Sharonica’s🐠 Logical 🐚Review: 🌊”Of Magic🐬 and 🐙Scales” by Natalina Reis🌊

Of Magic and Scales

A Gay Fantasy Romance

Blurb:

With a serial killer on the loose, the baffling mystery of Aiden’s past, and their tenuous budding romance, Aiden and Fouchard tread through a world of magic and myth on padded shoes, terrified to stir up something neither can control or defeat.

Aiden Mercer’s life now centers around lounging on the sunny beaches of his adopted country with a beer in one hand and a coffee in the other while admiring the local male population. After a rough life as a respected detective in DC, playing it cool shouldn’t be too hard, right? With the magical community on his case and dead bodies piling up around town, the responsibility of finding their killer seems fated to fall on him and deny him of his easy living.

Then there is Naël.

Cantankerous merman Naël Fouchard’s life is focused on bringing up and protecting his little sister. When DNA found at the scene of the murders mark him as the prime suspect, Naël seeks out the help of Aiden, whose reputation as a detective grossly belies his lazy lifestyle and apparent lack of ambition.

The chemistry between the strong, stoic Naël and the easygoing Aiden is undeniable, no matter how many walls Aiden builds.

If this unlikely pair can’t come to terms with their feelings for each other long enough to catch the killer, their emotional turmoil might yet allow the murderer to kill them instead.

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Author Name: Natalina Reis

Publisher: Hot tree Publishing

Release Date: Saturday, February 29 2020

Format: Paperback, eBook

Is This Book Romance?: Yes

Word Count: 75000

Cover Artist: BookSmith Design

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Murder Mystery

Pairings: MM

Tropes: Reluctant hero

Keywords/Categories: merman, romantic comedy, mythology, detective, police investigation, murder mystery, shifters, humor

Is This Part of a Series?: Yes

Series Title: Of Magic and Scales

Position (Number) in Series: 1

Of Magic & Scales Review
MMy Thoughts and Confessions:

It took me a while to get through this book. I can’t remember a time in the last two years when I have struggled to write a review so much. I do NOT lack the gift of gab, as anyone who has ever read one of my reviews knows. For some unknown reason though, my thoughts won’t transfer the way I want them to. I have written and rewritten this review countless times over the last fourdays. I thought I had finally gotten a good enough review down and for some reason, it didn’t write over the previous one. So what I thought was saved wasn’t, and when I went to post it to my blog, it was my previous review. One I was unsatisfied with. **sigh… My muse is self-isolating far away from me. However, I enjoyed this story and the author deserves some accolades for her work, so here goes…

Confessions first:
I wanted to add one of the main characters to the growing list of murder victim’s for his hateful name calling and overall bashing of the other MC’s business, lifestyle choices, and pretty much anything that would come up. Hog tieing the merman and whipping him with a peach tree switch seemed like an ideal punishment to me, but the big jerk face could swim faster than me, so I never would stand a chance, but dang if I wouldn’t give it a good try.

I loved the paranormal aspect and how myths of deities combined with legends of supernatural beings. I enjoyed the author’s take on how the mundane would live side by side with supernatural beings, how some would meet and fall in love, while others would hate and despise the mixing of such bloodlines. The secondary characters were just as great as the MCs. I simply adored little Vee.

In this story, one man, an ex-detective from the states, is asked by a witch to help solve a string of murders that soon turns into much more than just murder. A merman is suspected of this and other such crimes from the past. It is up to the ex-detective, turned cafe owner, hoping to be a beach bum, who despises magical beings, Aiden, to solve the crime(s). Then, clear the name of the hot AF “god-like” merman, Naël, who can’t seem stop insulting him, his business, and anything that will get a rise out of Aiden…YUP, that kind of “RISE” too! So, it had that enemies to lovers vibe going for it.

I enjoyed the world-building, pacing was spot on, and there were plenty of roMMantic scenes to satisfy even the most voracious sWWordplay appetite.. The one thing I struggled with throughout was Naël’s incessant need to name call and talk down to Aiden, especially after they established their romance. I finally came to the conclusion that in order to work out all their kinks, no pun intended – maybe, they would need to both unload their baggage and that would take time. So, I am thrilled to know there is another book coming. I am looking forward to hearing the next story.

3.50 won’t-you-be-my-merrow-stars

🌟🌟🌟•🌟

“One person’s craziness is another person’s reality.” -Tim Burton

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Other Worlds Ink.

Other Worlds Ink