Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Coming Up For Air
AUTHOR: Amanda Meuwissen
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
RELEASE DATE: April 30, 2019
LENGTH: 200 pages
BLURB:
It’s not easy being someone’s fairy tale.
Leigh Hurley is making a name for himself among thieves and criminals, even if it isn’t the life he would’ve chosen. He shouldn’t have screwed over the Moretti brothers, though. It landed him in the river with weights on his feet. But somehow he’s escaped certain death. The last thing he remembers before waking on the riverbank is a beautiful face and a soft kiss.
Then, Tolomeo turns up naked at Leigh’s apartment.
Tolly comes from a race of killers—merfolk who drown humans for fun. But Tolly is different, and when he sees a human in trouble, he offers a kiss, granting the man the ability to breathe underwater… and himself the ability to walk on land, at least until the next full moon. The ancient laws state that if he is given a vow of love by the one he kissed, he will be able to keep his legs. If not, he will be put to death when he returns to the water.
But love is not something Leigh offers easily… and Tolly has a secret of his own.
REVIEW:
The story begins with Leigh sinking into the depths with weights around his ankles. A runner for the MOB, he got caught by the opposition. He didn’t believe in love, felt unworthy of heaven and was positive he deserved the fate that awaited. He was a thief. During his last breaths, Leigh is sure he is hallucinating when he receives a kiss from a beautiful man. It was the last thing he remembered before finding himself back on dry land. But when said hallucination turns up naked at his apartment, Leigh thinks the man is a crackpot.
Tolly is of the merfolk – a merman, on the run from his people’s monstrous ways. He comes across as innocent but not exactly naive. Something in Leigh drew Tolly to him and instead of drowning Leigh, Tolly gave him the breath of life. Such an act bound Tolly to Leigh, but only for a limited time, after which destiny awaits. For Leigh to love him, Tolly feels that he must prove his worth in whatever manner Leigh needs.
I found Coming Up for Air to be a delightful story where Tolly is severely underestimated. Tolly’s knowledge of humans comes from his love of movies, and as such, he is idealistic with a lovely outlook. Nevertheless, his heritage and life thus far ensure that he isn’t as out of touch with living among the walking, as some may think.
The story is told in the third person from Leigh and Tolly’s viewpoints. The merman is definitely the star of the show. Though Leigh admirably plays his part of the con with a good heart, who wants out of the bad life. Other cast members, with various personalities, show that there are people out there doing their best with what they have, and that family doesn’t always mean blood-related. Some are existing, and others take advantage while some brave souls try to clean up the streets.
With movies like Goodfellas and The Godfather being part of my upbringing, I was more inclined to believe the dynamics of the Moretti family than the Sweeney’s, but hey-ho – it worked for the story.
While reading, I couldn’t help thinking of the movies Splash, and Beauty and the Beast. The similarities were minuscule, but they kept rearing their heads. Splash because of the mermaid, and Tolly has an element of a beast within him.
As with most love stories, there is sex within the pages. Although the dynamics between man and half-fish were clearly thought of, it didn’t go over the top. It was great to see that the story came first, and sex was an extension of that. It was tastefully done.
Tolly has a catalytic presence that I greatly enjoyed. I also loved the way Leigh’s tinkering with objects showed him to be more than a thief.
Overall, the story took me on a journey of magical beings, love, crime and drama: good people and bad, and survival.
RATING: 
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