Tidebound

by Veronica Nicks

In the underwater kingdom of Thalassia, sirens believe that human men exist for one purpose: to be lured beneath the waves and trained to serve in perfect obedience as submissive pets. But while other sirens dream of capturing and dominating a human, Aurelia longs for something different. As she swims to the surface each evening to watch the human prince bathing in the waves, she longs for him to claim her, and for a set of human legs to wrap around him.

In the human kingdom of Meridia, Prince Silas has lived his life under the crushing responsibilities of his crown. While his mother urges him to find a suitable wife and prepare for kingship, Silas finds solace in the cool embrace of the ocean, the only place where he does not need to be ashamed of his own deepest desires.

When Aurelia bargains with the conniving Sea Witch for human legs, the price is her siren song and nearly every word she possesses. She is left with a single word she is permitted to speak:

Yes.

Crashing into Silas's world, Aurelia has only three days to convince a man shackled by expectation to surrender to the desires he’s spent a lifetime denying. If she can find a way to help Silas abandon his shame and fully possess her, the Sea Witch's dark curse will be broken. If she fails, the bargain will cost her far more than her voice.

Tidebound is a seductive, high-spice reimagining of The Little Mermaid that explores themes of consent, overcoming shame, and finding the courage to become our truest selves.

269 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2026

About the author

Veronica Nicks graduated from Penn State University in 2011 with a BA in English and a dream of one day writing novels for a living. She lives in an oddly shaped house in Gettysburg, PA with her husband and children, a corgi named Gatsby, and a ghost who won’t stop knocking things off the pantry shelves. "Tidebound" is her first novel.

Reviews

[Che]

What an amazing read! I thoroughly enjoyed myself throughout this book, as it had all the best parts I'd expect from a paranormal romance. Would definitely recommend this, and I wouldn't mind reading it a second time.

[Lilith's_Library_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s something about a book with Tidebound as its title that immediately makes me expect atmosphere, emotion and a story that pulls you beneath the surface—and this one certainly gave me that feeling.

I really enjoyed my time with this book. It had a strong sense of atmosphere that kept me turning the pages, and there was something about the overall tone that made the story easy to settle into.

What I enjoyed most was the way the story balanced its more emotional moments with the elements of the plot. There were times when I found myself genuinely invested in what was happening and wanting to see where the characters would end up.

The characters were another highlight for me. While there were moments where I would have liked a little more depth and development from some of them, I still found myself becoming attached to their journeys. Their relationships and the choices they were faced with gave the story an emotional layer that worked well for me.

I also appreciated that the story didn't feel completely predictable. There were moments where I thought I knew where things were heading, only for the story to take me in another direction. Those little surprises helped keep me engaged.

That said, I did have a few issues.

There were sections where the pacing felt a little uneven, and I occasionally found myself wishing certain parts had been explored more deeply. Some character and plot developments felt as though they could have benefited from a little more breathing room.

Despite that, I still found Tidebound to be an enjoyable read.

It has an atmospheric quality that really drew me in, characters I wanted to see succeed, and enough emotional moments to keep me invested in their story. It wasn't quite a five-star read for me, but it was definitely one I was glad I picked up.

Overall, Tidebound was a solid four-star ARC read for me. It had its imperfections, but there was plenty here to enjoy, and I can see this being a book that really resonates with readers who enjoy atmospheric stories with an emotional core.

Thank you to Veronica Nicks and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

★★★★☆ 4 stars

🌊 Atmospheric
📖 Emotional
✨ Engaging characters
🌙 Immersive storytelling
💕 Relationships & connection
🔮 Intrigue & mystery
📚 A solid 4-star read

[Nicole Allbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as an ARC and this is my honest review.

I haven’t read romantasy in a while and I was eager to get back to the fantasy world. A “The Little Mermaid” retelling was perfect because I know the story so well: mermaid falls in love with a human and makes a bargain with a sea witch to give her legs, she has three days to make the prince love her, but she cannot speak to him. Tidebound does it a little differently, and I really enjoyed this author’s take!

FMC Aurelia is a siren who does not want to live by her race’s standards. Sirens beguile men into living with them for a year as their pet and then get to choose to stay as a pet, change to a siren, or return home as a human. Aurelia doesn’t want a pet, instead she wants to be the submissive - and that just isn’t done in her world. She has a fascination with a prince on land and decides to make a contract with the Sea Witch to become human to try to win the love of the Prince. The Sea Witch gives Aurelia three days to get the Prince to show his true colors and be comfortable with her to be who he really is, but Aurelia cannot speak to him, except one word: Yes. MMC Silas is the Prince of Meridia and has unusual tastes when it comes to his sexual desires - at least unusual to the upper class and society. When he saves a red-haired beauty from the water and secrets her away to his bedchamber, he cares for her, tries to communicate with her, and protects her, all while trying to keep his baser instincts in check. But Aurelia needs him to lose his control in order to keep him. Can the two figure out a way to communicate both their needs without losing each other to the Sea Witch’s agreement?

I would love to listen to this book as a dual-narration audiobook. If/when that happens, I’d jump at the chance! This book is the author’s first, and she did a fantastic job with the writing, character development, plot, and storytelling. There was a small twist I didn’t see coming right away, and she did a good job hiding it without making it feel like it came out of nowhere.

[Destiny Soden · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

This standalone follows a dual POV between our FMC, Aurelia, and our MMC, Silas. In my opinion, the spice level was around a 1.5 out of 5. There were plenty of on-page moments between our main characters, with a few specific quirks playing major roles in their personalities and helping reinforce the themes surrounding the settings and environments they each came from.

Thank you to the author and BookSirens for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is very much an extra-spicy Little Mermaid retelling, adapted to incorporate more of the siren mythos. For the most part, it was a quick and enjoyable read. There were a few moments of miscommunication and impatient decisions (she gave up her voice, so it's pretty much expected...).

The story wraps up nicely for our MCs, giving them both a sense of peace and resolution. It was a good ending, though it felt slightly rushed. We never quite got to see the prince express as much interest in the final decisions as his actions and earlier behavior seemed to suggest he would.

All in all, this was a quick, fun, spicy little retelling that makes a perfect palate cleanser between longer series or for when you just want something you can finish in a day or two!

[Courtney Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I underestimated just what exactly I was getting into when picking up this book. There's books with steam and steam with some plot. This book was the latter. It's definitely the adult version of the fairytale. I don't think I'd go for something like this again, but there's an audience out there that will love this book.

I did like how the author made The Little Mermaid their own for this story. It still had all the elements we know from the story, but it was allowed to expand beyond it. There's an awesome twist at the end that I didn't see coming, and I think it was written really well to sneak up on you like that. I like that Aurelia uses her brain to get Silas to figure things out instead of just hoping he gets there.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Emma Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tidebound is an unapologetically steamy, emotionally grounded twist on The Little Mermaid that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Veronica Nicks flips the classic story on its head with a unique curse—leaving Aurelia with only a single word she can speak ("Yes")—creating intense dynamic tension with Prince Silas. Beneath the explicit, high-spice romance lies a surprisingly thoughtful story focused on consent, vulnerability, and overcoming shame.

It moves at a rapid, three-day ticking-clock pace that prioritizes character chemistry over heavy fantasy worldbuilding. If you're looking for a quick, hot, and satisfying adult fairytale retelling, this debut delivers in spades. Highly recommended for fans of high-spice romantasy!

[Jessica H. · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

I had no idea what this book was about aside from the little blurb I read when picking the ARC to review. The beginning 1/3 was very, very slow for me and it was hard to become invested in the plot/characters. As the book went on I enjoyed it more. But the last 1/2 of the book felt rushed. There was a lot of build up to the relationship between Silas and Aurelia and then there was a lot happening all at once and then the book was over. Overall I enjoyed it and I'm glad I finished the book but this is not a story I would read again.
I really enjoyed the plot twist with Silas' mother and father.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Antoniareads_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it, a really fun, whimsy retelling. The spice was fantastically well written, it wasn’t the primary focus and loved the descriptive language of the scenes within the story.

I hate the term ‘easy read’ because it seems condescending but this was. It didn’t feel a chore to get into with tonnes of world building rammed down your throat. I genuinely really had a great time reading this. Look forward to more! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this as an ARC!

[Ariana Rishell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a review readers copy of this story, and this is my honest review. I love the Little Mermaid, and this retelling was fun, entertaining, and rich with world building. I really enjoyed reading this book and having a fresh perspective on the story. I also loved how everything was done to make it feel both familiar and yet also new. Well done!

[Amy Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tidebound was a gripping story and I love it! I can't wait to read more from this author! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.