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The Noble’s Merman

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A merman who possesses deadly magic.
Mo is a merman, born with a magical gift: the Siren’s Song. It’s a primal, instinctual force that runs through his veins, urging him to kill humans, to see their blood. But clashing with that urge is Mo’s soft and tender side, taking a special interest in humanity and wondering what it’d be like to walk amongst them with legs of his own.

A human noble with a broken heart.
Kent Wilson is the heir to the Earl of Fareham. He’d felt his life was secure until his betrothed abandoned him unexpectedly a year ago, leaving both his future and his heart in tatters. After a fierce argument with his father one day, Kent runs away to the beach. Needing some time alone with his melancholy thoughts, he sings to the sea.

What he doesn’t expect, though, is for a merman to hear him.

Together, the two form a secret relationship—one which propels them into passion, and a love greater than they ever thought possible.

[The Noble’s Merman is a standalone novel. It is an 18th century historical fantasy MM romance, with merfolk magic, cozy beach encounters, pirates, and plenty of spice.]

417 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 9, 2024

53 people are currently reading
444 people want to read

About the author

S.S. Genesee

5 books56 followers
Genesee is the author of the MM romance duology, “All Tomorrow’s Photos”. They are an avid illustrator, bringing to life their written stories through the art they create. They also are a connoisseur of all things vintage, specifically loving fashion and music of the 1960s and 1970s. Genesee plans to continue writing queer historical romance, whether that be fantasy or set in the real world, set anywhere from the 1700s to the 1970s.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
Profile Image for Audi♡.
765 reviews77 followers
July 9, 2024
"Love and devotion in it's purest form, linking them heart to heart"

Thank you so much S.S Genesee for the ARC! I loved them so much I didn't want to leave. This is definitely a re read for when I want to smile like a fool for hours.
Their friendship at the beginning was so pure.. The way Mo waited for Kent at their special spot on the beach 🥹
The gifts they gave each other, sharing food and stories of their world.
SINGING TOGETHER!! Ugh.
I was GOO. I wanted to be a crab on the beach watching.
Spicy parts were romantic, sweet, plus a wee bit kinky. That hair pulling business Mo did so Kent wouldn't drown...
Chefs kiss.

So, how do you actually BE with a merman?
You set sail.
Their adventure on the boat was fun. I loved the crew and how accepting they were. I had my fingers crossed that they would get answers to Mo becoming human....But then shit hit the fan 😭
I was so stressed my face was hot. I'm not even mad at Mo for taking down previous pirates. They ARE NOT hot in this book.. We hate them. (TW is listed. attempted SA) Nasty fuckers.

My favorite funny part was when Mo drank rum for the first time, and Kent said-

"Living in the water, you wouldn't drink anything aside from that, would you?

Mo- "well, there's is another liquid like substance I've had quite recently, provided by a very special person..."

STOP 🤣🤭

The illustrations made me so happy. I loved their portraits at the beginning. Not only did the author write the story, but they did the illustrations too. Just wait till you see them snuggling in the hammock!!


The last 15% had me teary. I'm so happy for them.

Dual 3rd person POV.
No cheating.
No OM.
Release date 7/9/24. Today's the day!!
Profile Image for Em’sBookNook.
423 reviews52 followers
July 9, 2024
I got the pleasure of reading an early copy of this book. I had previously never read any merfolk books before and I’m thoroughly sold.

I loved the English setting and honestly Kent and Mo are so wholesome. It’s a really fun cosy read and there’s also merman dick to enjoy so, what more could you want.
Profile Image for Ray.
655 reviews51 followers
tsk-i-dnfed
January 7, 2025
Dnfing at 13%. 62 pages in.

I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with this but i also don't really wanna continue. It already feels a little instalovey and I just want something a little more slow burn right now.
Profile Image for Rafael Andrade.
424 reviews5 followers
November 25, 2024
Pirates, a merman falling in love with a male human, spiced adventure, and excitement. This is my favorite merman/adventure/pirate read of 2024.
Profile Image for T.J. Rose.
Author 9 books314 followers
August 1, 2024
A gorgeously written, low-angst adventure at high seas 🌊 featuring our lovely noble Kent and our sweetheart-but-secretly-a siren-Mo.

From romantic beach talks to pirate battles to 🌶 mercock action, this novel is both entertaining and deeply romantic. There are heartfound and hilarious moments abound as Kent and Mo try to figure out how to make their relationship work, including how to make the tales of mermen growing legs come true...

If you enjoyed this novel, please do yourself a favour and go and visit Kent and Mo in their other lives, in All Tomorrow's Photographs.
Profile Image for Kaitlyn.
467 reviews181 followers
June 12, 2024
5 ★

I know you two are more than simply friends, and I've seen you interact. I see the way he looks at you. He's in love with you. There is no way around lying about that-those eyes speak the truth.

First of all I want to clarify this is not my normal genre of book, but once I saw the cover and blurb, I knew I had to read it and I'm so glad I did. From the first page I was hooked, Mo clearly singing his Siren Song to me through the pages. Everything about the book I felt so clearly, the passion and longing running rampent between Kent and Mo through to the banter between friends. It was a perfect balance of character development and world building, everything flowed so seamlessly I completely dropped everything and read it in one sitting. The author has an amazing talent with weaving words that build a bold picture in your head that it feels almost real, and I absolutely love that. Overall I loved this book more than words can describe, and S.S. Genesee is undoubtably an auto-buy author for life.

What To Expect:
⨳ Historical Fantasy MM Romance
⨳ 18th Century
⨳ Siren / Human
⨳ Slice of Life
⨳ Secret Relationship
⨳ Low Angst

Together with his beloved, cherished, adored. Kent was his, and he ws Kent's. He finally knew now, without a doubt, they wholly belonged to each other.

❤︎ ARC provided in exchange for an honest review ❤︎
Profile Image for Anna.
Author 1 book1 follower
September 9, 2024
This was such a fun read. I felt like I was reading an old school fairytale. I adored the characters and found the dark edge to it just perfect for the fairytale style. It’s super sweet and romantic. I enjoyed this story flirty much!
Profile Image for Alastair H .
222 reviews7 followers
July 15, 2024
Cozy mermaid romantasy! I got everything I wanted in this book. Mo and Kent are just so cute and perfect together. They meet and hit it off instantly, sharing about their respective worlds and experiences. It made me so happy to watch them fall in love and all their little adorable interactions.

There is some drama in there too, it's not the shortest book so obviously things happen. I was pretty stressed at times but that was just because I adored Mo and Kent so much and when bad things happened I wanted to stab everyone 😂

For real though this was an excellent cozy romance with lots to entertain you and also to make you melt. Full of quiet and sweet romance but also high seas adventuring.
Profile Image for Moka Alvarez.
400 reviews8 followers
June 24, 2024
the noble’s merman 🧜‍♂️

This is the kind of story everyone needs in their life- THIS BOOK IS WONDERFUL 😭.

I don’t even know where to begin. Mo and Kent were adorable- I found them heartwarming - the gifts they gave each other??? ADORABLE 🫶🏽💖 - since the first chapter this book will steal your time. I couldn’t stop reading it.

I live for mm books and The Noble’s Merman is so well written that I want to purchase many copies to gift it to my friends 🏹💕💸. I loved how quickly Kent accepted he like Mon - he didn’t even fought against it, he was like: Oh! I suppose I like Mo, I’m cool with it 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽.

And can we talk about Mo??? He’s the cutest merman 😫♥️✨. I know perfection doesn’t exist and frankly Mo made some mistakes buuuuut he’s just so close to perfection. He’s so dashing and I LOVE IT 🤩. He indeed deserves Kent’s love ❤️.

The side characters were amazing- the ship crew was so welcoming and friendly since day one. This is a historic romance set in 1700's so accepting a different love wasn’t easy in those times but I like to think back in time people like them existed somewhere and accept love in any kind of forms 🥹.

I can go on and on because for me this is definitely a 5🌟 and you know I don’t easily give them. The author draw the art on it and let me tell you it’s AMAZING (here in this post you can find it).

I really wish S.S Genesee continue writing about this world because I can’t get enough.

THANK YOU S.S Genesee for the early copy- this is the book I needed for my life 📖🫶🏽.
Profile Image for L.A. Lambert.
Author 6 books79 followers
November 17, 2025
The Noble's Merman is a really cozy and lovely story about a shy and sweet human, Kent, and a thoughtful and caring merman named Mo. This story is SO incredibly sweet and lovely and just makes you feel super warm and fuzzy inside while you're reading. There's a bit of drama and conflict, of course, but definitely the main focus and most of the scenes are about Mo and Kent becoming closer and falling for each other.

The concept for this book is so cool to me, an alternate universe for the characters in All Tomorrow's Photos and All Yesterday's Papers, I've never seen anyone do that with their own original work before! And for those that have read that duology, you will definitely recognize a lot of fun cameos!! (never thought I'd be happy to see an alternate universe version of Scott Jefferson lmao)

I had a lot of fun reading this and overall just really loved the progression of Kent and Mo's feelings, as well as watching the mystery of how a merman could possibly become a human slowly unravel. There's really sweet side characters new to this universe like Noon the whale that I really loved also. And as always, all the historical elements were all so well researched and so descriptive, you can always see the scene in your mind so well. I was so happy to see Mo and Kent's happy ending, and I'm definitely ready to see a certain red-haired side character get his own story eventually!!
Profile Image for KC Elle.
18 reviews6 followers
September 6, 2024
Ahhh!!! Such a wonderful, cozy adventure with just the right amount of angst thrown in! Mo and Kent are adorable, sweet, and a bit wholesome—but don't worry, they get plenty spicy too. ;) I love the tale woven here to get these boys to their HEA!

A few quotes I loved:

It pulled Mo closer still, as if he’d found a Siren’s Song to counter his own. He’d never heard anything more beautiful in all his life.


Mo finally bridged the gap, leaning forward, capturing Kent’s lips in a kiss. Oh, did it make butterflies flutter in his chest. Every kiss did that to him—every single one.
Profile Image for Ash (so there’s this book).
605 reviews83 followers
June 20, 2024
Genre: Adult Paranormal Historical Romance (MM)
Spice: 2.5/5 🌶️

This ARC review is honest and freely given.

Tropes: merman x human, MM relationship, soft star-crossed lovers vibes, friends to lovers, meet cute, mer/siren lore, sailing the seas, bi-awakening, mer-cock & fluids, and choosing your own destiny

Spoiler-free summary:
Kent feels the chafing of his noble blood every day, but especially when his father is pressuring him to marry despite his still healing broken heart. By chance, Kent strikes an unlikely friendship with a merman, Mo, who found himself drawn to Kent’s singing. Enchanted by Mo’s very presence, Kent continues to visit him on a private beach, where friendship blossoms into love. Mo and Kent must find a way to be together despite the dangers of such a relationship.

Thoughts:
The Noble’s Merman is the coziest of merman romances. Let me be clear that this isn’t a high stakes, literary genius, epic fantasy romance on the high seas. This is an enchanting, low stakes adventure full of fluff and endearing softness. These characters are over the top, and they own it on every page. This book is corny in the best way imaginable. If you aren’t looking for cute, this isn’t for you. But if you seek soft friends to lovers with adoration and feels, you’ll love this.

If you’ve ever read historical romance, the language and style is very similar to that, but in my opinion the paranormal elements really made this special. There was some cheesy, over the top dialogue, but it didn’t bother me in the slightest. I thought it was endearing and made sense for this story and the characters. Again, it wasn’t anything more dramatic than what a lot of hist-rom is like.

Mo and Kent were adorable, and I loved the arc of their relationship. I thought the experimentation between their species was so cute — their meetings on the beach were humorous and silly and I loved them. Mo’s struggles with his siren nature were very interesting and I thought it added a cool aspect to the story. Likewise, Kent’s distaste for his father’s control and the happiness he found with Mo was very heartwarming.

As for the smut, it wasn’t as plentiful or kinky as some of other monster / mer romances I’ve read, but I still enjoyed it, and appreciated the Mo’s mer-cock for all its uniqueness.

In conclusion, this is a cute, heartwarming book that melds together paranormal and historical romance into an adorable love story between a human and a merman.
Profile Image for Lily.
182 reviews10 followers
June 20, 2024
The Noble's Merman was me dipping my toe in the water of S.S. Genesee - pardon the pun - and I'm very glad I did. I've had All Tomorrow’s Photos on my TBR for a while, and when I saw that this was the same characters in an AU, it made me all the more eager to read the original story once I was finished. But back to The Noble's Merman...

I thought the story was delightful. Set in the 1700's, I truly felt like I was in the era, especially with the way in which it was written and the language used. Great care has obviously gone into the author's research in terms of the attire of the time as well as just general life. Mo and Kent were a great pair, as I'm sure the original characters of Maurice and Kenneth are. The author created a wonderful world under the sea for Mo, and I loved all the magical elements - especially Noon the whale.

Mo and Kent were so in love, but I adored seeing their relationship blossom from new friends into absolute simps for one another as the story went on. They were both sickeningly sweet, but it didn't feel like too much. No, it was extremely adorable. I did wonder how they were going to get their happy ending given the time period, with the nature of their relationship being completely outlawed. Was Kent going to turn into a mermaid too? Were they going to run off together as sailors where it was more acceptable? I won't give it away, but the way it ended was very satisfying for a time when two men are unable to be open about their love for one another.

After really enjoying The Noble's Merman, I'm now very excited to go and read the original characters in All Tomorrow's Photos and All Yesterday’s Papers.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Josephine Taylor.
Author 1 book8 followers
May 9, 2025
A cozy, lighthearted start to my MerMay TBR! The relationship between Kent, a human noble seeking escape from a stifling life, and Mo, a siren in possession of magic that fills him with the urge to paint the oceans red with the blood of pirates, was light, fluffy, romantic, heartfelt, emotional, and just adorable!

In particular, I was endeared to seeing Kent’s arc of striving for his autonomy and carving out a destiny for himself instead of following the path toward marriage and earldom laid forth by his overbearing father. Seeing that evolution, along with his growing love with a man from the deep, was satisfying and wholesome.

There were also angsty moments as Mo fought the urges brought upon by his Song and giving into his siren nature versus how gentle of a lover he is was so interesting to me! The duality of mer-folk! (Also, the world of the mer-folk Genesee creates is fun, and this novel gives the feel of a classic fairytale romance a la Hans Christian Andersen.)

Despite some (albeit brief) moments of peril, The Noble’s Merman was ultimately a very cozy read that I thoroughly enjoyed, and my only regret is not being able to read it on a sunny, warm beach with a cold drink in my hand!

Note: This book is an AU of Genesee’s MM dark thriller romance series All Tomorrow’s Photos, but is able to be read, and enjoyed, without previously reading that series......... however, I still recommend picking that up LOL.
Profile Image for W.H. Lockwood.
Author 16 books150 followers
August 28, 2024
This was an absolutely lovely novel. One of the things that's clear from the outset is that Genesee put a lot of time and effort into historical research for this story, and that comes through in so many different aspects from word choice to clothing, etc.

The romance in this book is incredibly sweet. The merman and the human adore each other from the start. If Mo had legs all along, you could see this being an easy relationship from day one. But even with this added complication, and the fact that Mo is also secretly a bloodthirsty siren, almost any angst comes from outside their relationship.

I did really like the fact that Mo's a siren. It added more depth to his character. Kent is sweetness personified, and I certainly found myself rooting for the pair.

The two encounter life-threatening dangers along the way (I won't spoil the plot) and these moments are fast-paced and well written. Genesee describes the settings beautifully, and can we just take a moment to appreciate the artwork that's sprinkled all through this book? The writer is also the artist and these images were a delight throughout. This is definitely one for a paperback purchase.

I would recommend this book for anyone after a light-hearted, low angst romance with a touch a merman magic. I'll definitely be working my way through this author's other books.
Profile Image for monika_is_booked.
375 reviews13 followers
June 29, 2024
After his betrothed left him heartbroken, Kent isn't interested in relationships any more. Not agreeing with his father's plans for an arranged marriage, Kent flees to the beach to find some peace and quiet. The sea and music always brought him peace and so he starts to sing, not knowing that a merman is lingering nearby.
Mo has always been fascinated by humanity. Intrigued by the gorgeous man sitting on the beach, singing so beautifully, he draws nearer to get to know the human.
Feeling drawn to one another, man and merman form a secret relationship but soon they aren't satisfied with the limits of this arrangement. A plan is made to be together for good, but their adventure holds many dangers. Will they find a way to hold on to each other and build a future together?

This is a fantastic, adventurous story centered around Kent, Mo and their growing feelings for each other. They have so many obstacles thrown in their way, first of all being not even the same species, but they care for each other so deeply, that nothing can keep them apart long term.
If you like historical romance with a paranormal twist, heartwarming, adventurous stories, fantastic characters, magical mysteries, found family, pirates and an adorable whale named Noon, put "The Noble's Merman" on your TBR!
Profile Image for Menoa.
700 reviews25 followers
July 9, 2024
Happy publication day 💛
The author send me an arc and this is my honest review !

The Noble’s Merman is a sweet romance, perfect for a summer read on the beach or at home. It’s cozy, it’s cute and it’s also bloody.

Mo, our merman/Siren is possessed by his Song, a power which propels him to kills human. He’s only killing pirates because he heard they were the worst. Love him.
He’s also an oddity in his world, his fascination for human is not understood by others merpeople. And then one day, he meet Kent and his whole life change.

Kent is a noble, trying hard to heal after a breakup a year ago, he’s also dealing with his dad wanting to marry him off to assure an heir. One day he’s watching the sea and singing, kickstarting Mo’s infatuation with him.

Their relationship was sickeningly sweet, they both fell hard for each other and I loved their dynamic. At times the dialogue were corny, but, It’s a romance and it fitted the story!

It’s not a new favourite but I enjoyed it and now I’m craving some more merpeople romance books!
Can’t wait to read more from the author too !!

Ps: yes the tail stays on. Yes it’s for all the monster lovers 🥰













Profile Image for Edith Calzadillas Sotelo.
Author 2 books12 followers
July 5, 2024
I had the wonderful privilege of being an ARC reader and I immediately was immersed by the world building.
I had never read a fantasy world involving , nevertheless was intrigued. Especially with the relationship between a human and a merman, knowing there would be issues involving them.

Despite this, I kept thinking about the way their friendship began, which started building to the point that no one could deny that it changed from platonic to romantic. Though their intentions were clear from the flirting, safe to say I enjoyed once it became more than that. Right at the beginning, where they shared their moment during Kent’s singing: “You promise?” “I promise.” Four words, yet they impacted the way the encounter and relationship began.

This was a fun and enjoyable book! The illustrations, dialogue, and interactions between Mo and Kent were great. I thank Genesse for introducing me to this genre! I highly recommend this to anyone who likes historical romantasy intertwined with merfolk magic ✨

5/5 🧜🏼‍♂️
Profile Image for Sol.
241 reviews19 followers
July 7, 2024
This was such a cozy and tender read and I enjoyed every page in this book.
The Noble's merman is about Kent and Mo. Kent is a noble human who was recently betrayed by a lover and doesn't feel he can fall in love or get married any time soon despite his father's demands. Mo is a merman who is also a siren and has the terrible power of bringing ships down with his voice. They randomly meet each other in an isolated beach when Kent is signing a song that totally captivates Mo. What follows is a friendship that slowly develops into more as they get to know one another. Even though this is a cozy romance they do go through some things as they try to figure out how they can be with each other and if Mo will ever be able to become human.
Even though this book is about 400 pages it was such a quick read (five days) and I wanted to know what would happen next! I also loved that it had some illustrations of the main characters and would have loved for it to have more! I will ship Kent and Mo anytime :)
Profile Image for Jake Vanguard.
Author 11 books28 followers
July 5, 2024
The Noble's Merman is a sweet romance set in 18th century England, following Mo, a merman, and Kent, the son of an Earl. Both characters are sweethearts and have their struggles, finding love within each other.
Loved the whole setting and atmosphere, from soft moments at the beach to traveling on a ship, with all problems and advantages it brings to both a merman and a human. Despite the century The Noble's Merman is set in, and the social problems during this time, the story's still lighthearted and focuses on the sweet aspects of Mo's and Kent's relationship.
The supporting characters were loveable as well, especially Noon!

All in all, I loved The Noble's Merman, and wholeheartedly recommend it.
Thank you Genesee for the ARC.
Profile Image for arlo.
55 reviews3 followers
June 25, 2024
3.5**

*I received an e-ARC*

The overall story is good and entertaining. The flow of the story is really smooth and you can follow everything easily. The relationship between the main character it's really sweet.
If you are interested in the story, i'd recommend you to pick up the book and read it because it's an easy read.
Profile Image for Talya.
546 reviews35 followers
dnf
July 15, 2024
DNF 44% because the dialogue was ridiculously stilted, the writing was bad (rife with typos and mistakes like “over-exaggerated” and “peaked” instead of “peeked,” etc.), and I wasn’t interested in what was going on
Profile Image for ~Cyanide Latte~.
1,840 reviews90 followers
July 5, 2024
YES HELLO, THIS WAS SO CUTE AND I NEED A PHYSICAL COPY LIKE, YESTERDAY.
(Major major thanks to the author for being awesome enough to send me a digital ARC!)
Profile Image for MMreader90.
2 reviews
July 11, 2024
My Goodreads friend raved about The Nobles Merman. It's a beautifully written slow paced love story between human siren. I enjoyed it.
Profile Image for kimmy.
90 reviews1 follower
July 13, 2024
This was such a charming read!
The progression of the storyline felt very natural and fluid. The characters were sweet and thoughtful. The editing was, for the most part, so well done that at times I’d forget I was reading an ARC.
I want to compare it to a cozy fantasy novel but not because it was more historical romance meets mermaids vibes than anything else. Regardless of how you classify it though, very easy read for when you’re in a laidback mood and looking for a sweet romance.

I received a free copy of this book via Indie Author Creative and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Skye.
36 reviews3 followers
September 1, 2024
Dnf at 46%

They're way too horny and it just seems to be their primary thing now. They were really sweet and adorable at first and now I'm just kinda over it.

I also think everything is far too convenient for them both and there's no challenge, tension or anything. Not to mention I'm struggling to like or care for the characters.

Generous three stars cos it's okay, it's not anything ground breaking or anything but might be worth a try as a quick and easy read for someone? Idk.

Just isn't working for me and I'm struggling to stay with it. Really wanted to like this but eh. It is what it is.
14 reviews
July 20, 2024
I wanted to like this (promising cover art), but it was disappointing. Sweet, sweet, sweet but no punch to the plot. It meanders along. Kent is just a nice bland guy and Mo is surprisingly led around on a leash by him. Can't believe the attraction between the two. Ho hum.
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