Holly KellyCritiques

Completed 10/27/17

Completed 10/25/17

Loved this novel!

This is the first mermaid novel I have ever read, and I loved it. A new world, with strange customs. Hot Mer people. My favorite character was Xanthus. Everything he did and said was sexy. I only rated this four stars because a few things seemed too unbelievable/unexplained. But I was totally digging this.

Reader Rated 15 for passionate kissing; also contains mild violence.

Twists in Time is an anthology of time travel stories. I usually don't read anthologies or time travel for that matter, but I found these stories interesting and engaging. These authors are very creative in their story telling. The writing is superb and the stories are powerful. I was pleasantly surprised with this anthology. I won Twists in Time in a blog giveaway, and all opinions are my own.

This was only my second book by this author, and I loved it as much as the first one I read, Juliette and the Monday ManDates. I found All the Way to Heaven a delightful love story. Ms. Doughty doesn't take you to heaven, but maybe the next best thing. The way she describes Italy, the olive gardens, balconies, sunsets, the pastries and even the wine, you can almost see, smell and taste it. It was like taking a mini vacation right from my own backyard. I would highly recommend this to anyone who has a love for travel, especially Tuscany.

I thought that this was surprisingly good read. I was expecting some explicit sex scenes because the setting is in Italy and a lot of international romance novels tend to be filled with drinking and sex. (Warning: There is quite a bit of drinking.)

The story opens up in a restaurant where Ani is out celebrating with friends. In the upper scale restaurant, she sees her boyfriend/college professor out with another woman---who turns out to be his wife. It's quite a shock for her. She had been given the impression that he was a bachelor.

Moving on--she goes to Italy and meets two men who both adore her. What's a girl to do? Ani really isn't in a position to "trust" men right now. In a sense, I feel that she's still reeling from her heartbreak. But she's willing to "have fun" because she's only going to be there for a short time. The memories of an international romance or two may be just the thing she needs....

Not your typical mermaid story

This is an excellent story, spiced with mythology and loaded with realistic characters. The plot is far from predictable and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. My only complaint is that the manuscript could use another polish from a good copy editor as there are a distracting number of errors scattered throughout. If you can look past them, however, you will be rewarded with a glimpse into a very interesting world.

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

A couple du jour romance series with undersea folk and mythology that takes place on both land and sea. Kyros, a Dagonian and best friend to Xanthus from the first book, has a really good reason to hate humans and shares his species’ prejudice of mermaids. The problem is that Xanthus is married to Sara who is half human/half mermaid and he’s asking for help guarding her on land while Xanthus follows through on his personal mission to prevent a war the humans don’t know is coming.

Gretchen is Sara’s best friend and she’s got her own secret about what she is. When she comes to stay with Sara, Kyros is appalled by her manner and words. Their women never argue or express an opinion or disobey an order! But she grows on him, especially when it becomes apparent that her life is in danger, and by whom.

Good romance and some more world-building as we learn more about both Dagonians and the Mer folk. Action and humor along with a couple of intense scenes, I found this to be an enjoyable book to read. And it becomes obvious that there is somewhat of a back story going on and that there will be at least one more book, if not more involving characters we've come to know in these first two books.

But don't start with this book. You'll enjoy this a lot more if you read Rising first.

Picked this book up when it was offered for free and enjoyed it so much that I immediately purchased the next book.

The story is about Sara, a woman stuck in a wheelchair, born with a “deformity” of no legs, but a tail that she works hard to keep hidden. And Xanthus, a Dagonian warrior from the sea, tasked with finding the company and people responsible for dumping garbage and toxins into the waters off Hawaii and send them to King Triton for justice. Humans can’t know the Dagonians exist and anyone fraternizing with them will be killed. So he’s a little torn when meeting Sara, especially when realizing she not only was born and raised on land, but is terrified of water. How can he kill her?

An interesting romance with a lot of drama. Good world building as we learn about the culture of Dagonians and their strong prejudices, and a new way of looking at the world in the water. And I really liked Sara’s determination both in the water and out and Xanthus’ belief that he’ll somehow make everything all right.

I do have to say that Sara’s use of the word “deformity” was getting old pretty quickly, but thankfully she drops that as soon as she sees Xanthus and learns what she is. And her acceptance of what she is seems really fast, although the other things such as getting over her fear of water, facing eating fresh fish and dealing with a different setting and culture is more realistic.

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

I think Xanthus is one of my new favorite book heroes. Gorgeous, strong, powerful, honorable, and the perfect image of an epic warrior, what's not to like? Balancing out this herculean Dagonian, is the sweet little Sara. While she's got heart and spirit, she is so incredibly beautiful, kind, sweet and vulnerable, you just want to hug her and make her some cookies. Together, they make a perfectly balanced couple, who take readers on an incredible adventure.

Along with the fascinating match between Xanthus and Sara, this is a story full of danger, complications, action, and a lot of fish. Holly Kelly's writing is hilarious, and incredibly talented. She is able to be jovial and humorous, then glide seamlessly into action and suspenseful events, with writing that flows beautifully. She is a writer who could easily be both an inspiration to other writers, and a favorite author by any reader.

If you haven't guessed, I loved this book, inside and out. I'd recommend this to anyone, but especially fans of love stories, merpeople, mythology, and suspenseful adventure.

*I was given an eCopy of this book, from the author's publisher, Clean Teen Publishing, to read in exchange for an honest review.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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