FISH OUT OF WATER

Author: MaryJanice Davidson ISBN: 9780515145496 12/2008 SUSPENSE Publisher: JOVE

Fred the Mermaid has taken the bait and chosen to date Artur, Prince of the Black Sea, over human marine biologist Thomas. And just in time. The existence of the Undersea Folk is no longer a secret, and someone needs to keep them from floundering in the media spotlight. Fred has all the right skills for that job, but has a hard time when her real father surfaces and tries to overthrow Artur's regime.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

There's no question about it: Mary Janice Davidson's last book in the Fredricka the Mermaid trilogy is hands-down one of the most entertaining paranormal romances I've read in a long time! Laugh-out-loud funny, filled with quirky, dynamic characters and a plot that swept me along, FISH OUT OF WATER is a hoot!

Fredricka has been chosen by the Undersea Folk to be their spokesperson with the land-dwellers. She is a grumpy sort of person naturally, so being in the public eye isn't something that she relishes. Despite her fast, sharp wit she manages to do a pretty good job of keeping both the water folk and landlocked happy—for a while, at least. When Prince Artur asks her to marry him while she's busy avoiding doing all the "best man" duties for her best friend Jonas's upcoming nuptials, her green hair almost stands on end. Then, a face from her past shows up and claims a guestroom in her newly rented abode, and that's when the seaweed hits the fan.

This book is an absolute delight to read. Fast-moving and fun, it reminded me of an amusement park ride. It was, unfortunately, over far more quickly than I would have liked, but every moment was a thrill.

I haven't read the first two Fredricka stories but I'm definitely going to pick up SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES and SWIMMING WITHOUT A NET. I'll read all three in order and, if the other two are as good as I suspect they are, I'm going to have a blast getting lost in the life of this smart, sassy mermaid. Who knew life beneath the sea could be so entertaining?

Kay James