Rating: Summary: A Shining New Star...uh, Fish Review: One sweltering summer day, I found myself with nothing to read. Nothing. In a moment of sheer frustration, I bought 3 books by 3 authors unknown to me. Two went in the trash, but P.C. Cast's "Goddess by Mistake" instantly made a home for itself on my bookshelf in between Nancy A. Collins and R. Garcia y Robertson.She definitely keeps the good times rolling in "Goddess of the Sea." Light, fun, though lacking the quantity of inter-species sex that I came to enjoy in "Goddess by Mistake," Ms. Cast's latest has made a place for itself on my bookshelf based on the writer's ability to seamlessly and endearingly combine my all-time favorite things: Our world, a new world and love. It now resides on my bookshelf in between Susan Kay's delicious "Phantom" and Charlaine Harris' "Dead" series. With this latest offering, Ms. Cast has proven to me that she is an author I can consistently count on for fiction that engages me, makes me laugh, makes me yearn, and makes me sigh with satisfaction when I turn the last page. Like a good belch at the end of a delicious meal, "Goddess of the Sea" leaves you feeling full and happy, but with the vague notion that dessert has not been served. I can not wait to see what comes next from P.C. Cast.
Rating: Summary: Such a Sweet Romance Review: PC Cast has only written 2 books so far with many more coming. I was introduced to her through Goddess by Mistake, which I absolutely adored. This was just as good though a little more on the mushy romance stuff then I like. I think the love at first sight thing was a little too far fetched especially with the changing personalities. I LOVED the way it ended though and of course I am not going to tell that here. I think the end really made it all worth while for me though. Her detail, as always, to me was very good. I had no problem seeing things in the book, which is important to me. This is different from Goddess by Mistake, but I would recommend it.
Rating: Summary: Valiant effort, Ms. Cast. Valiant effort. Review: Some people found the humor to be lacking in this book. Well, I certainly found enough to laugh at. The magic ritual she uses that sets everything in motion? Hilarious. And I must admit this is the first romance novel I've read with [wancking] within the first few chapters and attempted incestuous fish rape as a plot device for keeping two lovers apart. I nearly put this book down when I realized that Cast was consistently misspelling "Sarge"! "Sarg" is not the accepted spelling of the informal address for a sergeant. I don't know how this slipped past her editor. And there's no explanation for how CC can understand the speech of eleventh-century Wales and how they understand her. The syntax and diction of CC's dialogue changes for the most part, but she gets away with more modern idioms than she deserves.
Ms. Cast introduced some interesting ideas that she just never came back to. As my friends and I discussed, the idea that after this goddess-summoning ritual she suddenly becomes this sexy creature that men are suddenly noticing? Much better premise for a book. Also, we got to see what happened to CC in Undine's body, but we never saw what happened to Undine while she was in CC's. There are so many themes about identity and beauty raised by the plot that Cast just never addresses.
The attraction between CC and a minor character, Sean, would have been a much better direction to take this book than where she ended up. Compared with Sean, Dylan is not a very good romance genre hero.
The attraction between the CC and Dylan was supposed to be as soulmates but all Cast showed was a superficial lust. We rarely ever saw anything from Dylan's POV, so it's kind of hard to believe that he truly loves CC for CC rather than conflating her with his childhood love of Undine whose form CC inhabits. CC is supposed to be a fairly inexperienced, sensible Air Force sergeant, yet it doesn't weird her out when Dylan professes his undying loyalty to her after they've hung out together for one night? I don't buy it. Of course, in general CC's military background seems to have no influence on her actions and character once she switches bodies with the mermaid, but occassionally Cast tries to tell us it does. Show, don't tell, Ms. Cast. I need to see it.
This book was fairly amusing as a mindless read, but if you're looking for characters with any degree of depth and consistency, look elsewhere.
Rating: Summary: Where is the magic? Review: The first book I read by Ms. Cast was Goddess of Spring, and enjoyed it so much that I right away ordered Goddess of the Sea. Could this have been written by the same author? The heroine behaves in conflicting ways, one minute terrified over everything, the next like an all knowing woman's rights benefactor whom all men should fear. The hero is Ken the barbie. He has no function or life but to wait forever for his beloved to come to him. The Goddess Gaia doesn't behave like an omnipotent being, but instead like a big sister with a bit of magical power, and apparently isn't all that busy for a Goddess, as she manages to pop in for a chat a couple of times a day. The characters and plot are clunky and illogical. There is no reason for the hero or heroine to fall so deeply and completely in love so quickly. There was no depth to any character, good or bad. Why would the Greek Gods and Goddesses, as the book implies, exist in an eternal Midieval Wales reality with bitter priests and subjugated women? I love romantic fantasy. Can I recommend to you Goddess of Spring?
Rating: Summary: Delightful Fantasy Review: The night Christine Canady turns 25 she somehow invokes the Earth Mother Gaia. Feeling alone and unloved, she wishes for magic to enter her life. Christine is a Sargent in the Air Force.
The next day while on board a C-130 aircraft, on the way to a new deployment, the plane goes down and she finds herself transformed into a mermaid, Undine, who is running from her brother,Sarpedon, who wants to marry her.
Undine is the daughter of Lir (Neptune) and Gaia. Each want her to dwell in their realm. Lir is busy and Gaia transforms her into a human to protect her from Sarpedon. Christine meets Dylan a merman, who has been a close friend of Undine since they were young.
She is rescued by a strong, handsome, knight and brought to a monestary. She must find true love in order to stay human, and force her father, Lir, to stop Sarpedon's pursuit. However love can't be forced and she must follow her heart.
Great story, wonderful characters, and great romance, I loved this book.
Rating: Summary: WONDERFUL Review: This book has it all: romance, adventure, fantasy, and enough steam to make you sweat. I loved every moment of it and am eagerly awaiting PC Cast's next book.
Rating: Summary: Incredible! Review: This book is amazing! The descriptions are wonderfull, it feels like you'd know her characters if they were walking on the street. In this tale of fantasy and romance, an army sergeant named CC switches bodies with a beautiful mermaid goddess named Undine and escapes rape, getting burned at the stake, and marrying a knight, all while falling madly in love with a sexy merman.
Rating: Summary: More like 3.5... good, but Review: This book is enjoyable... but not the quality of Goddess by Mistake.
Rating: Summary: EXCELLENT WANT MORE Review: This book was excellent. It made me laugh, it made me cry. P.C. Cast is a great author. This is her second book and it is just as good as Goddess By Mistake. Her writing was so descriptive that she made me wish that I was a mermaid and could explore everything in the underwater world. And Dylan the hero/merman is a hunk and half. I will definitely buy more of her books. If you haven't given P.C. a try I urge you to do so. She is well worth it.
Rating: Summary: Gotta try it Review: This is the first book I've read by P.C. Cast and am glad I picked it up. I would never have thought a mermaid romance would appeal to me, but Ms. Cast did her job well. I was shocked at the, well, erotic scenes that had the potential to be "icky". What goes where with mer-people? Why would I want to day-dream about a fish (ok... ok... mammal!)? Well, by the time I finished reading this book, I didn't care that Dylan had a tail. He had me a-day-dreaming all over the place.
Goddess of the Sea is about a contemporary MSgt. in the USAF, CC, who survives a terrible plain crash only through the magic of the mermaid, Undine. They switch bodies, sending CC (now Undine) into an unknown world. Goddess is a contemporary, medieval, and paranormal romance all rolled into one imaginative story. Well done.
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