3 Stars
Odd lot romance.
Ben is a dependable guy doing his job when he stumbles upon a magical folly and pool in the woods. Even more amazing is the beautiful if slightly creepy man lurking about the area. Turns out that Lyle's loitering because he doesn't have much choice--Cursed.
Landlocked and alone, what's a merman to do?
The years have been long and Lyle's not exactly taken it well. Ben is attracted, but a bit turned off by some of Lyle's mannerisms. All this sounds good, a solid basis for a relationship. Unfortunately, it feels uneven. I think the emotional yo-yo of Lyle and the ho-hum everydayness of Ben just doesn't bridge the rather immediate attraction and odd interactions they have.
Placing fantastical beings into contemporary settings is tricky, and I think I prefer them in a less prosaic situation. When the glamour and mystique of something is crowded and shrunk by the rules of now, it's hard for me to enjoy them as much. That said, this had some lovely issues of gender determination that worked very well with the subject matter. *tip of the hat*
This wasn't riveting for me, but it was a diversion. I suspect some will love this more than I and others not. But, had to read it--Merman.
Ben is a dependable guy doing his job when he stumbles upon a magical folly and pool in the woods. Even more amazing is the beautiful if slightly creepy man lurking about the area. Turns out that Lyle's loitering because he doesn't have much choice--Cursed.
Landlocked and alone, what's a merman to do?
The years have been long and Lyle's not exactly taken it well. Ben is attracted, but a bit turned off by some of Lyle's mannerisms. All this sounds good, a solid basis for a relationship. Unfortunately, it feels uneven. I think the emotional yo-yo of Lyle and the ho-hum everydayness of Ben just doesn't bridge the rather immediate attraction and odd interactions they have.
Placing fantastical beings into contemporary settings is tricky, and I think I prefer them in a less prosaic situation. When the glamour and mystique of something is crowded and shrunk by the rules of now, it's hard for me to enjoy them as much. That said, this had some lovely issues of gender determination that worked very well with the subject matter. *tip of the hat*
This wasn't riveting for me, but it was a diversion. I suspect some will love this more than I and others not. But, had to read it--Merman.
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