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Siren's Secret

(Dark Seas #1)

Debbie Herbert (Goodreads Author)

3.87 · Rating details · 355 ratings · 103 reviews

In Debbie Herbert's debut novel, there are two secrets, each one with a deadly consequence….

Shelly Connors's worlds—on land and in the sea—are turned upside down when an evening swim turns into a nightmare. On a sweltering night deep in the bayou, the mystical mermaid witnesses a horrifying act. With a monstrous killer now hot on her trail, her life and the lives of her ki ...more

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Paperback, Harlequin Nocturne #172, 304 pages

Published November 5th 2013 by Harlequin (first published January 1st 2013)

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· 355 ratings · 103 reviews

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Apr 15, 2018 Emily Crow rated it liked it

Shelves: american-south, read-in-2018, contemporary, paranormal, romance, mermaids-and-other-sea-creatures

I had some trouble getting into this book. The first 25% or so just felt awkward--the writing seemed stilted, the characters were wooden, and I was having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that our heroine is a mermaid who (almost) painlessly transitions from one form to another depending on whether or not she's in the ocean. Yeah, I knew this was a mermaid book, but it was weird.

Somewhere around the 30% mark, though, I started to get into the story. Shelly, our half-mermaid heroine, has I had some trouble getting into this book. The first 25% or so just felt awkward--the writing seemed stilted, the characters were wooden, and I was having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that our heroine is a mermaid who (almost) painlessly transitions from one form to another depending on whether or not she's in the ocean. Yeah, I knew this was a mermaid book, but it was weird.

Somewhere around the 30% mark, though, I started to get into the story. Shelly, our half-mermaid heroine, has witnessed a serial killer dropping a dead body into the ocean, and now she's in line to be the next victim. Her full-mermaid cousins, Lily and Jet, want her to keep it secret so they exact "mermaid justice" on the killer, but Shelly wants to follow the proper legal channels, which is weird (again) because the mermaids have totally tampered with the evidence and are keeping half of what they know a secret AND Shelly's dating the sheriff, Tillman Angiers.

The secret to enjoying this siren tale is to disengage one's critical faculties and just enjoy it for what it is: a cheesy romantic suspense paranormal novel. With mermaids. Who act too stupid to live for most of the story, but eh, I guess that's okay because they can just jump in the ocean and swim away from everything if it gets too much to handle. Even with my critical faculties switched into "off" mode, I still didn't like the romance. Tillman was awfully rude and heavy-handed with Shelly for most of the story, and the sex scenes weren't anywhere near hot enough to make me forget it.

My favorite character was the serial killer's dog, Rebel, a hairless Chinese crested. And the killer was totally devoted to his dog, which made me feel sorry for him, being a messed-up serial killer, because honestly, the way he was presented, I don't think he had a choice. And just in case anyone is concerned, don't worry, the dog lives. Otherwise, I would have removed all the stars.

Recommended if you are in the mood for something silly and different in the paranormal romance field. It was better than I thought it was going to be!

Read for What is Life Without Books group theme read: mermaids. ...more

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Jan 01, 2014 Kae Thomas Hawk rated it really liked it

Seriously now how many girls have not at one time or another pretended to be a mermaid in the tub? So a book about a mermaid was enough to draw me in but there is so much more.
A mermaid, a sheriff and a serial killer. And with adding that last element this became a real page turner.
While out for a swim Shelly encounters the serial killer. He tries to kill her as she dives away but ends up only stabbing her in the fin. This sets the story of him trying to kill her, her trying to help the sheriff, ...more

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Nov 15, 2015 Kari rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-shifters-fantasy

3.5 stars
It was a good surprise. A light romance and lots of suspense involving a mermaid and her two cousins, a sheriff, and a serial killer targeting women.

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Oct 30, 2015 Natasha Larry rated it it was amazing

There were so many things I loved about this book. First off, the cover... Gorgeous! The second, and probably most important thing I loved, was that this novel took me completely by surprise. I don't really know what I was expecting, what with this being my first mermaid book, but I wasn't expecting this. Okay, maybe I do know what I was expecting... something a little more Disney but what I got was something a little more gritty.

Sorry for the intentional rhyming... on with the review.

Herbert gi There were so many things I loved about this book. First off, the cover... Gorgeous! The second, and probably most important thing I loved, was that this novel took me completely by surprise. I don't really know what I was expecting, what with this being my first mermaid book, but I wasn't expecting this. Okay, maybe I do know what I was expecting... something a little more Disney but what I got was something a little more gritty.

Sorry for the intentional rhyming... on with the review.

Herbert gives you story from the first page. As a bookworm, I appreciate that. It starts with Shelly, a totally sweet and lovable hybrid (half mermaid, half human) witnessing a guy dumping a body into the ocean. The bad guy of the story, Melkie (weird name, huh? Almost as weird as the guy himself) sees her and stabs her in the tail fin with his knife. Shelly then rushes home where she tells her cousins, Jet (a bad ass, no nonsense mermaid) and Lily (an irresistable siren, who is a bit of a player) what happened. Shelly wants to go to the police, but her cousins convince her not to in order to preserve their mermaid secret.

Trying to steer the police toward the killer without exposing her secret grows all the more complicated when Tillman, the sheriff and her love interest, starts asking hard questions that she can't answer. Despite the fact that he knows she's hiding something, a romance blooms between the two, and boy is it hot. There are times that I wanted to strangle Tillman, but the fact is I could understand where he was coming from, and in the end, he did the right thing.

My favorite character was Eddie, Tillman's autistic brother. I loved him because I've always been fascinated with autism, and the character was perfectly drawn by the author. Not only that, Eddie helps Tillman realize something very important after he finds out Shelly is a mermaid. Cooler still is that he does it with two words.

"Like me?"

Yes, Tillman got schooled. You'll have to read the book to find out what I'm talking about.

I also thought the villain was well crafted and thought out. He's completely creepy and psychotic, and yet there are times that you feel bad for and even relate to him. I like my villains with layers because "just doing bad things for reasons," is so boring.

Another thing I loved about this book, and something I want in my own personal life... Mermaid hair! Yes, their hair grows like an inch a week, which would probably get annoying after awhile, but think of all the style options! Also, I wouldn't mind having some of that cool night vision.

Herbert's world is enchanting, magical, and romantic. I polished it off in less than two days so I'm glad it's only the first of a series. And yes, I will be reading the rest. ...more

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Dec 06, 2017 Elley Murray marked it as dnf

Shelves: mermaids-sirens, detectives-cops-bountyhunters, audiobook, audible-romance-package

I got maybe halfway through this book and then just couldn't take it anymore.

I listed to this as part of the Audible Romance Package, narrated by Stephanie Bentley. The narration was ok, despite some strange stylistic decisions on what I thought were odd words to place emphasis on. Except - EXCEPT! - the narrator takes these gasping breaths between sentences and it just grated. on. my. nerves. This was at least 50% of my decision to DNF this book, as if I listened to her take one more gaspy brea ...more

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Oct 27, 2013 Courtney rated it it was amazing

Shelves: nocturne, paper-back, harlequin

This was a great first novel for Debbie Herbert! I was so excited to have this mermaid book show up on my doorstep and it did not disappoint!

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Feb 23, 2015 Paige Bookdragon rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2015, lurrrve, adult, fishy-people

The first 50% were good.

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Jun 27, 2014 Njkinny (Njkinny's Blog) rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Njkinny by: Debbie Herbert

Shelves: beautifully-written, novel-concept, loved-it, first-reads-sent-by-authors, contemporary-romances, romance-with-suspence-mystery, paranormal

http://njkinny.blogspot.in/2014/07/bo...

At first glance, Shelly Connors looks just like any other normal beautiful female except that she is unlike any other normal woman. She is a mermaid!
Hiding in plain sight and caught between two worlds, the human world and the under water mermaid world, Shelly's life is turned upside down when she witnesses a killer disposing a body and is in turn seen by him.

"Under autumn's moon-blood red
Beneath a foam-tipped wave
The unseen mermaid spies the dead
Sink to ...more

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Sep 15, 2017 Kimberly marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, paranormal

9/15/17 - $1.99 on Kindle

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Dec 11, 2014 Eileen Dandashi rated it really liked it

I enjoy reading debut novels. Particularly when I find the writer engages my attention and interest with a little extra in her writing that tugs me into reading another of her books. We all know that the first of everything is always the hardest and writing is a talent that grows as the writer writes.

I didn’t spill any tears in this read, but indeed got my thrills! This was a suspense thriller that kept me reading. Debbie Herbert knows how to ratchet up a story that grips the reader’s mind, crea I enjoy reading debut novels. Particularly when I find the writer engages my attention and interest with a little extra in her writing that tugs me into reading another of her books. We all know that the first of everything is always the hardest and writing is a talent that grows as the writer writes.

I didn’t spill any tears in this read, but indeed got my thrills! This was a suspense thriller that kept me reading. Debbie Herbert knows how to ratchet up a story that grips the reader’s mind, creating a protagonist that is just plain scary. I love when from the first page, I'm drawn in. In this case, it was into the swirling water, along with Shelly Connors, trying to escape with my life. Shelly sees the kind of man Melkie is, when he dumps a body into the bayou. The body was wrapped in a plastic bag tied with a rope, a brick dangled from its end. The body dropped to the bottom of the bayou. Melkie spots her – he has a witness to his crime and will search her out, killing her, too. When Shelly dives into the sea to escape him, her tail fin is exposed. Melkie throws his knife, hoping to kill her. The knife gets embedded into her fin. But Melkie doesn’t know who he saw. A woman? A fish?

Melkie, although evil in this story, did have reasons why he acted the way he did. He was terribly good to his dog, Rebel, giving him the cheeseburger while he drank the shake when they stopped at the local fast food joint. He fiercely protected the dog against the neighbor’s cat and kid gangs in the neighborhood. Rebel was old, missing teeth, just plain ugly. He was a crested Chinese dog (see picture of the species). Melkie could have been a different sort of person if he hadn’t had the childhood he had.

Shelly, half mermaid, her mother marrying a human, lives with her two cousins, full-fledged mermaids. As a mermaid they are able to change to human form or mermaid form. She joined them after her mother and father were killed in an accident. Along with that heartache, Shelly was also dumped by her boyfriend once he found out all the ‘tricks’ she was able to do when in water. Jet and her sister, Lily, opened their home to her and gave her a family which she was immensely grateful.

When Sheriff Tillman Angier caught her eye, she watched him for months to make sure he was the kind of person she would like to get to know. And it seems that the sheriff had also been checking her out. The sheriff’s brother, Eddie, took therapy classes with Shelly at the local swimming pool and even though he had severe autism, she was making headway with him. They finally meet there when Tillman comes to pick Eddie up.

Eddie’s mother had problems with drinking, an embarrassment to Tillman, but I enjoyed the way he treated her. In fact, Tillman was kind to everyone. Quite the gentleman. He loved his mother, but knew she needed help. Portia Angier was not completely fleshed out, since she was only a secondary character in this story. I’m not sure if she’ll appear in the rest of the series. I hope she does, because she probably has secrets of her own that led her to drinking in the first place.

Shelly is a lovable character. She lives between two worlds. She’s neither totally comfortable on land or sea. She has a heart of gold. We see how she interacts with Eddie, his mother, her cousins and various people in the community. She’s different from her cousins, softer, more compassionate. She and Tillman sizzle when they’re together. Each are drawn to the other. Tillman tries to protect her from the stalker she says is after her, but knows she’s not telling the complete truth which frustrates him. He is a person who knows detail is vital to understanding the situation. Could she be the one doing the killing? Can the killer be one of her cousins? He questions everything, including his attraction to Shelly.

Some of the story was surprising, twists that I never anticipated. The biggest surprise I can’t share for it would spoil the story for you. Secondary characters are to be watched! I thought this fantasy read fun and entertaining, just enough loose threads hanging making book two a must-read for me. ...more

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Oct 22, 2013 Leila Anani rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mermaids-mermen-selkies, crime, paranormal-romance, mermaid-horror, mermaid-romance, mills-boon-nocturne, mills-and-boon-harlequin-romances

I was really excited when this arrived. There aren't nearly enough mermaid paranormal romances in the world.

It starts off brilliantly too - we have a mermaid witness a serial killer dumping the body of a prostitute he's just murdered. He catches sight of our heroine, stabs her in the tail and determines that she will be his next victim. Name one other mermaid thriller because I certainly can't off the top of my head!

Shelley our heroine turns to Tillman, the local sheriff she's always been secret I was really excited when this arrived. There aren't nearly enough mermaid paranormal romances in the world.

It starts off brilliantly too - we have a mermaid witness a serial killer dumping the body of a prostitute he's just murdered. He catches sight of our heroine, stabs her in the tail and determines that she will be his next victim. Name one other mermaid thriller because I certainly can't off the top of my head!

Shelley our heroine turns to Tillman, the local sheriff she's always been secretly in love with, much against the wishes of her two cousins who are desperate to maintain their mermaid secret. With an autistic brother and an alcoholic mother Tillman has serious trust issues which put a spanner in the works of their growing romance.

Absolutely adored the story, the mythology and the bayou setting. What I hated were the characters. I actively disliked the hero and thought he behaved abominably to poor Shelley. Hated his mother. Disliked Shelley's cousins and wasn't even particularly enamoured of too nice and honest its not true Shelley. The killer was a walking cliché with his childhood trauma and the most interesting character was probably the secondary villain? Who is likely a set up for any subsequent books in the series which would likely follow the cousins quests for true love.

I didn't feel convinced by the romance. Its not until somewhere in the 200+ page mark that we get a paragraph detailing how Shelley has been half in love with Tillman all along, and then we're told not shown. His behaviour was erratic and down right rude throughout the story.

The author also has a clear bias towards people with severe autism. Tillman's special brother Eddie takes up a great deal of the story, which I felt could be better spent on building the emotional connection between our lovers instead. I've nothing against his brother having autism and appreciate that it made Tillman have difficulties with relationships, but what I wanted was a paranormal romance, not a family saga.

I've got quite mixed feelings about this novel as a whole. As a mermaid thriller its original and the story concept is superb. As a romance its not so good. Didn't find it particularly sexy either. The two sex scenes are fairly brief (and uninventive - human form all the way) and I personally didn't feel the physical attraction, we're told its there, but I wanted more somehow.

If you want a mermaid romance where the heroine has a proper fish tail, by all means check this out, its not bad, it's just not nearly as good as it could have been. ...more

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Nov 27, 2013 Amy Freese rated it really liked it

Shelves: paranormal-romance

I read this in ebook format on my kindle.

Congrats to Debbie Herbert for a very enjoyable read! A modern murder mystery AND merfolk is NOT your everyday combination!

This tale is set in a modern time scene in the Alabama bayou country, along the coast. The main character is Shelly, a young woman working as an aquatic therapist. She lives with her 2 cousins in an ancestral home by the sea. She is also a half-breed doing her best to live in 2 worlds, human and mermaid. She is drawn to both, yet fit ...more

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Dec 17, 2013 Ann rated it liked it

Shelves: romance, adult, contemporary, mythology

During one of her swims, Shelly witnesses the dumping of a body by the murderer famous for gouging out the eyes of his victims. Now a killer is after her, determined to silence the only voice that can identify him. Not only did he see her face, he saw what she really is - a mermaid. Terrified for her life and for the lives of the merfolk, she turns to Sheriff Tillman Angier for help. She decides to plant evidence that would lead Tillman to the murderer, but things get complicated once feelings q ...more

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Jan 10, 2014 TINNGG rated it liked it

Shelves: vamp-were

Well, the premise was interesting, the plot promising. The characters though…

Lessee… first off, did you know collecting insects makes you a potential killer? No; neither did I. I mean; I don't have massive collections of pinned butterflies or anything but neither would I think anything of someone else having them. Also find the fact that the crazy guy has a dog who he's very fond of interesting.

Then there's… the 26 year old brother of the H - he has autism. And…apparently is incapable of functio ...more

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Jul 08, 2017 Rachel- Goodbye Borders rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2017

Mermaid book!!!! I was excited to pick this up and am happy I enjoyed it so much!
Shelly's mother was a mermaid, her dad human. After their deaths, she goes to live with her cousins, Jet and Lily. Jet and Lily are full blooded mermaids. Mating with a human is a no-no and Shelly has some baggage from her parents relationship. Tillman moved back home and took over his dad's position as sheriff when he died. His mother is an alcoholic and his younger brother is severely developmentally disabled.
She ...more

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Sep 07, 2020 Cali Jewel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is a page turning, edge of your seat hold on for dear life, action packed adventure filled with magical, intriguing and engaging charters, witty and fun dialog, heart racing twists and emotionally thrilling passion. Excellent reading!

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Nov 18, 2017 Annie rated it did not like it

Shelves: main-character-was-annoying, want-to-throw-across-the-room, these-characters-need-therapy, secondary-side-characters-annoying, how-did-this-get-published, i-love-paranormal-creatures, massive-miscommunication-as-plot-de, miscommunication-between-main-roman, gross-out-relationships, annoying-insta-love-yuck

This is the author's debut work and it's garbage! I think that the company who turns out these dime store novels was scraping the bottom of the barrel or desperate when they picked this story up. It's a mess, the characters as a mess with add and bipolar disorder who act like 13 year olds instead of the adults they are supposed to be. The romance was almost nonexistent to omg I love you with every fiber of my being but I have to lie to you about everything because I don't want you to know me but ...more

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Mar 31, 2022 Ren Puspita rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-stars, baca-buku-cetak, shapeshifter, paranormal-romance, own-and-read, sadistic-psycho-chara, own-mass-market, cop-agent, romantic-suspense, sea-creature

4 stars

I always assume Harlequin's Nocturnes line with a light paranormal romance but this book surprised me. More like a romantic suspense with mermaid elements, since the latter didn't explained thoroughly and focus heavily on the suspense part. It's have a heroine with many secrets (well, she is a mermaid. Half merfolk to be exact), a sherrif hero that have chips on his shoulder and a women-hating serial killer. I liked that Herbert feature character with special needs. The sisterhood is on ...more

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Aug 02, 2013 Wendy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: paranormal-adult, grw-authors

Mermaids and serial killers! What more could you ask for? I was fascinated from the beginning. Shelley, half human and half mermaid, is spotted by a madman as he’s disposing of his latest kill. Unfortunately, she’s not quite human when he does. Now the race is on to see who can put the other away first. Shelly wants him locked up. He wants her six feet under. And just to complicate things, the local sheriff is no fool. Too bad Shelley can’t get him out of her thoughts. And what thoughts they are Mermaids and serial killers! What more could you ask for? I was fascinated from the beginning. Shelley, half human and half mermaid, is spotted by a madman as he’s disposing of his latest kill. Unfortunately, she’s not quite human when he does. Now the race is on to see who can put the other away first. Shelly wants him locked up. He wants her six feet under. And just to complicate things, the local sheriff is no fool. Too bad Shelley can’t get him out of her thoughts. And what thoughts they are.

Siren’s Secret is so much more than a romantic tale, or tail for that matter. The mermaid world is just starting to be fleshed out in this first mermaid story from Debbie Herbert. Shelley has two mermaid cousins, and the three couldn’t be more different. Their own stories will be something to look out for. But it’s not just the mermaid world we discover. Herbert has wrapped us up in the town and the people who live there. You get a real sense of the character’s daily lives and what drives them. Herbert’s writing takes the reader there, all five senses bringing the details to life.

And the suspense! This is a romance, but the villain in this story almost stole the show. I’m often tempted to skim over the bad guy’s point of view, but not here. The details and darkness Herbert paints him with is chilling, right down to his insect collection. He’s the horrifying accident you can’t look away from. The attention to detail is why we fear for Shelley. Not just fiction-fear but something that churns in your gut. You, the reader, fear him.

Tillman is our lead man, the local Sheriff. If you find yourself used to the usual fictional hero—you know the one; he’s kind, alpha, obsessed with the girl, and oh so… well, fictional—then this is a breath of fresh air. Tillman doesn’t lack for these things, but he is real. This is how you know most people, real people, would be. He’s a cop first, a protector of the people first. It’s the brain up top that drives him, always. The rest must follow what is the right thing to do. He’s true to himself, and you respect him for it. Our couple doesn’t change for each other. They learn to love what they are. Even if what they are is impossible to believe.
...more

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Feb 01, 2014 Bryonna Nobles rated it really liked it

Shelves: paranormal, paranormal-mystery

Siren's Secret by Debbie Herbert is part of Harlequin's Nocturne line - which is described as dark, sensuous and dangerous - where paranormal and normal collide.

This book definitely does that.

First, how gorgeous is this cover? I'm sure you realize by now that I love a good cover and this one was beautiful.

When I picked up Siren's Secret - actually I got it for free from someone who won it from Debbie herself but already had their own copy - I thought this was going to be a fun, light read. Its ...more

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Dec 14, 2013 Nicole rated it liked it

Shelves: mystical-creatures, paranormal-fantasy, fave-beach-reads, mermaids-sirens, forbidden-romance, curl-up-and-read-this, fantasy, books-with-sex-scenes, 3-stars, country-loving

I was so eager to read this Harlequin novel because mermaids are not a very common occurence in paranormal romance, YA or adult. That said the bayou has always fascinated me so this combination made me excited.

The Harlequin branch Nocturne focuses on paranornal romance and from experience these type of books are similar compared to the urban parnormal genre. In that coarse language is used and sex scenes are explicit. These are usually focused upon much more.

I did enjoy this but personally, I fe ...more

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Dec 28, 2013 Jada Ryker rated it it was amazing

Not Your Mother's Harlequin

Siren's Secret, by Debbie Herbert, is more than a paranormal romance. It's also an action-packed adventure. Shelly lives her secret life under the sea, as a mermaid. When she's not in her mermaid form, she lives as a human Aquatic Therapist on the Alabama bayou with her cousins, Lily and Jet.

After a heart-stopping encounter with a serial killer who mutilates his victims, Shelly knows she has to help the police catch the man. With the help of her cousins and special tal ...more

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Sep 09, 2014 Brigitte rated it it was amazing

I have never read a romance about mermaids before and reading the Siren's Secret did not disappoint.

Shelly is half human and half mermaid. She lives with her two cousins who are full blooded mermaids. They have to keep their existence a secret. Tillman is in the police force and they are attracted to each other. When Shelly witnesses a crime, she wants to see justice but is unable to give full details to the police. Keeping her secret becomes extremely difficult and puts a strain on the relation ...more

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Apr 29, 2014 Colin rated it liked it

This book would of got rated higher if it wasn't for the awful romance and I mean holy shit its bad , if you haven't read it yet then brace yourself for the most poorly written bedroom scenes you will ever read. Other than that the plot is fairly entertaining with no boring moments. The main characters are fairly well written and some parts of the book kept me on edge and I couldn't put it down. The book was good; I wouldn't recommend it though. ...more

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Oct 09, 2013 Laura Drake rated it it was amazing

Deb Herbert brings mythology to life. Mermaids in the bayou? You bet. Her heroine made me long for the sea, and the secrets in the book kept me turning pages to see how it could ever work out - not only if she'd escape the murderer, but how she'd get that sexy sheriff!

Smooth and sexy, if you like romance and a well-woven story, you'll like this one! ...more

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Oct 23, 2013 Shannon Kamzelski sanders rated it it was amazing

This book was an enthralling story of suspense, love and passion. It was such a page turner that I spend my Friday night at home reading it instead of going out for the night.

**I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads. This has no bearing on the review posted above.

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Nov 16, 2013 Gioconda Lyss rated it it was amazing

Amazing book, really loved it. You won't be disappointed. ...more

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Nov 15, 2013 Sherry Mullins rated it it was amazing

Shelves: owned

Love Love Love this book

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May 05, 2018 Katherine Smits rated it it was amazing

In the small coastal Alabama town of Bayou La Sirena, Shelly Connors lives with her cousins, Lily and Jet Bosarge. She works as a swimming instructor at the local YMCA, where she patiently coaches the autistic Eddie and flirts with his sexy brother, Sheriff Tillman Angier.

Shelly hasn’t had a date in years. While she is beautiful and compassionate, she believes no man would want her if he found out her secret: she’s half mermaid. She watched her parents’ marriage deteriorate over the years as he In the small coastal Alabama town of Bayou La Sirena, Shelly Connors lives with her cousins, Lily and Jet Bosarge. She works as a swimming instructor at the local YMCA, where she patiently coaches the autistic Eddie and flirts with his sexy brother, Sheriff Tillman Angier.

Shelly hasn’t had a date in years. While she is beautiful and compassionate, she believes no man would want her if he found out her secret: she’s half mermaid. She watched her parents’ marriage deteriorate over the years as her mother yearned for the sea and her father became frustrated because his love wasn’t enough.

After her parents died in a car accident, Shelly moved to Bayou La Sirena to live with Lily and Jet, who were the only family she had left. Shelly adores her cousins, who treat her as a sister. However, they are full-blooded mermaids and don’t understand what it is like to be rejected by mermaid society as an abomination.

Tillman Angier returned to Bayou La Sirena after his father, the town sheriff, passed away from a heart attack. Despite his successful career in law enforcement in Mobile and a semi-serious relationship, he believed it was his responsibility to go home. He was the only one left to care for his brother and mother, whose drinking problem haunted the family from the time Tillman was a child. Tillman is afraid that his family baggage will prevent him from ever finding anyone to share his life. So, he has dedicated himself to protecting the town, as his father did before him.

The suspense begins when Shelly, in mermaid form, sees a body being dumped from a boat and the murderer catches a glimpse of her as she dives. He throws a stiletto at Shelly, lodging it in her tail, but she gets away and keeps the knife. She and her cousins develop a strategy to identify the killer and make sure the police find evidence to convict him, even if they have to plant it.

At the same time, Melkie tries to find the one who saw him dump the body. The serial rapist and killer cuts out and keeps his victim’s eyes as souvenirs before he gets rid of the body. In his twisted mind, destroying vulnerable women is the only way to vent the rage he feels toward the prostitute mother who abused and molested him. Since she is dead, he can’t torture her, so he substitutes hookers. He is repulsed by the idea that mermaids are real and worried that the creature will give him away to the authorities. Paying for his crimes isn’t part of his plan.

While she and her cousins attempt to outwit Melkie, Shelly falls hard for Tillman, who finds her irresistible. But his sharp eyes and on point instincts tell him she’s keeping secrets and he’s too principled to look the other way.

Tillman is determined to find the perpetrator and put him behind bars, although it may implicate Shelly. Her lack of transparency and the odd things he observes about her and her cousins, paired with clues from the crime scenes, set off his suspicions. He wants to believe she is innocent, but he senses something is wrong.

The dynamic conclusion to this contemporary mermaid story will keep you mes-mer-ized. I loved this book and the sequels, Siren’s Treasure and Siren’s Call, which feature Jet and Lily and tell their stories. Don’t miss this great trilogy!
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May 23, 2018 Shawn rated it liked it

Shelly is half human-half mermaid, not really a part of either community. When out on a swim, she discovers a body being dumped by a serial killer who sees her, she becomes his next target. She can't go to the police because she was swimming, as a mermaid, several miles off shore when she made her discovery.

The story is actually quite enjoyable until about the half way point when it starts to drag on and some minor story flaws start to become more pronounced. **Spoilers from here on out** It's a ...more

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About Debbie Herbert

Debbie Herbert

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Debbie Herbert, a USA Today and Publisher's Weekly bestselling writer, pens Psychological Suspense, romantic suspense and paranormal romance novels. She’s always been fascinated by magic, romance and Gothic stories.

Married and living in Alabama, she roots for the Crimson Tide football team. When not working on her upcoming books, Debbie enjoys recumbent bicycling and jet skiing with her husband. ...more