Crosscurrents | Romantic Reads and Such

Tags

Book Review, Crosscurrents, D.B. Sieders, Southern Elemental Guardians series

We’ve seen Sieders before with Lorelei’s Lyric and I’m so excited to get a chance to see book 2!

*****

The Adventure Continues in Southern Elemental Guardians Series Book 2

After her sister Lorelei finds a happily ever after, mermaid princess Ilsa is next in line to rule the Rhine kingdom. But she’s having way too much fun playing with mortals in the New World to let a crown cramp her style. Responsibility isn’t her thing, so she’ll need to find the will and courage to embrace her duties as an elemental guardian before she can transform into a worthy ruler. Enter Paul Pulaski, mortal scientist, adventurer, and hot geek. Paul’s all about responsibility, but he’s got a chip on his shoulder and a lot to prove in his pursuit of professional prestige—he doesn’t have time for fun. Until he meets Ilsa. Worlds collide and sparks fly when these two unlikely allies team up. Their mission: battle a dark and mysterious river force that threatens both mortal and elemental alike while evading monster hunters, rival scientists, and jealous elementals.

Start with the classic cheerleader meets nerd trope, add a dash of magic and a sultry Southern setting, then presto—an unconventional fantasy romance that will hopefully bring a readers a lovely escape from the ordinary.

*****

Crosscurrents

Southern Elemental Guardians Book 2

by D.B. Sieders

Fantasy Romance – Griffyn Ink

Cover Art Image – Tobie Cote, Framebox

Cover Design – Julie Schroeder Designs

Blurb:

No one believes Ilsa is worthy of ruling the Rhine River Kingdom, including Ilsa.

Sure, she wields plenty of mermaid magic and has a winning personality, but responsibility? Not her thing.

So instead of embracing her role as river royalty, Ilsa opts to extend her holiday in the New World. Frolicking with mortals is her M.O.—until she answers a distress call from an endangered species in the waters near Chattanooga. After her close encounter with a motorboat threatens to expose the world of elemental guardians, Ilsa partners with biologist and unlikely ally, Paul Pulaski, to cover her tail.

Worlds collide and sparks ignite between Princess Ilsa and her diamond-in-the-rough mortal, Paul. But can they survive monster hunters, a rival scientist with a grudge, and a dark force that could destroy mortal and elemental alike?

Buy link: Available from Amazon in eBook and paperback formats, as well as iBooks.

*****

Excerpt:

Returning her focus to the screen, Ilsa caught the blurry image of a boat coming toward the camera in spite of the desperate cries of warning she’d heard from its operator. She sat down in the desk chair and scooted close to get a better view. Horrified but unable to look away, she heard a sickening crack that must have come from her skull hitting the hull of the boat, followed by more shouts. At least two men were yelling. One denied culpability while the other seemed focused on…rescuing someone.

Her.

One of the two men rescued her?

Well, perhaps it had started as a rescue mission, but once the men spotted her fins it had no doubt turned into an entirely different scenario. After all, mortals were greedy, selfish beings who couldn’t be trusted. Oh the males had their uses, ones she’d particularly enjoyed during the course of her long life, but it didn’t change their nature. Ilsa’s human father had betrayed her mother because of her nixie nature, so what else could be expected of mortal men?

And yet, the jumbled audio feed suggested her rescuer’s outrage at the boat driver, especially as he fled the scene. The remaining man had apparently pulled her from the water and transported her here, wherever “here” might be. Confused and still a bit achy, she struggled to reconcile the evidence in front of her with history and experience.

“Are you okay?”

She yelped when the deep, familiar male voice came from behind her.

Ilsa jumped up from the computer chair, nearly knocking it over. She whirled around and held her arms out in front of her. Channeling her remaining power, she prepared to hit him with a blast of nixie energy that would make an electric eel jolt seem like a tickle. And if that didn’t work, she’d put him into a stupor with her Siren call.

Instead of attacking or running away, however, he simply stood and stared at her.

She’d been right in calling him a giant. The man stood at least six-three. With disheveled auburn hair and an even more outrageous goatee flanked by shorter stubble, he reminded Ilsa of the homeless vagabonds she’d encountered throughout her tour of the Americas. His worn T-shirt and ragged jeans solidified the look, though his sharp gaze and firm stance made Ilsa think twice about dismissing him as a fool.

The man slowly raised his hands, palms facing her. Though he regarded her with apparent caution, his actions didn’t seem threatening. Instead, he looked concerned.

“I don’t know if you can understand me, but I want you to know that I won’t hurt you. You were injured and I brought you here to help you…”

He stopped speaking when he looked down the length of her body. Her naked body. Well, what with one thing and another she hadn’t had time to conjure clothing to cover her—

Oh dear. Now there was another complication she didn’t need.

“My God,” he whispered, eyes wide with shock and apparent disbelief. “What happened to your fins?”

*****

Review:

For some reason I can’t pinpoint I wasn’t all that intrigued by the blurb but I got a copy because I enjoyed Lorelei’s Lyric so much and I was curious where Sieders would go from there. I’m glad I did because I really liked this story!

Ilsa has been the typical party girl spare to the heir but now she has to decide if she’s ready to take over for her sister. She’s got quite a few insecurities to deal with and she’s concerned that others see her as inadequate as she fears she is. She’s kinda at a loss until she runs into Paul.

I love the idea of a sexy, nerdy scientist 🙂 The way that Paul wants to know about everything and doesn’t get freaked out by the weirdness that he sees makes him a refreshing and interesting hero. Unfortunately his country upbringing, mixed with his cerebral tendencies, means that he’s got some hang-ups of his own.

Paul’s unique outlook on life and dedication to keeping the earth’s waters healthy make him a good mate for Ilsa. He’s so intrigued by everything she shows him … and her obvious appreciation & attraction towards him. While his belief that she can be the leader that her people needs has her believing it as well. It’s super sweet to see both of them grow in confidence thanks to the other.

Sieders had a lot of fun with the hot cheerleader and the nerd storyline, while the paranormal portion of the story makes it different. I liked how it felt familiar but was funky at the same time. There’s a little bit of danger and some fun secondary characters to help round out the story – it keeps things exciting and gives hints to possible future stories. Add it all together & it means I’m super excited to see what comes next!

*****

Author Info:

D.B. Sieders was born and raised in East Tennessee and spent her childhood hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains, wading barefoot in creeks, and chasing salamanders, fish, and frogs. She and her family loved to tell stories while sitting around the campfire.

Those days of frog chasing sparked an interest in biology. She is a working scientist by day, but never lost her love of telling stories. Now, she’s a purveyor of unconventional fantasy romance featuring strong heroines and the heroes who strive to match them. Her heroes and heroines face a healthy dose of angst as they strive for redemption and a happily ever after, which everyone deserves.

D.B. Sieders lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, two children, three cats, and her very active imagination.

You can find D.B. Sieders on her Website, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads

*****

Giveaway: