Dante knows only darkness and suffering. He discovers a way to kidnap Alexis and will only release her if he is given the freedom to leave the Dark One world. What they discover, however, is that their destinies are bound together - for good, or for evil.

A Mermaid's Ransom is the first book I've read by Joey Hill and it is part of a series. Fortunately, you don't have to read the other books first in order to understand, or enjoy, this one.

All the characters are well-written with a unique voice. Alexis is a very sympathetic character, compassionate and loving, willing to sacrifice for those she loves. The amazing thing to me was the author's ability to make me care about Dante because really, he is almost too dark and tormented. He's done some really evil things. But Ms. Hill is so talented that I felt like I almost cared about him more because of his awful past.

I definitely liked the story enough to get the others in the series. The world that the author has built is believable and the story moved along at a rapid pace. I found myself not wanting to put it down at all. I wasn't sure at first how I was going to feel about the book, because it is intense - not light entertainment, although there is humor. The characters drew me in so strongly that by the end of it, I was hooked. A unique and worthy addition to this sub-genre.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Explicit

Reviewer: Bonnie Jean
December 21, 2009