Wandering a Luminous Sea

by Kayleigh Sky

Happy ever after, pearls, and murder?—what else is romance made of?

After escaping his cold fish of an ex, Jody Knox had everything—a new career, his goofy dog, and the love of his life, Merik. He couldn’t believe his luck...

Until it changed. In the worst way.

After stumbling onto the love of his life, Merik Lighthouse had a dilemna—solve the mystery of the missing mer and return to the sea, or confess his secret identity and risk losing Jody. He couldn’t decide…

Until someone decided for him. Permanently.

Or maybe not...

Wandering a Luminous Sea is for you if you love contemporary fantasy, mm romance, fairytales, and suspense.

Oh… and a loveable poodle named Ellery Queen.

Genres: Paranormal, M M Romance

528 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 13, 2021

About the author

Kayeigh Sky is a m/m erotic romance writer.

Kayleigh’s stories are tales of struggle and pain, loss and despair. Love is won in the battle to rise out of the depths of darkness. Victory is in the sweet bliss of happily ever after.

Once upon a time Kayleigh hid out in a cold dark garage reading a book her parents forbid her to read. She was nine years old. The book? Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin, a story of love between two men–well, actually the story was a little more complicated than that, but hey, she was nine.

In the dark of the garage, a light, a passion, a sheer joy for love in all its manifestations awoke.
And love between two men–Hot!

Kayleigh’s men are often broken, always brave, and always memorable.

Reviews

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.25 stars

Wandering a Luminous Sea is a contemporary suspense fairytale from author Kayleigh Sky. Some of the book’s features include non-linear storytelling, a big amnesia trope, and lovers separated/reunited (and separated and reunited). There is also a bit of a found family theme and a flirtation with friends to something more. The story boasts a large cast and the narration (which shifts almost at every chapter) allows the reader plenty of insight into how all the different pieces of the puzzle are supposed to fit together.

Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.

[Rachel Emily]

The writing style in this one is just not for me - it skips around, both in timeline and with characters for each chapter, and I find that it's just not told in a way that keeps my attention for a romance book.

Had this been a thriller or mystery book or general fiction, that's one thing, but with it being a romance I think I went in with different expectations than what was the book. We're told a lot of stuff, but it's this is just not working for me. Definitely a case of it's me, for this book.

[Cinnamon bun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confession: I'm not particularly fond of mermen.
I adore shifter books, but my taste is apparently quite conservative when it comes to what shapeshifting forms I enjoy reading about. Something with a fishtail? Not so much.



So why did I want to read this story?

Because it's Kayleigh Sky, that's why.
Everything I've read by her so far has been amazing. Complex, sometimes dark, with all the angst and feels but with happy endings.

And all of those things held true for Wandering a Luminous Sea as well.
The story mixes present day with flashbacks to previous events. And right from the very first page, there was this creepy, uneasy feeling, that you just know means that something awful is about to happen. And that feeling stayed with me throughout most of the book.
There was no way to know where the story was headed. A little at a time, pieces of the puzzle were revealed through recollections from (mostly) Jody's and Merik's viewpoints. And only when nearing the end was the full picture made clear.

I love those kinds of stories and Sky excels at them.

But.
Merik and Jody spent almost all their time apart.

As a reader of romance I expect angst and strife. I expect there to be complications before the lovers can be together for good. But I also need to see them interact – and not just through flashbacks.

So I was basically pining the entire read, just waiting for them to come together for just a little while, but instead both Jody and Merik were unhappy and lonesome and apart. It wasn't until the very end that Jody (finally) learned that Merik wasn't in fact dead.

So I'm conflicted.

I love Sky's writing, and I adore the way she tells a story and how she's building expectation. I just wasn't satisfied with the too short time I got to see Jody and Merik together.

The happy in the end was simply too short to balance out the despair from the rest of the read.

Also, with all that time spent apart, a lot of (mostly) Merik's portrayal didn't actually bring the story forward. I think that's what bugs me the most. That there was so much sitting around – or swimming, as it were – with the only purpose to show how miserable Merik was.

I went in to this story expecting a 5-star. However, in the end it gets a 4-star rating from me. It's a great book from a very talented author, and it's well worth reading. Especially if you like mermen.



* A free copy of this book was kindly provided by Gay Romance Reviews *
https://reflectionsofaswedishgirl.blo...

[tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

oh god. this was a hard book. i got bored and distracted so many times. and only after 80% it got more interesting? BUT BUT BUT the plot was interesting and cool.

the two main mc didnt have much present interaction that i feel so.. empty? even Kel had more present moments with Jody! it could've been shorter, it could've more present moments, or more catch up afterwards.. idk it was too long yet disappointing bc most of it was "past". its just mainly mourning and the villain was half way gone too???? it was gosh, draggy.

it was an interesting read I'd say.

[Kaila · Rating 4 out of 5]

mystery, murder, mayhem, love, angst, fun things.. and so many fun things going on. it was interestin and well written.. good characters.. fun storyline. very good with paranormal thrown into it.. and so many fun things going on.. i enjoyed it

[Jacqueleen the Reading Queen♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This authors writing style took me a lot to get used to. By the end of the book I was able to understand it better, but at the start it left me confused. The writing is very "stream of consciousness" which is why I think I had such a hard time since this is not my usual.

Each chapter is written in Third Person and focuses on a specific character in the book, not just the two central MCs to the romance. There are also numerous time jumps. We go back and forth from chapters in the present and past, and the author makes it very easy to tell by dating the chapters with months in the timeline.

Romance wise I wanted more. The book talked about how Jody and Merick had this loving and wonderful relationship but we only get to see it through a few flashbacks and in Jody's constant longing for him. For almost the entire present portion of the book they aren't together. I'm talking up until 96%. I wanted more of them. An extended epilogue at least. Merick worked so hard to make it back to the love of his life and then we don't really get to see the fruits of his labor.

Thankfully the book does end with an HEA. I also enjoyed the magical town aspect of the story. I wanted to know more about the residents. Not just who, but WHAT they are. I also am hoping Posy and a certain ex cop get their own story. It will be interesting to see if the author decides to go in that direction and what adventure it will lead Posy on.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jody Knox is happy with his life. He has a wonderful lover, an acceptable career and a goofy dog. He is hoping his creepy ex is gone for good, but who knows for sure. Merick Lighthouse is with Jody to investigate the missing mer. He did not plan on falling love with Jody. Now neither man can imagine life without the other until they have to. Merik disappears one night and leaves Jody adrift. Merik is presumed dead and Jody is forced to try and rebuild his life.

Wandering the Luminous Sea had so much with in its pages. Told mainly from the point of view of both Merik and Jody as well as providing flashbacks, we are able to fully see and experience whatever Jody, Merik and the other ancillary characters come up against. Rich in atmosphere, plot and characters, Wandering the Luminous Sea has something for everyone – MM true love, paranormal aspects, suspense and a fantastic story. There are several other side characters that are calling for their own story. I hope we will see them.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

For so much angst, for so many words, I like a much bigger payoff in the end. Instead of getting to see the fruits of all that labor, we get a mere pittance of love and affection and reunion. I'd much prefer the angst to have something real, tangible, and full at the end to truly feel resolved and worth all the pain they went through. Instead, I'm faced with reconciling flashbacks with what we're supposed to know of their deep love and a few pages of actual reunion that didn't pack the punch I was hoping for.

Despite this being a beautifully written story, there were just so many words. Too many, if I'm being honest. This author's writing style takes some getting used to and while I enjoyed the whole ride of Jesus Kid and quite a few others, I was hoping for more at the end for my emotional investment. With so much description and more telling than showing in this particular story I can't say it was my favorite by this author.

[Juniper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I both loved and hated the intensity of emotion this book provoked for me: brace yourself for some serious angst and pining here, and some characters who are so compelling and sympathetic that they’ll win your heart, and then nearly break it. Jody and Merik spend a lot of time apart, and they go through a lot before coming out the other side— we get to see them happy in flashbacks and in an HEA, but it’s a relatively short amount of time in comparison to the darker, angstier bits. I loved the author’s writing style, which is immersive and flowing— it’s easy to get caught up in whichever character is the focus of the moment. I really liked the world building as well (mermaids are never not awesome) and overall, would highly recommend this book.

*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[L H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story has the feel of a saga. I liked the way it was structured. A teaser in the first chapter that it took a while to fit into the rest of the story but kept me wondering. Jody and Merik are the couple whose relationship is in a good place but about to be tested. They are happy and in love but each had secrets that will affect the other and will have an impact on their journey to their HEA. A good part of the story is spent unraveling those secrets in what felt like parallel stories that eventually got them to their destination. But both had to grow and find their strength so that when their paths cross after their separate journeys they are ready to be together. The author kept me interested enough to want to wander with them, to want to hang in there for answers to the mysteries and to root for this couple.
I received an ARC from GRR for an honest review.

[Cariad Dussan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book, and I almost did, but try as I may I just couldn't really get to care that much about Mer and Jody. Now I cared about them individually but not as a couple and I think that is because begin the book being separated before we get to know them as a couple. and there lies the issue that I couldn't empathize with them losing one another for I had no reference of them together until later. I think this book would have worked better if it had more of a linear timeline instead of jumping back and forth between past and present.
We have well written and thought out characters, just the right amount of pixie dust and magical wonder to allow us to suspend out belief, a good mystery and well built up suspense.
I enjoyed the book, I just couldn't fall in love with it.

[Kkhmonrai · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this author's Ellowyn Found series, and the description for this book sounded intriguing (I love paranormal and magic and mer). However, I was a bit disappointed. I loved the characters, and I loved the plot idea, but I wanted more romance. This is a long book, and the reader doesn't get to see the MCs actually be together much. I like angst and pining well enough, but I expect to see a pretty big payoff in the end. I didn't get that here. Maybe an epilogue to expand on the HEA would have helped. I wanted to see Jody and Merik TOGETHER living HEA. The flask-backs were good and well-delineated, but overall I just wasn't satisfied. 3.5 stars for me.

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

[Leandre Botha · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was very different than the books i'm used to. This book kept me on the edge of my seat thw whole time. Yes it is very long, but in the end it explains everything and just brings it all together. There was no predictibility of the main characters getting together, with how long they were apart, there was always the question of would they ever get together again or will Jody move on and will Merik every regain his memories or not and neither could you predict at what would happen next. In the end the got their HEA. I loved every single character and how the storyline and plot progressed. I can not wait to see what happens next. Would like a short story where Jody and Merik spend more happy days together though. Kayleigh Sky well done on a lovely book.

[C.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting mermystery. I found you, I didn't want to lose you, but I did. This is a nice story. A bit circular, but you get there eventually. Jody and Merik, have a complicated relationship complicated by life events. Jody has trust issues. Merik has familial complications and hunting issues. Neither have smooth lives, but they try. The author's writing style presents a challenge, but reading through a second time helps. The story draws you in and holds onto you as it roller coaster's through. The characters, Jody and Merik bring you in and push you back. It's a fun, exciting read. Do Jody and Merik hold onto each other? Do they get their communication right? Can they find each other? Fun! Nicely done. I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shelba · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 33%.

I'm interested in the story, just not in how it's being told.

So far, there have been 4 different POVs. And the timeline jumps back and forth. Aside from that, even within each POV in each point in time, there's something odd about the writing that is making this very hard to follow.

And while I was 1/3 of the way in, I felt like I was reading forever. And I don't really know what's happened for a lot of what I've read, because a lot of it definitely has added nothing to the story.

The cover is gorgeous. I like the bones of the story, just not how it's been fleshed out. I've enjoyed Kayleigh Sky's writing before, but there's just too much not clicking on this one for me.

[Tina Attanasio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wandering a Luminous Sea caught my attention from page one and had me wanting to know what was going to happen next. There was a lull about 15-20% in that kind of lasted throughout the rest of the story. It jumps back and forth between the past and present and I think I would have preferred to read the past in one section instead because it took me out of the headspace each time it happened. I did really like Jody as a character but Merik annoyed me sometimes. I would still say this is worth a read because it is pretty unique and if a book is written about Posy and Chad I’d read it. 3.5 rounded to 4 stars.

[smatchell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. My favorite character was Ellery Queen, he had so much personality!
I liked Jody and Merik, and the mystery of Dawson was kinda interesting, but this book was SO.FRICKING.LONG! The story could have been told in half the time and had all the same elements. All the time jumps got old after a while too. They just didn’t always seem to add to the story. This book needed some judicious and somewhat vicious editing. I hesitate to say I didn’t like it, because parts of it were interesting, but it was not my favorite.

[Lydia Devlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading about all the different shifters out there, so I was really looking forward to reading this book, and I am happy to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this.
The story grabbed my attention straight from the beginning and I wasn't at all fazed by how long this story is.
I liked both main characters and who doesn't love a story with cute animals in it?
So,with out any hesitation, I am happy to recommend this book.
I received an arc copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, I bought this book gave me a different type of feel of reading than I typically read. I like the suspense and mystery that is in the plot for this book. Not only with the suspense and mystery the paranormal added to all of that. I would say it definitely catches an attention and has a good sweet romance story. The characters fit under the opposites attract kind of category where the two main characters are not what you would expect to be together. It has angst, love, and fun aspects. I definitely feel others should give it a read because it is attention capturing.

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say, the author had me reading this with a dog named Ellery Queen. As a classic mystery fan that was all it took because, as the blurb indicated there was mystery, here I figured the story would be good. It was wonderful. There are shifts in time and perspective written in such a way that this had a very dreamlike feel. I realized very quickly I needed to just let the story unfold and go with it. There are secrets galore and plenty of angst in this one but through it all, Jody and Merik are such interesting characters I was happy to follow their story anywhere.

[Julia · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 30% This is just... a jumbled mess. I get where it's going but I just can't get into it. It jumps around far too much (POVs, timeline, etc.) and it's really annoying. Additionally, none of the characters are particularly endearing at this point (the only impression Merik gets of Jody is that he's mousy but with beautiful hair??) so there's little interest there to keep going. It feels like it's dragging so much and we're only a third of the way in, so I struggle to imagine what it will be like going forward. Not for me.

[Gail · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF… sorry Kayleigh, I usually love your stuff, which is why I bought this one. I got sucked into the first chapter and then spit out by the next 2. By about 1/3 of the way in I couldn’t remember why I’d bought it so I checked my fav review sites (Joyfully Jay & Goodreads). It became clear that my lack of enthusiasm wasn’t going to change. I’m not a fan of amnesia or time jumping in a story line so I decided to end it.

[RACHEL REED · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet contemporary fantasy romance.

The elements of suspense drew me in and I liked the storyline that this follows.

I was intrigued by the title and after reading the story I found it to be pretty apt.

If you like a sweet opposites attract, fantasy romance look no further

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jody and Merick

This was a great adventure with a intriguing storyline. Lots of twists and lots of adventure. The characters Jody and Merick go well together and I enjoyed there adventure. Hope there is more to come.