Sandy M’s review of Catch of a Lifetime (Mer Series, Book 3) by Judi Fennell
Paranormal Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 5 Jan 10

Judi Fennell’s fun, lighthearted series comes to an end with this book, and there’s a little more seriousness in this one than the previous two. I think that’s probably why it’s my favorite of the three. There’s still the whimsical aspect of life under the ocean, sea monsters and all, but when it comes to life and death in this book, it has a little more impact than its predecessors.

I think that has to do with the fact that a child is involved in this story. Children always seem to pull at the heart strings with their vulnerabilities but stiff upper lip facade, all the while their chin quivers as they hold back emotion. You can’t help but love them and hope all turns for the best. Michael is no different in this case.

But let’s start at the beginning. Angel is the sister of Rod and Reel (I still can’t help but chuckle a little when referring to those twin brothers), who are the heroes of the first two books. She’s always been fascinated with humans. But Rod, now High Councilman of Atlantis, won’t even give her an interview for the coalition he’s proposing to finally let humans know all about their existence, in hopes of cleaning up the planet of its pollutants. So she’s going to prove to him and the rest of the council she’s the woman for the job. What she doesn’t count on is Harry the Hammerhead.

Finding a beautiful, sleeping woman on his boat is the last thing Logan expects, his reaction to her the next least expected thing. As much as he’d like to explore that reaction, his six-year-old son is now living with him after being dumped by his mother, so he puts a damper on the libido and tries to get rid of the woman fast. That doesn’t quite work when Michael gets a look at her and she ends up being the boy’s babysitter. And working her way into Logan’s heart.

Having taken refuge on Logan’s boat when Harry spies her as a late-night snack, she immediately becomes quite smitten with Logan, the best specimen of a human she’s ever seen. And Michael works his magic on her too. But when Logan finds out Angel is Mer, his logic flies out the window and he demands she get out his life for good. With nowhere else to turn, Angel goes home to face the Council, knowing her fate is dim due to all of the laws she’s broken in associating with Logan and Michael.

But it’s Michael who can’t bear the loss of Angel and goes in search of her under the ocean with the help of a shark looking for dinner. Logan quickly follows to rescue his son, Angel intercepts him, taking the blame for the current circumstances, and they find themselves trapped by the ugliest monster from the sea’s depths. So they must work together to save the child, even though Angel knows their survival is slim to none.

I’m a sucker for father and son stories and Ms. Fennell does a good job of getting the roiling emotions running through both Logan and Michael as they learn about each other. Angel is the princess who’s gotten everything any girl could want, except what she wants most, or at least she thought so. Things change quickly for both Logan and Angel, ups and downs along the way, heading for their happily-ever-after.

This was an enjoyable series and Catch of a Lifetime tops it off quite well. The series doesn’t take itself too seriously, though. It’s to be read to take away the doldrums, not as a heavy, full-of-platitudes book you have to concentrate on. Take it for what it is and you’ll have fun with it.

Grade: B+

Read more about this series by following its tag here.

Summary:

She’s on a mission to save the planet…

Mermaid Angel Tritone has been researching humans from afar, hoping to find a way to convince them to stop polluting.

When she jumps into a boat to escape a shark attack, it’s her chance to pursue her mission, but she has to keep her identity a total secret…

When he finds out what she really is, they’re both in mortal danger…

For Logan Hardington, finding a beautiful woman on his boat is surely not a problem—until he discovers she’s a mermaid, and suddenly his life is on the line…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: