More Then Meets The Eye (A Tale Of The Sea) (Silhouette Romance) [Paperback]

Carla Cassidy (Author)

Book Description

Series: Silhouette Romance | Publication Date: July 1, 2002

"You're the one."

Shy, scholarly Dr. Phoebe Jones blushed when sexy private investigator Kevin Cartwright uttered those words. But when the handsome ex-cop explained she was one of four lost siblings he'd been hired to find, she nearly fainted headfirst into his strong, sculpted arms.

Yet someone else was also after the beautiful doctor and her heirloom necklace--the key to her mysterious past. Suddenly she and Kevin were posing as lovers as they raced to the ocean to uncover the truth. But Phoebe's passionate response to "make-believe" kisses was anything but pretend...nor was her desire to hear the sworn bachelor say the most magical words of all....

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Silhouette (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373196024
• ISBN-13: 978-0373196029
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #683,542 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Carla Cassidy lives in the Midwest with her husband, Frank. She's the author of over eighty books and can't think of anything she'd rather do for a living than tell stories.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mermaid Lite...., September 28, 2002

By 

Serene (Marina, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: More Then Meets The Eye (A Tale Of The Sea) (Silhouette Romance) (Paperback)

"More than Meets the Eye" is the story of Doctor Phoebe Jones, and her love for ex-cop turned private investigator Kevin Cartwright.

Kevin, hired by an eccentric stranger named Loucan, to find four missing siblings, is unaware that he has TRULY been hired to find four missing "merpeople." When an article, with a picture of Doctor Phoebe Jones appears in the paper, Kevin knows he has found one of the missing children. Can Kevin convince Dr. Jones to go with him to Santa Barbara to meet his employer Loucan?

I'm a big fan of Mermaid stories, but "More than Meets the Eye" was a disappointing and rather formulaic read. Characters were stereotypical. "Semi-Virginal, but Naïve doctor who has `no time for dating," vs. "Bad-Boy-Ex-Cop-Turned-Private-Investigator-With-Tragic-Past." Even the romance lacked spark. Kevin and Phoebe barely know each other, when suddenly they are `in love.' When? Why? I felt more of a dynamic between Loucan and Phoebe when they first meet, than in the entire first 100 pages of Kevin and Phoebe. (Sigh).

Further, I wanted to read more about the mermaids, and was disappointed that this plot device wasn't explored until nearly the end of the book. Overall, I have to say, this book was a disappointment. Perhaps the sequel will be better?

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "A Tale of the Sea" begins with this fascinating story, September 23, 2002

By 

Kelley Hartsell "Kelley" (Irving, TX) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: More Then Meets The Eye (A Tale Of The Sea) (Silhouette Romance) (Paperback)

Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell for CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Dr. Phoebe Jones is a brilliant surgeon in Kansas City, well liked by her fellow hospital workers, though somewhat reserved. She is happy that way, used to her privacy and predictable life. She was an orphan, with no memory of her family, having spent her entire childhood moving from one foster family to another. She learned to depend solely on herself, but a part of her has always longed for the unconditional love of a true family.

Kevin Cartwright is a police officer turned private eye after nearly being murdered on the force. He has spent the last few years of his life focusing on a job given to him by a mysterious stranger known only as Loucan. Kevin was hired to find four siblings separated over 20 years ago, and return them to California. All he knows about them is their given names and that each one has a unique charm that is their only link to their family. Kevin has been having no luck finding them, until he saw Phoebe on television and recognized her necklace.

Now Kevin is off to Kansas City, hoping to bring Phoebe to Loucan and getting at least one quarter of his mission accomplished. She isn't overly cooperative at first, not sure she can trust him, and hesitant to interrupt her practical routine. The possibility that she may have family brings back longings she thought were safely tucked away, and she can't resist that possibility.

Just as Phoebe decides to go, their plans are shaken up when someone else comes after Phoebe, desiring her necklace and the legacy it protects... the legacy of a land found far beneath the waters of the ocean, and a people who can live in water and on land, the merfolk. Now Kevin and Phoebe are on the run, racing time to get her to Loucan and the secrets only he can answer about her family. All the while they find themselves growing closer to each other with every passing mile.

This is a wonderful book, the beginning of the new four-book miniseries A TALE OF THE SEA. People have long since been fascinated by the legends of merpeople, and this book can make one believe, if only for a few moments, that they really do exist. Kevin and Phoebe are great together and the mysterious Loucan keeps people wondering. Is he behind the attacks on Phoebe, or does he really only want to find her and her siblings to protect them and give them back their legacy. By the end of this story, that mystery is solved and the reader will be looking forward to learning more about Phoebe's family. Readers will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, an August 2002 release.