The Fiberglass Merman: An MM Fairytale Retelling Romcom

by Aster Quinn, Charlie May (Editor)

In a contemporary, queer retelling of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen, a college student has four days to save the life of a reborn merman.



Sometimes, all it takes is a kiss...



Blake DeLuca is no fairytale prince. He's a broke, self-doubting grad student working summers at a crumbling Northern California water park, skipping meals to get by. One sleep-deprived morning, he discovers that the handsome merman figurehead on the kid’s pirate ship has begun to talk to him. The mischievous and coy merman, Marin, has had his eye on Blake for the past two summers.



After teaming up with a local psychic, Blake discovers Marin is a an effigy brought to life by the soul of a deceased person with no memories of their former life.



Following a midnight trek to the park, a kiss from Blake returns Marin to flesh and blood. Thus, Blake finds himself with only four days to save Marin’s life, having three requirements to



One, he must return Marin to the place where he died.



Two, he must fulfill Marin’s dying wish.



Three, he must prove himself worthy of Marin’s love.

Genres: Fantasy, Queer

441 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2025

Reviews

[Pixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐ This debut novel by Aster Quinn sure weaved an intricate and engaging story. The characters were fun (well except Celeste lol), interesting, and had depth. The plot was intriguing and well thought out. The writing itself sometimes felt like they tried a bit too hard, and there might have been some things that could have been left out without hurting the story in the least. That being said, it was still a wonderful story that had me tearing up close to the end. A unique and enthralling book.

[Caspers little library · Rating 5 out of 5]

if I could give it all the stars I would 5× infinity ⭐️
I finished this book last night and have been trying to think of how to put into words have I felt about this book. I knew I was interested in reading it as soon as I saw the blurb. I do not think anything could prepare me for how much I loved this book. I don’t think I have ever felt so seen and home within a book before. This is a high stakes retelling of the little mermaid where one of our characters, Blake, a broke and tired collage student (Same), has four days to save the life of a reborn merman. Seeing the different characters , the friendships, the representation, and the joy along with all the emotions it all had me feeling connected to the story. Along with reading this and having lovely conversations and talking about the book to the author Aster, it made the whole expierance such a good time. If you are looking for a good retelling that will take you along with the characters as they try to save a new friend, fantastical creatures and old magic, along with a sweet love story of learning to be loved where they both fall just as hard for each other. This book tells such a beautiful story and truly just has part of my heart forever tucked between the pages, and I can not wait to reread it again. For me, this is one of those books that after you read it, it almost feels like missing friends, and in a way, I can’t wait to pick it up again. I did not want to put it down once and only went slower near the end cause I did not want it to end.

[Anne Shortlived · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this ARC and it did not disappoint. Blake DeLuca is not a fairytale prince. He’s a broke grad student working summers at a falling-apart Northern California water park, barely getting by. Then one morning, the pirate ship’s merman figurehead starts talking to him. Marin, the mischievous merman, has been watching Blake for two summers.
Finding out Marin is a pygmalion, a soul brought back with no memories, broke my heart. The four-day race to save him had me so anxious. Blake and Marin’s sweet, magical romance made me smile and cry.

If you want a light, magical romance with a happy ending, read this.

Thanks for the ARC on Pen Pinery :)

[Rachael Rooklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an amazing book. It was a slow start but once you get into the story it’s amazing. I really enjoyed the characters the most. Blake and Marin were adorable together and I loved their romance. My biggest gripe was that I wish we could’ve seen more mythical creatures in this book. It was mentioned that they do exist in the universe and that they can be hunted, I just wish they could’ve expanded on that. Other than that it was a great read. Thank you to the author for letting me arc read

[Kate Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super lovely book and if the blurb is tempting you, I would highly recommend giving it a go. It was a little bit heavier than I was expecting and didn’t quite have as much merperson content as I thought it would (merpeople can pass as human at will with very little trouble in this universe), but it is mostly just a cute and sweet story that will have you rooting for all the characters – main and supporting.

[AElis]

I received this book as an ARC

Unfortunately, I didn't click with that book and thus didn't finish it.

The book was nice, not stressfull, very chill but I'm currently in the mood for more adventurus things and it was too slow going for me.

Still, it was nice to see all the diverses characters and I might return to this book when I'll be in the need of something more cozy and less stressfull than what I'm currently looking for

(Not giving any rating because I didn't finish this)

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very cute and cozy little mermaid retelling. I thought the pygmalion lore made it novel and interesting, while the 4 day time crunch kept it so there was tension and it wasn't all sweet and easy going. Unfortunately, I didn't completely click with the writing style. I personally am someone who doesn't like too heavy on the dialogue, but I know that is not the majority opinion so definitely think most people will love this one!

[Mischa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a roller coaster read! The Fiberglass Merman is a low spice (no spice?) romance between Marin and Blake, set in contemporary California. I don't usually read contemporary romances, but this one was SO good. So good I want more from author Aster Quinn.

Cute, funny, heart warming, heart wrenching, this book really puts your heart through the wringer.

[Fernando · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very impressed by the end: even the writing was better, especially the chapters of 1988/1992/1995 and 2002.
The story however felt unnecessary lengthly at times, which I believe is the reason why I set it apart for so long after I started reading. The best part was the beginning, and the end. And surprisingly, the chapter when they visit the "wood carver".

[Ash The Bat · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is such a sweet modern fairy tale, I love it so much! all the characters are wonderful, I especially like Noel, he's incredible. for anyone looking for a sweet queer romance, I highly recommend checking this out!

[Crex · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5🌟
This was so cute and fluffy and I didn’t understand some things but I love everybody in this book except Marin’s mother.. the love between Blake and Marin was so cute

[Elise H]

DNF at 75%

[Q Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming and very sweet modern fairy tale, with a diverse queer cast. Very enjoyable!