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Turning Tides #1
The Turning Tides
Maren was born with the ocean in her soul...
Continuing the conservation efforts her father left behind, along with the remnants of his broken mind, she’s spent her life researching ways to save the underwater world that she loves. But, with scant months left in her graduate program, her slimy ex-boyfriend steals her spot on a classified research project that could’ve been the break she’d been waiting for. Her consolation prize? Janitor duty at the Monterey Bay aquarium.
Counting down the days until graduation, Maren vows to forget about love altogether and focus on more important pursuits, like getting into that lab and showing who the superior scientist is once and for all. But when an unexpected opportunity gives her the chance she’s been waiting for, she discovers the true subject of the lab’s top secret project- a merman with ocean eyes and the unparalleled ability to make the heart she set aside race with a rhythm that rivals the moon and tides.
As the lab’s experiments push him towards the brink of death, Maren begins to question the lengths she’ll go to for her research, and if this merman may hold the answers she’s been looking for all along. With time running out to save him, she must decide what truly matters, and if she can free him- how in all the seven seas she is going to hide a merman in the middle of Monterey Bay!
Continuing the conservation efforts her father left behind, along with the remnants of his broken mind, she’s spent her life researching ways to save the underwater world that she loves. But, with scant months left in her graduate program, her slimy ex-boyfriend steals her spot on a classified research project that could’ve been the break she’d been waiting for. Her consolation prize? Janitor duty at the Monterey Bay aquarium.
Counting down the days until graduation, Maren vows to forget about love altogether and focus on more important pursuits, like getting into that lab and showing who the superior scientist is once and for all. But when an unexpected opportunity gives her the chance she’s been waiting for, she discovers the true subject of the lab’s top secret project- a merman with ocean eyes and the unparalleled ability to make the heart she set aside race with a rhythm that rivals the moon and tides.
As the lab’s experiments push him towards the brink of death, Maren begins to question the lengths she’ll go to for her research, and if this merman may hold the answers she’s been looking for all along. With time running out to save him, she must decide what truly matters, and if she can free him- how in all the seven seas she is going to hide a merman in the middle of Monterey Bay!
237 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 29, 2023
14 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
Jessie Joi
4 books9 followersJessie Joi is an elemental sea witch, novelist, and avid environmental advocate. She splits her time between communing with the spirits of nature, collecting trash from the beach with a pair of alligator claws, and writing down the dreams that become her fantasy novels. She is well- versed in mermaid and water-spirit folklore and often finds inspiration in their stories for her books and daily spiritual habits. Jessie received her BFA from Stony Brook University, and is the author of The Turning Tides Series, a fantasy romance duology about merfolk in the modern world. She has presented at the Water Priestess Online Confluence, Bewitching the Waters Online Symposium, and is a social media creator under the alias "Fablepagan" across most social platforms. For her writing life, she sticks to the username Jessiejoiwrites, where you can currently find her on Instagram and Tik Tok promoting her upcoming releases. To learn more about Jessie Joi and the dreams she is making reality, her newsletter is available at her website, Jessiejoi .com
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 7, 2025
Absolutely enchanting.
There is soooo much I wanna talk about regarding this that I think I'll have to put it in a video soon, because this honestly has me thinking more generally about indie books and their future in the publishing landscape. The TL;DR is that I think I'm getting to a point where I would genuinely prefer issues with formatting/a few typos/etc to the committee-written, technically "perfect," soulless corporate schlock that you find coming from trad publishing these days. Because what's this?? A book with a SOUL??? Don't mind if I do.
This novel's biggest asset is that it really has that "x" factor that so many novels coming from the trad pub route lack, and that "x" factor is that it is very obvious that the author has a creative spark and is passionate about what she does, not just looking to get famous. It has been many years since I've picked up a trad published book that hasn't lowkey given me the vibe that the author like, doesn't actually care about storytelling. This novel not only has a fantastic concept, it also is executed very well (pacing excellent, characters fun and well-defined, actually takes a moral stance rather than pussyfooting around it because postmodernism maaaan).
Like I said, the pacing is done really well, the language is efficient but readable, and the voice is strong and defined. The love interest is actually really attractive without being a violent misogynist (and the narrative consistently condemns and calls out misogyny), and the romance actually has real chemistry. Moreover, it doesn't scaffold this chemistry on traditional gender roles. Maren is an absolute badass who cares deeply about doing what's right for the environment and interestingly, in this story the male love interest is the one who must be rescued, rather than vice versa. This doesn't feel forced, nor does it immasculate him--I don't think I've seen someone successfully pull that off in another book? I don't read a lot of romance though, so who knows.
Moreover, there is something very "real" feeling about the life Maren describes--fat cat, haphazardly tugging on a hoodie, going out to swim in the sea each morning before work, etc. Instead of feeling like an author trying to write something relateable but still interesting, it felt like Maren was a real person.
The entire novel is infused with the ocean, which is to be expected, because the author is a sea witch. Some may find the constant references to the sea a little much, but I thought they added to the book's unique charm, and most were actually pretty smoothly incorporated. Ex: a character "nets" some snacks out of a bowl instead of "grabbing" them. That's not literally in the book, but I remember the verb "net" being used in this way.
Another thing which really stood out to me in this novel was its progressivism, which really served to underline for me just how insanely conservative the larger publishing landscape has become. This novel is progressive, but not in a "checking our boxes," "sageing for problematic readers" type of way. Instead, it feels natural. Progressive values, instead of being used as a punishment for bad readers, are instead celebrated as things which bring joy and happiness into the characters' lives. Maren's friend, Cee, is gay with a homophobic father, but instead of the emphasis being on punishing the father, the emphasis is placed on the lighthearted way that Maren and Cee rebuff his ignorance, and how this strengthens their friendship. The comments on misogyny are slightly undercut by the very frequent use of the word "bitch" by Maren to refer both to herself and other women, however, the very strong environmentalist themes balanced this blemish out. I'm honestly tempted to call this eco fiction, or at least adjacent to it, and it honestly was so, so refreshing to see a book which primarily is a fantasy romance also so firmly commit to the celebration of nature and the protection of the ocean.
I'll say more in the vid but you should totally pick this up. I'll be reading the sequel and future releases from Joi. More please!
There is soooo much I wanna talk about regarding this that I think I'll have to put it in a video soon, because this honestly has me thinking more generally about indie books and their future in the publishing landscape. The TL;DR is that I think I'm getting to a point where I would genuinely prefer issues with formatting/a few typos/etc to the committee-written, technically "perfect," soulless corporate schlock that you find coming from trad publishing these days. Because what's this?? A book with a SOUL??? Don't mind if I do.
This novel's biggest asset is that it really has that "x" factor that so many novels coming from the trad pub route lack, and that "x" factor is that it is very obvious that the author has a creative spark and is passionate about what she does, not just looking to get famous. It has been many years since I've picked up a trad published book that hasn't lowkey given me the vibe that the author like, doesn't actually care about storytelling. This novel not only has a fantastic concept, it also is executed very well (pacing excellent, characters fun and well-defined, actually takes a moral stance rather than pussyfooting around it because postmodernism maaaan).
Like I said, the pacing is done really well, the language is efficient but readable, and the voice is strong and defined. The love interest is actually really attractive without being a violent misogynist (and the narrative consistently condemns and calls out misogyny), and the romance actually has real chemistry. Moreover, it doesn't scaffold this chemistry on traditional gender roles. Maren is an absolute badass who cares deeply about doing what's right for the environment and interestingly, in this story the male love interest is the one who must be rescued, rather than vice versa. This doesn't feel forced, nor does it immasculate him--I don't think I've seen someone successfully pull that off in another book? I don't read a lot of romance though, so who knows.
Moreover, there is something very "real" feeling about the life Maren describes--fat cat, haphazardly tugging on a hoodie, going out to swim in the sea each morning before work, etc. Instead of feeling like an author trying to write something relateable but still interesting, it felt like Maren was a real person.
The entire novel is infused with the ocean, which is to be expected, because the author is a sea witch. Some may find the constant references to the sea a little much, but I thought they added to the book's unique charm, and most were actually pretty smoothly incorporated. Ex: a character "nets" some snacks out of a bowl instead of "grabbing" them. That's not literally in the book, but I remember the verb "net" being used in this way.
Another thing which really stood out to me in this novel was its progressivism, which really served to underline for me just how insanely conservative the larger publishing landscape has become. This novel is progressive, but not in a "checking our boxes," "sageing for problematic readers" type of way. Instead, it feels natural. Progressive values, instead of being used as a punishment for bad readers, are instead celebrated as things which bring joy and happiness into the characters' lives. Maren's friend, Cee, is gay with a homophobic father, but instead of the emphasis being on punishing the father, the emphasis is placed on the lighthearted way that Maren and Cee rebuff his ignorance, and how this strengthens their friendship. The comments on misogyny are slightly undercut by the very frequent use of the word "bitch" by Maren to refer both to herself and other women, however, the very strong environmentalist themes balanced this blemish out. I'm honestly tempted to call this eco fiction, or at least adjacent to it, and it honestly was so, so refreshing to see a book which primarily is a fantasy romance also so firmly commit to the celebration of nature and the protection of the ocean.
I'll say more in the vid but you should totally pick this up. I'll be reading the sequel and future releases from Joi. More please!
May 22, 2024
i make it a big deal to support self published authors and i felt like i hit the jackpot finding a self published author with a merfolk book as their debut! i've been on a merfolk kick for these past couple of days so i felt intrigued by this plot.
unfortunately, this book felt like one i have read on wattpad when i was 13. the constant—and i mean CONSTANT— references to modern day media and slang was a distraction to me. "weezer", "shein", "pinterest", "taylor swift", "wifey'd up", "tell me the tea" ... it takes away from the "timeless" feel of a story. if you don't mind those quirks, then i think you would thoroughly enjoy this book.
i also felt no connection with maren and kai, but i feel like the second book will dig deeper into their relationship so i won't hold that to a higher standard for now.
i will read the second book because this book wasn't bad enough for me to completely discard it. it was a quick read that kept me a little bit entertained for the second half. it took a little while for the plot to quicken up but the book was short itself so it doesn't effect the rating.
the two stars are mainly because of the modern references and resemblance to that of a wattpad novel :(
unfortunately, this book felt like one i have read on wattpad when i was 13. the constant—and i mean CONSTANT— references to modern day media and slang was a distraction to me. "weezer", "shein", "pinterest", "taylor swift", "wifey'd up", "tell me the tea" ... it takes away from the "timeless" feel of a story. if you don't mind those quirks, then i think you would thoroughly enjoy this book.
i also felt no connection with maren and kai, but i feel like the second book will dig deeper into their relationship so i won't hold that to a higher standard for now.
i will read the second book because this book wasn't bad enough for me to completely discard it. it was a quick read that kept me a little bit entertained for the second half. it took a little while for the plot to quicken up but the book was short itself so it doesn't effect the rating.
the two stars are mainly because of the modern references and resemblance to that of a wattpad novel :(
January 18, 2024
I can’t wait for more!!
Maren is unexpectedly funny. Every character had such distinctive personalities. I really wasn’t expecting to love this so much. I can’t want for book two and for the spice to kick in!
Maren is unexpectedly funny. Every character had such distinctive personalities. I really wasn’t expecting to love this so much. I can’t want for book two and for the spice to kick in!
July 8, 2025
i will post a more official thorough review of this on my professional account but OMG??? SO GOOD. read this and the sequel in 24 hours on a vacation and my random tiktok find did not disappoint, this was so well written, the characters loveable, and the world and ideas were so much fun!
October 3, 2023
This book hooked me so quickly, I couldn’t put it down! Loved the plot and the characters. Cannot wait for book 2.
October 7, 2023
I wasn't quite sure where this story was going at first but the momentum builds as you read on. It is a well done writing for a debut author.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews