I could not put this book down!!! If you’re looking for your next fantasy with a little bit of added spice then this right here need going on your tbr.
Sure like the usual fantasy book at the beginning it was who what where ……it is so well written. The world building and character building is 5 stars alone.
I really did watch a movie playing in my head as I read this.
Cannot wait for the next book. I need myself a keeper😜. You will need to read it to know what I mean but wow it is worth it.

This book picks up right where book 1 left off but it now follows Rowan as he goes to the water kingdom to ask the queen for the legendary artifact, the Tidal Pearl. When he gets there, Nerys is assigned to escort him for the duration of his stay. I loved her! She's kind but fierce, she wields water better than her queen and is ready to rise up! Like the first book, it was a little insta lovey, but the book is so fast paced and fun that it didn't bother me. Loved getting to explore more of the world in this book and I cannot wait for more!

I’m going to be honest, I applied for this book after reading the blurb and didn’t realise until after reading that the book is book two in the series! Which is my fault entirely

I really enjoyed the premise of this book and did enjoy it, despite the face it is second in this series (will be going back to reading book one after this! The only criticism I had, which is a me thing, it that there was a lot of cliches in this book that I just couldn’t look past, I think it is entirely a me thing. That being said, I would still read more by this author

4.5 stars rounded up!

To start, I need to mention that this is book two in the Heirs of Elydor series by C.L. Mecca and I have not read book one (yet!). It follows different main characters so I believe it can be read without reading the first one, but I kind of wish I had read book one first!

Tide of Waves and Secrets is a multi-POV romantasy following Rowan, a human on a quest to find an artifact in the immortal realm, and Nerys, a powerful immortal assigned to guard him as he petitions the Thalassarian Queen for access to the legendary Tidal Pearl. As their professional relationship deepens into a spicy, forbidden attraction, Nerys finds her loyalties torn between duty to her queen and her growing feelings for the mortal man. With the kingdom on the brink of war, they must navigate challenges that could change the fate of the entire Thalassarian realm while questioning whether their heartwarming love can survive the clash between political duty and personal desire.

Set in a unique magical world, this engaging and fun read delivers an epic love story that will keep you hooked while setting up future adventures with intriguing side characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.75 stars (rounded up to 3)

I really wanted to like this book., unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. When I first received an arc of Tide of Waves and Secrets , I was pretty excited to read this. However, as it turns out, this is book 2 in a series of standalones set in the same world. While that's a non-issue, I feel like if I had read book 1, I would have understood the world building a little bit better. The writing style was easy to read and written in simple, but sharp language. However, the sentence structuring was really strange and somewhat clunky at points, making it all the more hard to grasp the story. As for the characters, I liked both Rowan and Nerys individually. But together? I just couldn't see their relationship working. For one, there was insta-love. And I don't mind insta-love as a trope when its done right, but here, it wasn't and it failed to show any chemistry between the two.

All of this made for an off-putting reading experience, and unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book at all. However, I will say that the writing has potential to be great, and I will keep an eye out for what C.L. Mecca's gonna write.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alright, let’s dive straight into Thalassaria—a world of rebel princesses, clever-as-hell spies, royal drama, and some seriously high-stakes magic. This book doesn’t tiptoe around anything. It runs, and the romance? Oh, honey. It sprints.

We’re following Sir Rowan (broody and brave) and his guard Nerys (sharp, loyal, and not here to play games). And let me tell you—this isn’t your slow-burn, drawn-out longing type of story. Nope. This romance goes from spark to scorching in about two chapters. Personally? I’m more of a suffer-a-little-first, burn-me-slow kind of girl, so the insta-heat wasn’t totally my vibe—but credit where it’s due, the tension was there, and the spicy scenes were chef’s kiss.

Now, this is book 2 in the series, and while it follows a different couple, the world itself is rich and layered. If you’re new to Thalassaria, you can jump in here, but honestly? I'd recommend starting with book one so you're not catching up mid-wave.

The world-building? Absolutely nailed it. It was vivid without dumping lore on my head like a bucket of cold water. Everything flowed naturally and kept me hooked without confusion—rare in fantasy, and I love that for us.

Bottom line: If you're into fast-paced fantasy romance with action, rebellion, magic, and a love story that doesn’t wait around—Tide of Waves and Secrets is calling your name.

This is a really fun fantasy series. I didn't realize it wasn't the first book, so I have spoiled a few things for myself, but I still really enjoyed this book and characters. some spice but not overly done. There is definitely room for the series to continue without being left on a huge cliffhanger, but enough intrigue for the next book.

Tide of Waves and Secrets
Heirs of Elydor #2
C.L. Mecca

Sir Rowan is a human and he arrives in the immortal realm of Thalassarian seeking the Queen out to speak with her as he needs the legendary Tidal Pearl. Nerys is a Thalassarian guard who is assigned as his escort because he is not allowed to walk around the palace grounds or in the palace without an escort. But Nerys finds a strange connection to Rowan that grows into an undeniable full blown attraction. The more time she spends with him the more she wants this devastatingly powerful mortal.

Trapped within the palace while the queen decides Rowan's fate, Nerys realizes her allegiances are shifting. With the tidal pearl at stake, there is only one way to protect it. And that is by challenging the Queen's crown. But as the moment comes closer Nerys and Rowan will be forced to confront a choice. A choice between loyalty to their realms or love. A love that defies the laws of mortality.

Oh my goodness! What a wild ride. Ms. Mecca does it again. This is the second book and it was as good as the first. Sir Rowan was absolutely magnificent. He went through so much with losing his grandfather and having a new role passed down. A role that he never expected to go to him. Nerys was fascinating. What she could do with water was absolutely incredible. I really enjoyed this second book and I'm really glad that I read the first as it helped me fall into the second one very quickly. If you enjoy, fantasy and magic then this is the book for you. Ms. Mecca you are fantabulous and I never tire of reading your books.

I enjoyed this book. The writing was great. The characters were well written and the setting was great.

I'm completely swept away. This book is everything I crave in a romantasy: rich world-building, compelling characters, and a love story that defies the odds.

The realm of Thalassaria is vividly imagined, with magic that ebbs and flows like the tides. Nerys and Rowan's journey is filled with tension, secrets, and choices that kept me turning pages late into the night.

If you're a fan of epic fantasy with a strong romantic thread, this one is a must-read. Five stars from me!

Thank you again to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the chance to read this ARC. This is the second book on the series. I really enjoyed this book and the characters. I haven’t read the first book but that didn’t matter. Both books are interconnected with each other so I found I was able to follow along with the story.

A nice sequel to the first book in the series, with an enchanting setting and fun plot. I did see a lot of mistakes in the book itself though where it switched between 1st and 3rd person despite the fact it is a 1st person point of view story…..so that dampened my enjoyment I’m afraid.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed The Tide of Waves and Secrets! It was great to follow Rowan and Nerys more closely in this installment—their storyline added depth and momentum to the overall series arc. Their dynamic was compelling, and I appreciated how their journey helped push the broader plot forward in meaningful ways. This book felt like a turning point in the series, with just the right mix of character development, tension, and worldbuilding. Can’t wait to see what’s next!

This is book 2 in this series, and I loved this story just as much as the first book (Whisper of War and Storms). This book is about Rowan, who is tasked at the end of the first book with going to ask the queen of the water kingdom for the Tidal Pearl, a legendary artifact needed to open the gate Mev came through in the first book. When he arrives he is assigned an escort while staying in the palace, her name is Nerys. She is fierce, kind, and can wield water better than the queen herself. There is instant chemistry and undeniable attraction between these two characters. Nerys doesn't think the queen will hand over the Tidal Pearl to help Rowan and his friends but she believes in what they are doing, trying to open the gate, and she wants to help them. So she decides to do the one thing that she has been scared to do yet feels is her destiny, challenging the queen for the throne. This book was fast paced, fun, romantic, with some action and suspense tied in! The descriptions of the water kingdom were so beautiful and vivid I felt as if I was there. I felt like I wasn't just reading this story but actually a part of it, like I was experiencing it rather than reading it. I loved everything about this story and I don't know how I'm supposed to wait for the next book now! 💙📚

Thank you to the author and to the publisher for this ARC of Tide of Waves and Secrets, in exchange for an honest review.

Pre thoughts
- Magic

Overall
- I did take me a little bit to get invested in the story, as I have not read the first book. It has a lovely story line and progresses in a beautiful way over the journey of the book. The world building was great and was quite an immersive read.

Stars
3.75 rounded to 4

Tropes
- Forbidden love
- Mysteries '
- Friends to lovers
- visions
- Powerful FMC

Thank you to boldwood and netgally for the eARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

It started really strong, but by the middle of the book I was having a hard time getting into it so I took a break. I really loved the ending, it makes me want to read the sequel. The characters were really lovable, I loved the banter between them. Everything was so well described I could picture everything in my head easily.

In this second book of the series the human Sir Rowan arrives in Thalassaria in hope of their queen will agree to give their most precious Tidal Pearl for trying to re opening the gate to the human world. The queen, who is not very friendly towards humans and is not trusting them, assigns the guard Nerys to be his escort. Only with her he is allowed to leave his room in which he otherwise has to stay.
Soon both can´t deny that feelings stir which none of them expected and also Nerys must acknowledge that the queen is not acting considering what is best for her clan. Both are bound by loyalty towards their clan and what is best for them but soon they find out that for the greater good they need to work together and Nerys must accept that her power is so great that by Thalassaria´s law she must challenge the queen and take over that role.


You need to read the first book to understand this one as the story continues here with another focus about the main characters. Otherwise may things could be confusing from my point of view.
I enjoyed reading also this second book. Rowan we already know a bit from the first book and I really liked that this book is focusing on him. New are the Thalassarians characters which I really liked. That they are able to wave water magic is well written and I enjoyed it. For me this sounded like a wonderful world and I liked how they are working with/using water.
The book is written from Rowan´s and Nery´s perspective.

Rowan is for me a great character. I like how loyal he is, how is wants only the best for humans but also for others.
Nerys I liked right from the start. She worked hard to become who she is and that she is hiding all this time how much power she possesses makes her even more likeable for me. Once needed to stand up to your queen and to accept that you need to take over as ruler is for sure not easy.
The love story between both of them is well written. I really like how it unfolds and most of all that it is not easy for both of them. On the one hand we have an immortal and a human which is not an easy decision for them but also as this is kind of a forbidden love story is causing them enough trouble.

Also all the preparation in fighting the queen is well written and I enjoyed finding out who is loyal to the Thalassarian rules and who the queen can corrupt, what she is planning to remain queen.

For me a good book in this series and I look forward in finding the next artefact to re open the gate.

BOOK: TIDE OF WAVES AND SECRETS
AUTHOR: C.L MECCA
PUB DATE: MAY, 2025
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REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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THINGS I LIKED
1. The main characters, the FMC, Nerys and the MMC, Rowan
2. The maturity of the MCs, and they're older too
3. The powerful FMC and her drive to make things better for people
4. The world building and diverse characters, human and mortals
5. The fast relationship between the MCs, it was nice and cute
6. The perfect ending
7. The book was fast, minimal drama, and easy to read.
8. The MC's role as the Keeper and a spy
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THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE
1. I didn't really know how the human/ immortal relationship since one was going to die and leave the other.
2. I wanted more of an epilogue, especially something from the future.
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This book is in a series, with each book focusing on different characters and it was quite easy to read with no confusions and amazing characters. I liked reading it.
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I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it has since come out. Just as part 1, this was a success too! This one definitely felt like the stakes were higher, while part 1 was more the set up of the story. Very enjoyable.

A beautifully written and engaging read from start to finish. The characters are well-developed, the plot is compelling, and the writing style draws you in immediately. A perfect choice for anyone looking for a story that’s both heartfelt and memorable. Highly recommended!