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Tales of Eukarya #2
My Fair Mermaid
The Little Mermaid meets Pygmalion… Maribel has learned to stay quiet. As an orphan relying on the generosity of family, and with six outspoken and energetic cousins, silencing her own voice is often the easiest way to keep the peace and ensure her own acceptance. After helping her cousin rescue Prince Frederick from a shipwreck, Maribel finds herself as the unwitting accomplice in her cousin’s plot to marry the human prince. The plan is simple: Maribel will distract Frederick’s grumpy best friend, Professor Hadrian Higsley, so that the scheming mermaid can cozy up to the prince.
Between a friendly wager over slippers, her growing attraction to a certain translator, the appearance of a foreign fiancée, and an increasingly desperate cousin, Maribel finds it harder and harder to remain a silent observer. Will she finally find the courage to speak? Or will the little mermaid choose once again to give up her voice?
Between a friendly wager over slippers, her growing attraction to a certain translator, the appearance of a foreign fiancée, and an increasingly desperate cousin, Maribel finds it harder and harder to remain a silent observer. Will she finally find the courage to speak? Or will the little mermaid choose once again to give up her voice?
195 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 21, 2023
36 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Beran
29 books185 followersSarah lives in sunny southern California with her husband, two small children, and dog Pippin. An elementary music teacher by day, when she is not writing or devouring books she spends her free time running, making music, or playing make believe.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
December 17, 2024
4 stars ✨ Clean Fiction/Light Faith Content - Fairytale Retelling
This was definitely different from the usual Little Mermaid retelling! Our main character is the cousin of the the first mermaid who has her eyes on the human prince and manipulates her into giving up her tail and going onto land with her. I don’t think at any one will cheer for this cousin, but our main character is one worth cheering for as she finds her voice to speak up for herself.
Cinderella’s evil stepsisters have nothing on our main character’s cousins. I wanted to smack her youngest cousin so much throughout this book because she was absolutely horrible to Maribel! Maribel was a sweetheart albeit a pushover at times.
I’m really familiar at all with this pygmalion thing. It’s apparently a play? And that’s what the movie My Fair Lady is based off of? I’m sure I’ve seen that at some point in my life, but I can’t recall anything about it so I didn’t catch the Easter Eggs or parts of that story in this story. It didn’t remove any of my enjoyment though as I did still enjoy this book!
Unlike most mermaid books that try to add in Christian faith content that I’ve read, I actually liked how this one was done. It was very light, but went well for the story and was believable that these mermaids also knew and worshiped the Almighty. I particularly liked the mention that sirens used their gifts for wrong and so the Almighty took away their gifts.
I was bummed that we don’t get the guy’s POV because I think that really would have helped how I viewed him. He had multiple times where he unknowingly puts his foot into his mouth when talking to Mirabel and I started to wince for her because some of the comments were rough. For being so book smart he really was an idiot. I think I needed a touch more romance between them to really buy them as a couple because of his mess-ups, but it worked out for Mirabel in the end and that’s what I was hoping for.
I would say I enjoyed the first book in this series more—and really liked seeing a cameo of that couple!—but this one was fun. It was different than the normal retelling of The Little Mermaid and had its fun moments like all the books I’ve read by this author so far. Even though King Thrushbeard isn’t my thing, I look forward to read the mix of that and The Snow Queen story by this author soon!
Main Content-
Prayers to & Thanking the Almighty; A few talks about the Almighty; Maribel has a friend who is an older Siren and can do magic which is who does the enchantment for Maribel and her cousin to get legs (others call her a sea witch and it’s explained that generations ago, sirens were given a gift of using magic through their voices, but when they abused their power and lured sailors to their deaths instead of providing them with safe passages, the Almighty took away their magic, bestowing the Gift upon only one worthy mermaid every hundred years).
Mentions of the Almighty (mostly by Maribel’s friend who is a Siren) & praying; Mentions of the sea witches, spell/enchantment, magic, & magical items; A couple mentions of miracles; A mention of a woman looking at a man with “worshipful eyes”; A mention of someone looking like a sea goddess.
No major language, instead a mention of a curse (not written out) and phrases like ‘by the seas’, ‘why in all the seas’, and ‘blasted’ are said; Some sarcasm & eye rolling (both teasing and mean).
Maribel’s cousins manipulate her, blackmail her, and use her for their advantages and while Maribel silently stands up for herself in her mind, she follows their orders due to loving them and wanting to be treated like them; One of the cousins threatens Maribel with her (cousins’s) death being on her hands if Maribel doesn’t help her (due to turning into bubbles if she’s unsuccessful winning the prince’s heart).
Fighting, Being hit, Tied-up, & Knocked unconscious and passing out (up to a few sentences); Because of the enchantment/spell, Maribel and her cousin are in major pain when they walk on land, so this is a large part of the story and have to wear the jewelry that causes it or they will be mute (*Spoiler* ); Lots of Pain and some injuries, blood/bleeding (up to a few sentences); Being blackmailed & manipulated; Maribel and her cousin help rescue drowning men after their ship capsizes (up to a handful of sentences in the danger and deaths).
Mentions of deaths (including in a ship wreck), possible deaths, & a planned murder (up to a couple sentences); Mentions of pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of rumors.
1 hand kiss,
1 kiss with no details,
1 kiss lasting a couple sentences,
Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Flutters, Nearness, & Smelling (up to a couple sentences); Blushes; Noticing (up to a couple sentences).
When Maribel is asked if she’s trying to seduce a man, she’s offend and says that she doesn’t go after chasing men who are taken; Maribel’s cousin comments about being able to communicate with a man in ways other than talking while running her hands down her body; Maribel’s cousin moans about being unable to touch or embrace her human crush; Maribel and her cousin are covered when transformed into humans; When merfolk that come from warmer waters visit, Maribel blushes over the men showing their bare chests and notes about the women often wearing “little more than seashells to cover their breasts”.
A man recalls his mother quickly developing a relationship with another man after the death of his father and him wondering if the relationship started before she let on (cheating).
Mentions of flirting & blushes; Mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of women throwing themselves to a man; A couple mentions of dresses clinging to a woman’s figure in all the right places; Love, falling in love, & the emotions (light).
This was definitely different from the usual Little Mermaid retelling! Our main character is the cousin of the the first mermaid who has her eyes on the human prince and manipulates her into giving up her tail and going onto land with her. I don’t think at any one will cheer for this cousin, but our main character is one worth cheering for as she finds her voice to speak up for herself.
Cinderella’s evil stepsisters have nothing on our main character’s cousins. I wanted to smack her youngest cousin so much throughout this book because she was absolutely horrible to Maribel! Maribel was a sweetheart albeit a pushover at times.
I’m really familiar at all with this pygmalion thing. It’s apparently a play? And that’s what the movie My Fair Lady is based off of? I’m sure I’ve seen that at some point in my life, but I can’t recall anything about it so I didn’t catch the Easter Eggs or parts of that story in this story. It didn’t remove any of my enjoyment though as I did still enjoy this book!
Unlike most mermaid books that try to add in Christian faith content that I’ve read, I actually liked how this one was done. It was very light, but went well for the story and was believable that these mermaids also knew and worshiped the Almighty. I particularly liked the mention that sirens used their gifts for wrong and so the Almighty took away their gifts.
I was bummed that we don’t get the guy’s POV because I think that really would have helped how I viewed him. He had multiple times where he unknowingly puts his foot into his mouth when talking to Mirabel and I started to wince for her because some of the comments were rough. For being so book smart he really was an idiot. I think I needed a touch more romance between them to really buy them as a couple because of his mess-ups, but it worked out for Mirabel in the end and that’s what I was hoping for.
I would say I enjoyed the first book in this series more—and really liked seeing a cameo of that couple!—but this one was fun. It was different than the normal retelling of The Little Mermaid and had its fun moments like all the books I’ve read by this author so far. Even though King Thrushbeard isn’t my thing, I look forward to read the mix of that and The Snow Queen story by this author soon!
Main Content-
Prayers to & Thanking the Almighty; A few talks about the Almighty; Maribel has a friend who is an older Siren and can do magic which is who does the enchantment for Maribel and her cousin to get legs (others call her a sea witch and it’s explained that generations ago, sirens were given a gift of using magic through their voices, but when they abused their power and lured sailors to their deaths instead of providing them with safe passages, the Almighty took away their magic, bestowing the Gift upon only one worthy mermaid every hundred years).
Mentions of the Almighty (mostly by Maribel’s friend who is a Siren) & praying; Mentions of the sea witches, spell/enchantment, magic, & magical items; A couple mentions of miracles; A mention of a woman looking at a man with “worshipful eyes”; A mention of someone looking like a sea goddess.
No major language, instead a mention of a curse (not written out) and phrases like ‘by the seas’, ‘why in all the seas’, and ‘blasted’ are said; Some sarcasm & eye rolling (both teasing and mean).
Maribel’s cousins manipulate her, blackmail her, and use her for their advantages and while Maribel silently stands up for herself in her mind, she follows their orders due to loving them and wanting to be treated like them; One of the cousins threatens Maribel with her (cousins’s) death being on her hands if Maribel doesn’t help her (due to turning into bubbles if she’s unsuccessful winning the prince’s heart).
Fighting, Being hit, Tied-up, & Knocked unconscious and passing out (up to a few sentences); Because of the enchantment/spell, Maribel and her cousin are in major pain when they walk on land, so this is a large part of the story and have to wear the jewelry that causes it or they will be mute (*Spoiler* ); Lots of Pain and some injuries, blood/bleeding (up to a few sentences); Being blackmailed & manipulated; Maribel and her cousin help rescue drowning men after their ship capsizes (up to a handful of sentences in the danger and deaths).
Mentions of deaths (including in a ship wreck), possible deaths, & a planned murder (up to a couple sentences); Mentions of pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of rumors.
1 hand kiss,
1 kiss with no details,
1 kiss lasting a couple sentences,
Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Flutters, Nearness, & Smelling (up to a couple sentences); Blushes; Noticing (up to a couple sentences).
When Maribel is asked if she’s trying to seduce a man, she’s offend and says that she doesn’t go after chasing men who are taken; Maribel’s cousin comments about being able to communicate with a man in ways other than talking while running her hands down her body; Maribel’s cousin moans about being unable to touch or embrace her human crush; Maribel and her cousin are covered when transformed into humans; When merfolk that come from warmer waters visit, Maribel blushes over the men showing their bare chests and notes about the women often wearing “little more than seashells to cover their breasts”.
A man recalls his mother quickly developing a relationship with another man after the death of his father and him wondering if the relationship started before she let on (cheating).
Mentions of flirting & blushes; Mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of women throwing themselves to a man; A couple mentions of dresses clinging to a woman’s figure in all the right places; Love, falling in love, & the emotions (light).
December 29, 2025
I liked this one more then Chords of Green and Gold, especially when Naia’s mouth was sealed shut; good grief that girl is a NIGHTMARE. Maribel deserved sooo much better then her family, but I digress.
I loved the friendships between Maribel, Hadrian, and Freddy, it was just so wholesome and sweet how these guys adopted Maribel in a way and Freddy is a dear. I had some issues with Hadrian’s lack of communication and his rather callus/dismissive attitude at times, but he did grow on me eventually. In a similar vein, it was VERY hard to watch Maribel be such a doormat for so long and get so horribly used by her cousins, but thankfully she does get a spine that made sense for her character which I appreciated.
I know nothing about My Fair Lady except that it’s a play (I think…?) but it seems to pair pretty well with The Little Mermaid, or the author is just very talented at putting opposite stories together so well and seamlessly.
So while not my favorite series by this author so far, I’m curious about what will happen with Freddy and Eliza in the next book so I will be continuing at some point.
‼️Content‼️
TRIGGER WARNING: a character is verbally and emotionally manipulated and used
Violence: men almost drown in a shipwreck; injuries and blood (not detailed); a character tried to stab another with a cursed knife
Sexual: kissing (not detailed)
Other: mermaids/sirens; magic; magical abilities/objects; a character is tied up and gagged; a character is verbally and emotionally manipulated and used
I loved the friendships between Maribel, Hadrian, and Freddy, it was just so wholesome and sweet how these guys adopted Maribel in a way and Freddy is a dear. I had some issues with Hadrian’s lack of communication and his rather callus/dismissive attitude at times, but he did grow on me eventually. In a similar vein, it was VERY hard to watch Maribel be such a doormat for so long and get so horribly used by her cousins, but thankfully she does get a spine that made sense for her character which I appreciated.
I know nothing about My Fair Lady except that it’s a play (I think…?) but it seems to pair pretty well with The Little Mermaid, or the author is just very talented at putting opposite stories together so well and seamlessly.
So while not my favorite series by this author so far, I’m curious about what will happen with Freddy and Eliza in the next book so I will be continuing at some point.
‼️Content‼️
TRIGGER WARNING: a character is verbally and emotionally manipulated and used
Violence: men almost drown in a shipwreck; injuries and blood (not detailed); a character tried to stab another with a cursed knife
Sexual: kissing (not detailed)
Other: mermaids/sirens; magic; magical abilities/objects; a character is tied up and gagged; a character is verbally and emotionally manipulated and used
September 20, 2023
I loved this book! The combination of The Little Mermaid with My Fair Lady/Pygmalion worked so well — which makes sense; they're the same type of story, but Beran did an amazing job weaving the two tales together.
I really enjoyed Maribel, Prince Freddy, and Hadrian as characters. It was hard to watch Maribel let others walk all over her in the beginning, but seeing her grow into herself and find her voice and confidence was a delight. Freddy is an absolute ray of sunshine and such a good friend to both Hadrian and Maribel. As for Hadrian, this book's answer to Professor Higgins, I loved how Beran kept many of the core elements of the original Professor H, but made her version of the character someone who we as readers can enjoy and root for. Hadrian has his flaws, but he's self-aware enough to recognize the way he affects others, and he can also recognize and appreciate when someone rightly calls him out. (And he comes to respect Maribel long before he shows any romantic interest in her, thank goodness!)
I'll admit that I had a hard time getting into the start of the book, mostly because I spent so much time wanting to smack Naia for how she treated Maribel. Thankfully, this got better once our mermaids reached land and Naia had to shut up for a bit.
On that note, Beran's handling of the mermaids' transformation and endings was very well-done. Because there's two mermaids going on land, not just one, the price they pay for their legs is tweaked, and that has some interesting results. As for the ending, while I won't give spoilers, I'll say that Beran nicely bridges the gap between the tragedy of the original and the happiness most of us prefer.
All in all, this is an excellent book, and I eagerly look forward to any sequels!
I really enjoyed Maribel, Prince Freddy, and Hadrian as characters. It was hard to watch Maribel let others walk all over her in the beginning, but seeing her grow into herself and find her voice and confidence was a delight. Freddy is an absolute ray of sunshine and such a good friend to both Hadrian and Maribel. As for Hadrian, this book's answer to Professor Higgins, I loved how Beran kept many of the core elements of the original Professor H, but made her version of the character someone who we as readers can enjoy and root for. Hadrian has his flaws, but he's self-aware enough to recognize the way he affects others, and he can also recognize and appreciate when someone rightly calls him out. (And he comes to respect Maribel long before he shows any romantic interest in her, thank goodness!)
I'll admit that I had a hard time getting into the start of the book, mostly because I spent so much time wanting to smack Naia for how she treated Maribel. Thankfully, this got better once our mermaids reached land and Naia had to shut up for a bit.
On that note, Beran's handling of the mermaids' transformation and endings was very well-done. Because there's two mermaids going on land, not just one, the price they pay for their legs is tweaked, and that has some interesting results. As for the ending, while I won't give spoilers, I'll say that Beran nicely bridges the gap between the tragedy of the original and the happiness most of us prefer.
All in all, this is an excellent book, and I eagerly look forward to any sequels!
May 1, 2024
Wonderful tribute to both Pygmalion/My Fair Lady and The Little Mermaid! As a life-long fan of both the My Fairy Lady musical and Pygmalion play, I adored the fun references and nods to George Bernard Shaw's work. I loved how Sarah Beran reworked the story into a sweet and touching romance we could root and cheer for, and I loved the important lessons these characters learned along the way. What a fun retelling. I can't wait to read the next in the series this Summer!
February 9, 2025
Even better than the first!
What I like so much about these books is the fact they are not just the typical fairy tale retellings. As you’re reading of course you are trying to recognize characters and story elements, and it was so fun for me to see scenes from a favorite musical My Fair Lady. But in these books just when you think you have it figured out it changes. This is what pulls me in and makes me want to read more!!
What I like so much about these books is the fact they are not just the typical fairy tale retellings. As you’re reading of course you are trying to recognize characters and story elements, and it was so fun for me to see scenes from a favorite musical My Fair Lady. But in these books just when you think you have it figured out it changes. This is what pulls me in and makes me want to read more!!
October 17, 2024
This book was amazing! I loved Maribel and Hadrian's relationship and the way Sarah Beran twisted the Little Mermaid was so nice. The emotions were completely understandable and I could really feel them pouring out of the page. The characters had extremely relatable backstories and I love the way that they evolved and grew over the course of the novel. I was completely hooked into this book the moment that I opened it and I finished it all within an hour. Great job Sarah Beran!
August 20, 2024
Had me grinning like a fool
Stayed up way too late to finish this book but it had me grinning like a fool in my bed. Beran's books are magical!
Stayed up way too late to finish this book but it had me grinning like a fool in my bed. Beran's books are magical!
July 16, 2023
Little Mermaid Meets My Fairy Lady
I loved My Fair Lady growing up and My Fair Mermaid is the PERFECT blend of Little Mermaid with this musical!
If you are unfamiliar with My Fair Lady, fear not, this will still be a magical read for you. BUT if you do know My Fair Lady, I cannot recommend this enough! There are Easter eggs aplenty in this retelling, and I found myself falling for all the characters. I think Freddy was my favorite because he is so cheerful and upbeat, and I’m REALLY hoping he gets his own story later.
I had no idea how Beran was going to solve all the issues that were popping up during this book! Anyway I looked at it, there was no way out, and I started sweating near the end because I was so nervous! But I needn’t have worried. It comes together so perfectly and I LOVED IT!!!
Seriously, I can’t recommend this enough! Every Sarah Beran book is an automatic favorite for me, and this one was no different
I loved My Fair Lady growing up and My Fair Mermaid is the PERFECT blend of Little Mermaid with this musical!
If you are unfamiliar with My Fair Lady, fear not, this will still be a magical read for you. BUT if you do know My Fair Lady, I cannot recommend this enough! There are Easter eggs aplenty in this retelling, and I found myself falling for all the characters. I think Freddy was my favorite because he is so cheerful and upbeat, and I’m REALLY hoping he gets his own story later.
I had no idea how Beran was going to solve all the issues that were popping up during this book! Anyway I looked at it, there was no way out, and I started sweating near the end because I was so nervous! But I needn’t have worried. It comes together so perfectly and I LOVED IT!!!
Seriously, I can’t recommend this enough! Every Sarah Beran book is an automatic favorite for me, and this one was no different
September 6, 2025
Content:
Language: None.
Violence: Mild. Some mild cuts and perilous situations.
Sexual: Mild. Totally clean, just kisses and hand-holding not steamy at all.
TW: This deals with a toxic family situation where one person tries to earn love/respect and the others take total advantage and manipulate this for their own gain.
This was so cute to read. It's been a while since I grabbed a book and just couldn't stop reading it because I was enjoying it so much.
Combining Little Mermaid with My Fair Lady was clever. Though I always enjoy the way Sarah Beran reimagines stories, she's deft at twisting things in ways I've not seen before (which is saying something because there are hundreds if not thousands of retellings and reimaginings out there). And I may have just gotten happy endorphins every time I spotted another My Fair Lady easter egg in the story.
The one thing that I struggled with was how awful Maribel's family was to her. I wanted to throat-punch them. Repeatedly. It is one of my Hulk-out triggers seeing anybody taken advantage of for being a people pleaser, and this was a prime example. I mean, I was even rooting in my head for But, true to Sarah Beran's writing, I was pleased with how things did turn out, even if my vindictiveness wasn't rewarded. Haha.
Hadrian was a delightful and imperfect protagonist, much like his inspiration (though less abrasive that Henry Higgins). I enjoyed how the relationship played out, and the backstory for Hadrian's blunt honesty was totally believable and made him incredibly relatable. I do wish that there was less 'telling' and more 'showing' in the story. It didn't detract at all, but I feel like it would've just upped the level of writing if there had been a way to allow the reader to experience things with the characters more, rather than be told what was happening and why.
There are a few typos in the book, but not so many that it detracted. My one that threw me was trying to get used to Maribel's name because I kept wanting it to be Mirabel (like Encanto) and it was actually spelled that way early on as a typo and threw me even more for a bit.
Totally enjoyed it though, and am thinking I might need to grab the paperback for my book hoard.
AUDIOBOOK
The audiobook was narrated by Emily Shaver, and I'm just really enjoying her voice so much. It's mellow and easy to listen to, but she puts nice emotion behind the dialogue (Naia came across as even more of a brat due to her brilliant performance) without being over-the-top. 5 stars on narration. I'm gonna go hunt for more of Emily Shaver's narrations. I like her voice that much, which is not typical for me of a female narrator. Sue me, but I tend to lean toward male narration simply because of tone. I like the depth and deeper tones of male voices.
Language: None.
Violence: Mild. Some mild cuts and perilous situations.
Sexual: Mild. Totally clean, just kisses and hand-holding not steamy at all.
TW: This deals with a toxic family situation where one person tries to earn love/respect and the others take total advantage and manipulate this for their own gain.
This was so cute to read. It's been a while since I grabbed a book and just couldn't stop reading it because I was enjoying it so much.
Combining Little Mermaid with My Fair Lady was clever. Though I always enjoy the way Sarah Beran reimagines stories, she's deft at twisting things in ways I've not seen before (which is saying something because there are hundreds if not thousands of retellings and reimaginings out there). And I may have just gotten happy endorphins every time I spotted another My Fair Lady easter egg in the story.
The one thing that I struggled with was how awful Maribel's family was to her. I wanted to throat-punch them. Repeatedly. It is one of my Hulk-out triggers seeing anybody taken advantage of for being a people pleaser, and this was a prime example. I mean, I was even rooting in my head for But, true to Sarah Beran's writing, I was pleased with how things did turn out, even if my vindictiveness wasn't rewarded. Haha.
Hadrian was a delightful and imperfect protagonist, much like his inspiration (though less abrasive that Henry Higgins). I enjoyed how the relationship played out, and the backstory for Hadrian's blunt honesty was totally believable and made him incredibly relatable. I do wish that there was less 'telling' and more 'showing' in the story. It didn't detract at all, but I feel like it would've just upped the level of writing if there had been a way to allow the reader to experience things with the characters more, rather than be told what was happening and why.
There are a few typos in the book, but not so many that it detracted. My one that threw me was trying to get used to Maribel's name because I kept wanting it to be Mirabel (like Encanto) and it was actually spelled that way early on as a typo and threw me even more for a bit.
Totally enjoyed it though, and am thinking I might need to grab the paperback for my book hoard.
AUDIOBOOK
The audiobook was narrated by Emily Shaver, and I'm just really enjoying her voice so much. It's mellow and easy to listen to, but she puts nice emotion behind the dialogue (Naia came across as even more of a brat due to her brilliant performance) without being over-the-top. 5 stars on narration. I'm gonna go hunt for more of Emily Shaver's narrations. I like her voice that much, which is not typical for me of a female narrator. Sue me, but I tend to lean toward male narration simply because of tone. I like the depth and deeper tones of male voices.
May 12, 2024
There are many fun mermaid books on sale this month for MerMay. One of the ones that stood out to me was My Fair Mermaid by Sarah Beran. It seemed like such a novel idea to combine the story of "The Little Mermaid" with Pygmalion/My Fair Lady. Although the book could have taken any number of directions to have an arrogant man convert a mermaid into human society, it turned out to be a pretty literal interpretation of the source material by creating a world where mermaids speak differently from humans due to living underwater and must improve their diction to be understood. I wasn't a huge fan of turning the original "Little Mermaid" character into a villain, but I did enjoy the story's unique focus on a related mermaid who followed her to land out of concern for her, which was similar to the "Sisters of the Sea" visual novel in Time Princess.
Maribel is a mermaid with the unfortunate luck of being a cousin to Naia, the spoiled and selfish princess of the sea. When the two of them rescue a human prince from drowning, Naia is determined to follow him onto land and become his wife. She pressures Maribel into becoming her unwitting accomplice in a deal with Llyra, a mermaid with magical powers, who gives them each enchanted shell jewelry with the power to turn them both human. The terms of the bargain are somewhat convoluted, but the gist is that they must choose between being able to speak or having terrible pain in their new legs each time they walk. Naia decides that Maribel must bear the burden of the pain so she can comfortably stalk Prince Freddy until she manages to seduce him away from his fiancée.
Since Maribel is the only one of the two mermaids who can speak, Prince Freddy's friend Hadrian, a translator who is obsessed with diction, gets to work attempting to fix her diction so she can be more presentable in royal company. He makes a friendly wager with Freddy over a pair of slippers that he can pass Maribel off as a duchess by the next ball. Maribel struggles to pronounce certain human consonants with her mermaid tongue, but she improves over time and notices that she is growing feelings toward Hadrian in the process. Hadrian is a more likable character than Henry Higgins in this book. He is given a relatable backstory and often apologizes when he is called out on bad behavior. Maribel is easy to relate to as well, though it is a bit disheartening to see the selfless "Little Mermaid" character transformed into a wicked cousin.
The love story in this book is surprisingly charming. I never would have thought My Fair Lady would have made much sense if the main character was a mermaid, but somehow it works. There is a brief description of the mermaid world at the beginning of the story before the two are whisked away to fend for themselves on land. They are treated by the queen as two homeless women that the prince brought to the castle for some reason, which is not that far from the truth. Without being aware of their lineage, Hadrian gains respect for Maribel over time when he sees her organizational skills and her devotion to hard work. However, he refuses to believe she and Naia are mermaids no matter how many times she tries to explain it to him. Naia, on the other hand, is presented as manipulative, selfish, and completely unreasonable. Though I love "The Little Mermaid" and admire most interpretations of the character, I did not think Naia was worthy of redemption by the end of this book.
My Fair Mermaid by Sarah Beran offers a fresh and captivating twist on the classic tales of "The Little Mermaid" and Pygmalion. While it takes some creative liberties, the story charms with its unique focus on Maribel's journey and her unlikely romance with Hadrian. Despite some drawbacks, such as the villainous portrayal of Naia, the book shines with its well-developed characters, engaging plot, and sweet love story. If you're looking for a fun and imaginative read this MerMay, My Fair Mermaid is definitely worth diving into. With its lighthearted tone and entertaining premise, it's a great addition to your reading list. So, take the plunge and discover the magic of this underwater-inspired tale!
Maribel is a mermaid with the unfortunate luck of being a cousin to Naia, the spoiled and selfish princess of the sea. When the two of them rescue a human prince from drowning, Naia is determined to follow him onto land and become his wife. She pressures Maribel into becoming her unwitting accomplice in a deal with Llyra, a mermaid with magical powers, who gives them each enchanted shell jewelry with the power to turn them both human. The terms of the bargain are somewhat convoluted, but the gist is that they must choose between being able to speak or having terrible pain in their new legs each time they walk. Naia decides that Maribel must bear the burden of the pain so she can comfortably stalk Prince Freddy until she manages to seduce him away from his fiancée.
Since Maribel is the only one of the two mermaids who can speak, Prince Freddy's friend Hadrian, a translator who is obsessed with diction, gets to work attempting to fix her diction so she can be more presentable in royal company. He makes a friendly wager with Freddy over a pair of slippers that he can pass Maribel off as a duchess by the next ball. Maribel struggles to pronounce certain human consonants with her mermaid tongue, but she improves over time and notices that she is growing feelings toward Hadrian in the process. Hadrian is a more likable character than Henry Higgins in this book. He is given a relatable backstory and often apologizes when he is called out on bad behavior. Maribel is easy to relate to as well, though it is a bit disheartening to see the selfless "Little Mermaid" character transformed into a wicked cousin.
The love story in this book is surprisingly charming. I never would have thought My Fair Lady would have made much sense if the main character was a mermaid, but somehow it works. There is a brief description of the mermaid world at the beginning of the story before the two are whisked away to fend for themselves on land. They are treated by the queen as two homeless women that the prince brought to the castle for some reason, which is not that far from the truth. Without being aware of their lineage, Hadrian gains respect for Maribel over time when he sees her organizational skills and her devotion to hard work. However, he refuses to believe she and Naia are mermaids no matter how many times she tries to explain it to him. Naia, on the other hand, is presented as manipulative, selfish, and completely unreasonable. Though I love "The Little Mermaid" and admire most interpretations of the character, I did not think Naia was worthy of redemption by the end of this book.
My Fair Mermaid by Sarah Beran offers a fresh and captivating twist on the classic tales of "The Little Mermaid" and Pygmalion. While it takes some creative liberties, the story charms with its unique focus on Maribel's journey and her unlikely romance with Hadrian. Despite some drawbacks, such as the villainous portrayal of Naia, the book shines with its well-developed characters, engaging plot, and sweet love story. If you're looking for a fun and imaginative read this MerMay, My Fair Mermaid is definitely worth diving into. With its lighthearted tone and entertaining premise, it's a great addition to your reading list. So, take the plunge and discover the magic of this underwater-inspired tale!
September 3, 2025
𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚
🐚~Genres~🐚
Fantasy/Retelling/Romance/Grumpy x sunshine
🐠~Characters~🐠
(Maribel "Mari" "Little shrimp" "Mariel") FMC she was so meek and timid when it came to standing up to her family.
(Hadrian "Had") MMC he was so smart, but he was honestly really mean to Maribel, like he actually called her stupid.
(Naia) MARIBEL'S YOUNGEST COUSIN She was awful, so annoying and bratty.
(Prince Frederick "Freddy") HADRIAN'S BEST FRIEND He was the only really likeable character lol.
(Princess Eliza) FREDDY'S BETROTHED She was interesting ok I am pretty excited for her and Freddy's story in the next book.
(Ondine) MARIBEL'S Oldest COUSIN She was pretty rude.
(Marina) MARIBEL'S COUSIN she was honestly a little boring.
(Daria) MARIBEL'S COUSIN she wasn't the worst of the sisters.
(Anemone) MARIBEL'S COUSIN she was also kinda boring.
(King Seidon) MARIBEL'S UNCLE he was ok.
(Llyra) SEA "WITCH" she was a good friend I guess I just personally didn't really like her.
🌊~Quotes~🌊
Maribel knew two things with certainty. If she did manage to fall asleep, she was sure to dream of a certain pair of dark eyes. And if she did, the dreams would indeed be sweet.
How was it possible that he was both the most infuriating person that she had ever known and also the one person whose presence she missed as soon as he was gone?
She needed to play the part of the graceful, impassive duchess, and that left no room for grinning like a fool in love. Because she knew, in that moment, that's what she was. Totally, completely, irrefutably, irrevocably in love with Hadrian Higsley.
🧜♀️~What I liked~🧜♀️
The names even though I can't pronounce most of them lol, Maribel's youngest cousin is actually the little mermaid character not Maribel herself, the sibling like relationship between Maribel and Freddy, the ending, the dance lessons, the cameo from Dorian and Lydian (book one)
🐟~What I disliked~🐟
How mean Hadrian was sometime.
📜~Content/Trigger Warnings~📜
Death of parents, mistreatment from cousins, blood, Maribel and Naia both experience extreme pain in their legs/feet due to the transformation, near death, mild verbal abuse from MMC to FMC
📖~Language~📖
Blasted.
🐚~Genres~🐚
Fantasy/Retelling/Romance/Grumpy x sunshine
🐠~Characters~🐠
(Maribel "Mari" "Little shrimp" "Mariel") FMC she was so meek and timid when it came to standing up to her family.
(Hadrian "Had") MMC he was so smart, but he was honestly really mean to Maribel, like he actually called her stupid.
(Naia) MARIBEL'S YOUNGEST COUSIN She was awful, so annoying and bratty.
(Prince Frederick "Freddy") HADRIAN'S BEST FRIEND He was the only really likeable character lol.
(Princess Eliza) FREDDY'S BETROTHED She was interesting ok I am pretty excited for her and Freddy's story in the next book.
(Ondine) MARIBEL'S Oldest COUSIN She was pretty rude.
(Marina) MARIBEL'S COUSIN she was honestly a little boring.
(Daria) MARIBEL'S COUSIN she wasn't the worst of the sisters.
(Anemone) MARIBEL'S COUSIN she was also kinda boring.
(King Seidon) MARIBEL'S UNCLE he was ok.
(Llyra) SEA "WITCH" she was a good friend I guess I just personally didn't really like her.
🌊~Quotes~🌊
Maribel knew two things with certainty. If she did manage to fall asleep, she was sure to dream of a certain pair of dark eyes. And if she did, the dreams would indeed be sweet.
How was it possible that he was both the most infuriating person that she had ever known and also the one person whose presence she missed as soon as he was gone?
She needed to play the part of the graceful, impassive duchess, and that left no room for grinning like a fool in love. Because she knew, in that moment, that's what she was. Totally, completely, irrefutably, irrevocably in love with Hadrian Higsley.
🧜♀️~What I liked~🧜♀️
The names even though I can't pronounce most of them lol, Maribel's youngest cousin is actually the little mermaid character not Maribel herself, the sibling like relationship between Maribel and Freddy, the ending, the dance lessons, the cameo from Dorian and Lydian (book one)
🐟~What I disliked~🐟
How mean Hadrian was sometime.
📜~Content/Trigger Warnings~📜
Death of parents, mistreatment from cousins, blood, Maribel and Naia both experience extreme pain in their legs/feet due to the transformation, near death, mild verbal abuse from MMC to FMC
📖~Language~📖
Blasted.
November 26, 2023
Orphaned mermaid Maribel has always been stifled by her royal cousins and never speaks up for herself. After a shipwreck, she and her cousin Naia each save one of the men on board. Turns out, they are the prince of a nearby kingdom and his official translator. NAIA decides she wants legs so she can marry the prince and convinced Maribel to come with her. They ask a siren for help, and she gives them legs -- with stipulations. One of which is that if they don't return to the sea or tie themselves to the land -- such as by marrying Prince Freddy -- they will die. Freddy is already engaged, but Naia is relentless. Maribel would rather return to the sea, except she is falling in love with Hadrian the translator.
Love this book! I adore Freddy. What a sweet person. I love his brotherhood with Hadrian and that Maribel becomes a sister to him. I'd live to read more stories about the trio. Hadrian can be a butt. I still like him overall, but Freddy is the sweetheart. I enjoyed seeing Maribel grow. This story takes some elements of the Disney version of The Little Mermaid, some from Hans Christian Anderson's version, and some original aspects. I had no guess about the end. I didn't realize until about halfway through that Maribel was trying to convince the guys she was a mermaid. Seemed like a secret until we learn later she had been telling them. Also, there is a moment where Hadrian grabs her face, but it mistakenly says she grabs his face with his hands. Great story!
Love this book! I adore Freddy. What a sweet person. I love his brotherhood with Hadrian and that Maribel becomes a sister to him. I'd live to read more stories about the trio. Hadrian can be a butt. I still like him overall, but Freddy is the sweetheart. I enjoyed seeing Maribel grow. This story takes some elements of the Disney version of The Little Mermaid, some from Hans Christian Anderson's version, and some original aspects. I had no guess about the end. I didn't realize until about halfway through that Maribel was trying to convince the guys she was a mermaid. Seemed like a secret until we learn later she had been telling them. Also, there is a moment where Hadrian grabs her face, but it mistakenly says she grabs his face with his hands. Great story!
August 11, 2024
This was the cutest idea ever! To take My Fair Lady and combine it with The Little Mermaid – who DOES that! Apparently Sarah Beran does, and she does it masterfully!
Maribel, the king’s niece, is regularly taken advantage of by her cousins and she doesn’t tend to stand up for herself because she dearly wants to be liked. Thus, it doesn’t take too much persuasion on her cousin Naia’s part to convince Maribel to temporarily give up her life as a mermaid in order to help Naia secure the affections of a prince.
The spell cast upon the mermaids however, doesn’t come without cost and Naia and Maribel find themselves flung into unexpected hardship until one day, the prince and his best friend Hadrian, the court translator, encounter them on a walk. Maribel’s speech is garbled at best and Naia’s is non-existent, so Hadrian impulsively bets his best slippers that he can transform Maribel’s speech to such a great extent that everyone will believe she is a visiting duchess.
He didn’t expect to lose his heart in the process though!
Sarah’s trademark swoon and use of quips and humour were alive and well in this book, and the subtle references to My Fair Lady abounded, making this an absolute joy for any fan of that classic tale!
I didn’t initially see many connections to the first of the Tales of Eukarya series, so this book could absolutely be read as a standalone. However, the third book of this series boasts many crossover characters and events so it would definitely be to your benefit to read My Fair Mermaid before A Bond of Ice and Sunshine.
Maribel, the king’s niece, is regularly taken advantage of by her cousins and she doesn’t tend to stand up for herself because she dearly wants to be liked. Thus, it doesn’t take too much persuasion on her cousin Naia’s part to convince Maribel to temporarily give up her life as a mermaid in order to help Naia secure the affections of a prince.
The spell cast upon the mermaids however, doesn’t come without cost and Naia and Maribel find themselves flung into unexpected hardship until one day, the prince and his best friend Hadrian, the court translator, encounter them on a walk. Maribel’s speech is garbled at best and Naia’s is non-existent, so Hadrian impulsively bets his best slippers that he can transform Maribel’s speech to such a great extent that everyone will believe she is a visiting duchess.
He didn’t expect to lose his heart in the process though!
Sarah’s trademark swoon and use of quips and humour were alive and well in this book, and the subtle references to My Fair Lady abounded, making this an absolute joy for any fan of that classic tale!
I didn’t initially see many connections to the first of the Tales of Eukarya series, so this book could absolutely be read as a standalone. However, the third book of this series boasts many crossover characters and events so it would definitely be to your benefit to read My Fair Mermaid before A Bond of Ice and Sunshine.
December 2, 2024
Ever wondered what would happen when My Fair Lady gets together with The Little Mermaid where said mermaid is really not the sort of girl you want to win her prince?
A clever meeting of two tales makes this a fuzzy retelling with a twist. It's a real romantic comfort read, full of black and white characters, sweet guys who just need the right person, and a heroine who needs to find her voice, even if she never really lost it in the first place.
Our protagonist, Maribel, is indeed a little mermaid, but maybe not the one you expected. She's forced ashore by her headstrong cousin Naia after rescuing some rather dashing gents... But the course of true love never did run smooth, especially when your accent is unintelligible to all but one cynical linguist.
It really is a cute flight of fancy, made of fairy-tale fluff, a cinnamon roll prince, and a wager no one thought could be pulled off. The twist to the ending was very satisfying. My only quibble being how the love interest goes oddly cold towards the end for reasons I don't understand from the narrative, and sometimes the writing could have been editorially tighter (repeated words/phrases near each other).
A quick read of enchanting fluffy fun to cozy up with.
A clever meeting of two tales makes this a fuzzy retelling with a twist. It's a real romantic comfort read, full of black and white characters, sweet guys who just need the right person, and a heroine who needs to find her voice, even if she never really lost it in the first place.
Our protagonist, Maribel, is indeed a little mermaid, but maybe not the one you expected. She's forced ashore by her headstrong cousin Naia after rescuing some rather dashing gents... But the course of true love never did run smooth, especially when your accent is unintelligible to all but one cynical linguist.
It really is a cute flight of fancy, made of fairy-tale fluff, a cinnamon roll prince, and a wager no one thought could be pulled off. The twist to the ending was very satisfying. My only quibble being how the love interest goes oddly cold towards the end for reasons I don't understand from the narrative, and sometimes the writing could have been editorially tighter (repeated words/phrases near each other).
A quick read of enchanting fluffy fun to cozy up with.
September 3, 2023
The Little Mermaid meets My Fair Lady...I would never have thought one could put those two stories together but they blended really well. It was a fun fairy-tale. The prince was certainly friendly and trusting to take what appeared to be vagrants into his home. He was very likable.
Hadrian was certainly very much like Henry Higgins in personality. I liked that the witch was actually a friend to Maribel instead of foe. I was bugged by Maribel's insistence on being a doormat for her cousins to swim over. So I was really glad when she got over that while working with Hadrian. I liked her much better when she became assertive.
I never got a good grasp of the intended time period setting. There were some very modern phrases but other things that seemed to be from a long, long time ago... I suppose in a fairy-tale it doesn't really matter.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this story. This is a new to me author and I would enjoy reading more fairy-tales from her.
Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: attempted murder
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
Hadrian was certainly very much like Henry Higgins in personality. I liked that the witch was actually a friend to Maribel instead of foe. I was bugged by Maribel's insistence on being a doormat for her cousins to swim over. So I was really glad when she got over that while working with Hadrian. I liked her much better when she became assertive.
I never got a good grasp of the intended time period setting. There were some very modern phrases but other things that seemed to be from a long, long time ago... I suppose in a fairy-tale it doesn't really matter.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this story. This is a new to me author and I would enjoy reading more fairy-tales from her.
Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: attempted murder
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
June 6, 2025
Wow, what a great retelling. I liked that we had two characters that represented the little mermaid. I found the concept of the probably more prominent little mermaid character being an absolute brat refreshing. I've only seen one other book that put LM in a more antagonistic role.
I do think in the end that Naia got off lightly and considering how BAD she was that there should've been some actual consequences for her.
However, Maribel was a spectacular character. I really wish she'd had more backbone, but felt like the reasons she didn't have one were believable. She was an orphan who was surrounded by confident, selfish, beautiful people who worked as a team to make her feel unloved, unwanted, but also like she could lose what little she did have at any moment.
I found the story to be engaging and it definitely got my emotions involved. I wanted to strangle Naia so many times. Hadrian got on my nerves a little bit but overall though both he and Freddy were very three dimensional. I'm so happy Freddy gets his own story too!
I do think in the end that Naia got off lightly and considering how BAD she was that there should've been some actual consequences for her.
However, Maribel was a spectacular character. I really wish she'd had more backbone, but felt like the reasons she didn't have one were believable. She was an orphan who was surrounded by confident, selfish, beautiful people who worked as a team to make her feel unloved, unwanted, but also like she could lose what little she did have at any moment.
I found the story to be engaging and it definitely got my emotions involved. I wanted to strangle Naia so many times. Hadrian got on my nerves a little bit but overall though both he and Freddy were very three dimensional. I'm so happy Freddy gets his own story too!
October 1, 2023
What a great Novella! Truly enjoyed it! Everything was so different yet the same for a Little Mermaid retelling! Wasn’t expecting it to have the My Fair Lady vibes! Loved Loved that aspect of the story!
Maribel, on land she is mistaken as Mariel, is an orphan and living with her family hasn’t been wonderful and honestly her six rambunctious cousins use her. Often as lookout or to do things that are unsafe since she keeps quiet and doesn’t complain.
Maribel and her cousin Naia rescue two men after a shipwreck, Naia is convinced she is in love this Prince Frederick, the man she saves, and meets with the siren to gain legs. The spell doesn’t come without a price and she forces Maribel to join her on land.
Will Maribel learn to voice her opinions and warn those in need or do actions speak louder than words?
There are so many things that happen while they are on land that I hope you give this book a read.
Maribel, on land she is mistaken as Mariel, is an orphan and living with her family hasn’t been wonderful and honestly her six rambunctious cousins use her. Often as lookout or to do things that are unsafe since she keeps quiet and doesn’t complain.
Maribel and her cousin Naia rescue two men after a shipwreck, Naia is convinced she is in love this Prince Frederick, the man she saves, and meets with the siren to gain legs. The spell doesn’t come without a price and she forces Maribel to join her on land.
Will Maribel learn to voice her opinions and warn those in need or do actions speak louder than words?
There are so many things that happen while they are on land that I hope you give this book a read.
March 28, 2024
A blend of My Fair Lady and Little Mermaid. Full disclosure: not a book I wanted to like. Do you ever start a story and are like, "Meh... Not my thing?" Little Mermaid was never my favourite and neither was My Fair Lady, but somehow, I really liked this story. It drew me in and forced me to be invested in the characters and to care about what happened to them. I loved Maribel's character arc. Her growth is so well done, and despite my reluctance, I was completely cheering her on for her happy ending.
Some of my favourite parts of this book were the fantastic linguistic details. The author spent a lot of time and effort on the scenes where Maribel is learning to speak so the humans can understand her. Sounds boring, right? It should have been. It wasn't. At all. These were some of my favourite pieces of the whole book.
Overall, loved this little story, and I wanted to high-five Maribel at the end.
Some of my favourite parts of this book were the fantastic linguistic details. The author spent a lot of time and effort on the scenes where Maribel is learning to speak so the humans can understand her. Sounds boring, right? It should have been. It wasn't. At all. These were some of my favourite pieces of the whole book.
Overall, loved this little story, and I wanted to high-five Maribel at the end.
September 7, 2023
This book is amazing!! 🧜♀️ This book is a retelling of The Little Mermaid and My Fair Lady. I actually am not really familiar with the My Fair Lady musical. I looked up what it was about, and now many scenes in the book make sense. There was never a boring moment, and the authors writing style is very detailed and captivating. The main character was afraid to speak up, but as the story continued, she found the courage to voice her opinions and become more confident and assertive. The romance is clean and sweet. I didn't want the book to end, and I will definitely be reading more books from this author. Overall, I highly recommend this fairytale retelling!! 🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️
I received an ARC, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I received an ARC, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 23, 2025
This book features such a unique mashup. It's a delightful combination of The Little Mermaid and My Fair Lady. Even though I haven't seen My Fair Lady in years, it was fun to catch a few things I remembered from the movie in this story. I really enjoyed Hadrian and Maribel's relationship. They had great chemistry despite their differences and their teasing banter was lots of fun. One thing I found different about this story versus other The Little Mermaid retellings was the way Maribel's secret was revealed. It was done in such a way that there was still anticipation for it to come out, but when it did, there was a lot less angst involved. Not that I mind angst, but it was nice to see something unusual. This was such a sweet romantic fairytale retelling.
December 1, 2025
My Fair Mermaid by Sarah Beran
Maribel has learned to stay quiet...
Quite a unique retelling of a Little Mermaid mixed with Pygmalion (My Fair Lady). We have Naia (aka Ariel, thinks she's the main character) and Maribel (aka Eliza, the actual main character). Very sweet romance, Sarah Beran never disappoints! It was especially fun seeing the My Fair Lady references, but Hadrian (the MMC) is much more likable. Would definitely recommend!
Genre: Fairytale (no spice)
Book in Tales of Eukarya (easily read as a standalone)
Quote: “But you did hear me,” she argued. “From the beginning, you treated me just like another person, even when nobody else did."
Favorite character: Maribel (the MFC)
Favorite scene: Maribel and Freddy interacting
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Maribel has learned to stay quiet...
Quite a unique retelling of a Little Mermaid mixed with Pygmalion (My Fair Lady). We have Naia (aka Ariel, thinks she's the main character) and Maribel (aka Eliza, the actual main character). Very sweet romance, Sarah Beran never disappoints! It was especially fun seeing the My Fair Lady references, but Hadrian (the MMC) is much more likable. Would definitely recommend!
Genre: Fairytale (no spice)
Book in Tales of Eukarya (easily read as a standalone)
Quote: “But you did hear me,” she argued. “From the beginning, you treated me just like another person, even when nobody else did."
Favorite character: Maribel (the MFC)
Favorite scene: Maribel and Freddy interacting
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
September 22, 2023
It’s a cute story. It reminds me a lot of the little mermaid. It has a lot of common things and it’s what makes it special. Super descriptive, you won’t miss anything and it all falls into place.
I kind of found it sad that when she went onto land, she was doing everything on her end with no support from Naia. I kept thinking like what the heck. However, as the story evolves, I can see her determination of learning and fitting in.
One thing i liked about the story was that even though Hadrian seemed like an outspoken person, he was still kind and friendly.
I can’t wait for Sarah’s next books!
I kind of found it sad that when she went onto land, she was doing everything on her end with no support from Naia. I kept thinking like what the heck. However, as the story evolves, I can see her determination of learning and fitting in.
One thing i liked about the story was that even though Hadrian seemed like an outspoken person, he was still kind and friendly.
I can’t wait for Sarah’s next books!
September 29, 2023
3 things I loved about this book:
1. The Mashup - I could've never predicted that I needed a Little Mermaid / My Fair Lady mashup in my life, but I totally did! So creatively done and yet so true to the heart of both stories.
2. Freddy - This charming prince is so humble, thoughtful, funny, and an amazing friend to both Maribel and Hadrian. Talk about a secondary character stealing the show!
3. All the Easter Eggs! - As a huge fan of My Fair Lady, all the hidden gem references to the musical made me so happy! But don't worry, the professor is much nicer :)
Highly recommended for fans of musicals and fairy tales alike!
1. The Mashup - I could've never predicted that I needed a Little Mermaid / My Fair Lady mashup in my life, but I totally did! So creatively done and yet so true to the heart of both stories.
2. Freddy - This charming prince is so humble, thoughtful, funny, and an amazing friend to both Maribel and Hadrian. Talk about a secondary character stealing the show!
3. All the Easter Eggs! - As a huge fan of My Fair Lady, all the hidden gem references to the musical made me so happy! But don't worry, the professor is much nicer :)
Highly recommended for fans of musicals and fairy tales alike!
August 23, 2025
So Good!
My Fair Mermaid is a brilliant mashup of A Little Mermaid and Pygmalian. It just works and it is so cozy, cute, and fun! The struggle with people pleasing and speaking up from Maribel is so real as is the struggle to not let knowledge keep you from continuing to learn and challenge your assumptions we see in Hadrian. I also liked seeing how the impacts of family and found family played out in the story. Hadrian and Freddy’s grumpy sunshine friend vibes added a lot of lightness and humor to the story. The romance is clean and no spice. A perfect book to read when you need a lighthearted yet substantive tale of happily ever after.
My Fair Mermaid is a brilliant mashup of A Little Mermaid and Pygmalian. It just works and it is so cozy, cute, and fun! The struggle with people pleasing and speaking up from Maribel is so real as is the struggle to not let knowledge keep you from continuing to learn and challenge your assumptions we see in Hadrian. I also liked seeing how the impacts of family and found family played out in the story. Hadrian and Freddy’s grumpy sunshine friend vibes added a lot of lightness and humor to the story. The romance is clean and no spice. A perfect book to read when you need a lighthearted yet substantive tale of happily ever after.
August 15, 2023
I LOVED what Sarah Beran did with The Little Mermaid! You could tell from the very start that this story was going to be different. First, “the sea witch” is a friend, not a foe. Second, two mermaids go to the surface instead of one. I loved the My Fair Lady aspects with Hadrian teaching Maribel how to speak like them. Hadrian was so much better than Henry Higgins, and closer in age. Prince Freddy was a delight. This is a book I want all of my fairytale loving friends to read! I can’t wait to enter this world again.
August 30, 2024
A wonderful mashup of The Little Mermaid and My Fair Lady in a way that makes everyone from each story likable and compelling to read. Maribel grows from a quiet girl who doesn't like to rock the boat by upsetting her cousins to being able to stand up for herself greatly written as well as the romance between her and Hadrian.
I also loved the many references to the original stories sprinkled through out the story and how Beran made them impact the story big or small.
A defiant recommendation for anyone who is a fan of The Little Mermaid or My Fair Lady.
I also loved the many references to the original stories sprinkled through out the story and how Beran made them impact the story big or small.
A defiant recommendation for anyone who is a fan of The Little Mermaid or My Fair Lady.
October 27, 2024
a very unique and well crafted retelling
Sarah Beran is excellent at taking hard topics and dealing with them with proper care but also without a whole lot of angst. This is a very good retelling. It's not my favourite because i always struggle with shy/silent protagonists, and in this case I did want to shake Maribel quite a few times. Also, Naia is very one-dimensional and it's hard to see why Maribel cares for her at all. But it's a really good book and I would recommend reading it.
Sarah Beran is excellent at taking hard topics and dealing with them with proper care but also without a whole lot of angst. This is a very good retelling. It's not my favourite because i always struggle with shy/silent protagonists, and in this case I did want to shake Maribel quite a few times. Also, Naia is very one-dimensional and it's hard to see why Maribel cares for her at all. But it's a really good book and I would recommend reading it.
August 25, 2023
I received an ARC of this book for my honest review. I absolutely loved it!
This is definitely a coming of age story that inspires the reader to speak up and love well.
Fans of The Little Mermaid and My Fair Lady will fall in love with the characters and root for the sweet love story. I appreciate the clean romance, comedic banter, and unexpected ending.
This is definitely a coming of age story that inspires the reader to speak up and love well.
Fans of The Little Mermaid and My Fair Lady will fall in love with the characters and root for the sweet love story. I appreciate the clean romance, comedic banter, and unexpected ending.
September 21, 2023
I’d say there’s a bit of Cinderella in with my fair lady and little Mermaid. It so screams fairytale. It’s such a great feel good story . Brilliant characters, well developed and it’s so immersive you feel like you’re right there in the action.
I read a free advance copy and my review is voluntary and my own words
I read a free advance copy and my review is voluntary and my own words
November 5, 2023
Oh my goodness! I loved this book so much! I may or may not have fallen for Hadrian and I definitely can relate to Maribel, as someone who has a hard time letting my voice be heard.
Now I want to go back and read Chords of Green and Gold. I'm also hoping that there will be a story that explains Eliza's change. (Maybe Snow Queen related?)
Now I want to go back and read Chords of Green and Gold. I'm also hoping that there will be a story that explains Eliza's change. (Maybe Snow Queen related?)
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