Coming Up for Air by Amanda Meuwissen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book totally made me happy dance!!

It was sentimentally romantic. Romantically sentimental? It was super sweet and cute and there were mermaid tails and mobsters and cops and robbers and learning sign language to ask out a crush and monsters with claws. In short, it was perfect.

When Leigh is fitted with concrete boots and thrown into the water, he's pretty sure it's over. Then he sees a man swimming towards him, then kiss him. And then he's laying on solid ground again. And now he's got a merfolk named Tolly who has legs and/or a tail. And he's his. To own and to have forever and ever. At least, if the mob doesn't kill Leigh first. Or the spell isn't broken that will take Tolly's legs away forever.

I'm seriously so hyped on this story. I am amazed and astounded and aflutter at how much this moved me to feel. I fell in love with Tolly instantly, then with Leigh about 2 minutes later. I never once questioned the story. I never once questioned their feelings. It was all there, laid out, plain as day in words and dialogue and gestures and glances and sighs.

I loved Alvin. He's the best friend/mob boss son/brother from another mother to Leigh. He was so damn sweet and funny and awed by everything.

There was humor and action and suspense and explosions and sex. There was fun dialogue...

"I'll bring the forks. Do you know what a fork--"

"Yes. I am not the little mermaid."

This was like nothing I've read before and I just want to read it again for the first time. Magical and whimsical and an utter delight.

*Galley copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to http://gaybook.reviews/*

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Salt Magic, Skin Magic by Lee Welch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars

This was positively magical.

I had no idea that I was into Victorian/Fantasy, but this was just awesome.

Lee Welch created a world of human/seals and child size hedgehogs and magic and alchemy and I found myself saying, just five more minutes until it was done. There was just so much to the plot. So many twists and turns that kept me guessing and my anxiety on alert.

Joel Leslie has no boundaries. He does epic voices, makes me feel everything that is going on in the story and adds so much life to the characters. I loved his take on Lord Thornby in this. He has such a way of making the characters jump out at you, you just feel like you are right there running with the hedgehog and talking to mounds of salt.

I would absolutely recommend this book because the story was amazingly well done, but I'd recommend the audiobook for the magic that Joel Leslie brings.

*Audio copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to http://gaybook.reviews/ *

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