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Tenebrae Cove #2
In Too Deep
Fraser Gorman finds comfort in unrequited love. It’s predictable, safely distant, and forever unobtainable. Zero risk, all the feels. That’s how he’s lived for years. But then the object of his affection plucks at those feelings, pulling at threads that threaten to unravel everything, and Fray has nowhere left to turn but straight into the truth.
Tobin Tiller is broken. Has been for as long as he can remember. He keeps himself distant, building his carefully constructed walls against the rejection he knows is coming. But when he recognises the signs of the bond and who his mate is, he tries to resist. After all, rejecting the bond before Fray can reject him is what he does best.
But the threat of Lusca makes it all inevitable because that’s how fate plays the game. And the men of Tenebrae Cove are about to learn that fate will always win, regardless of their best intentions, and regardless of the rules. Changes are coming, revelations will be made, and the truth is something else entirely.
Fray and Tobin are in too deep for this to play out any other way.
Tobin Tiller is broken. Has been for as long as he can remember. He keeps himself distant, building his carefully constructed walls against the rejection he knows is coming. But when he recognises the signs of the bond and who his mate is, he tries to resist. After all, rejecting the bond before Fray can reject him is what he does best.
But the threat of Lusca makes it all inevitable because that’s how fate plays the game. And the men of Tenebrae Cove are about to learn that fate will always win, regardless of their best intentions, and regardless of the rules. Changes are coming, revelations will be made, and the truth is something else entirely.
Fray and Tobin are in too deep for this to play out any other way.
235 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 14, 2026
About the author
N.R. Walker
121 books5,465 followersAuthor also writes as A. Voyeur
N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn't have it any other way.
She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who she gives them life with words.
She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things...but likes it even more when they fall in love. She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.
She’s been writing ever since...
https://www.facebook.com/N.R.WalkerAu...
N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn't have it any other way.
She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who she gives them life with words.
She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things...but likes it even more when they fall in love. She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.
She’s been writing ever since...
https://www.facebook.com/N.R.WalkerAu...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
June 25, 2026
At this point, Walker is just embarrassing herself.
Because what even is this book?
The first 40% or so was a rather predictable romance (with obligatory tentacles): besties to lovers, scared of rejection, pining, fated mates, yada yada yada.
Around the halfway mark, a weird blend of juvenile dick humor with intense "end of the world" vibes was introduced. It was bizarre and out of place, but okay.
Unfortunately, that's when the author ran out of steam. There was nothing to fill the second half of the book, so Walker improvised, and no, NOPE, terminate!!, cease & desist immediately:
- The romance between Fraser and Tobin was essentially dropped.
- Random POVs, skipping from one character's head to the next.
- The Norwegian consortium arrived (they were supposedly hiding a secret, which was never revealed, like Walker is storing it in her pocket in case she runs out of ideas again).
- The Maori consortium arrived (dear god, why, though; they were just matchsticks characters who brought nothing to the story, oh, except the woman who was pilfered as a love match).
- A plethora of uninspired secondary characters, all flat and uninteresting (as per my point above).
- New pairings, left and right, including an M/F couple and a throuple who crawled out of the woodwork (which fine, but REALLY?).
- The whole terrifying-but-not-really Lusca thing, which imploded with barely a whimper
- New deceptions and out-of-nowhere reveals and ancient gods and cats ... what the fuck is Walker even thinking?
I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. This book is such an unholy mess, I honestly can't.
Maybe Walker is going through a mid-life crisis or has been abducted by aliens. She's certainly not the same author who wrote the Red Dirt, Tallowwood, Blind Faith, Imago, and Turning Point series, as well as numerous standalone novels that captured my heart (Galaxies & Oceans, Switched, The Dichotomy of Angels, Evolved, Finders Keepers, Davo, On Davis Row, just to name a few).
I can no longer pretend Walker's current work is up to par, because it's not. It's tired, disjointed, riddled with typos, and not fit for publishing. I'm out.
Because what even is this book?
The first 40% or so was a rather predictable romance (with obligatory tentacles): besties to lovers, scared of rejection, pining, fated mates, yada yada yada.
Around the halfway mark, a weird blend of juvenile dick humor with intense "end of the world" vibes was introduced. It was bizarre and out of place, but okay.
Unfortunately, that's when the author ran out of steam. There was nothing to fill the second half of the book, so Walker improvised, and no, NOPE, terminate!!, cease & desist immediately:
- The romance between Fraser and Tobin was essentially dropped.
- Random POVs, skipping from one character's head to the next.
- The Norwegian consortium arrived (they were supposedly hiding a secret, which was never revealed, like Walker is storing it in her pocket in case she runs out of ideas again).
- The Maori consortium arrived (dear god, why, though; they were just matchsticks characters who brought nothing to the story, oh, except the woman who was pilfered as a love match).
- A plethora of uninspired secondary characters, all flat and uninteresting (as per my point above).
- New pairings, left and right, including an M/F couple and a throuple who crawled out of the woodwork (which fine, but REALLY?).
- The whole terrifying-but-not-really Lusca thing, which imploded with barely a whimper
- New deceptions and out-of-nowhere reveals and ancient gods and cats ... what the fuck is Walker even thinking?
I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. This book is such an unholy mess, I honestly can't.
Maybe Walker is going through a mid-life crisis or has been abducted by aliens. She's certainly not the same author who wrote the Red Dirt, Tallowwood, Blind Faith, Imago, and Turning Point series, as well as numerous standalone novels that captured my heart (Galaxies & Oceans, Switched, The Dichotomy of Angels, Evolved, Finders Keepers, Davo, On Davis Row, just to name a few).
I can no longer pretend Walker's current work is up to par, because it's not. It's tired, disjointed, riddled with typos, and not fit for publishing. I'm out.
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June 1, 2026
In Too Deep is book two in the Tenebrae Cove series by N.R. Walker. I just told my friends that I could easily just write this entire review with a repeated OMGOMGOMG! Because that’s how I’m feeling right now. My heart is beating and I’m a wreck! In the very best way! Because this book was amazing!
If you read book one, Under the Surface, then you got to know Fraser “Fray” Gorman. He’s always ready with a joke and a smile, best friend to Ciaran. He’s also been in love with Tobin for nearly ten years. A love that isn’t returned.
Tobin Tiller is closed off, prefers to be by himself and rarely smiles. He knows that Fray has feelings for him and keeps him at a distance. But then fate got involved. He started experiencing the same symptoms and Ciaran and Sawyer did, the pain in his chest, the panic at being separated from Fray. Fray is his mate! Fray doesn’t seem to be experiencing the same feelings so Tobin is determined to keep it a secret. Because if he can break the bond, Fray can find someone else that deserves him. Because that someone is definitely not Tobin.
Life is getting crazy on their little island. The threat of Lusca is stronger. Strange things are happening. Other consortiums are on their way to help out. Tobin is doing everything in his power to fight the bond but fate is just too strong. And the truth is, that together, Tobin and Fray are much stronger than they are apart. And right now, they need all the strength they can muster because Lusca is out there! She is coming! And they need to be ready!
I flew through this book! First, Tobin and Fray were so cute together. All the adoring looks between them and the new discoveries that Tobin realized about himself. I loved all of those special uses for their tentacles!!! I also loved seeing more of Sawyer and Ciaran together. I feel like I got to know the whole consortium better in this book. And then comes the intense parts. Once things get real, don’t even think you will be able to put this down. I’m glad I finished it earlier in the afternoon because if it was anywhere close to bedtime, there would not have been any sleeping happening!
This does not have a cliff hanger. But the author says there will be at least one more book in this series. I am beyond relieved because I am not done with this world yet. I need more. I love these characters and the life they have on their tiny little island. I’ll be waiting oh so un-patiently to see what comes next!
If you read book one, Under the Surface, then you got to know Fraser “Fray” Gorman. He’s always ready with a joke and a smile, best friend to Ciaran. He’s also been in love with Tobin for nearly ten years. A love that isn’t returned.
Tobin Tiller is closed off, prefers to be by himself and rarely smiles. He knows that Fray has feelings for him and keeps him at a distance. But then fate got involved. He started experiencing the same symptoms and Ciaran and Sawyer did, the pain in his chest, the panic at being separated from Fray. Fray is his mate! Fray doesn’t seem to be experiencing the same feelings so Tobin is determined to keep it a secret. Because if he can break the bond, Fray can find someone else that deserves him. Because that someone is definitely not Tobin.
Life is getting crazy on their little island. The threat of Lusca is stronger. Strange things are happening. Other consortiums are on their way to help out. Tobin is doing everything in his power to fight the bond but fate is just too strong. And the truth is, that together, Tobin and Fray are much stronger than they are apart. And right now, they need all the strength they can muster because Lusca is out there! She is coming! And they need to be ready!
I flew through this book! First, Tobin and Fray were so cute together. All the adoring looks between them and the new discoveries that Tobin realized about himself. I loved all of those special uses for their tentacles!!! I also loved seeing more of Sawyer and Ciaran together. I feel like I got to know the whole consortium better in this book. And then comes the intense parts. Once things get real, don’t even think you will be able to put this down. I’m glad I finished it earlier in the afternoon because if it was anywhere close to bedtime, there would not have been any sleeping happening!
This does not have a cliff hanger. But the author says there will be at least one more book in this series. I am beyond relieved because I am not done with this world yet. I need more. I love these characters and the life they have on their tiny little island. I’ll be waiting oh so un-patiently to see what comes next!
June 25, 2026
3.5 Stars
(This may be spoilery, so use your reader discretion.)
I might come across as a bit silly for rounding up my rating for this contentious book, but I definitely can’t deny how engrossed I was by this arguably messy story, feeling non-stop entertained and reading the whole thing in an afternoon, despite my aftermath niggles.
Firstly, I’ll say I’m still a bit confused as to why this felt so rushed and overloaded for a 235-page story, with its chaotic character POV jumping (in the second half of the story, at least), the multiple hasty matings, and the seemingly successful (yet underwhelming) vanquishing of the big-bad.
I think my problem is I’ve read a lot of supernatural romance series in my day, so I have expectations on how I thought this series was going to play out, wrongly assuming each book would focus on ONE mating pair and build on the larger arc until the ultimate showdown with the deep-sea monster took place in high stakes affect.
But that’s obviously not the arc this series is taking and I’m simultaneously miffed and intrigued by that fact.
I’m miffed because I really wanted more intimate focus on each character's mating romance, but in this book alone, seemingly ALL the introduced octi-men of book one are suddenly ALL mated and I couldn’t help but feel cheated for not having witnessed most of that play out in more focus and detail, especially the behind the doors stuff, if you know what I mean!? Namely regarding the surprise throuple mating that took place in the background here, because I’m not gonna lie: I feel BEREFT for not getting to see all of that happen in real time, before we got the dreaded closed door in our reader faces, right when the good stuff was unfolding in the doctor sandwich bedroom. HUFF!
I’m also miffed that the consortium seemingly defeated the evil sea troll (kraken?) in this book, not really giving the reader any substantial idea of what/who the potential sequels will be about now the original antagonist has already been dealt with. Yes, there’s the other creepy Norwegian consortium (was I meant to find them super suss, because I did!?), and there are now some sexy-weirdos lurking in the woods that may or may not be good or bad, but hopefully it all leads to an expanding story that branches out past the members of the now all-mated consortium.
Having said that, I’m going to NEED Aurin and Salem to be the focus of book three, because that whole Salem arc is easily the most intriguing element of this series thus far, and their scenes and reveals went a long way in making me land kindlier on a positive reader reaction when I was contemplating how to tackle this rating and review.
The fact I’m nearing the end of my review and I haven’t even mentioned the “main focus” pairing of the book is a bit of a worry—because I forgot about them for a second there—but I did enjoy the quickly progressing nature of Tobin and Fray’s friends-to-lovers mating. I definitely appreciated Tobin’s insecurities and personal worries about how a mating bond takes away free will, but I also appreciated how quickly he realised he was being silly and should dive all in with his best friend in this new stage of their relationship.
It helped that I liked Fray a lot, even in the previous book when he was the shit-stirring sidekick. He’s sunshiney to Tobin’s grumpy, but they fit well together and I’m actually glad the angst of Fray’s unrequited love didn’t drag on for hundreds of pages before Tobin pulled his head out of his arse and realised how lucky he was to have someone like Fraser love him unconditionally, fate be damned.
Ultimately, I had a few niggles—mostly about the “where’s it all going next” of it all and definitely relating to the feeling of “I’ve been jibbed a sexy throuple and I’m not okay!!” But besides those things, I still flew through this story with a speed and intensity I don’t often experience with this kind of book, so I have to concede that I had a good time for the most part and I’m still coming back for whatever the sequels hold… even if they may be a bit more of a mystery than I expected them to be.
Tenebrae Cove Series
Book 1 - Under the Surface (3.5 Stars)
Book 2 - In Too Deep (3.5 Stars)
Book 3 - pending...
(This may be spoilery, so use your reader discretion.)
I might come across as a bit silly for rounding up my rating for this contentious book, but I definitely can’t deny how engrossed I was by this arguably messy story, feeling non-stop entertained and reading the whole thing in an afternoon, despite my aftermath niggles.
Firstly, I’ll say I’m still a bit confused as to why this felt so rushed and overloaded for a 235-page story, with its chaotic character POV jumping (in the second half of the story, at least), the multiple hasty matings, and the seemingly successful (yet underwhelming) vanquishing of the big-bad.
I think my problem is I’ve read a lot of supernatural romance series in my day, so I have expectations on how I thought this series was going to play out, wrongly assuming each book would focus on ONE mating pair and build on the larger arc until the ultimate showdown with the deep-sea monster took place in high stakes affect.
But that’s obviously not the arc this series is taking and I’m simultaneously miffed and intrigued by that fact.
I’m miffed because I really wanted more intimate focus on each character's mating romance, but in this book alone, seemingly ALL the introduced octi-men of book one are suddenly ALL mated and I couldn’t help but feel cheated for not having witnessed most of that play out in more focus and detail, especially the behind the doors stuff, if you know what I mean!? Namely regarding the surprise throuple mating that took place in the background here, because I’m not gonna lie: I feel BEREFT for not getting to see all of that happen in real time, before we got the dreaded closed door in our reader faces, right when the good stuff was unfolding in the doctor sandwich bedroom. HUFF!
I’m also miffed that the consortium seemingly defeated the evil sea troll (kraken?) in this book, not really giving the reader any substantial idea of what/who the potential sequels will be about now the original antagonist has already been dealt with. Yes, there’s the other creepy Norwegian consortium (was I meant to find them super suss, because I did!?), and there are now some sexy-weirdos lurking in the woods that may or may not be good or bad, but hopefully it all leads to an expanding story that branches out past the members of the now all-mated consortium.
Having said that, I’m going to NEED Aurin and Salem to be the focus of book three, because that whole Salem arc is easily the most intriguing element of this series thus far, and their scenes and reveals went a long way in making me land kindlier on a positive reader reaction when I was contemplating how to tackle this rating and review.
The fact I’m nearing the end of my review and I haven’t even mentioned the “main focus” pairing of the book is a bit of a worry—because I forgot about them for a second there—but I did enjoy the quickly progressing nature of Tobin and Fray’s friends-to-lovers mating. I definitely appreciated Tobin’s insecurities and personal worries about how a mating bond takes away free will, but I also appreciated how quickly he realised he was being silly and should dive all in with his best friend in this new stage of their relationship.
It helped that I liked Fray a lot, even in the previous book when he was the shit-stirring sidekick. He’s sunshiney to Tobin’s grumpy, but they fit well together and I’m actually glad the angst of Fray’s unrequited love didn’t drag on for hundreds of pages before Tobin pulled his head out of his arse and realised how lucky he was to have someone like Fraser love him unconditionally, fate be damned.
Ultimately, I had a few niggles—mostly about the “where’s it all going next” of it all and definitely relating to the feeling of “I’ve been jibbed a sexy throuple and I’m not okay!!” But besides those things, I still flew through this story with a speed and intensity I don’t often experience with this kind of book, so I have to concede that I had a good time for the most part and I’m still coming back for whatever the sequels hold… even if they may be a bit more of a mystery than I expected them to be.
Tenebrae Cove Series
Book 1 - Under the Surface (3.5 Stars)
Book 2 - In Too Deep (3.5 Stars)
Book 3 - pending...
May 19, 2026
EDIT: changed my rating, because why was I even feeling generous?
What the f did I just read?
This book is an absolute mess.
We started where the 1st book stops with the main plot, but here as MCs we have Fray and Tobin... their relationship and bond are wrapped up pretty quickly after a little pining/resistance, and then the absolute nonsense starts: we get a parade of new characters (Fray's Norwegian relatives and Otis' ones from New Zealand), then the plot goes out the window, multiple POVs, the Lusca storyline gets wrapped up very quickly, and the book ends in another cliffhanger that is absolutely ridiculous.
Seems like the author originally planned one book for each couple, but she didn't have enough plot and decided to throw everything into this book.
It's a mess. Book #1 wasn't good, but this is another level of nonsense. I can't even say if there will be another book with Salem's story or if this series ends here.
How this is the same author who's written some of my fav books is beyond me.
What the f did I just read?
This book is an absolute mess.
We started where the 1st book stops with the main plot, but here as MCs we have Fray and Tobin... their relationship and bond are wrapped up pretty quickly after a little pining/resistance, and then the absolute nonsense starts: we get a parade of new characters (Fray's Norwegian relatives and Otis' ones from New Zealand), then the plot goes out the window, multiple POVs, the Lusca storyline gets wrapped up very quickly, and the book ends in another cliffhanger that is absolutely ridiculous.
Seems like the author originally planned one book for each couple, but she didn't have enough plot and decided to throw everything into this book.
It's a mess. Book #1 wasn't good, but this is another level of nonsense. I can't even say if there will be another book with Salem's story or if this series ends here.
How this is the same author who's written some of my fav books is beyond me.
May 16, 2026
Too Much Chaos, Too Many Couples
I love NR Walker, but maybe fantasy / paranormal isn’t my favorite of theirs. This book and book one had good elements and interesting characters, but everything feels just off. The relationships are quick and without a lot of connection beyond the “fated mates we have no choice” aspect. There are so many secrets and conversations that only allude to things but never give us answers. Each story feels half complete with a rushed plot and fast paced romance.
Whereas book one concentrated on one couple, this book is false advertising with the blurb only being about Fray and Tobin. Yes, there story is in here but it’s shared with about four other couples and there are so many chapters from other people’s perspectives.
This book should have either been 200 pages longer or split up into multiple books. I didn’t mind some of the other couples being discovered and bonded in the background but for all of them to be was strange. The plot itself is interesting but again, the resolution came too quickly and without enough details.
This series is interesting but forgettable and for an NR Walker book that’s pretty rare and disappointing.
If the next book is about Salem then maybe I’ll check it out but otherwise I already feel done with this series.
Tropes: Fated Mates, Shifters, Multiple POV, Multiple Couples, Found Family
Rating: ⭐️⭐️ 2/5
Spice: 🌶️ 1/5
Relationship: MM / MMM / MM / MF
I love NR Walker, but maybe fantasy / paranormal isn’t my favorite of theirs. This book and book one had good elements and interesting characters, but everything feels just off. The relationships are quick and without a lot of connection beyond the “fated mates we have no choice” aspect. There are so many secrets and conversations that only allude to things but never give us answers. Each story feels half complete with a rushed plot and fast paced romance.
Whereas book one concentrated on one couple, this book is false advertising with the blurb only being about Fray and Tobin. Yes, there story is in here but it’s shared with about four other couples and there are so many chapters from other people’s perspectives.
This book should have either been 200 pages longer or split up into multiple books. I didn’t mind some of the other couples being discovered and bonded in the background but for all of them to be was strange. The plot itself is interesting but again, the resolution came too quickly and without enough details.
This series is interesting but forgettable and for an NR Walker book that’s pretty rare and disappointing.
If the next book is about Salem then maybe I’ll check it out but otherwise I already feel done with this series.
Tropes: Fated Mates, Shifters, Multiple POV, Multiple Couples, Found Family
Rating: ⭐️⭐️ 2/5
Spice: 🌶️ 1/5
Relationship: MM / MMM / MM / MF
May 29, 2026
I enjoyed the first book, despite its flaws, but this was insane? This felt like someone wrote their first ever fan fic based on how they felt the second book in this series should go. Completely disjointed, seven book plots in one book but not even remotely fleshed out, total bust big bad….honestly while reading it I was thinking wow book one must’ve done really poorly and the author just wants to finish every single thing up in this book and be done with it.
But no!!! There’s set up for a third book! Wtfffffffff
Ghost writer strikes again? That’s my conspiracy theory.
But no!!! There’s set up for a third book! Wtfffffffff
Ghost writer strikes again? That’s my conspiracy theory.
July 27, 2026
3.5*
This book's a bit more angsty than book one, both within the relationship development but also with what's going on with the danger in the water.
I found that perhaps things went a little bit fast with both Fray and Tobias' relationship woes clearing up after they got chucked in the water by Ciar, but also with the sudden explosion in bonding with everyone else too.
However, that aside, the world building for the cepholapods is intriguing even if there's a massive lack of it for everything else.
Like why is Cern Brown who he is and why is a folklore figure linked mainly with both Irish and English legends in Tasmania?
Also the big fight with our supposedly returning ancient old god was over super fast and, again, parts of the plot felt utterly rushed and thrown in just to get to the next bit.
There's a throuple which yes, I saw coming a mile away, but we're only given a glimpse before the door's slammed in our faces. That massively pissed me off.
There was way more headhopping in this book than in book one, outside of the two main characters, and it still didn't really add much.
And wtf was the whole throwaway thing with the visitor on Tobin's boat being our big bad?! It made zero sense and added zilch to the narrative.
Having said that though, there's still something compelling about the octopus shifters themselves that draws me into their world so I hope we get a third book with a boatload more actual explanation in it.
This book's a bit more angsty than book one, both within the relationship development but also with what's going on with the danger in the water.
I found that perhaps things went a little bit fast with both Fray and Tobias' relationship woes clearing up after they got chucked in the water by Ciar, but also with the sudden explosion in bonding with everyone else too.
However, that aside, the world building for the cepholapods is intriguing even if there's a massive lack of it for everything else.
Like why is Cern Brown who he is and why is a folklore figure linked mainly with both Irish and English legends in Tasmania?
Also the big fight with our supposedly returning ancient old god was over super fast and, again, parts of the plot felt utterly rushed and thrown in just to get to the next bit.
There's a throuple which yes, I saw coming a mile away, but we're only given a glimpse before the door's slammed in our faces. That massively pissed me off.
There was way more headhopping in this book than in book one, outside of the two main characters, and it still didn't really add much.
And wtf was the whole throwaway thing with the visitor on Tobin's boat being our big bad?! It made zero sense and added zilch to the narrative.
Having said that though, there's still something compelling about the octopus shifters themselves that draws me into their world so I hope we get a third book with a boatload more actual explanation in it.
May 15, 2026
Tbh, I don’t know how to rate this. I’m not even sure how to put my thoughts into words. This was . . . a fucking j o u r n e y. And so, so fucking different from the first. It felt like if you crammed multiple complete books, all cut-and-pasted in weird pieces with huge missing chunks, into one book, and then still had yourself a very confusing cliffhanger and odd sort of ending rolled into the backend for funsies. This did not pass the vibe check, for sure, and at this point the only reason I’d continue into another book—or series, or whatever tf is up next for this little world—would be to see Aurin and Salem. And maybe I’d just skim it. Because I love my brain, and I think she’s tired and wants me to prove my love by not doing the blender thingie on purpose. Babe, I gotchu. 2/5**. Respectfully?
**I changed my mind, and I can’t do 3. This wasn’t mid.
**I changed my mind, and I can’t do 3. This wasn’t mid.
July 4, 2026
3⭐️
This is probably as much a review of the series so far as it is of this particular book.
I'm a Walker fan, so I think this series is suffering from my own expectations a little. I love her character-driven romances. I love shifters, cosy paranormal worlds, fluffy love stories, mating frenzies, and yes… I also love tentacles. Under the Surface was a fun read despite some hiccups, so I expected In Too Deep to build on those foundations and deliver a lot more.
Unfortunately, it follows almost the exact same pattern.
We get the “ooh, who are the fated mates?” setup, the immediate mating frenzy, endless discussions about who's going to mate next, and another reminder that the Calling is dangerous. But for roughly 70% of the book, that's all it is: a reminder.
The mystery is always lingering in the background, but only because you're constantly waiting for the story to come back to it. Characters arrive, whisper ominously, hint that something is wrong, then... nothing. Nobody really investigates. Nobody develops a plan. Nobody seems particularly interested in pushing the mystery forward until the final stretch.
Major spoiler:
I also struggled with how many POVs and couples were introduced. Instead of spending time developing Fray and Tobin as characters (beyond the mating), the book randomly shifts its attention elsewhere.
Someone new walks in... MATED.
Another cousin shows up... MATED.
Another side character appears... probably another future couple.
After a while, it started to feel like every new arrival existed to set up the next romance instead of serving this story.
I also found myself wishing the book would show me more instead of telling me. I'm told who these characters are. But I rarely got to feel those things for myself, so both the emotional beats and the suspense landed flatter than I'd hoped.
That's probably what disappointed me most because I genuinely think there's so much potential here. I like the world, I enjoy the shifter dynamics, and I still find Walker's writing incredibly easy to sink into. But this book felt crowded, noisy, and surprisingly surface-level for a story that keeps hinting at something much bigger beneath the waves.
I still had fun, which is probably my Walker bias showing. But I'm still waiting for the series to fully commit to the mystery it keeps promising.
This is probably as much a review of the series so far as it is of this particular book.
I'm a Walker fan, so I think this series is suffering from my own expectations a little. I love her character-driven romances. I love shifters, cosy paranormal worlds, fluffy love stories, mating frenzies, and yes… I also love tentacles. Under the Surface was a fun read despite some hiccups, so I expected In Too Deep to build on those foundations and deliver a lot more.
Unfortunately, it follows almost the exact same pattern.
We get the “ooh, who are the fated mates?” setup, the immediate mating frenzy, endless discussions about who's going to mate next, and another reminder that the Calling is dangerous. But for roughly 70% of the book, that's all it is: a reminder.
The mystery is always lingering in the background, but only because you're constantly waiting for the story to come back to it. Characters arrive, whisper ominously, hint that something is wrong, then... nothing. Nobody really investigates. Nobody develops a plan. Nobody seems particularly interested in pushing the mystery forward until the final stretch.
Major spoiler:
I also struggled with how many POVs and couples were introduced. Instead of spending time developing Fray and Tobin as characters (beyond the mating), the book randomly shifts its attention elsewhere.
Someone new walks in... MATED.
Another cousin shows up... MATED.
Another side character appears... probably another future couple.
After a while, it started to feel like every new arrival existed to set up the next romance instead of serving this story.
I also found myself wishing the book would show me more instead of telling me. I'm told who these characters are. But I rarely got to feel those things for myself, so both the emotional beats and the suspense landed flatter than I'd hoped.
That's probably what disappointed me most because I genuinely think there's so much potential here. I like the world, I enjoy the shifter dynamics, and I still find Walker's writing incredibly easy to sink into. But this book felt crowded, noisy, and surprisingly surface-level for a story that keeps hinting at something much bigger beneath the waves.
I still had fun, which is probably my Walker bias showing. But I'm still waiting for the series to fully commit to the mystery it keeps promising.
August 7, 2026
This was the second book in this series and this time the focus was on Frasier (Fray) and Tobin. These two are part of The Consortium which is a group of shifters whose free form is an Octopus. You did read that right.
Anyway, in the first book we learned a lot about their group - where they lived, how they lived, etc. But, we also were told that Fray had been in love with Tobin for many, many years and that the feelings were not returned,
When this book starts, we had just had the first mating of a couple and it was a with new cop Douglas Sawyer and Leader of the Consortium Ciaran. Sawyer was a human, so that was totally unexpected and somewhat odd. This time Fray and Tobin have been part of this group for many years and after pining forever, Fray decides to give up on Tobin. What do you know? This group of men who had never experienced a mating, now is dealing with its second.
Tobin has issues with his self worth and doesn’t think he is good enough for Fray and the first half of the book deals with the two of them trying to sort things out. It is then that this book kind of fell apart for me. So out of the blue, we have had 2 matings within this group of 8 men (well, and 1 cop) but THEN…….boom, we have another. This one is also a non conventional pairing and we’ve all of a sudden forgotten about Fray and Tobin and are dealing with this new pairing. It felt…..odd.
Not to mention, between the first and second books there is a huge rogue god scenario threatening the area where they live - the southern tip of Australia and two other Consortiums come to help. There was a HUGE build up of this threat and it was settled with nary a whimper. Kind of a let down……
So this book was a bit of a miss for me. The good thing was that Ms. Walker does do a good job with the banter between characters and there were some really funny comments that gave the story more of a light hearted feel. At this point, there is one more book in this trilogy, but I think I might wait a while before reading the last book.
Anyway, in the first book we learned a lot about their group - where they lived, how they lived, etc. But, we also were told that Fray had been in love with Tobin for many, many years and that the feelings were not returned,
When this book starts, we had just had the first mating of a couple and it was a with new cop Douglas Sawyer and Leader of the Consortium Ciaran. Sawyer was a human, so that was totally unexpected and somewhat odd. This time Fray and Tobin have been part of this group for many years and after pining forever, Fray decides to give up on Tobin. What do you know? This group of men who had never experienced a mating, now is dealing with its second.
Tobin has issues with his self worth and doesn’t think he is good enough for Fray and the first half of the book deals with the two of them trying to sort things out. It is then that this book kind of fell apart for me. So out of the blue, we have had 2 matings within this group of 8 men (well, and 1 cop) but THEN…….boom, we have another. This one is also a non conventional pairing and we’ve all of a sudden forgotten about Fray and Tobin and are dealing with this new pairing. It felt…..odd.
Not to mention, between the first and second books there is a huge rogue god scenario threatening the area where they live - the southern tip of Australia and two other Consortiums come to help. There was a HUGE build up of this threat and it was settled with nary a whimper. Kind of a let down……
So this book was a bit of a miss for me. The good thing was that Ms. Walker does do a good job with the banter between characters and there were some really funny comments that gave the story more of a light hearted feel. At this point, there is one more book in this trilogy, but I think I might wait a while before reading the last book.
June 10, 2026
Rating: 3/5 🌟
Spice: 2.5/5 🌶️
Heroes: Fraser Gorman and Tobin Tiller
I'm being generous with this rating because I love N.R. Walker and I love the idea of this series.... but this book was a mess. It should have just been a novella because the relationship was wrapped up within the first 40% of the story and the rest was convoluted plot with too many POV's.
Like I said, I love the idea behind this series and see the potential, but I just can't seem to truly get into the books. The first book was okay, but this one didn't hit at all. There was no real buildup for the romance. Honestly, there was more pining from this romance in book one. They go from unrequited love and "I don't want this" to "I love you, it's us forever" in like 100 pages. I just didn't feel anything but annoyance with Tobin.
I'm a little bit frustrated with N.R. Walker's latest few releases. I revisit a lot of the older books because the couples bring out real emotions and have so much feeling and heart. The latest releases just feel forced in a way.
Spice: 2.5/5 🌶️
Heroes: Fraser Gorman and Tobin Tiller
I'm being generous with this rating because I love N.R. Walker and I love the idea of this series.... but this book was a mess. It should have just been a novella because the relationship was wrapped up within the first 40% of the story and the rest was convoluted plot with too many POV's.
Like I said, I love the idea behind this series and see the potential, but I just can't seem to truly get into the books. The first book was okay, but this one didn't hit at all. There was no real buildup for the romance. Honestly, there was more pining from this romance in book one. They go from unrequited love and "I don't want this" to "I love you, it's us forever" in like 100 pages. I just didn't feel anything but annoyance with Tobin.
I'm a little bit frustrated with N.R. Walker's latest few releases. I revisit a lot of the older books because the couples bring out real emotions and have so much feeling and heart. The latest releases just feel forced in a way.
June 2, 2026
more lacking than the first, felt like an endless meet-cute and then the action was over super fast. i'll likely read future books in the series, despite this one being a bit underwhelming.
May 22, 2026
DNF ~32%
The first book was... readable, and I was intrigued by this pairing, but alas, I am reminded why I rarely read this author anymore. The characters, particularly Tobin, but Fraser as well, felt entirely different from how they were portrayed in book 1. I understand that seeing an outside perspective via internal POV is going to have some differences, but here it felt super jarring and the dynamic just wasn't what I was wanting/looking forward to. Meh writing, and just not for me. I'll give the rest of this series a pass.
The first book was... readable, and I was intrigued by this pairing, but alas, I am reminded why I rarely read this author anymore. The characters, particularly Tobin, but Fraser as well, felt entirely different from how they were portrayed in book 1. I understand that seeing an outside perspective via internal POV is going to have some differences, but here it felt super jarring and the dynamic just wasn't what I was wanting/looking forward to. Meh writing, and just not for me. I'll give the rest of this series a pass.
June 7, 2026
2.5ish? Who knows. This book was a hot mess. I can’t explain why I kinda enjoyed it because it was honestly terrible. I was ready to give up by 60% but it did get a little better (somehow!!). Rushed and incomplete plot. 3 seperate mating bonds in 200 odd pages and none of the issues were ever resolved.
May 16, 2026
Walker packed a ton in this book, but managed to leave some unanswered questions.
I want answers to this questions!
I want answers to this questions!
May 15, 2026
This book was a mess. It was just mish mashed together and then spat out.
The only saving grace was the first 25% when there was burning tension between Fray and Tobin. But once they got together it was basically game over.
The multiple POV cutting in. And different stories. And the introduction of gabillion new characters - my brain my brain!
And then left us with a cliffhanger at the end?!?!
I don’t know what happened or where this is going but I’m out.
July 10, 2026
I liked this one better than the last though how they realize they’re mates is strange. I do feel like the other throuple was short changed. I can’t wait for Salem’s book
June 3, 2026
Kinda plodded through this one, just to see how they’d beat the crisis of the kraken. I’m just so not a octo-sex kinda person, the sex is not hot despite the author really going for it, for me. And there was more build up than action with the kraken.
June 17, 2026
Ok, hear me out, cuz I have a lot to say..
First of all, this series better have at least 2 more books coming, if not three, ok? Cuz you can't do that to me. You can't give me only 1 chapter with Hendrix, Dylan and Kellan, I NEED A BOOK about those three. AN ENTIRE BOOK, you hear me? Anything else is unacceptable.
Also, I need a book about Salem and Aurin. Finally finding out what Salem is, or sorta kinda, since let's be honest I still don't know what that means... yeah, give me an entire book. I need to know why Salem was so in everyone's business. I mean, I love gossip too, but dang he is nosey. And Aurin, I have to know how their story started. Everything really, I wanna know everything and anything. What an odd an interesting pair.
This book was... I don't wanna say better than the first because book one was awesome, but in this one a lot more things happened. This book needs to be read after you read book one, you can't jump straight into this one, just so you know. The Lusca incident was solved in this one, and I saw people saying it was a bit anticlimactic, but I think for what we are talking about it was perfect. Idk how much more can you write about that battle, you know? How much of a marine expert would you need to be to make this more? Idk... I bet a lot expert 🤣.
I loved how we had different pov's in this one, that we had Ciaran and Sawyer's pov as well, it made this even better. This whole found family is awesome and I love when we can be with past characters as well, and from their own pov. It brings the story/series/group together, or more so, than if we only had Tobin's and Fray's pov's. I think their story was written quite well, and the added characters did not take anything away from them.
I want people to understand that, as mentioned, this is a series that needs to be read in order. This is not a series of interconnected standalones. Or not just that. They are interconnected in the sense that every book follows a different couple, but the plot started in book one and continued in this one, I think this is why it was written the way it was. It might sound chaotic but it makes perfect sense. I think if we get more books, when the series will be over we will have a better picture of why things had to go this way. Imho it is unfair to judge the book by this. I think it is necessary, it makes sense, it is more fun.
I really, really, really hope this series will have more books because we have been introduced new couples, new characters, new things were uncovered, and there is also that small cliffhanger (?) at the end. I feel like there are more stories that could come our of Tenebrae Cove.
I am in love with this town, I am in love with these characters and their found family and I am in love with this world. I need more. So much more. This series has for sure become something I will be obsessing over.
•••
Another 5 star NR Walker book to add to my collection... what a shock this is to no one who knows me.
•••
Oh, and if you are a fan of audiobooks, yeah, listen to this one, Gosh, I love Glen Lloyd's style.
First of all, this series better have at least 2 more books coming, if not three, ok? Cuz you can't do that to me. You can't give me only 1 chapter with Hendrix, Dylan and Kellan, I NEED A BOOK about those three. AN ENTIRE BOOK, you hear me? Anything else is unacceptable.
Also, I need a book about Salem and Aurin. Finally finding out what Salem is, or sorta kinda, since let's be honest I still don't know what that means... yeah, give me an entire book. I need to know why Salem was so in everyone's business. I mean, I love gossip too, but dang he is nosey. And Aurin, I have to know how their story started. Everything really, I wanna know everything and anything. What an odd an interesting pair.
This book was... I don't wanna say better than the first because book one was awesome, but in this one a lot more things happened. This book needs to be read after you read book one, you can't jump straight into this one, just so you know. The Lusca incident was solved in this one, and I saw people saying it was a bit anticlimactic, but I think for what we are talking about it was perfect. Idk how much more can you write about that battle, you know? How much of a marine expert would you need to be to make this more? Idk... I bet a lot expert 🤣.
I loved how we had different pov's in this one, that we had Ciaran and Sawyer's pov as well, it made this even better. This whole found family is awesome and I love when we can be with past characters as well, and from their own pov. It brings the story/series/group together, or more so, than if we only had Tobin's and Fray's pov's. I think their story was written quite well, and the added characters did not take anything away from them.
I want people to understand that, as mentioned, this is a series that needs to be read in order. This is not a series of interconnected standalones. Or not just that. They are interconnected in the sense that every book follows a different couple, but the plot started in book one and continued in this one, I think this is why it was written the way it was. It might sound chaotic but it makes perfect sense. I think if we get more books, when the series will be over we will have a better picture of why things had to go this way. Imho it is unfair to judge the book by this. I think it is necessary, it makes sense, it is more fun.
I really, really, really hope this series will have more books because we have been introduced new couples, new characters, new things were uncovered, and there is also that small cliffhanger (?) at the end. I feel like there are more stories that could come our of Tenebrae Cove.
I am in love with this town, I am in love with these characters and their found family and I am in love with this world. I need more. So much more. This series has for sure become something I will be obsessing over.
•••
Another 5 star NR Walker book to add to my collection... what a shock this is to no one who knows me.
•••
Oh, and if you are a fan of audiobooks, yeah, listen to this one, Gosh, I love Glen Lloyd's style.
May 15, 2026
This is a paranormal romance, featuring Tobin Tiller and Fraser Gorman (Fray), and is book two in the Tenebrae Cove series.
Fray has always had an impossible crush on Tobin but it starts to become impossible to ignore. Tobin tries to fight their fated mate bond out of fear of rejection and not being good enough, while danger in Tenebrae Cove feels like it is closing in.
I seriously dove into this book the second it was released, I needed to know what happened and boy a lot happens in this book. Frat and Tobin are so cute together, Tobin fights the dared mate bond but once he gives in, he realises just how much Fray loves him. The mystery / suspense ramps up with the full found family and we saw more characters be introduced.
I don’t know if there will be more books yet, I have so many questions. If you have read this please DM me so we can debrief.
Things to expect in this book are:
Book 2 in series
MM paranormal romance
Small town
Cephamorph Shifters
Opposites attract
Hurt / Comfort
Guarded MC
Unrequited love
Fated mates
Spicy times
Tentacle kink
Found family
Mystery / suspense
HEA hint
Fray has always had an impossible crush on Tobin but it starts to become impossible to ignore. Tobin tries to fight their fated mate bond out of fear of rejection and not being good enough, while danger in Tenebrae Cove feels like it is closing in.
I seriously dove into this book the second it was released, I needed to know what happened and boy a lot happens in this book. Frat and Tobin are so cute together, Tobin fights the dared mate bond but once he gives in, he realises just how much Fray loves him. The mystery / suspense ramps up with the full found family and we saw more characters be introduced.
I don’t know if there will be more books yet, I have so many questions. If you have read this please DM me so we can debrief.
Things to expect in this book are:
Book 2 in series
MM paranormal romance
Small town
Cephamorph Shifters
Opposites attract
Hurt / Comfort
Guarded MC
Unrequited love
Fated mates
Spicy times
Tentacle kink
Found family
Mystery / suspense
HEA hint
May 17, 2026
TBH, I was a bit disappointed at first, it'd identity have the grab me and don't let go of the first book. Then the second half started...
OMG!! What a ride!!
Can't wait for book 3!
OMG!! What a ride!!
Can't wait for book 3!
July 27, 2026
Better than book one - looking forward to book three!
Read
July 31, 2026I loved the first book in this series, but when it came to this book for Fray and Tobin’s romance it felt flat. I’m a DNF 34% as not keeping my attention to keep reading.
Did Not Finish
May 24, 2026I will not give it a rating since I lasted till 20% into the book. And 20% was just miscommunication to a level I was baffled. These characters are adults …. I like some miscommunication here and there but damn man, just sit down and talk WTF was happening here…
So disappointed as I did enjoy book one. Book one also had some issues here and there but overall it was fun so I was looking forward to this book but … yeah no thank you.
So disappointed as I did enjoy book one. Book one also had some issues here and there but overall it was fun so I was looking forward to this book but … yeah no thank you.
Read
May 19, 2026So... this was weird. The first book was interesting and, just as importantly, it made sense. A police officer experiences something paranormal, he accepts a transfer to a remote village, meets a guy, and there's all the mystery of what is happening and slowly putting the clues together while finding a way into his love interest's... heart. It's nothing eart-shaterring but I like Walker and the first book delivered a different brand of her solid writing.
This one? Is a mess. It's both too short and too long, spending time on trivial things then skipping important stuff to have more sex or something completely new to happen. Spoiler warnings but it's hard to describe otherwise because it's the plot that suffered from paying too much attention to all the wrong things and packing up the main plot in like, two chapters.
We start with the previously teased couple - the two dorks who need to stop hiding behind their fears and have, like, a conversation. It takes them forever but at the same time, after just a few chapters of very annoying emoting of the annoying and frustrating kind, they talk, they "bond" and, guess what, time for a new one! We get a triad. We change POV's. There are some new guests and one of them bonds with one of the residents. We completely gloss over it. They make a random errand that turns out pointless. They make remarks about the cat, who was mentioned before and I thought: a feline shifter, how cute except I was wrong but the actual revelation is thrown in at the weirdest moment and doesn't really get any proper build-up or explanation. Which applies to almost everything.
We got the angst pinning, sex scenes, a new bond to watch just to get jerked back to Imminent danger! then back to personal interactions that really felt more like banter that went nowhere...
I don't get it. Walker is a good writer. This could have been at least two separate books, the main plot could have been the main plot instead of something that never took actual shape before being swept under the rug after one intense scene that felt too easy for what it was supposed to do...
There should be another book, though the main "bad guy" or plotline is basically finished, not that the book actually needed it...? Honestly, it feels like Walker handed it to some random fan with too many ideas or she wrote three books, cut out pieces and put them together in chronological order... Can you tell I am still confused?
Something just didn't mesh about the sequence of events here and I while I enjoyed some parts, I was mostly confused and felt like nothing was happening. Compared to the first book, this one was... bad. I don't like to use this word, because there are books I don't like but I respect that someone else does but this one should have been good and it all went wrong. The romance, that should have saved it? The first one I didn't like, the second one was over before it began and the last one, that could have been even more interesting than the threesome, never actually happened.
I am repeating myself at this point. Can't properly recommend? I'll definitely read the next book if there is one.
This one? Is a mess. It's both too short and too long, spending time on trivial things then skipping important stuff to have more sex or something completely new to happen. Spoiler warnings but it's hard to describe otherwise because it's the plot that suffered from paying too much attention to all the wrong things and packing up the main plot in like, two chapters.
We start with the previously teased couple - the two dorks who need to stop hiding behind their fears and have, like, a conversation. It takes them forever but at the same time, after just a few chapters of very annoying emoting of the annoying and frustrating kind, they talk, they "bond" and, guess what, time for a new one! We get a triad. We change POV's. There are some new guests and one of them bonds with one of the residents. We completely gloss over it. They make a random errand that turns out pointless. They make remarks about the cat, who was mentioned before and I thought: a feline shifter, how cute except I was wrong but the actual revelation is thrown in at the weirdest moment and doesn't really get any proper build-up or explanation. Which applies to almost everything.
We got the angst pinning, sex scenes, a new bond to watch just to get jerked back to Imminent danger! then back to personal interactions that really felt more like banter that went nowhere...
I don't get it. Walker is a good writer. This could have been at least two separate books, the main plot could have been the main plot instead of something that never took actual shape before being swept under the rug after one intense scene that felt too easy for what it was supposed to do...
There should be another book, though the main "bad guy" or plotline is basically finished, not that the book actually needed it...? Honestly, it feels like Walker handed it to some random fan with too many ideas or she wrote three books, cut out pieces and put them together in chronological order... Can you tell I am still confused?
Something just didn't mesh about the sequence of events here and I while I enjoyed some parts, I was mostly confused and felt like nothing was happening. Compared to the first book, this one was... bad. I don't like to use this word, because there are books I don't like but I respect that someone else does but this one should have been good and it all went wrong. The romance, that should have saved it? The first one I didn't like, the second one was over before it began and the last one, that could have been even more interesting than the threesome, never actually happened.
I am repeating myself at this point. Can't properly recommend? I'll definitely read the next book if there is one.
June 11, 2026
Octopus Shifters Fray and Tobin
DNF 25% I am so mad about this actually
Pining. Fear of rejection so rejecting first. Fated Mates.
I cannot express how disappointed I am that Fray’s unrequited crush turned out to be Fated Mates. I really wanted it to turn into something else, either a friends to lovers where circumstances forced them together for some reason and forced Tobin to stop being an ass and realize that he was hurting Fray. Or, get this, have Fray fall for someone else, realize that his unrequited crush was toxic and that the new character made him feel all new feels and have some nice realization that maybe he deserved to feel loved too and get hurt/comfort vibes.
I mean Tobin was definitely not the way I perceived him from book 1. Him being all emo “what about free will” “I dont deserve Fray anyway” and the stupid miscommunication of him rejecting the bond, thinking Fray doesn’t feel it?? Fray was pining for *years* wtf…
And then suddenly at 20%, Tobin just snaps because rejecting the bond is hurting him so much. So what about all the pining and unrequited love? How did it last that long for them when Ciaran and Sawyer couldn’t stay away from each other even though they were strangers, how do you explain it with Fray and Tobin being friends/family all this time? Fray thinking he is in love with a friend for years and can just love him from afar while Tobin is doing Gods know what… that’s not a mate bond behavior, unless the theory that it’s possible to reject it because of free will is real and makes the bond diminish and disappear, but then where is all the sudden pain a coming from now? Suddenly free will isn’t a thing anymore and fated mates need to be bonded and resolve their bullshit? Okayyy
Laughing at the fact that I wanted the guys to be confused about Ciaran’s bond in book 1 and you mean to tell me they were CONFUSED about a bond that was here all along and they never realized??? But they weren’t confused for some surprise bond with a new human visitor???? Make it make sense???
I am not sticking around for the tentacle porn this time because I really don’t care about these characters and their supposed romance.
Also I checked the other comments and I don’t think it’s worth sticking around for all the mess and chaos.
I personally think NR Walker should have kept going with Ciaran and Sawyer as main characters for the whole series and just have them be the driving force for the paranormal drama and help with all the other love drama from side characters, all the while still taking time to actually learn how to function as a mated pair, see how it might change Sawyer, how they can be leaders and fight the big bad… and I think tentacle porn is only interesting if one of them is human but that’s maybe just a me thing? I don’t think I care about reading two octopuses fucking, even though I guess the interesting part is that it would be a first time for them? I guess they only fuck humans while in human form when they go to the other port? Who knows… I’m not interested enough in the question to go back and check if we’re told that they’ve ever fucked other shifters at some point.
Anyway yeah I’m mad and disappointed
DNF 25% I am so mad about this actually
Pining. Fear of rejection so rejecting first. Fated Mates.
I cannot express how disappointed I am that Fray’s unrequited crush turned out to be Fated Mates. I really wanted it to turn into something else, either a friends to lovers where circumstances forced them together for some reason and forced Tobin to stop being an ass and realize that he was hurting Fray. Or, get this, have Fray fall for someone else, realize that his unrequited crush was toxic and that the new character made him feel all new feels and have some nice realization that maybe he deserved to feel loved too and get hurt/comfort vibes.
I mean Tobin was definitely not the way I perceived him from book 1. Him being all emo “what about free will” “I dont deserve Fray anyway” and the stupid miscommunication of him rejecting the bond, thinking Fray doesn’t feel it?? Fray was pining for *years* wtf…
And then suddenly at 20%, Tobin just snaps because rejecting the bond is hurting him so much. So what about all the pining and unrequited love? How did it last that long for them when Ciaran and Sawyer couldn’t stay away from each other even though they were strangers, how do you explain it with Fray and Tobin being friends/family all this time? Fray thinking he is in love with a friend for years and can just love him from afar while Tobin is doing Gods know what… that’s not a mate bond behavior, unless the theory that it’s possible to reject it because of free will is real and makes the bond diminish and disappear, but then where is all the sudden pain a coming from now? Suddenly free will isn’t a thing anymore and fated mates need to be bonded and resolve their bullshit? Okayyy
Laughing at the fact that I wanted the guys to be confused about Ciaran’s bond in book 1 and you mean to tell me they were CONFUSED about a bond that was here all along and they never realized??? But they weren’t confused for some surprise bond with a new human visitor???? Make it make sense???
I am not sticking around for the tentacle porn this time because I really don’t care about these characters and their supposed romance.
Also I checked the other comments and I don’t think it’s worth sticking around for all the mess and chaos.
I personally think NR Walker should have kept going with Ciaran and Sawyer as main characters for the whole series and just have them be the driving force for the paranormal drama and help with all the other love drama from side characters, all the while still taking time to actually learn how to function as a mated pair, see how it might change Sawyer, how they can be leaders and fight the big bad… and I think tentacle porn is only interesting if one of them is human but that’s maybe just a me thing? I don’t think I care about reading two octopuses fucking, even though I guess the interesting part is that it would be a first time for them? I guess they only fuck humans while in human form when they go to the other port? Who knows… I’m not interested enough in the question to go back and check if we’re told that they’ve ever fucked other shifters at some point.
Anyway yeah I’m mad and disappointed
July 24, 2026
Well, after reading the first book in the series I wished for less boring and more weird. And, I got that? To the point were it was so ridicuous it's entertaining again?
This whole book just had a very weird pacing. The first 100 pages are basically a novella of Tobin and Fray getting bonded. The emotional complexities of that are somewhat mentioned but quickly ticked off in favor of reassurances of total bonded love.
Then it gets really messy, with quickly changing points of view, new characters, further bondings, a fight against the big monster, quick tonal changes and even more revelations. It all happens quite fast and unfortunately, the changing emotional and social relationships stay superficial so I did not really connect to the story. Which is all the more sad because there are some moments that could be more interesting if explored properly. For example, when Kellan thinks about his imminent bonding one of his thoughts was "It could be worse" which could have been such a neat jumping board to dive into the potential inner conflicts around this bonding trope. Or the spurious world building tidbits, e.g. the rareness but existence of female Cephalomorphs. Or the open question why Lusca visited the town before without doing anything and what her motives were anyway. Or the new characters and their relationships to the main cast in general. I really wished the book had gone into some of that at least after the big threat was contained and everyone had time to calm down and reflect, but instead we got a bland "all seems well and nice" kinda epilogue with some sequel setup.
At this point I'm just disappointed because I remember from e.g. the Red Dirt Heart series how good NR Walker can be at building a story in and around a small remote community where the romance protagonists do grapple with conflicting thoughts and emotions around loneliness, genuine connection and this question of whether the feelings are real or just a consequence of proximity. I guess I still hoped for something similar, just with more paranormal ocean stuff. Alas, still two stars because at points it was so over the top it still made me laugh.
This whole book just had a very weird pacing. The first 100 pages are basically a novella of Tobin and Fray getting bonded. The emotional complexities of that are somewhat mentioned but quickly ticked off in favor of reassurances of total bonded love.
Then it gets really messy, with quickly changing points of view, new characters, further bondings, a fight against the big monster, quick tonal changes and even more revelations. It all happens quite fast and unfortunately, the changing emotional and social relationships stay superficial so I did not really connect to the story. Which is all the more sad because there are some moments that could be more interesting if explored properly. For example, when Kellan thinks about his imminent bonding one of his thoughts was "It could be worse" which could have been such a neat jumping board to dive into the potential inner conflicts around this bonding trope. Or the spurious world building tidbits, e.g. the rareness but existence of female Cephalomorphs. Or the open question why Lusca visited the town before without doing anything and what her motives were anyway. Or the new characters and their relationships to the main cast in general. I really wished the book had gone into some of that at least after the big threat was contained and everyone had time to calm down and reflect, but instead we got a bland "all seems well and nice" kinda epilogue with some sequel setup.
At this point I'm just disappointed because I remember from e.g. the Red Dirt Heart series how good NR Walker can be at building a story in and around a small remote community where the romance protagonists do grapple with conflicting thoughts and emotions around loneliness, genuine connection and this question of whether the feelings are real or just a consequence of proximity. I guess I still hoped for something similar, just with more paranormal ocean stuff. Alas, still two stars because at points it was so over the top it still made me laugh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2026
Here's NR Walker's "In Too Deep." It's the second novel in the Tenebrea Cove series.
["Fraser Gorman finds comfort in unrequited love. It’s predictable, safely distant, and forever unobtainable. Zero risk, all the feels. That’s how he’s lived for years. But then the object of his affection plucks at those feelings, pulling at threads that threaten to unravel everything, and Fray has nowhere left to turn but straight into the truth.
Tobin Tiller is broken. Has been for as long as he can remember. He keeps himself distant, building his carefully constructed walls against the rejection he knows is coming. But when he recognises the signs of the bond and who his mate is, he tries to resist. After all, rejecting the bond before Fray can reject him is what he does best.
But the threat of Lusca makes it all inevitable because that’s how fate plays the game. And the men of Tenebrae Cove are about to learn that fate will always win, regardless of their best intentions, and regardless of the rules. Changes are coming, revelations will be made, and the truth is something else entirely.
Fray and Tobin are in too deep for this to play out any other way."]
The first few chapters were angsty hell. Not gonna lie. It was rough, from both of them.
Until they got shoved into the water to figure out their shit. Literally. Then it was all heart-eyes and matching (ish) tattoos and love declarations.
Until more shit hit the fan. Not necessarily between them. Spoiler alert. The whole consortium got slapped with drama.
Not sure if I like that aaallllll of it was in one book instead of multiple (or a companion novella)to be perfectly honest. But it was written really well. And we do have at least one more book in the series. Maybe?
But I loved these two. Actually all of everyone in the town. They all deceased the happiness and sass and found family and home that they found at Tenebrea and with their fated mates.
#underthesurface #intoodeep #tenebreacove #tenebreacoveseries #nrwalker #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks
["Fraser Gorman finds comfort in unrequited love. It’s predictable, safely distant, and forever unobtainable. Zero risk, all the feels. That’s how he’s lived for years. But then the object of his affection plucks at those feelings, pulling at threads that threaten to unravel everything, and Fray has nowhere left to turn but straight into the truth.
Tobin Tiller is broken. Has been for as long as he can remember. He keeps himself distant, building his carefully constructed walls against the rejection he knows is coming. But when he recognises the signs of the bond and who his mate is, he tries to resist. After all, rejecting the bond before Fray can reject him is what he does best.
But the threat of Lusca makes it all inevitable because that’s how fate plays the game. And the men of Tenebrae Cove are about to learn that fate will always win, regardless of their best intentions, and regardless of the rules. Changes are coming, revelations will be made, and the truth is something else entirely.
Fray and Tobin are in too deep for this to play out any other way."]
The first few chapters were angsty hell. Not gonna lie. It was rough, from both of them.
Until they got shoved into the water to figure out their shit. Literally. Then it was all heart-eyes and matching (ish) tattoos and love declarations.
Until more shit hit the fan. Not necessarily between them. Spoiler alert. The whole consortium got slapped with drama.
Not sure if I like that aaallllll of it was in one book instead of multiple (or a companion novella)to be perfectly honest. But it was written really well. And we do have at least one more book in the series. Maybe?
But I loved these two. Actually all of everyone in the town. They all deceased the happiness and sass and found family and home that they found at Tenebrea and with their fated mates.
#underthesurface #intoodeep #tenebreacove #tenebreacoveseries #nrwalker #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks
Review of advance copy received from Author
Ok! I am officially obsessed with this series! I am convinced NR Walker is an author who can write anything at all and o will read it with joy.
And Fray getting his HEA with Tobin is an absolute joy to read. Literally years and years of pining, a valiant effort to reject a bond and an eventual giving in done fabulously- all at a perfect pace no suffering in this low angst book only heat romance and swoon!
Tobin’s story broke my heart! Ah he was just so young and alone! And Fray is just perfect for him - he understands him, gets him, supports him, makes him believe in himself. Fray is goals!!
And a mystery of the paranormal variety in the over arching plot thickens, new characters from other consortiums are here because the threat is now spreading and imminent
We learn some more about the bonds we see more bonds we learn a whole bunch more about the threat omg the ending was insane!!! So fantastic and we finally learn about Salem - it is spectacular
This series just absolutely epic, I was not expecting the multi POVs but it was glorious. The blurb does not even hit at what to expect I can to tell how phenomenal the world we explore in this book is.
Highly recommend.
Ps I can’t believe how much NR Walker fit into this book without making it lengthy or wordy but also keeping it totally organic and comprehensible - I am in awe!
And Fray getting his HEA with Tobin is an absolute joy to read. Literally years and years of pining, a valiant effort to reject a bond and an eventual giving in done fabulously- all at a perfect pace no suffering in this low angst book only heat romance and swoon!
Tobin’s story broke my heart! Ah he was just so young and alone! And Fray is just perfect for him - he understands him, gets him, supports him, makes him believe in himself. Fray is goals!!
And a mystery of the paranormal variety in the over arching plot thickens, new characters from other consortiums are here because the threat is now spreading and imminent
We learn some more about the bonds we see more bonds we learn a whole bunch more about the threat omg the ending was insane!!! So fantastic and we finally learn about Salem - it is spectacular
This series just absolutely epic, I was not expecting the multi POVs but it was glorious. The blurb does not even hit at what to expect I can to tell how phenomenal the world we explore in this book is.
Highly recommend.
Ps I can’t believe how much NR Walker fit into this book without making it lengthy or wordy but also keeping it totally organic and comprehensible - I am in awe!
May 27, 2026
5⭐️
This series has officially sunk its claws into me. I loved Fray and Tobin together, their connection, the protectiveness, the way Tobin slowly learns what it means to truly belong. But honestly, the world itself might be my favorite character.
What started as an eerie small-town ocean mystery keeps expanding into something so much bigger. It was such a fantastic mixture of lore, mythology, mystery, and romance. And somehow, even with all the darker and more intense moments, the found family dynamic and banter within this group kept bringing in just the right amount of levity and warmth. Every answer opened the door to ten more questions, and I loved every second of it.
And even though I figured out some of the reveals early on, I had no idea of the extent of them. No idea how deep this world actually went. That’s what kept me completely hooked. I could not put this book, or book one down because I needed to know more.
I really hope this isn’t the end of the series because I would absolutely devour any and all books set in this world. I desperately need Aurin and Salem’s book, I would love Kellan/Dylan/Hendrix’s story, and I still need to know more about Mr. Brown and whatever world he’s connected to.
This series has officially sunk its claws into me. I loved Fray and Tobin together, their connection, the protectiveness, the way Tobin slowly learns what it means to truly belong. But honestly, the world itself might be my favorite character.
What started as an eerie small-town ocean mystery keeps expanding into something so much bigger. It was such a fantastic mixture of lore, mythology, mystery, and romance. And somehow, even with all the darker and more intense moments, the found family dynamic and banter within this group kept bringing in just the right amount of levity and warmth. Every answer opened the door to ten more questions, and I loved every second of it.
And even though I figured out some of the reveals early on, I had no idea of the extent of them. No idea how deep this world actually went. That’s what kept me completely hooked. I could not put this book, or book one down because I needed to know more.
I really hope this isn’t the end of the series because I would absolutely devour any and all books set in this world. I desperately need Aurin and Salem’s book, I would love Kellan/Dylan/Hendrix’s story, and I still need to know more about Mr. Brown and whatever world he’s connected to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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