Love at 20,000 Leagues

Gayle (The Binding Stone) transports readers to an underwater utopia in this fascinating but convoluted sci-fi love story. Samantha Meadows’s family forces her along on a monthlong vacation at Paradise Atlantis, a luxury underwater resort run by a cutting-edge AI staff. There, she immediately attracts the attention of two appealing men, fellow guest Travis Gould and Mason Bennet, the son of the resort’s creator and Samantha’s longtime crush. When sparks ignite with Mason, Samantha’s confused as to whether her rapidly developing feelings are genuine or the result of her lowered inhibitions produced by being so deep underwater. But just as she begins to feel that their sizzling romance might save the trip, the AI crew malfunctions and begins murdering guests. Management recruits Samantha to figure out who’s sabotaging the AIs—but as Sam starts to experience inexplicable blackouts, she worries about her own involvement in the crimes. The premise is fun, but the execution is lacking, with a slow start and unnecessary beats leading to a convoluted mystery. Devoted paranormal and sci-fi romance fans will enjoy the futuristic setting, but for many this will fall flat. (Feb.)