The fun title, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades by Amanda Lyles, jumped off the page at me and when I read it was about mermaids, I wanted it even more. I had not seen the cover when I picked this up, but I love it.

So, come on all you paranormal lovers and let’s dive into the world of Nina Garnet.

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Horseshoes and Hand Grenades by Amanda Lyles

Cover:  Rebecca Weaver

MY REVIEW

The title, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades by Amanda Lyles, jumped off the page at me and when I read it was about mermaids, I wanted it even more. I had not seen the cover when I picked this up, but I love the beautiful cover and mermaid stories. This one read, almost, as if it was real…at times humorous, at other times dangerous.

Nina Garnet had left home and was hiding out, trying to keep a low profile. I will not tell you why she left or about her home, Zephyr Island, because I think you need to find out for yourself. Nina lives on a houseboat called The Star Puzzle. She is good at acting human, but has mermaid needs…water and lots of it. She helped the police out when they needed to locate a body in the water, using scuba gear so they did not become aware of her ability to function without it. Now, the other supernatural beings, that she knew were around, requested her help to locate some of their members believed missing in the water.

Mermaids, dragons, the FBI, werewolves, witches, vampires, faeries, supes galore…Oh yeah, I am loving every minute of it. The creative writing had all the supernaturals working together to achieve a common goal but Amanda Lyles kept me guessing who was friend and who was foe.

Nina is shot at, mugged, stalked and attacked. I bet Jaws wouldn’t mind nibbling on a mermaid or two. Could that be why sharks mistake humans for food, they think we are merpeople?

“You;re leaving? Seriously?”

Tobias said, “Oh, I’m sure you boys will get along just fine without me. I won’t be long…Try not to eat the human. I’m sure there’s food inside.”

The sometimes humorous writing went well with the serious side, murder and magic. From the opening page, when Nina is singing Karaoke and I couldn’t help but laugh at what happens, I knew I was going to love this.

Will there be romance? I have come to appreciate a romantic entanglement in my stories. I think it lends that something extra, along with a feeling a reality and an ability to connect more closely to the characters…of which there are a lot of wonderful ones.

“Almost only counts in Horseshoes and Hand Grenades.”

I think most of us have heard of that phrase.

Amanda Lyles had me swimming with the fishes, literally. The characters had me laughing and worried at the same time. Amanda’s pacing and fresh take on a familiar story kept me entertained and engrossed. There is more than one storyline that had me trying to figure out the who and why. We find the answer to one, but the other is left for another time, which is my only complaint. But, The Hand That Rocked The Boat, Book II, is available, so no waiting is necessary.

I received Horseshoes and Hand Grenades from Amanda Lyles in return for an honest review.

   4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Nina Garnet works as a part-time diver for the Hawaii police. She’s also a mermaid but she has worked very hard for several years to hide this fact from everyone. She goes on what she thinks is a routine dive to recover a body tangled just below the surface. The very next day the supernatural world she tried to leave behind literally breaks into her house and leaves her a package that chills her to the bones by showing her that someone knows her secret.

Then someone attacks her and the F.B.I. agent she keeps running into and they are saved by the local werewolf pack. Caleb, the alpha, tells her that the body she recovered was part of his pack and was one of five missing men. He hires her to search for the remaining missing men and as she searches she find clues that point to the men being used in a ritual that, if completed, will wipe out all supes for hundreds of miles. With the help of a vampire, several weres, a couple of witches, and the F.B.I. agent she races to find the men before the ritual can be completed.

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