A Fine Cauldron of Fish by Cornelia Amiri

Summary

It's summer on the Isle of Man and Andrew is looking for hot girls and good times. So when he meets the dreamy and seductive Margaid, he thinks he's hit the jackpot. There are only a couple of minor problems: Margaid lives in a cave under the sea, is invisible, and thinks that only Andrew's blood can save her from turning into a kelpie! But hey, whoever said love was perfect!?

Excerpt

Before Margaid could answer, the guy shook his head at Andrew. "It's okay. You can keep my shirt. Although I don't know how you're holding it when your arm's about four inches away from it, but hey, I'm sure I simply had too much to drink. Keep it, that's fine."

"What? No, I don't want your shirt. Margaid, well she thought I wanted it, but-"

"No, don't let him go." Margaid shook her red head. "You do want his shirt. And you need his pants, too."

Before Andrew knew what was happening, she shoved the shirt into his arms. Then she turned back to the quaking man and grabbed hold of his waist.

"Oh, no, Margaid, don't do it." The moment Andrew yelled out, he knew she wasn't going to listen. He watched in utter horror as she unsnapped the poor man's jeans, yanked down his zipper, and slid his pants all the way to his ankles. Damn, I'm glad he's wearing underwear. Black boxers with writing all over them. What does that say? Andrew read aloud, "B is for big."


 

Review

Reviewed by Vee at NIGHT OWL ROMANCE BOOK REVIEWS



Review rating... 4.5 of 5 – An excellent Read

Margaid, a leanan sidhe, is supposed to kill men and drain them of their blood. It’s a job she finds abhorrent and has been avoiding her job and hiding in her cave for centuries. But Mannan, the Sea God (one of his many titles) is tired of her procrastinating and has vowed to turn her into a kelpie if she doesn't get on the task.

And so she's out, looking for the first guy she can find so she can kill him and fulfill her duties. He happens to be Andrew, an American tourist who's near-sighted and has lost his contacts. As it turns out this is a very lucky turn for him, because if a leanan sidhe cannot seduce a man, she cannot kill him, but must, instead, become his slave.

To throw a wrench into things, she's invisible to everyone but her owner. Sound like the perfect setup for a guy? Think again.....

A Fine Cauldron of Fish is hilarious. I laughed out loud several times through this story. Finding stories so creative and full of wit is a joy and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. If you like things a bit out of the ordinary and are in the mood for a fun light-heart read, then I recommend this. My only complaint is that it wasn't longer.


See review at Paranormal Romance

"Funny story of myth and legend on the Isle of Man."

Margaid sucks as a leanan sidhe, really, she does. In all her centuries, she has still to drain the blood of her first man. Her cauldron sits empty in her living room, as it has since she was first created. Now, Mannan beg mac y Leir, the God of the Sea, Trickster God and God of Transformation nd Margaid's father has scolded Margaid. He's even threatened her with turning her into a kelpie if she doesn't fill her cauldron with a mortal's blood. So she's determined to find a mortal and goes to the surface from her cave under the sea. When she rises from the water, she finds a man and quite a good-looking one at that.

Andrew came to the Isle of Man with his mother and little brother on vacation so his mother could find her roots. Unfortunately, the airlines lost his bag with his contacts in them, so when he's approached by a woman, he can't really see her. He decides to follow her home anyway and jumps in the sea to find it freezing. The woman, however, looks comfortable. So he follows her to a cave and sees a cauldron in the middle of her living room. Margaid approaches him and puts her arms around him. When he finds out his blood is supposed to fill the cauldron, he calls a halt to the whole seduction. Since he does, Margaid tells him she is now his slave for the rest of his life. There is one caveat he is the only one who can see her or talk with her.

So he leaves her home, and she's following him. No way can he have a slave. He's from America and slavery is illegal.

Will Andrew ever get his contacts in and actually see Margaid? Will she end up being his slave for the rest of his life? What will happen if Andrew does manage to get a good look at Margaid? Will he fall in love with her beauty?

A FINE CAULDRON OF FISH is a very funny story of gods and sidhe on the Isle of Man. Cornelia Amiri vividly brings this story to life, blending humor and legends together. Have to admit, I loved Andrew's younger brother, he's really funny and determined. The whole bit of Andrew trying to have Margaid committed to the local mental institution is hilarious. This is just a quick, fun read and one I highly recommend.

Reviewed by Chere Gruver
Posted September 30, 2008


The Isle of Man has vampiric spirits, Maigraid is one of them. But she not very good at it. Actually she can't stand blood. Not a good thing when you are supposed to find a man, seduce him and drain him of his life's blood. Only problem is, if she doesn't she'll be turned into a kelpie. So what's worse? Drinking some man's blood or spending a lifetime as a Kelpie?

Andrew has come to the Isle of Man from the United States for a vacation with his mother and brother. He has no idea that Margraid is a leanan sidhe nor does he know that she is out to seduce and kill him. Without his contacts he really can't see Magraid's irresistible beauty, so he's able to resist her seductive advances.

Will Magraid do what a true leanan sidhe is supposed too? Or do the God's have something greater in store?

You'll have to read to find out! "A Fine Cauldron of Fish," is a lighthearted, cute story, chock full of comedy that still has a Celtic flair that is Ms. Amiri's trademark. A quick and easy read!

I give this book 3 ˝ stars.
  Posted by Highland Lassie