Tamsin Ley's "The Merman's Kiss" was a delicious and delightful read! This reader received an ARC (advanced reader's copy) in exchange for an honest review, and boy was it a sizzling read. Who knew mermen could be so sexy and mermaids such witches - spelled with a capitol "B"? Protagonist Brianna took extreme measures to rid herself of some of life's complications; she was trapped in a loveless marriage and desperate for a baby, especially after delivering a stillborn and never having a chance to truly grieve and mourn. Meanwhile, merman Zantu was busy living a typical merman's life... you know, avoiding all females at all costs. Enter Brianna. Ooops. Zantu's in trouble! The tale is positively filled with plenty of hot, wet sex - ocean life, who knew? Main characters were nicely developed with room to grow and easy enough to visualize and share feelings with while secondary characters were detailed enough to allow a reader to imagine and empathize (or hate... did this reader mention the mermaids were really cruel and mean?) with them as well. Ley actually seemed to base the mermen on seahorses, which are known to be the caregivers of their young, while mermaids were vicious, uncaring creatures. Dialogue between Brianna and Zantu consisted mainly in the form of telepathy and when some "thoughts" slipped through, it was hilarious... or sad. The setting for the majority of the story is the ocean and Ley really made it come to life and reminded this reader of a few scuba dives in her distant past, which only added to the delight of reading about it. Apparently all mermen were well hidden on those dives, by the way. Tamsin Ley brings "monsters" to life while presenting their utterly adorable and vulnerable side, which allows a reader to really want one of their very own. This reader happily recommends Tamsin Ley for a fun, hot read and plans to keep her eye out for future novellas and books. ** Review originally posted to Amazon reviews on March 14, 2017. **
