ATLANTIS RISING by Alyssa Day

This review was a year and a half in coming.  The author sent me the book and then I got knocked up and lost it somewhere between throwing up and giving birth.  Ha!  Better late than never.
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From the outside, Riley seems like your average good girl social worker, trying to save babies from their moron parents and such.  It's a tough job I'd never want.  After sending yet another poor baby into foster care because it's parents were selfish, violent idiots, she goes for a walk on the beach and is set by a pack of slobbering drunks, which are, well, not entirely human.  Fear not.  This is a Romance novel.  The Hero, Conlon, charges to her rescue on a fiery, uh, I mean watery steed, I mean wave. 
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So, he whoops the bad guys and Riley's more than a little freaked out.  I mean, wouldn't you be?  But, it does help that Conlon's a regular Romance novel studmuffin.  You know the kind, long black hair, washerboard abs, a butt...wait...did she mention his butt?  Dang.  Anyway, she realizes they have a regular empathic/telepathic thing going on and he's totally getting off on it. 
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Meanwhile, the bad guys are really bad.  No redemptive qualities there.  They like to slurp congressmen blood for breakfast.  Yep, they're Blood-Sucking Dead Guys.  And they've sensed a Tremor in the Force.  (Oops, that Star Wars, sorry.)  And they want to find out who the Empath is who caused it.  You can probably figure out it was Riley.
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But, don't worry.  Remember I told you Conlon was totally getting off her empathic abilities? He's red hot and ready to defend his woman at all costs and all that.  But, you know, it does kinda complicate things that he's heir to the Throne of Atlantis and already arranged to marry someone else in two weeks.
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Fear not!  He's got brothers.  A whole lotta brothers.  The Warriors of Poseidon and if they ever got loose at the RWA National Convention...um, okay, nevermind that.  Picture the Chippendale Dancers in black leather coming out of the ocean and, oh, baby, they really think you're hot.
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Anyway, where was I?  Oh, right, Conlon.  He's on a mission to find Poseidon's Trident.  It's his first mission after being locked up by the Psycho Lady From Hell for few years.  I guess that's what it takes for a guy with washerboard abs to doubt his masculinity.
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Ah, but love conquers all, you know, and Riley quickly helps him remember how, um, great he is in the water.
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ATLANTIS RISING is the first in the Warriors of Poseidon series and world-building is awesome.  That was my favorite part about it, the blending of mythology with present day reality.  Pop over to the author's website and learn more-
http://www.alyssaday.com/