I liked the story line over all and at really liked ...
350778
A very heartwarming and exciting book in some ways but somewhat empty in others.  I liked the story line over all and at really liked the POV way it was written. I felt like there needed to be a bit more detail about the amazing details revealed in the end throughout the book.  The sex was amazingly hot the mystery could use more work.  Overall 4 stars and I would not hesitate to read more from this author. Hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as I did.  I think for me not realizing it was a mystery from the beginning with all the dreaming scenes made me question what was going on but I did enjoy this book.
1986515
I had a bit of a hard time getting into the book.  I found it took a bit longer than necessary to get the story rolling for me (I know that I'm the type that needs a quick grabbing story).  Over all I think the concept was good and well written.  I think that the overall story line was great and unique.
1796204
First time reading an Arabella Quinn book...and when I started out, especially based on the title I really wasn't sure what I was going to think- I'm not someone looking out for something hard core when I read.  But I ended up really enjoying it because in all honest it was more of my flavour- it had a taste of the domination without it being over the time for me or all the book was about.  I liked the characters and the story line and will definitely look out for more books from this author in the future.
2439054
I enjoyed this book a lot. However, there were times where some of it felt too simplistic or brushed over. I really liked the story line and the majority of the characters too. It will be pretty interesting to see where the story goes next.
2684214
The issues I mentioned in the title are the reason I only gave this book 4 stars. Overall, I really liked the story and the main characters were very entertaining.  Their witty remarks made it fun to read. I also really enjoyed the fact that the author gave us the background about Cal and Niko's life, including Sophia and her interesting personality. It made it easier to identify with the characters, their struggles and the reasons they became what they are.

The few problems that I found is that the story dragged a bit in some parts.  There was too much narrative with no action happening and I couldn't make sense of Auphie's murderous natures.

Overall, I liked it very much, and will pick up the next book.
4870060
I really liked this story. It had a  great story line , variety in characters. I was pleasantly surprised.  I will read this author again.
908250
I like the main character (the teacher), and was slightly annoyed with the student: this left me eager to go back to the story to see who i liked better at any given time.  I really need a story to keep my attention or I will lose interest quickly.  This is especially true if the story is 'preachy', which this one was and perhaps is why i enjoyed it so much; it was 'preachy', but in the format of an unusual and fun story instead of an 'I told you so" sort of way.  I was able to actually listen (or read) and enjoy understanding from a new point of view without getting defensive.  I liked it very much.
2676157
the story kept my attention and kept me interested through out.  Some times it was over the top but the total story was well presented and very well written.
1705014
I was pulled into this story quickly.  I liked the set-up and it seemed like it had an interesting story line.  But, it started to slowly sound exactly like a well known book.  Thankfully the story did have elements of is own, even if I was reminded greatly of something else.

I think what kept me invested in the story was Violet.  I really liked her character.  She's had to grow up having visions of the future and everyone else thinking she was crazy for it.  The teen years are hard enough without having that thrown in.  I was happy to see her find a place at Whitehaven and learn that she wasn't different from all the other students.  She could have friends that she could trust.  I liked that her talents were more than what she thought.

I wasn't sure what to think of Aiden at first.  But the more he was drawn to Violet but distant from everyone else, the easier it was for me to beg what was going on.  It bugs me when a character expects someone to tell them all their secrets but refuses to divulge any of their own.  When he does finally open up to Violet, I discovered that I actually liked his history.  It's not a new theory, but from some reason his voice gave it something new.

Overall, I liked the story, but parts of it were way to similar to others.  It was almost hard to look past.  If this becomes a series, I may seek out the next one.
2391937
I really enjoyed the story line in this book. I liked where the author went with it. The blog style the book was written in was a little tough for me at times, but I stuck it out, and I'm glad I did.
3681584
It was really nice to be caught up in a story enough that I found myself wanting to get back to my book. In that sense, I enjoyed this book. There is just something fascinating about the idea of choosing a husband or wife under such circumstances, and I couldn't help being swept along by the story, despite the fact that I kept having the eerie feeling that Chris Harrison was about to walk into the room...

The characters were pretty good, and for the most part I felt able to connect with them. There were moments where the dialogue wasn't all it could have been, and some elements were pretty predictable, but none of those things were enough to ruin my enjoyment of the book.

Probably the weakest aspect of the book for me was the fact that nothing outside of the romance really happens - other than the rebel attacks, but those didn't feel very weighty. It really would have been nice if someone had actually been in danger at some point, or if we'd at least seen something a little more threatening. Nevertheless, watching America and Maxom was interesting enough to keep me reading, and I really appreciated the pace of the book.

I do wish I had a little more idea what the over-arcing conflict of the series is going to be (other than I'm guessing it has to do with the rebels). There are some sketchy spots in the overly-simplified explanations of the world as it is in the story, and it would have been nice to have things explained in a little more detail - such as how the castes came to be in the first place. I kind of have an idea, but why did people accept it? That whole aspect of the story was underdeveloped, and I felt like it could have carried a lot more weight.

Not life-changing, but fun to read and a solid page-turner. Overall, I'm giving this book 3.5 stars because it held my interest and I'm actually looking forward to the sequel.
352628
A good story that held my attention all the way through.
1711456
I really liked the flow of all the characters. Sometimes there were unexpected and unexplained jumps in the plot, but over all I think it was pretty well written.
2358821
It was recommended to me, but the story line sounded a bit too much like a romance.  As I got into it, the story began to captivate me, and I continued with it.  It was a little bit of "When Harry Met Sally," and I gained respect for it when that was actually addressed in the dialogue.  But, it was much, much more than that, and just when you think it may end the way you expected-it doesn't.  Well worth the read--give it a chance even if you don't like boy meets girl stories, because that is only a small part of the story.
1717442
I'm stuck between a 3.5 and a 4 so I rounded up.  I liked the story very much, I liked the characters too.  What would have pushed me closer to a 5 was if there was more about the atmosphere that they were living in.  This is a Dystopian novel but I honestly could see it being just about anywhere.  We didn't really get much background on where they are and how they got there, just that they live in sectors outside of Eden.  I really liked the growth of the characters.  There were a few instances where I thought, hmmm, I wouldn't see that character saying this or that but it wasn't enough to detract from the overall story.  I think I will keep reading the series because of the characters introduced in this first one and I  want to see more of them and find out what happens overall.
2632276
The story was interesting. The character was also interesting, but I was not totally satisfied with the ongoing story line. It was tied together near the end and I did feel I got the enjoyment I was looking for.  I was unwilling to put it down, so it was engrossing. It was 'different' in what I would normally read. I like to find new authors and I like paranormal story lines.
4228640
I usually have problems reading stories with guys as the main character, but I didn't really with Lies Beneath.  I think it was because it showed that Calder had emotions while still having a "guyish"ness about him (yeah I just made that word up).  Anyways, he didn't seem off-putting and cold, which is a good thing.  And I really liked Lily.  She was unique and true to herself and didn't care what anyone thought.

I think the premise of the story was interesting--that merfolk always keep their promises or at least the promises must be fullfilled.  And surprisingly, I liked that it was dark (usually I don't like stories that are too dark).  I think my one complaint is that Calder was immediately in love with Lily.  Too unrealistic!  But that's okay.  I still enjoyed the story none-the-less.