Blogging Between the Lines

Lily and Calder return for another thrilling Lake Superior adventure full of drama, romance, action, mystery, and myths.

What I loved:

The mythology. While it took a back seat this time around, I really enjoyed the backdrop of mythological mermaid lore. Ancient myths did end up playing a part near the end of the story, and I welcomed that wholeheartedly. Now that *SPOILERS* happened to Lily I think there will be a lot more of the lore and history coming back in book 3!

The romance. Calder and Lily bicker. All. The. Time. This makes so much sense. They are under a lot of stress, they are frequently in danger, they almost never come to the same conclusion or decision, they keep things from each other, and they don't even like the same kind of coffee. So why should they be a perfect couple, who never fights or argues and gets along so well? That would be so unrealistic, and would frankly remove a lot of the drama and tension from the story. I really appreciated their having an honest, realistic relationship.

Lily's fascination with the lake. The author's own love for the region, for Lake Superior and the islands, is clearly reflected in the prose. Lily describes the stars one night that ""filled the sky with a light that held its own against the pale disk of the moon and stirred the lake into a rich navy, with black ripples, like a Van Gogh painting."" Artful passages like this are combined with the subsequent, ""It was like dancing under a disco ball, and it was like choreography, slow and twirling."" The juxtaposition of dreamy description with modern comparisons shows the readers that Lily isn't your average girl, but she still thinks like one sometimes.

What I didn't love:

The book got off to a bit of a slow start. I think this is because I read the first book last summer and had lost a feel for the story. Lily being away from the lake was strange, her friends weren't who I wanted her to be talking to (ahem - Calder), and I kept wondering when we'd get back on track to the pressing issue of her dad being a merman and Calder's ""sisters"" being crazy dangerous.

Honestly, though, it quickly picked up after the first few chapters and after that I couldn't put it down!

DEEP BETRAYAL is a great follow-up to LIES BENEATH, and I would recommend it for fans of paranormal romance, mythology, mermaids, and murder mysteries!