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emilylovesbooks94 's review for:
Coming Up for Air
by Amanda Meuwissen
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Once again, Amanda Meuwissen's characters captivated me in this mafia/merfolk romance. I was fascinated by the unique twist the Breath of Life pact brought to a traditional mermaid fairytale--Tolly still had a limited amount of time to spend out of the water winning Leigh's heart, but the consequences if he failed were much more severe. That combined with Leigh's connections with the mafia gave the overall story a grittier, more high-stakes tone, but the romance between Tolly and Leigh was as sweet as ever. It was easy to forget the deadlines when Tolly was so earnest in his assessment of Leigh's character, and he was fiercely loyal and protective of anyone who might cause Leigh harm. I really enjoyed watching the two of them get to know each other, and I thought Leigh was the right amount of skeptical when Tolly first came around without digging his heels in too much after he saw the truth of Tolly's story. The warring mafia storyline was really interesting to me, and I liked the way this book explored the more negative side of getting tangled up in the action instead of romanticizing the backstabbing and constant maneuvering for more power. It made me sad to see Leigh so convinced that he was broken and unworthy of love because of his past, and his determination to keep a teen from falling into the same lifestyle that he had convinced me of his character early on.
Though he may have felt alone, Leigh had a community of people at his back who trusted and relied on him, and it made me really happy to see him lean into that as the story progressed. Tolly integrated well into Leigh's life, but the constant ticking clock made it impossible for him to ever fully relax. As Tolly and Leigh grew closer, the secret of Tolly's true form became the biggest barrier to Tolly fully opening up and sharing everything with Leigh. I felt just as desperate as Tolly was in the final few days before the full moon, and the climax of the story gutted me when I thought everything would be ripped away from the two of them just because of a few simple words. Leigh and Tolly had to fight tooth and nail for their love, and even then I wasn't sure it would be enough. To be honest, I didn't fully understand the merfolk magic that allowed them to get their happy ending, but I was too excited about them finding a way to be together to let it bother me. The ending of this book was more satisfying because I knew how much Leigh and Tolly had worked for it, and as an extra treat two of my favorite side characters made their own love connections too!
**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.
Though he may have felt alone, Leigh had a community of people at his back who trusted and relied on him, and it made me really happy to see him lean into that as the story progressed. Tolly integrated well into Leigh's life, but the constant ticking clock made it impossible for him to ever fully relax. As Tolly and Leigh grew closer, the secret of Tolly's true form became the biggest barrier to Tolly fully opening up and sharing everything with Leigh. I felt just as desperate as Tolly was in the final few days before the full moon, and the climax of the story gutted me when I thought everything would be ripped away from the two of them just because of a few simple words. Leigh and Tolly had to fight tooth and nail for their love, and even then I wasn't sure it would be enough. To be honest, I didn't fully understand the merfolk magic that allowed them to get their happy ending, but I was too excited about them finding a way to be together to let it bother me. The ending of this book was more satisfying because I knew how much Leigh and Tolly had worked for it, and as an extra treat two of my favorite side characters made their own love connections too!
**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.