Outrush

The Mer Chronicles #3

by Errin Stevens

Maya's headlong rush into marriage isn't working out... and it isn't the only collision course she's on these days. Her saltwater distractions aside, her father-in-law wants her gunned down for reasons unknown, and her pesky bodyguard - when he's around - seems intent on drowning her in want and regret.

Maya is desperate to hold onto any small part of herself she understands. When escape becomes her only option, she finds herself in a race against a past - and a man - she can't outrun.

Genres: Fantasy

253 pages, Paperback

Published January 30, 2019

About the author

Errin Stevens writes paranormal fiction and reads practically everything she can get her hands on. She's currently working and gardening and mothering, and will think about posting reviews if she can get to it... Her first novel, Updrift is followed by Breakwater (bk 2) and Outrush (bk 3). She's present on several social media platforms but most active on Instagram, @errinstevens.

Reviews

["Avonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com

OUTRUSH (The Mer Chronicles Book #3) by Errin Stevens is the third paranormal/urban fantasy story in the world of the Sirens of Griffin Bay though this addition to the series takes the listener/reader all over the US. The story picks up seven years after the events of Breakwater and focuses on the second chance romance of Maya and Aiden.

Maya has tried for years to make her marriage to her college sweetheart work, but when she catches him having sex with another at a party at her in-laws, she finally accepts there is no fixing their broken marriage. As she works through the revelation, her father-in-law catches her in his office. He believes she has seen incriminating papers and to save himself he orders her followed and killed if she goes to authorities.

Aiden may not be married to Maya, but he feels bonded and therefore goes against all efforts of the Siren community to keep them apart. Using his powers to cloak, he stays on the periphery of Maya life and marriage. When he learns of the danger she is in, he helps her get away, but their troubles are just beginning.

I have to say that I was once again drawn into the Siren world of Ms. Stevens and enjoyed all the characters. I was happy when Maya stood on her principles and strength to continue with her medical education and practice, even with all the chaos around her. She is a strong independent female character, which is why I had some difficulty listening to the first part of the book. It is a lot of internal struggle over several chapters that if she was so strong should have been more limited and resolved sooner in my opinion. I also love Aiden and his devotion to Maya, but the mind manipulation bothered me in some instances. Even with these two complaints, I still cheered their romance on. I was glad to see Ms. Stevens added the proof of Maya and Stu’s divorce before Maya and Aiden came together, also.

There are several subplots going on in this story that I am looking forward to listening/reading about in future books in this series. Once again there is plenty of romance, action, adventure and intrigue in The Mer Chronicles that keeps me coming back for more.

[Addison Carmichael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the first two books in the series, Outrush didn't disappoint with the romance, the family dynamics, and the intrigue of the entire siren society and their monarchy. The story draws you into their underwater (and out of water) world, making you want to swim with these sexy guys and all the people around them. Great read, great escape. Wish I could be a mermaid too!

[Leelynn (Sometimes Leelynn Reads) ❤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Errin Stevens. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

I’m so glad that Posvistak was able to narrate all three novels! I personally hate it – well maybe not hate but I get bummed – when I love the first narrator and then they end up changing for the rest of the series and it just doesn’t feel right. But then there are other times where the narrator changes and I like the new one even better… but that doesn’t always happen. So I’m just glad that we were able to have Posvistak keep up with the story and finish it up for all of us.

I also felt like this was a good conclusion to the series. It felt like almost everything came full circle in a way that I wasn’t expecting. I know that this was kind of more about Maya and her super quick marriage from the second one – oops hopefully that wasn’t too much of a spoiler but that comes with the territory of reviewing sequels and stuff – and how dangerous that was for her. It was really crazy, to the point where she had weird guys following her. Like, crazy stalkerish stuff and I don’t even know how Maya even wanted to deal with this for as long as she did.

I feel like one of the themes with these novels is having romances where they are whisked away from reality and left to their own devices to live out some fantasy that would be super romantic or whatever. Sometimes I don’t know how I feel about stuff like this, but I guess it works out in this novel. I would say that Stevens made it work for her story, but it doesn’t always come out that way for others. I’m glad that she was able to bring this story to a close in a way that made it seem like a happy enough ending for fans of the Sirens of Griffin Bay.

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A shipwrecked sailor may find the isle of his dreams in the depth of all his fears” Anthony T. Hincks
In this, the Third book in Errin Stevens Mer Chronicles we focus on Maya Evans, estranged wife of Stuart Evans, son of Thad Evans, of Health & Wellness Prescriptives in New York City. Through little fault of her own, she gets caught up in Thad’s tangled life that could get them all in some serious trouble.
Being the third in the Wilkes family to catch the heart of a siren makes Maya off limits to Aiden who still figures out how to “watch over” the woman he feels as his “bonded mate”, managing to disguise himself as a member of the Evans’ Security force. However, when things go awry, he spirits her away, the heck with the consequences! While things fall apart around the Evans family, Maya is taken to a remote area and the sirens block her memory as she settles into a small community and opens a clinic to help the people.
Both her now ex-husband and his father are trying to find her as what the THINK she knows makes all their lives in danger. Will Thad and Stuart find Maya? Does she know what Thad thinks she does? And, just how can you explain the “Fish Man” incident on the East River? You’ll just have to read this story to find out!
It’s been a while since Stevens has added to Updrift and Breakwater, the first two books of this series, and I’m “happier than a clam at high tide” that the wait is over. I adored the first two Mer Chronicles and it’s obvious this author has not lost her touch as she weaves Maya Wilkes Evans’ into the fold. Thank you Errin Stevens for these wonderfully flawed characters. I will be sharing these books everywhere I can. Highly Recommended 5/5

[disclaimer: I received this book from the author and voluntarily reviewed it]

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outrush is the last addition to Errin Stevens’ series, The Mer Chronicles. I have enjoyed this series and I believe this one is my favorite of the three. I loved Maya from the start. I just found her to be relatable. I had the opportunity to listen to the audio version of it. Sean Posvistak’s narration is superb. I love how he was able to bring this story to life.
I am giving Outrush a very well deserved five plus stars. I recommend this book, as well as, the other books from The Mer Chronicles series.
I received the audio version of this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

[NJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been 7 years since we last saw Maya in her bid to be ‘free’ of that pull toward Aiden to make her life her own. Headstrong as she is, Maya is determined to find her goal in life, that feeling she got when she played for Penn State that ‘rush’ for life. She thought she found it with Stu Evans.

Stu, Stu, Stu, boy did Maya get it wrong. He was the type of husband that decided once he got the girl, he decided to push her to the limit to see when she would break. Being the strong woman Maya is, it took a long time for her to see what a low life pond feeder he really was.

It started when she saw her husband with another woman in her father-in-law’s study. Once they had vacated, she went in there to confirm what she had seen. Her mind only on what had just happened, Thad, her father-in-law, sees her in the room and questions her. However, Maya, isn’t aware that the paper she is holding in her hands changes the course of her life all together.
She finds herself more alone than she has ever felt, and to make things worse she is now being hunted.

Little does Maya know she is being watched over by a cloaked Siren. It turns out that some Sirens, who that felt they did not belong, became part of a militia that Peter had formed. No one was as good as Peter, but he felt that it could be possible to train up these Sirens to help their community rather than be ousted by it.

After helping Simon with his ‘mission’ for forge his bond with Sylvia, Aiden felt estranged. He knew that he had partially bonded with Maya and he tried with all his might to overcome it but for whatever reason it just wouldn’t break. He took up with the militia and maintained he was over Maya until he could go wherever he wanted. Once he was free, he headed straight to Maya, but he was disguised.

Thad Evans, Stu’s father had recently lost his wife, and when you read about it, I think part of his mind too. He was, on the outside, and up until his wife died, a stand up all American business man. But he got greedy and he felt empty. In order to change this, he decided to run a scheme with his brother, not all schemes end well, as Thad finds out.

I found this installment refreshing after book two. Breakwater had so much going on that I found it hard to concentrate on at times, don’t get me wrong I do love a challenge, but sometimes a straight up story about two people is worth concentrating on.

I loved that there was something about Maya’s situation that had this air of secrecy, the thing that she may or may not have realised which caused her to run, the sense of having someone or something watching over her but never really connecting the dots, but also the struggle she had internally with accepting what she actually wanted versus what she had. You have the ordinary run of the mill type of guys against these mystical creatures, I mean who would you go for?

I think this was my fave out of the three so far. I had sensed that there is also another story unfolding with Xanthe, this has been building up from the last two books so I understand there will be a fourth installment! Looking forward to it Errin Stevens!

[Naughty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outrush is the third book in the Mer Chronicles series by Errin Stevens. I am always impressed by Errin’s world-building and character creation skills, and she did not disappoint in this sequel to Updrift and Breakwater.
Outrush follows the story of Maya, the youngest of the Wilkes sisters. Maya is, in many ways, very self-reliant, but she feels at loose ends as her focus on being a champion volleyball player draws to a close. She is deeply enamored with Aiden Blake, but he has been forbidden to court her by the Siren aristocracy.
Maya marries her college beau Stuart Evans to try and take her mind off the siren Aiden Blake. Aiden, like his brother Simon, is not given to following orders when it comes to the object of his affections and remains on the periphery of Maya’s life.
Maya’s marriage to the philandering Stuart turns out to be a monumental mistake, but this is the least of her troubles. Stuart’s father, Thad, is involved in an illegal scheme and, believing that Maya knows more than she does, sends a group of shady characters to follow her.
Outrush is filled with action and peril for Maya and Aiden. The reader also learns more about the Sirens’ society and about a formidable former villain who has positioned himself as an ally. No-one knows if he can be trusted, which adds a further element of danger.
I give Outrush four out of five stars. It is a well-constructed tale with many exciting twists and turns. However, I am put off by the hypnotic/controlling element of the male sirens’ interactions with female humans. As with the other books in the series, I felt that although the male sirens had likable personality traits, I found their behavior to be controlling and vampiric.
Personally, I would want to run as far as possible from any man who tried to compel me, regardless of his motives. I realize that my personal history comes into play, as I have been in relationships where I was gaslighted and made to feel as if I was going crazy by emotionally abusive partners who did not respect my boundaries.
Fans of paranormal romance will enjoy this latest book in the Mer Chronicles series. As a fan of paranormal fantasy with a side of action and adventure, I delight in Errin’s writing style and am looking forward to the next book.

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why I chose this book:
This is the third book in a series I am really enjoying! A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Review
Outrush follows Updrift and Breakwater and is the story of Maya, whom readers met in the previous books. Prior to the story's start, Maya married Stu because she thought this was the logical post-college choice. As Outrush begins, Maya is tiring of Stu's philandering. She mourns the loss of a more satisfying life, particularly with Aiden, a man (actually a siren) from her past. As the story unfolds, she concludes that the unrealized passion with Aiden would have been far preferable to the marriage she has tried to save for the past seven years. Maya files for divorce and leaves town. Meanwhile, Stu's father suspects Maya of revealing his illegal business ventures to the authorities and orders his security team to kill her.

It is Aiden who rescues her. However, he's not much of a knight on a white horse. He's in disguise, so she doesn't know it's he. He disappears mysteriously, leaving Maya to fend for herself against gun-toting goons. He erases her memories of him, leaving Maya to wonder how her post-Stu life commenced. As a reader, one wants to throw one's hands up in the air and yell or grab him by the shoulders and shake some sense into him. I love it when the characters become so real that I feel emotionally invested in what they do! (Mini spoiler: I wasn't so fed up with him in the end.) With so much going on, it's easy to simply sink into the story, enjoy the action, and watch the romance unfold with all the pitfalls you can imagine. Or, one could read this as an assessment of the value our society places on public image. On the drive to be successful, rich, beautiful. Outrush is as much action/fantasy/romance as it is a contemplation of what it means to be content. Dive deeper or simply swim with the sirens; either way, you're in for a riveting read.

Intense chase scenes, abductions, secret identities, and romance combine in this suspenseful and satisfying installment of The Mer Chronicles. A cliffhanger ending and a tantalizing excerpt from the next book make this reviewer eager to read more.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read through this book fairly quickly, which I think really helped me to feel like it was cohesive. I always enjoy the idea behind these books, but I wish there was more show and less tell. It might make the books longer, but rather than feeling like someone is telling me a lot of back and forth background I would love to feel more included in the action.

That being said, I always find the idea of these landed sirens fascinating, and thought some of the historical elements in this book were a good addition.


I was given a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Heather W · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mer Chronicles Trilogy:

I enjoyed The Mer Chronicles trilogy which includes Updrift (Kate & Gabe), Breakwater (Sylvia & Simon), and Outrush (Maya & Aiden). While I enjoyed all of the stories, my favourite was Outrush. These stories were all well written with great characters, suspense, action, and romance. I am hoping that Xanthe gets her own story as well.

I read and reviewed a copy of this book with no obligation.

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a bit of a different direction than I was anticipating from the line of the previous two books. But nonetheless it was a intriguing world of romance, family, politics,and so much more. There were deeper depths explored in book three of this series. Watching Aiden watch Maya was intriguing. The connection between the two was just so strong. A good thing that he was more like his brother, Simon, in many ways. The ins and outs of Outrush will keep you tied to the audio. You are going to want to experience each and every dip, dodge, touch, caress, twist and turn.

The world building is still top notch. You will drown in the reality of how you can visualize it all with each new chapter revealed.

Narrator Sean Posvistak added that layer of familiarity and connection to the previous books of the series. I again got a smooth, clear audio that was complementary with its tone, pitch, and diction.

*****
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Errin Stevens. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

[Satabdi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I have not read the first two books of The Mer Chronicles, there was enough information for me to understand the history of the siren community, the reason behind their mistrust of humans, and their fascinating extra-sensory ways of perception.

Writing
Errin weaves a magical blanket of words, which has the power to transport you into her otherworldly domain, sprinkled with the scent of sea and salt, and embrace you in its intoxicating hold. The tender scenes between the protagonists, Maya and Aiden, are vivid and poetic. The writing employs imagery the likes of which I have not seen often. Here’s a sample: “Memories seeped languidly from some buried cistern of her past like it was cracked. Rivulets of recognition wound their way through her mind.”

However, the wordiness does slow down the narrative at times, especially when there’s too much introspection going on, making me impatient and tempted to skip a few lines.

Plot
Plot-wise, the focus is on the romance between Maya and Aiden, and how they fight off objections from various quarters to unite. Of course, there’s a mysterious side story whose resolution we shall see in Book Four.

Characters
As a character, I found Maya perplexing. She asserts that she is a strong-willed woman, yet allows everybody to push her around. She displays immense forbearance for somebody who has been mistreated for years. In a bid to make Maya seem saintly, every other character comes off as selfish and manipulative.

Aiden’s extra-sensory abilities were interesting and explained in enough detail to help me visualize the scenes. I found the mind reading scary and intrusive, though. Can’t a partner have private thoughts?

Final thoughts
I enjoyed the heady, intense paranormal romance and the vivid introspection and imagery. Outrush works as a standalone book, and has enough teasers to make you want to read all the other books to find out more about sirens and their connection with humans.

[Amanda- LateNightReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing, just like the other two. And I am THRILLED that there is going to be another book in the series. And I am even more excited that it's about Peter and Xanthie. (I'm not sure how to spell her name, I listened to the audiobook so I have no clue!) I love how she has loosely connected all her books. Like you def. want to read them in order, but I guess you don't have to. At first, I didn't really like this because I loved the orginal characters so much. But I grew to love all the characters. So I am grateful that she writes her books that way. Oh, and the narration was still excellent! I can't wait for more.

[Rachel Estep · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in this Series does not disappoint! probably my favorite installment yet. Fast paced, full of action and allure. The romance between Aiden and Maya screams of love, devotion, and desperation. It's a beautiful story about the lengths to which we will go for love. The relationship with Maya and Stu was so poignant as well. I believe a huge lesson was taught there that you can have incredible respect, and devotion to people, despite having hurt or been hurt by them in the past.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable book of romance, mermaids & being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Good outcome. Thank you Errin Stevens for this chance to read this book.

[Charlotte · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overall, I found the general plot of the story to be intriguing and I wish it had been flushed out a bit more as some of the plot devices fell a little short for me. I also enjoyed the main character of this book, Maya. She is a strong woman held down by the idiocy of men and it was wonderful to watch her break free of her chains and to fight her way out of an oppressive and degrading life and marriage.

These books focus heavily on the romance and the characters. I found most of the characters we read from to be very intriguing but I did feel as though there was a heavy reliance on narrative introspection and I would have liked to learn more about characters through their interactions with each other - although this is a personal preference and for the most part I thought the use of introspection was well-done.

However, I really really struggled with the male-female relationships in this book. Especially the romantic ones. I felt as though there was so much manipulation of female characters by male characters - even when they were trying to "help" - and that bothered me so much. All the siren manipulation (they have the ability to alter feelings and enter other's minds) seemed to be men manipulating women for their own gain in a way. It also bothered me how we never saw the female sirens manipulating ANYONE, but male sirens consistently manipulated female sirens. It all felt very wrong to me - and I understand these books are a dark romance series, but I do feel as though this conveyed some sexist vibes that definitely needed addressing in my opinion. There were also several instances of stalking and deceit (men stalking women) which were romanticised in this novel. Again, I know these are dark romances, but there were no repercussions or serious address of this.

Surprisingly I did not mind the insta-love in this book - because of the way the author explained the siren bonding it felt natural and did not bring with it the usual irritation I feel when I read about insta-love. The romance in this book was particularly well-done in this sense - the insta-love was still there but the woman involved sort of put it off, rejecting the intence immediate feelings she felt which moderated the romance well and made it seem more realistic.

There were a few plot devices I did not understand and which seemed to come out of nowhere for me. On reflection, I can see some foreshadowing, but there definitely could have been more to make some of the plot devices seem a little less out of the blue.


Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable supernatural romance, but I did have some issues with the plot and there were some issues which I felt the author could have addressed just to flesh this book out a little more.


Thank you so much again to Erin for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review. I really appreciate the opportunity and I can't wait to see what you write next.

[Mr Pink Ink · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is always a comfort, like wrapping a warm blanket around myself, getting to read Errin's writing again since it has been a while since I've read Breakwater, and, likewise, Updrift; elegant yet not flowery and without all those unnecessary flourishes and I just adore it!

Errin continues the story of the siren community from a different characters' point of view in each book, characters that we have come to know and love in the previous books and I feel that this brings a fresh perspective to the story each time.

Cannot wait for book 4!

Full review coming soon; watch this space!!

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in this series that I have read. I was really interested in the idea of sirens finding mates within the human world and how the plot would unfold. The characters were all quite unique with their own quirky issues that were well described. I did however struggle with staying engaged with the subject matter. Most of the novel felt like a long 3rd person narration punctuated with spots of dialogue here and there. Don’t get me wrong... the depth of description and insight into human nature and around all of the unique characters was very rich. It just didn’t make me empathize with any of the character much at all. It also took me a bit of time to just understand all of the siren assumptions that make the story work. The ending was satisfying and most of the “loose pieces” were addressed. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Karen Tuttle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok

I felt like I had been in a college classroom and my brain was tired. The storyline was good but exhausting. Had to read this in small increments. I did not care for the increased sensual descriptions. They were not necessary to the story.

[Kristen (belles_bookshelves) · Rating 2 out of 5]

"You’re the myth I want, the one I’ve always wanted."

Let me sum up this series in two instances:

1. A woman is married for seven years. Her husband has been cheating for seven years. She stays with him in order "to forget someone else."

2. "We're bonded."
"I guess I love you then."