Rising (Rising, #1) by Holly Kelly

Aug 10, 2013 Holly rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

I LOVED this book! Of course I may be biased. I'm the author. :)

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Aug 14, 2013 Lauren Taylor rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Such a beautiful and gentle love story full of mystery, mythology and a touch of attitude. Sara is a vulnerable yet tough MC complimented perfectly by her love interest Xanthus, a conflicted hero. Loved this book! Well done Holly Kelly.

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Jan 24, 2014 Seeing Double in Neverland rated it it was amazing

For Full Review go to http://seeingdoubleinneverland.blogsp...

5 out of 5 stars!!!

This book was amazing, it was one of my favorite Mermaid books!

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Aug 23, 2013 Jocelyn Sanchez rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: faves-of-2013, debut, omg-i-love-it, romance, review-books, best-of-2013

I have never read a book about creatures that lurked under the sea. So naturally, I found this book fascinating! I found myself staying up late at night just to find out what happens next. This book is a real page turner! The cool creatures I read and learned about in this story were awesome!!

This book is told in the POV of two different characters. Xanthus Dimitriou is a powerful Dagonian in the sea. A Dagonian isn't considered a mermaid/merman, even if they are similar in certain ways, only I have never read a book about creatures that lurked under the sea. So naturally, I found this book fascinating! I found myself staying up late at night just to find out what happens next. This book is a real page turner! The cool creatures I read and learned about in this story were awesome!!

This book is told in the POV of two different characters. Xanthus Dimitriou is a powerful Dagonian in the sea. A Dagonian isn't considered a mermaid/merman, even if they are similar in certain ways, only the children of Triton are considered mermaids/merman's. In this book Xanthus is on a mission to save mankind from annihilation. Their are some of his people who see humans as a threat who need to be destroyed, but Xanthus isn't too sure. To prevent a war between the Dagonian and the humans he goes to the surface and blends in as a human to seek out those responsible for the crimes the Dagonian's accuse humans of doing and then he sends them to Triton to face their punishment. But before he can achieve his mission he needs to do something first. Kill a seemly innocent woman in a wheelchair named Sara Taylor. What's her crime you ask? Being born. She’s a human/Dagonian half-breed, an abomination where he comes from. He knows that he should kill her but...he can't seem to make herself commit the act. She seems so sweet, so innocent, so very beautiful. He knows what he should do, but what his head is telling him is going against what his heart is telling him. Before he knows it, he is protecting the human. But that just might cost him his life...

Sara Taylor is one of my favorite characters in this book. Despite being in a wheelchair, she tries to remain independent. She deeply cared for other people. And I believe, she was a perfect main character! She was sweet and kind but, at the same time brave and loyal. She has a good head on her shoulders and she is intelligent. She fought for the people she loved which I admired. I felt for Sara when she felt embarrassed about her 'Anomaly'. I wanted her to be confident in who she was. To know that she was beautiful and that nothing was wrong with her and eventually, she did see that. She grew as a character which is amazing, as a reader, to read about. I feel like I connected with Sara's character and really enjoyed reading about her!

Okay, now Xanthus has to be one of my favorite characters of all time! He was awesome!! He was just the right amounts of confident and aggressive. He never treated Sara bad or tried to control her. He accepted her independence and respected her for that. He was protective, don't get me wrong, but he wasn't overbearing. I hate male characters that act like the female needs to be rescued all the time and I'm so glad Xanthus wasn't like that. He was...perfect! Makes me want to go into the sea to see if I can find a guy like him!! LOL But not only was he brave, confident, and powerful, he was sweet and caring. He wasn't afraid to show Sara affection and treated her like she was the most treasured thing in all the world. Love his character!!

I love this book! Seriously, I could read it over and over again! It's a book that you will never get bored with, no matter how many times you read it. Come to think of it...I want to read it again! I loved the main characters, but I also liked the minor characters like Triton and Nicole. I found their characters so interesting and funny as heck! I hope there is a second book coming out soon! I need more! This is one of the best books I ever read and one of the best books I've read this year. I look forward to reading more from this author. I recommend this book to everyone! It's brilliant!!

Some of my favorite parts:

“Before I give you any command, you will answer me this one question. Are you courageous or stupid?”

"He would kill for her. He would even die for her."

“Do Dagonian’s ever wear makeup?”
“You can tell I’m wearing makeup?” Xanthus gaped at her.
“What? No. You?” Xanthus laughed and Sara relaxed, scowling at her own naivety.

“I’ve never met a more unusual woman.” He smiled. “She is like being caught in a whirlpool. She’s moody, unreasonable, childish, overprotective, and by the gods, I’m beginning to like her." ...more

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Dec 03, 2013 Take Me Away To A Great Read rated it it was amazing

This book was amazing!!! It was one of my favorite Mermaid books, it was more mature then most I have read and that I could relate based on where I am in my life. It was not mature in that it had sexual content, or profanity, it was very clean. It was just that the characters were a little bit older and that there were more struggles in their lives and more violent situations (that people living in poor neighborhoods or someone out at night alone might deal with).

I loved the complexity of the This book was amazing!!! It was one of my favorite Mermaid books, it was more mature then most I have read and that I could relate based on where I am in my life. It was not mature in that it had sexual content, or profanity, it was very clean. It was just that the characters were a little bit older and that there were more struggles in their lives and more violent situations (that people living in poor neighborhoods or someone out at night alone might deal with).

I loved the complexity of the characters in that they were multifaceted. Some of the characters struggle with themselves and are neither good nor bad. I love the romance and mythology that Holly Kelly has created in her story. The different races of underwater life was a great twist and it not just being Mermaids, was a wonderful addition to the book.

The book starts with a woman giving birth to a baby that has deformation with her legs and they are fused together. There is also a war under water brewing as the waters have been polluted by the humans and the race called Dagonian's want to make them pay for killing some of them and ruining their homes. But Xanthus believes that these humans can be reasoned with and goes to the god of the under water and the last of the Mer people and asks him if he can live among the humans. He promises to make those how have caused the pollution pay to Triton and to see if he can then seek peace, but Triton only gives him a year to do this.

When Xanthus is in Hawaii he notices a young women and he senses that something is different about her and immediately he knows that he shouldn't be drawn to her but he is. He knows that she should be killed for if she is discovered it could mean bad things for their kind and her living here is against the law.

Xanthus decides to get close to her to try to find out her story, who is she, why is she here? He soon starts to question everything he has been trained to believe and questions his mission. He soon realizes that he would risk everything to be with her.

I love this book, it is one of the best books I have read! It was well written, imaginative, not vulgar or to sexual, it was romantic and so full of fantasy and action. This was a great book for a man or a woman! Definitely a 5 out of 5 stars!!! ...more

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Aug 14, 2013 Jon Messenger rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I thoroughly enjoyed The Rising. I've always had a weak spot in my heart for mythology. Holly Kelly does a great job of incorporating the mythology into a believable world, an underwater world just beneath the proverbial surface of the world we all know. A world inhabited by Dagonians, seven-foot creatures that closely resemble Mermaids.

One of the things I appreciated about this book was that despite the main character's beauty, she wasn't the typical main character. She wasn't a super warrior. ...more

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Sep 02, 2013 a_tiffyfit rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: re-readable, reviewed-2013, author-publisher-offerings, favorites-2013, kindle-bruiser

I requested a review copy of this (okay, I begged) and was granted it and then I read it all in one sitting and am waiting until I can re-read it again. This book releases in 2 days and you, too, will be able to enjoy Xanthus & Sara.

The prologue opens with a woman giving birth and not one, but two nurses fainting dead away when they see the baby. And then chapter one opens twenty years later...

Sara is in a wheelchair thanks to her disfigurement (her legs...which, of course, are not legs but I requested a review copy of this (okay, I begged) and was granted it and then I read it all in one sitting and am waiting until I can re-read it again. This book releases in 2 days and you, too, will be able to enjoy Xanthus & Sara.

The prologue opens with a woman giving birth and not one, but two nurses fainting dead away when they see the baby. And then chapter one opens twenty years later...

Sara is in a wheelchair thanks to her disfigurement (her legs...which, of course, are not legs but a tail!) Xanthus is on a mission from King Triton to find and punish those polluting the oceans and killing off sea creatures and Dagonians alike. Imagine Xanthus's surprise to find one of his own on land...

The chemistry between Xanthus and Sara is immediate. He is an overwhelming presence and Sara knows not what to make of him. I loved how Xanthus has this protective attitude that he just can't seem to help and sets about making sure Sara is safe. Sara's BFF is so happy for her; it was so sweet to see a friendship between women that wasn't catty.

I was livid at Xanthus's mother, enamored of his sister, ecstatic of Sara's parentage, and disgusted by the evilness that is Xanthus's brother, Gael, and his father. Just pure maliciousness poisoning the waters there!

The ending is incredibly satisfying and, after much turmoil, a HEA. I love mermaid tales, paranormal fantasies, romances, and books with action, a woman who doesn't melt into her lover's demands/opinions, and a man who adores and takes care of his woman. This has it all. By far the best mermaid tale I've read yet, I want this to be a series. A long series, exploring different characters with Xanthus & Sara popping in and out.

This is from Clean Teen Publishing and the romance is just that, clean. But you know...I was not expecting it to steamy! The sexual chemistry and tension was nearly palpable! Oh, and the epilogue. OMG MS KELLY! I know this is releasing in 2 days, but PLEASE tell me you have more written in this world?! Pretty please? ...more

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Jul 09, 2014 booknerd_dork rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

I'm speeeechless, I don't know what to say. The story not only got me hooked in the first chapter but it got better, awesome and mind blowing. I didn't read the synopsis but the tag line got me and I wanted to know more as the cover to tagline captured my attention.
The story is just WoW!!! I'm having this big grin on my face just thinking about the whole adventure and mystery.
It has POV's of different characters, just to give slight glimpse to some clues and have you glued to the story.
Xanthus!! ...more

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Oct 14, 2013 ~ Rose ~ ☯Desert Rose❀ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-roses, fantasy, magic, roses-reviews, read-and-reviewed, romance, mermaids

Good mermaid stories tend to be difficult to find. With the "Dagonians" and Triton filling the synopsis, this book either had the potential to rock, or bomb. It seemed obvious it would be a variation of a mermaid story, with Greek, and possibly Roman, mythology. I didn't know whether I'd like all of that mixed, but after finishing this book, I'm completely in love with this story!

I think Xanthus is one of my new favorite book heroes. Gorgeous, strong, powerful, honorable, and the perfect image ...more

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Aug 15, 2014 Xanti rated it it was amazing

The book cover alone sucked me in (easier to see detail on Amazon-click the cover). But I'm glad it did. The hero, Xanthus, is a Dagonian (similar to a merman, but a different subspecies of sorts). Who wouldn't like a gorgeous, nearly seven feet tall finned hunk who is called the "nightmare of the deep"? The sea god Triton gives him legs and sends him onto land to discover and stop some major polluters of the ocean who have killed thousands of their kind. While there Xanthus meets the heroine, ...more

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Oct 22, 2014 Ronda Tutt rated it it was amazing

Shelves: paranormal-romance, fantacy, mythology

Fascinating Oceanic Mythical World!

This is one awesome Mythical World so fascinating you’ll want to immerse yourself into. I am so stunned, I mean Wow! I’ve read many mermaid stories but never have read about Dragonian.

A Dagonian was created by Poseidon and isn't considered a mermaid/merman. They are similar in certain ways, however only the children of Triton are considered mermaids/merman's which Poseidon had eliminated out of spite. But Poseidon’s reign is short lived and his son Triton Fascinating Oceanic Mythical World!

This is one awesome Mythical World so fascinating you’ll want to immerse yourself into. I am so stunned, I mean Wow! I’ve read many mermaid stories but never have read about Dragonian.

A Dagonian was created by Poseidon and isn't considered a mermaid/merman. They are similar in certain ways, however only the children of Triton are considered mermaids/merman's which Poseidon had eliminated out of spite. But Poseidon’s reign is short lived and his son Triton rules the oceans now and though Triton’s children no longer exist, at least he thinks none exist, he rules with a firm power.

I loved this story, I mean I ate it up by sucking all the mythical details and the amazing water world of life, how the mission of the Dagonians was to eliminate the mermaids when ruled by Poseidon to a new mission under the new ruler of Triton of finding and punishing those polluting the oceans regardless if they are mankind or ocean creatures.

I thought the Author did an awesome job with the description of this underwater world with amazing visualizing details that made me feel if as if I could dive into the ocean and experience it just like her characters.

The characters are beautiful. I fell in love with Xanthus Dimitriou theDagonian not because of his sexy description or his fierce soldiering abilities, but because of his common sense and morals towards mankind. He actually cared and instead of destroying life he wanted to save mankind from annihilation and live in peace unlike his own kin of hating humans.

I totally identified with Sara Taylor. Her courage, strength, and independence won me over. Being unaware that she was half human/Dagonian and thinking she was just a crippled stuck in a wheelchair only made this story more interesting.

Xanthus and Sara's chemistry was soul melting and sweet. The heat level is one star.

The whole plot in my opinion was perfectly created to keep the reader from second guessing and summing up the ends immediately. The Author kept me guessing all the way through and I loved that.

The ending left me wanting more and hoping I would get to see Triton get a second chance at love and creating more of his children or seeing a new species of human, dragonian, and mermaid combined.

I look forward to reading more by Author Holly Kelly and recommend this story to all mythology lovers.

Excellent Read!
...more

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Aug 15, 2013 Rebecca Gober rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Oh my goodness! *Fans face with hand. * This book is HOT! Sure, I'm a bit biased seeing as how it's published through Clean Teen Publishing, but this is a must read. I wasn't sure what to expect when it came to a book of under the sea creatures. Holly Kelly pleasantly surprised me on that one! Xanthus is a strong lead character and Sara is easily relatable. What I really liked about this book is that Holly Kelly kept the romance content clean (Level 2 on our content rating) yet it was still ...more

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Sep 06, 2013 Amber rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Rising by Holly Kelly is a uniquely beautiful and utterly priceless treasure that strives to gently remind us that we are infinitely valuable beyond what we can ever imagine and lavishly treasured beyond our wildest dreams. We are more than what we see in the mirror each day. We have value and purpose and we should never allow ourselves to forget that.

Where do I start in describing just how much I truly enjoyed and fell in love with this story?! I honestly loved everything about it!! I loved Rising by Holly Kelly is a uniquely beautiful and utterly priceless treasure that strives to gently remind us that we are infinitely valuable beyond what we can ever imagine and lavishly treasured beyond our wildest dreams. We are more than what we see in the mirror each day. We have value and purpose and we should never allow ourselves to forget that.

Where do I start in describing just how much I truly enjoyed and fell in love with this story?! I honestly loved everything about it!! I loved the themes that tightly swam through each page of this story such as the importance of being good stewards of what we are given and being kind and sensitive to those around us because our behavior matters. These tenants need to be lived out on a daily basis and given the respect and significance that they deserve. The importance and value of family was a theme that really touched my heart. It was handled with such amazing care and honored respect that I felt the author must hold this subject very close to her heart. The meticulous details given to the picturesque scenes in this book were utterly astonishing and beautifully mesmerizing.

I was enthralled and delighted by the innocently sweet yet pleasurably intense romance that unintentionally came to life between Xanthus and Sara. The focus was never on the physical aspect of their relationship as much as it was on the emotional aspect which was absolutely breathtaking. Nonetheless, there was no mistaking the heat and passion that developed between Xanthus and Sara. Their kisses practically melted the pages and left you sighing and wanting more. I loved how Kelly was able to brilliantly accomplish this without fiery, detailed sex scenes. I can happily admit that as their feelings deepened for each other and the heat was turned up between them as time went on, their loving and passionate displays of affection were portrayed in a very tasteful yet alluring way.

If that wasn’t good enough, Xanthus was amazingly respectful and passionately gentle with Sara. What an amazingly heart-melting example of how men should treat women! I fell in love with how calculated and deadly Xanthus was as a warrior of the sea and yet how sensitive and loving he was when it came to Sara. She was his heart, and he never let her forget it. Xanthus wanted to really and truly get to know Sara instead of pushing her too quickly into a physical relationship which just melted me. He saw her as a huge part of his future, and he wanted to handle this relationship with nothing but pure gentleness and adoring respect in order to make the passion and desire they shared that much deeper and more meaningful. He fully intended for them to be together forever, and he treated and cherished her as the princess that she was in his eyes. Oh, how I lost my heart in this story! This is the type of relationship that we should be modeling in front of and teaching our teens about! Just imagine how different our world might be.

Holly Kelly’s Rising captured my heart and gave it wings to fly to the heights of heaven and beyond! To say that I loved it would be the understatement of the year! This story has come to mean so much to me. I can’t tell you how much I adore stories that showcase the most important things in life as beautifully and masterfully as this one has. I can’t say enough good things about it, and I highly recommend this book to all young adults and adults alike. This is one story that you will not soon forget because of the amazingly precious gem that it is. Kelly has most definitely drawn me into her world, and I fully intend to enthusiastically devour her future projects. ...more

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Mar 31, 2014 Roseanne Wilkins rated it it was amazing

Shelves: clean-romance

I love this book. It's a contemporary romance with mermaids. Clean and well-written, it's one I don't mind handing over to my daughters. I've already bought the second book in the series.

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Jan 21, 2014 Linda rated it it was amazing

Sara Taylor thought her mom was crazy as she tossed her into the sea when she was five or six, but she guessed her screams touched Nicole and drove her sane enough to go down a cliff and rescue her. Nicole was very beautiful and stopped traffic wherever she went, but no husband could keep her for long as she had married three times. At twenty, Sara had had enough of her crazy mom and she left to live her own independent life. With her disability she shunned relationships and rented a tiny ...more

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Sep 09, 2013 Mardi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Loved it! It totally sucked me in. The story-line just kept me guessing and wanting more! I can't wait for book #2!! Please, please, please!

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Sep 04, 2013 Lauren rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Being a part of the Clean Teen Publishing street team comes with the wonderful perk of being able to read and review their books before they are released. My favorite part about this perk is that their books are always so unique. I have not read a book from them that reminded me of any other book I have read. Their authors have such original ideas and they translate onto paper (or ereader screen) wonderfully.

Rising is no different. I have never read a book about mermaids (and in this case ...more

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Dec 13, 2013 Michelle O'Leary rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Rising is an imaginative sweet romance with satisfyingly heroic characters. The storyline is a nice twist on the usual mere-people plot with a very sweet, sympathetic heroine and a hero that hits all the right notes: strong, noble, protective, and loving.

Other reviewers have done an excellent job of describing this book so I'll just say I really enjoyed reading Rising. Some minor editing/grammatical issues snagged at me a bit and the flow could have used some polish, but otherwise this is a ...more

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Mar 17, 2014 Tamara Grantham rated it it was amazing

Let me start by saying that I've been burned by several books in the paranormal romance category lately. One book I couldn't even finish because it became too graphic. RISING was like a breath of fresh air. It stayed clean, yet the romance was still enjoyable. This was a new twist on the mermaid tale. I didn't feel like I was being retold Ariel's story. I enjoyed the history of the Dagonians and the mermaids. It kept my interest throughout. I never felt like it dragged. In fact, I finished it in ...more

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Aug 01, 2014 Jocelyn Sanchez rated it it was amazing

I have never read a book about creatures that lurked under the sea. So naturally, I found this book fascinating! I found myself staying up late at night just to find out what happens next. This book is a real page turner! The cool creatures I read and learned about in this story were awesome!!

This book is told in the POV of two different characters. Xanthus Dimitriou is a powerful Dagonian in the sea. A Dagonian isn't considered a mermaid/merman, even if they are similar in certain ways, only I have never read a book about creatures that lurked under the sea. So naturally, I found this book fascinating! I found myself staying up late at night just to find out what happens next. This book is a real page turner! The cool creatures I read and learned about in this story were awesome!!

This book is told in the POV of two different characters. Xanthus Dimitriou is a powerful Dagonian in the sea. A Dagonian isn't considered a mermaid/merman, even if they are similar in certain ways, only the children of Triton are considered mermaids/merman's. In this book Xanthus is on a mission to save mankind from annihilation. Their are some of his people who see humans as a threat who need to be destroyed, but Xanthus isn't too sure. To prevent a war between the Dagonian and the humans he goes to the surface and blends in as a human to seek out those responsible for the crimes the Dagonian's accuse humans of doing and then he sends them to Triton to face their punishment. But before he can achieve his mission he needs to do something first. Kill a seemly innocent woman in a wheelchair named Sara Taylor. What's her crime you ask? Being born. She's a human/Dagonian half-breed, an abomination where he comes from. He knows that he should kill her but...he can't seem to make herself commit the act. She seems so sweet, so innocent, so very beautiful. He knows what he should do, but what his head is telling him is going against what his heart is telling him. Before he knows it, he is protecting the human. But that just might cost him his life...

Sara Taylor is one of my favorite characters in this book. Despite being in a wheelchair, she tries to remain independent. She deeply cared for other people. And I believe, she was a perfect main character! She was sweet and kind but, at the same time brave and loyal. She has a good head on her shoulders and she is intelligent. She fought for the people she loved which I admired. I felt for Sara when she felt embarrassed about her 'Anomaly'. I wanted her to be confident in who she was. To know that she was beautiful and that nothing was wrong with her and eventually, she did see that. She grew as a character which is amazing, as a reader, to read about. I feel like I connected with Sara's character and really enjoyed reading about her!

Okay, now Xanthus has to be one of my favorite characters of all time! He was awesome!! He was just the right amounts of confident and aggressive. He never treated Sara bad or tried to control her. He accepted her independence and respected her for that. He was protective, don't get me wrong, but he wasn't overbearing. I hate male characters that act like the female needs to be rescued all the time and I'm so glad Xanthus wasn't like that. He was...perfect! Makes me want to go into the sea to see if I can find a guy like him!! LOL But not only was he brave, confident, and powerful, he was sweet and caring. He wasn't afraid to show Sara affection and treated her like she was the most treasured thing in all the world. Love his character!!

I love this book! Seriously, I could read it over and over again! It's a book that you will never get bored with, no matter how many times you read it. Come to think of it...I want to read it again! I loved the main characters, but I also liked the minor characters like Triton and Nicole. I found their characters so interesting and funny as heck! I hope there is a second book coming out soon! I need more! This is one of the best books I ever read and one of the best books I've read this year. I look forward to reading more from this author. I recommend this book to everyone! It's brilliant!!

Some of my favorite parts:

"Before I give you any command, you will answer me this one question. Are you courageous or stupid?"

"He would kill for her. He would even die for her."

"Do Dagonian's ever wear makeup?"
"You can tell I'm wearing makeup?" Xanthus gaped at her.
"What? No. You?" Xanthus laughed and Sara relaxed, scowling at her own naivety.

"I've never met a more unusual woman." He smiled. "She is like being caught in a whirlpool. She's moody, unreasonable, childish, overprotective, and by the gods, I'm beginning to like her." ...more

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Aug 26, 2013 Becca rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: indies-that-are-drool-worthy-good, big-girl-books, na-no-not-that-n-a-new-adult, so-this-is-a-new-paranorm, im-a-warrior-hear-me-roar

4 stars

I was a mermaid…oh I am sorry not mermaid, Dagonian virgin. Not anymore!

So I received this for an honest review, on a blog tour with Juniper Blog Tour Company. With that said honesty is the best policy. Yup, yup, yup.

Song Choice: “What a Catch, Donnie” by Fall Out Boy (yeah I was trying to be slightly funny there, but also serious), and “Never My Love” by Har Mar Superstar featuring Adam Green

First thoughts: As a mermaid – sea creature (almost all sea creatures I can think of only one ...more

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Sep 04, 2014 Samantha Woods ( LSK Sweetheart Reviews ) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Xanthus is a Dagonian which are often mistaken for Mermaids/Mermen. He is a warrior, however he does not agree with his brother to go into full blown war with the humans. So he brings his idea to go on land to try to convince the humans to quit polluting the water to stop the war to Triton. His brother couldn't possibly go against a god! While on land trying to complete his mission he runs into someone who he assumes to be an outlaw. A Dagonian living on land. When he see's this female Dagonian ...more

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May 21, 2014 Veronica of V's Reads rated it really liked it

Shelves: quick-read, contemporary, fun-fast-read, paranormal-romance, innocent-fun, new-adult-romance, new-adult, magical-realism

What a fun read!

Sara is a "disabled" girl--she always keeps her legs bundled up so no one can see her deformity--a mermaid's tail. She has persevered in life despite her over-protective (and possibly deranged) mother, but she has no idea what is in store. See, under the sea there is a battle a-comin'.

Xanthus is a Dagonian--a virtually immortal race born from the union between the gods Dagon and Calypso--so just because he has a tail don't be calling HIM a merman. The Mer, children of Triton, are What a fun read!

Sara is a "disabled" girl--she always keeps her legs bundled up so no one can see her deformity--a mermaid's tail. She has persevered in life despite her over-protective (and possibly deranged) mother, but she has no idea what is in store. See, under the sea there is a battle a-comin'.

Xanthus is a Dagonian--a virtually immortal race born from the union between the gods Dagon and Calypso--so just because he has a tail don't be calling HIM a merman. The Mer, children of Triton, are extinct--or are they? Triton grants Xanthus the power to walk on land in order to hunt down the human polluters who recently contaminated the seas killing thousands of Dagonians. He has one year to find the guilty parties and send them to Triton--and he's efficient. Catches the corporate masterminds who approved the polluting within a month.

What he didn't expect to find? A half-ling--a person born of a human and Dagonian. Mixing of the races is unlawful and Xanthus is duty bound to kill this offspring--and the Dagonian and Human who spawned such a monstrosity. Of course, meeting Sara Xanthus' zeal is tamed. The delicate creature is not what he had expected to find.

No, he's charmed by Sara, experiencing his first bloom of attraction for a female, ever, even if he isn't quite sure what sort of creature she is--her blue eyes mark her as not-Dagonian. Could it be that she's Mer? If he kills Triton's daughter he's in big trouble, but his authoritarian Dagonians will kill Sara on sight. Dagonians have long hated the Mer. Now Xanthus needs to protect Sara from his own family--and himself--goodness me, the gal's in "mating season" and her pheromones are testing every last piece of Xanthus' resistence.

The story's clean--suitable for YA readers. It's a fun, fishy tale with plenty of precautionary info--like make sure you pay attention to what sort of drink your date brings you 'cause it may be drugged--and there's a good bit of sexual tension that is dealt with frankly.

I had some lingering questions--like where does Xanthus get his money from? And, why is his brother so bent on ruling with an iron trident?

I loved how Sara kept herself strong in the face of mythic challenges. Also, there's some cool feminist themes--Sara isn't willing to simply submit to Xanthus, unlike Dagonian women, which is a cool swap. Xanthus has to learn to be less draconian and more open to "asking" Sara to do what he'd like. A bit of instalove between the characters, fueled by Xanthus' visceral reaction to Sara's pheromones...which was a neat way to foster sexual tension. ...more

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May 22, 2014 Aimee (Getting Your Read On) rated it really liked it

Shelves: ebook-i-own

Picked this one up for free on Amazon. I'm glad I did. It was a great introduction to what this author has to offer and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series. This was a clean romance read, no swearing, some kissing and obvious attraction. There was some violence.

I did enjoy the characters and the underwater world with the mix of Olympus Gods thrown in for good measure. It's a sort of paranormal/fantasy romance. Fun.

Something that was super cool that I really liked because ...more

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Dec 23, 2013 Cassandra rated it it was amazing

My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 unicorns - I loved it!!

**Received an ebook copy from Clean Teen Publishing for an honest review

The cover is absolutely beautiful!! I was intrigued from the first moment I saw it! Marya did a fantastic job!

The story was phenomenal and I loved every moment of reading it! I couldn’t put it down in fact I read it straight through much to my son’s chagrin.

I totally fell in love with Xanthus and Sara. Sara is strong, independent, and doesn’t just cower and hide when something ...more

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Aug 14, 2013 Cassandra rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, blog-widget, 5-stars, fantasy, gods, clean-teen-publishing, new-adult, mermaids, mythology

My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 unicorns - I loved it!!

**Received an ebook copy from Clean Teen Publishing for an honest review

The cover is absolutely beautiful!! I was intrigued from the first moment I saw it! Marya did a fantastic job!

The story was phenomenal and I loved every moment of reading it! I couldn’t put it down in fact I read it straight through much to my son’s chagrin.

I totally fell in love with Xanthus and Sara. Sara is strong, independent, and doesn’t just cower and hide when ...more

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Apr 28, 2014 Melissa Cunningham rated it it was amazing

I could not lay this book down. I'm not even kidding. It has been a long time since I was enthralled with such a compelling story, and once I started reading, I didn't stop until I finished it. Holly Kelly has woven a beautiful tale, making life under the sea feel modern and desirable once again. Fantastic!

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Jun 17, 2014 Julie Wetzel rated it it was amazing

This book kept me awake all night. There's no better way to greet dawn then with the final chapters of a really good read. This was a really good read!

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Apr 18, 2014 Margrethe rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

I was actually excited for this book. I was looking forward to read a book with an undersea world, but I was in for a great disappointment. This was not a great read for me. Several things about this book bothered me and I will list some of them here.

First, I did not like the writing much, it was somewhat good in the beginning, but the further I got in the book the worse the writing got. It could be a matter of personal preference, but the writing did seem somewhat forced to me. It seemed as the

I was actually excited for this book. I was looking forward to read a book with an undersea world, but I was in for a great disappointment. This was not a great read for me. Several things about this book bothered me and I will list some of them here.

First, I did not like the writing much, it was somewhat good in the beginning, but the further I got in the book the worse the writing got. It could be a matter of personal preference, but the writing did seem somewhat forced to me. It seemed as the author tried too hard to create a good flow, which simply caused to create a bad flow. I also sat with many unanswered questions after I finished. Some questions was also really bugging me while I read.

Second, the characters did not seem believable to me. I most certainly did not like Xanthus. Not at all. In the description of this book, it says “Xanthus Dimitriou—the most lethal Dagonian to rise from the ocean…” For me he did not come across as badass as he sounds. He had his moments were he was all “kill kill kill” and then suddenly he was this little soft puppy who was all “Sara, Sara, I love you so much, you’re the love of my life, blah blah” Meh, so boring. He was simply not a good enough rounded character for me to like him.
In the start, I actually quite liked Sara. At first, she had this way of thinking that she was not a damsel in distress, but in the end, that was exactly what she was. She had her moments were I enjoyed her a lot, for example when she proved her independence, but then she come with some moments were she just annoyed me so much. It was like when she was with Xanthus she was this completely different person. The same goes for him around her.
Which brings me to their relationship, and let me tell you, it annoyed me so much. First, it happened out of nowhere, and was basically based on appearances alone. There just wasn’t any emotional ground to their relationship. Xanthus gets super protective for no reason (I can see) the instant he sees her (not meet, sees). It just appears so odd and unnatural to me, and was never fully explained. I find it so odd and out of character that just because she’s so beautiful he would just like that go against years (several decades actually) of experience and living as a dagonian and just let her live instead of killing her. I just can’t get my head around it. It seems so unbelievable. There were other things bugging me as well, like when Xanthus realizes he loves Sara, they have just met, they do not know each other, at all. And when he proposed? Way soon! It seemed so forced, odd and weird action after knowing the other person for what? A week?
In addition, the fact that that Sara just ran into Tritons arms when she found out he was her father, really annoyed me. Who just runs into a complete strangers arm just like that? Father or not. It just struck me as odd, as so many other things with this book.

The universe had great potential though, but I felt it was not done justice. It lacked details, and I had a hard time picturing it.
I rather liked the last few chapters, but this book just didn’t gave me what I look for in a book. It simply lacked that little extra.

...more

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Mar 14, 2014 Betty rated it it was amazing

The story starts with a young woman, Nicole Taylor, having a baby girl, Sara, who is born with a deformity. Her real name is Nicole Reanne Lamont. She raises Sara on her own and very overprotective of her. The doctors couldn't do anything for the baby.

Sara, is confined to a wheelchair and is now 20 years old. She wants to be independent and has her own apartment in a run down neighborhood and has her own web design business. Unbeknownst to her, she is half human and half mermaid. She's never ...more

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