Brooding, suicidal rock star falls for mermaid with a deadly voice.
If Lorelei sings, someone will die.
Lorelei craves song as much as she needs the water. Both sustain her and fuel her mermaid powers.
But her mother has cursed her voice, and if Lorelei sings long enough, any mortal man within earshot will die.
Rockstar Vance Idol has been courting death for a while. He believes he killed his girlfriend. He can't shake his alcoholism, and his attempts are ruining the music career he and his band have worked years to build.
Lorelei sang. Vance nearly died. Now, Lorelei has to make amends to the human with a death wish, without falling in love with him and losing her own immortality.
I was born and raised in East Tennessee and spent a great deal of my childhood hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains and wading barefoot in creeks, chasing salamanders, fish, and frogs. We camped a lot, and we loved to tell stories while sitting around our campfire.
Those days of frog chasing sparked my interest in biology, which I pursued in college and later in graduate school. A working scientist by day, I never lost my love of sharing stories. I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember and am thrilled to be working as a writer.
I live in Nashville, Tennessee with my husband, two children, three cats, and my very active imagination.
This is a shortened version of the review I wrote for my blog Lovely Audiobooks. I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review :-)
This story has real depth, so let’s go bit by bit:
#1 The mermaid myths: D.B. Sieders more than did her homework, she’s clearly a total mermaid-fan. I even learned some new things (have you heard of a Melusine before?). And I loved how she used those old myths and fairy tales and wove them into the background stories of her characters.
#2 Addiction: As hinted at in the publisher’s summary, Vance, our hero, doesn’t only have vices but an actual problem. D.B. Sieders treats this with a lot of care and doesn’t fall into the trap of just letting love fix such a serious personal problem. I really liked how realistic she made Vance’s struggles and how she made appropriate space for this in a fantasy novel.
#3 Complex characters: Both Lorelei and Vance are great protagonists, strong yet vulnerable. Both are very likable and wouldn’t fit into any of the usual cut-outs. Vance is so broken yet so reflected and he makes a real effort, not only for Lorelei but also for himself. And I could truly empathize with Lorelei’s insecurities and struggles.
Now, on to the narration! I was surprised to see that this is the first Audible audiobook by Stefanie Kay. I did not expect that because this was a great narration. The production is absolutely professional and top-notch both in regard to her voice acting as well as the sound quality and clarity. I like Stefanie Kay’s voices, she does really well with the males ones and with the accents. Her intonations were interesting and captivating and this will definitely be a re-read for me.
Lastly, I want to say that I really digged the magical condom. And I’m looking forward to listening to the rest of the series, especially Bruce’s story!
I've read a few paranormal ones before, but I've not run across that many with mermaid heroines and it's always interesting to find a new twist in a very popular genre (and sub-genre).
Lorelei is a great heroine. She's strong but has her troubles and a history that wasn't always so rosy. It seems like she takes her powers and her position seriously, which is a good thing considering what she can do :) And while her attraction to Vance could be his salvation, it could be her downfall so it's interesting to see her try to balance everything and decide what she's willing to sacrifice.
Vance has been spiraling for a while - booze, pills, and despair. He's destroying his relationships and doesn't have enough in him to care. I think some may have an issue with Vance's addiction/depression and how that gets addressed. Personally I've been blessed to not have either really impact my life so I'm not sure how realistic any of it is here. But it worked for me so I'm going to go with it. I especially liked the fact that he actually gets real help and views it as a forever type of thing - there isn't a quick fix for him and that I do find believable. There may have been a paranormal influence as well. It's mentioned but it isn't really clear to me how much it affects him or if he would have been that way regardless.
As with any great series, the supporting characters are fantastic. Jack is the perfect down-home country boy and Bruce is flirty & fun (I can't wait for him to find someone to fall for). I'm also hoping that we either get a spin-off with Vance's band mates or they find an elemental to love, especially Josh. I think that he needs someone good in his life. Sieders has a ton of material that she can work with and while we know Lorelei's sister is next, there is a lot to choose from after that.
For paranormal romance readers who are looking for something a little different, Lorelei's Lyric could be your first step into a whole new world. Unusual characters, an intriguing plot,
(Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review)
This was a very good book, and really different than anything I've read lately. I've never read this type of PNR that involved elemental (air, earth, water) lore. The concept of it was very cool and extremely well-written. The characters and originality of the story are great, it had some great humor, so it deserves 5 stars from me!
You have 2 sisters named Hilde and Lorelei (water elemental's) going on a vacation of sorts through rivers in the United States, and since they are Nixies who love to sing, they're stopping at all the hot spots that are best-known for their music. When they stop in Nashville and see a show by a rock band, Lorelei's done for, haha. Not only does she think the lead singer Vance – I love his name btw – is H-O-T, but his voice captivates her. She'd love nothing more than to sing along with he and his band, but that's the catch with Nixies. If they sing long enough around any mortals, they'd fall under their spell and suffer the consequences.
Vance sure has troubles and baggage of his own. He's had a pretty heavy past, and is fighting some serious demons, warring with himself on whether to continue down a dark road of alcohol, drugs, and to possibly end his life. He doesn't seem to have a grip on reality anymore due to a life-changing event that occurred almost a year ago. But all that's about to change when he meets Lorelei. How they are acquainted, I won't spoil that surprise, but let's just say that they sort of heal each other as the rest of the book goes on.
This is the first book I've read by this author and I loved it. It is such an original and well written story that will have you falling in love with the characters and the mythology that surrounds them. I can't wait to read more in this series.
This was a very interesting book! The characters were so unique and likable. I loved that this was a new take on mermaids and incorporated such intense feelings in both the supernatural and human.
Being from the South, I really enjoy stories with local color and this one was lots of fun. When one of the guiding characters manifests as a huge catfish, even transporting the hero, Vance, in his belly, then you know it's an inventive story. Lorelei is a mermaid, who is in line to become ruler of the Rhine Land. She and her sister are cruising through the states, visiting friends and having a last trip together before duties take Lorelei away. Instead, she is drawn to the music from Vance, who is somewhat immune to her songs, and their struggles to live and love together comprise the book. There is a strong story line of how Vance has to overcome his guilt and addictions, but it is an excellent story and clear eyed on the struggles within him as well as his interactions. I highly recommend this one.
About a 6 on the steamy scale, I liked how it had an old world flavor, with a touch of a folk legend, plus all the super sexy scenes, the only things I didn’t care for (and this is personal preference here) was how the lead male was kinda a wuss, I like my men strong and powerful, not getting overpowered by sexy females, but that’s just me, all in all a very good story!
I already have an unusual obsession with Wagner's Ring, so I was thrilled to find out these arent just mermaids, they are Rhinemaidens. yes I even squealed out loud. Just add in a sexy broody dark haired rocker and Im all in! The central romance was good, it had all the elements: cute, sexy, emotional; but the secondary characters really hooked me. Im looking forward to Crosscurrents and cannot wait for Bruce to star in his own love story!
Love the story. Enchanting book with realistic situations and identifiable characters. A must read. The knowledge about mermaids and the folklore is amazing.
This is a paranormal romance. The first book in the Southern Elemental Guardians Series, but could be read as a stand alone. I recommend this for adults only due to the sexual content. I started this book and immediately was disappointed, the book started off whimsical but very childish. But I wanted to give the book a chance and it did get better. Still there are parts that are hard to decipher, but nothing that kept me from enjoying parts of the book. I really feel that with good editing it would be a great series. Lorelei has been exposed to tragedy and as to learn to forgive herself. Vance has to learn to deal with his feelings without turning to alcohol. Together they learn to forgive, heal, and possibly love.
Lorelei is a mermaid with a beautiful but deadly song. She has learned the hard way not to sing anywhere anyone can hear her, now.... not even in what she thinks is a secluded area. Vance happens upon a mesmerizing voice and wants to hear more. Not realizing this could be the cause of his demise, not that he would care. His rocker life has left him with demons he no longer has the will to fight. Lorelei is determined to save Vance and realizes he is in dire need of her full attention. Regardless of the outcome she will take her chances and heal this man. Nothing else matters, not even her eternal life.
Favorite passages: "It was almost as if the city was the Siren and she'd fallen under its spell." "But no, he'd stuck around long enough to let his old mistress start whispering her pretty lies, tempting him to sneak off to the bathroom and take a swig." "He couldn't have conjured a woman more suited to his current mood if he tried." "His powerful voice reached out through the microphone and wrapped her body in a commanding grip she felt all the way to her toes." "For a few verses or an entire song, he'd give each lucky lady his looks, his swagger, and his passion, making each one feel as though he sang just for her." "Her reaction brushed over his body like a hot caress, a soothing balm for his wounded heart." "Something about the way he said her name left her as breathless as the soft notes he'd been making." "Maybe find a twelve-step program for recovering a**holes." "The steel guitar chords thundered almost as loud as his heart." "My love runs deeper than the ocean, yet so does my rage borne of your disobedience." "Whatever life I've got left, I'll give it to her."
The description of Lorelei's Lyric had me curious enough to take a gander and see what DB Seiders had to offer me as a writer.
It took me a few chapters to get into the enchanting story of Lorelei the Mermaid and Vance/Vincent the emotionally spiralling Musician. But once their character development began, I was pleasantly surprised.
Loreli is a young Mermaid of about half a millenium who is adventuring through the Southern States towards Detroit, Michigan, when they take a brief break in Nashville, Tennessee.
We learn that Vance recently suffered the loss of his former-homeless recovering-addict ex-girlfriend, Maggie, due to an overdose one fatal night. Vance is fighting his own demons - and we see the struggle throughout this novel.
Lorelei is living through her own haunting past, having previously killed one of her human loves with her song. She wants to help Vincent without getting too close to harm him or have him find out who she really is.
Together through their own pains, they find each other after the duo sing their own sad songs, leading them into the unknown and scary thing we humans call love.
There was a lot of information in this book about Mermaids, Pixies, and other fantasy-type entities that I found fascinating and have not previously researched or been aware of.
There's of course the evil doers who try to invade Lorelei's love story - do they succeed in overpowering Loreli and leaving Vincent afloat on his own?
It was relieving that there wasn't TOO much hot and heavy romantic scenes in the book - I found the storyline itself interesting in itself.
On a technical side, I didn't see any grammatical or editorial errors that stood out, and the reading itself was smooth and flawless.
At the end I was excited to see that this is part of a series - The Southern Elemental Guardians - looks like Lorelei's sister, Ilsa, is also going to land herself a human scientist named Paul. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes opened for "Crosscurrents"!
With two sister, a mother, and an aunt..I hope DB continues allowing us to peer into the fantasy lives of this mermaid family!
I'm also looking forward, as well, to reading Red Shoes for Lab Blues, another one of DB Seiders works. Science, Fantasy, a little bit of romance? Where has DB been all my life?
I received this book free in exchange for my honest review, but I will certainly be back for more!
I'm always drawn to the paranormal, it doesn't matter what form the main characters have, I do love my books with a twist of fantasy throughout, but I'm always eager for those books that stray from the traditional and offer me up something a little different and this is what Lorelei's Lyric did for me. I know there are many many Mermaid tales out there, but the truth is I haven't really ventured in that direction, so this was like a breath of fresh air for me, something different from my usual beloved vampires and witches.
I'll be honest and admit that I struggled with the first few chapters, I'm not sure if it was because I only read one chapter in a sitting, or if I only read one chapter in a sitting because I couldn't get into the book. But I knew I could love this book, so I set aside some time and I read more than one chapter and I couldn't put the book down again until it was done.
Sieders has found the perfect pace for her tale, the story unfolds in all the right places to keep you hooked, and offers up a couple of moments that will have you second guessing what is about to happen. This is my first time reading a book written by Sieders, but I will definitely be looking out for her other work and I cant wait to read the next instalment in this series.
WOW! I loved everything about this book from the cover to the story! The cover to me depicts the innocence that most see when they think of mermaids. However, there is just so much more below the surface to them. Lorelei is such an amazing heroine for this tale. I loved her strength and her determination. Being a mermaid she has a voice that when she sings, she can kill those who hear it. Vance the oh so sexy mortal rocker singer hears her sing, and almost dies himself. Lorelei, decides against her better judgement to save him. There is just so much I want to say about this story, but I don't want to give anything away. Everyone needs to experience Lorelei's Lyric for themselves. Ms. Sieders words flow so fluently, it was incredibly hard to put this read down, even being sick I didn't want to stop. I had not read her previously, and I am thrilled to know that this is just the first installment of her Southern Elemental Guardians series. For this genre it is my first 5 star of the year. I will check out any other titles from this author as well. I was gifted a copy of this book for the sole purpose of my honest review. 5/5Cross posting to My Reading Reality.
I love mermaid stories! This one didn't disappoint. I was drawn to this book from the get go because my daughter is named Lorelei, after the siren of German myth. Although, German spelling is Loreley, but Americans would most likely mispronounce that version more. Anyway, we follow Lorelei and her sister on a "vacation" to the USA. She accidentally "Calls" a mortal man almost to his death. She feels obligated to nurse him back to health. In the process she starts falling for him, which goes against her curse given from her mother. In this we see characters battling addiction and withdrawal, and what recovery road can look like. I was taken with some of the colorful characters like Catfish Jack and Bruce. I am a fisher, and we catch catfish so it was fun imagining Jack the giant river catfish. As for Bruce, I'd like to see more of him from a romantic standpoint. The story captivated me. I was worried on how it would end, but turned out to be a satisfying ending in my standards. D.B. Sieders has me hooked. Can't wait to read Crosscurrents! If you love mermaids, you'll love this.
A good read for people who are in to the series recommend highly can't wait for the next one of the series a really enjoyable read but quick shaping up to be a enjoyable series must read the next one of the series
Just lovely. This is a story about personal demons and the cleansing power of music.
I've been watching emerging author D.B. Sieders. Her first book Red Shoes for Lab Blues had me smiling and nodding (before becoming an author, I was a scientist like her heroine). She nails the details and the way an analytical person approaches life and love.
In Lorelei's Lyric, she does it again, but this time shows her ability to write characters who are musical artists! Lorelei is a mermaid, and Vance is a rock musician tortured by memories of a personal failure and a dependence on alcohol.
D.B. weaves together themes of healing, patience, and family for a sweet and timeless fantasy romance tale set in the South. Definitely pick this one up. You won't be sorry!
Ah, the perfect fantasy romance. Two singers with troubled pasts meet. Was it chance or fate that brought them together? Can they overcome their individual obstacles? Better yet, can they conquer the forces actively trying to keep them apart?
I was drawn to this book by the mermaid aspect. The storyline moved along smoothly enough, although a little more explanation of the author's imagining of supernatural beings and their power structure would have been helpful. All in all, I liked this story a lot. It didn't get stale at any point and was perfect light reading for my 4 hour flight.
I was provided access to this book in exchange for my honest review. It's also available via Kindle Unlimited as of the date of this review.
I typically read contemporary, but the gorgeous cover drew me to this story. Then when I saw it was about a mermaid who loves more than anything to sing but kills men with her song, I could not resist!
From page one I was transported into Lorelei’s world of fantastical creatures and elemental guardians mixed with the very real world of a rock musician dealing with substance abuse. Heavy but whimsical, passion-filled and humorous, LORELEI’S LYRIC is a precious, romantic story that left me with a satisfied smile.
Lorelei's Lyric is a unique and wonderful blend of paranormal and contemporary, of mermaids and rock musicians, all set in the vibrant city of Nashville. Kudos to Sieders for tackling a storyline that deals with the harsh reality of loss and addiction, and also of courage and redemption. I was pulled in by Lorelei and Vance, the southern humor, and a memorable cast of characters. But the battles, both internal and external, kept me hooked. I highly recommend and can't wait for book 2 in the series!
Nixies in Dixie is brilliantly clever with its unique blend of Southern humor and poignant mermaid mythology. Modern-day siren, Lorelei, traveling to The Music City of Nashville? One helluva great premise that hooked me at page one! I fell in love with this shape shifting siren and her romance with aspiring guitarist Vance Idol. One of those rare books that will have you laughing and sighing and crying, touching your heart just as great music touches your soul. A must read!
Despite the fact that I needed a dictionary, because I'm Dutch, I couldn't stop reading. This story about an elemental creature and a mortal is very enthralling and it takes you to and fro from another world to the modern city of Nashville. I don't want to let out more of the contents since it is better to read the book yourself, but it contains danger, addiction, love and sex. I like the way it is written and I'm looking forward to book 2.
I loved it! Combining a mythic river mermaid with a dangerous voice and an addictive-A-type rock musician in , set in and near the river flowing through Music City (Nashville) - what a creative idea! I found myself lost in the world created inside this fantasy novel, because it was just real enough. Plus, I already believe in the power of song. Thank you and I can't wait for Sieders' next elemental novel.
This was generously offered to me in a wonderful romance audiobook group I am in, and since I am a huge PNR lover, and have a thing for Rock-stars, mermaids and magic, I was all over it!! Lorelei and Vincent!! What a great pair!! I loved everything about this book, the story was fresh, the characters were cool..there was humor and mystery...and I cant wait to see book 2 on audible!! Thumbs up and I recommend!! :)