CL Mecca brought another fantastic fantasy romance! Great world building and character that really brought this story to life. I'm excited to see what she writes next!

thank you for this copy of the book in exchange for a review.

I was a big fan of the first book and this one lived up to the expectations that were set. The writing and descriptions were beautiful and exactly what I was hoping for from the author.

C.L. Mecca’s Tide of Waves and Secrets sweeps readers back into the enchanting realm of Thalassaria with a story that blends courtly intrigue, elemental magic, and a romance that defies the laws of mortality.

When Sir Rowan, a human knight, arrives seeking the legendary Tidal Pearl to reopen the gates between realms, he expects resistance from the immortal queen. What he doesn’t anticipate is Nerys, the formidable Thalassarian guard assigned to watch his every move. Strong, loyal, and hiding a power greater than anyone suspects, Nerys finds her sense of duty tested as her connection to Rowan deepens into something she can’t deny. But in a kingdom where loyalty means submission, their growing bond is as dangerous as it is intoxicating.

Mecca’s world-building continues to shine, with Thalassaria’s oceanic magic and political tensions rendered in vivid, immersive detail. The dual POV narration allows readers to feel both Rowan’s grief-tinged determination and Nerys’s struggle between loyalty and destiny. Their romance leans toward insta-love, but it’s filled with yearning, tension, and enough open-door spice to satisfy romantasy fans.

What sets this book apart is how it balances romance with larger themes of power, betrayal, and the courage to challenge injustice. Watching Nerys wrestle with her duty to her queen while realizing her own strength makes her one of the series’ most compelling leads yet.

Though best enjoyed after Whisper of War and Storms, this installment can stand on its own, offering enough context for new readers without slowing the story’s pace. The cliffhanger ending promises even higher stakes in the next book, leaving fans eager to see where Rowan and Nerys’s journey leads.

With its rich world, fast-paced plot, and emotionally charged romance, Tide of Waves and Secrets is a must-read for fans of fantasy romance who crave both passion and adventure.

Whisper of War and Storms set the stage beautifully, but this sequel took everything I loved and elevated it further. The story introduces fresh faces while deepening the lore of a world that already felt rich and alive.

I adored the first book and rated it 5 stars, yet this installment resonated with me even more. The way the narrative weaves water into every aspect of culture and daily life was especially mesmerizing—it gave the world a rare and unforgettable texture.

Wow I loved this book.
I have always been a fantasy lover and especially when it’s romantasy. This books gives you the perfect amount of romance with banter which I love.
This is Book 2 in the Heirs of Elydor series, but they are more like interconnected standalone as they follow different characters so reading book 1 isn’t necessary but I think that it helps.
The story follows Nerys, who is a guard in the immortal realm of Thalassaria and she’s assigned to escort a mysterious human, Rowan. They have to make a decision between loyalty to the realms and love.
I loved the world-building , and I really enjoyed the dual POV between Nerys and Rowan.

I went into this not reading the first book so went and read that first before starting into this journey!

This book has more spice in it compared to book one which I preferred a like a little bit of spice with romance.

With Rowan being the “weaker” between the two.. I loved that and it gave such a good character development for Nerys.

I will say however this was a slow read for me and took me a while to finish due to keep putting it down and reading other books inbetween

Thank you to NetGalley and to Boldwood Books for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

So - had I known that this was book 2 in a series, I would have done my best to read book one before reading this one. Of course, I don't read the synopsis, which kind of hits me sometimes! Case in point - this one. I really was confused about the world for over 60% of the book - I was lost as the world-building seemed it had already been really formed (which it was, in the first book!), and the overall plot seemed strange to me, but again - of course it was really setup in book 1.

Nerys the FMC was really intriguing to me - I LOVE that she's this badass, all powerful Thalassia guard and as a result, she's to be with Rowan constantly while he's staying in Thalassaria. Her being there really puts a barrier into his plans to open a gate between realms. It's fun and fast paced, and it's for sure an insta-love kind of situation which isn't my usual favorite. I loved the switch is the usual "he's strong, she's the weak one" as Nerys is incredibly stronger and powerful here!

The spice was good, and there was a moment where I was just kicking my feet with joy! The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I look forward to seeing how it moves forward in book 3!

A Stunning Sequel That Deepens an Already Rich World.

This was a fantastic sequel to Whisper of War and Storms, expanding the world in exciting and beautiful ways. I loved that we followed new characters while continuing to explore the vast, intriguing setting that first drew me in.

I gave the first book 5 stars and enjoyed this one even more. The setting in this installment was especially captivating—there’s something magical about a world where water is so central to the characters' lives and culture.

In this story, Rowan is sent to retrieve the Tidal Pearl from the Thalassarian Queen. While at the palace, he’s accompanied by Nerys, who has been assigned to guide him. As their journey unfolds, secrets are revealed, and the story builds toward pivotal moments for both of them.

Like the first book, this story leans more toward insta-love than slow burn, which I didn’t mind at all. The author does an excellent job of showing the instant chemistry and connection between Rowan and Nerys. In fact, I think I might even prefer Rowan over Kael from the first book!

Once again, the world-building is phenomenal. I remember praising the first book for its rich detail and how naturally the information was delivered—and the same holds true here. Everything is revealed at a perfect pace, making the story immersive without being overwhelming.

I look forward to reading more by this author. Thank you to Boldwood books for the earc of this book. All thoughts are my own.

This is the second book in the Heirs of Elydor series. After loving the first book, I was excited for this one and was not disappointed. It follows two new characters, Rowan and Nerys. I loved both characters, but I found Rowan especially interesting. The plot was intriguing and kept me glued to the book. The chemistry between Rowan and Nerys was also wonderfully written. The world-building is fantastically written and richly detailed, making it easy to immerse yourself in this world. I'm looking forward to the third book in the series! Thank you to C.L. Mecca, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thanks to netgalley & the publisher for this eARC. I started at book 2, I feel like I may be missing some plot points, but overall I fell in love with the tropes
💙 Elemental magic

💙 Enemies to lovers

💙 Court setting

💙 Forbidden romance

💙 Unique magic system

💙 Strong female lead

💙 Reverse bodyguard

💙 Slow burn

💙 Found family
I love anything with a strong female lead, the spice was amazing. I loved the mmc. As usual with a fantasy novel, the names were impossible to pronounce so I made up shorter names & I plan on going back to reading the first, then re-reading the second and the 3rd My favorite books are dual POV.

4 ⭐️

This book was as awesome as the 1st in the series. I “devoured” the first one and same happened here. I was so attached to the main characters, Nerys and Rowan and the world-building that I spent all the moments I had reading the book and regret nothing about it! Loved every second of this magical journey.

The characters here are so well developed and the way we see their relationships evolving…perfect! The slow burn between the FMC and MMC…I was feral for it! The way you can see their chemistry building up in a natural way…wow! The spicy here…absolute perfection! Also, the amount of details related with the ocean were so captivating, to a point I could clearly imagine the scenes and even almost “feel the water breeze” (it may sound silly, but I was able to feel it, so let dreamer dream🙈).

I had a blast reading this book and can’t wait to eat up the next one! I’m pretty confident it will be awesome, as much as firsts ones. Highly recommend to everyone who loves fantasy, with a good dose of romance and world-building. It’s such a rich and easy read and one that allows you to enjoy every single moment you spend immersed in the book. Loved it very much🖤

Thank you very much to C. L. Mecca and NetGalley for giving me the access to the ARC

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.