The Merman's Kiss: A Steamy Mythology Romance (Mates for Monsters Series Book 1)

This is my first book by Ley and also my first mermaid mythology book. It is a fairly short read, could probably be read in one sitting for many people, but still has a decent storyline for its length. There's danger, excitement, steam, a good premise, and a happy ending.However, I feel as though the characters lack depth (no pun intended). Part of that is likely due to the length, as it certainly can be more difficult to provide rich characters in such a short read. Brianna has the most filled out character, delving into her background, but she still feels unfinished. Aside from his brother, Zantu has essentially no background at all. I feel as though a lot is missed because of this.I love the premise of the story and enjoyed reading it, but my biggest issue was it feels as though there are a lot of unanswered questions. For example, the magic of the mate-bond is almost completely glossed over, from start to finish. The story begins almost immediately with magic that goes unexplained, and Brianna and Zantu just go with it, though it seems implied Zantu has at least heard of this magic. The magic utilized at the end, Zantu supposedly knows nothing about and is unsure. Then, just *poof* he's got it, certainly understandable, to a degree, based on other parts of the story, but it goes completely unexplained to the reader or Brianna. For a reader like myself that prefers things explained and no plothole or loose end left undeveloped, it can detract from the story.Overall, an enjoyable read. I certainly look forward to reading more by Ley, especially when I want a short, fun read with a touch of steam. I just wouldn't look to this type of story, at the very least this series, if looking for a deeper, richer, more fully developed book.

In this novel, there is extreme psychiatric sexual dimorphism. The males are all eternally loyal, domestic, and maternal, and the females are ALL homicidal maniac tramps. Literally. Every. Single. One.If a merman has sex with a mermaid, any mermaid, then he will forever become bound to her and never want another. The mermaid then promptly abandons him, and has sex with everyone else BUT him, only returning when she is pregnant by someone else, to deliver the child. The merman then fusses over and nurtures this other man's child, growing increasingly despondent over his slutty mate, until eventually he commits suicide and his child or children all starve to death.It is against the law for any merman to ever bring his mate to another merman's nest, because then she will promptly demand that the other merman have sex with her. If she doesn't then she will kill that merman and his children. Apparently, the merman are completely unable to protect themselves, and enter families have been lost this way. It is such a grave and common problem, in fact, that mermen will actually kill any merman who breaks this law, further decreasing their numbers.For this reason, mermen never, ever, visit each other nests, either. Otherwise, they might encounter another one's slutty mermaid, and carnage would ensure.The mermaids, although they navigate by sonar, are somehow unable to find any other nest than their own abused merman mate's, unless someone actually holds their hand and takes them there.The sonar, as well, must be magical, because no one has the bulging forehead in cetacean species where this talent is found. So, that's good.These charming mermaid creators entertain themselves by attacking whale calves and then directing sharks to feed upon them, killing other mermaid's children, killing their own mates or other mates, sleeping around, giving sailors the ability to breathe underwater so they can have sex and then leaving them to drown, and also date raping mermen using love toxin, a paralytic.The mermen, rather than running in terror, appear to be helplessly attracted to these homicidal maniacs. They do not have a true mate, where they are interested in one, and only one, female from the outset. No, they are pretty much horn dogs who fight their desire to have sex as long as they can, being tempted by each and every siren. When they finally succumb, they are browbeaten and terrorized by their own, and every other siren in the sea.Basically this species would have gone extinct faster than the dodo bird. Once a merman mates, he is guaranteed not to have any offspring of his own unless he impregnates his mate the first time, because she pretty much sleeps with EVERYONE ELSE but him from that point on. So he is investing a heck of a lot of effort in continuing other peoples' genes. Not even male sea horses are that altruistic, as at least it is their own span they incubate.Zantu essentially was accidentally tricked by Brianna when she wrapped her legs around him as she drowned. He was going to just let her drown as he stole her gold necklace, but then changed his mind and kissed her to allow her to breathe water. Purely platonic, of course. When she held on with her legs, he immediately had sex with her, and bonded. It could have literally been anyone, really. She wasn't special in any way. Then, with her in his very arms, the moment he swims by a mermaid, he forgets about her and gets a hard on. It's a very close call for him not to have sex with someone else, with his mate right there, in his arms. He would have to drop her to cheat on her, but it was a close thing. That is a huge turnoff to me in a romance novel. At the very least, the guy has to be loyal. So what if they are pretty? They kill kids and should be able to attract zero mates. In fact, there should be a general run on human females by the end of the book.I do assure you that it would be patently impossible for a drowning woman to start kissing someone underwater and get turned on. You're not even conscious by that point, and are thrashing about on instinct.The mermen in general seem henpecked to death, and the entire female gender of the species is uniformly evil, without a single individual variation. That means that Zantu's child, born sexless, would go from cute scrappy kid to homicidal siren killing other kids. How in the world would a female siren, having remembered the terror of growing up, ever do that to someone else's family? Unless maybe there was something wrong genetically and they were trying to drive the species to extinction??? The children are so terrorized by the mermaids that they will not ever let one get near. So, basically, everyone hide the wire hangers.It's hard to get into the story where the strapping, strong male lead, who is supposed to be able to make it rain on any danger, cannot even handle a threatening female.

Pour a glass of wine as you read this world of mermaids and merman. It's a steamy enjoyable ride! Enjoy!

I love the relation of the humans…and I loved this story a-lot. It was such a different one that was definitely in reverse of human men’s roles! Wow! It was amazing and saddening at the same time. It had me crying! Poor mermen and merchildren! A must read! Enjoy

I enjoyed the read, but the start may upset some people. The author had to think of a reason large enough for a healthy woman to try to drown herself. The extremely unbelievable rapid swing from actively drowning to entering a physical relationship with a fabled sea-person is too much and the merman, I believe, should have caught the lady and swum off with her at first. Then they could get to know each other better. The author is always right, except... this feels like it was forced upon the tale by someone saying 'hook them in the first ten pages'.All mermaids are fickle and all mermen are faithful. Er, I like it better when there are shades of pale. The odd rebel, same as a tomboy. Interesting society though, a major role reversal or two.The undersea world is well written, fun, strange with familiar aspects. We are so aware now of the damage wreaked by rubbish in the ocean that the odd allusion to it was welcome, yet did not go far enough. I would read more of this series.I availed of a free download offer. This is an unbiased review.

This book starts of well but is ridiculous a woman in a loveless marriage had lost a child at birth a while ago, she then commits suicide by attempting to drown saved by a merman (her mate) he brings her to his home under the sea they make out a couple of times, his neice arrives they communicate through song. He tells his mate it is forbidden for mermen to take their mate to another males home. So basically his human mate is imprisoned in his home I guess. It's at that point that I have lost interest and would long for this character to return to the human world. This is rubbish and too unbelievable (I know it's fictional) and difficult to follow 42% into this, I cannot continue on with this book. I've read mer people love stories before and they were brilliant and well written sadly not this one.

Dunno what the hell these negative reviewers were reading?! Writing was great and I think they failed to appreciate this is a short story - there isn’t enough time for in-depth character, relationship building or complicated plot (and let’s face it, if you’re reading this you’re not reading it for the “plot”) I thoroughly enjoyed it as a really nice, sweet and easy short read in between longer more intense books. I loved that it got straight into it, no messing about and no filler. The spice was really good and it really was sweet and romantic. So glad I read it! Would highly recommend as a short sweet spicy book.

This book was interesting, yet, I think that it done into the sex to soon and was mainly about that. I think that it had the opportunity to become something more, if it had been given time to breathe between the sex. I also found the start interesting and the ending was a good payoff. Yet I also liked that there was a small exploration of the world too and the villain was interesting and yet vile.

Can't believe this was actually published and bought to market, the heroine must have a hell of a set of lungs on her. She jumps into a cold sea and then changes her mind about drowning herself, manages to get most of her clothes off and is attempting to unbind herself before hunky hero turns up. Could she be a 'free diver'? so many negative reviews all well deserved. I couldn't continue past the first few pages.