Reviewed by Marieke
TITLE: Tidal Change
AUTHOR: Christ T. Kat
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 26,415 words
BLURB:
Something draws history teacher Rick Grady across the school hall to German teacher Marty Lindson. Maybe it’s their shared love of the ocean. Maybe it’s just that Marty is so hot, but maybe it’s something more—something mysterious. All Rick knows is that every time he gets close, Marty pulls away. After another cancelled date, Rick goes to Marty’s apartment to demand an explanation. And what Rick discovers blows his mind.
The ocean calls to Marty because he’s a merman. He’s been afraid to get close to Rick, not just to keep his world a secret, but because Rick is his mate. And to claim his mate would change everything about Marty. No matter how much he loves Rick, he doesn’t know if he’s ready to alter his entire life.:
REVIEW:
How to begin with this story? This is new to me, I have never read a story about a merman before!
Rick is a slightly older man, forty-six to be exact, to Marty’s thirty-four. But fortunately this is no issue whatsoever here. What is the issue, you ask? Marty’s constantly running hot and cold on Rick. He wants to date Rick, but when there’s finally progress he pulls away again. It’s driving Rick crazy, and after the umpteenth time Marty cancels a date, he snaps.
They avoid each other for some time, but both are miserable. Then one day they finally start talking again, and Marty invites Rick to go to a flea market on Saturday.
But that Friday, Marty disappears from school early and Rick is suspicious at first. When Marty doesn’t answer his phone, he starts worrying and goes to Marty’s apartment. He breaks in, and finds Marty in the bathroom taking a bath…in merman form.
Rick accepts things pretty easily in my opinion, but he does and things get heated. The next day starts out wonderfully, with breakfast and the flea market. Marty invites Rick to come with him when he goes swimming in the ocean.
This bit I loved. The way Marty swims and shows off is romantic and sweet. But then, the shit hits the fan, so to speak. Marty gets dragged away by other mermen, leaving Rick helpless on the rocks. There are two mermen that stay behind with Rick, telling him he has to come too. Then it gets complicated for Rick.
The other mermen explain a bit more about who and what Marty is. Rick is supposed to come with them either in an air bubble or as a merman himself. Eventually Marty is called back to change him temporary.
Without revealing too much, I’ll try to tell you more, but it’s going to sound a bit weird. There will have to be some sort of mating ceremony which is held at the castle on the bottom of the sea. This is where the biggest problem lays. Marty cannot perform this ceremony the way he is now, and will need to change into something else, something he never wanted to be.
Marty’s father, the king and his mother the queen, went through the same thing and are very understanding, but still insisting they have to do this. Thankfully all ends well, in a very unusual way…
This is a lovely book, not excellent, but good. I liked the ending better than the beginning. Also I think a lot of the story could have been worked out more, thus making it longer. Longer, and better is always good right?
So a good enough story, I can recommend it.
RATING: 
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