Mermen

The Mermen Trilogy #1

by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

These Mermen Don’t Have Tails, They’re Deadly as Hell, and They’ve Got Something He Wants…

INFAMOUS BACHELOR and SELF-MADE BILLIONAIRE ROEN DORAN IS A BASTARD. Yes, he knows it. And no, he doesn’t care. He’s got money and power, and he depends on no one. But when his estranged father dies, willing him a secret island, Roen will come face to face with an even bigger secret: its occupants. And these savage, sea-obsessed warriors are quick to make their position clear: Leave now or die.

There’s only one problem. Nobody tells Roen what to do. Ever. Oh, and one other thing. He’s just met the island’s other new “guest” and something about her brings out his possessive side.

SOLE SHIPWRECK SURVIVOR LIV STRATTON had been adrift at sea for ten grueling days when salvation miraculously appeared: an uncharted island. Only, the deceivingly beautiful men who live there aren’t interested in saving her. No, not at all. Because they somehow believe she is their property, a gift from the ocean to do with as they please. This is not good.

Her only hope? Billionaire Roen Doran, of all people. A man who’s said to care for nothing and no one. But if he’s so heartless, then why is he about to risk everything to help her?

Genres: Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Fantasy, Mermaids, Adult, Contemporary

226 pages, ebook

First published May 3, 2015

About the author

Because Mimi wants to focus on writing and her freakin' awesome fans, she does NOT monitor this site. PLEASE GO TO her Facebook
FAN PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MimiJ...

or her website:
www.mimijean.net, and sign up for her newsletter if you want the latest FREEBIES and news!
****
MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a New York Times bestselling author who writes insane plot twists that will have you burning through the pages. Whether it’s Romance, Suspense/Thriller, or Fantasy, there are always big heroes to root for, smart and resourceful heroines, and a ton of heart pumping excitement in every story.

Mimi lives with her extremely patient husband (“Be right there! Just one more page, honey!”), two pirates-in-training (their boys), and their three spunky dragons (really, just very tiny dogs with big attitudes) Snowy, Mini, and Mack, in the vampire-unfriendly state of Arizona.

Reviews

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 1 out of 5]

😱 Yes We Are Clearly Out of Our Little Minds Buddy Read (YWACOoOLMBR™) with my MacHalo Freaks and the Power Trio (aka Karly, Jess and Heather) 😱

Two things before I attempt to review this Piece of Crap (PoC™):

① No, this is not yet another case of everybody-loved-it-but-me. Eleven of us read this PoC™ together. Want to know our average rating? 1.09 stars. Yep, that's right. Three of us DNFed it, too. Now that should tell you something.

② The universe owes us Fearless Bunch BIG TIME. Why? Because thanks to our stellar reviews, the blurb for this PoC™ was edited to reflect the awful truth, aka the fact that the mermen wannabes on display here HAVE NO FREAKING TAILS (more on that later). So YES, we are a pretty Awesome Bunch. No, we won't save the ocean (as the author clearly wants us to), but at least we might save naive, ignorant readers from suffering through this as much as we did.

► So. Why is this book such a PoC™?

✘ The Mermen Travesty
They have no fins, they have no scales, they have no gills. AND THEY HAVE NO FREAKING TAILS. They don't even frolic in the ocean, for shrimp's sake! What the bloody hell is up with that?! Their IQs are lower than barnacles' and all they do is walk around wearing loincloth-type garments and being total assholes. And that's not discrimination on my part. I mean, most of you know how partial I am to overbearing assholes. But these guys here? They just deserve to die. And their deaths should be painful, horrible, agonizing, and slow. VERY slow. You don't treat women like trash without having me go all ninja bitch on you. No you don't.



✘ Feminism commits suicide. Again.
Funny how it's almost always women writers who promote demeaning behavior towards women in their books. Well it's more tragic and infuriating than it is funny, but you know what I mean. Okay, I'm going to try to keep this short otherwise I'm going to get into one of my feminist rants and we might still be here next month. So. Both the mermen loinclothed assholes and romantic hero focking douchebag king think it's perfectly normal to: treat women like pieces of shit, threaten them with bodily harm, try to drown them, use them as glorified sex objects, humiliate them in front of their fellow bastards/jerks/assholes/SoBs (choose all that apply), have no respect whatsoever for their feelings despite being (supposedly) in total and utter love with them… And that's only half of it. But I'm done talking about this crap so if you want the full, detailed list of all the delightful things that made feminism want to commit suicide here, check out Abby's review. And then weep.



✘ So much boredom. So much eyerolling. So much stupid.
The premise is ridiculous (which is pretty much a given since this is PNR, haha). The plot doesn't make any sense. It's a yawning fest. And it's all over the place, too. The execution is I-have-no-words. The heroine is so TSTL I'm pretty sure she's going to make it to the Guinness Book of World Records. But hey, she's a sociology student. Which obviously means she's super clever, right? Come to think of it, I think I can hear her synapses buzzing from here. The whole TSTL thing must be a disguise. Damn, that girl is smart. As for the romantic hero focking douchebag king, he's so utterly pathetic and such a pompous, self-satisfied dickhead I won't even waste my time telling you about him.



✘ NO. FREAKING. SEX.
Yep, you read that right. PNR without sex. What. The. Hell???? We were reading this for science! We wanted to know how mermen operate below the belt! And what did we get? No tails, no action and NO FREAKING PEENS. This is a total rip-off. I want my money back. Wait. I can't have my money back, this was a freebie. Damn, we should have gotten paid to read this.

✘ Save the focking ocean.
Yep, you read that right again. This book might lack sense, interest, tails, peens and sex but there is plenty of moralizing BS to be had here. Polluting the ocean is baaaaaaaadddddd, people!!!!!! It is our duty to protect the ocean, people!!!!! We have to love and respect Mother Earth, people!!!!!! Our survival depends on it, people!!!!! Who wrote this?! A freaking Greenpeace activist?! It sure seems like it. So you love nature, huh? Well how about I unleash my army of murderous crustaceans on this focking island? Would that be ocean-friendly enough?



➽ And the moral of this review is: save the ocean? Fuck this. Save the Smut!





[December 2015]

My Machiavelli Wannabe Friends (MWF™) thought they could hide this from me. They thought they could read this PNR-chick-lit-please-kill-me-somebody masterpiece behind my back. What fools. They might be sneaky but I'm wickedly nefarious. They'll never manage to get rid of me. Muahahahaha and stuff.

[Jilly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mermen.
What I expected:



What I got:



How shocking that a book called Mermen was a total piece of crap!

Oh, but not for the reasons you might think. I'm totally on board with a book about sexy mermen living on a mysterious island holding gladiator fights to the death to get the honor of winning a woman. All that testosterone... Plus, you know, I really like the beach.

But, nooooooo, this book had to make the mermen unsexy assholes who beat up women. They didn't even have tails or gills. Plus, the worst of all offenses, it read like an After School Special about not polluting the ocean.

I'm sorry, but if you call a book Mermen, and you have the dude with the abs on the cover, you can't write some environmentalist propaganda book about the source of all life and protecting the planet. It just doesn't fit. Save the environmental lessons for Captain Planet. Let the mermen swim free in the smarmy waters of ridiculous and sexy romance!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to read the moctopus book:

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mermen is book one in the Mermen Trilogy by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff. I have been a fan of all things Mimi Jean for some time now. So I, along with so many others, have been so excited to see what this new trilogy was going to be all about. Even though I had no idea what to expect, I still am surprised. This was a dark, twisted tale, nothing like the mer-folk that might exist in our imaginations. But did I like it? Yes, Yes, Yes…a thousand times yes.



Olivia or ‘Liv’ Stratton is writing her dissertation for her PHD and is a guest aboard a fishing vessel when it sinks in a storm, she being the only survivor. She floats aimlessly in a life raft for ten days, out of water and near death when she finds herself washed up to an unknown island, one that shouldn’t have even been there. She thinks the beautiful man that pulls her out of the water is her savior but soon find out that her situation has gone from bad to worse. The island is inhabited by men that think she is there for one purpose only and that is to be claimed by one of them.



Roen Doran is a self made billionaire who runs a shipping business out of Seattle, Washington. He is a loner, using women when he needs them, never entering into any close relationship. He receives word that his father has died, a man that tormented him during his childhood. His father left him a map to an island that he claims is now Roen’s island. When Roen goes to investigate, his helicopter crashes and he also finds himself stuck on the island.

“What are you?” he whispered.
“Same as you, Roen. We are the sons of the sea. We are mermen.”



As soon as Roen and Liv meet, he feels the primal pull, the possessiveness towards her. He must protect her from the other men but how?

“I think you’ve got it backwards,” she said calmly. “I’m not stupid. I’m the only one who’s ever been brave enough to care about you.”

“There was only one Roen Doran, and he’d somehow become a part of her.”

The bond between Roen and Liv gets stronger but at the same time, Roen is changing, becoming more and more like the men on the island. All Liv can think about is getting both of them safely off the island. Roen who has never cared for another human being, is determined to save Liv. He is willing to sacrifice anything to get her off the island.



This book was crazy, twisted and fantastic. Roen was hot with a capital “H!” The chemistry between he and Liv fogged up my e-reader, the sexy scenes steamy.

“His kiss felt like the only thing in her life that had ever truly made sense.”

Once I started reading, I pretty much couldn’t stop until I finished. The pace is fast and the world Mimi has created shocking! If you have read other reviews you already know that there is a HUGE cliff hanger but don’t panic because the next book is due out just a couple of days after this one. Will I continue the series? Try and keep me away. Congratulations, Mimi Jean Pamfiloff, for another fantastic series that will keep us all on the edge of our seats and our imaginations in over drive.

“Thank you, Liv,” he whispered. “Thank you for being the only woman ever brave enough to love me.”

[Karlyflower *The Vampire Ninja, Luminescent Monster & Wendigo Nerd Goddess of Canada (according to The Hulk)* · Rating 1 out of 5]

WARNING: RANTING AHEAD

How the hell am I supposed to resist this?? Trick question, I'm not.

Buddy-read with my fellow scientific lovie, Heather..... and also, The Harbinger of Blood-soaked rainbows, Jess, as well the MacHalo freaks.

This insanity is coming to, and likely ALL OVER, a goodreads near you January 4, 2016!

This fucking book, guys!!! My teeth gnash and my brain screams AT.THIS.FUCKING.BOOK.







This book was atrocious! Not only is it a staggeringly awful example of false advertisement, which many of my buddy-readers have already touched on, but even the story (which contrary to the impressions the cover gives is about as sexy as MUD) that is present is riddled with plot-holes, sexism and populated with characters that are poorly developed and moronic.

I don’t know if I will EVER get used to how some female writers try to logic away from non-con sex. Did you know that if your life is threatened and you choose to sleep with your captor rather than die, this is considered consent?! WHAT THE FUCK??? No it’s NOT. That logic does not fucking logic, okay? That is like saying if you starve a person and then give them poisoned food – which they then eat full well knowing it’s poisoned, because…. starving – they have committed suicide.NO! I reject that logic, fuck you. And this logic-that-is-not is a story wide concept. “Logic” which is stated to the MC – a woman who volunteers at a woman’s shelter, despite not really have time to do such, because she cannot turn her back on the faces and the pain of what those women and children have gone through. – by the man she claims face is the least beautiful thing about him.



And there’s the vibrator-skin. (Yes, this IS a thing – and the comparison is stated – that actually happens within the story); which seems to exist simply to confuse and annoy me. Why is this a thing? How is this a thing? As strange as it would be I could almost understand this concept, were the mermen actually MERMEN (you know with tails and scales and stuff) because when the lower half of your body is a fish it’s hard to include much in the way of sexy-times. So I would have allowed it for sexy-time’s sake, except for the pesky fact that none of the men in this book are ACTUALLY mermen. So the fish to human reproduction debacle is not even a thing. *sobs*

I’m almost done now, I promise.

Lastly, to the lovely Heather (who had to deal with this sexist dreck on her birthday) I give my deepest sympathies.

Have an Ian kiss:

[Dino-Jess ✮ The Book Eating Dinosaur ✮ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I WANT TO SET THIS BOOK ON FIRE.

Fuck this book at it's stupid fucking story and it's stupid fucking characters.

***FALSE ADVERTISING ALERT***

The MERMEN in this book DON'T EVEN HAVE TAILS. HOW THE FUCK ARE THEY MERMEN THEN?

The dude on the cover sure as shit isn't the main character. The main character has "caramel colored hair."

The leading lady in this is SUCH A DUMB PIECE OF SHIT I WANT TO SLAP HER ALL THE TIME.

THERE IS NO SEX IN THIS BOOK. 227 PAGES AND THEY DON'T EVEN BANG.

WHAT THE FUCKING, FUCK?!

Whoever instigated this buddy read.... you are in trouble .

I would give this negative 1 million stars if I could

Fuck this book. It's a giant steaming pile of shit and I don't recommend it to anyone, not even my worst enemy.

Buddy read with the power-trio of Karly, Heather THE BIRTHDAY GIRL and Jess plus those crazy peeps over at MacHalo!

[Pang on Speed Clearing Books, Miss You!! · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the review for the whole series three books.

4.5 stars for this whole Mermen series. I love this series! and want many people to know and read it, especially all Paranormal Romance Lovers. Wonder what supernatual kind you gonna meet? Haha I can tell they are Mermen. They don't have tails and scales, but they are so barbaric and HOT!



Mermen, they are hot supernatural men live on a mysterious island ( You can call this bitch island 'El Corazón' the centre of the ocean. This bitch is so cruel I even wanna drag her to the deepest of the ocean if I can ). And... what I gonna tell you? Seriosuly, this series is full of shirtless dudes almost the whole story. *Le sigh*

The plot is also very-well planned. It has mysteries which will make you curious to know. I also love the world-building! I have never read the plot like this seriously. The Alive island. The Mermen and that Holy water The Mermaids here are so monstous and scary, too. I just love it!



The island always want only the Doran, they are fiercest, strongest, and smartest to be the leader of the Mermen.

The Plot: A billionaire, Roen Doran got the letter from his dead father, the letter about an island that Roen has to visit and claim it as his own. He has to rule this island and discover the real identity of him. There, he unintentionally met an smart-mouth normal girl Liv because her ship wreck there, so these two have to stick with each other on this mysterious island. And that is when the story begin...

Roen is so rude! but I coun't help loving him since the first time he open his damn mouth, talking to his friend. lol I so much enjoy his rude words and personalities. Nahh... he is Merman, the barbarism runs in his blood. He might be this way, but he is also very protective, strong, and leadership. Yeah.. just read it and meet him. <3

"Thank you for being the only woman ever brave enough to love me. -Roen"

Liv is such a strong and smart heroine. I love Liv more and more I kept reading the story. She is so brave and selfless. How she fight for helping Roen, Mermen, and Mermaid touch my heart. Liv is also good and reading people. I love that she can read through Roen's mesmerizing green eyes and see the real him. If Roen is a King of the Mermen, Liv would be his Perfect Queen. Yes they are so. perfect. for each other. <3


THE MATE! MERMEN HAVE MATE!!

Yesss... Mermen have their mate. I seriously love when Mermen claim their mate! They even have the ritual. *geeezzz* I love when they fight each other for being the one who claim that lady ( who they want to be his mate ) Want them to fight for me too. Hahahaha.

Wow.. they are so protective over their mate like she is everything to him. Like Liv is everything to Roen and vice versa. Their romance from enemies to star-crossed lover is really enjoynable, I even cry for them, though.

If you want to know more about this Mermen world, read it! I highly recommend. :)

[Dali · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hair-raising, twisty and sultry story. The Rock Star of cliffhangers and thrilling rides is back with a new and unique paranormal series featuring mermen without tails and gills.

Cutthroat billionaire businessman and womanizer Roen Doran is a coldhearted bastard who cares about nothing and no one except his shipping company. So when one of his ships is lost to sea coincidentally close to the island his deceased father has just left him he immediately goes to investigate.

While working on her dissertation for her sociology PhD, Liv Stratton is left drifting and close to dying after the ship she was on went down during a storm. But a lifeline has appeared in the form of a magnificent man and a mysterious island.

Forced onto the island of El Corazón, Liv and Roen must learn to trust each other if they hope to survive and get off this strange isle where a tribe of barbaric self-proclaimed MER-men only reside and its coasts are guarded by unnerving sea creatures that loosely resemble creepy mermaids. Will Roen care enough for Liv to risk helping her or will he leave her to be claimed as these men’s property?

This book was gripping. It had me on pins and needles and having some sort of pulmonary embolism. I loved slowly learning about this very unique and interesting island and its inhabitants. It completely transported me to another world and made my reality fade away. ►♫

I loved Roen. His cold as ice heart turn to mush when it came to defending Liv. It was heart breaking to learn about his childhood. I understood how he grew up to be such a ruthless man. But when I came down to protecting Liv, even from himself I couldn’t help but fall for him.

I really liked Liv. I loved that she was a smart woman and appreciated that she didn’t let anyone push her around and didn’t cower. I respected her strength just as Roen did. She was a perfect match for him.

“I’m the only one who’s ever been brave enough to care about you.”

And in between all the excitement I enjoyed how she chiselled away the layers of ice surrounding Roen’s heart and their connection became so much more than two people trying to survive.

“This thing with Roen... felt intense and magnetic and, well, deeply carnal. It was like Roen had reached inside her and touched a part of her soul she hadn’t even know existed.”

This is the kind of book I wanted to read in one sitting. I adore Mimi’s love for cliff-hangers, man-skirts, snark and the slow sensual build up between the main characters. I learned a lot about this new world, but not all questions were answered and I can’t wait to read the next part.

Mermen is book 1 in the Mermen trilogy that cannot be read as a standalone. It’s strongly advised to read these books in order. It’s written from both points of view, and has a cliffhanger.

Amazon US -> http://amzn.to/1BOLPD0

First Two Chapters -> http://www.mimijean.net/hiddenpage7.html

Mimi’s Pinterest board for the trilogy -> https://www.pinterest.com/mimijeanrom...

NOTE FROM MIMI ABOUT MERMEN: Anyone who has read the Accidental Series or King knows I love to flip things on their heads. Mermen is no exception. THIS IS NOT A FLUFFY STORY ABOUT men with fins and tails who sweep ladies off their feet and make them long to be mermaids. Uh-uh. This is NOT that kind of story. Nobody in their right mind would want to hang out with these very beautiful yet dangerous men (who don't actually have tails, fins, or gills, by the way) NOR would anyone want to be their mates. Well, at least, not me! Run. Away!!

* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via NetGalley. The excerpts are from that copy. *

More reviews * Stalk us on FaceBook * As well as Twitter * Pinterest Board for Book Teasers

[Monty Cupcake ☠ Queen of Bloodshed ☠ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yes, let's play a game and trick everyone into thinking this is about mermen. It's not.
Well, this sucked. Truly sucked rotting fish guts. What fucking false advertising that cover is. When you see a cover like that, with a half naked man, decked out in rippling abs, you think, "someone is getting lucky." Books with those types of covers always have sexy times in abundance. This book? NO sex . What is that? I'm not reading mermen books for educational purposes, I'm reading for entertaining monsterotica, duh. So this book gets an F- on all points.

Plot: TSTL female is shipwrecked and ends up on a mysterious island with a hot billionaire CEO. She's taken by Mermen & other stupid shenanigans follow. Insta-love with the CEO. All boring stuff. The part supposed to thrill, the mermen, they're not Mermen. I don't care what this book wants to call them, no tails = no mermen. These guys are just big, burly, and run around in loincloths with aquatic tattoos, and don't have tails, fins, or gills. Not Mermen. And the mermen in question are all giant asshole douchebag bullies with zero brain cells, not at all interesting.

The whole plot of the story is annoying, doesn't make sense, and I wanted everyone to die. I kept wishing for an asteroid to wipe out the entire island and populous. No survivors, please. I didn't care about anyone or anything in this book. I'm not sure how I didn't DNF this bitch, but somehow I made it to the end. I skimmed a lot. I think I was so confused that I kept reading trying to figure it out. I did - I figured out it sucks and I should've downed this book instead of reading it.

Buddy Read with the MacHalos and Ab Loving Aussies

[Jess ❈Harbinger of Blood-Soaked Rainbows❈ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read a book with bad reviews.

Pre-Review:
Buddy read with Karly, Heather, and the McHalo girls on January 4th.

Because I cave into peer pressure like that.
Also, abs.

__________________________________

I had to work New Years Eve. And when I was finally off after a long ass day I went to my parent's house to eat pork and sauerkraut and drink a few beers and ring in the New Year. My brother and sister were watching a movie. This movie to be exact.


And I hated it. My brother summed it up perfectly after:
"It's a little short on story. A little short on characterization. Overflowing with stupid environmental political agenda."

I HATED THIS BOOK. And I am trying not to write a rant review. This book pisses me the fuck off. And I'm not getting all ranty and ragey because this book is short on story (which it is) or short on characterization (which it is) or the fact that it demoralizes women yet it is written by a fucking woman. I'm not going to rant because all the men are hugely attractive, Adonis cloned fucking ASSHATS or that the MC is a one-sided insta-lovestruck freaking IDIOT. I'm not going to rant because a book entitled Mermen DOES NOT HAVE MERMEN IN IT or that said book has a half naked man on the cover BUT THERE IS NO SEX IN THIS BOOK.

I AM GOING TO RANT BECAUSE THE WHOLE FUCKING BOOK WAS WRITTEN IN ORDER TO SEND THE MESSAGE THAT WE MUST SAVE THE FUCKING OCEAN.


I absolutely hate it when authors use novels as a way to inject their own personal beliefs, political agendas, and views upon their readers. It is manipulative and it is tacky. It's the reason that This beloved and bestselling trilogy will never be read by yours truly. And whether or not I believe the same things is irrelevant. Do I hate oil spills? Yes. Do I think we should take better care of our natural resources? Yes. Do I think that we humans have become careless when it comes to the upkeep of the planet? Yes. But I do not want to read a novel spreading this message with the sheer gossamer mask of fiction on top of it.

So instead writing a proper review, this review is going to be be filled with quotes from the first book I've read in 2016, and I'm going out on a limb here but I'm going to say that it will be THE WORST BOOK I WILL READ IN 2o16 AS WELL. Because at least you will all get enjoyment out of a quoty and gify review. Here goes.

Water, I need water, she thought, once again feeling herself drift out of consciousness, the room beginning to fade to black. She knew she only had minutes left if she wanted to live. (page 18)

"Look!" She grabbed his arm, squeezing hard and shocked as hell by what she found. A rock-solid forearm without an ounce of squishiness. (page 33)

Every time he looked at her, he became more convinced that she might actually be the most stunning woman he'd ever seen, which, frankly, said a hell of a lot. (page 42)

"I think," she said, "that you are possibly the most misjudged man I've ever met." He laughed. "Really now? Why's that?" "Because your face is the least beautiful thing about you." (page 49)

I should probably mention that this character she's referring to is basically the Greek God equivalent of Tucker Max.

Liv held up her hands as the blond approached her. "Sonofabitch, you fucking touch me," she growled, "and I swear I'll kill you." Yeah that was a pretty empty threat given she didn't possess a really, really big army or elephant tranquilizers. (page 59)

He ran his strong hand through his short caramel brown hair and glanced at his bare feet. Yes, they were really, really nice feet. But this was not the time to be drooling over him despite the fact that every inch of him appeared to be perfect. (page 95)

"I can't have you around a pack of crazy arses who think they're part fish. I can't risk anyone hurting you." (page 121)

"You look like men to me," she said. "We are men. Mer. Men." (page 138)

He really had drunk the mer-Kool-Aid, which scared the hell out of her.(page 147)

Roen's short, thick caramel brown hair was combed neatly back, and he was displaying a charming smile with a little dimple puckering in each cheek. Why hadn't she ever noticed them? He is so damned beautiful. Liv's heart began to free-fall. How would she ever get over him? (page 214)

VAMPIRE MERMAIDS can't even save this steaming pile of horse dung from literary purgatory.


Neither can Captain Planet.

Nor his stupid Planeteers.


Nope. Only Jeff Goldblum can accurately describe it.


And for the record, none of my friends liked this either. Check out Sarah's, Sh3lly's, Karly's, Jilly's, Dino Jess's, Heather's, Kate's, or Casey's reviews if you think I'm lying.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 1 out of 5]

"We are men of the sea, my dear. Here we live, and here we will die."

Buddy read with the Dust Off Your MacHalo group. Together we swam to waters best left unexplored.

It's rare for me to give a book one star. Most disliked books are good enough for a two-star at least. This one kind of is too, but it kept pissing me off.

We get kudos on the fun (cheesy) title, and the story is actually kind of creative. It's a little preachy in a conservative way, but that didn't bother me. What bothered me was the horrible characters, false advertising, stupid character moves, that ridiculous cliffhanger ending, and the stupid island. Because see, I HATE the Island. It is alive with its own personality and I loathe it. It controls all the people in the book and acts like the 'other woman', the one who takes men away or twists them and controls everyone's moves. Annoying. I wish I had an imaginary bomb to throw on this imaginary island.

And the men! They are all asses. There's nothing redeeming about them - you want to slap everyone you meet. From their barbaric tendencies, treating all women like inferior property, SMUGNESS, and irritating laughs, I couldn't stand them.

The same goes for the main male character, Roen. He was a heartless bastard before the island, and even if he developed weird chemistry with Liv, he's still a heartless bastard in the end. When they meet on the island, he's being selfish with water while she's suffering from dehydration for crying out loud. He tells her nothing in life is free, then gets pissy when she accuses him of wanting to trade her body for water, when that's obviously what he had been doing.

You'd think this was a cheesy romance book, and you're right to a degree (with the exception that there's no way Liv should keep hearting the asshole character Roen), but there's no bedroom action or steam. It looks to at least be silly smut but even that's not here. What book with this cover doesn't have smut?

They also claim no woman is forced on the island, but if the woman is changed because of the island making them change and the chemistry from the bonding, free will is out the window and "choice" be damned anyway, right?

That cliffhanger? Unforgivable. I can't stand abrupt cliffhangers like that, they are cheap TV show finale types that don't belong in novels. The cliffhanger came out of the blue like a hammer to the head, you didn't even know it was there until the last page and wham, headache/concussion.

The writing style wasn't horrible enough for one star by itself, but I did find an amusing mistake at the beginning:

"the violently rolling waves tossing her raft around like a wet sock in a drier."

Grrr, it's dryer!

I will give kudos that the heroine was at least 29 and not the typical romance of 18-21. And on the plus side, the beginning actually wasn't bad, it just started souring when she met the horrible men. Err, mermen. And that's another thing - these mermen don't have mermaid features. They don't have tails, fins, or anything watery.

It does amuse me the sequel is named 'Mermadmen"

[Abby ~ Bringer of Chaos · Rating 1 out of 5]

What I want to know.....

Why are there laws protecting me from false advertising on food packaging, but not book covers? Which is worse, consuming a few fat grams when eating my favorite fat free snack or not getting sexy times in a book when the cover is all naked torso?

************************************************************ WARNING ALL AUTHORS, PUBLISHERS, COVER DESIGNERS, AND ANYONE ELSE WITH SAY IN BOOK COVERS ************************************************************

When a book cover has a more nude body parts than are commonly seen at Walmart, people expect there to be sex. The gender of the body does not matter. Sex must be involved.

**************************************************************

Back to my first rant review of the year. This book is 100% false advertising. First, the title. This will come as a shock to most people, but THIS BOOK IS NOT ABOUT MERMEN!! There were no fins, scales, tails, or water athletics. Just because the island is home to a group of males that evolved separately from the rest of humanity, and the stupid Fountain of Youth/Water of Life made them super tall and super strong, does not make them Mermen. The Island wanted to be Galapagos, well a tortoise on Galapagos may be different than other tortoises found in the world, but it is still a fucking tortoise.

Second, the cover. There were no sexy times. NONE! Do not let other reviews trick you into thinking this is just a rant review. The so called sexy times were not sexy because the book killed them. Here is a list of all the "Sexy Times" in the book. WARNING, THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS! But you should thank me because now you don't have to read this trash.

1. Killing a shark and throwing it into the raft so that a person who has been lost at sea for days now has to swim to shore.
2. Refusing to give a person dying of dehydration the "Water of Life" until you get permission to claim her, because the sea brought her to you as a gift.
3. Getting pissy and only giving the person just enough water to live because you were told you couldn't just claim her.
4. Trying to drown a woman in the ocean just because she said she would not be claimed and kicked you in the jewels.
5. Being a doctor and randomly kissing a patient in the middle of your exam, just to see what would happen.
6. Making a woman crawl on her knees to kiss a man's feet, to prove that she is claimed by him.
7. Telling her to give the man a blow job in front of a crowd because you still don't believe she is claimed.
8. Fighting to the death to claim the woman, without listening her wishes at all.
9. Thinking that this whole process isn't shitty because once you claim/bite her, her body is full of hormones that make her say yes to sex. When if she knew the real outcome in the beginning, she would not agree to be claimed. Oh wait, the main character never actually agreed to be claimed.
10. Pushing a woman up against the tree to give her a mind blowing kiss, but ending it by biting her and running away.
11. Leaving a woman alone in the woods on a dangerous island saying you will return in the morning.
12. Not returning the next morning.
13. Not returning the morning after that. Instead, sending the douche that tried to drown her to retrieve her. All because you decided tonight is the night you shall have sex.
14. Having oral sex with a woman to prepare her for your supersized member, only to splurge all over her torso because she never asked for you to enter her. And then kicked her out of bed with only the warning to stay out of the water until dawn.
15. Not telling her that the reason she should stay out of the water is because actual mermaids guard the island but they can't stand daylight. And they will kill you if they find you.
16. Not telling her that the mermaids are the claimed women that were not considered worthy by the Island to conceive children and turned into monsters.
17. Letting her worry about your wellbeing for months, before you finally return to the real world. Only you thank her for being brave enough to love you, kiss her like no one else exists in the world, and then promptly tell her that she is worthless. She is nothing more than a lowly landlover, and if she should ever cross the Island again, she will die.
18. But the absolutely sexiest thing of all is making the Island a sentient being, giving her a female personality, and then having her be the reason women are kidnapped, forced into claiming, and then turned into monsters. That Island needs to fucking die.

If any of these actually sound sexy to you, then this is the book for you. If not, don't waste your time. Don't be lead astray by the false advertising.

[Heather ~*dread mushrooms*~ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Buddy read with Karly, Jess, and the MacHalo girls on January 4th, aka MY BIRTHDAY.




(image from DeviantArt)

FYI, tons of... um, delightful images pop up if you type "merman" into Google. :P

Don't let this image of the fun-loving merman fool you...

I think I can safely say this was the worst birthday BR ever! And not because of my fellow buddy-readers, who are all awesome. No, it was all because of this wretched book.

This book... it's a conundrum. What IS it? I've been trying to figure it out.

Romance? No, too much douchebaggery and scary stuff.
Horror? No, too much lust and not enough scary stuff.
Clever thriller? No, not clever enough.
Experimental character study? Nope, not enough character development.
Mindfuck? Maybe... but not in a good way.



I don't even know where to start with this. Others have already said it so much better. Just go look at the one and two star reviews of this book if you don't believe me. Also, this probably won't even make sense if you haven't read the book. Sorry about that.

Let's begin with lustful thoughts from the two MCs at ALL the most inopportune moments. Like when you're stranded on an island with no idea how to get off. Or when you're covered in shark blood. Or when evil non-mermen are about to kill you. Let me leave you with this little gem:

However, as Liv bent her head down and kissed the top of his foot, the softness of her plump lips jarred him. Jesus fucking hell, woman. If kissing his foot felt this good, he could only imagine how good her mouth would feel on the top of his—

Yep, forced groveling foot kisses are at the top of my sexy list!

Next we have flat characters, including a cold-hearted bastard millionaire/billionaire (recipient of the sexy foot kiss) who does a complete turnaround when he sees the Speshul Snowflake MC (give of the sexy foot kiss), who is "oddly enticing" and "the most stunning woman he'd ever seen." He helps the MC, yet never treats her with any respect (for her protection, obviously), and then says lines like this:

"Thank you for being the only woman ever brave enough to love me."

What the foke is that shit? Excuse me while I throw up.

But wait...

"I think," she said, "that you are possibly the most misjudged man I've ever met."
He laughed. "Really now? Why's that?"
"Because your face is the least beautiful thing about you."

HUH? WHAT? HOW DID SHE ARRIVE AT THIS CONCLUSION? All he did was try to help her when they were both stranded on an island. Which, you know, is what most decent people would do. Because survival.

It wasn't even that badly written, technically. But despite the loincloths and countless abs, there was nothing sexy or likeable about this book. Good ideas abounded, actually, but something went very, very wrong in the execution.



But wait... there's a sequel.



No! NOOOO!!!!

[Aisling Zena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't really know how to rate this stars

Contains minor spoilers

I wasn't planning on writing a review for this but I'm still kinda mad so I decided to write a few lines.

How do you rate a book when it has thoroughly pissed you off? The writing was good and the world created was interesting but it made me mad. Why? It was illogical. Yes, I know I'm reading a fantasy book about Mermen, it's in the title and all. But I do expect the plot or plot reveal to make a modicum of sense. I also expect Mermen because that's the title of the book. MERMEN! What do Mermen look like?







What did I get? None of the above. What I got was men evolved or descended from Mermen that have now lost their tails. Yeah, you read right not a mermaid/man tail in sight. That annoyed me, a lot!(The warning before the blurb wasn't there when I picked the book up ages ago, and it's probably there now because others felt like I did.)

Then there was the whole explanation of where they come from and why they are there which was doled out frustratingly slowly all the way to the end, to get a clear picture. The more information I got the madder I'd get. It was contradictory at some points and didn't make any sense at all in others. It pushed buttons I didn't even know I had.

I can't say much without major spoilers but for example the Mermen tell Liv they don't hurt women but the guy that rescued her left her until the brink of death before he gave her water, chased her down when she tried to escape, tried to drown her to "teach her a lesson" and threw her in a cage. Also supposedly it's against their "rules" to rape unless it's convenient for the mystical force to do so. That just:



Also their abject hate for "landlovers" when half their genes come from them just made me dislike them. There were some explanations but it didn't excuse the hatred or discrimination at all. They come off as hateful,petty, full of them selves and some of them kinda deranged.

And then it ends with a cliffhanger.



At least now I can say I read about shark shifters and mermen and neither thrilled me. If you want to give it a try don't let my review stop you.

[Cathryn]

I had every intention of reading this with the lovely MacHalo Ladies and Jess and Karly but then the reviews started coming (unlike anyone in this book apparently). With a title of Mermen and a cover like that there should be SMUT. But according to my friends there is none. On top of that there's some preachy message about saving the ocean. That's it. I'm out.

[Heather the Queen of (Smut)Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm DNF'ing this one fairly early on. I was excited about Mer-men. Tails? Retractable tentacles? Color me disappointed to find out that the Mermen are not actually Mermen just descendants of the glorious Mer people.

And they're all fucking assholes to boot. Not even hot assholes either. Just regular old blahhhhh doucheknuckles. No thanks.

Me and PNR are no longer on good terms. What do I have to do to get some good, realistic and logical PNR? Hmmmm.

1 star for the hottie on the cover. Get your 'Daisy Dukes' on!!

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

What will she think of next...

I've had Mermen on pre-order for awhile and as soon as I saw the cover, synopsis and name of the book, my first thought was - I trust Mimi, she pushes my trust sometimes (King), but let's not write this one off till we give it a try. So glad I did, I should never have doubted Mimi. This is an original tale about a young woman named Liv who's the sole survivor of a boat that sinks in a terrible storm . Liv has survived more than 10 days adrift with very little water and no food. When she is close to death she finds herself rescued by a very strange man on an Island in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately, this was not the perfect rescue because the man who rescues her seems a little deranged. Meantime on another part of the Island is Roen a very successful millionaire, the only survivor of a helicopter crash.

Liv and Roen meet under very bad circumstances, but a connection forms almost immediately between them. Both of them are confused by the feelings that surface and don't trust the feelings because they happen so quickly.

Surrounded by Mermans, the inhabitants of the island, Liv and Roen find themselves fighting for their lives. We learn more about the history of the island and how the Mermen came to live there. The Mermen are very old fashioned and seem to have very little respect for women.

Unfortunately this book is a trilogy and Mermen ends in a whopping big cliffy. I'm not a huge fan of cliffhangers and I will probably regret rushing in to reading it when I don't have all the books in my hot little hands. The second book is out thankfully, purchased and waiting for me on my Kindle, so no need to kill anybody...yet. No prizes for guessing what my next book will be!

Overall I enjoyed this story but I would have been happier if there was a little more intimacy between the main characters.

Can't wait for Mermadmen.

[KaleidoscopicCasey · Rating 1 out of 5]

01/06/16 Update:
It would seem the book blurb has now been updated to reflect that the "mermen" in this story are not actual mermen. I'm glad that has been clarified, but where the fuck was that warning before I started this thing.


Original Review:
BuddyRead with my favorite MacHalo Freaks and a few extra brave souls for moral support.

This really isn't even worth a review and in the interest of full disclosure, I stopped reading it at about the 40ish% mark. I rarely ever DNF a book but I knew that it was not what I was expecting based on the blurb and the cover of the book so I just cut my losses.
sorrynotsorry.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liv is shipwrecked on an island with caveman like men only to have #1 bachelor of the year, billionaire, Roen Doran come to her rescue. The only problem, mother nature AKA the earth has other plans.

Fast paced, complex plot with a Mermen twist, Mermen is a highly original take on persevering mother earth. I'm a big fan of Mimi Jean Pamfiloff's writing but this story was just a little off for me to get fully on-board.

I received this ARC copy of Mermen from Mimi Jean Pamfiloff in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication May 15, 2015.

Written by: Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
Series: Mermen Trilogy
Sequence in Series: 1
Publisher: Mimi Boutique
Publication Date: May 15, 2015
ISBN-10: 0990304876
ISBN-13: 978-0990304876
Rating: 3 Stars
Genre: Fantasy, Scifi
Find this book on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

For Reviews and More Check out: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Kira Simion · Rating 2 out of 5]

.5 of a star for the unique idea. I really like ideas that are developed so I didn't really like this one. The Mermen were interesting people on an island but, no information was really given. Yes, they had strange water that healed injuries, but nothing was really explored.

One star for the whole book. It was a nice set up but I didn't like the characters or the "object" attitude towards women. I can get on the "possessive" bus but, this wasn't very interesting. Plain and simple.

1.5 stars.

Also, the book ends on a cliffhanger. I didn't really care for this book (my opinion) so I wasn't as affected by the sort-of-ending.

[Dianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roen Doran is a self-made man, filthy rich, ruthless in his business handlings and a man who holds himself apart from all others, including his estranged father. When Daddy Dearest dies, he leaves an uncharted island to Roen, which is probably the only thing he doesn’t own until now. So who are the huge and almost feral men on HIS island, telling him to leave or die? Not enough intrigue for you? A lone survivor of a shipwreck comes ashore, a beautiful woman, more dead than alive. Are these Adonis –like men going to be her salvation or her worst nightmare come to life? Enter Roen, smaller, but equally handsome becomes her protector, but how can he get them off the island, alive?
There is something going on here, the call of the island that these men heed. They will die to protect it. Is it something in the water that is akin to “drinking the Koolaid,” or is there a hidden truth that the island holds dear?What will Roen risk to save a woman he doesn’t even know?

Mermen by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff is a dark tale of supernatural secrets, the sustaining of life and the conservation of all that is this planet. Her take on Mermen is definitely unique and requires a free fall into the tale she has woven. A fabulous idea and storyline that relies a little too much on the poor treatment and attitudes toward women, there is a great tale just waiting to fully emerge. To be a knuckle-dragging barbarian is one thing, but there were just too many biting glass shards in the mesh of this tale for me. Ms. Pamfiloff’s creative genius is in high gear, as evidenced by the original slant of this story, but for me, a true follower of Ms. Pamfiloff’s writing, the slant was going in the wrong direction.

I received an ARC edition from Mimi Jean Pamfiloff in exchange for my honest review.

Series: Mermen Trilogy - Book 1
Publication Date: May 15, 2015
Publisher: P&S, Inc
ISBN: 9780990304869
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Print Length: 163 pages
Available from: Amazon |  Barnes & Noble
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Books & Vodka Sodas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh what a tangled web Mrs. Pamfiloff weaves! And here I didn't think it could get anymore twisted than King's story and I was oh so totally wrong. I seriously went into this book like a giddy school kid. I didn't know what I was going to get and what mytho was going to tossed at me and I found that my jaw was on the floor 90% of the time. Roen I liked straight away. I have a habit of liking the broken man, and he's totally not broken in the wrong way, and he quickly does a 180 when he sets his eyes on Liv. I adore Liv! I appreciated her strength, her stubborness and her ability to love Roen unconditionally even if she believed he'd gone all wrong. This is a shorter story than the King books but it packs this crazy punch that your left thinking about it days, possibly WEEKS later. I can honestly say that I had a huge book hangover after this book and I read it in about 3-4 hours. I devoured it because just when you thought it was getting slow it slapped you across the face to wake you up!

I want to know what the author's writing process is, because she honest took a fantastic legend and really molded it to flow and eb perfectly. I wasn't confused I was dying for more and she trickled it out and you were left sucking in air and having everyone in the room look at you like you are out of your ever loving mind!

If you love mermaids, obscured legends, and something different in your reading library, dive into this one!

And since everyone has to be baby walked into books these days, yes there is cliffhanger, but yes book two is out already.

[Erin the Avid Reader ⚜BFF's with the Cheshire Cat⚜]

This is the worst sypnosis for a book I think I've ever read...and I've read book synopsis' where they literally just give the plot of a whole book away.

It says I "want to read"this/have read this book...even though that is a big fat lie. I wasn't able to leave a comment on this book without it going under my "want to read"/"read" list...so I'll leave it to that.

Some of my braver friends have already reviewed this book, so read their reviews instead of this...because I'm not touching this shite with a ten foot pole.

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars

I'm going to keep this short, I had way to high of an expectation about this book, I thought I knew what it was all gonna be about and I am so so so sad, it wasn't. Mad at myself, because clearly this book isn't for me.

[Marta Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this authors work and adored the idea of a new series featuring Mermen that are frankly not the usual fairytale type heroes! No these beautiful and dangerous Mermen are far more likely to cause nightmares. This may be the first of the trilogy but it packs a wallop and now I need more !
Liv has survived a shipwreck only to find herself adrift in a life raft and experiencing hallucinations as she slowly loses her hold on life. Well she's seen it all , her mother, sisters and now yep that's a man no , make that a gorgeous man swimming towards an island that doesn't exist . Yes Liv knows she's dying from dehydration but when the hunk swims up to her then her life takes a whole new turn!
Roen is beyond annoyed that one of his ships has disappeared and yet strangely enough it happened right where an old map he's inherited from his late father shows an uncharted island. No it doesn't appear on any other map but Roen is determined to get his property back. What he wasn't expecting was to discover an actual island with savage warriors guarding it and then of course there's Liv! She doesn't belong there and usually Roen wouldn't get involved but secrets are revealed that put a whole new spin on things!
First I have to say I love that cover! Ok that being said it's the contents that's important so without (hopefully) too many spoilers here's my take on this book. It's the first of a trilogy and does end on a cliffhanger so you have been warned . I suspect more than one Merman will find Luv attractive but it's Roen who fascinates Liv as this book progressed. She is very good at reading people and sees the depths inside the hardened businessman that he's become. Roen is used to taking charge and will fight for what he wants but in this hostile situation that he finds himself in everything he thought he knew about life is about to come crashing down
It's no secret that the plot revolves around Mermen and an island and if like me you've ever seen the TV show Lost you will quickly realise that the most bizarre things can happen on mysterious islands . So a romance? Not strictly but certainly the possibility is there and there's some steam. No happy ending I'm afraid just more questions and I did kind of miss some of the snark I usually associate with this authors work but a good start to what could well turn into a fabulous trilogy
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review

[Vero]

Boring and formulaic. And, really, what's with those seven feet tall guys???
 
Insta-love heals the seemingly heartless billionaire - stupid, mysterious island.
 
DNF after 30%.
 
It was just too silly.

[Laura]

DNF @ 80%


Review/explanation to come in a few hours.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!! CAUTION: These are not your average fairy tale, fantasy, Barbie, kids cartoon mermen! They are mean, they are vicious, and they are absolute bastards. Also it ends in a cliffhanger, typical Mimi Jean Pamfiloff fashion. Unlike some of her other book this book is strictly in the third person and I love that; and like her other books it’s weird and I love weird. I loved the premise of the book a protected island in the middle of the ocean it’s only inhabitants gorgeous men unfortunately all of them are massive a-holes. So you are thinking to yourselves… Mermen? Yes. Do they have tales? No the evolved past the point of needing them. They are also stronger, faster, can breathe underwater, and of course swim like they are part fish, which they are not they are genetic cousins to us land lovers. Think along the lines of Mermen are to Human as Tigers are to Kittens. Liv is an awesome character she is strong and not willing to give up even when it comes to Roen. Now Roen, he is a bastard but despite it all your heart goes out to him because the situation he finds himself forced into. The chemistry between the two is outstanding and at one point makes you want to strangle someone; more specifically Roen.

The book starts off with Liv in a life raft; she was on a fishing boat doing interviews for her dissertation when a freak storm comes and sinks the boat and she is the only survivor. She has been floating around for over a week she thinks she is hallucinating when she sees an island, she really thinks she’s hallucinating when she sees a very large very naked man swim out of the water on to the beach and she knows she is not hallucinating when a shark starts circling her raft. At first she thinks the man is a savior but it soon becomes obvious that is not the case.
Roen is a self made billionaire, he hates the water and the only way to conquer anything is to master it hence the shipping company. He was raised by a mother running from his psychopathic father an eco-terrorist and all around A-Hole and Roen wants nothing to do with him but fate intervenes and lands his father’s will in his lap. The will includes the coordinates to nowhere, well nothing that’s on the map. When Roen gets there his helicopter crashes and his phone won’t work. He saves Liv from a half naked man trying to drown her.

Whatever you do... don’t drink the water! Roen immediately feels a pull to Liv and a possessive need to claim her; even when he knows he normally wouldn’t do these things he doing them for Liv. That’s not the only thing he is becoming one more and more like these Mermen and maybe the only way to save Liv from them is to come one of them.

I love Mimi Jean Pamfiloff and even though this ends in a cliffhanger book two, MerMadMen, is already available!
ARC REVIEW

[Ruckasaurus Rex · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There is only one way off this island – for a woman, that is. As you’ll see soon enough.” – Mermen by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

I received an advance reader copy of Mermen through NetGalley, and I was just as pleased with the first book in this trilogy as I was with the first King trilogy book. If you are a fan of Mimi, then you know she writes fantastic paranormal romance with an (at times) insane spin. The main characters her works are typically deep and multilayered, and it is easy to find favorites. The characters in the first book of the Mermen series are no exception; in fact they seem especially volatile, and the author has crafted a unique world that keeps the reader turning page after page.

Roen Doran is an epic jerk face. In fact, if jerk faces had a worldwide club, he would probably be the club president and a member. A corporate shark and workaholic businessman, Roen attempts to reassert himself after a loss, only to set off a daisy-chain of “please, God, make me a bird” with a side of “stop the world and let me get off.” In the middle of the complete implosion of life as he knows it, Roen meets the only survivor of a shipwreck who is definitely being held against her will by the strange inhabitants of the island he inherited. He is the last person anyone would call a hero, but he keeps stepping in to help Liv before he can stop himself, and he is starting to undergo changes as well. Liv Stratton was supposed to be finishing her thesis and helping to plan her parent’s anniversary party, not trying to survive a shipwreck. As if surviving the shipwreck was not enough of a trial, now she has to escape the clutches of territorial half-naked and definitely bloodthirsty muscle men who claim to be…did they say Mermen?

This 163 page story offers insanity, paranormal beings, Hottie McHottenstein characters, and intense, sexy buildup. It gave me all the feels, including what I was certain was the beginning of a heart attack at the end. I mean, what am I supposed to do with my life until the next book?

Ruckie

Check out my full review at http://wp.me/p4CsrG-5e

[Sparkymom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow....I really have no idea what to say about what I just experienced. I read and loved this author's King's series, so I knew whatever she did next would likely have awesomely suspenseful super cliffhangers and be completely outside the realm of "normal" thinking. Honestly, when I first read about her Mermen concept I was pretty turned off. I couldn't imagine how I was going to get into a story about guys with tails. I debated even requesting the review copy I was given by Net Galley. I was just that much on the fence about it. Although I was totally right about the out of the box cliffhanger, I could never have imagined how the actual story would play out.

First of all, the mermen were sexy massively built men with no tails or scales in sight. Secondly, they are savage, brutal, and should be avoided at all cost unless you have a total death wish. While I'd love to explain this in much more detail, I enjoyed all the little shocks to my system and warps to my brain along the path of this story and refuse to deny the rest of you the pleasure of being thrown for a complete loop along with me.

I will say that Roen is drool worthy in that bad boy/good guy kind of way. He is not soft; he is not nice; he is not your typical hero. Liv is brave, resourceful, and intuitive. The two of them are not a pair you would normally put together, but somehow, through the pull of a very mysterious island, the two come together in a massive display of chemical sparks. The problem is that Roen isn't the only one who wants Liv. Some want her dead, some want her captive, and others just want her in their bed. What is so special about Liv? Maybe we will find out in book two...or maybe not.

If you enjoyed the King's series, I think you will love Mermen. Personally, my brain will probably still be trying to figure this one out when book two is released and throws me way off base again. It was everything I expect and enjoy from Mimi Jean Pamfiloff.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten Huge Stars!!!!

Wow! Simply Wow! I love picking up a novel not knowing what I’m really getting into only to find myself blown away. This is by-far not your ordinary paranormal-romance. Instead, it’s a dark, twisted and evil tale of two people who land on an unchartered island that’s been expecting them, an island inhabited by wolves in sheep’s clothing. Nothing is what it seems.

“Mermen” is simply an incredible tale skillfully woven that sucked me in from the very first page. It honestly surpassed all my expectations. First off, a huge shout-out of thanks to the author for creating two of the most intriguing and strong protagonists who for once are not broken or damaged (halleluiah!). They are who they are and they don’t apologize for it, especially Roen, as he’s one selfish, narcissistic, demeaning, uncaring, charming and sexy bastard. He makes no bones about it. What you see is what you get. He’s never going to change so don’t even bother trying. At least he’s honest and you have to respect that. Then there’s Liv, an amazingly strong, intelligent, self-respecting, stubborn and very courageous female heroine. The one thing that made her stand out from so many other heroines was her inner strength and love for others, which made me admire her even more. Together these two are incredible.

I could go on about the novel but I don’t want to spoil it for you should you decide to read it (which you should). As you can tell, I absolutely LOVED “Mermen.” I couldn’t get enough of and when I saw book two, “Mermadmen,” was available, let’s just say I was ecstatic and purchased it right away. Happy Readings! Onto book two now. Bloody hell! Book three doesn't come out until September November. Series do suck.

*Please note that this is book one of a trilogy. So yes, the story doesn’t end here. I’m so not a fan of trilogies or cliff-hangars. Be that as it may, I still loved this novel.