The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea is the newest book in Kerrelyn Sparks’ Embraced by Magic. This medieval-type other world building has been marvelous making you eager for a return visit with each book. Four queens with unusual powers, political intrigue, espionage, action, adventure, and of course romance are all part of Maeve’s and Brody’s story.

Their romance is sweet building up to a lasting love even with Brody’s curse. There is humor here too which is adorable. If that romance is not enough, there is a second one as a subplot too. The cover and title fit this tale so well. Even with the problems that lay in their wait it is a pleasing romantic story.

Plus the overall conflict comes to a head in this novel with all the characters helping to win the conflict that has been brewing since the first book. For that reason I would suggest that the books be read in order. I also appreciate that the conflict does not go on and on but concluded with book five. Still I hope that there is a spin-off series to come.

The synopsis of this book was intriguing and I am excited to learn that there is more in this series already, but disappointed as I have not yet read those. I tried reading the first few chapters and felt like I just didn't have enough background on what was going on to continue at this time. I definitely plan on starting the series from the beginning as what I read was interesting but I got a bit overwhelmed with the numerous characters and their relationships by not having any prior knowledge.

Thank you for providing me this opportunity and I hope that I can do a full review in the future after having read the prior books.

Good conclusion to this series. I really like Maeve and Brody. Maeve feels so left out. Her sisters are all happily married and she is a fifth wheel. She is also worried about Brody. She hasn't seen him for a couple of months and has a plan to find him, if she can get away from her family. Brody is busy trying to find the Embraced army and the witch that cursed him. What they both find are a lot of secrets. Maeve finally finds out who her parents are and so does Brody. He tries to spare Maeve from all of that, but she is determined and he won't be able to keep her away. So, he will have to protect her. Maeve knows she loves Brody, but Brody knows he can't have any kind of life with Maeve because he can't be in his true form for very long. What kind of life is that? Will she care?

This has easily become my favorite in the series and Kerrelyn Sparks does such a lovely job of bringing the series to an end.

Maeve and Brody have been destined for each other since book one and I have loved watching them grow into their characters.

While there continues to be mystery surrounding the series Sparks never let's it overwhelm the love story. Their sassy connection and love scenes were great and I am sad to see the series end. I can't wait to see what series Sparks does next.❤

Maeve is the fifth sister to find her destiny. All her sisters have married the kings of Aerthlan and she is feeling adrift only connecting with Brody a shifter cursed by a Sea Witch. Brody has gone missing looking for the Circle of 5. When Brody goes back to the Island of the Seer who brought him up he has to make a difficult decision to let Maeve go rather than living with his curse. Fate takes a hand and Maeve past will provide a emotional outcome to this finale. This was a lovely light fantasy which makes you invest in the characters especially the young ones.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This series is so fun to read!

This feels like the conclusion to the main series, but I hope we get more.
This friends to lovers romance was such an enjoyable journey for me. Maeve has been a long time favorite in this world, and her romance is by far one of the sweetest and most interesting by a long shot. (I may be slightly biases towards her, so fair warning!) Then again, Byron has always been an intriguing background character up to this point, and I couldn't be happier with the choice to have these two come together.
The mystery that we solve within the novel answers some long standing questions within the series. It gives us a new background, and some new characters as well. I don't want to spoil things, but this ending was great, and I recommend the series as a whole! Please check this one out!

The problem with building up a relationship through multiple titles is that it’s very hard for it to live up to readers’ expectations. And the romance in this didn’t. I could only handle so much of Brody’s “I want Maeve but I can only be a human for two hours a day so it’s best if we’re not together” schtick for so long. By 33% they’d barely even spent any time together. That’s a problem.

I was surprised to find after 4 books wondering who the main villain was how easily I was able to walk away from this title, but I was. Her motivations sound ridiculous and I don’t particularly want to read about them.

In my teenage years, I have read Sparks' a lot books, starting with <i>How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire</i>. I love her easy to follow style and though I have never read the Embraced series I knew that I would not feel lost. It is amazing to have this confidence in an author.
And I was right. <i>The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea</i>&nbsp;is a lovely paranormal romance book. Characters and the world are heartwarming. You do not feel like missing a lot by not reading previous books. And maybe it was better, since I did focus more on this book since it is all new to me.<br />
This book is a conclusion and introduction. Everything is wrapped up nicely. Maeve's past and Broody's identity obviously has been left out in the previous books and it was delightful not to wonder them throughout the series. I have never indulged in jumping last book of a series and i see that when you trust an author, it is not much a problem.
I loved Maeve, how she felt left out since all of her sisters bonded, and she was all alone except Brody. And I so feel her that married and children siblings are always talking my child is this, my child is that. (I have no maternal instinct as you can see.) And how she took the matter into her own hands... How she went after Brody and drawn her own way even a "Seer" told her not to. How you kept wondering how the problems will be solved, even if you know it is a romance book with a happy ending, it is a talent to make reader wonder. And she did it.
One thing pleasantly surprised me, how this series are woven with magic and fantasy world. One or another time, I am sure everybody must have wanted to just magically out of a bad situation. And this book gives that kind magical fulfillment. However, there were lots of characters and out of blue revelations and lots of repetition while filling characters what happened. Last part could have been shortened for the sake of the reader.
This was a comforting read with its simplicity and sweetness. I feel bad that I did not start from the beginning. But if you did, do not miss this one out. I am sure you will like this end.<br />
The Embraced Series&nbsp;</b>(I love the sassy names!)
<ol>
<li><i>How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days </i></li>
<li><i>
So I Married a Sorcerer</i></li>
<li><i>Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon</i>&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
The Embraced by Magic Series
<ol>
<li><i>How to Love Your Elf </i></li>
<li><i>The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea</i></li>
</ol>
<div></div>

This was a fantastic finish to this magical series. There was less humor and a slightly more serious story this time around, but the pace kept me engaged from beginning to end. Brody and Maeve were a great couple, each showing their courage and devotion to each other, and their bravery to stand up to the remaining members of the Circle of Five. I loved that we saw perspectives and side stories from other characters to bring the story together. The ending was fantastic, with all the kingdoms joining together for the final battle. Leo almost broke my heart a few times, but so glad he was finally able to enjoy some peace at the end.

This is a fun, romantic fantasy series that was consistently entertaining from beginning to end.

The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea is actually the fifth book in the Embraced Saga, labeled on goodreads as the second in the Embraced by Magic series.

Whatever all that means, this was the first book that I've read in the series. It wasn't hard to follow along, and the author does a good job of giving enough backstory without bogging down the reader with past details, though there were times that the story was a bit slow.

The book is a light paranormal romance that takes place in the magical world of Aerthlan and the Isle of Moon. Interesting world building, many magical beings.

We're told there was a years long friendship between the main characters of this book, Maeve and Brody. I thought Brody's curse was interesting in how the shifter leads worked around it to foster their friendship over the years. But at the same time, I didn't feel much of a connection or chemistry between the two, their dialogue was sometimes stilted.

There were a lot of characters introduced. Obviously this book was the culmination of the entire series. The villain was a bit lackluster and what was supposed to be a huge climax fell a little flat for me. There's a happy ever after for everyone.

While this was a good read, it didn't knock my socks off, have me on the edge of my seat, or have me swooning.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea by Kerrelyn Sparks is the fifth and final installation of The Embraced Series. On the Isle of Moon, five orphaned girls are raised by the nuns in the convent, and all five have embraced abilities. The eldest four sisters have each found their husbands, and have all become queens and rulers of Aerthlan. Now it is time for the youngest sister, Maeve, to find her own way and see what her own future holds. Maeve has the ability to shape-shift into a selkie, but has no idea where she really comes from, or who her parents are. She was left on the steps of the convent as a toddler, which no further information. Unlike her sisters, she feels lost not having any idea of where she belongs. Maeve has always had secret feelings for fellow shape-shifter, Brody, but when he goes missing for two months, she fears he is in danger, but can’t get anyone to listen to her concerns. As rumors spread of an Embraced Army on a secret island led by the vicious Circle of Five spread, Maeve believes this could be where Brody is. She decides to investigate on her own, but she is too young to truly understand the danger that lies ahead.

Brody was cursed by a witch as a child, he can only remain in his human form for 2 hours a day. In order for the curse to be reversed, he needs to find the same witch that cursed him to begin with. After losing his father and brother in a tragic boating catastrophe, Brody finds himself on the Isle of Mist, with it’s only occupant, the Seer. The Seer becomes a surrogate father to Brody, but now the Seer is at the end of his life. He tells Brody his secrets of a past lover and dreams of a daughter he never knew was alive, he was told she had died after birth. As Brody sets off to fulfill the last wishes of the Seer, he finds a treasure trove of secrets he never expected. As Brody and Maeve both find themselves on the Island of Secrets with the Sea Witch, Queen Cahira, and the evil Chameleon, will they be able to defeat the evil that has haunted not only them, but everyone on the islands and mainlands as well? They prepare for an epic battle in the conclusion of this beautiful series.

Kerrelyn Sparks is the queen of interesting characters, realistic detail, and a well paced plot that will hold your interest throughout the entire book. Each book in this series focuses on one of the Embraced orphan sisters, so it is important to start from book 1 in the series, it is not a recommended stand alone. All the characters appear in each book, which I believe makes this series SO GOOD! Each character comes together with their own embraced power to defeat whatever evil is attacking them. The action of the battle is amazing, the embraced powers include shape-shifters, the ability to make fire, blow up things, dragons, the ability to make wind, to throw lightening bolts, woodworkers, elves. It’s paranormal and fantasy heaven!

If you haven’t read any books by Kerrelyn Sparks, I highly recommend it. The Embraced series is a great place to start, but I also recommend her Love At Stakes series, about vampires and shape shifters. I truly believe both series of books would be a fantastic if they were made into a television series! I would like to thank Netgalley, Kensington Publishing and Kerrelyn Sparks for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I hope Ms Sparks is working on something new for me to devour!

I did not realize when I requested this book that it was the end of a series. That being said, I found the book worked as a stand alone, except you missed the 4 year relationship between Maeve and Brody.. The story flowed well and kept my interest. I didn't find it compelling, but it was interesting. 3-1/2 stars

Thank you NetGalley for giving me this ARC for my honest opinion..

Having been following these embraced books since the first one, I got rather invested with Brody and how his story would unveil. That it would also involve the last of the Isle of Moon orphan sisters was - I thought at first - an added bonus. I couldn’t be more wrong!! What a bummer that it didn’t turn up as the finale I expected it would be.

For one the lack of chemistry between Brody and Maeve - considering the suppressed feeling they had for one another for (four) YEARS - didn’t inspire me to root for this couple. I think the previous books - even on small portions - gave off better sparks and dynamics between the two. Also, I felt that Brody and Maeve’s backstories were divulged in a casual manner and lacking the potential emotion in the tragedy that shaped up their life.

I got that THE SIREN AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA was planned as the culmination of everything - the epic battle between the protagonists and the (supposedly evil) embraced army, so to speak - along with the romance between the last available protagonists (like Maeve and Brody). As such it carried quite a weight to tie up all loose ends and bring together the last (royal) couple of the series. Personally I don’t think this book delivered. With the many issues loaded in and the scattered story telling with multiple POVs, it read like a mess of a plot. The villains who had been depicted the whole series as cunning and dangerous opponents didn’t live up to their fame. They struck me as a pair of smug, whiny, and self-centered pricks. The expected epic battle turned into the bummer of all with how easily these dastards bested.

It’s fortunate that Nevis also (finally) got his chance in the spotlight as pivotal secondary character in this fifth installment to the series. He came to the rescue for the wit and spirits of the story. As expected whenever he made appearance in the previous books. His storyline was what saved the book for me, which included the potential love interest and his friendships with two royals of Aerthlan. If not for Nevis, I’m not sure I could finish this book. Thank gads for Nevis and his famous expression:
This is muscle not fat.


Copy of this book is kindly given by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Definitely my least favorite of all the books in this whole series. For one, I really wasn't feeling the relationship between Brody and Maeve. Their supposed love for one another was only questioned even more because of just how little these two ever actually interacted. Which was hardly ever at all. Then there was Maeve herself. Unlike what some others thought, I did not see her as being brave and determined with her actions. I saw her as being childish and reckless. I really hate when characters do something they have been told or asked not to do just to prove that they don't have to listen and that they can do stuff on their own. And that's what Maeve did here on more than one occasion. It also urked me when she kept trying to pressure Brody into taking her virginity not because they love each other, but so that the guy her mother wanted her to marry wouldn't want her. Wow...how romantic. But the worst part was this epic final showdown that we have been building up to was a complete and utter laughable let down. I can't be the only one who thought we'd be getting an ARMY when we hear Embraced army....not this.

So when we begin here, Brody has been missing for quite a while now and Maeve is really starting to get worried. When she overhears her queenly sisters talk of the embraced army she gets upset that they have left her out of the conversation and decides she is going to go off looking for the army herself and hopefully find Brody as well. After all, she remembers reading a book about some secret island and she is certain that is where the army would be hiding.

These two unknowingly cross paths at the Sea Witch's castle when Brody is there pretending to be someone else and Maeve learns of her parentage. They work together to figure out a way to defeat her, break Brody's curse, and to get any information they can learn passed on to Leo and the rest of the kings. Honestly, the ease at which these two are constantly fooling the witch was ridiculous and unbelievable. She's supposed to be a conniving and smart evil doer, but always believes everything they say no matter how suspicious it was. It was just so stupid and I kept waiting for her to at least suspect them but she never does.

As I said, this epic battle to end it all was so anti-climatic. Sure, there was a very short, but interesting battle of powers at one point, but the majority of it was in secret and involved too many children. IE: BORING. And of course, Maeve becomes a queen too and blah blah blah. On the plus side, Maeve does now have the power to help so many of those closest to her and it was really nice to see that.

There was also a little side romance between Brody's sister, Elinor, and Nevis. This one was way more entertaining than Brody and Maeve. The only thing that bugged me is how Elinor seemed to be pressuring Nevis to choose between her and becoming the General at the end. Not cool Elinor, not cool.

So yeah. I was disappointed with this one. I was really looking forward to getting Brody's book too so it kind of sucks how I just wasn't feeling this one. Overall though, it was a good series. Even if it started petering out at the end here.

This is the final book in the Embraced my Magic Series, we finally get to see Brody and Maeve get their happy endings... We learn more about Brodys past, and who actually cursed him, and see him come to terms with Maeve loving him and not caring that he is only himself for a couple hours a day.
Maeve learns more about herself, and who her parents were, and what her legacy will be.. Maeve is coming into her own as a person. shes not just the sister to the queens.. She is strong, has her own opinions and she can anything she sets her mind to.. including finding a secret island that everyone else thinks is just a story..
I loved seeing them figure things out.. Brody realizing that Maeve only continually called him Julia while he was a dog just to annoy him.. that was pretty funny..
I think that this could probably be read as a standalone.. I ended up reading the third book first, then went back and read one, and two because I just needed to know more about this world and what had happened in the previous books..
I can't wait to see what Kerrilyn Sparks comes out with next!




Thanks you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book for an honest review!

I was a bit hesitant to read The Siren and Deep Blue Sea after not enjoying the last book in the Embraced/Embraced by Magic series, How to Love Your Elf. After all, any novel that makes you question if  the other books in the series were actually ever any good or if you had some kind of a lapse in judgement does not exactly make you want to rush out and by subsequent entries in said series. Call me sentimental, but I did really want to know how the Embraced/Embraced by Magic series ended and I hoped it would redeem itself after the last less than stellar entry. I found that though The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea wasn't the best entry in the series, it certainly wasn't the worst either.

"If she had any feelings for him, he had to put a stop to them. He didn't know if he would ever get rid of this damned curse, and he would never ask her to share his accursed life. Maeve was too special, too sweet to be stuck with am man who could be a husband for only two hours a day."

Throughout the rest of the series, the romance and connection between cursed shapeshifter Brody--who is only able to exist in his true form for two hours a day due to the sinister spell of a Sea Witch--and Maeve--the youngest of the five Embraced sisters--was strongly foreshadowed. As a result, I had pretty high expectations for this romance, since it was well-established over the course of the four previous novels in the series. As a siren, Maeve is pretty dang enchanting supposedly, (we are simply told she that has a beautiful voice, but men never seem to drown when they're on a boat with her or anything remotely interesting or problematic), and the fact that she can also shift into a seal, which also means she's a selkie, only adds to her appeal to Brody. He's spent years secretly shifting into an otter or seal to play with Maeve when she's in her seal form, only to avoid her when he's in human form, for her own sake. Brody desperately doesn't want Maeve to return his secret romantic feelings as he can only be a human for two hours a day. We all know that's a lot cause, but I found the whole forbidden love and the idea of only being together in seal form pretty original and enticing.

"This was one of the reasons she'd always felt so close to Brody. His past was mysterious too, and he was also an embraced Shifter. Because of a witch's curse, he could maintain human form for only two hours a day, and unfortunately, he spent most of that time in secret conferences with Leo or whichever king he was currently helping. So it was only a rare occasions that Maeve saw him as a human."

Unfortunately, Brody and Maeve's romance, which was so built up over the course of the different novels, was a letdown for me. Everything went far too smoothly and perfectly despite their amount of issues. I felt disappointed by their lack of rapport, despite knowing each other for so long. Perhaps their stilted and unnatural conversations were due to the characters spending so much time interacting as seals that they simply didn't know how to communicate with one another in human form. But as this is not alluded to as a reason, I have to chock it up to unfortunate writing. I was even more irritated that this lack of ability to have a decent conversation, where neither is naked or hiding something. However, I was more frustrated that Brody's inability to be in human form for over two hours, does not at all inhibit them from consummating the relationship before curing Brody's curse, rendering his reservations from an entire series as a mere plot device in one fell swoop. I really wish their romance had been more of a slow burn throughout the course of this novel and not just the rest of the series.

The other side romance of the story wasn't any better. In fact, it was worse. Brody's sister, whom we never even knew about before this novel, and his friend, Nevis hit it off right away. I really couldn't care less about their instant love at first sight as I didn't even remember Nevis from previous novels and had no attachment to Eleanor at all, since she wasn't in them. Plus it was more just the fulfillment of the trope of a princess falling in love with someone below her station than actual development between the two. And this relationship got quite annoying because anyone in the presence of Nevis and Eleanor for half a second made an unfunny "I can't believe they're flirting right now" joke that repeats about 15 times throughout the entirety of The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea. It honestly felt like more and I found myself skimming whenever they came onto the page.

"And now she felt even more left out. Her sisters and their husbands had become an exclusive group she could never join."

And if you think that one princess per novel is enough, you'd definitely disagree with the author, who I can only imagine thinks every girl dreams of being a princess or Queen. I had to laugh at the beginning of The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea when Maeve said there was no way she would end up becoming a queen like her four sisters. Of course she does. And not only is Maeve actually a princess, but Brody is also a long believed dead prince! As if Maeve having four sisters as Queens wasn't enough, her mother was a queen of an ancient race. Talk about royalty overkill. The ending is similarly nauseatingly happy, with Maeve being the daughter of the Sea Witch who cursed Brody in the first place and inheriting all of her evil mother's powers upon her death. This grants Maeve the ability to easily cure some other kid's curse, Brody's curse, and her brother-in-law's inability to touch his children without electrocuting them with his lighting powers. Every little lose end is tied up in a pretty little package with a bow on top--everyone lives happily ever after, with Brody and Maeve being the future King and Queen of the very last monarchy with a vacancy.

I would've been far happier if Brody and Maeve had simply lived together as seals, swimming the oceans, and dropping by to visit her sisters when she felt like it. They also could have just spent Brody's two hours as humans when they felt like it. Surely it would have been far more romantic if Maeve had accepted Brody as he was, in any form than the two simply rehashing the other novels of the series and becoming yet another royal couple. I wish Maeve, who always felt like the odd one out of her sisters, had found her own, different sort of happiness. I think it would've been more fitting and romantic. Plus, even in stories like The Little Mermaid, the mermaid has to give up her home in the sea and her family to be with her human prince. But in the Embraced/Embraced by Magic series no character has to make any sacrifices to achieve what they want and that makes the novel utterly unrealistic and forgettable. 

Instead of realistic struggles and sacrifices, every single characters gets their happy ending in the Embraced/Embraced by Magic series, and it was more than just a little ridiculous how overly happy it was. The entire world is now at peace due to the romances of the five female sisters. Maeve, who was already a siren and a selkie, gains the Seer powers of her deceased father, and all of her the Sea Witches's magical powers and abilities--making Maeve a Seer, witch, selkie, siren, and queen. Laying it on pretty thick, if you ask me. And The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea doesn't offer much in the way of resistance to the saccharine ending. The sinister Embraced army that was such a huge threat and required literally four other countries to defeat them, ends up being made up of literally less than ten kids with magical powers, who spend a lot of time crying and not wanting to hurt other people. They too, of course, are all forgiven and find happy ever afters among the sisters. Likewise, the Chameleon, the big bad shapeshifter--who can be transform into anything or anyone and was the antagonist from the entire series goes down pretty damn easily. It is all very anticlimactic and sickeningly fortunate and I just couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to enjoy it.

"The civilization had been quite advanced, with paved roads and elegant stone villas with pools overlooking the sea. Members of the ancient race had been capable of different kinds of sorcery--shifting into animals and sea creatures, telepathy, telekinetic abilities, the gift of foresight, and even mind control. Not surprisingly, the most powerful sorcerers belonged to the nobility, and so the continent experienced a turbulent and violent history as the different noble families constantly battled one another for the throne."

The parts of The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea that interested me the most, sadly weren't explored much. Maeve and Brody don't spend a lot of time together as seals or mutually pining away with no physical relief. And when readers learn that Maeve is the last living descendant of an ancient race with unbelievable powers that destroyed itself and its own civilization, it's downfall is completely glossed over--despite the fact that we are told that Maeve can enter the history books and relive the events firsthand. I was bummed that more time wasn't spent on this interesting civilization and race, because it gave me very strong Atlantis vibes. Similarly, the romance between Maeve's father, The Seer, and her mother, the Sea Witch, could've been a heartbreaking love affair if it was handled properly. Readers mostly learn about it from a journal, and I wished the author had taken the time to tell the story from the perspective of the Seer himself in flashbacks or in a prologue that would make it more tragic. Mostly, I wished the author had rendered Maeve's mother more sympathetic and complex, instead of as a plain evil villain to be vanquished.

Ultimately, I guess my problem with The Siren of the Deep Blue Sea was really just that there were no real problems! I want my characters to suffer and to struggle more--I want them to be challenged and to not obtain everything they want with so little effort or moral quandaries. I do not want my characters to fight an army of ten innocent, tearful kids for world peace, I want them to fight a huge war and I want important characters to die in the process. I want characters like Brody to really struggle with their humanity and the idea of entering into a relationship when he is only a human for a mere two freaking hours a day and to not just brush it all aside the first time he's alone with his love interest.

Sadly, I think I'm just too jaded to enjoy such flawlessly happy endings like this. The romance of Maeve and Brody, and the resulting literal world peace just feels cheap and unearned to me. But if unquestionably happy endings are your thing, The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea, and the rest of the Embraced/Embraced by Magic series is perfect for you. I am glad I know how the series ended, and it's definitely a stronger entry in the series than the last novel, but I still feel unsatisfied by the ending and strongly wished Maeve would have forged her own path to happiness with Brody in a way that was different from her sisters. After all, it's called The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea, so shouldn't Maeve had ended up in the ocean and not as yet another queen on a throne?

I really enjoyed getting to see Brody and Maeve finally get their HEA. I gotta say, I didn’t see this match coming, but friends to lovers is a favorite trope of mine and I couldn’t be happier for the way it all turned out. Now that all the sisters have found kings and all the enemies have been vanquished, I wonder if the characters we just met will get stories?
Fingers crossed!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Unfortunately i could not get into this book but since it is the 5th book in the series perhaps i will go back and read the first 4 then revisit this book.
slow and drown out

The following review will be posted to my blog on September 20, 2020 at the link provided. It will also be cross-posted Goodreads on the same day.


My Rating: 4.5 stars

Library recommendation: Recommended for public library fantasy romance collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story. 


____________________________

Number of titles I have read by this author: 5

Love story speed: Medium burn, with elements of puppy love (pun intended)

Relationship dynamics: The Orphan Selkie (h) / The Spy Shifter (H)

Physical descriptions: Maeve: thin, with black hair and green eyes ; Brody is tall, and lean, but muscular, with shaggy black hair and blue eyes

Sexual content: A smidge; “on-screen” and explicit

Triggers: Child soldiers; child slaves; parental abandonment

Grammar/Editing: The ARC I read had a few typos and a lone imprecise pronoun reference.

Review: This is a quick paced novel that continues from where the previous book left off, both in terms of plot, and in terms of world building. While I still maintain that you can read this series out of order, I would still recommend starting at the beginning and working your way through, if you haven't read the previous books (I have read all of them - my review for book 4 can be found here [https://fanscihist.wordpress.com/2020/02/29/how-to-love-your-elf-by-kerrelyn-sparks/]). There is a series arc that comes to a conclusion in this novel, and it will make more sense if you read that information sequentially, even if the twists in this novel are easy to work out.

The main characters of this novel are Brody and Maeve. Brody and Maeve have been secretly enamored of each other since they met (about 5 years prior to the events of this novel). They challenge each other, but clearly trust and rely on one another. Nothing is really too difficult in their relationship, but nothing is too easy, either. In terms of secondary characters, I liked that Nevis and Elinor got a cute secondary love story - they were well-developed as characters and their subplot was a nice bonus to read. I also appreciated some of the humanizing of the villains in this novel, as well as how the author filled in some of the gaps and solved some of the lingering problems in the series.

Essentially, a cute and neat final installment that I was excited for and enjoyed.



Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I started the first series because of the author's clever title of "Eight simple rules for dating a dragon". I got sucked into the clever detailed rich world of the embraced and I'm sadly at the end of my journey. *sniffles". The siren and the deep blue sea was a fine ending to a journey through these characters lives. I loved how the embraced " underdogs" on the secret island found their voices. Brody and Maeve journey towards their happy ending was worth the wait.