Dr. Fredrika Bimms knows that she's a mermaid and that her dad isn't her biological father. When her parents decide to drop the news, that the man she calls dad isn't biologically related to her, Fred is more bothered by catching her parents in the middle of sex, than she is by their revelation. Feeling scared for life, Fred wonders how she will get past seeing what no child ever wants to see. Little does Fred know that she'll quickly get over the trauma when the handsome Prince Artur of the Black Sea appears, demanding her help as his royal subject to discover the source that is polluting the ocean. Fast on Artur's heels, is the hot marine biologist Thomas, who has also noticed a problem with the water and the fact that Fred's hair is green and not blue. For the first time, Fred finds that she has the attention of two gorgeous men and doesn't know remotely how to handle it.
Sleeping with the Fishes is mindless fluff and never pretends to be anything else. It can easily be read in one afternoon on the patio with a piña colada for company. That said, even with few expectations,Sleeping with the Fishes is outright puerile and at times irritating. There's really no plot to speak of. For the majority of the book, Fred just stomps around angry and confused by the attentions of Thomas and Artur. We learn about her penchant for striking out physically when irritated or feeling threatened. At 5'11, Fred is incredibly strong thanks to being a human/mermaid hybrid. She's stunningly beautiful, though naturally doesn't even acknowledge it. Other than her grumpy disposition, she has no real characterisation to speak of. It's impossible to like or dislike Fred because I know hardly anything about her.
In between Fred's grumping, we get the search for the person who's polluting the water. This really could have gone somewhere and given Sleeping with the Fishes a real plot; however, Davidson really didn't invest in it at all. The connection made between Fred and the polluter is tenuous at best and his reasons for polluting are absolutely ridiculous. If that were not enough, Fred quickly puts two and two together to ascertain the antagonist's identity and the case is wrapped up with everyone headed their own directions. I didn't expect the great American novel but what the hell? The ending is so abrupt that it left me asking, "is this all?"
I assume that because the story is so light in terms of plot, Davidson tried to interject humour. Unfortunately, none of the humour is particularly amusing. Fred is a mermaid, who has an allergy to seafood and gets seasick in a boat. Yes, it's awkward but it is not enough to make me giggle Where Davidson really failed however is having Fred's Bff Jonas be confused as a gay for the sake of shits and giggles. People naturally think that Jonas is gay because he likes shopping, can pick a good pair of shoes, takes care of his skin, cares about how he looks etc., and ets., I assume you get the picture. It's all based on a stereotype of what a gay man is supposedly like. Jonas's sexuality is the brief stumbling block between him and the woman he has had a crush on for six years.
Dr. Barb nodded. "Now, Jonas, you listen to me."
"Sterner."
She looked puzzled, but raised and hardened her voice. "Now, Jonas, you listen to me." He got all tingly when she used her schoolteacher voice. "You are a wonderful guy: handsome, funny, smart, sweet. You're going to make some man very happy. The trick is finding Mr. Right, as they say."
"What?"
"You've got a lot to offer some lucky fellow, and I'm sure the gentleman you've got a crush on will see that if you can just get to know him a little better."
"But—" In his surprise, he blurted out the truth. "But you're the gentleman I've got a crush on!"
They stared at: each other. Dr. Barb froze with her ginger ale halfway to her mouth. And Jonas cursed himself. This wasn't the first time a woman had assumed he was gay, but he never dreamed that Dr, Barb would think—Couldn't she tell he could hardly keep his hands—Couldn't she tell?"
"But—you're gay. You're Dr. Bimm's gay best friend.
"I'm not gay."
"But you are.""Dr. Barb," he snapped, "I think I would know, okay? Trust me, I'm not even bi. I'm just very very very secure in my masculinity, okay?"
Color began to climb in her face. "But—you like to—"
"Metrosexual."
"But you also like—"
"Secure in my masculinity."
Now she was red faced and stammering. "But I—I never s-see you w-with any girls—women, I mean—"
"You've never seen me with anybody."She closed her mouth so quickly, he heard the click of her teeth coming together. When she spoke, her voice was very small and she sort of breathed the whole thing out, really fast.
So, what is the silliest Romance Novel Plot I adore? Stuck in an Elevator. I actually love all elevator scenes- sexy times, trapped, elevator meets...
Here is a list of some great ones! If you have more, Gimme!
1. Hearts in Darkness by Laura Kaye
Two strangers...
Makenna James thinks her day can't get any worse, until she finds herself stranded in a pitch-black elevator with a complete stranger. Distracted by a phone call, the pin-striped accountant catches only a glimpse of a dragon tattoo on his hand before the lights go out.
Four hours...
Caden Grayson is amused when a harried redhead dashes into his elevator fumbling her bags and cell phone. His amusement turns to panic when the power fails. Despite his piercings, tats, and vicious scar, he's terrified of the dark and confined spaces. Now, he's trapped in his own worst nightmare.
One pitch-black elevator...
To fight fear, they must reach out and open up. With no preconceived notions based on looks to hold them back, they discover just how much they have in common. In the warming darkness, attraction grows and sparks fly, but will they feel the same when the lights come back on?
2. Caught on Camera with the CEO by Natalie Anderson
TO: All staff—is this the hottest kiss you've ever seen?
Finally our playboy boss plays around at work! Watch this steamy clip of Alex Carlisle making out in the lift with the brand-new temp…
Heartthrob Alex has recently been spotted prowling the office floor—is brunette bombshell Dani Russo the reason? From this sizzling encounter, we think so!
Now Dani's lost her job, and the office grapevine says our bad-boy boss has moved her into his bachelor pad and found her a job—but is an X-rated action replay on the cards?
Watch this space….
3. Stinger by Mia Sheridan
Grace Hamilton was the girl with a plan. She knew exactly where her life was going and prided herself on always achieving her goals. It was who she was, and how she lived her life. She never stepped outside the lines, and never considered what she might desire and whom she was actually trying so hard to please. Until him…
Carson Stinger was a man who didn’t play by any rules except his own. Working in the adult entertainment industry, he didn’t care what others thought, and took each day as it came, no direction, no plan. He knew what women wanted from him and believed it was all he had to offer. Until her…
When circumstances forced them to spend several hours together, they walked away changed. But for two people who never should have meshed, overcoming the reality of their vastly different lives wasn’t possible. At least not yet…
4. Between Floors by Beate Boeker
Sarah can't resist a swim in the luxurious pool of the Grand Excelsior Hotel, though she hates to return to her room in a bathrobe, dripping wet. Just as she braves the elevator, a gorgeous man joins her. Sarah curses her luck and pretends to disappear into thin air, when all at once, the elevator gets stuck . . .
5. Blame It on the Blackout by Heidi Betts
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE ELEVATOR STAYS IN THE ELEVATOR
In the pitch blackness, trapped between floors, Peter Reynolds had almost convinced himself that the woman in the suddenly too-cramped-for-comfort elevator car was not off-limits...and that the desperate passion they shared would not change everything.
But then the lights came on, and Peter knew that he'd crossed more than one line. For Lucy Grainger was his secretary...and now, quite possibly, pregnant.
If Peter were any other man, Lucy would make the perfect wife and mother to his children. But he was not the marrying kind for reasons Lucy could never understand. Yet, if that were true, why was he secretly hoping that the stick turned blue?
6. Secrets Volume #6: Love’s Prisoner by Mary Janice Davidson
Trapped in an elevator, Jeannie Lawrence became Love's Prisoner when she experienced unwilling rapture at Michael Windham's Hands. She never expected the devilishly handsome man to show back up in her life- or turn out to be a werewolf! Will she accept her destiny to be his mate?
7. Can't Get Enough by Sarah Mayberry
He's everything she despises--a babe magnet with more notches on his belt than a millipede has legs.
And he thinks his coworker is wound so tightly she irons her underwear at night.
Two people couldn't be further apart.
But when Jack Brook and Claire Marsden get stuck in a sweltering elevator one afternoon, it's a different story. By the time they're rescued, Jack and Claire have swapped confidences and oh, they've had the most spectacular sex of their lives!
Back in the office they're still butting heads over projects, but now there's a heightened awareness added to the mix. With this kind of tension in the air, how can they resist another round of sexy indulgence?
8. Aftershocks by Nancy Warren
Earthquake aftershocks trap Mayor Patrick O'Shea and his assistant Briana Bliss in an elevator. But emergency services are stretched to the limit with 911 calls. The mayor and Briana wait. And passions flare....
Briana Bliss planned to use her job as Mayor Patrick O'Shea's assistant to get back at him for allegedly destroying her uncle's political chances. But she's unprepared for the way Patrick makes her feel. And in the close confines of the stalled elevator, Patrick and Briana give in to the attraction that's been sizzling between them for months. Now how will Briana ever prove to Patrick that she acted out of love...and not revenge?
9. Words of Silk by Sandra Brown
Jake Sargent and Laney McLeod meet while trapped in an elevator in New York City. As Deke helps Laney overcome her claustrophobia, the emotionally starved Laney finds love and caring. But when Laney becomes pregnant with Deke's child, Karen Ziemba has her work cut out for her, alternating emotional and tonal nuance between the confident Deke and the self-sufficient Laney. Ziemba brings passion to the characters and their fight for each other and their place in the world.
10. Slow Heat by Jill Shalvis
Baseball player Wade O'Riley's bad-boy image is about to be cleaned up by publicist Samantha McNead. On night stuck in an elevator changes things.
Have fun on my Pinterest Board: Stuck in a Elevator Romance.
Vote for the best of the best of Elevator Romances on the Goodreads list: Love in an Elevator.