There is only one thing holding back Briar Glenn Parks Department supervisor Reece Rollins from success in his upcoming triathlon—his subpar swimming skills. At the urging of his sister’s wolven mate, Reece joins Leviathan Fitness to train in the gym’s Olympic-size pool. There he meets Cyrus, a charming kraken with unparalleled skill in the pool, and many, many tentacles that both intimidate and intrigue Reece. When Cyrus offers to coach Reece for his race, he happily accepts the help.
For the past few months, Cyrus has been floating through life without his usual spark. He’s even hit a creative block with his painting and hasn’t been able to produce a new piece of artwork in a while. But the opportunity to train this handsome human grump gives Cyrus something real to smile about.
New and unexpected feelings begin to arise from the depths as Reece and Cyrus start to spend time together in and out of the water. But can both men let down their guards enough to be swept away by love?
Release Date: Jun 9, 2026
Series: Leviathan Fitness
Book: 2
Heat Level: Hot
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley
Price: $10.99
Tentacles. It was definitely the tentacles.
This was my first time reading a book from Bennett, so color me surprised when I found out it was the second book in the series. No worries, as the story works as a standalone. I wanted to love this book, and there were plenty of parts I did enjoy, from the setting to the vivid descriptions of the monsters and the interesting world in which the characters exist.=
The story centers around the town of Briar Glenn, a town brimming with both humans and fantasy creatures alike. Our main characters are Cyrus, a 400-year-old Kraken, and Reece, the local park ranger. Cyrus is living a half-life, depressed and with no inspiration to paint he’s a shell of the Kraken he used to be. Reece is a friendless jerk who’s dealing with childhood trauma impacting his relationships with his family and co-workers. But Reece is attempting to mend fences and is training for a triathlon, who better to help him learn how to be a better swimmer than Cyrus, a natural? Only what starts as merely a friendly relationship soon becomes much more as these two are fated mates.
As I mentioned, the setting, the cast, and this world Bennett has built is enjoyable. What I struggled with were the goals and motivations for Cyrus, which seemed rooted simply in the fact that Reece was his mate. Whereas Reece is only about the triathlon. The spice is spicy, with plenty of tentacle-steamy scenes, and the plot is driven by this sexual relationship that builds into more. I also found Reece hard to relate to or enjoy. His anger and general off-putting attitude felt forced; also, he was always calling himself names, but in reality, in some of those instances, he wasn’t being rude or a jerk.
Overall, if you want low angst, fated mates, insta-spice with a fantastical world in a contemporary setting, this one’s for you. I’m not sure if I’ll check out the next book, but I wouldn’t mind a story featuring Reece’s co-worker, Javier.
~ Landra
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