Seduced by a Selkie by Lauren Connolly

Seduced by a Selkie by Lauren Connolly
Folk Haven Book One
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Dicentra

All Delta needs is a cozy home, an odd dog, and a coffee shop with good wifi. She does not need a shifter bent on seduction.

Delta Novac hates her house on Lake Galen. The old place in the small town of Folk Haven is a reminder of her father’s mental decline in the last few years of his life. She’s just come to town to clear the thing out and get it ready to sell. Delta never even planned to dip a toe in the water until a prone body floating has her diving in to save the swimmer.

A selkie will know their mate when they are rescued.

Calder MacNamara wasn’t in need of saving, but he certainly appreciates the effort. Especially when the hands on his bare skin warm him to his core. The moment he meets the woman’s piercing stare, his gut tells him she’s his fated mate. But he soon finds that if Delta feels anything toward him, it’s annoyance. Accidentally insulting her dog doesn’t help his case.

With Delta’s focus on the road out of town, Calder scrambles to discover what, if anything, could make her stay. He’s willing to use all means of pleasure at his disposal to convince his mate that Folk Haven is the perfect place to call home. Especially if you’re a mythical creature.

Lauren Connolly’s Seduced by a Selkie, the first book in the Folk Haven series is a short, entertaining romance read. If you’re a fan of Kresley Cole or Gena Showalter, or you’re just on the lookout for a quick, entertaining cross between paranormal romance and urban fantasy book then this one’s for you!

Delta has returned home to the small town of Folk Haven after the death of her father. After she gets there, she sees a body floating in the lake one day and immediately goes into action to save them. Things get very awkward, however, once she realizes the man is not in fact drowning and is actually teaching a swimming class. The chemistry between Delta and Calder is evident from the start, but Delta is not interested in staying in Folk Haven and Calder has his work cut out for him to make her believe in their mythical bond before it’s too late.

One thing I love to see in romance novels is an emphasis on the importance of consent, and Calder in particular is a consent king. The relationship between Calder and Delta is one of ‘fated mates’, and from the moment they meet, Calder’s focus is on Delta’s comfort and pleasure (which includes making sure she’s comfortable with everything they are doing). Once the consent is there, the romance is spicy and hot (bordering on erotic romance, given the detailed scenes). I would not recommend this for younger readers – mature adult readers only, folks!

I’m a big fan of mythology and fantasy, so it was exciting to see that this book features the lesser known selkies. For those who might not be familiar, a selkie is a figure from Celtic and Norse mythology who is able to change forms between a human and a seal. Mermen are definitely more common in urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and I was quite amused when Calder grumpily referred to them as “fuckboys” (he’s obviously not a fan). In terms of worldbuilding, the author did a great job painting the picture with the setting. She also did a great job explaining how the bond dynamics work. There was some missed potential, however, with the actual folklore surrounding the selkies and other mythical creatures present in the universe of the Folk Haven series. This extended to being lost at times with how the dynamics between the various “mythics” in Folk Haven works. I hope to see the worldbuilding expanded in subsequent books so it’s not an issue in the future.

The author does mention the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book (which is appreciated). Still, I feel compelled to note in my review that potential readers should be aware that the book includes discussions of parental death, hoarding, and drowning. If any of these are potentially triggering, please take caution while reading.

Overall, Seduced by a Selkie was an engaging and interesting book. This series seems to be a set of interconnected standalones, so I’m curious to see where the author will take the story in the next book of the series, Sucker for a Siren.