Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Daughter of Tides by Kit Rocha Series: Born to Sea and Storm #1
Published by Montlake Romance on May 6, 2025
Genres: Fantasy Romance
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible
Aleksi, the charming and charismatic god of love, is dying. But nothing can stop the Lover from completing his final a dangerous diplomatic visit to a former adversary.
Setting sail for a mystical kingdom of ice, Aleksi is joined by Einar the Kraken, infamous pirate lord, and Naia, a sweet young water nymph. Intoxicated by the pair’s electric connection, Aleksi vows to enjoy his last days by playing matchmaker, pushing away his own desires for the sake of theirs. But he’s unexpectedly caught up in a raging game of seduction.
As the trio navigates turbulent seas and the political perils of the Ice Queen’s court, dark secrets reveal clues to one’s tragic past and another’s epic destiny. Aleksi’s powers spin out of control while love and lust run wild. And when enemies emerge from the shadows, the Lover is forced to make a choice. Will he give away his heart to save all that he holds dear?
Aleski is the living embodiment of the God of Love and enjoys playing matchmaker. How can he resist finding the perfect love interest for the Kraken, the Ocean’s protector and an entity thought to have lost his heart millennia ago. Naia is a new godling born from the dreams of men, goddess of the sea, it seems only fitting she is also the only one capable of capturing the heart of one of its fiercest creatures.  In Daughter of Tides, the first book in the Born to Sea and Storm duology, set in the same world as the Bound to Fire and Steel duology, we begin our journey to see if the sea will capture the heart of the Kraken and if the God of Love will find his perfect match along the way.
I highly recommend reading the Bound to Fire and Steel duology as it sets the foundation of this story and I don’t think the reasons for the trios diplomatic duties to a small Island will make sense otherwise. There is a history and enemy well defined in the first duology along with some interactions with the trio that set up the crux of the story in Daughter of Tides. During the battle in Queen of Dreams, Aleski was damaged when he was cut off from the dream for a time. He feels his mortality for the first time in thousands of years. Wanting to leave a mark before his eventual death, he is determined to help his friends by solidifying an alliance with a powerful Ice Mage who rules an Island of legend. If he can also facilitate stoking the embers of heat between Einar and Naia, all the more fun.
A hardened pirate warrior who had seen over two thousand years of life was certainly too old to blush just because a man smiled at him— even if that man was the manifestation of desire and passion. Especially if that man was also wholeheartedly playing matchmaker. Only the Lover could half seduce a man while throwing him at someone else with both hands.
Aleski might have accidentally seduced both Naia and Einar a little too well as the embers of desire surrounding them catch flame he finds himself caught in the burning fire of their desire. Aleski doesn’t believe he is long for this world, but to be loved by two such powerful hearts might just make his last days some of the best in his long life. That is if he can stay alive against the plot that seems to be afoot on the Island and the dangers that surround them all.
Not many authors can write a thruple situation I’m on board for. But, Kit Rocha has written three of them now that I have really enjoyed and were fun to read. The spice level of the book grows and grows until it explodes near the end of the story. Naia is somewhat adorable as she is enjoying so much of her new life as a god and the adoration of the people who dreamed her into being. The Kraken is fierce, brave and you can see how his entire life he has never truly been excepted for everything he is, until now. I am the most intrigued by the transformation that Aleski seems to be going through and what that will mean to the overall story arc.
I enjoyed the book, however I think it could be edited down a little to flow slightly better. The end quarter of the book was a lot of sex stacked up, which while hot didn’t really move the plot along. Still really steamy scenes, back to back to back. I also think they may have done a disservice to the reader by trying to set it up as a stand alone duology. It makes much more sense to put it in the Bound to Fire and Steel series, since you really should read those books first to have the right context for the story. I don’t think on its own it stands well enough. If you liked Consort of Fire and Queen of Dreams this is a fun expansion into the lives of gods and the ongoing political drama set in that world.
The goddess once told me that death is not the enemy. I waited for her to elaborate, but she did not. Finally, unable to stop myself, I asked. She told me there are many enemies. I asked for their names, and she gave me several. “Greed. Fear. Anger.” Her eyes met mine. “Pain.”
About Kit Rocha
Once upon a time, two best friends decided to write paranormal romance. And while that was awesome, they also sometimes wanted to write insanely dirty stuff that wasn’t paranormal at all. This is that stuff.
Kit Rocha is the dystopian-erotic-romance writing alter-ego of writing duo Moira Rogers.
How do you make a Moira Rogers? Take a former forensic science and nursing student obsessed with paranormal romance and add a computer programmer with a passion for gritty urban fantasy. Toss in a dash of whimsy and a lot of caffeine, and enjoy with a side of chocolate by the light of the full moon.
By day, Bree and Donna are mild-mannered ladies who reside in the Deep South. At night, when their husbands and children are asleep, they combine forces to unleash the product of their fevered imaginations upon the page
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That sounds really good.
I do love a good Kit Rocha tale
I’ve wanted to read this author. I do get annoyed when the sex scenes seem to overtake the story at times. But I’ll try out the first series you suggest. Thanks for sharing!
They are solid writers that have great stories along with the steam. But yes definitely start with the other series first. I enjoyed it.
Sometimes the edit can make or break the book. Some people think a book has to be a million pages long.