Half Moon Bay

by Richelle Manteufel

Betray humanity and risk insanity to love a siren queen.Cape Althea whispers of a wraith guarding the bay. Capricious weather and the glint of iron scales betray an ominous presence, but nothing more… until Laura Rivell sets sail.

Embarking on a revival cruise with her childhood friend, Laura is reborn into darkness instead of the promised A fate of ethereal dirges, kindred spirits, and a treacherous siren that the sheltered Miss Rivell cannot resist. Now Laura must decide whether to turn her back on religion, society, and humankind itself to love a monster—

And perhaps become a monster.

Seize the lure of Half Moon Bay, romantic Gothic fantasy for women influenced by Andersen’s Little Mermaid meets Eggers' Nosferatu, crafted for souls that embrace the villain within.

“Half Moon Bay blends genres and offers readers intense romance that knows no bounds—a truly distinctive novel.” —The BookLife Prize (2025)

“This story is so inventive that it seems like folklore uncovered, rather than told. Manteufel’s writing is filled with rich imagery and detail, and her voice will remind readers of the best Gothic novels—lush and haunting, expressive and hypnotizing, but always clear about the most heightened moments… a dark fairytale. Half Moon Bay is a book about what happens when you chase monstrosity and you catch it.” —Ana Hansen, Sparks Editorial

Title Information
*Closed door sapphic romance with fade-to-black intimacy
*Engaging worldbuilding with siren lore, undersea politics, and man-eating siren horror centered around femme rage
*Categorized Adult for mature themes with the full advisory on the copyright page
*Man Devil Press does not support the use of Gen-AI programs in the arts. No Gen-AI was utilized in the making of this book.

Genres: Fantasy, Lesbian, LGBT, Romance, Historical

390 pages, Paperback

Published July 13, 2025

About the author

Scribe of Gothic literary and genre fiction for women, Gothic horror fan Richelle Manteufel grew up relishing the psychological deep-dives of Poe, Stoker, and the Brontë sisters. She discovered her passion for writing fiction at nine years old. Now a married mother of two in Spanish Fort Alabama, she can be found shopping for gothic fashion or walking around the park, earbuds blasting heavy metal.

Find her latest publications on manteufelbooks.com.

Reviews

[Emi]

I picked up this book because of the cover, and then couldn't put it down because of the story (and characters)! I really enjoyed the dark, gothic approach to sirens, as someone who loves deep sea creatures and spooky places. Laura is drawn to the feral, unrestrained, rule-defying way they live, and I can relate.
[I received a free ARC of this book, and am voluntarily leaving a review.]

[Siavahda]

I so, SO wanted to love this – the tagline is literally ‘betray humanity and risk insanity to love a siren queen’, WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE ABOUT THAT?

Alas, the prose is pretty clunky, and I noped out when, in chapter two, the author couldn’t be bothered to explain how the MC got off the ship when she goes after the mermaid/siren. Like??? Literally just hand-waved it and said the protagonist was in such a fugue/hypnotised state that she has no memory of how she managed it.

When I came to my senses, I was lost at sea.

Somehow, in a state of complete disassociation, I’d wrenched one of the rowboats free, clambered in, and lowered it. How I’d accomplished it was beyond me. I was far from frail, having taken care of myself and walked instead of ridden in carriages most of my life, but I was no hardened crewman, either. My own strength surprised me.

You’ve said she shouldn’t be physically strong enough to have dealt with the rowboat by herself, but we’re just…not gonna address that? You can’t just handwave tricky moments for your character! You do actually have to deal with them! What!!!

Also the way Laura’s ‘dark side’ goes from being, you know, a dark side in chapter one, to manifesting as a full-on secondary identity with its own capitalised name in the second chapter… Something about that rubbed me entirely the wrong way. I’m not sure how to articulate it. I don’t really like it when characters (or real people) insist their own darkness is another person entirely, someone talking in their head but not themself, and if that IS what we’re doing here, why wasn’t Shadow like that from the get-go? Laura told us she keeps her shadow locked up, but also, she’s at peace with it. Splitting her shadow into Shadow only makes any kind of sense if she’s distancing herself from that part of herself – but if she’s already at peace with it, why the distancing???

I’m so disappointed it HURTS.

[Sayd]

Meandering. Maybe this is the plot? Nevermind. New characters at 86%? Why not! Bring in that crash landing ending, but the pilot is an alcoholic who should probably call his sponsor. Equipped with a pocket thesaurus. The cover though. Sad day.

One thing about me is if I'm going to rate something 2 stars, I'm going to tell you why. Usually in some sort of detail.

I wanted to love this.

Honestly, if this was a story about the platonic friendship between Laura and Burke I would have been about it. They have the most interesting relationship and Burke is easily the most interesting character.

But then what happens at 76% happens.

Don't worry though, because shadow wasn't annoying at all, and now we have two voices. At least Burke's is actually explained. Still don't have a single clue what shadow was about.

Let me start with the chemistry between the two MCs; or rather, the lack of.

I can't really say why the Siren queen is interested in Laura even though she's got important siren queen things to do (that I don't think she ever actually does. At least not that we know of). Now, Laura's friendship with Burke made sense because they both were a bit isolated and lonely. I could understand his connection to her and it also built up nicely, in a natural way. Proving that the author can write dialogue that doesn't feel stilted, unlike the dialogue between the two mcs.

I was hopeful maybe the author would turn it around but then we got to 76% and there was no reason or purpose for that. Not unless we we were going for 'how badly can i fuck this up with a single dipshit thought?' despite being told how clever the MC actually is for half the book by the Siren queen.

I don't really get why that witch's purpose was so frowned upon? It kinda seemed like a win win. Sirens can stop seducing and eating unsuspecting drunk guys. Burke gets his place in society. Laura has less to worry about if they can figure that out.

Then we have the last 24% of the book, which is an honest to god mess. Conflict really shouldn't be established in the home stretch, by more dipshit choices your two MCs make. You blink and it's resolved, but not any of the lose ends!

The style didn't work for me. The prose felt forced and stiff. Wasn't buying the romance either.

Pour one out for Burke, I guess.

[Daphne]

I was an ARC reader for this book, but leaving this review voluntarily. I started reading this book three days ago and stayed up late to finish it because once I got into it, I couldn't stop thinking about it. First of all, I loved the sapphic, dark twist on the Little Mermaid tale - especially because, in the original tale, it never sat right with me how the mermaid gave up her voice to be with some man.

Secondly, as someone who loves obsessively and loses interest when the other person falls too fast too soon, I'm a sucker for stories where the MC falls first and hardest. Such stories are hard to find, and this one delivered. The obsession with someone dangerous, mysterious and unavailable felt so relatable. And also, this line? “Do you think there’s any hope for it? Or should I cast myself into the ocean right now and end it with a peaceful drowning?” I felt that.

The worldbuilding of the stormy, seaside town also was immersive and fitting, it made me feel like I was really there. The prose was a bit different than what I was used to, but I quickly got into it, because it fit the world so well. The slow-burn yearning was so well done, personally I wished we would've seen more of their intimacy after that, but at the same time, I think lovers of sapphic (horror)romance who aren't big on heavy spice will appreciate this story since it can be rare to find in this genre. I also loved how both MCs burst into murderous rage at seemingly unexpected moments, it felt darkly hilarious.

The only thing that slightly took me out of the story was how I couldn't make sense of some decisions, like why Eramyne was so quick to accept Laura paying with her voice after knowing how dangerous it was or why Laura never got back to visiting her parents - but I let it slide because I was so invested in the story. This was my first time reading gothic horror romance (I think that's the genre) but it definitely pulled me in, and I'll keep my eye open for other books by this author.

[Sandra]

"She longed to touch me just as I long to be touched." ~Laura

What a creative gothic intrigue this book turned out to be. As soon as I started reading, I couldn't stop, and I found myself curious, wondering how the path that Laura, our MFC, would play itself out. The atmosphere was not overly heavy, there were moments, I just got a sense that the community of Cape Althea was a place full of unknowns that relied on religion, their beliefs, and the myths they shared to make sense of their Victorian existence. Laura Rivell was a young woman who was more than meets the eye. She calls her 'affliction' her Shadow, the darkside of her conscious and impulses. That alone was a nice twist. Her Shadow had a sense of humor too.😜 Until one evening on a massive ship, Laura heard it. A song that called out on the turbulent seas. Naturally Laura needed it. Wanted whomever it was that was singing.🎶🎶🎶 And on a small boat, she got her wish. Laura fell hard for the feral, strong, unapologetic creature that was in the water. Laura went cuckoo bananas over her.😂😍😍😚😚😚💋💋 Obsessed. She couldn't live without her Eramyne, the siren. Everything was about being with Eramyne, leader and monster, whatever the cost.🗣️🩸🩸🩸 Laura would pay it.

Now this wasn't your typical Little Mermaid story. No. This was a reimagining mixed with mysticism and the moody feel from books like the Brontë sisters.There are plot twists, interesting side characters, dilemmas, madness, mu£der, spells, hiding one's true self, and emotional upheaval. The world building was there. Some things were forgotten but it didn't matter at that point. 2 side characters stood out to me besides the main couple. 🐚🪸Bartholomew 'Aden' Burke and Shiloh.🪸🐚 I won't spoil why or how the story ends. It was a good book. Check out that book cover. That was what pulled me to read it. It's a great one!!! Very gothic. Happy reading.*•>§<•*💜💜💜❤️

🧜🏼‍♀️💍🧜‍♀️Thank you to Ms Manteufel and Booksprout for an early book. The opinions shared here are my own.🧜‍♀️💍🧜🏼‍♀️

[Arlo Graves]

I received a copy of Half Moon Bay as an ARC and give this honest review freely. My reviews are intended to direct potential readers to books I think they will enjoy, so in that spirit, I will do my best to avoid spoilers.

I admit, the title of this book drew my eye because I live within biking distance of a Halfmoon Bay, a colder, gloomier version, to be sure. The narrative voice of Half Moon Bay (the book) immediately drew me in. Manteufel crafts a strong sense of place and mood, a brooding nautical vibe. The writing is atmospheric without feeling heavy, descriptive without becoming too much, and beautiful without becoming purple in its prose.

Our protagonist, Laura, contends with the expectations of her religious (and bigoted) society after falling under the spell of a siren’s song. She is clearly attracted to this monster, and worse yet, the monster is a woman. But she cannot get the beautiful siren out of her head and heart. And maybe, just maybe, the feelings might be reciprocated.

I was struck by not only the gothic nature of this book, but also the comfort. I would not call it cozy, but picking it up to read felt comforting. I live near a much different ocean (again, colder and greyer) and yet the atmospheric beach towns felt like coming home.

To me the alure of the siren transformation read as an allegory for queer liberation. Queer femmes so often live under the threat of being ‘fixed’ or ‘adjusted’ (re: tortured) into heteronormativity by men, or seen only through the male gaze, the physical empowerment and freedom of the siren is a most delicious call and I delight in this book’s exploration of it. Part of the marketing called it a ‘dark character arc,’ but I think we were watching her unshackle herself more so than tread a questionable path.

Without spoiling the book, I found the ending satisfying and rewarding. I look forward to reading more of Manteufel’s work.

[BooksThrillJessica]

I really enjoyed this book and its historical portal of mermaids as fierce men eating women. The writing style was captivating and left me wanting more. That said, I found myself wishing for deeper world building and more character development beyond just the intense passion between Laura and her mermaid, Eramyne. Don’t get me wrong the chemistry and desire between them were undeniably steamy and well written. However, certain scenes, like their journey to Eramyne’s world, felt rushed, I even had to reread it to make sure I hadn’t missed something. Still, if you're in the mood for a passionate sapphic mermaid romance that grabs you from the first page, this one is definitely worth diving into.

*Thank you to Richelle Manteufel and Booksprout for the digital copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

[Katie]

I enjoyed a lot about this book, and thought it was very well written. It is more vibes and than plot, which is not what I usually read but I found it very interesting and compelling.

Then Burke died! JUSTICE FOR BURKE. Honestly I found him to be the most interesting and likeable character. And Part 2 felt like a completely different book, the prince came out of nowhere and was then was resolved within pages. I didn't hate it, but I found the ending unsatisfying. I would still read other books by the author and hope to see more from them.

[Kaisa Sild]

This was less about the romance and more of the siren lore, politics and overall world-building, the concept and some parts of the sirens was quite intriguing. The atmosphere and vibes were also quite good, although when it came to the plot I wasn't expecting things to take that kind of violent turn and there were some other things that just weren't for me, but if you want something that's really heavy on it being little mermaid reverse retelling, quite a lot of siren politics and lore this could work.

[Kat M]

Richelle Manteufel does a fantastic job in writing this book, it had that element that I wanted and enjoyed in a monster romance novel. The plot was everything that I wanted and enjoyed from this type of story, I thought it was a nice change that the human character had consequences to loving this siren. I was invested in the characters and that they worked in the Gothic elements of this book.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Serina’s Stories wolfganghollows]

It would appear I really have a thing for books with Sirens. This is a completely — new to me — thing. Dragons were always my go to read about. But wow, loving all the sirens stuff.
This book is gorgeous, it had me hooked from the beginning and I managed to read it all in little over 24hrs. 🤣 the true definition of, could not put this down. Can’t wait to read more by this author.

I received and ARC of this book from the author and this is my honest review

[Elle and the Haunted Library]

The cover is what honestly drew me to the book, I am such a read with my “eyes” (duh lol) when it comes to covers. If it’s pretty, I’m gonna read it. End of story.


A gothic approach to sirens and a person drawn to it? Uh, yes. Gimme. Trust me. Read it!

Il received a free ARC of this book, and am voluntarily leaving a review.]

[A.M. Colwell]

This is a beautiful sapphic twist on the original Little Mermaid story by Andersen. Heartbreaking and dark, haunting and lovely.

[Ana Arellano]

Finished this book a while back. I enjoyed it but felt like there were points that could've been built up a little more but still a solid read.

[Madeleine]

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've read a handful of different kinds of siren books, from horror to romance and in-between. I became interested in reading this one because of the incredible cover art and promises of gothic romance. There are a lot of things I did enjoy about this, like truly monstrous sirens, the dark tone, women breaking free from societal expectations, LGBTQ+ rep, etc.

However, the pacing of this story really threw me off. Several plot points were a little too convenient. Often, what you thought was building to the end conflict would just be solved, and a new conflict would arise. It became tiring, and I struggled to finish the last 25% of the book because I felt pulled in lots of directions very quickly.

Overall, I'd probably give this book a 2.25 rating if Goodreads allowed partial star ratings. I think it has a lot of potential, but it feels a bit like a first or second draft.