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Ocean's Surrender
When a lonely woman has lost all trust, it takes an otherworldly creature to restore her faith in mankind.
River is still recovering from the attack by an ex-boyfriend a year ago that left him dead, and her grievously injured. Damaged emotionally and physically, she is continually tormented by her attacker’s brother, who blames her for it all. Worse than his blame, though, is her own—River believes she was at fault for letting the attack happen.
Fen can sense River’s emotional pain like a beacon in the night. A selkie, he is compelled to help her on her path to healing, both emotionally and physically. Leading her on a journey to claim her own strength, he also helps her draw closer to Leo, the paramedic who saved her life that dark day…and who has never forgotten her.
This book features an abused woman, a man who wants desperately to help, and a sexy selkie who knows just how to heal what ails them all.
223 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 24, 2012
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 2, 2012
3.5 out of 5 stars, but I'm rounding up cause I really did enjoy this book.
I got hooked on Denise Townsend’s sexy selkies when I read Ocean’s Touch back in the spring, and I was thrilled to receive an ARC for her second release, Ocean’s Surrender.
Ocean’s Surrender is a lovely adult paranormal fairy tale, with a supernatural seal shapeshifter instead of a white knight in shining armor coming to the rescue. This is a feel-good, romantic story of how a young woman comes back to life with the help of the people around her and a little special magic from a prince of the sea.
The place is Eastport, Maine and at the center of the story is River. She’s suffering the after-effects of an abduction and harboring guilt over the manner in which she was freed from her attacker, not to mention dealing with continued aggression from her attacker’s brother. Her emotional wounds are serious and complicated by a past full of responsibility brought about by her family situation. And River isn’t the only one in pain. Her brother Jason also carries an emotional burden from the events of the previous year, too.
All of that emotional pain acts like a beacon calling to the magical selkie, Fen. He’s an empath, drawn to the troubled heroine by the intense quality of her pain. He is compelled to help her “for to do otherwise would be like leaving a wounded animal bleeding in the forest.” Here’s how Fen describes her emotional state:
“Loneliness vied with guilt, which was currently slap-fighting anger, which had sadness in a rough headlock.”
Fen knows he faces the difficult task of convincing River to trust him, as well as getting her to trust Leo, the paramedic in love with her. River has feelings for Leo too, but the scars from her trauma leave her unable to open herself to that relationship. It’s not going to be easy, but in one of the loveliest scenes in the book, Fen uses both his animal and human forms to break through River’s considerable barriers so the healing can begin. Even then, these four characters face additional challenges on the road to recovery.
No offense to the incredibly sexy selkie, Fen, but the real star for me in this book was Jason. His interactions with Fen, River and Leo are so touching and heartwarming. In many respects, he is responsible for River’s healing just as much as Fen.
I loved the characters in this story and my only comment is that the majority of the book is so emotionally charged, the erotic scenes in this book seem mechanical rather than sensually romantic in contrast. I think I would have liked this book just as much without them, although I do love that sex was part of the healing process for River.
Ocean’s Surrender pulled me in during the first chapter, held my interest throughout, and left me with a smile on my face. It’s a perfect summer read, whether you are at the beach or only get to experience the sand and surf vicariously through the pages of this book. Ocean’s Surrender will take you there, and if you are like me, you’ll be wishing for your own sexy selkie.
This review also appeared on http://theunreadreader.com/2012/08/gu...
I got hooked on Denise Townsend’s sexy selkies when I read Ocean’s Touch back in the spring, and I was thrilled to receive an ARC for her second release, Ocean’s Surrender.
Ocean’s Surrender is a lovely adult paranormal fairy tale, with a supernatural seal shapeshifter instead of a white knight in shining armor coming to the rescue. This is a feel-good, romantic story of how a young woman comes back to life with the help of the people around her and a little special magic from a prince of the sea.
The place is Eastport, Maine and at the center of the story is River. She’s suffering the after-effects of an abduction and harboring guilt over the manner in which she was freed from her attacker, not to mention dealing with continued aggression from her attacker’s brother. Her emotional wounds are serious and complicated by a past full of responsibility brought about by her family situation. And River isn’t the only one in pain. Her brother Jason also carries an emotional burden from the events of the previous year, too.
All of that emotional pain acts like a beacon calling to the magical selkie, Fen. He’s an empath, drawn to the troubled heroine by the intense quality of her pain. He is compelled to help her “for to do otherwise would be like leaving a wounded animal bleeding in the forest.” Here’s how Fen describes her emotional state:
“Loneliness vied with guilt, which was currently slap-fighting anger, which had sadness in a rough headlock.”
Fen knows he faces the difficult task of convincing River to trust him, as well as getting her to trust Leo, the paramedic in love with her. River has feelings for Leo too, but the scars from her trauma leave her unable to open herself to that relationship. It’s not going to be easy, but in one of the loveliest scenes in the book, Fen uses both his animal and human forms to break through River’s considerable barriers so the healing can begin. Even then, these four characters face additional challenges on the road to recovery.
No offense to the incredibly sexy selkie, Fen, but the real star for me in this book was Jason. His interactions with Fen, River and Leo are so touching and heartwarming. In many respects, he is responsible for River’s healing just as much as Fen.
I loved the characters in this story and my only comment is that the majority of the book is so emotionally charged, the erotic scenes in this book seem mechanical rather than sensually romantic in contrast. I think I would have liked this book just as much without them, although I do love that sex was part of the healing process for River.
Ocean’s Surrender pulled me in during the first chapter, held my interest throughout, and left me with a smile on my face. It’s a perfect summer read, whether you are at the beach or only get to experience the sand and surf vicariously through the pages of this book. Ocean’s Surrender will take you there, and if you are like me, you’ll be wishing for your own sexy selkie.
This review also appeared on http://theunreadreader.com/2012/08/gu...
December 14, 2012
I rated it 4.5 stars.
There are so many words I could use to describe this amazing erotic tale. It was romantic, sexy, exciting, emotional, heart wrenching and intriguing. These make for a magic combination! I love erotic novels that aren’t just about the hot detailed sex but actually have an interesting storyline to go with them!
A Prince of the Sea, Fen is a delectable selkie (seal shape-shifter) whose mother and mistress is the ocean. He has special empath abilities that make it possible for him to sense other’s emotions and impress his own on them if he wills it. He is a particularly scrumptious character with his slightly Scottish/Irish lilt, who’s every word just about has you worshipping at his feet.
River is a beautiful voluptuous woman of Cajun/Spanish descent, who is extensively physically and emotionally damaged. Her whole life revolves around protecting her brother and herself from being hurt by everything and everyone in and around them. She’s a selfless person with an off-beat humour and fiery temper and a hidden sexual appetite that’s been locked away for far too long.
Jason, River’s younger handicapped brother; delivered in child birth with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck; is innocent and lovable. His total concern for his sister’s happiness is touching.
Leo, the sexy paramedic who brought River back to life when she was so grievously injured, would do anything to make her happy and to be a part of hers and Jason’s lives. He is such an endearing person, his commitment to the brother and sister is unwavering.
River’s pain and suffering call to Fen’s empath abilities and he makes it his mission to heal this broken woman and teach her to trust not only in others but in herself again. Fen’s method of sexual healing starts River on a journey of rediscovery and helps her to conquer her inner demons and to be able to give and feel love again.
I found myself tearing up a quite a bit as a read. Denise has the ability to really make you feel the pain and suffering that River & Jason have endured. The description of River’s attempted murder was particularly confronting, the depiction was demeaning, vicious and vile, but necessary. It really gave weight and depth to her trust issues.
The sex scenes were extremely descriptive and detailed. They left me with a crystal clear picture in my head, almost making me feel like I was being a voyeur. Utterly enjoyable, to say the least.
The conclusion was sexy, exciting, action packed and completely satisfying. As silly as it sounds, I finished the story with a genuine sense of happiness and gladness for the characters. Lame, but true.
My only negative was the use of a particular word in the love/sex scenes. I don’t think it set the right tone for this romantic tale; detracting from the sense of love and healing that was paramount in those scenes. That’s purely my opinion though, and really, what would I know??!
This really is a fantastic read that I didn’t want to put it down.
There are so many words I could use to describe this amazing erotic tale. It was romantic, sexy, exciting, emotional, heart wrenching and intriguing. These make for a magic combination! I love erotic novels that aren’t just about the hot detailed sex but actually have an interesting storyline to go with them!
A Prince of the Sea, Fen is a delectable selkie (seal shape-shifter) whose mother and mistress is the ocean. He has special empath abilities that make it possible for him to sense other’s emotions and impress his own on them if he wills it. He is a particularly scrumptious character with his slightly Scottish/Irish lilt, who’s every word just about has you worshipping at his feet.
River is a beautiful voluptuous woman of Cajun/Spanish descent, who is extensively physically and emotionally damaged. Her whole life revolves around protecting her brother and herself from being hurt by everything and everyone in and around them. She’s a selfless person with an off-beat humour and fiery temper and a hidden sexual appetite that’s been locked away for far too long.
Jason, River’s younger handicapped brother; delivered in child birth with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck; is innocent and lovable. His total concern for his sister’s happiness is touching.
Leo, the sexy paramedic who brought River back to life when she was so grievously injured, would do anything to make her happy and to be a part of hers and Jason’s lives. He is such an endearing person, his commitment to the brother and sister is unwavering.
River’s pain and suffering call to Fen’s empath abilities and he makes it his mission to heal this broken woman and teach her to trust not only in others but in herself again. Fen’s method of sexual healing starts River on a journey of rediscovery and helps her to conquer her inner demons and to be able to give and feel love again.
I found myself tearing up a quite a bit as a read. Denise has the ability to really make you feel the pain and suffering that River & Jason have endured. The description of River’s attempted murder was particularly confronting, the depiction was demeaning, vicious and vile, but necessary. It really gave weight and depth to her trust issues.
The sex scenes were extremely descriptive and detailed. They left me with a crystal clear picture in my head, almost making me feel like I was being a voyeur. Utterly enjoyable, to say the least.
The conclusion was sexy, exciting, action packed and completely satisfying. As silly as it sounds, I finished the story with a genuine sense of happiness and gladness for the characters. Lame, but true.
My only negative was the use of a particular word in the love/sex scenes. I don’t think it set the right tone for this romantic tale; detracting from the sense of love and healing that was paramount in those scenes. That’s purely my opinion though, and really, what would I know??!
This really is a fantastic read that I didn’t want to put it down.
August 7, 2012
Oh, books and my tropes! Once again, we have my abused woman trope coming to the forefront.
River was attacked a year ago by her ex-boyfriend and nearly died. Her brother saved her life, but there are people in the town who see him as a monster. She's afraid to open up her heart and to trust others because she is consumed with guilt.
Oh this book! River's pain was a living, breathing, tangible thing that she could not get rid of and struggled with as a sexy selkie enters her life. I can even almost forgive the fact that this book takes place on the coast and there are characters named River and Fen. Almost.
I was so grateful that this wasn't the love triangle that it could have been. I loved Fen so much. He is empathic and adorable and one of those characters that I wanted to always just be happy. He has a serious side, but he is just the most caring person.
Leo, the love interest, was neat, but I felt like we didn't really get enough chemistry. Sure, there was a sexual chemistry between the two and what I felt was gratitude from River for saving her life, but I was never entirely convinced of their relationship.
The character that really won my heart was Jason. He had some developmental delays, and I felt like the author did a wonderful job of delving in to his mind and presenting the world as he saw it. He had a lot of depth to him and I felt badly for all of the pain that he had gone through.
While I liked River, she annoyed me. There is a scene where River is assaulted in the bowling alley by her ex's brother. She leaves the bowling alley and then she completely goes off on Leo. I understand that she was still traumatized and that often, people experiencing those kinds of events can snap at those who love them the most. I don't feel like that scene was well executed and she came off as a raving lunatic and ungrateful, especially when she accused him of only befriending her brother to get to her. I almost put the book down after that little outburst because it was completely unfair. I also feel like she should have done a hell of a lot more groveling before she got back in his good graces. Leo had the patience of a saint, let me tell you.
At one point, River's continuous guilt started to get on my nerves, but it wasn't enough to distract me too much. I wanted the best for her, the men around her wanted her to be whole, and she wanted to truly live again. I did feel like she was completely clueless as to how the events from a year ago affected her brother. Also, some of River's feelings and Fen's understanding of them read like a psychology 101 text book at times.
The other pet peeve that I had with this book is that River was attacked while she was tied up, so it seemed entirely unrealistic to me that Fen would be all 'okay, I'm going to tie you up and it's going to be okay because you trust me even though it's only been a day or two', and River was all (slight moment of indecision) 'okay'! I know this is fiction and that I need to suspend a little belief, but I had a very hard time buying that. I also have a hard time with the 'well I'm going to sex you until your emotional problems go away' trope. I can see it as an end result after realizations have been met, but this came off as bizarre.
Speaking of sex, I have to say that this author steamed up the pages. Fen was steaming hot. I felt like the chemistry between himself and River was much better than with River and Leo.
I did feel like Fen overused his empathic abilities, but the author really did a great job of explaining just how his empathy worked in general.
The plot could have been handled a little better, and the climax made me feel like it all happened just to get her brother out of the house so that she could have the inevitable threesome that we all saw coming, but whatever.
One of my favorite scenes was an underwater journey that River took with Fen. The descriptions were vivid and wonderful, and I felt like I had been transported to the ocean. It was absolutely beautiful.
The ending of this book made me tear up and I have to admit that there was some disappointment on my part, but I don't want to spoil that. I do like that River wasn't magically healed completely, but she had overcome some barriers, even if I felt like the method was a little strange.
I want to read 'Ocean's Touch' now, because this is a world I wouldn't mind going back to one bit.
River was attacked a year ago by her ex-boyfriend and nearly died. Her brother saved her life, but there are people in the town who see him as a monster. She's afraid to open up her heart and to trust others because she is consumed with guilt.
Oh this book! River's pain was a living, breathing, tangible thing that she could not get rid of and struggled with as a sexy selkie enters her life. I can even almost forgive the fact that this book takes place on the coast and there are characters named River and Fen. Almost.
I was so grateful that this wasn't the love triangle that it could have been. I loved Fen so much. He is empathic and adorable and one of those characters that I wanted to always just be happy. He has a serious side, but he is just the most caring person.
Leo, the love interest, was neat, but I felt like we didn't really get enough chemistry. Sure, there was a sexual chemistry between the two and what I felt was gratitude from River for saving her life, but I was never entirely convinced of their relationship.
The character that really won my heart was Jason. He had some developmental delays, and I felt like the author did a wonderful job of delving in to his mind and presenting the world as he saw it. He had a lot of depth to him and I felt badly for all of the pain that he had gone through.
While I liked River, she annoyed me. There is a scene where River is assaulted in the bowling alley by her ex's brother. She leaves the bowling alley and then she completely goes off on Leo. I understand that she was still traumatized and that often, people experiencing those kinds of events can snap at those who love them the most. I don't feel like that scene was well executed and she came off as a raving lunatic and ungrateful, especially when she accused him of only befriending her brother to get to her. I almost put the book down after that little outburst because it was completely unfair. I also feel like she should have done a hell of a lot more groveling before she got back in his good graces. Leo had the patience of a saint, let me tell you.
At one point, River's continuous guilt started to get on my nerves, but it wasn't enough to distract me too much. I wanted the best for her, the men around her wanted her to be whole, and she wanted to truly live again. I did feel like she was completely clueless as to how the events from a year ago affected her brother. Also, some of River's feelings and Fen's understanding of them read like a psychology 101 text book at times.
The other pet peeve that I had with this book is that River was attacked while she was tied up, so it seemed entirely unrealistic to me that Fen would be all 'okay, I'm going to tie you up and it's going to be okay because you trust me even though it's only been a day or two', and River was all (slight moment of indecision) 'okay'! I know this is fiction and that I need to suspend a little belief, but I had a very hard time buying that. I also have a hard time with the 'well I'm going to sex you until your emotional problems go away' trope. I can see it as an end result after realizations have been met, but this came off as bizarre.
Speaking of sex, I have to say that this author steamed up the pages. Fen was steaming hot. I felt like the chemistry between himself and River was much better than with River and Leo.
I did feel like Fen overused his empathic abilities, but the author really did a great job of explaining just how his empathy worked in general.
The plot could have been handled a little better, and the climax made me feel like it all happened just to get her brother out of the house so that she could have the inevitable threesome that we all saw coming, but whatever.
One of my favorite scenes was an underwater journey that River took with Fen. The descriptions were vivid and wonderful, and I felt like I had been transported to the ocean. It was absolutely beautiful.
The ending of this book made me tear up and I have to admit that there was some disappointment on my part, but I don't want to spoil that. I do like that River wasn't magically healed completely, but she had overcome some barriers, even if I felt like the method was a little strange.
I want to read 'Ocean's Touch' now, because this is a world I wouldn't mind going back to one bit.
August 4, 2012
Is it hot in here?
Or could it be the hot and heavy Ocean’s Surrender that’s generating enough steam to curl my hair?
Following up on her first selkie/human erotic love story, Ocean’s Touch, Denise Townsend gives us another story of love, sexual awakening, female empowerment… and plenty of selkie sexy times.
In Ocean’s Surrender, main character River is damaged, hurting, and afraid to open her heart. After suffering horrific abuse at the hands of a former boyfriend, River shuts herself off from the possibility of loving again, focusing all her energy on caring for her sweet, developmentally disabled brother Jason. Fen is a selkie – a magical creature of the sea who can assume human form (gorgeous human form, I might add) — whose empathic powers hear the call of River’s suffering and draw him toward her. Fen’s mission is to open River’s heart again by helping her past the pain, guilt, and self-blame that have been tormenting her.
With Fen’s guidance, River comes to realize that she’s not at fault for the terrible events in her past, and learns to trust herself enough to start trusting others, including the very hot and sexy paramedic who has been in love with her for the past year.
Denise Townsend, in Ocean’s Surrender and its predecessor, has created a story that is compelling and well-told, with pathos and humor. At the same time, she includes very graphic sex scenes that not only make sense in terms of the overall plot, but are in fact key to crucial elements of the plot development.
It’s through River’s sexual experiences with Fen that she begins to heal, and from that healing arrives at a place where she can reclaim her own sexuality and ability to love. Those encounters and the resulting changes in River are what allow her, finally, to reach out to the man who loves her and to start rebuilding a full and complete life again.
And those sex scenes! You know how in old Hollywood movies, whenever the romance would start getting a little hot, the camera would pan away to a candle, a curtain, or some other inanimate object? That definitely doesn’t happen here. No pans, no slow-fades. The sex scenes are honest and raw, body parts are named (“c-words” galore!), and the action is explicit without ever being gross. There’s a joy here in the characters’ sexual discovery and exploration; yes, it’s steamy, but it’s also quite lovely.
Overall, I’d describe Ocean’s Surrender as a beautifully written erotic love story, with just the right mix of a meaningful storyline, magical fantasy elements, and really terrific erotic scenes. Creative, sexy, and fun, this one is a winner.
This review also appears at www.bookshelffantasies.wordpress.com
.
Note: With grateful appreciation to the author for providing me with an ARC to review.
Or could it be the hot and heavy Ocean’s Surrender that’s generating enough steam to curl my hair?
Following up on her first selkie/human erotic love story, Ocean’s Touch, Denise Townsend gives us another story of love, sexual awakening, female empowerment… and plenty of selkie sexy times.
In Ocean’s Surrender, main character River is damaged, hurting, and afraid to open her heart. After suffering horrific abuse at the hands of a former boyfriend, River shuts herself off from the possibility of loving again, focusing all her energy on caring for her sweet, developmentally disabled brother Jason. Fen is a selkie – a magical creature of the sea who can assume human form (gorgeous human form, I might add) — whose empathic powers hear the call of River’s suffering and draw him toward her. Fen’s mission is to open River’s heart again by helping her past the pain, guilt, and self-blame that have been tormenting her.
With Fen’s guidance, River comes to realize that she’s not at fault for the terrible events in her past, and learns to trust herself enough to start trusting others, including the very hot and sexy paramedic who has been in love with her for the past year.
Denise Townsend, in Ocean’s Surrender and its predecessor, has created a story that is compelling and well-told, with pathos and humor. At the same time, she includes very graphic sex scenes that not only make sense in terms of the overall plot, but are in fact key to crucial elements of the plot development.
It’s through River’s sexual experiences with Fen that she begins to heal, and from that healing arrives at a place where she can reclaim her own sexuality and ability to love. Those encounters and the resulting changes in River are what allow her, finally, to reach out to the man who loves her and to start rebuilding a full and complete life again.
And those sex scenes! You know how in old Hollywood movies, whenever the romance would start getting a little hot, the camera would pan away to a candle, a curtain, or some other inanimate object? That definitely doesn’t happen here. No pans, no slow-fades. The sex scenes are honest and raw, body parts are named (“c-words” galore!), and the action is explicit without ever being gross. There’s a joy here in the characters’ sexual discovery and exploration; yes, it’s steamy, but it’s also quite lovely.
Overall, I’d describe Ocean’s Surrender as a beautifully written erotic love story, with just the right mix of a meaningful storyline, magical fantasy elements, and really terrific erotic scenes. Creative, sexy, and fun, this one is a winner.
This review also appears at www.bookshelffantasies.wordpress.com
.
Note: With grateful appreciation to the author for providing me with an ARC to review.
September 19, 2012
Still recovering form being attacked by her ex boyfriend, River is trying to make life better for both her and her brother Jason. But it's really hard to do so when Jason was arrested for the murder of said ex boyfriend and River was left for dead but was brought back to life by the oh so sexy paramedic Leo who secretly has feelings for her. But River is not the only one who was affect that horrible night, Jason also remembers that night and he still feels his sister pain.
I have to say that to me River was too much into the self pity, I know that sounds bad but it's how I feel lol. I felt bad for her of course but I think she should be grateful that she was giving a second chance and not dwell on the past. Harsh I know but True. She's a survivor and she has her brother to THANK. Jason was amazing in this story, I love how much he loved his sister, and having a brother that's mentally and physically handicap I can relate to how much River LOVES him. I had a smile on my face when I was reading about Jason.
Jason wanting to help his sister forget about her past confines in Fen the sexy selkie. Fen is able to sense Rivers emotions and sees that it is time for her to let go of those horrible feelings and work on making her life better. By better I mean hooking her up Leo. The chemistry between Leo and River was OK, not OMG SMOKING HOT, but OK.
Soooo GLAD that this story did not turn into a love triangle, don't get me wrong sometimes you need a little competition in a story to get it going, but this story was great without it.
This was my second read with a selkie in it and I have to say that I enjoyed it. Denise Townsend has done an amazing job and I'm looking forward to read Ocean's Touch.
I have to say that to me River was too much into the self pity, I know that sounds bad but it's how I feel lol. I felt bad for her of course but I think she should be grateful that she was giving a second chance and not dwell on the past. Harsh I know but True. She's a survivor and she has her brother to THANK. Jason was amazing in this story, I love how much he loved his sister, and having a brother that's mentally and physically handicap I can relate to how much River LOVES him. I had a smile on my face when I was reading about Jason.
Jason wanting to help his sister forget about her past confines in Fen the sexy selkie. Fen is able to sense Rivers emotions and sees that it is time for her to let go of those horrible feelings and work on making her life better. By better I mean hooking her up Leo. The chemistry between Leo and River was OK, not OMG SMOKING HOT, but OK.
Soooo GLAD that this story did not turn into a love triangle, don't get me wrong sometimes you need a little competition in a story to get it going, but this story was great without it.
This was my second read with a selkie in it and I have to say that I enjoyed it. Denise Townsend has done an amazing job and I'm looking forward to read Ocean's Touch.
July 26, 2012
River was attacked by her boyfriend a year ago and died, she was brought back to life by Leo, her attacker died and her brother got put in jail for his murder. Since then she'd felt guilty about making her brother look like a monster in front of the rest of the town. Fen is drawn to her pain and guilt to help her overcome it, and he does so in a VERY interesting way!
As much as I liked River, I sort of grew bored of her guilt. She was too "Oh what have I done?" for my liking, so I was glad when she eventually realised that what happened had fuck all to do with her. OK, so she needed a man to help her do this but it's better than nothing.
I really love her brother, Jason is just a big gentle giant that saved his sister's life. In doing so he broke her attacker's neck but I think that can be overlooked since it was a case of he would have killed his sister if he didn't. But he has to live with knowing that what he did is what's making his sister guilty and a bit of a shut in. She doesn't go out and enjoy herself, doesn't have friends and she holds the one guy she has feelings for at arms length 'cos she's afraid to trust anyone.
In short, the book was a fun, light read. Unfortunately I have no empathy for the whole "it was my fault" mentality of some women and it made me not connect to the main character. But I enjoyed the story, how Fen got her to finally tell what had happened and then FINALLY realise it wasn't her fault and getting her to trust again. So it's definitely worth a read.
As much as I liked River, I sort of grew bored of her guilt. She was too "Oh what have I done?" for my liking, so I was glad when she eventually realised that what happened had fuck all to do with her. OK, so she needed a man to help her do this but it's better than nothing.
I really love her brother, Jason is just a big gentle giant that saved his sister's life. In doing so he broke her attacker's neck but I think that can be overlooked since it was a case of he would have killed his sister if he didn't. But he has to live with knowing that what he did is what's making his sister guilty and a bit of a shut in. She doesn't go out and enjoy herself, doesn't have friends and she holds the one guy she has feelings for at arms length 'cos she's afraid to trust anyone.
In short, the book was a fun, light read. Unfortunately I have no empathy for the whole "it was my fault" mentality of some women and it made me not connect to the main character. But I enjoyed the story, how Fen got her to finally tell what had happened and then FINALLY realise it wasn't her fault and getting her to trust again. So it's definitely worth a read.
October 5, 2012
I've been a fan of Denise Townsend (and her many incarnations) for a few years now, and Ocean's Surrender was exactly what I expected it to be: well written, with deft characterizations, an engaging plot, and a convincing sense of place. You don't always find those things in erotic fiction, where the sexual energy often trumps all other aspects of the storytelling. This book's got the heat too, but it's balanced by an actual story. It's a charming read, and one I can enthusiastically recommend.
Want to read
September 20, 2012WCR 8/1
February 3, 2014
Reviewed for RT Book Reviews March 2014 issue: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/oceans-kiss
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