Of Ink and Envy: A Mermaid Fantasy Romance

by Liesl West

A Male Sea Witch x Little Mermaid retelling where he's the tentacled, tattooed bad boy who teaches her how to flirt.

When her fiancé dumps her for being “too awkward,” Ophelia Orion must quickly find another match. Desperate, she strikes a deal with a mind-reading trickster and notorious rake, her ex-best friend Casimir Draven—and he's much hotter than she remembered. He agrees to teach her how to flirt and catch the eye of a suitor, but only if Ophelia surrenders her happiest memory. Now she must navigate the marriage market, protect her memories, and try not to fall for that tentacled troublemaker all over again.

A standalone short story companion to the Sirens of Adria series, Of Ink and Envy is an ex-friends to lovers reimagining of The Little Mermaid where the jealous male sea witch teaches her how to flirt.

Genres: Romantasy

71 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2026

About the author

When Liesl West was a child, she desperately wanted to be the little mermaid. Maybe it’s because she grew up in rural Ohio, USA, with not an ocean in sight, but something about the ocean has always called to her. It’s just too bad she can’t swim. She can, however, write dark fantasy mermaid romance stories that feature strong female leads and wounded cinnamon roll love interests. And for now, that’ll have to be close enough.

Reviews

[Samantha]

I adore Liesl West's Sirens of Adria series and was delighted by this fun side-story novella. It served a lot a perfect palate cleanser from the last novel I read and brought a smile to my face. It is definitely worth the read.

[Jessica]

This was a fun, quick read! Pacing was great and I was invested in the characters. Fairytale vibes with a splash of Bridgerton. Really enjoyed the magical elements of this one!