Wild Blue Under

Its not really an exaggeration to say I adored the first book, In Over Her Head about Rod's younger twin brother Reel and his love o'life Erica and eagerly looked forward to what adventures the stick in the mud Rod could get into while getting his own love o'life. Mer people are one of those devices in fiction that catch my attention pretty quickly. Hot Mer Men with ironic names, pop culture references with a distinctly Mer people twist, snarky fish, belligerent seagulls...honestly I can go on like this forever. Rod, who in the first book was an all around stiff-necked goody-goody, shows an entirely different side this time around. While not as carefree as his twin, he relaxes to the point where he made a joke of the situation and it was funny. We learn a little more about why he was so adament about Reel staying Under the Sea--overwhelming and misplaced guilt being a big factor--as well as what is was like for him as the Heir. It wasn't all bubbles and kelp wraps that's for sure. Valerie is different from Erica in that not only does she technically belong to the underwater kingdom to begin with, but she also rejects it for the better part of the book. Her reasoning behind it is a little iffy--the whole deal with the mother and father that is--and could have done with a bit more fleshing out though. She's a spitfire though, and once the ball gets moving she digs her feet in and she goes with it as much as possible. Not without calling herself insane the entire time, but she at least rolls with it. The sparks are immediate for Rod and Valerie, and Rod is certainly rather funny. Unlike Reel, who didn't fight his attraction for Erica at all, Rod tells himself, repeatedly, that its just not possible. Or its something in the air. Or the fact her shell-fillers are filled out nicely. He comes up with some pretty creative excuses for his attraction. Valerie on the other hand has to constantly catch herself because she spends a lot of time with her mind wandering off to wicked ways they could be enjoying their time together. Livingston, yes he's a seagull and yes that name is rather ironic, is an entertaining side companion. He spends a lot of time ribbing Rod for his attraction to Valerie or almost breaking some pretty confidential secrets (or urging Rod to do it). Several characters from the first book make re-appearances. Fisher (Rod and Reel's father), their mother and their younger sister Angel (who has her own book due out in Feb, Catch of a Lifetime). Drake, who I 'm guessing will be the main focal bad guy in the third book as well, also makes a reappearance and is just as nasty as before. We spend a bit more time with Charley in his role as messenger between the Gods above and the Mer Folk. And we see Fisher not really learning from his mistakes. So to conclude--great second book, I love Rod (though not as much as Reel) and I'm eager for book 3!

I must say I am hooked:) Wild Blue Under was as good as In Over Her Head. A family trilogy of sorts with a little suspense and a lot of romance I couldn't put it down and stayed up way to late to finish it. I went to bed with a smile though! Thank you for another wonderful read. I am impatiently looking forward to the last book in the series.

I confess : I am a literature snob. I read all my life only "serious" , conservative works. I came across Mrs. Fennell's underwater fantasy by chance and while I laughed and giggled with delight alongside Rod and Valerie's adventures I realized what a word master the writer is . The word puns are spot on, the dialog is fresh and engaging . The humor she uses in each instance is a fine one and it caught me by surprise. The love scenes are original and unbelievably creative, never vulgar or mushy as romance novel s have a reputation in fostering. Bottom line is, I became so engaged in reading Wild Blue Under that I almost finished it while in the store and in the end, while delighting in the author's rich imagination, I learned a valuable lesson : never judge a book by its covers .. Ghost Words and other Echoes it's...

~IF YOU LIKED, IN OVER HER HEAD, YOU'RE GONNA LOVE WILD BLUE UNDER!~ WILD BLUE UNDER Tritone Mer Trilogy, Book 2 Judi Fennell Sourcebook Casablanca Book Blurb: Rod Tritone, heir to the throne of the undersea world, needs a queen capable of ruling the oldest kingdom on earth. Someone regal, learned and of noble birth. Problem is, the only eligible noble-born Mer princess is half-Human - and she doesn't have a clue about the non-Human part.Valerie Dumere has screwed up her life at every turn, so when her mother dies and leaves her the family business, Val realizes it's up to her to buckle down and get her life on track. No more excuses.So when a guy shows up claiming to be her destiny, she scoffs. No way. She isn't running away from her responsibilities ever again - no matter how good the guy looks without a shirt.But Rod isn't going away. He can't claim his inheritance without her - and Val will lose hers if she goes with him.It's going to take one whale of a tale to get her to chuck it all and follow him off into the wild blue under... "A delightful, quirky blend of humor, adventure, and passion." Star-Crossed Romance My Thoughts: Growing up, some of my favorite TV shows were a blend of comedy and serious. I loved the touch of paranormal/comedy in I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched. The comedy was focused on normal humans coming into contact with humans with magical/mythical powers. The fun part was the reaction of everyday people when they did. Magic that got out of hand and the dashing about to save the day. Explaining the unexplainable. Yet, these shows dealt with serious issues and human emotions: love, jealousy, aging, job security, raising kids, nosy neighbors, national security, and interfering in-laws. They all had a `twist' and they made you feel good when the show was over. WHAT I LOVE ABOUT jUDI FENNELL'S BOOKS: ROMANCE THAT'S FUNNY, ENGAGING, DEFINITELY HOT, AND MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD ONCE YOU'VE FINISHED THE BOOK. I LOVED IT! Wild Blue Under is the second book of Judi's Tritone Mer Trilogy. It's even better than the first. Like my favorite shows, it deals with serious issues--life and death but Fennell maintains her theme of Fairy Tales With A Twist. Take the improbable, add superb characters, and then build a marvelous story, filled with laughter, dangerous adventure, romance, and a happy ending. What would you do if you found out birds could talk, and not only talk but plan out evasive maneuvers when under attack? Or that the talking Sea Gull was the Chief of Aerial Security tasked with the responsibility keeping the Heir to the throne safe? Or that birds could become terrorists and close down airports and create havoc on the highways to stop traffic? This is just some of the many things that normal, Valerie Dumere, has to not only deal with but also make sense of while dealing with a not normal, hot hunk named Rod Tritone. Valerie is determined to stick to one thing and which is making her mother's shop a success. She'

When his father steps down as High Councilman, Rod Tritone knows his duty is to replace him running the Kingdom of Mer. However, the ruling Council directs Rod that before he assumes the position he will marry the lost daughter of Mer. Although he does not want to marry anyone nor go on land, Rod understands his people's needs come before his desires. He is given legs so he can walk with the landlubbers as his queen is on the surface in ironically land locked Kansas selling ocean tchotchkes at Therese's Treasure Trove. Valerie Dumere scoffs at Rod's instance that she is a hybrid human-mermaid as she has never had a tail nor can she even swim. However, when someone tries to kill her, Val knows something is not right, but still scorns her rescuer's insistence that he lives under the sea. The second Tritone brother Mer urban-oceanic romantic fantasy (see In Over her Head) is a terrific tale of the tail from the moment Rod arrives at the store knowing this can't be Atlantis. Fans will enjoy the amusing banter between the disbeliever and the Mer trying to convince her to dive into the ocean as his mate while a predator wants her dead. This is a fun fantasy with readers wondering whether Val will there's no place like home when you are loved by the one you treasure. Harriet Klausner