Kiss of the Selkie

Entangled with Fae #3

by Tessonja Odette

A Little Mermaid Retelling

A handsome fugitive seeking a marriage of convenience.
A selkie with a lethal kiss sent to seal his fate…

To evade a vicious sea queen’s clutches, selkie Maisie hides on land surviving as a thief. But when she rescues a human from drowning and illegally brings him to shore, she must answer for breaking fae law. As punishment, she’ll have to hunt down the man she saved…and kiss him. But with a kiss that can kill, Maisie’s mission means more than seduction. It means murder.

Son of a notorious fae-killer, Dorian was never meant to survive the shipwreck that was orchestrated to assassinate him. Now that he’s on the forbidden fae isle, he’ll do anything to gain citizenship—even marry a fae bride. Desperate for a hasty marriage, he holds a bridal competition in the isle’s most theatrical city, where displays of frivolity aren’t just encouraged—they’re expected. And if Maisie can act like a proper debutante and join the pageantry, she’ll get near enough to deliver her fatal kiss.

But getting close to her target brings complications she didn’t expect. As she pretends to compete for Dorian’s heart, it starts to feel less like an act…and more like falling in love.

If Maisie doesn’t deliver her kiss by sunrise on the last day of the competition, she forfeits her life. But if she succeeds, Dorian dies. When the pageant ends, will there be a true victor? Or only death and broken hearts?

ACOTAR meets Bridgerton and The Selection in this standalone fairytale retelling of The Little Mermaid. If you like enemies-to-lovers romance, bridal contests, and snarky fae royals, then you’ll love this swoon-worthy story in the Entangled with Fae series.

*NOTE this book is upper YA/NA featuring mature situations and some adult language. The romance is slow burn but leads to moderate steam.

Kiss of the Selkie is a complete stand-alone novel set in the same world as The Fair Isle Trilogy. Journey back to Faerwyvae or begin your adventure for the first time with this enchanting tale. Each book in the Entangled with Fae series can be read on its own and in any order. Happily ever after guaranteed!

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Retellings, Romantasy, Fae, Fantasy Romance, Young Adult

467 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2021

About the author

Tessonja Odette is a Seattle-based author of fantasy romance, epic romantasy, and fairytale retellings. Her different series range from cozy fae romcoms to dark and twisty fantasy. In her books you’ll find witty banter, sizzling romance, and breathtaking magic. When she isn’t writing, she’s watching anime, squeezing her pets, or dancing to the music only she can hear.

Reviews

[Ali Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairytale retellings are quickly becoming one of my new favorite things to read! I loved that this Little Mermaid retelling had so many nods to the original Little Mermaid (loving shiny things, daughter of a king, an evil sea queen, a crab friend, etc.) but also so many of it's own elements and twists (a fae world, a lethal kiss, a selkie, etc.)

I also loved how complex and layered our main character Maisie is. She loves shiny things and stealing plus she's got a lethal kiss BUT she also has an incredibly kind heart and is a really strong character.

This book did drag for me a bit in the first third but then the second half moved super fast! If you love fairytale retellings, romance, fantasy, and the book The Selection (this book also has a marriage competition like The Selection) then I think you will love this book!

[moniqueॱ◌̥*⃝̣ ⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5⭐️

The little mermaid used to be my absolute favourite Disney princess movie of all time, which is why I had very high hopes for this book… sadly they weren’t met :/
The premise of the story sounded so freaking good but sadly it didn’t turn out the way I hoped it would… It was still good and I loved the angst, the tension and the banter between the two characters but compared to the heart of the raven prince… kinda disappointing.

I still loved it though! Don’t get me wrong, but it just wasn’t as good as the previous book of the series which is why this book was kind of a let down… I have a feeling that I would’ve enjoyed it more if there was dual POV like in book 2 and if the romance between the two characters was a bit more intense. At times the book was a bit boring and I couldn’t really get into it, the way I did with book 2…

However, there are still things which I very much enjoyed! I love that Maisie is such a fun, curious and endearing FMC. She really kept the story going, same as her friendship with Podaxis! I was way more invested in their friendship rather than the romance between her and Dorian.
As I’ve already mentioned, I believe if we would’ve gotten Dorian’s POV as well, then I probably would’ve liked him and his relationship towards Maisie a bit more than I do now.

What I did also like were the tropes! The forbidden and seemingly hopeless love? It was so cute!! The tension between these two was very endearing to read about. You really rooted for them and hoped that they’d get their happy ending.
I also love the resemblance to the Disney movie and the aspects that were included from the film! It made the book more enjoyable!

The plot was also pretty promising and at times it was very very interesting. Sadly, it wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be (as already mentioned)

Overall, it was an average read. There were things that I’ve loved and things that could’ve been done better but that is just my opinion. I would still recommend it if you love fairy tale retellings and fantasy romance books! Maybe you’ll like it more than me and can make up your own opinion on it as well :)

[Tessonja Odette]

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Kiss of the Selkie is now live! I’m so excited for everyone to meet Maisie, a feisty thief and princess-in-hiding, her best friend and voice of reason, Podaxis, and the mysterious shipwrecked man she’s been sent to assassinate—Dorian. Maisie will have to participate in a victorian-era equivalent of The Bachelor to get close to her target. But getting close happens in more ways than one…and soon her heart’s at risk of being won by the man she’s promised to kill.

I had so much fun writing this book and hope my readers love it as much as I do. Maisie was a blast to write about and Podaxis unexpectedly stole my heart too (I love side characters, and he just might be my favorite, right alongside Foxglove and Lorelei from The Fair Isle Trilogy.) Dorian was intensely passionate, and I really enjoyed playing with the dynamic of an immortal, powerful, magical fae female falling for a non-magic human love interest, since most of my previous books have had the opposite dynamic.

Kiss of the Selkie is an upper YA/NA retelling of the Little Mermaid and is available in ebook and Kindle Unlimited on Amazon, as well as hardcover and paperback at most online bookstores. Here's the link to it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BK9CQN3

Also...check out the hardcover edition with the hidden character art under the dust jacket! I love how it turned out (just FYI this is the standard hardcover found on Amazon/other retailers!)

[Victoria Resco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorprendentemente el final me sorprendió (valga la redundancia). Había varias cosas que estaba segura de saber cómo se iban a solucionar y al final no fueron como esperaba.

El romance en estos libros siempre es muy bueno pero honestamente el mundo mágico y sus reglas son cualquier cosa. La autora se toma este universo como un tablero en el que ella acomoda los casilleros a su gusto para armar la historia a su gusto. No digo que esté mal, pero genera muchísimas dudas respecto a las reglas y limitaciones de la magia para ser honestos.

Me entretuvo, pero no fue nada del otro mundo. El 2do de la saga sigue siendo LEJOS el mejor.

[nikki | ཐི༏ཋྀ​​݁ ₊ ݁ . · Rating 4 out of 5]

I killed the first boy I kissed, and if I ever press my lips to another’s, he won’t be the last. And I do very much hope he’s the last. Not because I dislike kissing....
Kissing is fine. It’s the killing I’m not so fond of.

little mermaid retelling where she's a kleptomaniac selkie cursed to kill with her kiss. after a run-in with the sea witch, she makes a reluctant deal to forever remove the curse and save herself - she must win a bridal pageant and kiss the groom-to-be. he's got his own dark past, but when push comes to shove will she be able to do the deed?

i had fun with this one. sometimes there was a bit of info dumping but i thought this was a cute take. i love odette's fae world with its juxtaposition of uptight regency era humans clashing with the more laidback, uninhibited fae.

i always love how her characters have interesting background stories as well, even her side characters. podaxis was a fun addition and i would love to know more what happened with him.

maisy had me cackling at her quips and though sometimes the whole "clumsy fmc" can be overdone or annoying, i thought it was utilized well here to create some tension and awkward moments. i enjoyed learning more about dorian and the growth of his character and their chemistry.

i will be using "shells" as an expletive now and "the elephant seal in the room" 🤭 and it was fun to see "the governess and the rake" play come up as an easter egg here hehe (a rivalry of hearts).

“Are we kindred spirits who understand one another? Two souls cut from the same cloth? Or are we two volatile components that should never be combined?”

[maryam]

on hold
it had a fun start don't get me wrong but i'm just not feeling it right now since i was busy with school and my buddy reads i couldn't focus on it

[Books_and_Crafts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another fairytale that I fell in love with 🥰

The Bachelor meets The Little Mermaid with a murderous plot! Absolutely loved it!

Princess Maisie is on the run. Biding her time hiding away on land collecting trinkets as she goes. But when she rescues a drowning human her problems just get worse. She is found by the one creature she never wanted to encounter- the sea witch. She gets backed into a bargain to eliminate the very human she saved from drowning… with her deadly kiss. The only way to get close to this infuriatingly attractive human is to enter the bridal games for his hand.

I adored this retelling and will read anything Tessonja Odette writes!

[Yeg · Rating 4 out of 5]

~4.5 stars~

this is a true statement that I'm in love with this series and the retellings. It’s really clear to see how the story of the little mermaid was incorporated into this retelling! It’s a story about love; love its many forms, between friends, family and lovers. Of course, you also have a key element in here from The Selection.

Odette did give us a grown-up take on the little mermaid; Maisie’s kiss can kill, and she has no idea why. She has a knack for lifting things out of pockets to sell and make money while living in self-imposed exile (while also adding pieces to her own collection). Maisie has a large number of siblings but has grown up closer to her brothers

I also loved Podaxis! While in the little mermaid, Sebastian is more of a hapless older relative or uncle, in this Podaxis is his brother in a way that we all didn’t know we needed. I’m glad that we will get a story about Britney Rose (I mean just the name made me realize that there would be something based on her), and I love how Maisie was tied into the previous book, and how we saw some characters again!


credit

[avi ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

» [ Whatever by Kygo & Ava Max ] «
0:58 ─〇───── 3:16
⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻

➳ ꒰ Rating: ✰✰✰/5 ꒱
➳ ꒰ Spice: 🌶🌶/5 ꒱
➳ ꒰ Language: 🤬🤬/5 ꒱
➳ ꒰ Violence: 🩸.5/5 ꒱


TROPES
⤷ Bride Pageant
⤷ Hunter x Hunted
⤷ Hate To Love
⤷ Force Proximity
⤷ rich x poor
⤷ misunderstood morally grey mmc
⤷ Runaway Princess
⤷ Forbidden Love


PLOT
Princess Maisie has gone into hiding. Far from where the threat lays in her home, the Sea Court. She now lives in the Most extravagant city in all of faerwyvae. She must decide love or death, life for a life the sea is a cruel mistress and she will hunt down for the death that belongs to her and her sisters. She must enter into the beauty bridal pageant to secure her life. She must kill a man with the dark past, a man with the reputation and go into the church who started the rebellion years ago. Can Maise fulfill her mission, resist the mysterious target she must kill, or will she fall to her doom by her heart.


MY THOUGHTS
This book honestly brought so many memories. I love the retelling of Little Mermaid, it was done so beautifully and I love the characters. I will say the reading pace for me was very slow and I wish for it to maybe be longer. But other than that this book was a whirlwind of emotions. I especially loved the moments we got to read more of the inner self of our main character Maisie, and finding her find herself throughout this journey of love and adventure. This also gave me such love to how the author wrote this with some key details of The series The Selection by Kiera Cass, and how you could see small scenes that might remind you of the series. And we cannot forget the drop ins of previous or mentionable characters from the other books!!!!!!


QUOTES
⤷ You're more than a princess to me. You're my Maisie. My selkie. My temptress. You've tempted my heart from my chest, set it beating again, made me think it was worthy of beating again.

⤷ I love you, Maisie. That is my vow. That is the only one that matters. With this body, I am a shield...for you. With these hands, I protect you. With these lips, I give myself to you. Always you.

⤷ “Well now, he isn’t too skinny at all.”
“I don’t think that’s blubber on his bones.”
“Whatever it is…I think I like it.”
“This is no time to ogle, Maisie. He might be dead.”

⤷ I killed the first boy I kissed, and if I ever press my lips to another’s, he won’t be the last.

⤷ “Are we kindred spirits who understand one another? Two souls cut from the same cloth? Or are we two volatile components that should never be combined?”

⤷ “Then we’ll learn to treat our kisses with respect. We’ll learn to only come together in kindness.”
“It’s still dangerous. I’m dangerous. I’ll always be deadly.”
A corner of his mouth lifts. “I already told you. I like a little danger.”
The heat in his voice has my stomach doing a flip. My heart pounds, warm with relief. Exhilaration. Love.”

⤷ “You let heartache turn from a temporary fracture to a gaping hole. I won’t do that to myself. Not anymore.”

⤷ “never said I was jealous.” “Still, I thought you should know that no one else holds a candle to you.”

[ailish · Rating 2 out of 5]

I need to preface this review by saying I absolutely love this series, adore being in this world and reading each fairy-tale retelling, and that despite my feelings on this book, I'm still looking forward to reading each book that comes next.

Now on that positive note...

Before reading Kiss of The Selkie I had my reservations. Possibility of a mermaid/pirate fantasy? A re-telling of The Little Mermaid where the MC is a killer? Sign me up baby. So what's the issue? I am not a fan of plot-lines that centre around bridal competitions, or absolutely anything that resembles The Bachelor or The Selection. I had a bad feeling that this story wasn't going to be my cup of tea, and let me tell you I spat that shit out while reading (this is my analogy for not liking the book).

Most of my dislike for the book can be attributed to personal taste and so it wouldn't be fair to call the book bad, however I do have some small criticisms toward the writing. I feel like this applies to all of her books in the Entangled with The Fae series, but these books always start so slow. It can be so hard to get into each book because of the sluggish pacing and boring content for at least the first 100 pages while Tessonja sets up the story, not to mention how she goes over all the world-building facts we already know in each individual book, however once you get past that story-set up the pay-off is always so worth it. Most of the time.

Honest to god I think I had more fun tearing this book to shreds (metaphorically) in my notes than I did actually reading it. The parts of the book I was looking forward to were non-existent - she doesn't turn into a Selkie for the entire book. Rather than it taking place in the SeaCourt it takes place on land in a church. The love interest is not a pirate, he's a PRIEST. I'm sorry but as an Irish gal I cannot tell you how unsexy and unattractive the idea of a priest love interest is to me, big ew big ick. I would compete to get away from this man, not compete to win his favour.

Which brings me to the competition and boy do I have feelings on this one. I absolutely despise the idea of winning your boyfriend in a competition. Like holy shit do we have layers and layers of problems to unravel in that sentence alone. And you can play the "not like other girls" card all you want, I know she isn't really competing at first and is there to kill him, but girl you are still trying to win!!!! You are competing against other women for one mediocre man. I cannot stress this enough, if a man is not on his knees gasping, begging, tears down his face wants you that bad, why are you interested? You're telling me this man gets to try out different girls like they're ice-cream flavours and you still want him!? You're still competing!? That's your man!? GIRL that's everybody's man. And I truly could not deal with the second hand embarrassment of everyone knowing that she was a princess competing in a bridal pageant for a priest. Like girl stand up 😭

Personal opinions aside lol I saw a lot of reviews saying there was no chemistry between the two love interests compared to other books and that it was a bit of insta-love, but I feel like compared to the first book their relationship was a bit more slow-burn and believable. Tessonja writes a really good love story and she's fantastic at writing these fairy-tale retellings.

[Samantha ♡ ( Percy’s Version ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5⭐️

RTC

[Erin Raughter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

[Eve Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great opening (reminded me of The Shadows Between Us) but overall, I found the first half of the book to be incredibly slow. The second half was quite enjoyable and the ending was definitely emotional. I think it's worth a try if you enjoy fairy-tale retellings, but I wouldn't strongly recommend.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kiss of the Selkie was a smooth sail. I swam easily through it. ( Puns totally intended😉) 💗

I admire these characters alot, Tessonja writes some really good layered characters, then throws at them the messiest, most complex of situations. Yet they mange to reason their way out of it. I wish I was written by her. 😂

I'd say this was more NA than YA because the characters felt very mature to me. Also, I respect the fact that they took full responsibility of their actions and its consequences.

Now to the romance part, that was good, not great, but it did give me little sea butterflies in my stomach at certain scenes. I liked their development, However, I would've liked if they'd had more time and bonded more than that. But they still came through. And I thought the epilogue was absolutely adorable.

So yeah read this pearl of a book. I'm really anticipating the next one, A Taste of Poison : a Snow White Retelling. 💜

[LainieLibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I'm really enjoying this author. If you want a cute, cozy, and easy fae fantasy romance read - this is it. I've bopped around this series, not really reading it in order, and have very much enjoyed everything I have read. The retellings are very well done, and feel fresh.

[Bella 💕 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m gonna try my best to write this( I’m currently suffering from the bubonic plague 😭)

One song that really wraps this book up perfectly is Prophecy by Taylor Swift. I had it on repeat while devouring this story.

Maisie was my absolute favorite character, not excluding Dax( I can’t write his full crab name) but Maisie stole the show.

She was so relatable and her character development was great to read. In the beginning she was super naive and only ever saw things from one perspective but as she grows she learns how to see things from multiple different sides. I also liked her because even though she wasn’t a fighting machine, she was still a badass.

I didn’t love Dorian but he grew on me throughout the story and he fits perfectly with Maisie. His love was pure and once he committed to her, he never went back or second guessed himself.

Dax was Maisie’s bff and I loved him so much. He was the word of reason throughout this story and I found him so cute and funny. I was INVESTED in his side romance and wish him the absolute best.🥰💕

I enjoyed the writing and can’t wait to read this author’s other books 😙

Thanks for reading!

[Nicole D Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine Ariel but living like Aladdin in a Ketterdam-ish city who then enters a bachelor-type dating/marriage competition as an assassin.
It was great! I love the descriptions of the courts and Fae powers. Looking forward to reading more by this author.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is into fairytale retellings, books set in a Fae realm, and romance between humans and Fae. ♥️

Update: Re-read this book after reading the first two in the series. While I still think it holds up as a standalone, it was nice to have some context about the world and some of the characters. I still think this one is my favorite in the series even though I've read 4 of them now.

[Sue Miz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can always tell how much a book interests me with the number of annotation tabs I use
My tabs can also pin point exactly when I start losing interest when they start to diminish in numbers


as it is shown, it is slightly after the middle that the book lost me and I started skimming
the first half of the story was absolutely amazing and engaging
I was hooked and reading until I found myself at p 250 in one setting

There is no doubt that Ms Odette can really make an impactful twist on traditional fairy tale stories
here, she tackles the original story of The Little Mermaid with an ode to the Disney version

Maisie, our Little Mermaid, has to give her love interest the kiss of death if she wanted to keep her life
I loved that Maisie, the selkie, was this morally grey character. She is a thief who likes to collect shiney objects, but she is doing that to escape the control of the Sea Witch Nimue who wants to control Maisie for her Kiss of Death Power.

about 200 pages in and it was evidence that this is going to be one sided POV. and tbh, I did not mind that because
1- The original Little Mermaid was told from the perspective of our heroine only
2- up untill this mark, the male love interest hasn't shown up even

becasue of that, I do not deem this book as a Romance retelling. It is a twisted retelling with elements of romance.
I mean, 400 pages in and there were nothing between Maisie and Dorian. Not even a spark! That is why I was so surprised by their rapid love for each other to the extent of self-sacrifice

by page 350, the story started to be a bit boring and it lost it's zing
there was much potential there for a great battle between Maisie and Nimue
but we were left with more questions than answers

so 3.5 stars for the 350 pages of interest

[Amy Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I killed the first boy I kissed, and if I ever press my lips to another’s, he won’t be the last."

This book was chosen as the January read for my book club and I really enjoyed stepping into the world that Tessonja has created.
This book is a beautiful Little Mermaid retelling...kinda...but remove mermaids and add Selkies (love anything to do with Selkies). Then sprinkle some ACOTAR vibes and a touch of the bachelorette. Then you have the overall energy of this book.
I really enjoyed watching Maisies journey from potential assassin to lover, the LOVED that little references to the Little Mermaid and also a few other Disney characters.
A really nice book if ytou feel like disappearing from reality for awhile.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Selkie stories and it's a Little Mermaid retelling!! I just devoured this book. Maisie seems to be in a tight spot and is in a Selection type situation where the son of a fae killer is having a group of female fae compete to marry him. The slow burn as Maisie gets in to deep and gets conflicted about using her gift. She must seal the deal or she will lose her life but can she?


Also the author drew the picture on the naked cover!! So amazing!!

[laya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Maisie but Dorian felt way too shallow for me. It was definitely the worst one of the series. Meh.

[Gabrielle (belle.bookcorner) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Are we kindred spirits who understand one another ? Two souls cut from the same cloth ? or are we two volatile components that should never be combined ?"

I don't read many Little Mermaid retellings so when I found this I was so excited to read it! Not only the cover is gorgeous, the plot is also well crafted and well written!

I love the originality of the plot, while it was a retelling it had its own twists and turns which brings a new kind of adventure for readers to be explored.
Instead of a kiss for a happily ever after, it was a kiss that will results in death.
It took me a little while to get hooked into the story and the characters, but once I did this book was impossible to put down!

The characters are well developed and we can see the development from Maisie. I love her speech during the bridal contest, it shows how strong she is to voice out her reasons that fae didn't need cleansing or salvation.
At first, Dorian's character was a bit confusing. I don't know whether he is really arrogant and stiff or all of that is an act. But, after knowing his background story, it changes my point of view about him.
Podaxis is truly adorable and such a sweet friend to Maisie! He's one of my favorite characters in this story and I love seeing his side of the story too. He reminds me a lot to Sebastian in The Little Mermaid Disney version😂

The ending was wrapped up nicely and almost everyone got a happy ending! We also got a glimpse of Franco and Ember that we met on the previous book in this series, Heart of the Raven Prince!
I'm also excited to know that some of the characters in here would get their own book like Briony Rose and the Huntsman! Just by reading the name I'm sure you know which fairytale retelling they're going to be!

Overall, this is highly enjoyable and entertaining. A different kind of retelling from The Little Mermaid story with its own twists! I am definitely looking forward to read more books from this series!
If you love fairytale retelling and enemies to lovers trope then you should check this one out!

Actual rating: 4.5⭐

A huge thank you to the author, Tessonja Odette for giving me the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion, also thank you to Book of Matches Media for allowing me to be a part of the book tour!

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initial Thoughts
I was so excited to read this book. I love Tessonja Odette’s writing and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this ARC!

Some Things I Liked
The Little Mermaid + enemies to lovers vibes + amazing banter. It’s everything I wanted and more. I knew I’d love Maisie’s story as soon as I read her part in Heart of the Raven Prince.
Podaxis is an absolute treasure and he was the perfect combo of Sebastian and Flounder.
The romance. Dorian and Maisie were a great couple. Always challenging each other and still finding love despite numerous obstacles.

Series Value
While I was reading, I was looking for Easter eggs of potential sequels and I did find two and I’m so excited to read their stories! Needless to say, I’ll be continuing this series.

Final Thoughts
Don’t forget to preorder this NYE release because you’ll want it to be your first read of 2022!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Mandarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

My brain refused to read any book but this one. Does that mean I'm in a book slump? I hope not.

This book had unique elements from the start. I mean, the books I have read from the author had too, but this one felt the most unique one of the series so far. The story reminded me of Still a Monster by ENHYPEN.

I loved that the MC wearing "masculine" clothing (meaning shirts and pants) is normalized.

Also, the tension between the main characters... I just can't. I was skeptical when I started the book because of the circumstances, but Tessonja Odette delivered. She made me love this retelling despite the fact that The Little Mermaid is one of my least favorite Disney movies. Maisie and Dorian had me feeling all the feels.

I know I've said it before, but I think it's my new favorite of the series so far.

I think it's official. It's a new favorite!

[Grace Arango · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't love this one as much as Heart of the Raven Prince (I mean that book is really difficult to beat IMO) but I loved the story and once again, I love everything Tessonja Odette publishes :)

[Whisker · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 38%

I didn't feel invested in the FMC's story and the MMC was barely being introduced at this point. I didn't get a sense of chemistry between the two but maybe I'd have to read more to get there. I'm just not in the mood to keep waiting for the book to pick up.

[Lucy Joyeux (Gazikova) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've got this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say that I love Tessonja's retellings. She always makes you root for both characters and up until the last second you don't know who is gonna win or be it.

In this book I know that I was rooting for Maisie at first until she started talking to Dorian, because then I started rooting for him but a few chapters later I was rooting for both of them, and then I just kind of switched so it was either Maisie or Dorian or both.

By the end of the book when you are 99% sure you know who you are rooting for Tessonja is able to put a knife in your gut twist it and laugh while she's doing it.

With this book I wasn't really sure how it's gonna end because as a retelling of The Little Mermaid it could have multiple endings. I've seen a very old movie called The Little Mermaid which was filmed in 1976 and was based on the 1837 fairy tale of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. In that movie The Little Mermaid dies, so I was kind of prepared for her to die but at the same time not, so when I found out how the ending ended I was emotionally not prepared.

I have to mention Podaxis! He's the best friend, the spy, the admirer, the brother we all should have! Maisie and Podaxis are friends for a very longer time that eventually they are family and there's nothing one wouldn't do for the other! His ending was well deserved and emotional! I'm so freaking happy we got to see and witness it!

Overall this book is a must read as well as all the others by her Majesty Tessonja Odette! My favorite book or rather trilogy is forever gonna be To Carve a Fae Heart but all these retellings have a special place in my heart as well!

[sana ୨୧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

the little mermaid was never my favorite disney movie / ariel was never one of my favorite disney princesses, so i kind of already felt like i wouldn’t enjoy this as much, especially reading it in a retelling sense. (some disney movies i enjoyed less that are “simpler” classics, i feel, do better as retellings). but i really enjoyed the version and adaptation of the little mermaid in this. (also never hated ariel or the little mermaid and think the original story is really interesting, but it just was never a favorite & ariel kinda aggravated me lowkey)

also, i loved podaxis !!! and the side plot with nadia and really liked the characterization of maisie. i felt like dorian was kinda wishy-washy ? but then kinda rushed ? like i don’t know how to explain my feelings about him in this book. like, in the end, he was swoon-worthy material, but, for some reason, the progression or pacing of his character felt kind of off - same with their relationship, i think ??

also feel like nimue’s switch up after being such a villain seemed kind of left field ? like it did make sense, i guess, but, after all the build up of being hater, she just did a quick switch-up (?)

yeah, i don’t really know how to word my feelings about this book and why it’s a 3.5 that well

i just feel like the pacing of some things were off
like when i was at the 50% mark, i was just like how has that just been 50% because barely anything happened? which then made the second half feel like a bunchh of events and odd progression, more specifically, like the last 40%, i would say.

i also wish briony rose was the next book because i feel like it just makes the most sense to me, like i know we got the random one page cameo of the huntsman - but briony rose !! i’m excited for her book.

[✿ capriella ✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ★

as you can see, this book took me a fat minute to finish, around 7 days to be exact. that’s mostly because during 5 of those days, i was stuck at the beginning of this book, which was…let’s just say… rough. it felt soooo dragged out, and nothing was happening. i wasss so bored.

BUTTTT then about 2 days ago, I finally picked this back up and got to the middle AND THINGS PICKED UP. And when I say picked up, I MEANT PICKED UP. The plot, the romance, the tension, the character development, ugh everything moved faster and I genuinely could not stop reading.

Dorian and Maisie love story wasss sooo good, and I was getting all of the butterflies, surprisingly. They definitely aren’t my favorite couple or book in the series, I think that’s mostly due to the plot of this book…. yea definitely not my cup of tea, but they were cute!

Also the end??? As a flare for the dramatic, it was a little lackluster, unfortunately; I still enjoyed it tho!

[Cherry 🍒 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐️
0.5/5 🌶️

This was a Little Mermaid retelling with fae and honestly, this series, hasn’t let me down! I was giggling and kicking my feet and squealing at some of these scenes 🤭

It was a enemies-to-lovers (kinda), marriage of convenience troupe and I ate it up 😋