Series: -
Volume: 1/1Publisher: -
Genre/s: Paranormal romance
Length: -
Read in: English
Review copy format: epub
Rate:✮✮✮✮✮✮
Raen disappointed his father for the first time, when during his first hunt instead of finding his fated mate, he almost lost his life due to excessive bravado. Since then, he's afraid to take part in another hunt, which drives his father mad. However, the straw that broke the camel's back turns out to be the moment when Raen breaks the merfolk's rules and saves a drowning land-dweller, a man who, as it seems, is his fated mate. At that moment, Raen loses everything that is dear to him. Is Steven worth the sacrifice, or is he just like the land-dwellers from stories told by creatures living in the ocean?
I want to be honest with you from the very beginning of this review, so believe me when I say that "Beyond the Surface" by Colette Davison is simply a wonderful novel. Without the slightest difficulty, we can find countless advantages of this book. However, let me write a few words about a few selected ones that I consider most important. The first of them is undoubtedly the plot. To some extent, it may resemble "Little Mermaid", but it should be noted that "Beyond the Surface" is not only much better and more interesting than the mentioned tale, but also more serious, deep and sweet. It seems important to me that the author didn't forget to clearly outline the image of Raen's family relations and the culture of merfolk, combining descriptions and action in perfect proportions. What's more, also focusing on building the relationship between Raen and Steven, Colette Davison sets everything in motion. Reading "Beyond the Surface", we can therefore forget about passiveness, as this novel comes to life as soon as we start reading it.
In my opinion, the fact that the author placed great emphasis on the main characters' relationship, on getting to know each other, is also extremely important in this novel. Raen and Steven are fated mates, so their feelings for each other awaken in the blink of an eye, but they both approach them with some caution, uncertainty, and even distrust for various reasons. So we can say that before the characters agree with their inner voice, which tells them only positive things about the other person, they must make sure that this opinion is true. Thanks to all this, we see how true, beautiful love is built on the basis of feelings resulting from the fated mates status. Thus, in "Beyond the Surface" we don't see the feelings based on the principle: I love you because I love you. In this novel there is love saying: I love you, I love your smile, your kind heart, your gentleness etc. etc. And that is really beautiful.
Another advantage of Colette Davison's novel are naturally the characters. And in this case not only the main ones but also the side ones, both protagonists and antagonists, deserve our attention. Why? Because they are all very expressive, even if they appear in "Beyond the Surface" only for a moment. They are not the background of this story, they are not "filling the holes", but for the most part they bring something important to this novel, and thus help build this story, its world, families and relationships. Each of the characters appearing in this book has a role to play, which is like a jigsaw puzzle we put together using other similar pieces to finally create a beautiful, wonderful whole, which is "Beyond the Surface". In this novel, it is not important whether the side characters stand on the right or wrong side, whether we like or dislike them. What really matters is what they give this novel. Well, I admit, the fact that Raen and Steven are just wonderful and we fall in love with them immediately is an additional advantage.
Reviewing "Beyond the Surface" I would also like to write a few words about emotions, as the story presented in this novel can boast of their wide range. Although the positive ones come to the fore, there are also those closely related to the dramatic events that take place before our eyes, as well as those that took place in the past and still hunt the main characters. Thus, "Beyond the Surface" is a bittersweet story that doesn't focus only on love and happiness, but goes further and deeper, touching the topic of trust, fear, courage, internal pain, frustration. I can go on and on, but it's best if you read this book yourself and check how many emotions and feelings the author managed to present in this book.
To sum up, "Beyond the Surface" is a wonderful, beautiful and truly magical novel. We find here an addictive story, great characters, vivid emotions, romantic love and unforgettable experiences. I recommend it with all my heart and I assure you that you will fall head over heels in love with it! This is one of the best novels I've read recently.
Headcanon: Steven showed Rean a whole new world, so now Rean wants to collect all Steven's "firsts" and his ideas are sometimes so crazy that Steven fears them.
Fanfiction idea: Steven tries to explain Raen the strangest and stupidest of human habits, rules, ideas.
AU idea: Hogwarts!AU
Here's some more about:
Book Title: Beyond the Surface
Author: Colette Davison
Cover Artist: Illustrator: Bramasta Aji; typography: Colette Davison
Trope/s: Fated mates, insta-love, age-gap, fairy tale retelling
Themes: Finding yourself; self-acceptance
Heat Rating: 3 - 4 flames
Release Date: September 30, 2019
Raen has always longed to see the world beyond the surface, but nothing could compel him to break the most ancient law of the merfolk. Could it?
Blurb
Blurb
Raen should have found his mate during his first hunt, instead he almost died. Two years later, he’s struggling with internal fear, and his father’s disapproval.
Until he encounters a land-dweller.
A man he feels a deep and instant connection to.
A man who will drown if Raen doesn’t save him.
But in order to do so, Raen must break two of the merfolk’s rules:
Don’t interact with land-dwellers.
Don’t go beyond the surface.
If Raen saves the man, he stands to lose everything he’s ever known. But if he lets him drown, he’ll lose something infinitely more precious to his heart and soul.
Beyond the Surface is a paranormal MM romance, with fated mates who almost never met, a sweet insta-love relationship, and an age-gap.
Until he encounters a land-dweller.
A man he feels a deep and instant connection to.
A man who will drown if Raen doesn’t save him.
But in order to do so, Raen must break two of the merfolk’s rules:
Don’t interact with land-dwellers.
Don’t go beyond the surface.
If Raen saves the man, he stands to lose everything he’s ever known. But if he lets him drown, he’ll lose something infinitely more precious to his heart and soul.
Beyond the Surface is a paranormal MM romance, with fated mates who almost never met, a sweet insta-love relationship, and an age-gap.
Excerpt
Steven’s head hurt, which stopped him from opening his eyes for several seconds after he came around. He could feel the damp firmness of sand beneath him. Water lapped at his feet, and his drenched clothes clung to him, making him feel heavy. He could taste salt water and bile in his mouth, and his throat and lungs burned. Why was he lying on the beach? He was sure he’d been on the boat, trying to catch a blasted fish that he could cook for dinner. The churning hunger he had felt was gone, replaced by something strange and unfamiliar yet warm and comforting.
He forced his eyes open and found a dark pair of eyes staring down at him from a delicate, pale face. The bewitching eyes widened.
“Who…?” Steven’s voice came out as a strained croak. “Am I…?” He’d meant to say dreaming, but he was finding it difficult to focus on speech, with such a stunning, ethereal creature beside him. It seemed to him that someone had captured the moon and personified it in a beautiful young man with wild raven hair.
He felt cool fingers brush against his shoulder, a touch that felt both alien and familiar. His body relaxed in response, and his eyes drifted shut, even though he wanted to keep them open. He had so many questions, but he was too tired to utter them. The soothing back and forth motion of the cool fingers lulled him to sleep, and he was completely powerless to resist.
He wasn’t sure whether it was seconds, minutes, or hours before he rose to wakefulness once more.
He licked his salty lips and tried to speak. “Who are…?” He coughed and opened his eyes once more.
No one was there. He pushed himself up on shaking arms. A movement out at sea grabbed his attention. His breath caught in his throat as he saw the broad fins of a pale, dappled tail vanish beneath the surface. It was the first glimpse of dolphins he’d seen, and his head was too sore for him to really appreciate the spectacle. Besides, he had other things to worry about, such as where the young man he’d seen had gone.
About the Author
Colette’s personal love story began at university, where she met her future husband. An evening of flirting, in the shadow of Lancaster castle, eventually led to a fairytale wedding. She’s enjoying her own ‘happy ever after’ in the north of England with her husband, two beautiful children and her writing.
Thank you so much xx
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