willing to go to protect each other, and September leaves readers with a promise that, while Kai needs to go back into the ocean, he will return to Ezra, as he always does and always will. 

Personally, I feel the way Avery ended this relationship was absolutely perfect. Humanity’s always had a penchant of trying to conquer things that shouldn’t be conquered, especially with nature. So it’s comforting to know that already, Ezra is going against the flow; he’s keeping track of the seal populations, doing what he can to keep them safe even before he met Kai. He respects nature, which is a refreshing turn of events. And yes, that tendency did rear its ugly head when he tried forcing Kai to choose between himself and the ocean, but nonetheless, I’m glad he was able to prioritize Kai’s wellbeing. I also liked how he wasn’t forcing Kai to stay with him, although the kitty pool was a nice touch. We tend to love things we can’t keep, so for Ezra to demonstrate this much maturity makes me admire his character. Should Avery ever decide to write more about this couple, I would love to read it.  

Needless to say, Thom is an asshole. He will always be an asshole. I loved the support system that Ezra had in Mary and Eric. In a way, it felt like Ezra and Kai were in their own little fairytale, and when they were ready to come out, those two were waiting. I did feel at times they were distracting from the romance, but their presences were welcome nonetheless. As such, I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars.