Book Review: Lies Beneath (Lies Beneath #1)

Lies Beneath (Lies Beneath #1) by Anne Greenwood Brown

Format: e-arc
Publisher: Random House
Published: 12th June 2012
Pages: 320
Main Characters: Calder, Lily
Date Started: 3rd June 2012
Date Finished: 8th June 2012
Rating Given: ***

Blurb from Netgalley:

The lore of mermaids and mermen is real. Just wait until you meet Calder White in this addictive debut novel that is destined to make a splash!
     Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters must prey on humans and absorb their positive energy. Usually they select their victims at random, but this time around the underwater clan chooses its target for a reason: revenge. They want to kill Jason Hancock, the man they blame for their mother's death.
     It's going to take the whole White family to lure the aquaphobic Hancock onto the water. Calder's job is to gain Hancock's trust by getting close to his family. Relying on his irresistible good looks and charm, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter Lily. Easy enough, but Calder screws everything up by falling in love—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined, and just as the mermaids threaten to take matters into their own hands, forcing Calder to choose between family and the girl he loves. One thing's for sure, whatever Calder decides, the outcome won't be pretty.

I had been after this book for review for a while and couldn't get it but then when I saw that it was on Netgalley I jumped at the chance and I'm very grateful that I was accepted as it was a different Mermaid tale in which I am used to reading.

I do like the cover although I'm not a huge fan. I love the fact that it is under water and what I originally thought was a mermaid but after reading the book I'm not so sure as she looks more like the human in the story than the mermaids. Great idea putting the title in the middle of the book in big letters as it makes the book stand out more.

Lies Beneath is Anne Greenwood Brown's first novel and I think it's a good start to her career. I love the way in which she has made it more original story of mermaids making them out to not the good guys which I think is a refreshing change. I loved the fact that she had short chapters as that is what I prefer when reading my books as then I can read more than what I normally would have.

It is a good story but it did take a long time to get to the answers which normally I don't mind as it adds to the mystery but in this case I was thinking hurry up all the way through. I just didn't believe in the story like I usually do but I will most likely continue with the series as like I said it was a good story and it was also the first in the series which doesn't always grab me into the series but then by the second I am hooked which I am hoping happens with this series. I did find it a little slow for my liking and nothing really big happens until right near the end but when something did happen I found it a bit glossed over.

I didn't really like Calder that much as he was a bit annoying and a bit of a stalker which I did understand as he wasn't exactly the good guy yet it was told from his point of view which I did find a bit strange I would have preferred it to be from Lily's point of view as she was a more interesting character. I did like Lily's sister as well but she wasn't in it that much which the same goes for most of the side characters. I didn't like Calder's sisters either but I don't think we are supposed to seeing as they are the mermaids that kill people and set out for revenge.

Overall a good start to the series but it was a bit too unbelievable.