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Ebb and Flow #1
Catch and Release
Joe McKenzie’s high-flying London life imploded six years ago, and it happened dramatically enough that paramedics were involved. That’s all in the past. Now, Joe couldn’t be happier living a solitary life as a fisherman on England’s wild northern coast.
Okay, he could be happier.
It’s not like he’s depressed or anything but, you know. The weather’s not great. Life’s a bit samey. He’s only thirty-eight. The idea of another forty years is a bit exhausting, to be honest. He passes the time pretending to be a fisherman but the truth is, he sucks at it.
Then Joe makes the catch of a lifetime when he stumbles across the mysterious Dave washed up on the beach—an enormous man with gills and uncanny power over the sea. Once Dave stops trying to kidnap Joe and/or kill Joe’s fishing buddy, Jerry, turns out he’s kind of…intriguing?
And not half as smooth as he seems to think he is.
There’s a lot Joe doesn’t know about Dave. He doesn’t know why Dave keeps disappearing or why he can’t seem to stay away. He doesn’t know what Dave wants from him. He doesn’t even know what, exactly, Dave is. And Joe can’t ask, because they don’t speak the same language.
Joe does know one thing, though. He is in love.
Which, great. How’s that going to end well?
Catch and Release is a gay paranormal romantic comedy featuring a truly terrible fisherman with an octopus phobia, a merman (maybe? Confirmation pending) with no sense of personal boundaries at all, constant communication fails, a whole lot of sea life not in the sea but in Joe’s house, yes, it’s dead, some epic yearning from both sides, some truly awkward sex, and bewilderingly enough, maybe a way to make it work?
Okay, he could be happier.
It’s not like he’s depressed or anything but, you know. The weather’s not great. Life’s a bit samey. He’s only thirty-eight. The idea of another forty years is a bit exhausting, to be honest. He passes the time pretending to be a fisherman but the truth is, he sucks at it.
Then Joe makes the catch of a lifetime when he stumbles across the mysterious Dave washed up on the beach—an enormous man with gills and uncanny power over the sea. Once Dave stops trying to kidnap Joe and/or kill Joe’s fishing buddy, Jerry, turns out he’s kind of…intriguing?
And not half as smooth as he seems to think he is.
There’s a lot Joe doesn’t know about Dave. He doesn’t know why Dave keeps disappearing or why he can’t seem to stay away. He doesn’t know what Dave wants from him. He doesn’t even know what, exactly, Dave is. And Joe can’t ask, because they don’t speak the same language.
Joe does know one thing, though. He is in love.
Which, great. How’s that going to end well?
Catch and Release is a gay paranormal romantic comedy featuring a truly terrible fisherman with an octopus phobia, a merman (maybe? Confirmation pending) with no sense of personal boundaries at all, constant communication fails, a whole lot of sea life not in the sea but in Joe’s house, yes, it’s dead, some epic yearning from both sides, some truly awkward sex, and bewilderingly enough, maybe a way to make it work?
267 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 16, 2022
192 people are currently reading
1462 people want to read
About the author
Isabel Murray
12 books404 followersIsabel is a writer, a reader, and a lover of love. She couldn’t stick to a subgenre if her life depended on it, but MM romance is her jam. She lives in the UK, reads way too much, and cannot be trusted anywhere near chocolate.
Website: https://isabelmurrayauthor.com
Other links: https://isabelmurray.carrd.co
Website: https://isabelmurrayauthor.com
Other links: https://isabelmurray.carrd.co
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 343 reviews
June 20, 2022
Yaaaay, mermen! Or... NOT-mermen. Or something? 😆
This story pulled me in from the very moment that Joe and his friend Jerry stumbled across "something" caught up in a fishing net on the beach. "Something" 7 feet tall with a big ole' honking erection.
At 38 and having already retired, after making a fortune in stock investments, Joe mostly puttered around his beachfront home and fished as a hobby, so when the not-merman that they'd found, aka "Dave", began showing up more and more, he had plenty of free time to indulge in the sexy awkwardness that ensued.
Dave was extremely muscular, had gill slits, indigo blue hair, and as I'd previously mentioned, a constantly-engorged member, which felt a little cringey, but also pretty funny, especially when Joe's straight, older, fisherman friend was around.
For me, Jerry absolutely made the story, as he not only tried to be the hippest 60+ y.o. around, but also an ally as Joe and Dave began their often-ridiculous, hilarious mating dance.
“Am I freaking out? No. In fact, I’m checking him out.”One of my favorite parts of the story was when Dave began actively courting Joe with gifts from the sea, then later on, after a near tragedy, when Joe found it necessary to court Dave right back.
“Jerry. Don’t check him out.”
“Why not? I’m secure in my masculinity. I know about things like heteroflexibility and stuff. That boner is enormous and I’m telling you right here and now ain’t no part of me can stretch enough to take it, I don’t care how you do it, but I could…I could touch it. Yeah, I could see me touching it. See what it’s like.”
Joe's reaction to the octopus was pretty funny, but the very best was when Joe was courting the aloof Dave, while Dave was because Joe was so completely shite at catching his own "gifts" for Dave.
I also liked how Joe and Dave's developing bond allowed them to sense when the other was close, which made the sadder parts of the story, when they were much easier to stomach.
I found the romance to be pretty touching, too, with the author doing a great job at portray Dave's adoration and love for Joe, in spite of the gigantic communication barrier between the two. Although, I do admit that their inability to fully understand one another was a wee bit frustrating at times.
The story wasn't perfect, but I did really enjoy this one, even if I was freaking dying to discover if more mermen existed, did they live in groups, what was Dave's back story, and other such details.
The book ended on a mostly happy note, but I was still sad that their HEA would require .
I'd rate this one at around 4.5 stars, rounding up, and recommend it to anyone looking for a merman story with a teeny feeling of bittersweet.
** SIDE NOTE: I wanted Joe to buy a small yacht with all of his money, fit Dave with
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May 9, 2023
Weird yet wonderful!
What a weirdly silly, weirdly ridiculous, weirdly hilarious and weirdly heartwarming book.
Did I mention this was weird? It was so weird, but I highly recommend.
I don’t know what to say about this, it was so silly, I laughed my way through most of it but then would also get teary eyed and emotional as well. It’s about a lonely human fisherman who finds a merman washed up on the shore and then they start an unconventional love. It’s literally a fish out of water story, like literally because he’s a fish, well maybe, we never learn what he is for sure. These two never communicate with words, the human names him Dave and we never know if he has a real name, they mostly just have sex and miscommunication (but not the frustrating kind, they literally don’t speak the same language) and it ends in a highly different kind of HEA but I had so much fun! If you like odd, off the wall things, check this out. It was weird.
Shout out to Jerry, the side-kick, best friend/pet. Best, most funny character I’ve read in forever!
What a weirdly silly, weirdly ridiculous, weirdly hilarious and weirdly heartwarming book.
Did I mention this was weird? It was so weird, but I highly recommend.
I don’t know what to say about this, it was so silly, I laughed my way through most of it but then would also get teary eyed and emotional as well. It’s about a lonely human fisherman who finds a merman washed up on the shore and then they start an unconventional love. It’s literally a fish out of water story, like literally because he’s a fish, well maybe, we never learn what he is for sure. These two never communicate with words, the human names him Dave and we never know if he has a real name, they mostly just have sex and miscommunication (but not the frustrating kind, they literally don’t speak the same language) and it ends in a highly different kind of HEA but I had so much fun! If you like odd, off the wall things, check this out. It was weird.
Shout out to Jerry, the side-kick, best friend/pet. Best, most funny character I’ve read in forever!
dnf
October 31, 2021New-to-me author #69 of 2021 is…
…a keeper!
And yet this book is a DNF.
I swear it all makes sense.
The book showed up in my feed the other day, so I took a look at the blurb. It provoked two contradictory reactions: I found the merman premise of no interest, but the voice hooked me. I mean, how many blurbs even have a voice? Usually they’re neutral, a “just the facts” recitation of info. But in this case the author’s voice came shining through. I couldn’t resist giving the book a try in the hopes it would be as much fun to read as the blurb.
And it was! Humor is so subjective, and there can be a fine line between “funny” and “trying too hard,” but this came down on the right side of the line. At least to as far as I read (23%).
But, sure enough, I reeeeeeally am not interested in the premise. That’s what drove me off. Monsterfucking… eh, not my thing. I might have been able to stick around longer, but the size/strength discrepancy between the characters kept grating on me. On the one hand, there’s Joe, a normal human man. On the other, there’s a 7-foot tall not-exactly-all-powerful-but-might-as-well-be creature of twice his weight. Ready, willing, and able to pick Joe up, fling him around, completely dominate him physically.
Once I started wondering how reading this was any different from reading m/f, the DNF was probably inevitable.
But! I loved the writing! The characters, major and minor, were distinctive and delightful; the soggy seaside setting was vividly evoked; and the humor struck me just right. I definitely consider Isabel Murray a keeper, and will be looking for another book to try. (At the moment she only has one other, and it’s described as “age-gap, opposites-attract,” so the trope gods are not smiling on me. Insert sad-trombone sound here.)
If you *do* enjoy reading about human/cryptid, human/alien, or human/monster pairings, I encourage you to give this a look. At least read the blurb, and see if it grabs your fancy.
…a keeper!
And yet this book is a DNF.
I swear it all makes sense.
The book showed up in my feed the other day, so I took a look at the blurb. It provoked two contradictory reactions: I found the merman premise of no interest, but the voice hooked me. I mean, how many blurbs even have a voice? Usually they’re neutral, a “just the facts” recitation of info. But in this case the author’s voice came shining through. I couldn’t resist giving the book a try in the hopes it would be as much fun to read as the blurb.
And it was! Humor is so subjective, and there can be a fine line between “funny” and “trying too hard,” but this came down on the right side of the line. At least to as far as I read (23%).
But, sure enough, I reeeeeeally am not interested in the premise. That’s what drove me off. Monsterfucking… eh, not my thing. I might have been able to stick around longer, but the size/strength discrepancy between the characters kept grating on me. On the one hand, there’s Joe, a normal human man. On the other, there’s a 7-foot tall not-exactly-all-powerful-but-might-as-well-be creature of twice his weight. Ready, willing, and able to pick Joe up, fling him around, completely dominate him physically.
I was a one-hundred-and-sixty-pound man in his prime being carted off by a randy suitor, like a helpless maiden in a Greek myth.
Once I started wondering how reading this was any different from reading m/f, the DNF was probably inevitable.
But! I loved the writing! The characters, major and minor, were distinctive and delightful; the soggy seaside setting was vividly evoked; and the humor struck me just right. I definitely consider Isabel Murray a keeper, and will be looking for another book to try. (At the moment she only has one other, and it’s described as “age-gap, opposites-attract,” so the trope gods are not smiling on me. Insert sad-trombone sound here.)
If you *do* enjoy reading about human/cryptid, human/alien, or human/monster pairings, I encourage you to give this a look. At least read the blurb, and see if it grabs your fancy.
dnf
August 20, 2023This is truly the year of DNFing for me!!! Calling it quits @ 26%. I’m so uninterested. The same series of events keeps happening and I’m just over it.
October 19, 2021
𝟰.𝟮𝟱 ✩
Ialmost ugly cried while reading a book about a mermaid whose default state is nude and aroused. Witchcraft. That's the only answer.
I
March 19, 2023
Sweet baby Jesus, the number of ways I loved this book!! 🧜♂️
Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Unique.
Clever.
Romantic.
Funny.
Original.
Sexy AF.
Emotional.
Creative.
Did I mention funny??
I don’t want to reveal too much about the plot because this is best enjoyed when allowing yourself to organically follow the subtlety and humor in this story.
It was so refreshing and absolutely fan-flipping-tastic!!!
Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Unique.
Clever.
Romantic.
Funny.
Original.
Sexy AF.
Emotional.
Creative.
Did I mention funny??
I don’t want to reveal too much about the plot because this is best enjoyed when allowing yourself to organically follow the subtlety and humor in this story.
It was so refreshing and absolutely fan-flipping-tastic!!!
July 7, 2022
Isabel Murray is an author that I enjoy, her humor is so dark and sarcastic that I adore it. 🤭🤭 But this book was doomed from the beginning. 😮💨
This story was based in a trope we all hate: miss communication!! The mermaid didn't speak English and the human didn't speak merman. 😮💨😮💨
So while I enjoyed the beginning of this, it got boring really quickly. There were a lot of situations that didn't make sense, a lot of "cultural" differences that were never mended, there was a point where they simply needed to TALK!!!
But they didn't, so it became very repetitive and very about sex. Sex, not love, because how can you love someone if you don't know them? And how can you know them if you don't speak to them?
So I dnf at 87%, but it had it's funny moments":
“That’s an erection,” Jerry corrected me. “Probably rigor mortis.” Jessy talking to Joe about "the body"
"I’m honest with you, the whole thing freaked me the fuck out. I had me something of an existential crisis. I thought it over, though, and once I stopped getting the panic shits, I started to realize how cool the whole thing was.” Jerry again.
“Well, we’re only doing that because classification is pending. No tail says he ain’t a merman so what do you want to call him for now? Just pick one of the others as a working theory? Nix, kelpie? Merrow? Gill-man? Maybe-nix? Not-merman? Aquama—no. That’s trademarked. Aqualord. I like that.” Jerry 🤣
“Pretty dick, and a nice arse. Though if you recall, I did notice the arse first.” Jerry, heterosexual 68 years old dude, who loves his wife.
"It had been a long time since our inability to communicate verbally had even registered for me, let alone posed a problem.
Right now, it posed a big problem.
How was I supposed to tell Dave any of this?" This was at 87% 🤣🤣
My lord, but it was fun. 🤷🏻♀️
This story was based in a trope we all hate: miss communication!! The mermaid didn't speak English and the human didn't speak merman. 😮💨😮💨
So while I enjoyed the beginning of this, it got boring really quickly. There were a lot of situations that didn't make sense, a lot of "cultural" differences that were never mended, there was a point where they simply needed to TALK!!!
But they didn't, so it became very repetitive and very about sex. Sex, not love, because how can you love someone if you don't know them? And how can you know them if you don't speak to them?
So I dnf at 87%, but it had it's funny moments":
“That’s an erection,” Jerry corrected me. “Probably rigor mortis.” Jessy talking to Joe about "the body"
"I’m honest with you, the whole thing freaked me the fuck out. I had me something of an existential crisis. I thought it over, though, and once I stopped getting the panic shits, I started to realize how cool the whole thing was.” Jerry again.
“Well, we’re only doing that because classification is pending. No tail says he ain’t a merman so what do you want to call him for now? Just pick one of the others as a working theory? Nix, kelpie? Merrow? Gill-man? Maybe-nix? Not-merman? Aquama—no. That’s trademarked. Aqualord. I like that.” Jerry 🤣
“Pretty dick, and a nice arse. Though if you recall, I did notice the arse first.” Jerry, heterosexual 68 years old dude, who loves his wife.
"It had been a long time since our inability to communicate verbally had even registered for me, let alone posed a problem.
Right now, it posed a big problem.
How was I supposed to tell Dave any of this?" This was at 87% 🤣🤣
My lord, but it was fun. 🤷🏻♀️
January 16, 2024
Meh. Unfortunately neither the humor nor the heat landed for me, and it skeeved me out that . I found their dynamic off-putting and juvenile, with a repetitive push/pull that was exacerbated by the fact that, as I mentioned, . Curious enough about how it would end, I was able to press on and finish, but I can't say that was worth it.
I can see how this would work for some readers, but for me the novelty of it didn't equal over 200 pages of entertainment. As a 50-page short, it *might* have worked better.
Ele and Teal, next time I get an itch to read something you both DNFed, please remind me of this one. 😂
P.S. Can someone please tell me what the frequency is of "usually—but not often"? Because that was a head-scratcher.
I can see how this would work for some readers, but for me the novelty of it didn't equal over 200 pages of entertainment. As a 50-page short, it *might* have worked better.
Ele and Teal, next time I get an itch to read something you both DNFed, please remind me of this one. 😂
P.S. Can someone please tell me what the frequency is of "usually—but not often"? Because that was a head-scratcher.
November 8, 2021
This is a tricky one to rate; going with 2.5 rounded up. I love a merfolk story so this was very much up my alley, and the voice was delightful – snarky, distinctive, and genuinely funny without sounding like the author was trying too hard. It was just really fun to read.
Up until about the 60% mark, when I abruptly and totally lost interest and abandoned the book for days. I did finish eventually and it wasn’t a chore by any means, but the initial shine was gone for me once it became clear that basically, this plot was never really going to evolve and the main pairing’s practical merman/human compatibility hurdles were never going to be overcome.
It boils down to the fact that they were never going to be able to actually communicate, beyond, you know, soulmate bond, telepathy-adjacent emotional connection, epic sex, blah blah. That’s… not enough. I never doubted that they loved each other, in fact the author did a great job with the depths of their feelings (and the emotional devastation of their separations), but to me the idea of loving a person you can’t ever talk to, that you can’t exchange ideas and thoughts and problems and random daily observations with, isn’t romantic, it’s really fucking sad. It’s interesting because it made me think (harder than the book probably merits, lol) about what love means to me and how much I consider knowing a person to be an essential part of love. I guess that’s why soulmate-type stories (and the bonded mate stuff that a lot of shifter romances employ) don’t usually work for me. I want the characters to choose each other not because of some biological imperative but because of who the other person is, and to do that, you have to, well, know who the other person is.
That didn’t happen here. It can’t happen, apparently, because for whatever reason two otherwise perfectly compatible intelligent humanoids can’t work out a communication system that goes beyond super-basic gesturing? That didn’t necessarily make sense anyway, but what it ended up meaning was that Joe knows absolutely nothing about Dave-the-randomly-named-merman and, ultimately, because Joe is the narrator and we know what he knows, we don’t know zilch about Dave either. Apart from “he’s beautiful, super-possessive, acts like a dog a lot, lives in the sea, loves Joe,” that is. Joe learns nothing about merfolk culture. He never even learns Dave’s real name. They’re going to spend the rest of their relationship being temporary visitors in the other person’s world that they’re making zero effort to comprehend. And because all Joe ever thinks about is his communication-challenged merman romance and all the (many, many) attendant problems, we ultimately don’t know that much about him as a person either. (Didn’t help that both Joe, who’s pushing 40, and his BFF Jerry who’s meant to be in his sixties, talk and act like a pair of spazzy teenagers at all times.) It just made the whole story ring a little hollow, because essentially, it never goes very far beyond the quirky “boy meets merman” set-up.
There was some other stuff, like the appalling frequency with which Dave almost accidentally killed either Joe or Jerry due to not understanding how humans work, and the appalling ease with which those instances were dismissed (“soooo my merman bf tried to kill my BFF again bc he thought we were boning, LOL, nbd” basically), that made me feel kind of iffy about the whole thing as well.
But all that said, the style was still highly entertaining and I do want to check out some of this author’s other work.
Up until about the 60% mark, when I abruptly and totally lost interest and abandoned the book for days. I did finish eventually and it wasn’t a chore by any means, but the initial shine was gone for me once it became clear that basically, this plot was never really going to evolve and the main pairing’s practical merman/human compatibility hurdles were never going to be overcome.
It boils down to the fact that they were never going to be able to actually communicate, beyond, you know, soulmate bond, telepathy-adjacent emotional connection, epic sex, blah blah. That’s… not enough. I never doubted that they loved each other, in fact the author did a great job with the depths of their feelings (and the emotional devastation of their separations), but to me the idea of loving a person you can’t ever talk to, that you can’t exchange ideas and thoughts and problems and random daily observations with, isn’t romantic, it’s really fucking sad. It’s interesting because it made me think (harder than the book probably merits, lol) about what love means to me and how much I consider knowing a person to be an essential part of love. I guess that’s why soulmate-type stories (and the bonded mate stuff that a lot of shifter romances employ) don’t usually work for me. I want the characters to choose each other not because of some biological imperative but because of who the other person is, and to do that, you have to, well, know who the other person is.
That didn’t happen here. It can’t happen, apparently, because for whatever reason two otherwise perfectly compatible intelligent humanoids can’t work out a communication system that goes beyond super-basic gesturing? That didn’t necessarily make sense anyway, but what it ended up meaning was that Joe knows absolutely nothing about Dave-the-randomly-named-merman and, ultimately, because Joe is the narrator and we know what he knows, we don’t know zilch about Dave either. Apart from “he’s beautiful, super-possessive, acts like a dog a lot, lives in the sea, loves Joe,” that is. Joe learns nothing about merfolk culture. He never even learns Dave’s real name. They’re going to spend the rest of their relationship being temporary visitors in the other person’s world that they’re making zero effort to comprehend. And because all Joe ever thinks about is his communication-challenged merman romance and all the (many, many) attendant problems, we ultimately don’t know that much about him as a person either. (Didn’t help that both Joe, who’s pushing 40, and his BFF Jerry who’s meant to be in his sixties, talk and act like a pair of spazzy teenagers at all times.) It just made the whole story ring a little hollow, because essentially, it never goes very far beyond the quirky “boy meets merman” set-up.
There was some other stuff, like the appalling frequency with which Dave almost accidentally killed either Joe or Jerry due to not understanding how humans work, and the appalling ease with which those instances were dismissed (“soooo my merman bf tried to kill my BFF again bc he thought we were boning, LOL, nbd” basically), that made me feel kind of iffy about the whole thing as well.
But all that said, the style was still highly entertaining and I do want to check out some of this author’s other work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2022
A unique romance with a distinct English flavour
I'm not sure quite how to review this book without giving away what makes the heart and soul of it so appealing.
It's not a pure paranormal romance, it has a feel of both a fairy tale and a bit of a mystery but I loved everything about it.
Joe and 'Dave' are such compelling characters and their relationship is filled with moments that range between joyous, heart-breaking and just plain confusing.
Jerry, who starts off as an acquaintance but comes to be Joe's best friend, provides both the comic relief and a voice of support and reason.
Like the ebb and flow of the tides, the relationship between Joe and Dave switches between a passionate and erotically fueled one and a longing pining potentially destructive one.
Throughout it all, the narrative explores how two hearts can become entwined even when the origins of one half of the pair are mysterious and when communication can't take place other than in the simplest of ways.
One thing, imho, that is solid beyond anything else, is the strength of the love between them and the only thing I'd have wished for would be an Epilogue a few years down the road to see how they were doing.
I'm not sure quite how to review this book without giving away what makes the heart and soul of it so appealing.
It's not a pure paranormal romance, it has a feel of both a fairy tale and a bit of a mystery but I loved everything about it.
Joe and 'Dave' are such compelling characters and their relationship is filled with moments that range between joyous, heart-breaking and just plain confusing.
Jerry, who starts off as an acquaintance but comes to be Joe's best friend, provides both the comic relief and a voice of support and reason.
Like the ebb and flow of the tides, the relationship between Joe and Dave switches between a passionate and erotically fueled one and a longing pining potentially destructive one.
Throughout it all, the narrative explores how two hearts can become entwined even when the origins of one half of the pair are mysterious and when communication can't take place other than in the simplest of ways.
One thing, imho, that is solid beyond anything else, is the strength of the love between them and the only thing I'd have wished for would be an Epilogue a few years down the road to see how they were doing.
December 9, 2021
4.25 stars
New-to-me author and boy did I enjoy this book! It had humor, romance, angst and a mysterious, sexy, sea creature that could be anything from a sea vampire to a merman (all is eventually revealed but it takes a while to get there).
Dave and Joe's story - with help from Joe's friend Jerry - has plenty of ups and downs. There is a huge problem in that they really cannot communicate with each other in the traditional manner. It's clear from the start that Dave wants Joe, and that he's possessive of him, but that's about all that is clear to Joe as Dave sets about courting him, but lust and love find a way of course.
The story is told strictly from Joe's POV and I would have bumped the rating up if we had gotten an Epilogue or a chapter or a scene from Dave's POV. By the end of the story we do get to know Dave, but he is as mysterious to us as he is to Joe in some regards.
This story was unexpected in a good way and I'll definitely be checking out the next book this author writes.
New-to-me author and boy did I enjoy this book! It had humor, romance, angst and a mysterious, sexy, sea creature that could be anything from a sea vampire to a merman (all is eventually revealed but it takes a while to get there).
Dave and Joe's story - with help from Joe's friend Jerry - has plenty of ups and downs. There is a huge problem in that they really cannot communicate with each other in the traditional manner. It's clear from the start that Dave wants Joe, and that he's possessive of him, but that's about all that is clear to Joe as Dave sets about courting him, but lust and love find a way of course.
The story is told strictly from Joe's POV and I would have bumped the rating up if we had gotten an Epilogue or a chapter or a scene from Dave's POV. By the end of the story we do get to know Dave, but he is as mysterious to us as he is to Joe in some regards.
This story was unexpected in a good way and I'll definitely be checking out the next book this author writes.
dnf
October 31, 2021DNF at 15%
May 14, 2023
Started skimming @40%, then read the last two chapters, including the non-epilogue.
Brief synopsis:
Cheerio! Bring out the vodka.
While I lol'd during the first few chapters, I lost interest when I realized the story was never going to progress beyond one-liners and grunting.
We never get randomly-named-merman-Dave's POV and thus know nothing about him or his feelings for Joe.
The MCs will never be able to communicate, which irritated me beyond belief - cognizant humanoids are extremely capable of learning a language or inventing one beyond "caveman" style one-word non-sentences and fucking.
Dave will always, for no discernible reason, disappear for weeks or months at a time while Joe pines for him and loses weight because he can't possibly swallow even one goddamn biscuit while his beloved is out to sea.
Fuck that. I'd be on my fifth bowl of pasta, pass the garlic bread, plz.
This book is NOT a romance. It's a weird dub-con sitcom ... or something. idk
Tbh, Jerry, the middle-aged, straight fisherman who stares at Dave's ass and is very invested in Joe and Dave's sex life, is the best thing about this story.
Brief synopsis:
There were many things I'd never know about Dave.
I'd never know where he went ... or what he did. I'd never know if he spent his time ... alone, in company, or who that company was.
I'd never be able to ask him to stay with me, marry me. Love me.
Cheerio! Bring out the vodka.
While I lol'd during the first few chapters, I lost interest when I realized the story was never going to progress beyond one-liners and grunting.
We never get randomly-named-merman-Dave's POV and thus know nothing about him or his feelings for Joe.
The MCs will never be able to communicate, which irritated me beyond belief - cognizant humanoids are extremely capable of learning a language or inventing one beyond "caveman" style one-word non-sentences and fucking.
Dave will always, for no discernible reason, disappear for weeks or months at a time while Joe pines for him and loses weight because he can't possibly swallow even one goddamn biscuit while his beloved is out to sea.
Fuck that. I'd be on my fifth bowl of pasta, pass the garlic bread, plz.
This book is NOT a romance. It's a weird dub-con sitcom ... or something. idk
Tbh, Jerry, the middle-aged, straight fisherman who stares at Dave's ass and is very invested in Joe and Dave's sex life, is the best thing about this story.
dnf
March 20, 2023dnf at 50%
my peter tingle told me to check spoilers and yeah no. i don’t want to be a part of that😂😂 not for me
my peter tingle told me to check spoilers and yeah no. i don’t want to be a part of that😂😂 not for me
February 23, 2022
4 Stars
Review:
This was so funny, the romance was surprisingly believable given the weird situation, and the characters were fun, including (or especially) the inhuman merman!
Honestly, a big part of why this worked for me was that Joe was demisexual. I'd just had a string of bad luck with m/m romance books in which characters were immediately thinking about or having sex upon meeting, and that became the sole focus of the relationship, which generally isn't my thing. But Joe wasn't immediately thinking about wanting to have sex with the scary, horny merman, the romance and sex took a bit of time, and that made a big difference for me in being able to understand, feel, and believe the feelings between them.
And the romance was surprisingly believable, given the weird premise. It was such a weird situation, these two couldn't even communicate properly (it went beyond just a language barrier, since it wasn't like they could use translators even), but I don't know, it just worked. Sometimes feelings are just like that, they happen regardless of logic, and the author captured that and made me believe it, which is something not every author or book is able to do for me.
I loved how inhuman Dave (the merman) was. Sure, he looked mostly human, but he was very much not. He didn't speak, except to mimic some of the things Joe said most often, although he sometimes didn't know what they meant. He didn't understand human customs or technology. He had his own customs, like wooing Joe by bringing him dead sea creatures as gifts. He never quite understood the friendship between Joe and Jerry. He didn't fully understand human physiology, which touched upon the idea that maybe merfolk have the bad rap they do because they want to be close to humans but end up killing them by accident. It was a great portrayal of a non-human character that was humorous while still being believable rather than over the top.
Speaking of humorous, this book was so funny! Jerry was especially hilarious. He was the most unrealistic thing, but he gets a pass because he made me laugh.
There was also emotion and angst and longing. Their path to romance wasn't the smoothest. I felt for them. It's a bit of an atypical romance, almost kind of bittersweet. *SPOILER* *END SPOILER*
Overall, this was funny and great with unexpected demisexual rep, an inhuman merman, a bit of angst and longing, and a surprisingly believable and touching romance that I really enjoyed!
*Rating: 4 Stars // Read Date: 2022 // Format: Ebook via TTS*
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes m/m romance, humor, inhuman mermen, demisexual rep, some angst/longing, and unique sort of romance.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
Review:
This was so funny, the romance was surprisingly believable given the weird situation, and the characters were fun, including (or especially) the inhuman merman!
Honestly, a big part of why this worked for me was that Joe was demisexual. I'd just had a string of bad luck with m/m romance books in which characters were immediately thinking about or having sex upon meeting, and that became the sole focus of the relationship, which generally isn't my thing. But Joe wasn't immediately thinking about wanting to have sex with the scary, horny merman, the romance and sex took a bit of time, and that made a big difference for me in being able to understand, feel, and believe the feelings between them.
And the romance was surprisingly believable, given the weird premise. It was such a weird situation, these two couldn't even communicate properly (it went beyond just a language barrier, since it wasn't like they could use translators even), but I don't know, it just worked. Sometimes feelings are just like that, they happen regardless of logic, and the author captured that and made me believe it, which is something not every author or book is able to do for me.
I loved how inhuman Dave (the merman) was. Sure, he looked mostly human, but he was very much not. He didn't speak, except to mimic some of the things Joe said most often, although he sometimes didn't know what they meant. He didn't understand human customs or technology. He had his own customs, like wooing Joe by bringing him dead sea creatures as gifts. He never quite understood the friendship between Joe and Jerry. He didn't fully understand human physiology, which touched upon the idea that maybe merfolk have the bad rap they do because they want to be close to humans but end up killing them by accident. It was a great portrayal of a non-human character that was humorous while still being believable rather than over the top.
Speaking of humorous, this book was so funny! Jerry was especially hilarious. He was the most unrealistic thing, but he gets a pass because he made me laugh.
There was also emotion and angst and longing. Their path to romance wasn't the smoothest. I felt for them. It's a bit of an atypical romance, almost kind of bittersweet. *SPOILER* *END SPOILER*
Overall, this was funny and great with unexpected demisexual rep, an inhuman merman, a bit of angst and longing, and a surprisingly believable and touching romance that I really enjoyed!
*Rating: 4 Stars // Read Date: 2022 // Format: Ebook via TTS*
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes m/m romance, humor, inhuman mermen, demisexual rep, some angst/longing, and unique sort of romance.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
May 2, 2025
Somehow one of the goofiest books ever while also being filled with angsty painful longing full of goodbyes and hellos and a connection that transcends the need for language and instead is simply content to bask in the improbability of the rare beauty that it could even exist at all
May 24, 2024
DNF at 23%, knew it was over at 3% when I read this:
“Got a nice arse, though,” he said. I did a slow pan and gaped at him. So far as I knew, Jerry was straight. So far as his wife knew, Jerry was straight.
And this:
“Even I want to slap it.” Jerry bent down. I snagged him by the back of his collar and hauled him up. “Jerry, don’t you dare get bi-curious and start slapping a dead man’s arse.”
And this:
“I don’t see any tail.”
“Okay, but what about that?”
“That’s a penis.”
Oh.
It sure was.
Large. Thick.
Hard.
This writing style is not for me, I cannot stand it. The humor is just cringey.
Moments:
• The moon hung full and white. Stars glinted and danced in the dense black sky. It would have been romantic, except I was hangry and exhausted. (Why would it have been romantic? Or is the joke going over my head?)
• “Okay.” I looped an arm around the back of his neck. “What’s the plan here? Because I can’t tell if we’re on a date, or if you’re about to kill me.” (I don't get it. Is this humor?)
• “Joe.” Jerry crouched by my side. “Joe, where are your trousers?”
I started giggling. “The not-merman got ‘em,” I said. “
Oh boy,” Patrick said. (Oh boy.)
• Dave wrapped a big hand around the base of his cock and he gave himself a lazy stroke.
“Oh my god.” I slapped his hand, startling him into letting go. “Stop touching yourself!”
His brows twitched and he took hold again.
No. I was not going to lie here and have this cryptid jerk off on me.
Not on a third date. (What dates?!)
“Got a nice arse, though,” he said. I did a slow pan and gaped at him. So far as I knew, Jerry was straight. So far as his wife knew, Jerry was straight.
And this:
“Even I want to slap it.” Jerry bent down. I snagged him by the back of his collar and hauled him up. “Jerry, don’t you dare get bi-curious and start slapping a dead man’s arse.”
And this:
“I don’t see any tail.”
“Okay, but what about that?”
“That’s a penis.”
Oh.
It sure was.
Large. Thick.
Hard.
This writing style is not for me, I cannot stand it. The humor is just cringey.
Moments:
• The moon hung full and white. Stars glinted and danced in the dense black sky. It would have been romantic, except I was hangry and exhausted. (Why would it have been romantic? Or is the joke going over my head?)
• “Okay.” I looped an arm around the back of his neck. “What’s the plan here? Because I can’t tell if we’re on a date, or if you’re about to kill me.” (I don't get it. Is this humor?)
• “Joe.” Jerry crouched by my side. “Joe, where are your trousers?”
I started giggling. “The not-merman got ‘em,” I said. “
Oh boy,” Patrick said. (Oh boy.)
• Dave wrapped a big hand around the base of his cock and he gave himself a lazy stroke.
“Oh my god.” I slapped his hand, startling him into letting go. “Stop touching yourself!”
His brows twitched and he took hold again.
No. I was not going to lie here and have this cryptid jerk off on me.
Not on a third date. (What dates?!)
January 29, 2022
DNF at 19%
First: if you like Alice Winter's style of humor, this may be for you.
I do not.
The humor I found cringy, the excessive meandering analogies I found tedious, and the plot...well, it wasn't really happening for me.
The "no sense of personal boundaries" in fact means dubcon, but pretending it's cute. Gotta call a spade a spade, you know?
Very over the top, instalove/lust despite them not being able to talk, and the writing was choppy with short, abrupt paragraphs.
Overall, no thanks.
First: if you like Alice Winter's style of humor, this may be for you.
I do not.
The humor I found cringy, the excessive meandering analogies I found tedious, and the plot...well, it wasn't really happening for me.
The "no sense of personal boundaries" in fact means dubcon, but pretending it's cute. Gotta call a spade a spade, you know?
Very over the top, instalove/lust despite them not being able to talk, and the writing was choppy with short, abrupt paragraphs.
Overall, no thanks.
December 23, 2021
This book really isn’t an HEA.
And it pretty much repeats the same scene over and over and over throughout the entire book. And that’s it. There is no conclusion. What’s happening in the beginning, is exactly what is happening in the end. There is no story progression. There is kind of an evolution of their “relationship” but not much because they never learned to communicate.
I was excited by the plot and the humor was fun, but it dragged and once I realized there was actually no real conclusion to the story, I was reeeally disappointed.
And it pretty much repeats the same scene over and over and over throughout the entire book. And that’s it. There is no conclusion. What’s happening in the beginning, is exactly what is happening in the end. There is no story progression. There is kind of an evolution of their “relationship” but not much because they never learned to communicate.
I was excited by the plot and the humor was fun, but it dragged and once I realized there was actually no real conclusion to the story, I was reeeally disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2023
There were times I felt deeply moved and emotional while reading Catch and Release but more often than not, I found myself wondering what was the basis of the relationship and romance and whether or not I found it compelling. It certainly was thought provoking for me, but ultimately I felt unfulfilled. The concept of ‘catch and release’ is actually a pretty good embodiment of how the story impacted me, I alternated between interest and vague ambivalence. And yet I found C and R very hard to put down.
Aldi’s review offers much deeper insight. They brilliantly articulate the feelings I’m fumbling to express.
Settling on a rating is a challenge. I’m going with 3 but in some ways feel 2 is appropriate and in other ways 4 seems right. I completely understand both the low and high ratings of other reviewers.
Aldi’s review offers much deeper insight. They brilliantly articulate the feelings I’m fumbling to express.
Settling on a rating is a challenge. I’m going with 3 but in some ways feel 2 is appropriate and in other ways 4 seems right. I completely understand both the low and high ratings of other reviewers.
June 7, 2022
4.5 star. This was INSANELY fun. Like just an absolute blast to read. There was never a dull moment and the writing is fucking funny. I didn’t initially want to read this story due to something I read in another review about how the main couple becomes separated (for very understandable reasons) but after I read (and loved) Not That Complicated, I needed to read more by this author.
Joe is an awesome voice to read from. He’s funny and feels very real. His emotions make sense and I loved his thoughts. I loved him. His friend Jerry is the icing on top of the Joe and Dave cake, being absolutely hilarious, incredibly supportive, and perhaps a bit bicurious. Dave is a dick but in an absolutely hilarious way. He is into Joe and he is not giving up on him and watching him court Joe is amazing.
Even more amazing is later on, when Joe courts Dave back.
For the angsty parts when Joe and Dave are separated, the special bond they have makes things feel a bit less severe.
I didn’t get the normal “ahhh” contentment from reading about two people falling in love, but I wouldn’t expect that from a love story between a human and an alienish merman who will never speak the same language. I did really appreciate Dave’s understanding of consent, though.
I would really recommend this to anyone who enjoys “monster” romance where the monster character has a huge dick and recognizes the human as his from first sight. I just wish there had been an epilogue!
Joe is an awesome voice to read from. He’s funny and feels very real. His emotions make sense and I loved his thoughts. I loved him. His friend Jerry is the icing on top of the Joe and Dave cake, being absolutely hilarious, incredibly supportive, and perhaps a bit bicurious. Dave is a dick but in an absolutely hilarious way. He is into Joe and he is not giving up on him and watching him court Joe is amazing.
Even more amazing is later on, when Joe courts Dave back.
For the angsty parts when Joe and Dave are separated, the special bond they have makes things feel a bit less severe.
I didn’t get the normal “ahhh” contentment from reading about two people falling in love, but I wouldn’t expect that from a love story between a human and an alienish merman who will never speak the same language. I did really appreciate Dave’s understanding of consent, though.
I would really recommend this to anyone who enjoys “monster” romance where the monster character has a huge dick and recognizes the human as his from first sight. I just wish there had been an epilogue!
June 24, 2022
2 Stars
I don't know what to think of this, honestly. It had an interesting premise and I did like the characters, but the story dragged and was repetitive. It's difficult to build a believable relationship when the MCs cannot communicate due to a language barrier and they just bang constantly. The ending was also pretty lackluster and lacked closure - it seemed like their future was that they would .
I don't know what to think of this, honestly. It had an interesting premise and I did like the characters, but the story dragged and was repetitive. It's difficult to build a believable relationship when the MCs cannot communicate due to a language barrier and they just bang constantly. The ending was also pretty lackluster and lacked closure - it seemed like their future was that they would .
November 10, 2023
This novel is remarkable on a number of levels. It worked great for comedy--a tough job with me as a reader--and the plot is just perfect. But what I didn't expect was how well the author conveyed just how alien Dave is. A lot of wannabe science fiction writers ought to read this and take notes. I'm very impressed.
March 1, 2024
I laughed(Jerry!), I cried(the parting), I understood a love story that I, personally, could not survive. The ending is beautiful! Happy, hopeful, moving.
One of the best romances that I will ever read.
I love Goodreads reviewer Todd’s idea for Joe and Dave to be together, always. 👍
One of the best romances that I will ever read.
I love Goodreads reviewer Todd’s idea for Joe and Dave to be together, always. 👍
February 9, 2022
The book held me until about 40% and then it lost me, catch and release indeed. I thought the story was charming up to that point, but I was low-key frustrated that the characters weren't fleshed out beyond the basics and never really developed any more than that. At the 40% mark the narrator inexplicably decided he was in love with the other MC, and it was so jarring and illogical that I was like, "......What?" There was legit nothing for him to fall in love with besides physical characteristics, and since he self-identified as demi, it just really, really made absolutely no sense to me. I skimmed the rest of the book and there was just never anything there to make me revise my opinion on the poor storytelling present in this book.
Read
November 27, 2022Thank you for the gift, Santa's Kinky Mistress!
August 15, 2025
4.5
This was so funny!! I couldn't stop laughing...well, at least until I got my heart broken and cried my eyes out!!
Joe and 'Dave' are weirdly good together, even though Dave can't speak and Joe can't live under the sea! I really enjoyed their romance though. The courting had me in stitches, especially the octopus, but when Joe returned the gesture for Dave it made my heart squeeze. It was so difficult when Joe was pining too.
Jerry is one of my favourite ever side characters. He was so incredibly funny, yet also really emotionally there for Joe and supported him like family. I loved the bond Joe and Jerry had, and even Dave and Jerry's friendship was funny. I also loved how this older guy was so into teen vampires and trying to stay relevant to youth 😂
My only reason for not giving a full 5 stars is the resolution. I kinda kept waiting for Joe to realise that Kos is way warmer than England.... Even so, I really enjoyed this story and I'd love to see more with this group of characters.
*
*
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HRCYED2: Spooky Creatures
This was so funny!! I couldn't stop laughing...well, at least until I got my heart broken and cried my eyes out!!
Joe and 'Dave' are weirdly good together, even though Dave can't speak and Joe can't live under the sea! I really enjoyed their romance though. The courting had me in stitches, especially the octopus, but when Joe returned the gesture for Dave it made my heart squeeze. It was so difficult when Joe was pining too.
Jerry is one of my favourite ever side characters. He was so incredibly funny, yet also really emotionally there for Joe and supported him like family. I loved the bond Joe and Jerry had, and even Dave and Jerry's friendship was funny. I also loved how this older guy was so into teen vampires and trying to stay relevant to youth 😂
My only reason for not giving a full 5 stars is the resolution. I kinda kept waiting for Joe to realise that Kos is way warmer than England.... Even so, I really enjoyed this story and I'd love to see more with this group of characters.
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HRCYED2: Spooky Creatures
March 16, 2025
Paranormal MM
Human/Merman
Older MC (38)
Horney AF Merman
Funny Side Character
🔥🔥🔥
Sometimes you just need a book that will make you laugh, and this one fit the bill and I laughed a lot. From the very beginning when two guys stumble upon something that is obviously not human, and that something develops some insta-lust towards our MC. To the one sided wooing, and the very confused MC. To the hysterical side character. I just found a lot of funny in this.
There’s also a lot of miscommunication because there is no common language. A lot of times it’s done in a way that’s cute and funny, although you do feel the frustration later in the book. I was ready for some magical language devise or something at that point.
I enjoyed the book for what it was, a cute short read that set out of some giggles. There are some emotional scenes but not anything too deep or angsty.
Human/Merman
Older MC (38)
Horney AF Merman
Funny Side Character
🔥🔥🔥
Sometimes you just need a book that will make you laugh, and this one fit the bill and I laughed a lot. From the very beginning when two guys stumble upon something that is obviously not human, and that something develops some insta-lust towards our MC. To the one sided wooing, and the very confused MC. To the hysterical side character. I just found a lot of funny in this.
There’s also a lot of miscommunication because there is no common language. A lot of times it’s done in a way that’s cute and funny, although you do feel the frustration later in the book. I was ready for some magical language devise or something at that point.
I enjoyed the book for what it was, a cute short read that set out of some giggles. There are some emotional scenes but not anything too deep or angsty.
February 13, 2023
On learning to connect, communicate and compromise.
🧜♂️ *sobs audibly in merman* 🧜♂️
🧜♂️ *sobs audibly in merman* 🧜♂️
November 3, 2021
4.5 rounded up.
So when I first saw this book pop up on my Goodreads page, I thought, "Nah, I'll pass." I have very little interest in cross-species romances, I thought. I'm cool with werewolves, vampires, and so on, as long as they are at least human-shaped. Especially during sex scenes. Ugh.
But the cover of Catch and Release is really, really appealing. And the synopsis? Right up my alley. So I gave it a read.
This is really good, you guys. To start, a summary: Joe encounters a merman- siren- kelpie- being who starts to court him. But when one of you lives on land and the other in the sea, forming a relationship is not easy. This is one of the things that makes this book so good; there is an actual reason behind the difficulty in establishing a relationship, not just "oh my god I can't possibly enter a relationship for I am far too worthless/messed up/taken/insert-dumb-excuse here."
My only criticism is related to communication, which is a common complaint I have for most romances. . But hell, at least the miscommunications in this book have a solid basis!
Overall, this is a well-written, unique, and fun book. I'm looking forward to more releases by this author.
So when I first saw this book pop up on my Goodreads page, I thought, "Nah, I'll pass." I have very little interest in cross-species romances, I thought. I'm cool with werewolves, vampires, and so on, as long as they are at least human-shaped. Especially during sex scenes. Ugh.
But the cover of Catch and Release is really, really appealing. And the synopsis? Right up my alley. So I gave it a read.
This is really good, you guys. To start, a summary: Joe encounters a merman- siren- kelpie- being who starts to court him. But when one of you lives on land and the other in the sea, forming a relationship is not easy. This is one of the things that makes this book so good; there is an actual reason behind the difficulty in establishing a relationship, not just "oh my god I can't possibly enter a relationship for I am far too worthless/messed up/taken/insert-dumb-excuse here."
My only criticism is related to communication, which is a common complaint I have for most romances. . But hell, at least the miscommunications in this book have a solid basis!
Overall, this is a well-written, unique, and fun book. I'm looking forward to more releases by this author.
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