A selkie, a mermaid and an earl play cards for a winner take all high stakes... what sort of sea creature shenanigans is this? New to me author Rosalie Oaks surprises me with this historical fantasy with selkies involved. I would not have thought to have selkies set in Regency era England but it works quite well and I like it.
This fantasy is a feel good story with a bit of a eye rolling. Eye rolling because the sheer stupidity of one of the selkies makes me want to smack him on the nose and say, "Bad Selkie! Bad Bad Selkie!" I have only sympathy for the mother of these two impetuous selkie children who think they have come of age. One is a ne'er-do-well and the other is a bit of a jelly Nelly. Neither are attractive and fitting for royalty. And yet, they are a prince and princess of the realm. Roping in a human and putting him in danger is even more reckless.
Still, the dynamics between the two selkie siblings and the Earl of Beresford is amusing. The way humans versus selkies view their bodies is hilarious. I also especially enjoyed the the famous jam. I kind of want to see if that jam exists and want to try some myself. Never underestimate the value of a well made scrumptious jam. As a jam fanatic, this little gem appealed to me. Overall, this short novella is a smooth and quick read. At the end, I pitied Lord Beresford and the headache he unwittingly signed up for in the heat of the moment. It will be interesting to see how Lord Beresford will need to handle his newest crew member. This fantasy is recommended to readers who enjoy paranormal mixed with historical setting.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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