Valerian is the Nymph King of Atlantis and when he goes to the surface to find women for his men, he happens to find something he was never looking for; his mate. Being mated for him was something unheard of because of their sexual conquests, but one look at pale, blond, Shaye and he was enthralled by the fiesty stubborn woman. Trying to convince her to let him pleasure her was by far the hardest thing he ever had to do, and he enjoyed the challenge. Shaye repeatedly denies and torments Valerian until she can no longer stand it herself, and gives in the to the "sex god"... and all her cold emotions get melted away with one touch. Shaye knows she is a goner... and she is in love with him..

I love Gena Showalter, but this is not one of her better books. To be fair, not one of her worst, either -- it falls just about the middle. Still, it's a fun, sexy love story and a must-read if you're into her Atlantis series. Heck, it's worth buying just for the cover model. ( )

Valerian is the king of the nymphs, a race of creatures who live underwater and require sex to stay energized for war. Human women have only to take one look at a nymph to succumb to his every touch and desire, and as king, Valerian has never been in want of a female body—until a mission to the surface of the earth puts him in contact with Shaye. For Shaye is destined to be Valerian’s one and only mate, and he will no longer be satisfied by sex with just anyone anymore.

However, the cynical Shaye resists Valerian’s allure, no matter how much just being around him makes her crave his touch. She refuses to be another one of Valerian’s mindless sex slaves. Unbeknownst to her, her denial of him makes Valerian weaker and more susceptible to others’ attacks.

Will the two ever find themselves in one another’s arms?

This is pretty much the second strictly romance novel I’ve read in my life, but it’s probably one that’s going to set the standard for all other paranormal romances. I couldn’t put it down, so enthralled was I with Valerian and Shaye’s relationship, which was sexy, funny, and completely memorable. The ending felt perhaps a bit rushed due to its neatness and tie-in with earlier books in the series, but all in all, I was satisfied, and will most definitely be picking up Gena Showalter’s books for future romance reads. ( )

This was just dreadful. I can forgive an aurthor many things as long as there is good chemisty between to two lovers. Take for instance Lora Leigh's Breed series. Not big on plot, but that's ok, because boy meets girl and they hate each other on sight and the games begin. I read on average about five books a week, and it's rare for me to just give up and not finish a book - especially a romance novel. I got so annoyed at the stupid plot and the immature writing that I just threw the book in the trash. It's a shame because this is the first Showalter book that picked up, and it will be the last one too. ( )

IT's been awhile since I bought a paranormal romance and now I remember why I stopped. WHile I love prarnormal/shapeshifters/fantasy stories this entire story to me read like a bad romance and with no emotional growth between the characters. I wasn't drawn in at all the story or the characters.

The secondary character of the 'heros' brother was far more interesting than the leading characters. ( )