Mermaid in Manhattan

by Jessica Gadziala

One mermaid + one human = one very interesting arranged marriage

Iris loves being a mermaid. So, when her Mom, Queen of the Ocean, declares that she’s to be wed to a human, she’s furious.

Finn wants to be the first human mayor of magical New York. He needs a magical wife as part of his PR strategy to win over his constituents, and he’s fine with a loveless marriage.

But after his reluctant fiancé Iris douses him with seawater at their first meeting, Finn finds himself wanting this romance to be more than a business arrangement.

Iris can’t stand Finn on principle, but no matter how far she pushes him, Finn just won’t break off their engagement. In fact, he keeps going out of his way to make her life easier. And soon, this mermaid is left wondering if life might be better in Manhattan than under the sea…



👰 💐Arranged marriage

🛏️ 🔥Only one bed

🧜 ✨Romantasy

🥵 🌶️Spice

Readers LOVE Mermaid in Manhattan!'I was hooked from start to finish and never wanted to come up for air' Emma Lucy, bestselling author of Live, Ranch, Love

'An enchanting romp with all the charm of a classic rom-com!' A. T. Qureshi, USA Today bestselling author of The Baby Dragon Cafe

‘Completely addictive!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reader review

‘Had me kicking my feet and screaming’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reader review

Genres: Romance, Summer, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy

Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 23, 2026

About the author

Jessica Gadziala is a USA Today bestselling author who lives in rural New Jersey with her parrots, dogs, and an ever-growing collection of houseplants. A lifelong dreamer, she’s been writing stories since childhood and published her first book in 2015. When not at her desk, she’s usually feeding backyard birds, rewatching crime dramas, period pieces, and 90s supernatural TV shows, or adding to her towering stacks of unread books.



You can find her on
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Jessica-Gadz...
Newsletter: subscribepage.io/K4GPfj
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicagadz...
Her Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/31454...
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jessicagadz...


xx

Reviews

[Alya ( 20 comments restriction )]

Need to start this asap .. so asap is now lol I hope this delivers cz the synopsis really did it for me with this one 🩷🩵
Publication date April 2026

Tropes
💙Arranged marriage
🧜🏼‍♀️ Romantasy
💙 Only one bed
🧜🏼‍♀️ Human x mermaid

Can't wait to get to this one

My Bookstagram

[SJARR ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Believe it or not, I was actively searching for a mermaid romance novel a while back. Unsurprisingly, it does not seem to be a very sought after sub-genre, so I didn't have much luck. But you can imagine my shock when I saw THIS was available to request.
I even ended my ARC break for this specifically.

This is sort of like a grown-up reimagining of "The Little Mermaid", but with an arranged marriage trope.
I am never hugely excited by the prospect of arranged marriages in books, because it's just not my thing in general. But, I do think it was done decently here and I was able to enjoy it.
It helped a lot that Finn was so kind and gentle with Iris, and his efforts to make her feel more comfortable being outside of her usual environment were heartwarming.

I can't truly complain about this, because I knew about it before going into the book. But there is somewhat of a political plot going on, which is something that just isn't for me.
It really isn't "bad", it just tends to be somewhat that looses my attention rather quickly.
However, paranormal politics... that I do find a bit more intriguing, so I wasn't totally bored.

One thing I really loved about this was the array of creatures in it.
Diversity...but make it paranormal. Mermaids, witches, vampires, dryads, fae, and so on.
This alone was such an exciting element for me, and I'm so glad it was there.

I don't feel like there is anything "bad" about it.
I'll say that I think there was a lot of potential for a more unique plot though. Given that there are few books on the market with mermaid love interests, I just really think there was a ton of room to do new stuff and get super creative with world-building, customs, personality... everything really.
In the end it just came out a little bit basic. Not bad, but normal. The addition of more unique mermaid-specific elements would have been great.

I believe this author has written other paranormal romances in the past, which I would actually like to check out.

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon Books UK and author Jessica Gadziala, for providing me with the eARC of "Mermaid in Manhattan", in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: April 23, 2026

[Valerie Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the premise of this book and really connected with Iris—she’s strong-willed and full of personality, exactly what you’d expect from a mermaid. Unfortunately, Finn is completely underwhelming—dry, lacking backbone, and the romance between them feels forced and superficial. He does nothing to help Iris adjust to the city; he’s essentially flavorless.
All the side characters, however, steal the show—the pelican, the cat, her wedding planner, her new bookstore-owner friend, and even the campaign manager have more personality than Finn. This book could have skipped the smut and forced romance entirely and focused on Iris navigating the city, and it would have been a 10/10. The male lead needs a lot more development.

[Bevany · Rating 4 out of 5]

A smutty supernatural romance. This is a sweet easy to read romance. there is a fun group of characters in this book with a lot of spicy scenes for smut readers.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

For a fun, light-hearted, romantic urban fantasy, this book was super enjoyable and hilariously witty written at times. However, the romance between mermaid Iris and human mayor candidate Finn felt really surface level and filled with spicy scenes instead of some deeper, meaningful moments. They were both good main characters, especially Iris with her journey of self-discovery and learning about land life, and Finn finding his old self again. The spicy scenes felt a little out of place at times, but were well written nonetheless.

I enjoyed the plot. It's very comfortably cliché with the arranged marriage and forced proximity tropes. The plot was entertaining though predictable, so this is a perfect read for when you're wanting something amusing with a mix of sweet and spicy. The side characters and friendships were great, especially Iris' BFF pelican, Monty. He carried the beginning of the book for me.

I do think the issues with Henry being overbearing, causing the third act breakup and being problematic were brushed off and not really dealt with at the end, giving a somewhat unsatisfying conclusion in that aspect, but overall, the book ends with a cute HEA that's sure to have your fins flapping in delight!

3/5 🌟

[TT · Rating 4 out of 5]

More mermaid books needed pls

Things I liked: the variety of different supernatural species was great, the modern setting where it’s totally normal to bump into a Minotaur on the subway, and FMCs supporting cast of friends.

Things I disliked: Henry. He was just a terrible person, and I’m a bit disappointed that he didn’t have any sort of comeuppance. Finn is a bit of a wet blanket at times, and their relationship is a bit dull at times as a result. And I wish we’d found out more about the world and all the species co-existing within it.

This was a cute read, funny in the right places (love a fish pun), and just a nice little palette cleanser if you’ve read something heavy.

This is a solid 3.5 for me - I’m rating it 4 because while I don’t think it’s there, a 3 feels overly harsh.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

[Stella Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review!

Tropes: Cozy Fantasy Romance, Fish Out of Water, Arranged Marriage, Forced Proximity, One Bed, Dual POV, Insta Lust, Found Family, Miscommunication, Political Intrigue

This is the second book I’ve read by Gadziala, and I liked this one so much more! I was so excited about the premise. I love Fish Out of Water tropes, and this was literally that.

Iris is our FMC, a mermaid, who goes ashore to live with her fiancé, Finn, for a couple of months before their marriage and his mayoral election. She really does not want to do this. She loves the sea. I’ve found that when reading Arranged Marriage tropes with royalty, either the parties are resigned to their life as a political pawn or they fight tooth and nail. Iris fought tooth and nail. Although, as she was acclimating, she made some great friends who were fun to read about, especially Monty.

Finn is definitely on the “resigned to his fate” end of the spectrum when it comes to arranged marriages. He basically needs to appear less like a single white man running for mayor, lol. What I didn’t like—and what honestly never got resolved—was that the only reason Iris is marrying him is because he promised his mom that he would push through a water pollution policy… but that was already part of his mayoral campaign and not anything new. So, like… what are they actually getting out of it? Maybe everyone just knew what was going on, didn’t care, and still agreed to the marriage, but it felt odd and unresolved.

Iris and Finn are instantly attracted to each other. I mean, Iris is a mermaid, so she is drop-dead gorgeous. And Finn is the picture-perfect guy… on the surface. Iris quickly realizes that a lot of who Finn is feels fake and polished for the cameras and press, whereas she is authentically herself. I did wish Finn did more to help Iris acclimate to the surface world. These two had so much miscommunication. Then they’d be like, “I don’t know that much about him/her.” Like… how about you two sit down and talk to each other if that’s an issue?

I did not like Henry. He is Finn’s campaign manager and longtime friend. I was looking hard to see that friendship and just could not find it. In my eyes, Henry was the bad guy in this book, and I was disappointed when he was still friends with Finn at the end. He was so rude to Iris and wanted to change everything about her. In the beginning, Finn let him steamroll all over him, though he did get better by the end.

I will say the sexual tension and spice in this book were on point. However, just like Gadziala’s last book, My Big Fat Vampire Wedding, they only had sex in public spaces. I’m really racking my brain trying to remember if they were ever intimate in private, but they really weren’t. And there were maaaany spicy scenes in this book. So basically, I was stressed during all of them because I thought they were for sure going to get caught.

The ending was… all right. There was a dramatic breakup scene that Henry was, of course, responsible for. Then Finn makes a huge apology, and they live happily ever after. But I don’t know—I just felt okay at the end, not super happy or excited about how it turned out. I get that Iris was okay giving up her life under the sea, but it still felt like she missed it so much, and there wasn’t much resolution for that either. These two really need to learn about compromise.

Overall, this was a cozy mermaid fantasy with some political elements, an arranged marriage, a dash of groveling, and quite a bit of miscommunication.

[Amy Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love the concept and the world building of Mermaid in Manhattan, and I loved seeing Iris try and navigate the world above the surface and how she made new friends. I particularly liked her friendship with witch Selene and her demon wedding planning Arden. Both of those characters were so fun and interesting to read with a lot of personality. I especially loved the talking pelican Monty and his rise to fame and brushing with the famous.

The opposite personalities of Iris and Finn set the scene for a tense relationship and how he always placed his election campaign first because he knew nothing else. The moments where Iris stood up for herself and made it known that she wasn’t an accessory to help Finn win the campaign were well written and gave her depth. The struggle of her being away from land, away from what she knew was really well written and the constant need to be performing for the cameras added a lot of stress and strain to Iris on land. I liked how Finn’s relationship with Iris broke down those walls of being everything he thought the people wanted, and reignited who he was at his core that he’d suppressed. That being said, I did feel that his and Iris’s relationship lacked a little bit of emotional depth and would have liked to see those sides being drawn out more throughout their story. I think their relationship could have done with a bit more of a build up, but I liked all the ways that Iris tried to sabotage their engagement - especially all the fish puns. Iris at points felt a little juvenile and other times very serious, I think a little more depth would have helped bring her character to life a bit more. The paranormal world of manhattan was really fun and well throughout that I could really imagine Iris and Monty exploring the city and the side characters really pulled the story together and added a lot of humour.

Overall, I flew through this book and couldn’t put it down. It’s a fun and lighthearted read with a really exciting concept and I would love to read more books set in this world, especially one with Selene and Arden as the focus.

[☆Laura☆]

Iris Marivelle siempre ha preferido las corrientes tranquilas del océano a cualquier tipo de obligación real. Como princesa del reino submarino, su mayor rebeldía consiste en escaparse a leer, conversar con un pelícano parlante demasiado dramático y evitar, a toda costa, cualquier responsabilidad que huela a política.

Pero su vida da un vuelco cuando su madre decreta algo impensable: deberá casarse con Finn Westrock, un humano ambicioso que aspira a convertirse en alcalde de Manhattan. Para sellar un acuerdo entre mundos, Iris tendrá que abandonar el mar, caminar sobre piernas que no pidió y sobrevivir a la jungla de concreto.

Decidida a zafarse del compromiso, idea un plan sencillo: convertirse en la peor prometida que un político podría desear. Exigir rituales inventados, comportarse como una sirena demasiado sirena y provocar algún desastre cuidadosamente calculado deberían bastar.



__


Me llamo la atención la sinopsis, pensé que me encantaría, pero no fue así.


No tengo idea de qué le vio Iris a Finn, el tipo tiene la personalidad de una piedra. En serio, no tiene nada de carácter propio: todo gira en torno a ganar las elecciones y solo hace lo que le dicen. En algún momento tuvo gustos reales, pero ahora solo ve, lee y escucha lo que debe. Es prácticamente un robot.

En todo el libro, Finn muestra quién es realmente quizá en un 7% (y estoy siendo generosa).
Me molestó muchísimo que nunca le pusiera un alto al coqueteo de Marsha e incluso se lo devolvía, y solo se detuvo cuando Iris se enojó. O sea la gárgola casi se le subía encima y él como si nada.

Iris merecía al mejor.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is it. This is THE romance read of 2026 already. Genuinely.

I just want to geek out about this whole book. There is so much fun and joy connected to this. I enjoyed every single second reading this. The plot itself felt so different that it was refreshing but the characters on top of that? Beautiful experience. I already told so many friends about this, even before I had fully finished the book.

I can't even say who my favourite character was. Though, I must say it was probably Monty, Who wouldn't want an emotional support pelican? Because I really do now. Not sure if my cats agree though if he also starts trying to eat them.

Iris herself. Wonderful. Absolute delight. Reading about her is heartwarming especially about her discovering what the land can offer her. And her fav food being pretzels? She gets me. Her whole development never was boring, it left you wondering ''okay what will she do now to try and scare him away?'' You could never guess what's next and honestly, please give me more of this.

Finn. See I think we all know some celebrity or similar who tends to seem too perfect, too over the top. But what I think is important that this shows that there are always multiple sides to it. And I especially liked that Iris kept pushing to know him because she could tell there is more. That she didn't just let Henry force the fake side of Finn nonstop. And c'mon. We all love nerds. So him being a comic loving nerd, made this even hotter and better,

Literally every single side characters was hilarious. Selene's bookshelf names are everything to me. ''Emotional propaganda'' for romance? So true in a way.

Honestly I can just ramble about this book nonstop. I beg everyone to read this. I loved it so so much.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this five seashell, hot pretzel, talking pelican, iridescent scales, and bad intention warding stars!

Someone make this movie! Right. Now.

Jessica delivers an effortlessly easy to love heroine, Iris, in this story along with a…colorful and varied group of support characters that would be hard to forget.

Iris, the middle-child princess, is sold off in a political alliance between the eco-friendly potential mayor of magical New York and her mother the Queen of the Ocean. Every girl’s dream amiright? Iris is funny, smart, devious at times, and is an easy leading lady to root for.

Finn, political ambitions aside, is a dream…just one that takes a minute to unwrap. Let that nerd flag fly my man, no one’s dream man is a polished poster child for voting polls. Despite the start where we see the face Finn gives the world, he really is a kind hearted hero (with great calves) underneath. Thank God, or this story would be called “The Mermaid and the Toad” instead.

NOW- let me praise Monty, Selene, Arden, and Willow by name because this book would not have survived without their existence. The fact JG can create side characters that makes you long for them to be real and also be your friends is almost as amazing as her epilogues.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book and pray, wish, hope, or light a candle that a decent director picks this up and puts this to film immediately.

If you haven’t stalked Jessica’s indie published works, please fall down that rabbit hole - you won’t regret it!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC. This review was my own opinion and wording.

[Chelsea | Mrs Viking Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine you’re living your best shimmering under the sea life, hair flowing like kelp in a Beyonce wind machine, and suddenly your mom - who also happens to be THE QUEEN OF THE WHOLE OCEAN - says “surprise sweetie! You’re marrying a human”

A HUMAN. With legs. The disrespect🤣

This book has every deliciously unhinged mermaid obsessed inner child hoards like treasure.

✅ Arranged marriage? Yep.
✅ Only one bed? You bet your sweet fin!
✅ Romantasy shenanigans? Serves it fresh.
✅ Spice? Ma’am, there were moments my Kindle needed a cold compress 🥵

The chaotic joy of watching Iris aggressively try to hate her way out of the relationship, while Finn simply refuses to be anything but a patient cinnamon roll is chef’s kiss perfect. The man’s basically running for mayor while simultaneously falling helplessly in love with a mermaid who keeps threatening to return to the ocean forever. Iconic behaviour from both parties.

And as a lifelong mermaid enthusiast (Splash hive rise!) this book felt like someone bottled every childhood wish about abandoning land life and returning to the waves, then added: “what if we threw in a hot political himbo with a heart of gold?”
I inhaled it in one sitting like a siren who forgot how to pace herself.

If your heart beats faster at the smell of sea salt, chaotic banter, and a man who will absolutely still love you after you splash him like an angry dolphin, this book is your next hyperfixation ♥️

Thank you to the publishers for the ARC. I am obsessulated ♥️🌊

[Dorina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book honestly let me down. On paper, it had everything I usually love—arranged marriage, romantasy vibes, an interesting magical New York setting—but the execution just fell flat for me.

I never felt a real connection between the main characters. Finn, especially, felt painfully underdeveloped. He barely had a personality, and there was very little genuine conversation or effort to actually get to know Iris. Their relationship leaned heavily on miscommunication, which became frustrating instead of compelling, and at times I wasn’t even convinced they were meant to be endgame rather than placeholders for future love interests.

Iris didn’t help matters either. She came across as naïve to the point of being unbelievable—telling complete strangers about wanting to break off her engagement within minutes of meeting them completely pulled me out of the story. It made it hard to take her seriously.

What surprised me most was that the side characters felt more fleshed out and interesting than the MMC. They had stronger personalities, better dialogue, and more presence on the page. The world-building, though, was genuinely intriguing and easily the strongest part of the book. I just wish the emotional depth had matched the creativity of the setting.

Overall, I wanted far more focus on emotional development and connection, and far less reliance on spice to carry the story. This could have been something special, but it never quite got there for me.

[Clairelettersandmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mermaid in Manhattan surprised me in the best way mostly because I saw so much of myself in Iris. Her mix of softness and stubbornness, that feeling of wanting to choose your own life while everyone else seems to have an opinion about who you should be… it hit home. Iris trying to navigate a world that wasn’t built for her, literally and emotionally, felt oddly relatable.

Watching her clash with Finn was hilarious, but it was also touching because she never let go of who she was, even when it would’ve been easier to just go along with things. I loved that about her. Her defiance, her awkwardness, her heart all of it felt so human even though she’s a mermaid.

The story itself is fun, chaotic, and totally over-the-top at times, but beneath the humour and magic, Iris’s struggle to find a place where she truly belongs resonated with me. Her growth felt like watching a friend finally trust herself. And seeing Finn slowly understand and appreciate her made the romance feel earned and genuinely sweet.

Overall, it’s a light, escapist read with a heroine I could genuinely identify with someone a little unsure, a little rebellious, a little overwhelmed, but ultimately stronger than she realizes. It made the whole book feel personal in a way I didn’t expect.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ It took me a little bit to get into the story but it got better the further along I got. Iris is a mermaid and princess who is told she has to marry a human, Finn who happens to be running for mayor and needs a wife for optics. Iris decides to make Finn miserable though so he’ll call off the engagement.

I was leery about that part, since it seemed juvenile to do the things Iris came up with. Fortunately the book didn’t lean too heavily into that stuff. Iris and Finn were attracted to each other from the beginning but Finn’s always “on” public persona was a problem. Finn’s campaign manager Henry was a terrible person and I didn’t like that he manipulated them so much.

I did like the friends Iris found on land, it was sweet that she wasn’t alone anymore. The book doesn’t go too deep with things, and I feel Finn and Iris’s relationship could have been developed a little bit more. We don’t really get much of them talking or getting to know one another. Overall the book was fine and I want to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read it. I voluntarily chose to leave a review.

No third act breakup/third act fight

4/5 on the Spicy Scale

M/F

Paranormal Romance

[victoria🪼 · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you so much to netgalley and avon publishing for this arc!!

I really liked Monty as a character, he made me laugh out loud and I think him being involved was a perfect addition to this story

For me personally the spicy scenes felt oddly placed, with the scenes they kinda went from 0 to 100 really quick, I wish before the spicy part itself started there was a bit more tension or even buildup, side note I feel like everytime they should have actually had a conversation about feelings they just ended up fucking
Another thing is the miscommunication, it was becoming a really prevalent part and I wish they would both put their egos aside and talk to each other
 
ALSO if this is going to be an interconnected series I have some predictions about other couples 
If I'm right I will be sprinting to the store for their book🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️
My fav character would have to be Arden I really liked how he was the number one shipper

Overall I think it's a really strong story, I liked the writing style and the characters, I just wish that there were more moments between iris and finn. Some cute little moments before they were together would have added to the chemistry as well as the tension and it would have helped build up to the moment when they finally got together. 

[Divya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've totally fallen head over fins for this book! Mermaids have been my mythical BFFs since I was a wee lass. I mean, come on—H2O, The Little Mermaid, Legend of the Deep Blue Sea, Siren—the enchanting list of aquatic adventures goes swimmingly on!

This book? Pure magic! It's not your run-of-the-mill mermaid tale. Imagine every mythical creature cozying up with humans on earth. Just wow! If this were real, I’d be throwing a party with vampires, faes, mermaids, and all the whimsical beings in between. It's a laugh riot wrapped in romance and bursts of sizzling emotions—just the ultimate page-turner!

I adore the dynamic duo of Iris and Finn. There's such a spark between them, it's electrifying and oh-so-heartfelt. My childhood dreams of mermaid fantasies have gracefully waltzed into adulthood with this book—it's a dream come true! This book was an absolute delight, wrapping up my reading list for 2025 with a bang! The finale was the cherry on top, delivering everything I craved and then some in a tale crafted like this.

I'd totally suggest this book to all the mermaid-loving gals dreaming of snagging their own Prince Charming, just like Iris did with Finn!

[Pee’s Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

If The Little Mermaid, Maid in Manhattan and How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days were made into a book.

Our man Finn is a strait-laced guy trying to be elected for Mayor of New York, and needs the vote from the paranormal community. Our girl Iris is a book loving Mermaid Princess whose Mum wants to pair her off with Finn for a political marriage as she wants him to keep the ocean safe from land pollution.

The plot of this book was really different and I found that refreshing, and it was also absolutely hilarious, there was not a single page that went by that I didn’t giggle or highlight a quote. I loved how in this World we have fae, witches, vampires, merpeople (to name a few) and humans all living together. This brought so much magic to the book with so many fun characters. From a talking pelican bird who is looking for fame and celebrity, to a wedding planner demon and a bookshop owning Witch… Iris’ found family are all so brilliant, and for me are really the stars of the show.

I’m looking forward to reading more books by Jessica Gadziala.

Thank you to Avon Books UK for gifting me this e-book in exchange for my honest review.

[Danny Kearl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

I absolutely adored Jessica Gadziala’s My Big Fat Vampire Wedding, so I was beyond excited to dive into this new release—especially since it appears to be set in the same universe. Stepping back into this world felt familiar and fun while still offering something fresh.

This story follows Iris, a mermaid princess, and Finn, a human mayoral candidate. Iris is betrothed to Finn in a political move meant to help secure his election, as he aims to become the first human mayor of Manhattan. What follows is a delightful clash of worlds, cultures, and expectations.

Iris has never been on land before, so her arrival in Manhattan is complete culture shock—and those moments were both entertaining and endearing. Finn, on the other hand, has become so consumed by politics and ambition that he’s lost touch with who he really is beneath the polished politician exterior.

I loved Iris’s free-spirited nature and her resistance to the engagement. She has no interest in being used as a pawn and actively tries to sabotage the arrangement. But as time passes, she begins to see the real Finn behind the political mask—and that slow shift in their dynamic was so satisfying to watch unfold.

I had such a fun time reading this story, and I loved that it included hints and threads leading into the next book in this series and shared world. I’m definitely excited to see where this universe goes next.

[Faye Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored Jessica Gadziala's My Big Fat Vampire Wedding recently, so I jumped at the chance to read the ARC of Mermaid in Manhattan! Not only does it have arranged marriage which one of my top tier tropes, it's an arranged marriage between a mermaid princess and a human politician. It sounds like a funny match but it really drives the plot and the character development. The FMC, Iris, is quite hot and cold with Finn, but it wasn't annoying like it can be sometimes in books, as it did make sense for her. As the story progresses, they get better at talking things through.

Monty the talking pelican is very funny, I think it must be the law that a mermaid princess has a hilarious talking sidekick. The other side characters were amusing as well, which got me really invested.

I devoured this in one go, and really enjoyed it! There's something about the author's writing that I just find so easy and fun to read. 

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley but this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Chelsea Pinkard · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars - I’m only giving it the extra half star because I made it all the way to the end without DNF-ing, because the concept and cover genuinely appealed to me (and I’m not usually the type to like fake relationship/arranged marriage tropes). My little mermaid obsessed heart found Iris and her underwater world pretty cool, but also a bit like if you took the little mermaid movie from 1989 and just changed the names. I mean, even the talking bird as a bestie - really? Scuttle would be whacking Monty with a dinglehopper, especially for the 15 bloody times they mentioned him attempting to eat the cat. It got boring after three. Also, Finn was about as interesting as wet paper. There was no real chemistry, the sex scenes were too frequent and felt so forced, and if you’ve made it to the 80% mark of a book and the protagonist still feels as though she hasn’t met the “real” MMC, then there’s a big problem. I really wanted to like this but it was just not it for me, sorry

[kyra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the premise and it was a really fun story! It started off strong with some little mermaid vibes, witty characters, and great descriptions to set the scene. Going in with no expectations beyond a fun story is definitely the way to go here and the first half was super promising.

Unfortunately, the last half of this book was a miss for me. Maybe I'm too intolerant of miscommunication, but it felt like that was all there was. The entire book was solved with one conversation that didn't happen until the end, and then everything was wrapped up so quickly I'm a little confused on if there is meant to be another one or if that's just it. It was disappointing because of how strongly it started.

I don't want to discourage anyone from giving this a go. It WAS a fun story and I did enjoy reading it. I just didn't walk away feeling very satisfied because I started hoping for more substance than what was promised.

Thank you to netgalley for this ARC!

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley and the author for the advanced copy of mermaid in manhattan!

unfortunately, i don’t think this was for me. i found the writing style to be more of that for a YA or middle-grade book which felt improperly matched with the more ~adult~ content.

i thought the concept for this was really interesting and i think the cover is gorgeous. i like that the world was trying to be expanded on by including various creatures, but this whole book felt like it was kind of shoving the fact that iris was a mermaid down my throat. even though i liked that the world was trying to be developed, i wish there was more of a romance built between finn and iris rather than exploration of the human world. i felt like the first time they got together was very shocking since there wasn’t a whole lot of build up, both emotionally and with where it fell in the plot.

i think that there is an audience for this, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

[FictionalMenAreBetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay. This was exactly what I needed after reading too many dark romances. This is the perfect paranormal rom-com with that delicious "fish out of water" experience I've always loved in books. We have Iris, a mermaid who loves the ocean and has never been on land before, Finn, the stiff candidate for mayor who needs a paranormal wife to gain votes, and a whole slew of really fleshed-out side characters that made this such a fun (and funny) romp.

I really like that this one was in a dual pov because if we only had Iris, I feel like Finn might have felt too cold. But with getting his point of view, we got to see his conflicted emotions, his tragic life, his ruthless ambition that forced him to suppress his fun, nerdy side. Which was why it was such a blast to see Iris bring that out of him.

The spice was spicing.
The rom was romming.
The com was comming.
Definitely recommend this to anyone who likes light, spicy pnr.

[ChelsMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received as an Arc from NetGalley.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

Another fantastic book from Jessica.

I loved the entire plot of this story. We got to meet some interesting characters, that each brought something different to the book.

Monty is possibly my favourite animal character out of every book I’ve read this year. Had me in absolute stitches!

Iris and Finn were so cute. You could sense their interactions with one another slowly becoming more intimate, and the pure frustration of not knowing what to do with their feelings was a big part of the story.

Iris really let Finn be more himself when she was around. She also had to learn to be patient and not jump to conclusions so fast.

Quite a bit of miscommunication but all led to a HEA.

If you want to find out how a mermaid princess and a human politician can make a relationship work, then definitely read this book.

[colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

i absolutely loved the premise of this book. it was fun and refreshing, and something we do not really see often in the rom com world. i have always been fascinated by mermaids and how they live, so the idea of a mermaid being sent to land to marry a human completely hooked me. i was instantly all in.

i do think the story had a lot of potential and many strong elements working in its favor, but the romance itself fell a little short for me. i did not fully feel the emotional connection between the characters. finn, in particular, came across as somewhat dry, and i would have loved to see him open up more. i also wished there were more meaningful moments between them beyond the physical aspects of their relationship.

overall, though, i still really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it!!!

[Kate Laycoax · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had a fun premise (I have been wanting a mermaid romance!) and an interesting magical NYC setting, but it didn’t fully land for me, mostly because of the MMC, Henry. While Iris was fiery and entertaining, Henry often felt flat and frustrating. His actions were meant to come across as patient and devoted, but at times they read more controlling and performative than romantic, especially given the arranged marriage setup. I wanted more depth, vulnerability, and actual chemistry from him instead of the same steady persistence over and over. The tropes (arranged marriage, only one bed, spice) were there, but the romance itself felt uneven, and Henry just didn’t win me over. Fun idea, mixed execution.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jessica Gadziala, and Avon for the eARC of this book.

[Silvia LD · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a no for me, the premise and banter of the book are great, kinda like a modern little mermaid with a forced marriage and close proximity trope. It all sounds good on paper, but I found it quite disjointed, despite having both POV in the book. The main character relationship is non-existent apart from the spicy parts. I feel there was no real development in the relationship, everything felt happening behind the scenes, there are really no interactions between the two of the show how these relationship moves from one thing to the other. The characters don’t talk to each other, they don’t go through conversations to carry their relationship forward! So it’s hard to gauge why this relationship has changed. Nice effort but it didn’t work for me.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iris Marivelle, a beautiful and enchanting mermaid princess finds herself in Manhattan supposedly to marry Finn Westrock who is in need of a bride to merely to further his political career. Coming from two different worlds, Iris and Finn have a lot to learn about each other, but the spark between them immediately begins to smoulder. Throw in a talking pelican, a cutthroat campaign manager, and a wedding planner who’s a lower demon and you’ve got a well written fun and at times laugh out loud read. The secondary characters shine throughout. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review her work.

[CrazzyBookLadyy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this one a little nervous. I mean... mermaids? (Maybe I should preface this review by saying I was a Belle girl, not an Ariel one - give me allll the monster romances, please!) But I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Iris was stubborn but sweet. Finn was cool, but thawed. Selene, Arden, and Monty were hilarious. The world was built so fully but without the dreaded info dumping. If you want genuine laugh-out-loud moments (the book section titles, omg), great spice, and sweet hea, this would be the one for you. Don't worry, there's no "confusing mermaid sex" here. She's always on land when they get it on lol