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Under His Skin #1
Tease
When Barnabas rescues a stranger from a storm, he knows he's in for a tempestuous time. Lust wars with more altruistic feelings to paralyze Barnabas until the stranger makes the first move for him -- and then there's no stopping either of them.
Inside, outside, against the wall, and even occasionally on the bed. But Barnabas starts to wonder if the sex is a distraction from something more important, something his English language challenged new lover isn't saying. When the truth is finally revealed, the betrayal cuts deep, and for Barnabas, it may be too little, too late.
Inside, outside, against the wall, and even occasionally on the bed. But Barnabas starts to wonder if the sex is a distraction from something more important, something his English language challenged new lover isn't saying. When the truth is finally revealed, the betrayal cuts deep, and for Barnabas, it may be too little, too late.
ebook
First published August 3, 2010
45 people want to read
About the author
Mina Kelly
414 books14 followersMina Kelly lives in one of England's most historic cities. During the day she cooks from Roman recipes and swings medieval swords, trying to convince the tourists that history is more than just a pretty background to a photograph. From this she draws inspiration for her mixed up myths and flirtatious fairy tales, and has an especial fondness for things that go bump in the night.
She rarely uses Goodreads, due in most part to the really annoying facebook connect aspect, and would delete the whole thing if she didn't appreciate that readers expect to be able to find her here. If you actually want to communicate with Mina Kelly, she would like to suggest her facebook page, twitter, LibraryThing account, or even her own blog.
She rarely uses Goodreads, due in most part to the really annoying facebook connect aspect, and would delete the whole thing if she didn't appreciate that readers expect to be able to find her here. If you actually want to communicate with Mina Kelly, she would like to suggest her facebook page, twitter, LibraryThing account, or even her own blog.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 13, 2012
Okay, so I'm a sucker for new twists on old myths, but I'm getting a little bit tired of growly werewolves and snappy vampires. So this book was just what I needed! Paranormal, but not normalparanormal. Sidebar: can we make that a word, please?)
Barnabas is an artist living on the Cornish coast, and he rescues a stranger from the storm. What Barnabas fails to realise is that his new houseguest is a selkie - a seal shifter who, true to all the legends, can't change back because his skin/cloak is wrecked.
I have always loved the sinister stories that this is based on - selkies who were basically enslaved into marriages with humans and who, years later, would find their cloaks and escape back into the ocean. In some of the legends they dragged their half-human children with them, drowning them.
I really liked how Tease didn't just morph into a human being. Even in human form, he can only bark like a seal. Tease and Barnaby connect, but they do it slowly...no insta-love here. Because Tease might love Barnaby (and sometimes we're not sure of it, because he remains so wonderfully alien) but he belongs in the ocean.
This is a great read.
Barnabas is an artist living on the Cornish coast, and he rescues a stranger from the storm. What Barnabas fails to realise is that his new houseguest is a selkie - a seal shifter who, true to all the legends, can't change back because his skin/cloak is wrecked.
I have always loved the sinister stories that this is based on - selkies who were basically enslaved into marriages with humans and who, years later, would find their cloaks and escape back into the ocean. In some of the legends they dragged their half-human children with them, drowning them.
I really liked how Tease didn't just morph into a human being. Even in human form, he can only bark like a seal. Tease and Barnaby connect, but they do it slowly...no insta-love here. Because Tease might love Barnaby (and sometimes we're not sure of it, because he remains so wonderfully alien) but he belongs in the ocean.
This is a great read.
Read
March 15, 2011Tease is a beautifully crafted love story. Ms. Kelly is a master story teller. Together, that makes Tease one of my absolute favourite books of 2010.
Tease is full of sensual detail and the story is beautiful to read. The author’s voice is melodic, making her work a joy to read and hard to put down. The plot is absorbing and showcases Ms. Kelly’s mastery of English prose.
The story has everything it ought to: theme, subtext, a heroic flaw and a dark moment that made my throat tighten. I loved the conflict and the hero’s growth.
When you’ve got a couple of indulgent and well-earned hours to yourself, buy Tease, curl up with something warm and spicy to drink, tuck a blanket around yourself and let the fantasy unroll.
*
Eve
Tease is full of sensual detail and the story is beautiful to read. The author’s voice is melodic, making her work a joy to read and hard to put down. The plot is absorbing and showcases Ms. Kelly’s mastery of English prose.
The story has everything it ought to: theme, subtext, a heroic flaw and a dark moment that made my throat tighten. I loved the conflict and the hero’s growth.
When you’ve got a couple of indulgent and well-earned hours to yourself, buy Tease, curl up with something warm and spicy to drink, tuck a blanket around yourself and let the fantasy unroll.
*
Eve
September 23, 2010
I’m not sure I’ve read a book like this where one of the couple couldn’t talk or communicate. It makes for an interesting hook, in addition to the Selkie shifter legend. For a novella, the story is clever enough to keep my interest for the most part though the characters are uneven and the pacing choppy. It’s a different kind of story and for that, stands out in the masses of shifter stories.
Barnabas (quite an awkward name) is an artist that makes his rather meager living by a rocky shore somewhere in England. During a particularly brutal storm, he finds an injured man washed up on the shore. After nursing the man back to health, the two develop a strong chemistry. Eventually Barnabas realizes his lover is actually a Selkie, a mythical creature that uses a skin to shift between a man and a seal. As his lover longs to return to the sea, Barnabas realizes he could simply not repair the skin and thus his lover would stay a man and more importantly, with him.
The story is character driven as the relationship between Barnabas and his lover develops and then he’s faced with the dilemma of what to do. Told through Barnabas’ third person perspective, the lover is actually nameless and mute for the entire novella. Eventually Barnabas settles on calling his lover “Tease” for the sexual teasing he’s prone to but we never learn his real name. Likewise the lover never speaks. He barks when speaking to the other seals and makes rasping noises but never vocalizes or writes.
Supposedly he communicates with his body, eyes, hands, and soundless words – a language that Barnabas claims he understands. Perhaps this is true, but I found that aspect of the story hard to get into. For starters there is almost no dialogue since there is limited interaction with the isolated town and Barnabas infrequently speaks to ask a question or make a statement. This keeps the writing very internal as Barnabas thinks about what his lover could mean, worries about his own insecurities and never wants to be alone, and experiences a wide range of emotions. In between this musing are sex scenes, since most of the interaction between Barnabas and the Selkie is through sex.
The pace slows down some around the middle of the novella when the sex scenes feel repetitive. The tone of the story feels very circular as well with a similar way the days play out. They have sex, eat, Barnabas worries about some imagined slight, they have sex again and are happy. This is only broken when Barnabas finally realizes his lover is a Selkie and responds with disgust and anger. Here the story picks up some but Barnabas is a difficult character to like. The lover is forgettable since he has little way of communicating his own desires and wants and Barnabas comes across needy, insecure, and childish. He is waspish and quick to snap but can be generous when happy. It’s only at the very end that Barnabas comes across with any maturity and intelligence.
Although neither of the lead characters really sparks much interest, the story is different enough to be worth reading. The mostly silent exchange between the lovers can create a much slower dynamic that may not appeal to all readers. However the quirk is inventive and the final resolution is questionable up until the very end, mostly because you’re never sure just how Barnabas will react. This isn’t a story I’d read again but I’m not sorry I read it.
Barnabas (quite an awkward name) is an artist that makes his rather meager living by a rocky shore somewhere in England. During a particularly brutal storm, he finds an injured man washed up on the shore. After nursing the man back to health, the two develop a strong chemistry. Eventually Barnabas realizes his lover is actually a Selkie, a mythical creature that uses a skin to shift between a man and a seal. As his lover longs to return to the sea, Barnabas realizes he could simply not repair the skin and thus his lover would stay a man and more importantly, with him.
The story is character driven as the relationship between Barnabas and his lover develops and then he’s faced with the dilemma of what to do. Told through Barnabas’ third person perspective, the lover is actually nameless and mute for the entire novella. Eventually Barnabas settles on calling his lover “Tease” for the sexual teasing he’s prone to but we never learn his real name. Likewise the lover never speaks. He barks when speaking to the other seals and makes rasping noises but never vocalizes or writes.
Supposedly he communicates with his body, eyes, hands, and soundless words – a language that Barnabas claims he understands. Perhaps this is true, but I found that aspect of the story hard to get into. For starters there is almost no dialogue since there is limited interaction with the isolated town and Barnabas infrequently speaks to ask a question or make a statement. This keeps the writing very internal as Barnabas thinks about what his lover could mean, worries about his own insecurities and never wants to be alone, and experiences a wide range of emotions. In between this musing are sex scenes, since most of the interaction between Barnabas and the Selkie is through sex.
The pace slows down some around the middle of the novella when the sex scenes feel repetitive. The tone of the story feels very circular as well with a similar way the days play out. They have sex, eat, Barnabas worries about some imagined slight, they have sex again and are happy. This is only broken when Barnabas finally realizes his lover is a Selkie and responds with disgust and anger. Here the story picks up some but Barnabas is a difficult character to like. The lover is forgettable since he has little way of communicating his own desires and wants and Barnabas comes across needy, insecure, and childish. He is waspish and quick to snap but can be generous when happy. It’s only at the very end that Barnabas comes across with any maturity and intelligence.
Although neither of the lead characters really sparks much interest, the story is different enough to be worth reading. The mostly silent exchange between the lovers can create a much slower dynamic that may not appeal to all readers. However the quirk is inventive and the final resolution is questionable up until the very end, mostly because you’re never sure just how Barnabas will react. This isn’t a story I’d read again but I’m not sorry I read it.
December 30, 2010
Disclaimer: I know Mina Kelly, and consider her a pal.
That out of the way, this is a tightly, prettily written romance, and a fun play on the selkie legend. But let's face it, in romance, in particular erotic romance, a book should have something else to lift it out of the ordinary. This one has it.
Since you find this out right away, I don't think it's a spoiler: one of the main characters can't speak. That makes the physical interaction not just an integral part of the relationship--as it is in any relationship--but makes it the only real means of honest expression between them. The way this is explored in "Tease" is fascinating.
This non-verbal stranger himself--adorable character. Barnabus is interesting too, and honest, which I often feel is a rarity in the genre. He struggles with himself as most human beings--particularly the socially inept lonely ones--would, and it makes where he comes out in the end extremely satisfying.
Only one thing kind of bothered me:
It was jarring to read a book that was so very, very English--well, Cornish, but I'm American and apologize for my ignorance if the Cornish will take offense--that used American spellings. That's an editorial thing, but it kept making me think twice. The setting and emphasis on familiar local legends is such an important part of the plot, it was disconcerting at times when the medium didn't match up with the content, if that makes sense.
Or I'm being a weird art historian.
But yeah, way too much fun!
That out of the way, this is a tightly, prettily written romance, and a fun play on the selkie legend. But let's face it, in romance, in particular erotic romance, a book should have something else to lift it out of the ordinary. This one has it.
Since you find this out right away, I don't think it's a spoiler: one of the main characters can't speak. That makes the physical interaction not just an integral part of the relationship--as it is in any relationship--but makes it the only real means of honest expression between them. The way this is explored in "Tease" is fascinating.
This non-verbal stranger himself--adorable character. Barnabus is interesting too, and honest, which I often feel is a rarity in the genre. He struggles with himself as most human beings--particularly the socially inept lonely ones--would, and it makes where he comes out in the end extremely satisfying.
Only one thing kind of bothered me:
It was jarring to read a book that was so very, very English--well, Cornish, but I'm American and apologize for my ignorance if the Cornish will take offense--that used American spellings. That's an editorial thing, but it kept making me think twice. The setting and emphasis on familiar local legends is such an important part of the plot, it was disconcerting at times when the medium didn't match up with the content, if that makes sense.
Or I'm being a weird art historian.
But yeah, way too much fun!
March 14, 2011
I enjoyed this story of Barnabas and 'Tease'. A selkie story, but different from most others out there. The longing of Barnabas to be with Tease, even when he finds out what he is; even when he knows he shouldn't be with him, is desperate and strong. His pain and betrayal wars with his desire and love. And Tease's own emotions are no less.
It reminds me of the old adage - if you love someone, set them free. If they love you, they will return. And I so love that Tease returns, is there for Barnabas, being the exception to the rule that Selkie do not/cannot love, cannot stay with their human lovers for long.
It reminds me of the old adage - if you love someone, set them free. If they love you, they will return. And I so love that Tease returns, is there for Barnabas, being the exception to the rule that Selkie do not/cannot love, cannot stay with their human lovers for long.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2010
3.75 Stars
An interesting twist, in that one of the MCs does not speak and must communicate through body language and mime.
An interesting twist, in that one of the MCs does not speak and must communicate through body language and mime.
Read
October 3, 2011Original rating/review here. (NOTE: written before I was with Loose Id myself. Waaaaay before.)
January 24, 2012
A sweet tale that offers a unique twist on an old legend. I was hooked from the beginning and didn't stop reading until the end.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews