Love the covers short and sweet read (book 1) and extended plot development (book 2) have a feeling we will see Aken & Berlin again. Hoping something develops for Jersey further on too. Starting book 3 now ( )

Madly & Wolfhardt is the second installment in the new Madly series, the first full-length novel. Mermaids and werewolves, traditional lore mixed with new mythology... fantabulous!

I loved the first novella, but the story really begins in this book. I love, love, LOVE old lore remixed into something new. We have a bit of Red Riding Hood in this book, but not in the way that most would expect. I love fairy tale retellings but using the Lores as the way to do it is genius! It is such an unlikely pairing, werewolves and mermaids, but it really works. After reading the book, it seems now like a natural fit.

And then there is the swoon factor. I am not generally a mushy gushy love story kind of girl, but Jackson and Madly... they could change my mind! He is THE BOOK BOYFRIEND! There is some serious chemistry going on there and it is fabulous! Their relationship is somewhat unexpected for reasons that I won't share so as not to spoil anything. Jackson is so serious that, at first, he seems like an unlikely romantic hero. But there is so much going on beneath the surface. Madly is frustrated with him and it shows! Good romantic drama!! Add to all of that a unique love triangle and it makes for a good story!

There is so much action in this book, with lots of twists and turns. Its hard to talk about it without spoilers, but there were a lot of unanticipated moments. There is also a cliffhanger that left me wanting more RIGHT NOW!!

Some Quotastic Goodness

--Spend more time with Jackson? Alone? In the woods? Um, yes please! Just try to stop me (Loc. 241).
--The first touch of his soft mouth was feather light, little more than the kiss of the wind on my skin (Loc. 375-376).
--“There are, no doubt, all sorts of creatures in existence that we know little to nothing about. And there’s no more perfect way to keep the world ignorant than to suggest that the presence of the supernatural is simply a fairy tale or a ghost story. It’s quite brilliant actually (Loc. 622).”
--“I love you, Madly James and if I never see you again, know this: someday, whether it’s today or a hundred years from now, I’ll die with you on my mind (Loc. 4379).”

My Recommendation: Fantastic read! If you like fairy tale retellings, mermaids, werewolves, and swoony romance... I highly recommend this series!

This review originally appeared on my blog, http://thecaffeinateddivareads.multifacetedmama.com/?p=8763' ( )

Love the covers short and sweet read (book 1) and extended plot development (book 2) have a feeling we will see Aken & Berlin again. Hoping something develops for Jersey further on too. Starting book 3 now ( )

In this second book of the Madly series, we pick up where the first left off. Madly and her friends are on their internship in the town of Slumber, where they learn to interact with humans. A Mer is murdered, and there is a prison break in Madly's home, Atlas. Eight Lore have escaped. The Lore are the spirits that make up what we know as fairy tales. In this book, the spirit of Ulrich Wolfhardt, attempts to come into Slumber to awaken his descendant. We would associate him with the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood, but this wolf and this story, isn't anything like the fairly tale we all know. Jackson and Madly, with the help of Jersey and Aidan, attempt to find out the identity of Wolfhardt's descendants so they can capture him when he comes to awaken them. As Madly and Jackson work together, it becomes harder and harder for her to resist her true feelings for him, to resist the tie that is calling them to be mated. Nevertheless, for Atlas they push forward to accomplish that which must be done.

In this book, we are introduced to Kellina, who they believe is a descendant of Wolfhardt. Madly befriends her, and so do Aidan and Jersey, especially Aidan. The love-hate relationship between Jackson and Madly continues, as they try to deny what they feel, but greater forces continue to pull them together. The chemistry between Madly and Jackson is off the charts, until they can no longer deny what they are to one another. There is quite a bit of heart pounding action in this book also. Though I've never been drawn to mermaid books, I found this series to be delightful. M. Leighton does an outstanding job of bringing together myths and legends to produce an captivating and entertaining story that leaves you wanting more. ( )

The story continues where the first introductory story "Madly" leaves off. Madly and her hot sentinel Jackson are on a quest to find the Lore Wolfheart's descendant. He should by trapped in his descendant's body and Madly can use her special band to trap him and open a way back into her closed off city Atlas. The story was as brisk in pace as the first book's and I have to commend M Leighton's writing because it is a solidly written book and doesn't suffer from any of the grammatical problems a lot of these books tend to have these days. I enjoyed the story but didn't find it very memorable either. I will say that one aspect that bothered me in "Madly" is unfortunately present her as well. Madly just doesn't seem all too concerned about her parents and sister being trapped in Atlas, held hostage by the Lore who have broken from their prisons. Yet every little thing with Jackson has her wrapped in a tizzy and its doesn't make her a very sympathetic heroine. I like her affinity for water and the different things she does to manipulate it. I also appreciated the side story about her would be fiance Aiden and the new female friend they meet. There is a decisive ending which leads the way however to a further installment of the series. I can recommend this story to lover's of similar books and while this series thus far isn't among the best stories to choose from it is also far from the worse. ( )