Misadventures and Merfolk [Paperback]

Kelly Reno (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2004

An obnoxious American travel writer is stranded in the remote British Isles during a matchmaking festival.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A fantasy tale with an eclectic range of characters and a brash, bolshy style. Good fun and recommended. -- Bookpleasures UK

Check this out! A delightful and entertaining story that readers will no doubt recommend to friends. -- Love Romance Reviews

Peculiar characters that charm, much like the Yorkshirites of James Herriot's books. -- Huntress Book Reviews

This story will have you laughing out loud! Definitely in the 'must read' category. -- Paranormal Romance Reviews

About the Author

Kelly Reno lives in Los Angeles and is the author of 10 previous books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 341 pages
• Publisher: Reed Pr (September 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891437011
• ISBN-13: 978-1891437014
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,889,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful comedy of errors!, November 26, 2004

By 

Darkcat_ak "darkcat_ak" (Alaska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Misadventures and Merfolk (Paperback)

When Brenden James' thoughts' on his travels around the States get turned into a book, which becomes a best seller, he never expected the sequel to be a horrible flop. Now, touring the British Isles, he is clueless as well as suffering from writers block on how to write another best selling novel which is the only way to save his writing career. After all, how much can be said about old people and sheep? When he is stranded on the Isle of Man (because his ferry sank) during the annual Mermaid Festival, suddenly, he feels the start of a story that should satisfy his publisher...

The seaside village of Heather Bay has women flocking to the town to try and find their soul mates; a young girl continues the habit of dressing up like a mermaid (started by her grandmother); and all of the local fishermen seek vengeance from "Charlie the Tuna". Then there is the cranky lighthouse keeper that wrote a novel about mermaids, the Priest who wears a close pin on his nose and... AH Yes! Story Heaven... But the longer Brenden spends in this "mad" town, the more fascinated he becomes with Christine, the local mermaid and the people of the town. How can he put his satirical view on these small town people, which would cause them harm?

Kelly Reno has written a fantastic novel. Besides that I adore the cover (Waterhouse is my favorite artist!) the book also includes pictures that give the story more of the "travel book" quality that Brenden is writing about. This story actually gives you the feeling of being in a small town overrun with tourist during a festival. I loved it!

I haven't read too many mermaid stories, so this is one of the attractions I had to MISADVENTURES & MERFOLK. I was really happy with the "happily ever after" part of the story and found Ms Reno's merfolk fascinating. Because Brenden is a total disbeliever in merfolk, you actually are discovering the culture along with him (very interesting actually!). I really hope that there will be a sequel written about Charlie "the Tuna".

Each chapter is almost its own insane event, which leaves you satisfied with the what is happening (for example the parade) and yet aching to know what will happen next. So if you have short amounts of time to read during the day this book is perfect! You can read a chapter, and then put the book down because you know what happened. However, the energy of MISADVENTURES & MERFOLK will have you picking the story back up at the first possible opportunity because you want to know what will happen next! This was so unique, and I found really enjoyable.

Besides the humorous events that take place between the pages, Kelly Reno has a very different writing voice than I am used too, and I loved it. It was like watching a BBC special where everything is either insane or ...just not what it appears to be. I don't think I can recommend this book enough! I don't think anyone could be disappointed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Misadventures & Merfolk - A Big Fish Story That Never Got Aw, October 1, 2004

By 

Steve Trotter "author, The National Truth" (Montréal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Misadventures and Merfolk (Paperback)

For a seasoned travel writer tiptoeing through sheep souvenirs in the British Isles, Brendan James lugs way too much baggage, starting with his L.A. size ego. His last book, Scorpions in my Jockstrap, slithered into the desert of garage sale books that never move. But the one before, the NY Times bestseller Screwed, Blued and Tattooed, is all Brendan needs to lure the next nameless hottie into the sack. Unfortunately, for Mister Studmuffin, the only banging going on right now is at his door: the deadline to deliver the manuscript for his third - "do or die book" - has died. So has Brendan's ability to write. Too far away to strangle the irresponsible author about to erase his job, editor Jake Hogan dispatches Brendan to Heather Bay, a tiny village (ignored by the likes of Bill Gates) on the nearby Isle of Man. It's hate at first sight for Brendan, whose hopes of sailing to Dublin to get drunk sink when he's told the ferry did the same. Impersonating a Conde Naste travel writer hoping to get a room, Brendan lands up in a leaky houseboat. Despite the stench of fish guts, TV host Fiona Cross, an old flame covering the village's Soul Mate Festival, staggers aboard to spawn. The off-the-wall locals, including a priest with a clothespin on his nose soliciting organ donations, provide colorful fodder for Brendan's blank pages. But it is Christine Hamilton, a mermaid who sells souvenirs when she's not in the tourist tank, who reels in the cocky American from his jaded sea of self-absorption. Christine, and her brother Charlie the Tuna (a Merman who seduces grannies on a nightly basis) are, Brendan discovers, for real. Smitten, Brendan must make a choice. Turn in the last chapter of a guaranteed best-selling manuscript that will destroy Heather Bay, or make an honest woman out of Christine.

On the surface, Misadventures and Merfolk is a big fish story that never got away. But dive into the vibrant world that Kelly Reno has created and you will surface with a treasure chest of love, longing, loneliness and hope. M&M is a genre-bending story that swims easily in the waters of romance, adventure, fable, satire, erotica and suspense. I rate it two tridents up.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story!, June 7, 2008

By 

K. Martell "kjm" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Misadventures and Merfolk (Paperback)

I loved this book. Such a great story. It got me in the first few pages and held on to me until the last word. I hope Kelly writes more like it!