Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately, while the blurb really interested me, I have been unable to get into the book.

Different than what I normally read this is another fabulous book that I could not put down. Must read!!

This book started off okay. I don't understand why Mari would go on the cruise if she didn't want to. Sure the tickets were paid for but... That's so weird. I'd rather celebrate an anniversary at home then alone. The end suffered from Deus Ex Machina. However it was still a rather enjoyable read. The author has an easy to read writing style which is what saved this book for me despite the plot holes.

Tropish mermaid story, loved it until the end. Great cover, made me definitely request it immediately based on the cover.

I picked up this book because I wanted to read a fantasy with mermaids and I love the tale of Altantis. This ended up being more Romance than Fantasy genre, but I was ready to roll with it.

Straight-up: This book is confusing.
Things just don't entirely make sense. Mari's reactions to things can get to the point of childish or ridiculous. How long is she going to think she is dead?! Then why didn't she even ask Ambrose why he changed her? Then after she is changed... wow so childish, which is blamed on hormones yet he still likes her even though it isn't the real her and-- ugh like I said, confusing.

Besides their actions and personalities being confusing, scenes and description could be confusing. Much of this is spoiler, so I don't want to talk about it too much. Let me say, that significance of tail color isn't explained fully (does tail color designate class too?) especially not to the main character who just kinda goes with it, and the healing powers of the Atlanteans changes unless I'm misunderstanding Ambrose's predicament in the cave. There is also a lack of description with what the tails of the Gods look like, so for some of the book I had no idea what Mari's tail looked like.

So, there were a few times I re-read passages trying to see if I missed something, other times conversation would switch drastically (let's not even talk about Mari's personality switch), and kinda just went with the confusing flow.

Now, besides the confusion, the plot and story have so much potential. A returning king with a human-turned Atlantean, evil creatures and unfair punishment by the Gods. Like, there is a lot here. So much potential!! It was interesting and I wanted to know how things would work out.

I don't agree with the ending, which I found to be lackluster, but all in all, this is not a terrible book... for a romance book.
I probably won't continue the series, but I will be looking for other mermaid books to read.

I've always been into Atlantis themed anything. I fell in love with Ambrose, the pantheon described and everything in this book. Thanks.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this books.
I loved every minute and every hour it took mee to finish this book.
It's a very original story and well written. Can't wait to read book 2.

I am so confused on how I ultimately feel about Atlantis: The King's Return. The story is great. The characters teeter-totter between good and incredibly annoying.

The story itself was interesting, and enough to hook a reader. The main character, Mari, started so strong and great. A woman to get behind. But then she goes completely out of her mind. Completely irrational. Her mood swings and the way she would blow up about things she's never heard of to know anything about were crazy. It's later explained, but I feel like the explanation came too little too late after the reader already has too much time to grow to dislike her. Ambrose was a mostly good character though. He is broken, hunky, and protective. Almost barbarically protective at times, but I could get over it. What was bad was his back and forth issues. His thoughts and feelings versus his actions was continuous, and eye-roll inducing.

My problem with the writing started with all the typos that could've been caught with another pass. Not deal breaking though. What was deal braking was the confusing POV. A chapter would start focused on Mari, but then you're getting all of Ambrose's thoughts and feelings, then an abrupt switch to Mari. All in one page. You never knew who you were supposed to be thinking as.

When I started the book, I was really into it. Then it started to take a turn. By about 60%, I was dreading going on. Somehow, the end has me intrigued enough to see what comes in the next book. Kind of like I'm already through the first book, might as well, kind of thing.

If you like romance and fantasy, this quick read is maybe worth a shot.

I would say if you need a romance with a strong male character and not always the smarted female character but with some fantasy then this is the book for you. I thought it was just an okay book. I did enjoy the world building but I couldn't connect with the female character.

Fun, steamy, and action-packed, this book gives a new spin on the story of Atlantis. I really enjoyed the different characters, especially Mari. I laughed out loud more than a few times while reading. Combs is able to make the character interactions feel realistic, even in a fantasy setting. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

I'm a huge fan of anything Atlantis, but unfortunately, this book fell short for me. It had great writing and a unique story that I was interested in, but the world building was lacking. Everything moved way to fast. There wasn't enough time to fall in love with the characters and get to know who they were. Plus, the main Character Mari was an airhead. Not the story for me.

Ever since I got hooked on the Argenaus series from Lynsay Sands, I have a weak spot for stories from Atlantis. But where the Atlanteans in Lynsay's books turn into immortals living among us, with D.K. Combs they turn into mermaids and merman. The only comparison is that they both are able to turn 'normal' humans into their form.

And this is exactly what happens to Mari, after she ends up in an underwater cave with Ambrose. He is a helpless merman lying in the cave, unable to get to the water. When Mari helps him escape the cave where he is held captive, he has to turn her into a mermaid to avoid that she drowns.

Suddenly stuck with a tail and a very handsome fishman, Mari doesn't know what to do. So, in times of stress, she starts babbling. Talking Ambrose's ears of she follows him through the sea. Soon she learns that there are more dangerous creatures in the sea and that Ambrose maybe is the scariest one of all. And still, he is gracious, tender and protective towards her.

When she learns that Ambrose is heading towards Atlantis, she decides to come with him. Because, let's face it: would you rather go explore a legendary sunken city or go home with your tail between your legs (literally....) to your cheating-soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend?

But not everybody is happy to see Ambrose return to Atlantis to reclaim his rightful place on the throne. So everywhere they go, danger is lurking. And Mari, with her big mouth and actions before thinking is driving Ambrose crazy. However, he can't deny that she's becoming the light in his life. And after two thousand years of captivity, she is the best thing that happened to him. But will they succeed in returning to Atlantis and what are the gods doing to intervene?

Find out in this Captive story of D.K. Combs. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

As a tremendous fan of the Atlantean legends, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed in this incredible tale. Author D.K. Combs has brought the legends to life! I instantly felt for Mari, the human girl in this tale. A lousy cheating boyfriend who sends her on a couples cruise…..alone?!?! What a joke! But away she goes, leaving Ray behind to cheat, and her seemingly happy life crashing on the shore behind her. Within hours of setting off, her cruise ship sinks, and she’s absolutely positive that she will not survive it. In steps the Atlantean Gods, and she wakes up in a small cave. Tucked in the back of the cave is a man….a man who has been missing for thousands of years. His name is Ambrose, and he is the rightful king of Atlantis. And the wild and crazy story begins. As Mari and Ambrose attempt to escape, all kinds of chaos breaks out around them. I loved this story! From beginning to end, it is so well written, it almost felt like I was living in that enchanted world. Plenty of action, plenty of romance, and an awesome capability to create worlds, this book has it all.

O.M.G. I LOVE THIS BOOK! loved loved lovedddd this read. I've been a big fan of the little mermaid ever since I was a little girl and now reading this adult version makes me swoon big time! I love just about EVERYTHING I just read. The story-line is really interesting and thankfully this first book doesn't end on a huge cliffhanger but leaves you with a semi-finished feeling which I'm very thankful for because I hate cliffhangers haha. Especially if the book has just been released and you have to wait a while until the next one releases.

This book is a thrill to read right from the start and every page is an adventure. I loved the story-line progress, the romance progress and the character developing progress. Every element is in perfect balance with one another.

STORY-LINE:
Really, really awesome!! Starting with the main character Mari, finding herself on a couples cruise without her boyfriend and then finding out that he is cheating on her back on the mainland. And to top it off, right after she finds out the freaking cruise ship is sinking! She ends up washed ashore in a cave where she comes across a merman - or as he likes to call himself an Atlantean - who's been held captured by a minor goddess. Mari thinks she's dead for sure and this is her hellish afterlife.. But nope, not dead, lol. Mari helps Ambrose escape and from then on her whole world gets turned upside down. In order to save Mari's life - since Ceto, the minor Goddess who held Ambrose captive, could come after them at any moment - he has to turn her into an Atlantean.

Mari's now 'forced' to live her life beneath the Sea. She discovers this whole new world with these Atlanteans/mermaids living in Atlantis - God, how awesome would it be discovering Atlantis and mermaids truly exist?! I want to be a mermaid too!!! She and Ambrose are running from Ceto and Ambrose has plans to take back Atlantis. At the same time Ambrose and Mari grow feelings for one another and that may be the most dangerous thing that could happen to them...

Let me start with the female lead; Mari.
I really think my bestie Kwante would LOVE mari, because when I think about describing Mari I think about Tigger from Winnie the Pooh - and Kwante is just like Tigger as well, lol. But seriously, She's so extremely excited all the time and full of energy - which I couldn't blame her for because she got to explore Atlantis and such And it really made me laugh so much because Ambrose, being 2000+ years old and such, felt like dealing with a merbaby at those moments which was so funny. He was sighing all the time and couldn't contain her enthusiasm. In the end he just gave up and let her be excited, lol. And aside from that all, she's ferocious if needs to be and has such a strong personality. She's feisty and even though Ambrose is a really alpha manly man, she doesn't let herself be pushed around, yes! I love her outbursts and the way she curses - 'fishy' here, 'fishy' there.. yep, loved it hahaha. Even though she was being dealt this hand in life, she knows how to adapt fast and she has so much love to give being a warm and kind person.. If I'd ever switch to 'the other side' I'd definitely had a woman crush now, lol. Mari is just freaking awesome!!!

Allrighty then, on to our male lead; Ambrose, the Exiled One
He was King of Atlantis before being exiled and being held captive for 2000 years by a minor Goddess named Ceto. He's in really bad shape when Mari finds him and he undergoes a tremendous development throughout this book, in the most positive sense. Bit by bit we get to learn Ambrose as he was before and now he's becoming even better, because now he has Mari at his side. Mari's showing him so many new things in life - because she's not like most of the Atlanteans in behavior since she grew up on land and this has Ambrose's tail in a twitch hihi. He's gone for, lol - which only add to his amazing personality development. We get to learn him as this prisoner and feeling like he doesn't deserve anything or anyone and he ends up being this bad-ass meant to be King/Alpha male that has ever female's panties drop instantly hehe..

WORLD BUILDING
Epic! Truly! Everything is mesmerizing and so beautifully written. I can totally see everything about this world come to live in my mind. I love the author's attention to detail, especially when it comes to this world building and the workings of everything inside this world beneath the sea. She thought of everything and it's just so insanely good. I'm in awe, really. I fell in love with this world and couldn't get enough of it. I was just as excited as Mari was to explore more of Atlantis and the other creatures that live beneath the Sea.

ROMANCE.
I know not everyone is a fan of a quickly developing romance, but I gotta tell you; this romance is absurdly well written, almost to perfection I think. Looking back, seeing how their feelings developed over a span of just a couple of days you'd normally think; an author could never written a well developed and believable romance within that span of time. But this author did just that and she made it believable. The quickly developing romantic feelings between Ambrose and Mari stole my breath away, it's so beautiful and they are a perfect match for one another. I really love how these two characters bond with each other and grow with each other during the story. I loved seeing Ambrose being a manly-man but vulnerable at the same time and I loved seeing Mari be this ferocious woman, standing up for Ambrose and at the same time feel that exact same vulnerability Ambrose feels too. These two are a match made in heaven - since the Gods definitely have something to do with their fate, I feel like laughing a bit about that statement hehe. And don't get me started on the sexy time between these two because.. HOLY FREAKING CUPCAKE, THESE TWO CHARACTERS ARE SO HOT TOGETHER!!! This author really knows how to make a sexy scene work, yep.

WRITING.
The writing is addictive, right from the start. This was my first book of this author and I love Combs' writing style so much, can't wait to read more of her books. It's expressive, funny, addictive and so fluently written that I just couldn't or wanted to stop reading.

CONCLUSION.
I just can't do anything other than give this book a 5 star rating because I devoured it and loved every single aspect of this book, from beginning till end. It made me laugh, ache, love, cry and swoon. It had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't 'flip the pages' - I've read on my kindle but you get what I mean right haha - fast enough. I loved the little mermaid references in the book and I loved how a lot of things were recognizable from the world I fell in love with as a young girl in the Disney story, but at the same time it being completely different. I mean, Ursula was a scary mean bitch, but the monsters in this book will have you crawl back into a corner hehe. This story is definitely more mature - on every level - and darker and I reaaaaaly liked that, a lot! I couldn't think of anything I didn't like about this book, so it deserves all the praise and the 5 star rating! a MUST BUY/READ for everyone who likes a thrilling adventure beneath the sea with really awesome 'mermaids/atlanteans', a swoon worthy and sexy as hell romance that'll leave you drooling and a really exciting story-line so amazingly well written, you can't get enough of it.

Ambrose Katariglos was forced into the role of king of Atlantis when he was basically a teenager due to the deaths of his parents. For over 500 years he ruled fairly and well until someone framed him for the sinking of the island and the resulting deaths of many Atlanteans. Ambrose was dragged before the gods and exiled from the only home he'd ever known. As he was leaving his beloved Atlantis, a petty, cruel lesser god kidnapped him, trapping him in a cave that even the other gods could not find. Unable to escape, Ambrose was tortured and used for the power the god could drain him of.

Mari was basically happy--she had a job she loved and although her boyfriend wasn't perfect, they'd been together for 3 years and would no doubt get married in the near future and start a family. Ray is called in to work and he forces Mari to take the couple's cruise they booked, because he said that she shouldn't miss out on her vacation because he needs to work. Bored and sea-sick, Mari stays in her cabin and checks her email. The personal email that both she and Ray share has several emails that shows her that Ray is not the man she thought he was...he is a liar and a cheater. Just as she finds this out, there is a big bang and the ship shudders violently. Making her way to her cabin's door, she opens it, only to have water rush in.

Mari, convinced she is dead, wakes up in a cave with no exit other than a dark tunnel and maybe an underwater entrance in the small lake she found herself on the edge of. Gathering her courage, Mari heads down the dark tunnel.

Ambrose, weak and wounded, had a hard time believing that someone found him after so long. The problem is, she's human and his captor would kill her slowly and painfully if she was found. Doing his best to convince the woman to flee, she stubbornly refuses to leave and will do nothing other than help him escape.

Atlantis: The King’s Return is a wonderful story that was so interesting and the pacing is so well done, that I couldn’t put it down. D. K. Combs did a fantastic job of bringing an amazing story to life. I loved how well the characters in this story were developed, even the secondary and walk-ons were well done. The adventures that Mari and Ambrose found themselves in were believable, and weren’t rushed, nor were they slow; they flowed as naturally as the ocean itself. I really am hoping that there will be another book in this world, because I need to know what happened to Deimos!

So I did really enjoy this story.. but there were quite a few things that bothered me about it. Not huge things that took away from the book but enough where it drove me crazy.

The story itself was fantastic. I loved it. I love books about Atlantis. I Loved Ambrose. He was super sweet and kind.. especially for a man that was tortured for 2000 years. I think that Mari was good for him because she was so bubbly and I just think that helped him.

So I liked the idea behind this story. I love that a mortal woman was shipwrecked and saved a merman and in turn he saved her by turning her. I love that! Such a freaking cool premise.

A couple things that really, really bothered me though:
One thing that I did not like was where the author broke off chapters. I feel like a lot of the chapters ended in the middle of a thought. That just seemed off to me. The second thing was Mari... She wasn't a terrible character, she was just dumb. She kept asking if mermaids farted.. I mean she was obsessed with it. It annoyed the ever loving fuck out of me. The third thing was the world building was terrible. There really wasn't any at all.

So overall, good book. I just wish that I knew more about the world. I feel like it was very relationship based.. which is 100% fine with me.. except when the book is in freaking Atlantis, I want to know about that shit!