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Nick checks the locks for a reason.
Since his stepbrother was taken from their home and almost killed, Nick hasn’t slept through the night. He checks windows, watches doors, keeps his family within reach, and tries not to think too hard about the Tear in the world that keeps pulling them towards monsters.
Then, at a harvest party on the other side, Nick meets Kit.
Beautiful, quiet, and armed with a whip-like tail, Kit offers Nick wine, listens with delight when he talks about coffee, and looks almost startled by every kindness Nick gives him.
Hours later, Kit abducts him.
Nick should hate him. Kit took him, hurt him, and dragged him onto a ship bound for a starving country, ruled by a council willing to use anyone to keep its power. But the longer Nick is trapped with him, the harder it becomes to see Kit as the enemy. Not when Kit is gentle with the children in his care. Not when he protects Nick from the worst of the orders he can’t refuse. Not when the fear in him looks so much like a cage.
And the more Nick learns about Kit, the more he’s unsure about who on the ship really needs saving.
Kit is an 18+ M/M monster romance with abduction, hurt/comfort, found family, explicit heat, dangerous magic, protective instincts, and a beautiful, deadly creature with a very sensitive tail.
Since his stepbrother was taken from their home and almost killed, Nick hasn’t slept through the night. He checks windows, watches doors, keeps his family within reach, and tries not to think too hard about the Tear in the world that keeps pulling them towards monsters.
Then, at a harvest party on the other side, Nick meets Kit.
Beautiful, quiet, and armed with a whip-like tail, Kit offers Nick wine, listens with delight when he talks about coffee, and looks almost startled by every kindness Nick gives him.
Hours later, Kit abducts him.
Nick should hate him. Kit took him, hurt him, and dragged him onto a ship bound for a starving country, ruled by a council willing to use anyone to keep its power. But the longer Nick is trapped with him, the harder it becomes to see Kit as the enemy. Not when Kit is gentle with the children in his care. Not when he protects Nick from the worst of the orders he can’t refuse. Not when the fear in him looks so much like a cage.
And the more Nick learns about Kit, the more he’s unsure about who on the ship really needs saving.
Kit is an 18+ M/M monster romance with abduction, hurt/comfort, found family, explicit heat, dangerous magic, protective instincts, and a beautiful, deadly creature with a very sensitive tail.
412 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 28, 2025
About the author
L. Sherleen
9 books156 followersL. Sherleen writes 18+ M/M romance about merfolk, monsters, magic, and the occasional contemporary love story. Her books mix hurt/comfort, found family, sharp banter, devotion, tenderness, and lonely characters slowly finding somewhere to belong. Expect family bonds built on love, and couples who don’t just fall for each other — they genuinely like and adore each other too.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
July 7, 2026
This is such a fun world and Kit was too sweet. Good book! Excited for the next!
October 30, 2025
LOVE this book and this world!!!
I’ve been looking forward to grumpy Nick’s book, and seeing the worry for others that’s guiding his actions is almost heartbreaking. He’s such a caretaker at heart!
Kit… I adored Kit. He’s in an impossible, awful situation, yet still has such goodness. I loved his scent-marking and emotive (yet deadly) tail!
This book was utter perfection and my only complaint is that it’s over. Laurence next, maybe? I could keep reading this series for ages! It’s one I strongly recommend.
I’ve been looking forward to grumpy Nick’s book, and seeing the worry for others that’s guiding his actions is almost heartbreaking. He’s such a caretaker at heart!
Kit… I adored Kit. He’s in an impossible, awful situation, yet still has such goodness. I loved his scent-marking and emotive (yet deadly) tail!
This book was utter perfection and my only complaint is that it’s over. Laurence next, maybe? I could keep reading this series for ages! It’s one I strongly recommend.
January 26, 2026
Comparado com o segundo, esse foi muito bom. Gostei bastante.
December 17, 2025
⭐️ 3.5
i have to say, i’m a little disappointed by this one. i love this world and these characters, and since the first two books were spectacular, my expectations were high — and sadly, they weren’t fully met.
to be fair, this is still a very solid book. the world-building is fantastical as always and we get to know even more about the complex dynamics of this kingdom. we get introduced a lot of interesting elements that we didn’t know before and in regards to constructing the mechanisms of this universe and its politics, kit is not worse than its precursors. it’s every other part that didn’t feel as impactful.
the issue is that i just don’t have a lot to say about this book. nick and kit are both great characters, i liked them a lot and they have amazing chemistry. i enjoyed the story, i wasn’t bored or annoyed by anything. and yet i still wasn’t as absorbed by the story as i was by adonis and goldilocks. also, i didn’t really have any trouble putting it down, whereas i literally devoured the previous two books and stayed awake all night just to finish them.
it was a good book and there isn’t anything in particular i could stick with, but simultaneously, it wasn’t as fascinating and addictive as i expected it to be. i was obsessed with previous stories and this one, i just liked. it sadly didn’t make that much of an impression on me.
i have to say, i’m a little disappointed by this one. i love this world and these characters, and since the first two books were spectacular, my expectations were high — and sadly, they weren’t fully met.
to be fair, this is still a very solid book. the world-building is fantastical as always and we get to know even more about the complex dynamics of this kingdom. we get introduced a lot of interesting elements that we didn’t know before and in regards to constructing the mechanisms of this universe and its politics, kit is not worse than its precursors. it’s every other part that didn’t feel as impactful.
the issue is that i just don’t have a lot to say about this book. nick and kit are both great characters, i liked them a lot and they have amazing chemistry. i enjoyed the story, i wasn’t bored or annoyed by anything. and yet i still wasn’t as absorbed by the story as i was by adonis and goldilocks. also, i didn’t really have any trouble putting it down, whereas i literally devoured the previous two books and stayed awake all night just to finish them.
it was a good book and there isn’t anything in particular i could stick with, but simultaneously, it wasn’t as fascinating and addictive as i expected it to be. i was obsessed with previous stories and this one, i just liked. it sadly didn’t make that much of an impression on me.
December 22, 2025
Although I find the merfolk better developed than the kits, I found myself enjoying this book a little more than Goldilocks.
Nick’s emotional journey was really really good. I also liked the call back to his tramp stamp argument with Connor, it was funny and sweet.
Kit’s story was very good too especially his trauma. Having Mini as his child must’ve been very rewarding. The menace he could feel from Connor was a such a striking paragraph. I’m glad it didn’t trigger him the way I’m sure Desre must have felt.
I surprisingly felt sorry for Valor, crossing those boundaries was worth it in the end but he lost his only family he had left. I imagine after losing his sister, he’d made the decision that exile was better than death separating them. Though Nick was right to judge him. It’s a total both things are true situation.
I’m curious if there is a specific myth and/or folktale that inspired the god in the well. Never heard of that. I look forward to book 4.
Nick’s emotional journey was really really good. I also liked the call back to his tramp stamp argument with Connor, it was funny and sweet.
Kit’s story was very good too especially his trauma. Having Mini as his child must’ve been very rewarding. The menace he could feel from Connor was a such a striking paragraph. I’m glad it didn’t trigger him the way I’m sure Desre must have felt.
I surprisingly felt sorry for Valor, crossing those boundaries was worth it in the end but he lost his only family he had left. I imagine after losing his sister, he’d made the decision that exile was better than death separating them. Though Nick was right to judge him. It’s a total both things are true situation.
I’m curious if there is a specific myth and/or folktale that inspired the god in the well. Never heard of that. I look forward to book 4.
December 13, 2025
Okay this was definitely better than the second. I still liked the first the best but this was a good runner up.
I enjoyed learning about a new species and getting to see some world-building that was so desperately missing from the other two.
Kit and Nick had a very cute relationship. The scent-marking and the tail moments were so sweet.
I got a little lost around the council and Desre part but it’s all good. Also still confused about Connor being a monarch.
If this next book isn’t about Laurence, I’m rioting lol. It would be so cute if his was why choose. He’s just got so much love to go around. Not feeling it with Bee and Dew though, I hope they’re just friends.
I enjoyed seeing more of Laurence, Trevor, and Connor in this one.
I wish they showed more about Kit and Nick into the ‘after’ though.
I enjoyed learning about a new species and getting to see some world-building that was so desperately missing from the other two.
Kit and Nick had a very cute relationship. The scent-marking and the tail moments were so sweet.
I got a little lost around the council and Desre part but it’s all good. Also still confused about Connor being a monarch.
If this next book isn’t about Laurence, I’m rioting lol. It would be so cute if his was why choose. He’s just got so much love to go around. Not feeling it with Bee and Dew though, I hope they’re just friends.
I enjoyed seeing more of Laurence, Trevor, and Connor in this one.
I wish they showed more about Kit and Nick into the ‘after’ though.
December 21, 2025
Another absolute stunner
I've inhaled the Salt And Starlight books, i swear. The way L Sherleen writes characters with so much depth and personality is unmatched, and their personal journeys feel authentic and intuitive. Each character feels fully fleshed-out, even when they're a feature and not a focus, and nothing about their stories feels forced, it's all a natural progression.
I love learning more about the people and cultures beyond The Tear and how magic and language translates between the two realms. I always end each book feeling satisfied with the story and with more questions about the wider world they're in. Truly a 5/5 every time and Kit smashes it out of the park once again
I've inhaled the Salt And Starlight books, i swear. The way L Sherleen writes characters with so much depth and personality is unmatched, and their personal journeys feel authentic and intuitive. Each character feels fully fleshed-out, even when they're a feature and not a focus, and nothing about their stories feels forced, it's all a natural progression.
I love learning more about the people and cultures beyond The Tear and how magic and language translates between the two realms. I always end each book feeling satisfied with the story and with more questions about the wider world they're in. Truly a 5/5 every time and Kit smashes it out of the park once again
June 22, 2026
I wasn’t looking forward to this book as much as the other books since I wasn’t really sold on Nick, but I think this is my favorite so far. I loved the first two books, however, I didn’t feel like the love stories were as central to the plot as it was in this one.
I love how fleshed out these characters are. Nick has a lot of anxieties that are super understandable given the things that’s he’s seen happen. And Kit also has a ton of trauma from what he’s been through. But they’re both good guys at their core and we get to see them learn to trust each other and work through their issues together and ultimately save each other.
I freakin ate it up in one day and I now I cannot wait for Austin’s story.
I love how fleshed out these characters are. Nick has a lot of anxieties that are super understandable given the things that’s he’s seen happen. And Kit also has a ton of trauma from what he’s been through. But they’re both good guys at their core and we get to see them learn to trust each other and work through their issues together and ultimately save each other.
I freakin ate it up in one day and I now I cannot wait for Austin’s story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2026
This is the sweetest and healthiest romance of the trilogy, which probably isn’t a good thing, considering the Stockholm Syndrome of it all. But anyway, the romance is good and the brotherly connections are good, which make up for the book’s plentiful deficits. These include the baffling decision to make the love interest’s species the same as his name, which makes listening to the audiobook super confusing. Also, I get that this book is trying to be sensitive about sexual assault, but Sherleen throws the word “rape” around tactlessly and frequently, like a kid who just learned it.
PS: I’m pretty sure you can’t “scent-mark” with your tongue, even if you ARE a fantasy creature.
PS: I’m pretty sure you can’t “scent-mark” with your tongue, even if you ARE a fantasy creature.
November 5, 2025
"Kit" received FOUR stars.
❤️
The novel gained *stars* for these items:
* gained for: "The book caught my interest in the first five pages."
* gained for: "I thought about the book when I was forced to set it down and re-enter society."
* gained for: "There were no info dumps, poor writing, or copy edit mistakes that jerked me out of the story."
* gained for: "I was sad when the book ended. I wanted more!"
The novel failed to gain stars for this item:
NO STAR gained for: "That's it. I'm hooked on this author. I will automatically try anything she/he/they writes."
❤️
The novel gained *stars* for these items:
* gained for: "The book caught my interest in the first five pages."
* gained for: "I thought about the book when I was forced to set it down and re-enter society."
* gained for: "There were no info dumps, poor writing, or copy edit mistakes that jerked me out of the story."
* gained for: "I was sad when the book ended. I wanted more!"
The novel failed to gain stars for this item:
NO STAR gained for: "That's it. I'm hooked on this author. I will automatically try anything she/he/they writes."
November 23, 2025
Kit ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I could keep reading about these two forever. Kit and Nick are so perfect together. They're both so interesting. I love the hurt/comfort trope and all the healing they do together. I so wanted to read about Laurence and Kit's sword lesson and I wanted to read about Kit and Mini experiencing Nick's world for the first time. I wasn't ready for this book to end. This story made me cry a few times but it's also really beautiful.
I just want the next book in this series already. I love it so much!
I could keep reading about these two forever. Kit and Nick are so perfect together. They're both so interesting. I love the hurt/comfort trope and all the healing they do together. I so wanted to read about Laurence and Kit's sword lesson and I wanted to read about Kit and Mini experiencing Nick's world for the first time. I wasn't ready for this book to end. This story made me cry a few times but it's also really beautiful.
I just want the next book in this series already. I love it so much!
December 16, 2025
Really liked this one but i feel like im going slowly insane hoping and praying for Laurence to get a book
I would give this 5 stars just for breaking my slump but this is also a genuinely good adventure novel. I really enjoyed the characters: hero, villain, and ambiguous in between alike and for once, no complaints come to mind other than damn did L. Sherleen like using semicolons in this one
But yeah, great characters, great pacing, well-written action scenes imo and very fun prehensile tail shenanigans
Looking forward to book 4
I would give this 5 stars just for breaking my slump but this is also a genuinely good adventure novel. I really enjoyed the characters: hero, villain, and ambiguous in between alike and for once, no complaints come to mind other than damn did L. Sherleen like using semicolons in this one
But yeah, great characters, great pacing, well-written action scenes imo and very fun prehensile tail shenanigans
Looking forward to book 4
February 15, 2026
Much better than the first book. I was really interguied by kit and his ‘Scent marking’. I know musk doesn’t really smell good so I was grimacing every time he did it but it was cute so it gets a pass
The plot is more interesting because it’s in the other world, but it’s lowkey hard to follow. And again, I wish we got more lore and background info.
I also like how realistic the trauma is. Kit doesn’t just get into it because he’s attracted to Nick. It will take a lot of time and patience.
NICK IS SUCH A GREEN FLAG OMG THE CONSENT AND THE WAY HE RESPECTS BOUNDARIES *Chefs kiss*
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️
The plot is more interesting because it’s in the other world, but it’s lowkey hard to follow. And again, I wish we got more lore and background info.
I also like how realistic the trauma is. Kit doesn’t just get into it because he’s attracted to Nick. It will take a lot of time and patience.
NICK IS SUCH A GREEN FLAG OMG THE CONSENT AND THE WAY HE RESPECTS BOUNDARIES *Chefs kiss*
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️
October 31, 2025
I love when characters have tails that feel real. Kits tails are so expressive and a consistent part of their body.
Sometimes a series can get repetitive, similar story lines, repeat tropes, remixed spice scenes with a checklist of acts. This series isn't that. Each book has its own vibe with great continuity and a smattering of increasing intrigue. It is never what I expect but always something I greatly enjoy
Sometimes a series can get repetitive, similar story lines, repeat tropes, remixed spice scenes with a checklist of acts. This series isn't that. Each book has its own vibe with great continuity and a smattering of increasing intrigue. It is never what I expect but always something I greatly enjoy
November 1, 2025
I love this split world
Kit and Nick may have had a rough go at it, but fear not.... There is an HEA. The world beyond the tear is ever expanding and the characters keep staying interesting. Familial bonds heal and friendships are made. I wonder who the intrepid Lawrence ends up with and wouldn't a story with Trevor finding love be so perfect. Thank you for the excellent writing!
Kit and Nick may have had a rough go at it, but fear not.... There is an HEA. The world beyond the tear is ever expanding and the characters keep staying interesting. Familial bonds heal and friendships are made. I wonder who the intrepid Lawrence ends up with and wouldn't a story with Trevor finding love be so perfect. Thank you for the excellent writing!
December 14, 2025
This is more like a 3.5
Nick was interesting and I enjoyed his POV. The plot was unique and interesting and I was invested throughout but it felt really disjointed and didn’t flow as well as previous books. Parts were explained well and in-depth and others skipped over. The time jump at the end was jarring and felt arbitrary because it wasn’t elaborated on. The first 3/4 were better than the last portion. I didn’t shut the book with a sigh and a smile but a vaguely confused look on my face.
Nick was interesting and I enjoyed his POV. The plot was unique and interesting and I was invested throughout but it felt really disjointed and didn’t flow as well as previous books. Parts were explained well and in-depth and others skipped over. The time jump at the end was jarring and felt arbitrary because it wasn’t elaborated on. The first 3/4 were better than the last portion. I didn’t shut the book with a sigh and a smile but a vaguely confused look on my face.
July 26, 2026
4,5/5 ⭐
4/5 🌶
O melhor até agora. Eu estava ansiosa pelo livro do Nick, muito curiosa sobre seus pensamentos e motivações. Até então, ele era um mistério, mesmo nos outros livros e nas suas interações com os personagens. Esse livro elevou o nível de violência o que eu gostei muito. Poderia apenas ter explorado mais no final o relacionamento do Kit com o Nick, e como foi o Nick mostrando o mundo dele pro Kit e o Mimi.
4/5 🌶
O melhor até agora. Eu estava ansiosa pelo livro do Nick, muito curiosa sobre seus pensamentos e motivações. Até então, ele era um mistério, mesmo nos outros livros e nas suas interações com os personagens. Esse livro elevou o nível de violência o que eu gostei muito. Poderia apenas ter explorado mais no final o relacionamento do Kit com o Nick, e como foi o Nick mostrando o mundo dele pro Kit e o Mimi.
November 2, 2025
I have devoured these books in the last 3 days & I can’t wait for the next one to come out. Characters are engaging & you feel invested in their stories. Each book has a new couple with the previous couples still playing key roles. It is a continuing story but with a new adventure each time. Spicy but not too spicy - perfect reads for an autumn day
December 6, 2025
“Kit” es el tercer libro de una saga de monster romance, dónde humanos se enamoran de criaturas marinas. Los dos libros anteriores tuvieron como protagonistas a jóvenes que conocen criaturas marinas de las que se enamoran (en este caso, tritones), y los libros se centra en el romance y el misterio. Este, sin embargo, tiene como foco, la aventura, dónde el protagonista es secuestrado por un grupo de criaturas diferentes a los tritones,que lo confunden con un brujo al que planean usar para sus propios objetivos.
El protagonista, Nick, es un chico hosco, pero que se preocupa mucho por su familia, al mismo tiempo que se siente excluido por ella. Nick es un personaje que desde libros anteriores tiene un papel constante en la historia y aquí lo vemos tener un crecimiento increíble a lo largo de su viaje
Kit, nuestro interés amoroso, es captor, Pero también es víctima SA y se encuentra cautivo por el hechizo de una bruja. A pesar de ser un guerrero implacable, también es tranquilo, inteligente y dulce. Ambos hace una gran pareja.
El protagonista, Nick, es un chico hosco, pero que se preocupa mucho por su familia, al mismo tiempo que se siente excluido por ella. Nick es un personaje que desde libros anteriores tiene un papel constante en la historia y aquí lo vemos tener un crecimiento increíble a lo largo de su viaje
Kit, nuestro interés amoroso, es captor, Pero también es víctima SA y se encuentra cautivo por el hechizo de una bruja. A pesar de ser un guerrero implacable, también es tranquilo, inteligente y dulce. Ambos hace una gran pareja.
August 27, 2026
Best one yet despite the author knowing very little about coffee processing. And the unbeliveablility that a 20 year old would have mutiple piercings in one area that requires a very long healing time. Also, why would you name a character the same name as his species? Thats like naming a baby "Human".
Best one yet tho 👌
Best one yet tho 👌
April 24, 2026
I loved that ending and I loved how Kit used his tail to hug Nick or even just touch him, kind of reminds me of my cat. But most of the books was very stressful. It was a lot better than the second book, a lot, but nowhere near as good as Adonis.
October 30, 2025
This book was fantastic. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it as much as the others in the series because it was set in the other world, but it was just as good, and perfect for Nick.
December 9, 2025
SO CUTE AAAH!!!
I read like 94% in one sitting, definitely the best so far!
I read like 94% in one sitting, definitely the best so far!
March 21, 2026
Just fantastic. I’m obsessed with this entire world
May 14, 2026
Apparently I read different book than everyone else. I didn’t particularly like this one. I had high hopes but was brutally disappointed. Adonis was way better.
May 18, 2026
I loved this series! The characters and the plot were perfect and loved all the couples!
June 9, 2026
3.5 stars
July 3, 2026
Never Disappointed
Every book in this series is a BANGER! From Adonis to Kit, it never fails.I'm truly impressed by the author's storytelling and depth. Simply REMARKABLE!😊
Every book in this series is a BANGER! From Adonis to Kit, it never fails.I'm truly impressed by the author's storytelling and depth. Simply REMARKABLE!😊
September 10, 2026
i never wanted this to end😭😭 please i need more, i'm obsessed, addicted, completely in love with these characters!!💓💓💓
full rtc
full rtc
December 18, 2025
Wow wow… peak again.
Everything I missed in book two was done perfectly here. I did not expect Nick to be the main character ... that genuinely surprised me. And him being gay? Also unexpected.
Kit… omg I love Kit. I already liked Jasper and his tail, so of course I loved Kit too. The scent marking, the licking, the constant need for closeness and touchiness - loooved it. And the piercings? Wow. Creative. I had to look up where they even were. 😅 The only slightly disappointing thing was that we didn’t really get a scene fully involving the piercings. That felt like teasing and then… nothing. I just wanted a few more moments there.
They came together in such a cute way. I also liked how it was described that what started as this instinctive need for closeness slowly developed into love.
Kit’s past is so incredibly heartbreaking. He was literally abused for years, possibly since childhood, and that whole topic was handled really well. I loved how careful Nick was, always making sure not to touch him in ways that would trigger him. The way Kit struggled with certain roles because of his trauma, and how they communicated and respected each other through all of it… loved that.
Plot-wise, it’s definitely easier to understand if you read the books back to back, but it’s not overly complicated. Things make sense after a while. We also get a bit more explanation about why the rift hasn’t been discovered yet, which makes it feel more realistic.
I love how the relationship between Connor and Nick improves. They really just needed to talk and work through their feelings. The whole guilt theme, Nick feeling replaceable and being afraid Laurence would forget him, wanting to blame Connor but knowing he would’ve never met Kit otherwise ... that was handled very well.
I just love the family dynamic in general. And I lowkey wish Adonis would warm up to Trevor a bit more because he is literally the greenest green flag ever… but I get that it fits Adonis’ character.
Everything I missed in book two was done perfectly here. I did not expect Nick to be the main character ... that genuinely surprised me. And him being gay? Also unexpected.
Kit… omg I love Kit. I already liked Jasper and his tail, so of course I loved Kit too. The scent marking, the licking, the constant need for closeness and touchiness - loooved it. And the piercings? Wow. Creative. I had to look up where they even were. 😅 The only slightly disappointing thing was that we didn’t really get a scene fully involving the piercings. That felt like teasing and then… nothing. I just wanted a few more moments there.
They came together in such a cute way. I also liked how it was described that what started as this instinctive need for closeness slowly developed into love.
Kit’s past is so incredibly heartbreaking. He was literally abused for years, possibly since childhood, and that whole topic was handled really well. I loved how careful Nick was, always making sure not to touch him in ways that would trigger him. The way Kit struggled with certain roles because of his trauma, and how they communicated and respected each other through all of it… loved that.
Plot-wise, it’s definitely easier to understand if you read the books back to back, but it’s not overly complicated. Things make sense after a while. We also get a bit more explanation about why the rift hasn’t been discovered yet, which makes it feel more realistic.
I love how the relationship between Connor and Nick improves. They really just needed to talk and work through their feelings. The whole guilt theme, Nick feeling replaceable and being afraid Laurence would forget him, wanting to blame Connor but knowing he would’ve never met Kit otherwise ... that was handled very well.
I just love the family dynamic in general. And I lowkey wish Adonis would warm up to Trevor a bit more because he is literally the greenest green flag ever… but I get that it fits Adonis’ character.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews