Review: Review from the book review blog, Book Faery
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 10, 2010
I read WHIRLPOOL before TIDAL WAVE because, silly me, I labeled them out of order when transferring the pdf files onto my Kindle.  With that said, Vivian has done an excellent job at making this book a stand alone, while also having it assert itself as the second book in this series.  Aside from being slightly confused with some previous characters, characters I assumed--correctly, I might add--played a significant role in the first book, and with a few of the merfolk concepts, I was okay with reading this series out of order.I think that, after reading TIDAL WAVE, it was awesome that Vivian focused on some characters who weren't so high up on the food chain in the merfolk society.One of my favorite parts ended up being the scene where Braden and Chelsa finally sleep together.  Although I was just introduced to these characters, Vivian successfully made me just as frustrated as Chelsea was.  When they finally kissed, I literally gave a huge sigh in relief.My second favorite part was the conversation the two had after.  The banana peel comment made me chuckle.Also, it was very interesting to read about Braden and Jamie when they scuba dive.  It was a nice male bonding moment, and I thought that the descriptions of the underwater scenery were superb.Unlike the first book, Braden/Chelsea/Jamie's relationship did not appeal to me as much.  I think it's because, unlike Braden and Chelsea, Jamie's a human.  Not only that, but he's an outsider.  Plus, Braden and Chelsea had a lot of history.  I was ecstatic to finally see the two together.... but it's a short lived victory.  Jamie waltzes into their newly established relationship all too soon (for me), and then I felt like Braden steps out to the sidelines.  Chelsea became way too attached to Jamie, and it appeared as if her attraction to Braden fizzled away now that she finally got what she wanted from him.That, however, is entirely my opinion, and I believe I made it sound harsher than it really is.  I really liked Braden, and the ending made me feel bad for him.  I don't know about him, but, even if I did accept the fact that I was with two people, I wouldn't want to be left out like he was.Maybe that's just me, and maybe that's why I wasn't too fond of the living situations that arise shortly after.  It makes sense though, logically, that all three characters would want to continue to live their lives.  Just because they all found each other does not mean they should be expected to drop everything they've established (or hope to establish), just to be in a relationship.  Realistically, it would only lead to a dull, perhaps even sour relationship in the real world.  ...Which is why I totally understand why Vivian wrote it.Doesn't mean the HEA-addict in me will be happy with that outcome ;)WHIRLPOOL is, like Vivian's other stories, well written.  While I would have preferred Braden and Chelsea's relationship to have lasted a bit longer before Jamie stepped in--and I would have liked to get to know Jamie a bit more, too--I think that Vivian has successfully written another short story that does not leave me bemoaning the unfairness of a rushed ending.Like I said in my review of TIDAL WAVE, threesomes aren't usually my thing while reading novels (probably because I hate sharing lol), however, this story definitely has, much like its predecessor, made me a bit more open minded about the concept in a book.