Rhapsodic
by Layra Thalassa

From the publisher

From bestselling indie author Laura Thalassa comes the newly revised and edited first book in her smash-hit dark fantasy romance between a siren and the “bargainer” she owes countless favors to.

Callypso Lillis is a siren with a very big problem, one that stretches up her arm and far into her past.

For the last seven years Callie has been wearing a bracelet of black beads up her wrist, magical IOUs for favors she once received. Only death or repayment will fulfill her obligations.

Everyone knows that if you need a favor, you go to the Bargainer to make it happen. He’s a man who can get you anything you want … at a price. And everyone knows that sooner or later he always collects. But for Callie, he’s never asked for repayment. Not until now. 

When Callie finds the Bargainer in her room, a grin on his lips and a twinkle in his eye, she knows things are about to change. At first it’s admitting a truth—a single bead’s worth—acknowledging the attraction between them. But the Bargainer is after more than just rekindling their connection. Something is happening in the Otherworld. Fae warriors are going missing one by one, and only the women are returned, each in a glass casket, a child clutched to her breast. 

For the Bargainer to save his people, he’ll need the help of the siren he spurned long ago. If she can forgive him.

My Review

This book just isn’t that complicated or compelling. She’s a siren. She has a supernatural side that feeds on sex and chaos and she can compel (ironic) any mortal to do her bidding, so she makes her living as a PI. Great. She has a sassy best friend. Cool. Her boyfriend slash ex is a werewolf alpha. Sure, why not. She has a scumbag stepdad and the novel literally opens with his murder at her hands in a flashback to the past. Gee, I wonder why. Its anyone’s guess.

The Bargainer is the (spoiler alert) king of the night in the fae realm. He has wings and shadows. Who saw that coming? He’s been in love with her since he rescued her from murder charges and he’s been hiding it … not well if you ask me. Shocker! They start hooking up and – shocker again! – there’s a bad guy behind a mystery in the fae realm they have to solve. Woah! *insert eye roll here*

I mean … I finished it? I listened to the audio, which has dual narration, so that helped. If I’d been reading this on my kindle, I guarantee I would have skimmed the whole thing in like 2 hrs. This book is not worth spending money on. You will not need or want the shelf trophy.