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Mates for Monsters #1
The Merman's Kiss
Even Monsters Need a Mate
After the death of her child, Brianna seeks to end her life within the ocean’s final embrace. Instead, she falls into the arms of a sexy, sleek-tailed monster. He’s wild, seductive, and sets her blood on fire every time he touches her, and soon she begins to need him for more than his magic to breathe underwater. He might just give her a new reason to live.
Zantu has evaded the mate-bond for thirty-five years, dodging promiscuous mermaids with vile intents. Unlike mermaids, mermen bond for life, and Zantu refuses to accept the heartbreak most mermen die of. That is, until the glint of gold catches his eye, and a simple salvage mission turns to passion. Now he’s bonded to a human, and begins to wonder if bonding to the right mate might not be so bad. The problem? A finless female won’t live long among the dangers of the sea.
Now Zantu must choose between keeping her at his side, and keeping her safe. Either way, he’s sure he’ll end up with a broken heart.
Content Warning: Explicit love scenes, dangerous mermaids, and sexy merman secrets. Guaranteed HEA with no cliffhangers. Intended for mature audiences.
After the death of her child, Brianna seeks to end her life within the ocean’s final embrace. Instead, she falls into the arms of a sexy, sleek-tailed monster. He’s wild, seductive, and sets her blood on fire every time he touches her, and soon she begins to need him for more than his magic to breathe underwater. He might just give her a new reason to live.
Zantu has evaded the mate-bond for thirty-five years, dodging promiscuous mermaids with vile intents. Unlike mermaids, mermen bond for life, and Zantu refuses to accept the heartbreak most mermen die of. That is, until the glint of gold catches his eye, and a simple salvage mission turns to passion. Now he’s bonded to a human, and begins to wonder if bonding to the right mate might not be so bad. The problem? A finless female won’t live long among the dangers of the sea.
Now Zantu must choose between keeping her at his side, and keeping her safe. Either way, he’s sure he’ll end up with a broken heart.
Content Warning: Explicit love scenes, dangerous mermaids, and sexy merman secrets. Guaranteed HEA with no cliffhangers. Intended for mature audiences.
156 pages, Paperback
First published February 5, 2017
2358 people are currently reading
2866 people want to read
About the author
Tamsin Ley
56 books347 followers
Steamy Sci-Fi with a Pinch of Pixie Dust
USA Today Best-selling author Tamsin Ley builds worlds full of sexy heroes who don’t know they need a mate - that is, until they meet the woman they can’t resist. Sign up for her newsletter to learn more, plus receive exclusive, subscriber-only content!
https://www.tamsinley.com/newsletter
USA Today Best-selling author Tamsin Ley builds worlds full of sexy heroes who don’t know they need a mate - that is, until they meet the woman they can’t resist. Sign up for her newsletter to learn more, plus receive exclusive, subscriber-only content!
https://www.tamsinley.com/newsletter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 575 reviews
August 28, 2017
So when I picked this up, I was thinking I was going to get a smutty read with hot merman sex.
Good palate cleanser right??? Wrong...
What I got just made me angry and depressed.
This book deals with some tough issues for some Well, I say "deals with" very loosely because it doesn't exactly deal with these issues...it sort of glosses over it but it just leaves you depressed. Personally, the heavy topics took away from any hot sex there was.
You have these evil promiscuous mermaids who basically trap the mermen into bonding with them. Mermen bond for life...mermaids do not. Then any children born are dropped off with the mermen, who are sinking into depression because of the unrequited bond. One of the mermaids drops off
Then, and this is for all you safety gang people who should really avoid this book, the H is greatly wanted by one mermaid in particular. She rubs on him in front of the heroine. Later on one of the mermaids shoots him with a "love poison" which paralyzes him. She proceeds to rub on him and get him hard and almost impales herself on him. Now, he is totally helpless and can't control it...see that's a gift of the mermaid, their seducing song. Even though he's bonded with the heroine, he still responds. I felt bad for him but I really could have done without ALL that. Totally ruined it for me. Annnddd...I'm done.
Good palate cleanser right??? Wrong...
What I got just made me angry and depressed.
This book deals with some tough issues for some Well, I say "deals with" very loosely because it doesn't exactly deal with these issues...it sort of glosses over it but it just leaves you depressed. Personally, the heavy topics took away from any hot sex there was.
You have these evil promiscuous mermaids who basically trap the mermen into bonding with them. Mermen bond for life...mermaids do not. Then any children born are dropped off with the mermen, who are sinking into depression because of the unrequited bond. One of the mermaids drops off
Then, and this is for all you safety gang people who should really avoid this book, the H is greatly wanted by one mermaid in particular. She rubs on him in front of the heroine. Later on one of the mermaids shoots him with a "love poison" which paralyzes him. She proceeds to rub on him and get him hard and almost impales herself on him. Now, he is totally helpless and can't control it...see that's a gift of the mermaid, their seducing song. Even though he's bonded with the heroine, he still responds. I felt bad for him but I really could have done without ALL that. Totally ruined it for me. Annnddd...I'm done.
March 10, 2017
Let's be real for a minute here. I've read more monster-porn than I care to admit. Usually I'm quite masochistic about it. I still shudder every time I think of the T-Rex or Bigfoot erotica that I've read.
This
book isn't quite at that level, but I felt the need to bring it up because it does say the series title is Mates for Monsters. I kind of expected something along those lines.
I'm glad that's not what I got. Truthfully, my main goal in requesting this was because I developed this burning desire to know how mermaids (and mermen) have sex. I did get that answer, by the way, which I'll get into later. I started not expecting much, and in some ways The Merman's Kiss exceeded my expectations. Unfortunately, it didn't exceed them quite as much as I could have hoped.
The Merman's Kiss did some things incredibly well. The oceanic atmosphere was tangible. I really enjoyed the differences between the mer-people culture and our own. The initial trauma that Brianna was suffering was believable, and reminiscent of the reactions and experiences of more than a few people I've known in similar situations (Trigger warning: Brianna miscarries and suffers from infertility prior to the book's beginning).
There were quite a few more things that didn't work so well for me. I think it'll be easier on me, and you, if I just bullet them out:
**Brianna opens chapter 1 by trying to drown herself in the ocean. Within seconds (let's be honest about how long it's likely she can hold her breath), she is gulping air, and then kissing a merman....and that moves straight to sex. AFTER trying to KILL HERSELF BECAUSE SHE'S SO DISTRAUGHT OVER HER MISCARRIAGE. Strike one. I don't buy it. I don't care what the exigent circumstances are.
**Mermen (and -maids) don't have scales on their lower extremity. Zantu thinks (at Brianna - because of course they have a telepathic mate-bond) that "[s]cales are for fish." Um. You have a DORSAL FIN, dude. You have a tail-fin. You're not a fish?? Or at least fish-like? Okay, then.
**Mermaids are bitches. Seriously, they want to have sex with and seduce every male they see (against their will even). *sigh* I was really excited about the prospect of reading a society where women were promiscuous and men were the family-orientated party in the dynamic. What I really wanted was it done well though. Why do women being promiscuous have to be VILLAINS? Why must they be EVIL? Why can't they just be ? The more interactions we had with these slutty (and that's how they're looked up, not my opinion), evil women, the more infuriated I got. Strike two.
**Brianna's issues revolved around her fertility. The mermen were the children's caretakers. You had to know that a baby was going to come into this. I hate this. Not that she had a baby, because I wish everyone who has fertility problems, and wants children, would be able to without struggle. I hate it because it's all problem solved about it. No more worries about the baby she lost, because, hey, she's got a new life inside her. Ugh. Strike three.*
Those are my big issues with it, and I think it's more than enough.
Oh! And if you, too, are wondering how mermaids and mermen have sex, well, I'll tell you - at least how The Merman's Kiss describes it. Mermen have a codpiece like covering, or pouch, that hides their genitals. When they get aroused, it opens and they can have sex with their very human-like penis and testicles. Mermaids, by the same token, have a skin covering of some sort that covers their vaginal "slit." Practical, actually, but not quite the inventive explanation I was hoping for. It was the subject of a couple of thoughts how Brianna could actually wrap her legs around Zantu....or how he could enter her from behind. Oh lord.
I did really enjoy the fact that the female mermaids apparently color-coordinated - purple hair, fins, and nipples. :D
Overall? The Merman's Kiss wasn't awful, it just didn't give me anything really new, interesting, or life-changing. The sex was fairly bland, surprisingly, and the story was expected.
*Disclaimer: I'm fairly sensitive to this because my wife went through YEARS of infertility and miscarriages, and I know exactly how much this (years and years later) still affects her.
I'm glad that's not what I got. Truthfully, my main goal in requesting this was because I developed this burning desire to know how mermaids (and mermen) have sex. I did get that answer, by the way, which I'll get into later. I started not expecting much, and in some ways The Merman's Kiss exceeded my expectations. Unfortunately, it didn't exceed them quite as much as I could have hoped.
The Merman's Kiss did some things incredibly well. The oceanic atmosphere was tangible. I really enjoyed the differences between the mer-people culture and our own. The initial trauma that Brianna was suffering was believable, and reminiscent of the reactions and experiences of more than a few people I've known in similar situations (Trigger warning: Brianna miscarries and suffers from infertility prior to the book's beginning).
There were quite a few more things that didn't work so well for me. I think it'll be easier on me, and you, if I just bullet them out:
**Brianna opens chapter 1 by trying to drown herself in the ocean. Within seconds (let's be honest about how long it's likely she can hold her breath), she is gulping air, and then kissing a merman....and that moves straight to sex. AFTER trying to KILL HERSELF BECAUSE SHE'S SO DISTRAUGHT OVER HER MISCARRIAGE. Strike one. I don't buy it. I don't care what the exigent circumstances are.
**Mermen (and -maids) don't have scales on their lower extremity. Zantu thinks (at Brianna - because of course they have a telepathic mate-bond) that "[s]cales are for fish." Um. You have a DORSAL FIN, dude. You have a tail-fin. You're not a fish?? Or at least fish-like? Okay, then.
**Mermaids are bitches. Seriously, they want to have sex with and seduce every male they see (against their will even). *sigh* I was really excited about the prospect of reading a society where women were promiscuous and men were the family-orientated party in the dynamic. What I really wanted was it done well though. Why do women being promiscuous have to be VILLAINS? Why must they be EVIL? Why can't they just be ? The more interactions we had with these slutty (and that's how they're looked up, not my opinion), evil women, the more infuriated I got. Strike two.
**Brianna's issues revolved around her fertility. The mermen were the children's caretakers. You had to know that a baby was going to come into this. I hate this. Not that she had a baby, because I wish everyone who has fertility problems, and wants children, would be able to without struggle. I hate it because it's all problem solved about it. No more worries about the baby she lost, because, hey, she's got a new life inside her. Ugh. Strike three.*
Those are my big issues with it, and I think it's more than enough.
Oh! And if you, too, are wondering how mermaids and mermen have sex, well, I'll tell you - at least how The Merman's Kiss describes it. Mermen have a codpiece like covering, or pouch, that hides their genitals. When they get aroused, it opens and they can have sex with their very human-like penis and testicles. Mermaids, by the same token, have a skin covering of some sort that covers their vaginal "slit." Practical, actually, but not quite the inventive explanation I was hoping for. It was the subject of a couple of thoughts how Brianna could actually wrap her legs around Zantu....or how he could enter her from behind. Oh lord.
I did really enjoy the fact that the female mermaids apparently color-coordinated - purple hair, fins, and nipples. :D
Overall? The Merman's Kiss wasn't awful, it just didn't give me anything really new, interesting, or life-changing. The sex was fairly bland, surprisingly, and the story was expected.
*Disclaimer: I'm fairly sensitive to this because my wife went through YEARS of infertility and miscarriages, and I know exactly how much this (years and years later) still affects her.
August 10, 2022
This book lost me at “spiked hair” under water.
(HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?!)🌊
I don’t even know where to begin.😅
Life was so much simpler when the only mermaid I cared about was Ariel 🫣
The editorial mistakes were so big, even this non native English speaker got annoyed by it.
Anyone else gets the “this is gonna be a nice little smutty read”- feeling, when looking at the cover?
Wrong.
I admire an author doing her/his thing, but damn.. nothing spoke to me at all, and the amount of cringe was exceptionally high.
I laughed a lot doing the book. (Not in an evil way I might add, I am polite😂), but it was just so ridiculous to me.
The merman compared his dick to an eel😂 AN EEL.
Don’t believe me? ⤵️
“His cock entered her core as easily as an eel returning to its den.” 😳😳😳😳😳
I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.😳 #eeldick
The story mentioned quite a bit major subjects - like stillborn babies/suicide and unhappy marriages, but it invoked absolutely zero angst.
And then you are gonna say : But Josie, it’s smut”.
Well yes, my good friend, it is.
It’s just not the kind of smut I like.
And I don’t mind the mermaids being evil. It actually gave a little spark to the story. But if a merman is mated, I would have expected more resilience, because why mate then if he gets lost to the evil mermaids anyway?
Not to mentioned whenever the merman spoke to the whales (yes, whales🤷🏻♀️), my mind kept picturing Dory in Finding Nemo🐳😂
Read: 02/02/2021
1st rating: 1 stars
Genre/tropes: Paranormal/mermaids/mermen/insta love
Cover: 1.5 stars
POV’s: Dual -3rd person (Brianna & Zanzo)
Will I recommend: NoooOOOOooooo (that was Dory’s whale voice in case you are wondering.)
To the author: You didn’t win me over, but do your thing👏
(HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?!)🌊
I don’t even know where to begin.😅
Life was so much simpler when the only mermaid I cared about was Ariel 🫣
The editorial mistakes were so big, even this non native English speaker got annoyed by it.
Anyone else gets the “this is gonna be a nice little smutty read”- feeling, when looking at the cover?
Wrong.
I admire an author doing her/his thing, but damn.. nothing spoke to me at all, and the amount of cringe was exceptionally high.
I laughed a lot doing the book. (Not in an evil way I might add, I am polite😂), but it was just so ridiculous to me.
The merman compared his dick to an eel😂 AN EEL.
Don’t believe me? ⤵️
“His cock entered her core as easily as an eel returning to its den.” 😳😳😳😳😳
I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.😳 #eeldick
The story mentioned quite a bit major subjects - like stillborn babies/suicide and unhappy marriages, but it invoked absolutely zero angst.
And then you are gonna say : But Josie, it’s smut”.
Well yes, my good friend, it is.
It’s just not the kind of smut I like.
And I don’t mind the mermaids being evil. It actually gave a little spark to the story. But if a merman is mated, I would have expected more resilience, because why mate then if he gets lost to the evil mermaids anyway?
Not to mentioned whenever the merman spoke to the whales (yes, whales🤷🏻♀️), my mind kept picturing Dory in Finding Nemo🐳😂
Read: 02/02/2021
1st rating: 1 stars
Genre/tropes: Paranormal/mermaids/mermen/insta love
Cover: 1.5 stars
POV’s: Dual -3rd person (Brianna & Zanzo)
Will I recommend: NoooOOOOooooo (that was Dory’s whale voice in case you are wondering.)
To the author: You didn’t win me over, but do your thing👏
March 10, 2017
2.5 stars, rounded down because I don't like the way most women in the book were portrayed
When Brianna tries to end her life by stepping off the end of the pier she immediately regrets her choice, unfortunately she tied weights around her waist and now she can't get free to rise to the surface. When she's rescued by a mysterious Merman she's not sure if she's hallucinating because she's drowning or whether she's already dead but it turns out he's claimed her as his mate and now he wants her to stay in his underwater world with him.
I'm really torn about how to rate this book, if I'm comparing it to monster porn it looks pretty good (probably because I'm comparing it to the likes of Passion of the T-Rex or Cum for Bigfoot which were both truly horrendous!) but it reads more like a traditional paranormal romance and in that category it doesn't hold up anywhere near as well. It's not a bad book by any stretch of the imagination and it's been decently edited which is a bonus but there are themes I found problematic and there were some definite eye rolling moments, particularly at the beginning.
My first issue was a couple of pages in when we see Brianna try to kill herself. She immediately changes her mind and tries to remove the weights she tied to her waist to make sure she sank to the bottom of the ocean. Of course she doesn't manage to remove the weights but she does manage to strip off all her clothes "accidentally" in the process. Which actually comes in pretty handy for her when she's nearly dead and a stranger grabs her from behind. She's literally about to pass out from lack of oxygen when merman Zantu appears, he kisses her to somehow magically give her the ability to breathe underwater and in that very moment all she can think about is how horny she is so she ends up jumping him. Yes, you heard that right, she's seconds from death and her first thought is "yay lets have sex with this hot merman". Talk about insta-lust. Especially since having sex triggers Zantu's mating bond!
My biggest problem was probably to do with the way all of the mermaids were portrayed though. Literally every single mermaid was an evil slut who would sleep around with anyone, they took great pleasure in trying to make the mermen bond with them but then enjoyed being unfaithful even more. The mermen were the ones who stayed home and looked after the kids (most of which probably weren't even their own!) and since they could only bond with one woman they literally end up dying of broken hearts from watching their mates sleep around with other men. I get trying to switch up gender roles but why do women constantly have to put other women down? Why do all the mermaids have to be evil? Why are all the mermen nice? I just don't see the need for that and it actually makes me angry.
Once we get past the first couple of chapters I actually enjoyed the story more, I liked both Brianna and Zantu and I enjoyed meeting his brother Rubac and little Ebby. I think if the book had focused more on developing the characters and letting them spend time getting to know each other rather than rushing their first sexual encounter I'd have enjoyed it much more. I liked the description of Zantu's underwater world, the home he had made and his way of life was well described and easy to picture. The playful fish and other sea creatures added a nice element too. A few little random things threw me out of the story on occasion though like the way Brianna kept describing how things smelt. I'm sorry but even if you've developed the ability to breathe water you're not going to be able to smell things at the bottom of the ocean!
The ending also felt a little rushed, I wanted to see more of how things worked out for Brianna and Zantu (perhaps an epilogue would have helped there) and I was really upset that we didn't find out what happened with Rubac and Ebby. I've since discovered that you can get a free short story called The Merman's Quest by signing up for the author's newsletter and from the brief description on her website it sounds like this might be Rubac's story so hopefully my questions will be answered here. So I didn't love this book as much as I could have but its the author's debut novel and it had potential. I'm definitely going to be reading the short story in the hope of getting answers and I would consider trying the next full length book in the series to see if the author's writing has improved.
Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
___________________
Thoughts before reading
This is all Ange's fault, it was our discussion on how mermaid sex could possibly work that made me request it! If it's terrible I'm blaming you Ange (of course if it's awesome them I'll have to take the credit LOL)
When Brianna tries to end her life by stepping off the end of the pier she immediately regrets her choice, unfortunately she tied weights around her waist and now she can't get free to rise to the surface. When she's rescued by a mysterious Merman she's not sure if she's hallucinating because she's drowning or whether she's already dead but it turns out he's claimed her as his mate and now he wants her to stay in his underwater world with him.
I'm really torn about how to rate this book, if I'm comparing it to monster porn it looks pretty good (probably because I'm comparing it to the likes of Passion of the T-Rex or Cum for Bigfoot which were both truly horrendous!) but it reads more like a traditional paranormal romance and in that category it doesn't hold up anywhere near as well. It's not a bad book by any stretch of the imagination and it's been decently edited which is a bonus but there are themes I found problematic and there were some definite eye rolling moments, particularly at the beginning.
My first issue was a couple of pages in when we see Brianna try to kill herself. She immediately changes her mind and tries to remove the weights she tied to her waist to make sure she sank to the bottom of the ocean. Of course she doesn't manage to remove the weights but she does manage to strip off all her clothes "accidentally" in the process. Which actually comes in pretty handy for her when she's nearly dead and a stranger grabs her from behind. She's literally about to pass out from lack of oxygen when merman Zantu appears, he kisses her to somehow magically give her the ability to breathe underwater and in that very moment all she can think about is how horny she is so she ends up jumping him. Yes, you heard that right, she's seconds from death and her first thought is "yay lets have sex with this hot merman". Talk about insta-lust. Especially since having sex triggers Zantu's mating bond!
My biggest problem was probably to do with the way all of the mermaids were portrayed though. Literally every single mermaid was an evil slut who would sleep around with anyone, they took great pleasure in trying to make the mermen bond with them but then enjoyed being unfaithful even more. The mermen were the ones who stayed home and looked after the kids (most of which probably weren't even their own!) and since they could only bond with one woman they literally end up dying of broken hearts from watching their mates sleep around with other men. I get trying to switch up gender roles but why do women constantly have to put other women down? Why do all the mermaids have to be evil? Why are all the mermen nice? I just don't see the need for that and it actually makes me angry.
Once we get past the first couple of chapters I actually enjoyed the story more, I liked both Brianna and Zantu and I enjoyed meeting his brother Rubac and little Ebby. I think if the book had focused more on developing the characters and letting them spend time getting to know each other rather than rushing their first sexual encounter I'd have enjoyed it much more. I liked the description of Zantu's underwater world, the home he had made and his way of life was well described and easy to picture. The playful fish and other sea creatures added a nice element too. A few little random things threw me out of the story on occasion though like the way Brianna kept describing how things smelt. I'm sorry but even if you've developed the ability to breathe water you're not going to be able to smell things at the bottom of the ocean!
The ending also felt a little rushed, I wanted to see more of how things worked out for Brianna and Zantu (perhaps an epilogue would have helped there) and I was really upset that we didn't find out what happened with Rubac and Ebby. I've since discovered that you can get a free short story called The Merman's Quest by signing up for the author's newsletter and from the brief description on her website it sounds like this might be Rubac's story so hopefully my questions will be answered here. So I didn't love this book as much as I could have but its the author's debut novel and it had potential. I'm definitely going to be reading the short story in the hope of getting answers and I would consider trying the next full length book in the series to see if the author's writing has improved.
Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
___________________
Thoughts before reading
This is all Ange's fault, it was our discussion on how mermaid sex could possibly work that made me request it! If it's terrible I'm blaming you Ange (of course if it's awesome them I'll have to take the credit LOL)
February 13, 2023
2.5 stars. Enjoyable enough to finish the short audiobook but I felt it touched on a lot of topics that wasn't explored enough, stillborns, bad marriage, suicide, anxiety and some more. I enjoyed somewhat that the merman wasn't the dominant sex and the mermaids ruled the sea or something like that. But I didn't like the portrait of them being evil, sexual dangerous creatures that basically can mate to who many they want and when the children are born they leave the children to the merman. Who themself only mate to one person and than raise the kids in great pain.
It had potential but felt it needed more pages to fully developed or just not include everything. Not sure if I want to continue on with the next one
It had potential but felt it needed more pages to fully developed or just not include everything. Not sure if I want to continue on with the next one
November 15, 2021
Quite liked the book, the only thing it lacked was a good editor. Besides decent sex description, it lacked real emotional connection and descriptions.
February 16, 2021
1.5
Wow, that was...um, um, um...not good. By the end of chapter one I had highlighted half a dozen passages and written ragey notes in my Kindle; most centering on the fact that the female main character was literally passing out from drowning, a merman came up and grabbed her arm, she bloomed into instant lust (while still drowning), and turned around to jumped on his cock. Which she could do because she was of course naked. Women always seem to end up naked before meeting their mate in this sort of book. I'm talking like literally five seconds start to finish, without even looking at him, while dying! Um, um, um...no! That's a big fat NOPE for me.
And while the rest of the book wasn't as bad as the start, it wasn't great either. The two basically just wandered around in a pseudo plot that allowed them to have abbreviated sex in different places and left more questions than answers. Ok fine, it's erotica. I shouldn't expect much more. But I couldn't stand the representation of the female mermaids. So, I had a hard time even tolerating the rest of the plot and world-building.
I admit I liked the idea of males as caretakers and how they nested and desired children. I thought Zantu really cute. But the characterization of all females except the main character as nothing but aggressive sex maniacs just smacks of the good old patriarchal 'women are nothing more than slave to their lust and have no use or character beyond their sex and their ability to bear children.' Here they're even stripped of any maternity, making them failures even in the minimal worthiness western society allows women. Maybe, MAYBE the author was trying to flip that script and engage the stereotype, but I rather think not. It just made me angry.
The mechanical writing is fine. The editing is fine. The book will probably appeal to some, but I was not one of them. I feel I'm being generous giving it 2 stars and that based on the fact that it is structurally adequate.
Wow, that was...um, um, um...not good. By the end of chapter one I had highlighted half a dozen passages and written ragey notes in my Kindle; most centering on the fact that the female main character was literally passing out from drowning, a merman came up and grabbed her arm, she bloomed into instant lust (while still drowning), and turned around to jumped on his cock. Which she could do because she was of course naked. Women always seem to end up naked before meeting their mate in this sort of book. I'm talking like literally five seconds start to finish, without even looking at him, while dying! Um, um, um...no! That's a big fat NOPE for me.
And while the rest of the book wasn't as bad as the start, it wasn't great either. The two basically just wandered around in a pseudo plot that allowed them to have abbreviated sex in different places and left more questions than answers. Ok fine, it's erotica. I shouldn't expect much more. But I couldn't stand the representation of the female mermaids. So, I had a hard time even tolerating the rest of the plot and world-building.
I admit I liked the idea of males as caretakers and how they nested and desired children. I thought Zantu really cute. But the characterization of all females except the main character as nothing but aggressive sex maniacs just smacks of the good old patriarchal 'women are nothing more than slave to their lust and have no use or character beyond their sex and their ability to bear children.' Here they're even stripped of any maternity, making them failures even in the minimal worthiness western society allows women. Maybe, MAYBE the author was trying to flip that script and engage the stereotype, but I rather think not. It just made me angry.
The mechanical writing is fine. The editing is fine. The book will probably appeal to some, but I was not one of them. I feel I'm being generous giving it 2 stars and that based on the fact that it is structurally adequate.
April 12, 2021
♡ fated mates
♡ merman romance
♡ instalove
Oh boy, this book was far more angsty and dramatic than I was expecting! I fully expected this to be similar to some of the alien romances that I've read in the past - light, fluffy, and steamy. And while it was steamy, it was also a lot heavier than I expected. I mean, the heroine is attempting to drown herself when the merman saves her. The world was interesting because the mermen are the ones in the relationships that raise the children while the mermaids always leave. I think part of the reason why this didn't fully work for me is because I just wasn't in the right mindset going into this as I should have been.
Triggers: death of a child, attempted suicide, cheating
♡ merman romance
♡ instalove
Oh boy, this book was far more angsty and dramatic than I was expecting! I fully expected this to be similar to some of the alien romances that I've read in the past - light, fluffy, and steamy. And while it was steamy, it was also a lot heavier than I expected. I mean, the heroine is attempting to drown herself when the merman saves her. The world was interesting because the mermen are the ones in the relationships that raise the children while the mermaids always leave. I think part of the reason why this didn't fully work for me is because I just wasn't in the right mindset going into this as I should have been.
Triggers: death of a child, attempted suicide, cheating
June 8, 2020
Pleased to say this was not a waste of time!
Before we start the review, let me save you some time and clear up some things.
*THIS IS NOT MONSTER EROTICA!* (Which if it was the case, I would've read it anyway)
Don't let the title fool you! And in the genres, it is not classified as Monster Erotica. So for those who got ensnared by the title cause they delve into that genre like me... Learn from this!
Do not allow titles or covers to mislead you. In the author's defense, a title does not guarantee the content you expect. So don't be so naive. Read blurbs and reviews for GOD SAKES!
*MERMAN NEED NICE WOMEN BADLY*
Paranormal romance is guaranteed.
*NOT A DARK PARANORMAL ROMANCE* (Which I thought it was heading to, but it didn't)
*DESTINED BOND MATES*
Close to insta smut, but not quite...
Now that that's out of the way...
Let me just say that cover is delish! And the blurb was the perfect bait for me. I bought it and had loads of fun.
This was a fast-paced read. Short, but it had all the ingredients for a fun time. It was emotionally sweet and an incredibly passionate tale. And I was surprised that I'd enjoyed it so much. One, I wasn't familiar with the author, and two I was expecting a quick smutty ride.
Don't get me wrong. There was smut/explicit sex, but there was sweet romance too. That was again, surprisingly well developed for such a short read.
So Brianna is planning on killing herself. She throws herself to the sea and meets Zantu. A merman who shares more than his breath the first time they meet. He saves her, shows her his world and tries to convince her to stay with him. And it was adorable!
Yes, it has some cliches. Yes, there is some insta stuff and rushed writing. But the story itself was pretty good. I was totally engaged with the depiction of the world our male MC lived in. Merman bond for life in this setting and females are wild and cruel. The author kind of settled for the most known stories of sirens that lure men with their beauty and seductive voices... Or close enough. And mermen raise the children and keep to themselves away from the females.
And I don't think they're evil, it's just their nature. So I loved that the author included these little details that add world-building. Even if they are few because I wasn't expecting any to be honest.
It was a sweet steamy read with some bonuses. And I think after reading many fictional PNR, mermen erotica, Mermen romance novels, mermen short stories. None captured my attention and my heart so easily. This merman story was satisfactory. And for the first time the male was not interesting but a fucking amazing merman! Thank you Tamsin Ley!
I only wished it could've been longer. But it was ok anyway...
The sex bit though hot, needed a little polishing. The descriptions kind turned me off or made me blink in surprise, although it was trying to be steamy or sexy. But it actually turned out to be funny and distracting. Like in these bits>
So to conclude... You will not regret reading this if you're into hot PNR, SMUT, FANTASY, and FICTION. It's an enjoyable read that's more sweet than steamy in truth. And for its surprises, romance, and cover, it wins a 3.5 Star rating. I actually hope to find mermen stories that are this good or even more pleasing, cause it's hard. It's a harsh world for mermen in romance to be taken seriously. Hugs! Enjoy your future reads people!
Before we start the review, let me save you some time and clear up some things.
*THIS IS NOT MONSTER EROTICA!* (Which if it was the case, I would've read it anyway)
Don't let the title fool you! And in the genres, it is not classified as Monster Erotica. So for those who got ensnared by the title cause they delve into that genre like me... Learn from this!
Do not allow titles or covers to mislead you. In the author's defense, a title does not guarantee the content you expect. So don't be so naive. Read blurbs and reviews for GOD SAKES!
*MERMAN NEED NICE WOMEN BADLY*
Paranormal romance is guaranteed.
*NOT A DARK PARANORMAL ROMANCE* (Which I thought it was heading to, but it didn't)
*DESTINED BOND MATES*
Close to insta smut, but not quite...
Now that that's out of the way...
Let me just say that cover is delish! And the blurb was the perfect bait for me. I bought it and had loads of fun.
This was a fast-paced read. Short, but it had all the ingredients for a fun time. It was emotionally sweet and an incredibly passionate tale. And I was surprised that I'd enjoyed it so much. One, I wasn't familiar with the author, and two I was expecting a quick smutty ride.
Don't get me wrong. There was smut/explicit sex, but there was sweet romance too. That was again, surprisingly well developed for such a short read.
So Brianna is planning on killing herself. She throws herself to the sea and meets Zantu. A merman who shares more than his breath the first time they meet. He saves her, shows her his world and tries to convince her to stay with him. And it was adorable!
Yes, it has some cliches. Yes, there is some insta stuff and rushed writing. But the story itself was pretty good. I was totally engaged with the depiction of the world our male MC lived in. Merman bond for life in this setting and females are wild and cruel. The author kind of settled for the most known stories of sirens that lure men with their beauty and seductive voices... Or close enough. And mermen raise the children and keep to themselves away from the females.
And I don't think they're evil, it's just their nature. So I loved that the author included these little details that add world-building. Even if they are few because I wasn't expecting any to be honest.
It was a sweet steamy read with some bonuses. And I think after reading many fictional PNR, mermen erotica, Mermen romance novels, mermen short stories. None captured my attention and my heart so easily. This merman story was satisfactory. And for the first time the male was not interesting but a fucking amazing merman! Thank you Tamsin Ley!
I only wished it could've been longer. But it was ok anyway...
The sex bit though hot, needed a little polishing. The descriptions kind turned me off or made me blink in surprise, although it was trying to be steamy or sexy. But it actually turned out to be funny and distracting. Like in these bits>
So to conclude... You will not regret reading this if you're into hot PNR, SMUT, FANTASY, and FICTION. It's an enjoyable read that's more sweet than steamy in truth. And for its surprises, romance, and cover, it wins a 3.5 Star rating. I actually hope to find mermen stories that are this good or even more pleasing, cause it's hard. It's a harsh world for mermen in romance to be taken seriously. Hugs! Enjoy your future reads people!
April 11, 2017
Ended up really enjoying this one!
If you like mermaids, I highly recommend this book.
To me it was kind of this cool alt universe little mermaid, with a bunch of smutty mermaid sex. I really enjoyed the lore that went along with Ley's mermaids/men! It was really interesting, and I honestly wish there had been more to this story. What she gave us was great, I just want to "dive" back into their world.
If supernatural things aren't your cup of tea, you probably won't enjoy this story. If your open minded and looking for a quick fated mates mermen read, then look no further!
If you like mermaids, I highly recommend this book.
To me it was kind of this cool alt universe little mermaid, with a bunch of smutty mermaid sex. I really enjoyed the lore that went along with Ley's mermaids/men! It was really interesting, and I honestly wish there had been more to this story. What she gave us was great, I just want to "dive" back into their world.
If supernatural things aren't your cup of tea, you probably won't enjoy this story. If your open minded and looking for a quick fated mates mermen read, then look no further!
December 30, 2019
So Amazon recommended this book to me and it was free so I thought why not. Then I saw a review that said it was like Finding Nemo with sex and I thought HELL YEAH because that's a mess I need to read. Somehow I was not disappointed. It had a plot, it had some world building, it had smut, and it was totally silly but I kind of enjoyed it for what it was.
March 6, 2017
This is by far the strangest book I've read to date.
I enjoyed how different is it. It makes a real change reading about mermen!.
The story itself is well written, nicely descriptive and flows pretty well. I love the different take on the merman/mermaid world, the fact that the mermaids are the bad guys and the merman are victims to them was definitely different and interesting. Brianna and Zantu are decent characters with great potential and I definitely enjoyed reading them.
Why only 3 stars? It's not that it's a bad story because it's definitely not and I enjoyed it. It's just for me it was very rushed without enough explanation. I know Brianna's husband was an ass but what happened to him?. The fact that none of that was explained was definitely frustrating. Why are the mermen so weak compared to mermaids?, what is so special about human merman bonds?.. loads of unanswered questions for me that were vital to connecting to the story more. And regardless of unanswered questions it would have been nice to have read about them together settled after that ending I feel like it was left so unfinished and leaving me feel a little disconnected to them.
Like I said it's definitely a good story with a heap of potential. It's very original and I loved the writing style the author has. I love the world she created and I enjoyed the story itself. Just for me I didn't connect to it as much a I'd hoped however I do hope there is more to this as a series?!. There's so much potential to love this as it's so different for me.
I kindly received this ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed how different is it. It makes a real change reading about mermen!.
The story itself is well written, nicely descriptive and flows pretty well. I love the different take on the merman/mermaid world, the fact that the mermaids are the bad guys and the merman are victims to them was definitely different and interesting. Brianna and Zantu are decent characters with great potential and I definitely enjoyed reading them.
Why only 3 stars? It's not that it's a bad story because it's definitely not and I enjoyed it. It's just for me it was very rushed without enough explanation. I know Brianna's husband was an ass but what happened to him?. The fact that none of that was explained was definitely frustrating. Why are the mermen so weak compared to mermaids?, what is so special about human merman bonds?.. loads of unanswered questions for me that were vital to connecting to the story more. And regardless of unanswered questions it would have been nice to have read about them together settled after that ending I feel like it was left so unfinished and leaving me feel a little disconnected to them.
Like I said it's definitely a good story with a heap of potential. It's very original and I loved the writing style the author has. I love the world she created and I enjoyed the story itself. Just for me I didn't connect to it as much a I'd hoped however I do hope there is more to this as a series?!. There's so much potential to love this as it's so different for me.
I kindly received this ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 21, 2023
Even monsters need a mate. After the death of her child, Brianna seeks to end her life within the oceans final embrace.
Instead she falls into the arms of a sexy, sleek-tailed monster. He’s wild, seductive, and sets her blood on fire every time he touched her, and soon she begins to need him for more than his magic to breathe underwater. He might just give her a new reason to live. Zantu has evaded the mate bond for thirty-five years, dodging promiscuous mermaids with vile intents.
Unlike mermaids, mermen bond for life, and Zantu refuses to accept the heartbreak most mermen die of. That is, until a glint if gold catches his eye, and a simple salvage mission turns to passion. Now he’s bonded to a human, and begins to wonder if bonding to the right mate might not be so bad. The problem? The finless female won’t live long amount the dangers of the sea. Zantu must choose between keeping her at his side, and keeping her safe. Either way, he’s sure he’ll end up with a broken heart.
I actually really enjoyed this book.
I was honestly just going through my kindle list because I was bored and decided to read something and I’m certainly glad I chose this one.
It was quick but still very enjoyable and very steamy. *wink wink*
4/5 Stars!
Instead she falls into the arms of a sexy, sleek-tailed monster. He’s wild, seductive, and sets her blood on fire every time he touched her, and soon she begins to need him for more than his magic to breathe underwater. He might just give her a new reason to live. Zantu has evaded the mate bond for thirty-five years, dodging promiscuous mermaids with vile intents.
Unlike mermaids, mermen bond for life, and Zantu refuses to accept the heartbreak most mermen die of. That is, until a glint if gold catches his eye, and a simple salvage mission turns to passion. Now he’s bonded to a human, and begins to wonder if bonding to the right mate might not be so bad. The problem? The finless female won’t live long amount the dangers of the sea. Zantu must choose between keeping her at his side, and keeping her safe. Either way, he’s sure he’ll end up with a broken heart.
I actually really enjoyed this book.
I was honestly just going through my kindle list because I was bored and decided to read something and I’m certainly glad I chose this one.
It was quick but still very enjoyable and very steamy. *wink wink*
4/5 Stars!
February 24, 2021
I— I don’t know how I feel about this book but it isn’t good 😂
November 12, 2019
Zantu is a merman who is afraid to fall for a mermaid since she would not stay with him and expect him to raise all her kids who were not his. Mermaids aren't the ones who fall in love, mermen are but the mermaids hardly ever stay with their mates so Zantu has kept himself and his heart away from the mermaids so he doesn't become mate bonded to a mermaid who will never love him back.
Briana is desperate after losing her child and hasn't been able to become pregnant again and thinks she has nothing to live for anymore. But when she thinks all is lost, she finds herself being swept away by Zantu who makes her feel alive again. Briana's husband (yes, she's married) is a total heartless ass.
The undersea world this author created was so vibrant in my mind from her descriptions and I loved how Zantu and Briana got close and fell for each other. Their romance was wonderful to watch unfold. Zantu is always afraid that she will turn out like mermaids and leave him but he's not expecting her to actually fight for their relationship. It was interesting to see that he could talk to the fish and sought advice and help from the whales. It was definitely an interesting and different world to have a romance take place in but I really enjoyed how they made it work.
Briana is desperate after losing her child and hasn't been able to become pregnant again and thinks she has nothing to live for anymore. But when she thinks all is lost, she finds herself being swept away by Zantu who makes her feel alive again. Briana's husband (yes, she's married) is a total heartless ass.
The undersea world this author created was so vibrant in my mind from her descriptions and I loved how Zantu and Briana got close and fell for each other. Their romance was wonderful to watch unfold. Zantu is always afraid that she will turn out like mermaids and leave him but he's not expecting her to actually fight for their relationship. It was interesting to see that he could talk to the fish and sought advice and help from the whales. It was definitely an interesting and different world to have a romance take place in but I really enjoyed how they made it work.
August 4, 2018
Rating: 2.5
A short insta-love merman erotica romp that isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever read. The premise is sad with the main character, Brianna, trying to kill herself in the ocean because she lost a child and can’t seem to conceive again. Unknown to her, her real mate for life is underneath the sea. Enter, Zantu, a Merman who lives a life of isolation due to the non-committal nature of mermaids. At thirty-five years Zantu has avoided a bond-fate from other mermaids because they are notorious for leaving their mates and their children to pursue as many sexual encounters as possible. Basically, the author is switching gender stereotypes.
After finding Brianna underwater with weights tied to her legs and struggling for oxygen. Zantu gives Brianna a kiss of breath that allows her to live underwater temporarily. The book consists of them having sex everywhere including seconds after meeting each other. As Brianna continues to have sex with him she gets more and more accustomed to life under the sea. She feels like Zantu is the perfect man to have children with due to his family centered approach to life and blindly acknowledging that they are mates for life. Overcoming their respective differences should be insurmountable but the book glosses over much of these issues and they live happily ever after once some minor dangers are taken care of.
Some notable things about this book include:
• Merpeople in this book communicate via singing.
• Mermen are driven to nest, mate or no mate.
• Mermen mate for life and often die of sadness when their mate inevitably leaves them.
• Mermaids are the ultimate seductresses and can force themselves on mermen with their voices and hot bodies to create a mate-bond. Sort of like man rape but with the promise of a baby and death from depression afterwards.
A short insta-love merman erotica romp that isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever read. The premise is sad with the main character, Brianna, trying to kill herself in the ocean because she lost a child and can’t seem to conceive again. Unknown to her, her real mate for life is underneath the sea. Enter, Zantu, a Merman who lives a life of isolation due to the non-committal nature of mermaids. At thirty-five years Zantu has avoided a bond-fate from other mermaids because they are notorious for leaving their mates and their children to pursue as many sexual encounters as possible. Basically, the author is switching gender stereotypes.
After finding Brianna underwater with weights tied to her legs and struggling for oxygen. Zantu gives Brianna a kiss of breath that allows her to live underwater temporarily. The book consists of them having sex everywhere including seconds after meeting each other. As Brianna continues to have sex with him she gets more and more accustomed to life under the sea. She feels like Zantu is the perfect man to have children with due to his family centered approach to life and blindly acknowledging that they are mates for life. Overcoming their respective differences should be insurmountable but the book glosses over much of these issues and they live happily ever after once some minor dangers are taken care of.
Some notable things about this book include:
• Merpeople in this book communicate via singing.
• Mermen are driven to nest, mate or no mate.
• Mermen mate for life and often die of sadness when their mate inevitably leaves them.
• Mermaids are the ultimate seductresses and can force themselves on mermen with their voices and hot bodies to create a mate-bond. Sort of like man rape but with the promise of a baby and death from depression afterwards.
December 10, 2018
**trigger warnings - Suicide/miscarriage**
yo. what the fuck was this? is this series out of order? how the hell do you go from like how!? the reps in this book were shit and did not fit in the story well at all.
May 13, 2020
This is a clever story, but not as strong as the Centaur tale.
February 3, 2021
“Bought” this book as a kindle freebie to be silly with my sisters... two pages in it was obvious why it was free.
June 25, 2023
THIS IS GONNA BE SOME CRINGIE MF
he has his fingers up her ass. first encounter :D
I give up. This is soooooooo BAD I just can’t.
he has his fingers up her ass. first encounter :D
I give up. This is soooooooo BAD I just can’t.
August 11, 2024
Return drive club audiobook. This is not it in any way. Believe it or not, Unhinged was better. LOL. 0.5.
June 28, 2017
I have to say, it was the cover that drew me. I love it, especially the fins on his back. Beautiful, sexy cover of a merman. As for the book, I went into it knowing that it was going to be full of sex — and it was — but I also knew it was going to be a light read for me. Overall, I enjoyed it. The writing was good, the ocean world beautiful, and their relationship, though hesitant, was sweet. From here on out, beware of spoilers.
The beginning felt rushed to me. It opens up with Brianna and her husband for a short scene then immediately switches to her trying to drown herself. I felt like the author should have taken her time with this, to show more of her relationship with her husband. I had an idea that he wasn’t all that interested, but it wasn’t clear until she thinks/talks about it later in the book. For a while, I thought she was just (helplessly) cheating on him (which, in a way, she was because they were still married…but ya know…) I also wished their coming together hadn't been so rushed, as well. I get why she undressed, but...heh.
I found the differences between the mermaids and the mermen interesting. The mermaids are like those in legends — the sirens luring men to their deaths. But they don’t sink their teeth and claws only into humans, but also their own men. They lure and seduce and use them, not held by the bond that the mermen feel when they mate. The mermen are victims, used for sex and then used to raise their young alone, mourning the loss of their promiscuous mate (these mermaids are some nasty pieces of work!). They remain in their dens and prepare for fatherhood (reminded me of a sea horse).
Which brings us to Zantu, the lead male in this book. He caught himself a human mate. He spends most of the book worried she’ll leave him and vows to do all he can to keep her. He never intended to be caught, avoiding mermaids at all costs. But now he’s as good as mated. And Brianna doesn’t want to leave him. I loved Zantu. Sexy merman that he is. I love my monsters.
There were parts that felt rushed and I wished there had been more depth to their relationship (getting to know one another more, sweet moments, etc), but overall, it was a good read. It captivated me enough that I read it in one sitting. And seeing that the author has other monster books, looks like I’ll be checking those out, too!
The beginning felt rushed to me. It opens up with Brianna and her husband for a short scene then immediately switches to her trying to drown herself. I felt like the author should have taken her time with this, to show more of her relationship with her husband. I had an idea that he wasn’t all that interested, but it wasn’t clear until she thinks/talks about it later in the book. For a while, I thought she was just (helplessly) cheating on him (which, in a way, she was because they were still married…but ya know…) I also wished their coming together hadn't been so rushed, as well. I get why she undressed, but...heh.
I found the differences between the mermaids and the mermen interesting. The mermaids are like those in legends — the sirens luring men to their deaths. But they don’t sink their teeth and claws only into humans, but also their own men. They lure and seduce and use them, not held by the bond that the mermen feel when they mate. The mermen are victims, used for sex and then used to raise their young alone, mourning the loss of their promiscuous mate (these mermaids are some nasty pieces of work!). They remain in their dens and prepare for fatherhood (reminded me of a sea horse).
Which brings us to Zantu, the lead male in this book. He caught himself a human mate. He spends most of the book worried she’ll leave him and vows to do all he can to keep her. He never intended to be caught, avoiding mermaids at all costs. But now he’s as good as mated. And Brianna doesn’t want to leave him. I loved Zantu. Sexy merman that he is. I love my monsters.
There were parts that felt rushed and I wished there had been more depth to their relationship (getting to know one another more, sweet moments, etc), but overall, it was a good read. It captivated me enough that I read it in one sitting. And seeing that the author has other monster books, looks like I’ll be checking those out, too!
March 15, 2017
I found this book on netgalley while poking around and looking for something new. The cover caught my eye – hello there handsome…fish? So, I read the blurb and thought, well, to put it mildly, that looks new and different! I haven’t read anything by Tamsin Ley before, so I didn’t know what to expect. I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
And, I gotta say, I really enjoyed this story. First off, it is a fabulous piece of world building. You get a little taste of Mer people society, as well as how they typically interact with humans. The concept of Mermen being like male seahorses in that they take care of the young was very appealing to me. I also enjoyed how Zantu and Brianna adjusted to their fated mate status – not the *ahem* romantic aspects *cough* so much as the mental and emotional shifting that took place. They both had to move beyond rocky past relationships and some major trust hurdles. Though *cough* the romantic stuff was pretty interesting too. While it could have ventured towards tentacle porn, it stayed fairly traditional in its tone and execution.
I have two big drawbacks for this story. First is that it is only a novella. Given the newness of the world and the differences between the character’s cultures and experiences, I would have loved this to have been expanded to a full-length novel. There were a lot of questions unanswered – How did they speak the same language? What did Eric do while she was with Zantu? Did she die or not? How does he adjust to his newly mated life? What happened to his family once he was with Brianna? Etc. All of this factors into the second big drawback – it required a massive amount of suspension of disbelief. How did the food stay (for the most part) in the bowl? Wasn’t she freezing? Why wasn’t her hair constantly in her face? What was the light source for his garden plants? And about 500 other questions that kept buzzing around in my head while I was reading the story.
But, that being said, it really was a fabulous bit of world building and a fun way to dip my toe into a new to me area of paranormal romance. If you’re looking for something different, go ahead and give this a try!
And, I gotta say, I really enjoyed this story. First off, it is a fabulous piece of world building. You get a little taste of Mer people society, as well as how they typically interact with humans. The concept of Mermen being like male seahorses in that they take care of the young was very appealing to me. I also enjoyed how Zantu and Brianna adjusted to their fated mate status – not the *ahem* romantic aspects *cough* so much as the mental and emotional shifting that took place. They both had to move beyond rocky past relationships and some major trust hurdles. Though *cough* the romantic stuff was pretty interesting too. While it could have ventured towards tentacle porn, it stayed fairly traditional in its tone and execution.
I have two big drawbacks for this story. First is that it is only a novella. Given the newness of the world and the differences between the character’s cultures and experiences, I would have loved this to have been expanded to a full-length novel. There were a lot of questions unanswered – How did they speak the same language? What did Eric do while she was with Zantu? Did she die or not? How does he adjust to his newly mated life? What happened to his family once he was with Brianna? Etc. All of this factors into the second big drawback – it required a massive amount of suspension of disbelief. How did the food stay (for the most part) in the bowl? Wasn’t she freezing? Why wasn’t her hair constantly in her face? What was the light source for his garden plants? And about 500 other questions that kept buzzing around in my head while I was reading the story.
But, that being said, it really was a fabulous bit of world building and a fun way to dip my toe into a new to me area of paranormal romance. If you’re looking for something different, go ahead and give this a try!
June 30, 2021
TW: miscarriage, suicide attempt, child death, abandonment, adultery
This book flies by and I'm really thankful that it did. I know you have to get her into the ocean so she can have her meet cute with Zantu, but the opening was excessive. The book opens with a late miscarriage, suicide attempt straight into sex with a merman who is trying to save her as she is on the verge of drowning. Now, the merman with a truly unremarkable penis is bonded to her and thinks "well at least she can't leave me." WTAF is going on here.
Brianna was an absolute mess of emotions, understandably, but I had a really tough time handling the adultery in this book. She ends up explaining away the cheating by reasoning she had already abandoned her husband by trying to kill herself and was essentially dead to the surface anyway so *SHRUG*. Insta-lust/love strikes hard even after Brianna calls Zantu a monster and decides she wants to stick around because he treats her better than her husband ever did. The suspension of belief was already at critical levels and then we hit the mermaid culture whirlwind.
I was disappointed by how "one note" the mer-culture was. All mermaids are sexually aggressive psychopaths that hit it and quit it, trapping mermen in a bond that lasts forever only coming back to give birth and abandon their children with the various mates they have floating about. Truly, the only noticeable difference between mermaids that I could see is the color of their hair and color coordinated nipples.
Merman are the "softer" sex. Exclusively nice, solitary, driven by nesting instincts, and mated for life after having a romp in the coral. I'm not sure how Zantu has managed to evade the mermaids thus far because I count at least twice AFTER he is bonded to Brianna that the siren song still manages to seduce a response out of him. While one of those involves a "love toxin" (what.) so I suppose I should give him a break.
Overall, I ended up feeling irritated by the combination of tropes and not liking the characters. Also, I refuse to believe a merman has a typical human penis. I won't continue with this series but I would try the author's work again.
This book flies by and I'm really thankful that it did. I know you have to get her into the ocean so she can have her meet cute with Zantu, but the opening was excessive. The book opens with a late miscarriage, suicide attempt straight into sex with a merman who is trying to save her as she is on the verge of drowning. Now, the merman with a truly unremarkable penis is bonded to her and thinks "well at least she can't leave me." WTAF is going on here.
Brianna was an absolute mess of emotions, understandably, but I had a really tough time handling the adultery in this book. She ends up explaining away the cheating by reasoning she had already abandoned her husband by trying to kill herself and was essentially dead to the surface anyway so *SHRUG*. Insta-lust/love strikes hard even after Brianna calls Zantu a monster and decides she wants to stick around because he treats her better than her husband ever did. The suspension of belief was already at critical levels and then we hit the mermaid culture whirlwind.
I was disappointed by how "one note" the mer-culture was. All mermaids are sexually aggressive psychopaths that hit it and quit it, trapping mermen in a bond that lasts forever only coming back to give birth and abandon their children with the various mates they have floating about. Truly, the only noticeable difference between mermaids that I could see is the color of their hair and color coordinated nipples.
Merman are the "softer" sex. Exclusively nice, solitary, driven by nesting instincts, and mated for life after having a romp in the coral. I'm not sure how Zantu has managed to evade the mermaids thus far because I count at least twice AFTER he is bonded to Brianna that the siren song still manages to seduce a response out of him. While one of those involves a "love toxin" (what.) so I suppose I should give him a break.
Overall, I ended up feeling irritated by the combination of tropes and not liking the characters. Also, I refuse to believe a merman has a typical human penis. I won't continue with this series but I would try the author's work again.
January 29, 2022
Note: This is part of a 3 novella series. It's also been combined into a box set titled Mer Lovers Collection.
I have mixed feelings about this - in some respects it was a sexy & sweet merman romance book. On the other hand there was some pretty heavy/serious topics that were kind of overwhelming and glossed over at the same time. I was hoping for a little more connection between Zantu & Briana beyond a fated mates attraction. I think the author tried to tackle too many plot points in too short of a story. I enjoyed it, but it left me wanting more details.
The author narrates the book herself. She has a pleasant voice and while I would have liked more variation in character voices and emotions, I didn't have a problem listening to the whole thing.
11/28/2021 - free ebook & 99¢ audio on Kobo. I’ve never read a merman shifter book before.
I have mixed feelings about this - in some respects it was a sexy & sweet merman romance book. On the other hand there was some pretty heavy/serious topics that were kind of overwhelming and glossed over at the same time. I was hoping for a little more connection between Zantu & Briana beyond a fated mates attraction. I think the author tried to tackle too many plot points in too short of a story. I enjoyed it, but it left me wanting more details.
The author narrates the book herself. She has a pleasant voice and while I would have liked more variation in character voices and emotions, I didn't have a problem listening to the whole thing.
11/28/2021 - free ebook & 99¢ audio on Kobo. I’ve never read a merman shifter book before.
November 14, 2019
2.5 stars
It is not a bad book, and the twist is pretty good. The plot, though, is a bit weak, and the book is simply a reason for two people to have sex and sex so rational thought process is out the window and insta love is the sole item on the menu (but this is somewhat idicated by the description).
Two stars because I am tired of books where every other female is evil. But with this note - I will most likely be trying other books in the series. The world building made sense - or at least how the magic works in the book. And Ley does base her version of merpeople on established traditions. (Think of the merman statue in Copenhagen for instance). I liked that as well as the ending.
It is not a bad book, and the twist is pretty good. The plot, though, is a bit weak, and the book is simply a reason for two people to have sex and sex so rational thought process is out the window and insta love is the sole item on the menu (but this is somewhat idicated by the description).
Two stars because I am tired of books where every other female is evil. But with this note - I will most likely be trying other books in the series. The world building made sense - or at least how the magic works in the book. And Ley does base her version of merpeople on established traditions. (Think of the merman statue in Copenhagen for instance). I liked that as well as the ending.
February 25, 2021
3 Stars. Lowkey kinda ridiculous and the story and characters aren’t very well developed but I wanted a quick read so I wasn’t expecting much anyways. Turns out, I actually quite enjoyed it.
January 30, 2021
Jao, Bože, šta i ja čitam 🙈😂😂😂
December 30, 2023
I knew when I hit page 7 and they were already doing the deed after she tried to drown herself this was gonna be an award winning book. Funny to read for the bit lmao
January 15, 2025
Omg it was so bad. And I'm usually the one to read monster fucking. Started at 5 star and took off 0.1 point every time sheathe was mentioned. Ended at a 0.5 lol
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