He doesn’t want a woman, let alone a wife… Valentine Sean Butler, the sixteenth Viscount Mountgarret, is cursed to spend half his life as a merman. Though he doesn’t mind his beastly side, he takes exception to warring for the cause of the mers. They hate humans and require his fighting skills, but all Valentine wants is to sail his ship and be left alone in peace… then one chance meeting with … with a lady in Hyde Park bends his plans.
She has no use for men, but needs a convenient marriage… Lady Phoebe Winthrop, used, ruined, and disowned is ready to steer her own fate. Not content with the horrible birthmark or the life given her, she wants adventure, and the only way to gain that is to ask the viscount to marry her. Wedding will give them both a measure of respectability, and beyond that, perhaps the friendship she sorely craves.
A union based on freedom… As Valentine and Phoebe sail from London following their wedding, they both have to come to grips with what they’re running from. Old insecurities dog their steps, but as the days go by, their unlikely friendship grows into much more. As love blooms and deepens, they must stay one step ahead of danger in the depths, and when a horrible contract comes due, one—or both of them—must make the ultimate, and most personal of sacrifices in order to chase a happily ever after.
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imagine this was my first shifter romance. what a romance it was! ms. Sandra has done it again…an enticing story which holds your interest throughout. I enjoyed the twists the storyline presented. well done…
I found this to be an interesting story. Two people who felt less than desirable or even human at times found their true love in each other. Phoebe felt very undesirable because of her large birthmark. Valentine’s curse had frightened other people off and kept him near the sea. I loved the fact that his crew accepted him for all that he was, and Phoebe felt the same way. The crew also came to love Phoebe with her willingness to help on the ship. Mistrust, misunderstanding, and a lack of self-confidence led these two to fight for their lives and their love.
The story by Sandra Sookoo was a good tale, and the narration by William Merryn Hill made this story come alive in this audiobook. He did a good job with the vocalization of all the characters.
I received this audiobook as a gift, and this is my unsolicited review.
The third book in the Lords of the Night series and I could not wait to see how this story unfolded with a Merman. Valentine, the Viscount of Mountgarret was cursed from a spell cast years ago for what his ancestors had done to a witch. These English Lords offspring would be made to wander the earth as a shifter part of the time. There was only one way to break it which came every five years and it seemed an impossible task. But he was caught between worlds. He did not feel comfortable in London with all the conjecture, nor did he feel life in the realm of the merfok who had their own hierarchy and conflict was totally for himself.
He was a part of the Cursed Lords who owned the Bete Noir club where Lady Phoebe Wintrope worked. She had endured so much and was so ready to find a way into another life. She feels her own lack of worth due to having been almost shunned most of her life for a birthmark. Taking a chance she asks the viscount to marry her. Can this really work with his secret?
Another great adventure in a world only dreamed about where two people, who both need unconditional acceptance will try to find it while navigating the dangers around their lives!!
This story pulled at my heart because it was a reminder that all of us have something that we hide or is out of our control, but that we should shine no matter what!!
I’ve said before I’m not really a shifter romance fan, but when I saw Sandra had done a merman one I had to read it! The call of the sea brought them together. Their marriage was supposed to be in name only, but they were just what each other needed. It’s a journey for both of them to gain each other’s trust and help each other deal with things. Their love is one of the strongest I’ve read in a long time and this one really touches my heart.
Sandra writes some of the best fights scenes and I always look forward to reading them and the underwater scenes in this were amazing. I knew there was going to be more to the deal he made, but I never expected what was coming. I was holding my breath throughout the battle and had no idea what was going to happen.
Phoebe has been through so much in her life that she doesn’t have a judgmental bone in her body. My heart broke for her when she finally told him her story, but it lifted so much off of her to tell it. I loved her right away because she didn’t hide away and did things no other lady would.
Valentine is pulled between two worlds and knows he will have to make a choice one day soon about it. His own story pulls at my heart because he thought he’d never find love after what happened before. I loved him right away because he held no judgment or listened to the rumors. His Irish charms came out with he did his own version of the wedding vows.
This one is packed with the message of self-acceptance and I know it will touch so many readers hearts. Phoebe’s story of what happened may be upsetting to some, but it’s very well written and not graphic.