This was just an okay read for us .The story for us was just way to rushed and things happened way to fast.I realize that this book is a book of fiction but, seriously who has a women who was seriously terrorized and repeatedly raped for months by someone who threatens you and the safety of your daughter and then the next day your and old lady of a Biker you just met "seriously?" 

The author should have taken the time to develop a relationship here.I could even understand Cain's feelings when meeting Emma that she was the one and destined to be his old lady and a connection to Emma and I could even see Emma feeling as though she could trust a complete stranger and felt safe for the first time in forever and she could unburdened herself with what was happening and spill her story with someone. I can understand that connection.Can you honestly see the rest of it all playing out the next day its to unbelievable me me to wrap my head around.

On the positive note I did like that character's.Cain was sweet kind protective and wanted to make a difference in the lives of Amy and Emma and would do anything to make them safe and we loved that about him.Emma was sweet women and brave and we love the lengths she went to protect her daughter.Amy she was a little girl who could melt anyone frozen heart because we found her to be  adorable and "oh," so love-able.

Overall this story for us was just okay for us the whole time reading it the story felt rushed ,rushed ,rushed, and the story could not wait to get to the finish line any sooner and stories like that are not to our liking.

3 stars

Personal Note: I honestly would have given this story two stars if it wasn't for the character's.I don't like leaving negative reviews because I feel as though we can't love them all and that is okay but, I have been reading this author since she started publishing her books and her works in the beginning and we found them to be great and were also heart wrenching and heart felt and she created wonderful characters for us to fall in love with but, somewhere along the way I feel like this author has lost her way because something that used to be in her books is missing and for me I feel that she has lost her passion for writing or maybe I am wrong and its just me.I don't know if others feel similar or not but,after not loving the last several books I have read by her I think it is time for us to move on.When you create a series the stories are suppose to get better and better and even when you have a spin off to that series it should be the same way but,I feel that just the opposite is happening here.These are just my personal thoughts and feelings and in know way do I want you to think I am bashing a author because that is not the case but, I do feel that the author has the right to know how her readers are currently feeling about her books and that you are deciding that its time to part ways and I have lost interest in an ongoing series.

If you don’t know the story yet, The Shape of Water is about a Sea God that is captured by an evil man who considers himself a Jungle God. The Sea God is taken to laboratory where he is held captive and subjected to torture by human monsters who want to destroy this thing they don’t understand. A mute janitor named Elisa shows him kindness and brings him eggs and music and they fall in love.

If you’ve ever had a little secret crush on The Creature from the Black Lagoon this is the book that was written for you. Even if you haven’t, it might be the book for you!

There is brutality and ickiness but the sweet romance provides a nice contrast.

This book is based on the movie of the same name and if you enjoyed the movie, I think you should read the book too. I was expecting an emotionless rehashing of the screenplay but that’s not at all what I got. The story is fleshed out most excellently as are all of the characters. The first ¼ reads like an action adventure novel that takes place in the jungle. We see bad guy Strickland in action and he does some horrible, depraved things that end up haunting him throughout the story. There is so much more here than what was shown in the film that you need to know, if you’re anything like me. Strickland’s wife even has a storyline that I found interesting. She is the typical perfect 50’s/60’s wife but she’s not thrilled with her lot in life and longs for more and actually takes the steps to do so causing Strickland to become more unhinged as the book progresses. I loved seeing that bastard get beaten down. We also get to know Zelda and Giles and the Russian scientist on a much deeper level as well.

Now about that fish love, and I know that’s why you’re here, it works spectacularly in the book and it’s not at all “icky” (the ickiness only came from Strickland and his rotting fingers and garbage thoughts). The romance develops too quickly in the movie for my tastes (I’m never a fan of insta-love even if the male is a Sea God) but here there’s time for it develop at a natural pace as they communicate through sign language and his physical color changes that he controls to show his emotions and calm situations for anyone paying close enough attention - and Elisa is. We get to know Elisa and are allowed in on all of her intimate thoughts. We even get a bit of the Sea God’s perspective which I LOVED. He’s primitive and gentle in his thoughts and has another way of looking at life that felt genuine to who he was before being ripped from the calmness and savage beauty of the jungle. 

This is a unique and strange love story and I really and truly am glad I took some time to read it. 4 ½ Stars

Now, this isn't undying literature--but it's hardly shoddy either. But I admit, for personal reasons, this is my crack. Partly this is because of one character in the book that so strongly reminds me of a favorite character in a certain famous fantasy series. I won't name him, since a great deal of my first shock of pleasure was in recognizing him.

I loved Novik's Temeraire books--dragons in an alt-universe Napoleonic Wars. I loved this one even more. Not just the characters, but I loved the world Novik plunged me into from the first twist on the dragon and the sacrificial maiden tales. There's a heroine to identify with and root for--and she isn't a beauty with purple eyes. There's friendship; there are villains who turn out to be heroes, and seeming heroes who even as villains you feel some sympathy for. There's a dark, well-imagined fairy-tale world--but not the Disney kind--more like the original Grimm tales. And I loved the ending on several levels. This was a delightful and consuming read. A gift from a friend, and a greatly appreciated one--she knew just what would brighten my days :-)

I relished this, I enjoyed it, I'm a little sorry it's over and I have to let this world go. It's "only" a four star because, well, it's not the moving experience the first thee books in the series were--those made me cry--and more than once. Nothing here put me close to that sort of feeling. I'd also say style-wise, every once in a while I'd find myself irked by Carey's cheesy erotica, her penchant for clunky dialogue tagging, and Moriin's constant exclamations of "sea and sky." But there was much to love here. I love how Carey really played with history here. Yes, it was easy to see some parallels with the world of Phedre of the Kushiel books and our own, but more in the generic high-fantasy way. This goes further with the whole story line of "Terra Nova" and an alternate universe meeting of civilizations that--well, that would be to spoil things. I certainly liked the Naaman trilogy better than the middle trilogy focused on Imriel--and I loved Bao more than any Carey male hero. A lush read and a good wallow for anyone fond of heroic fantasy with a strong female protagonist.