In Deep Waters

Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell for CK2S Kwips and Kritiques Kayla Waterton has always loved the sea at the same time she was terrified of the secrets it held. She indulged her love for it by becoming a maritime historian, the best in the field. Her greatest desire was to complete her father's life-long dream of finding the sunken ship, Isabella, a three-century old pirate ship, believed to hold the greatest treasure of its time. She finally gets her chance to go on a search expedition for the ship when the salvage operation her museum hired to find the ship goes off on its search in the wrong area. Kayla decides to join the expedition in hopes of leading them correctly to finding the lost ship. Captain Ben Mendoza is the owner of Xmarks Explorer, the operation hired by Kayla to find the Isabella. He is one of the best in his field, so is none too pleased when required to take Kayla along on his hunt. He is convinced his research is correct and the ship is right where he thinks and refuses to listen to Kayla when she tells him otherwise. He makes it his personal mission to prove Kayla can't handle the job and to make her want to leave. When his entire crew becomes smitten with her, including his three year old daughter Madison, he is all the more determined to get her to leave. Kayla and Ben are at odds from the moment they meet, the only thing they have in common being their mutual desire to find the Isabella. She is a dreamer and he is a realist, convinced it was his ex-wife's following her dreams that led to the dissolution of their marriage. All he cares about now, besides his career, is his daughter, and making her as happy as can be. His is furious with Kayla for filling Madison's head with nonsense, believing it will only hurt her in the long run. And when Madison starts talking about the merman she saw in the sea, Ben is all the more convinced Kayla will do nothing but wreak havoc on his ship. But Kayla also has a hidden agenda in her desire to find the lost ship. She believes it holds the secrets to her heritage, which her father never got a chance to tell her about before he died. For her only link to her past is a necklace she wears, with unusual markings on it, some of which were found in documents her father had tracked down before his death, pertaining to the Isabella. So imagine Kayla's surprise when, while playing with Madison in her wading pool, she sprouts a tail! It is the likes of which she only fantasized about as a child, when dreaming of mermaids and Atlantis. She has to keep this secret from Ben, as he would only scoff at her and turn away, just as they are beginning to draw closer to their ship...and each other. Madison is fascinated as well, convinced she wants a tail of her own, which leads to an accident. Will Kayla be able to reveal her secret to Ben? And will he be able to lover her in spite of it? Will they find the Isabella and the key to Kayla's heritage? This second book in the Tale of the Sea miniseries is a wo

There's a mystery surrounding Kayla Waterton's past...and she's ready to look for answers aboard Ben Mendoza's ship. But what she finds is more questions. The biggest one is, how did she manage to fall in love with this sea-hardened sailor who doesn't believe in magic and dreams? In Deep Waters has magic and mystery...and most of all a great love story! Melissa McClone shines.