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Beneath Aquatica's Waves #1

Backstroking with a Tiger Shark

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World of When a human takes a dunk in a shark tank, he discovers a world he never knew existed.

Tortelion, Tort to his friends, is a tiger shark shifter. He spends his workdays awing human audiences with a few aquatic parlor tricks. To him, it’s a pretty good gig. Plus, the people who come to World of Aquatica learn about his kind…well, tiger sharks of the non-shifter variety, anyway. A day that starts the same as any other suddenly takes a turn for the better when a mishap sends two humans tumbling into his tank. Blood in the water tells Tort that one of them is his mate. Joining those taken to the doc’s office as a witness, Tort learns his mate is Kane Cornshun, a busy human graphic designer only visiting the area to see his sister and her kids for a few days. Tort has very little time to woo his unsuspecting mate. Can he convince Kane to give up his life and join him at Aquatica?

79 pages, ebook

First published July 7, 2017

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Charlie Richards

343 books835 followers

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5 stars
159 (35%)
4 stars
141 (31%)
3 stars
110 (24%)
2 stars
35 (7%)
1 star
6 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
Profile Image for Susan.
2,294 reviews441 followers
July 25, 2017
A nice story about a tiger shark shifter (!) and his human mate. But it was a little too short to feel like a complete story.

Tort is a tiger shark shifter who works at World of Aquatica together with other see creature shifters. They all show the people who come to watch the shows some cool tricks. Then something goes wrong when a man gets pushed by a rough crowd, slips, hit his head and falls into the shark tank. As soon as the man hits the water Tort smells this man is his mate.

Kane is visiting his sister and her two children when the accident at the aquarium happens. When he is rescued from near death with a shark he is grateful he is alive. He’s also soaking wet. So when a man comes running to him and offers him a change of clothes at his place, Kane is glad to be able to spend a little time with the gorgeous man. A man who makes his interest in Kane known immediately..

I think this could have been a great book, if it hadn’t been so short. There was no time for any kind of relationship development, so this was insta-love to the max. I normally don’t mind insta-love, but there has to be come kind of relationship development after that. And that didn’t happen here.

So while this was a cute short story, it wasn’t too deep and it could have used a few more pages to make me feel connected to the characters. But hey, it had a shark shifter, how cool is that!

Profile Image for Steph ☀️.
702 reviews31 followers
December 27, 2017
Wanted more....

A PNR about a shark, heck yeah! Unfortunately, it wasn’t all I thought it could be. The chemistry between the two MCs was okay. Their need for each other was a combo of choice and insta love, which for me was a bit bland. In addition, it was short on sexy times and conflict which IMO makes for a so-so shifter book involving true mates. So, yeah a bit bummed......sharks you know :/
Profile Image for Rachel Emily.
4,302 reviews353 followers
July 18, 2017
Well, I think I'm going to really enjoy this new series from this author! Aquatic shifters, I'm so excited to see what other animals we'll get. And this was a great start to the series, I enjoyed the characters and the storytelling.

Can't wait for more!
Profile Image for Fay MMBookworm.
2,874 reviews48 followers
July 14, 2017
Wow.. Charlie Richards you've out done yourself with this gorgeous story. A great way to start a new series. Oh I'd loved to have seen Kane's face when he sees something he shouldn't have.  Both characters are fantastic, I cant wait for the next book.
Kane is watching the tiger shark show while he eyes of the anouncer with his sister and her children..
An accident happens which he ends up in the pool with the shark. Eeek.
Tort was a tiger shark shifter showing off for the audience but when the show was over he finds two people in with him.. one was his mate.. I wondered how the big sercet would be revealed to Kane.  Though I'm not spoiling if for readers I'll say accidents happen for a happy reason.     I'll egerly wait for the amazing story for this author. Tottally recommended read. 
Read
January 20, 2020
Overall book rating: 3 Stars
Audio book: n/a
Book Cover: 3.5 Stars
MC1: Tortelion (Tort) Muenster Tiger Shark
MC2: Kane Cornshun Graphic design human


To Start with I so loved the concept of this book. I loved the concept of this this secret place right under the human's noses. I loved the fact that there were this group of ocean shifters "working" at World of Aquatical for the humans its just the biggest Aquarium in the world but to the shifters its home.

I know it was a short read going in but I wanted more, so much more, this is a brilliant idea if only it was longer and with a little bit more "meat to the bones" if I can say it like that.

Kane is visiting his sister who's divorced and he takes them out to celebrate Kent's birthday, after watching the tiger shark show Kane gets bumped and he lost his balance and there he tumbles inside the tiger shark tank .... You can only imagine what went through my mind ... lucky (Yes, I said lucky how ells would he have found his mate ☺☺)for Kane he was bleeding and Tort saved him knowing he was not food but his mate thanks to the yummy (hahah) smell of his blood

description

I really only wish it was more!!!
Profile Image for Ula'ndi Hart.
930 reviews15 followers
January 20, 2020
Overall book rating: 3
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 3


I like what I read. BUT... it had so much potential, before it turned into just another shifter story.

I understand that this is really short, so I partly blame that for my disappointment.

I'm "disappointed" because the author clearly has some really nice ideas and makes you WANT to read more.

That's a compliment by the way. When you have something original and interesting in the world of shifters.


If this was a little bit longer.. if it had just a little more character depth and realism in the reaction to finding out about the shifter community...if we had a little more background about the whole thing..

All and all I'll read the next but it's frustrating when you find something with so much going for it being cut short and deprived of greatness.

Profile Image for TT.
2,018 reviews5 followers
September 7, 2018
2.5 stars, review to follow

You have to make exceptions for serial shifter books sometimes. This...is one of those times. The first in a new series can sometimes be iffy as you're setting up world building so that may be part of the problem here, but whew, this one was not good! I like the use of baby between couples, it sets up a nice intimacy when it's done right. This was 'babe' right off the bat and continuous to the point of irritation. Also I felt that Tort came on strong, I get that what's-his-name is his mate but going to an isolated beach and the guy repeatedly touching and rubbing what's his name's thighs on a first date was a bit much. Moving too fast! But hey, it's ok cause they are destined to be or whatever.

Anyways, ok book, writing isn't bad but story wise it needs work. Take it with a grain of salt, or in this case the whole salt shaker.
5,701 reviews35 followers
January 14, 2021
very cute story... interesting and fun.. i love that it was more of a slow burn type of mates and not just wam bam you are mine now lol.. very cute and i cant wait to read the rest especially because i freakin love having water shifters.. especially shark ones. so exciting.
84 reviews
July 28, 2017
Enjoyed

I enjoy reading MM shifter romances - this was my first with an aquatic shifter and my first book by Charlie Richards but it won't be my last.
Profile Image for Ckm66.
28 reviews5 followers
July 22, 2017
Excellent new series

This is an interesting way to introduce another group of shifters. Thanks for creating more stories. These stories always bring a smile.
1,414 reviews4 followers
July 14, 2017
Backstroking with a Tiger Shark (Beneath Aquatica's Waves Book 1)

This was good I Liked it can't wait to read more of this series as long as it continues I will read it ...
Profile Image for Laura.
1,032 reviews6 followers
August 17, 2019
Mir gefällt der erste Band dieser Reihe sehr gut. Fischwandler waren mir noch nicht untergekommen, aber es hat was. Die Story (ja, es gibt eine) liest sich gut, Tort und Kane sind mir direkt sympathisch. Es geht um Liebe, klar Gefährten, Freundschaft und Mobbing... Pierce *würg*
Die Geschichte besteht nicht nur aus aneinandergereihten expliziten Szenen. Das gefällt mir sehr gut.
Leseempfehlung und fünf Sterne ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Profile Image for Deirdre.
1,570 reviews15 followers
March 7, 2018
Wild World of Water Shifters

I jumped into this series after having the First Book on my Kindle for several months. Naturally after so long I forget the premise of the book. I love Charlie Richards and the thought of reading about huge Water Creatures was exciting. I didn't even know that the series was about a Sea World type water park.

But once I began to read I was pulled into the creative world of Ms Richards' imagination. I thoroughly enjoyed myself being both a Shark fan & terrified of them since I read the book and saw the movie as a preteen when it was first released in the mid-1970s on the big screen. I researched Sharks & read other Shark fiction all the while hearing the iconic JAWS theme music in my mind. But a book a Shark shifter - what a wonderful idea. I like the name of the aquarium & water park since I really love the movie Deep Blue Sea.

When the Shark in the story meets his Human mate & his family, he's placed in a quandary. How is he supposed to reveal his shifter status to a Human who has no idea that shifters even existence? And once revealed what are the chances of his mate keeping the secret from the sister he's very close with?

How can a first date go so wrong? Hesitation, arousal, fear, shock, jealousy, incomprehensible occurrence. Sabotage - lead to their already limited time together being cut even shorter. His mate has a great deal to think about - namely can he accept the Shark / man? What about them living in two different cities?

Long distance relationships don't work well with shifters: How can the Shark control the urge to EAT the douche who is causing his mate so much distress in addition to keeping them apart? Luckily the other Shifters of Aquatica know what to do with a pining unhappy Shark shifter. It doesn't make their separation easier.

I enjoyed the First Book of this series. And I am eager to see who gets paired up next among the Water shifters.
Profile Image for Christy.
4,053 reviews121 followers
July 30, 2017
3.5 Stars ~ I've read a lot of shifter stories and I fully anticipate reading even more before I'm done. But the idea of a couple of water animal shifters deciding to open a marine park, and then convincing fellow shifters to come work there, is genius. The concept of getting to see more cool shifters like sharks, that usually aren't featured in the shifter genre, had me excited about the series right from the start. In this world, humans don't know about shifters, so Tort has his work cut out for him.

Tort is a tiger shark and lucky for him, his mate drops right in his lap, or nearly on his fin, if I'm to be accurate. Kane is still wobbly after being knocked down slippery steps, hitting his head, and going swimming with a tiger shark. Not that Kane realizes that Tort really did rescue him in his shark form. A very unusual behavior for the shark known as the “wastebasket of the sea”. Kane is doubly confused when this gorgeous employee of World of Aquatica lets him know he's very attracted to him and would like to take him on a date.

Because some of the shifters at Aquatica shift into animals that humans believe to be extinct, Kaiser and William Roush, the owners, are determined to keep their loosely formed pod as safe as possible from humans discovering them. Mates, however, are rare and the brothers are more than happy to give their permission for Tort to tell Kane the truth. Now, if he can just figure out the right way, and convince Kane to move there, then he'll be a tiger shark willing to do leaps in his show!

A wonderfully fascinating beginning to a shifter series. I liked the love story between Kane and Tort, although I wished it had been longer. However, now I'm super curious as to the shifter identities of other characters, particularly the Roush brothers who own Aquatica and are the alpha and beta of their off-beat pod. Looking forward to the next one!

NOTE: This book was provided by eXtasy Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews
Profile Image for Claudia Lezár.
1,409 reviews39 followers
December 31, 2019
PLEASE READ MY RATING SYSTEM!!!

To my ratings:
A 3,5* is clicked with a 4* but in review marked as 3,5*:

5* - very very good and rare (it would be a Blow-Away-book like ‘Jesse's Smile’ or ‘Joey’ from Angelique Jurd, ‘Save the the kids’ series
from EM Leya, ‘Love’s Tethered Heart’ from C.L. Etta or ‘Liberty’ from Seth King),
it's like an A+

4* - very good and will be often reread and is a WOW-book with interesting plot and surprises (like most of Andrew Grey books and Davidson Kings 'Haven Hart'-series)
it's like an A

3,5* - a really good book, which will be reread a few times (most romances where you can enjoy for relaxing and during waiting times in
hospitals). I can recommend them definitively!
It's like an B+

3* - it could be more then a one-time-reader (2-3 times a year),
it's like a B

2* - it was ok to read, but it's more a one-time-reader (I wouldn't recommend it heartily, but it was ok)
It's like a C-, D

1* - sorry, but that isn't really a book for me (too many mistakes, not nice plot, illogical, so an absolute NO-GO). It's like failure in the
whole line, dismissed, repeat the class
27 reviews
August 1, 2017
Backstroking with a tiger shrak

It was an enjoyable read, but everything seemed to move very fast. I felt wanting more inner play between the main characters themselves and then again in between some of the side characters.
This is the first book by this author I've read and I saw on her site this series happens in the same universe as some of her others. I thinking if you have read those that the 'world' that this is taking place in will be explained better. For the price, how short it was and abrupt it felt, I'm neutral in my feelings. I'll probably try the next book or one of the others series of hers before I follow this author or not.
Profile Image for Morgan  Skye.
2,776 reviews28 followers
August 31, 2017
Yay! A new series by Charlie Richards!

This one starts with a really unique perspective – the shifters run an aquarium and use their animal halves on display to make money for themselves! The drama comes when a human accidentally lands in a shark tank and the shark rescues him!

There are several potential future MCs – including the mysterious owners of the aquarium whom we don’t even know what type of paranormal they are – look particularly interesting!

This is classic Charlie, having to explain about paranormals, super sweet love interests, fun shifters, and insta love!

I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to more of it’s kind!

4.5 of 5 stars
Profile Image for Allisha Fisher.
40 reviews2 followers
September 19, 2019
Ok so this wasn't the WORST thing I've read, not even close. Would I call this great? Gods no. A solid meh. This book has all the supplies to make a 10 course delicious and steamy shifter novel.... but the author just leaves it unputtogether. It felt more of a rough outline, but lacking all the flavor of a full novel. So if you got a spare hour to kill and you got thr book free, by all means read it. But don't spend ,money on it and don't expect to be "wowed" by any stretch of the imagination.
554 reviews3 followers
July 16, 2022
Aquatic shifters… don’t think I have read a book like this before. A human male and a tiger shark shifter… I loved the idea of it being set at World of Aquatica a place owned by shifters where they can be themselves without the fear of being seen by humans. it worked very well the only thing I would have liked was for it to be longer but having a look there is there loads more books in this series following an array of different characters.
32 reviews
January 5, 2024
The first book in a series about a SeaWorld-esque aquarium stocked entirely by marine life that are actually human shapeshifters. GAY human shapeshifters. Already the premise is spectacular. Charlie Richards’s brain is so wrinkly. The writing isn’t outstanding, but I didn’t go in expecting it to be. A silly (affectionate) little bunch of books with a wild plot that are fun to read. My biggest beef is the abysmal OSHA violations in the first chapter that set off the events.
252 reviews
March 29, 2021
loved it!

loved this first book! i see there are 8 more in the series to read! yay! I'm so glad to come across a series with so many books already out. I can't wait to dive into them all!
Love this author, love the writing style, love how the characters compliment each other. A+++++
Profile Image for  ☔️ Stormy Day Reader .
1,171 reviews42 followers
August 4, 2021
A solid start to the series. I really liked all of the characters we’ve met so far and look forward to seeing more. The park idea is really neat. Kinda like the ways the vampires in her Loving Nip series hide in plain sight with ranches and hotels and such. It’s a better concept than I was anticipating. I’m already pumped for more.
Profile Image for Gerald Sessions.
1,148 reviews6 followers
August 7, 2017
Life change

Kane fell into the shark tank hurt and bleeding. Tort smelled his mates blood in the water. Both men are going to have to make changes. Great first story looking forward to more.
Profile Image for April.
419 reviews2 followers
September 23, 2020
Who wouldn't want to swim with a shark!

I absolutely love this series! I love the aquatic theme and all thw different shifters. Tort and Kane are great together. As they work through there issues with distance, and make a great mated pair.
Profile Image for Jenn (not Lily).
4,518 reviews28 followers
October 6, 2022
Not bad. Fated mate Insta-love with only one phone sex scene and ending with their first in-person sex consummation of their bond. On the other hand, it's really short and the world building took up quite a bit of the story. If you need an aquatic shifter story, this is a decent series.
Profile Image for Phoenix.
137 reviews15 followers
September 18, 2017
In general not a bad book. However it felt like the end was rushed and we barely got to know the characters in Kane's office, if that.
Profile Image for Letty.
76 reviews
September 22, 2017
I have a big phobia of sharks, just imagining being in a water with one gave me serious goosebumps *shivers* all through the story.

Still, I enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Kristina.
479 reviews35 followers
February 28, 2019
This was good! I have read about a lot of shifter's but I can't remember any about a Tiger Shark! I am eager to get to book Two.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews

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