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Sylvania #3
The Ocean Girl: A Fairy Tale with Benefits
She escaped his net, but now he’s caught her heart.
Muri was resigned to being the tenth bride of the king of the merfolk—until he disappeared on land. Now she has mere days to find him among the treacherous fairies and dim-witted humans before the throne is forfeit and his menacing rival takes control of the merkingdom.
Her first shimmering glimpse of a human in a boat is so captivating, his fishing net almost ensnares her. But once on shore, she discovers that the fairies are kind, and the humans intelligent. And the man who almost caught her—a fish-catcher named Jack—is utterly handsome.
Muri needs to warn the mermaids that the merking won’t be returning—he’s lying drunk in the village park, unable to shift to merman form. But she hesitates to leave the village. Muri wants to learn more of this place where humans and fairies help each other, women and men are equals, and rulers are chosen by everyone. And she wants to spend more time with Jack.
But the merking’s rival is coming for her. He’ll threaten the whole village to force her to return home. To keep Jack safe, she’ll have to leave him.
Muri was resigned to being the tenth bride of the king of the merfolk—until he disappeared on land. Now she has mere days to find him among the treacherous fairies and dim-witted humans before the throne is forfeit and his menacing rival takes control of the merkingdom.
Her first shimmering glimpse of a human in a boat is so captivating, his fishing net almost ensnares her. But once on shore, she discovers that the fairies are kind, and the humans intelligent. And the man who almost caught her—a fish-catcher named Jack—is utterly handsome.
Muri needs to warn the mermaids that the merking won’t be returning—he’s lying drunk in the village park, unable to shift to merman form. But she hesitates to leave the village. Muri wants to learn more of this place where humans and fairies help each other, women and men are equals, and rulers are chosen by everyone. And she wants to spend more time with Jack.
But the merking’s rival is coming for her. He’ll threaten the whole village to force her to return home. To keep Jack safe, she’ll have to leave him.
- GenresFantasy
298 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 21, 2023
1 person is currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Emily Jane Buehler
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Here's my short, third-person bio: "When asked what she'd be when she grew up, Emily always answered, an artist. An enthusiastic high school chemistry teacher, however, led Emily to study chemistry in college. After earning her PhD, Emily became a bread baker, which led to her first book, Bread Science. While writing Somewhere and Nowhere, the memoir of her cross-country bicycle trip, she realized that her childhood inklings were correct, and she was meant to be a writer. She currently writes cozy romantasy as Jane Buehler."
I only rate books if I can give 4 or 5 stars. If I feel compelled to review a book I didn't like, I leave off the star rating. I wish the rating meant "is a good fit for Emily" but because it seems to be taken as "is good or bad" I just don't feel comfortable giving another author 3 or less stars.
I'd love you to reach out to me on Goodreads, but I'm slightly technologically confused, so if I don't reply in the proper way, it's probably because I don't know what I'm doing.
Subscribe to my very sporadic other news: http://emilybuehler.com
Here's my short, third-person bio: "When asked what she'd be when she grew up, Emily always answered, an artist. An enthusiastic high school chemistry teacher, however, led Emily to study chemistry in college. After earning her PhD, Emily became a bread baker, which led to her first book, Bread Science. While writing Somewhere and Nowhere, the memoir of her cross-country bicycle trip, she realized that her childhood inklings were correct, and she was meant to be a writer. She currently writes cozy romantasy as Jane Buehler."
I only rate books if I can give 4 or 5 stars. If I feel compelled to review a book I didn't like, I leave off the star rating. I wish the rating meant "is a good fit for Emily" but because it seems to be taken as "is good or bad" I just don't feel comfortable giving another author 3 or less stars.
I'd love you to reach out to me on Goodreads, but I'm slightly technologically confused, so if I don't reply in the proper way, it's probably because I don't know what I'm doing.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 5, 2023
When Muri is sent to the human world to find the merpeople's lost merking she isn't sure what to expect. Her whole life she has been told that humans and fairy's are brutes and do nothing but lie - but she quickly discovers the opposite is true. She befriends two fairies who show her how to blend in and starts to fall for a tall strapping human named Jack. When she does discover the merking she is aghast at the state he is in and the lies that he's told. Does she really need to go back to her people or can she stay here and keep falling for the tall broad chested man? This story is told in pretty simplistic terms, but I liked the overthrowing the patriarchy storyline and the sex scenes. I wonder what story will be next in this series.
Want to Read
February 10, 2023ya’ll this is literally The Little Mermaid istg
March 9, 2023
Aka how the mermaids overthrew the patriarchy.
Muri is on a mission to retrieve the missing merking. If he is away from the sea too long, he forfeits his title, and although he hasn’t been a great king, several of the mermaids think the other candidates will only be worse. Muri has never interacted with humans or fairies before, and from her first moment on land, everything she’s heard about these other peoples is challenged. Soon, she finds herself wondering if she really has to return to the underwater city - the fairies are kind, she’s enjoying “dates” with a cute fisherman (courtship is a new concept), and while the merking is easy to find, the secrets he spills raise further questions in Muri about whether the merpeople society is truly looking out for the mermaids’ best interests. Can she choose a new life, or will she always be an ocean girl?
This was up and down for me. Muri and Jack fall hard and fast for each other, and their initial romance is sweet. I enjoyed the tentative flirting and the gaggle of older women rooting for the pair. The spicy parts, however, weren’t for me. Another big part of the story relates to Muri’s isolated upbringing and the mermaids’ general ignorance of humans. Coming into town, she’s a fish out of water, jumping at the sight of fairies, questioning why humans are so enamored with clothing, learning new words and concepts like “dating” and “a patriarchy.” Her wonder and honest inquisitiveness was generally endearing, but as things progressed, it felt less like a character quirk and more like a device to communicate themes (“Hi fellow mermaids, guess what crazy things I learned on the surface, like “dating” and “patriarchy”). But if you don’t mind things being a bit on the nose, then hey, this could be a fun adult/new adult read.
Can be read as a standalone (I’ve only read book 2), but there are strong spoilers for the plot of book 1.
**Thanks to LibraryThing for the ARC**
Muri is on a mission to retrieve the missing merking. If he is away from the sea too long, he forfeits his title, and although he hasn’t been a great king, several of the mermaids think the other candidates will only be worse. Muri has never interacted with humans or fairies before, and from her first moment on land, everything she’s heard about these other peoples is challenged. Soon, she finds herself wondering if she really has to return to the underwater city - the fairies are kind, she’s enjoying “dates” with a cute fisherman (courtship is a new concept), and while the merking is easy to find, the secrets he spills raise further questions in Muri about whether the merpeople society is truly looking out for the mermaids’ best interests. Can she choose a new life, or will she always be an ocean girl?
This was up and down for me. Muri and Jack fall hard and fast for each other, and their initial romance is sweet. I enjoyed the tentative flirting and the gaggle of older women rooting for the pair. The spicy parts, however, weren’t for me. Another big part of the story relates to Muri’s isolated upbringing and the mermaids’ general ignorance of humans. Coming into town, she’s a fish out of water, jumping at the sight of fairies, questioning why humans are so enamored with clothing, learning new words and concepts like “dating” and “a patriarchy.” Her wonder and honest inquisitiveness was generally endearing, but as things progressed, it felt less like a character quirk and more like a device to communicate themes (“Hi fellow mermaids, guess what crazy things I learned on the surface, like “dating” and “patriarchy”). But if you don’t mind things being a bit on the nose, then hey, this could be a fun adult/new adult read.
Can be read as a standalone (I’ve only read book 2), but there are strong spoilers for the plot of book 1.
**Thanks to LibraryThing for the ARC**
March 16, 2023
This book was received as part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewers, but that in no way affects my opinion of this book. Thanks to LibraryThing and Jane Buehler for the ARC!
It took me a while to figure out how I felt about this book - I knew that I liked it, but something was holding me back from loving it. Ultimately, I think it's because it felt like 2 separate stories in some ways. The first half of the book was about Muri discovering the world above and getting to know various people (humans and fairies.) The second half focused on overthrowing the patriarchal merperson government. The first half? I really enjoyed it. The second half? I only kind-of liked. I think the "action scenes" were a little clunky in parts and maybe just needed a bit of finesse to fit it in more seamlessly with the rest of the plot.
I know this is "a fairy tale with benefits" but I actually think it might have been just fine without the "benefits." Most of the book felt more like it was written as a "clean romance" and then when the sex scenes appeared, they were a little jarring and took me out of the story. Maybe the other books in this series do a better job at fitting those in? I'll have to read those to find out, I suppose...
All told, I liked the concept of the book and the worldbuilding was interesting (although I like it a little more "show" and less "tell" personally.) I like the idea of a cozy fantasy romance though, and for a self-published author, I think this was a good escapist book. After all, who doesn't love a good mermaid story?
It took me a while to figure out how I felt about this book - I knew that I liked it, but something was holding me back from loving it. Ultimately, I think it's because it felt like 2 separate stories in some ways. The first half of the book was about Muri discovering the world above and getting to know various people (humans and fairies.) The second half focused on overthrowing the patriarchal merperson government. The first half? I really enjoyed it. The second half? I only kind-of liked. I think the "action scenes" were a little clunky in parts and maybe just needed a bit of finesse to fit it in more seamlessly with the rest of the plot.
I know this is "a fairy tale with benefits" but I actually think it might have been just fine without the "benefits." Most of the book felt more like it was written as a "clean romance" and then when the sex scenes appeared, they were a little jarring and took me out of the story. Maybe the other books in this series do a better job at fitting those in? I'll have to read those to find out, I suppose...
All told, I liked the concept of the book and the worldbuilding was interesting (although I like it a little more "show" and less "tell" personally.) I like the idea of a cozy fantasy romance though, and for a self-published author, I think this was a good escapist book. After all, who doesn't love a good mermaid story?
October 12, 2024
So I will agree with some of the other reviews, that the last bit of the book and conflict is rushed—but this is also a standalone book. It is going to be a little tricky to wrap up those elements without making the book too long, and still keeping with the ease of reading. This book is not very long, and I will argue that’s part of its strength.
I love the interactions of the main couple, Muri and Jack—especially the ending chapter where we see just how healthy their relationship and sex life is by how they what to explore with each other. Some people really do fall in love that quickly, so I don’t see an issue with that pacing.
I’m someone who enjoys descriptive sex scenes, so just be prepared if that’s not your cup of tea—this book has a few and I enjoyed them. The language wasn’t too flowery and was bit closer to how real people talk about sex, which I appreciate.
Overall this is mostly a pretty simplistic and cozy read (minus the last few chapters and the conflict that happens there with all the merpeople, which definitely hints to some darker themes and issues).
This isn’t a repeat of the little mermaid storyline, and I think it hits the authors intention of writing cozy romance fantasy—it’s not complicated, it’s easy to read, and it doesn’t feel like you need a complicated storyline to get that goal.
So I would say give it a shot, especially if you are looking for something to wind down after reading a long slog of a book, and just want something a bit more chill.
I love the interactions of the main couple, Muri and Jack—especially the ending chapter where we see just how healthy their relationship and sex life is by how they what to explore with each other. Some people really do fall in love that quickly, so I don’t see an issue with that pacing.
I’m someone who enjoys descriptive sex scenes, so just be prepared if that’s not your cup of tea—this book has a few and I enjoyed them. The language wasn’t too flowery and was bit closer to how real people talk about sex, which I appreciate.
Overall this is mostly a pretty simplistic and cozy read (minus the last few chapters and the conflict that happens there with all the merpeople, which definitely hints to some darker themes and issues).
This isn’t a repeat of the little mermaid storyline, and I think it hits the authors intention of writing cozy romance fantasy—it’s not complicated, it’s easy to read, and it doesn’t feel like you need a complicated storyline to get that goal.
So I would say give it a shot, especially if you are looking for something to wind down after reading a long slog of a book, and just want something a bit more chill.
May 25, 2023
I've been struggling to think of what to say, as the story was not what I expected. Anyway, after thinking about it, I decided to just tell it like it is honestly and nicely from my perspective. I was quite hopeful about this book with the description, but it was disappointing. I almost didn't read it at all because in the first chapter or two, as I was reading, I was like, what is this? It's way too close to The Little Mermaid. Initially, I thought this might be too similar to The Little Mermaid, but then it became a completely different story. The completely different story it became was nothing like I expected. Of course, after reading the story I looked at it again, the description, etc, and realized I should have known what the story was going to be like, but hindsight is 20/20 and all that. Anyway, there was too much intimate bedroom action on the page through a lot of the book and I wondered at some point if there was much of a story or just a bunch of making out and bedroom scenes. It ended up showing a story, but I felt like it was lacking a bit and I'm not the kind of person who likes all that explicit detail of bedroom action on the page so I'm not the right audience for this book and perhaps someone else might enjoy it more than me, but I won't be reading this author's books again because they're not for me. Thanks to LibraryThing and Jane Buehler for sending me a copy of this book and letting me read and review it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 4, 2023
A steamy fairy tale. Mermaid Muri goes to the land to find the king who didn't come back after he went to find a land bride. What she finds, except for an old parched king, is a world of wonder. Fairies, magic, people who live in harmony, men who don't let women do all the work like the mermen, but above all Jack, a fisherman who makes her heart beat faster. It will take her a while to find her HEA with Jack, because first there are some difficulties to solve with the old guard mermen oppressing the merfolk. With the help of new friends and merpeople who are for change, they succeed.
I wanted to like this book, but it didn't live up to my expectations. I don't quite know what I think of it. In itself it is a nice story, but a bit meaningless, despite the intertwined political issues. The writing style is a bit childish, a lot is explained and conversations are very verbose. That takes the momentum out of the story a bit and makes the story a bit choppy, it's not a smooth-running story. Occasionally there are some humorous moments. The idea is nice, but I didn't think it was well executed. I found myself often bored while reading
I received a free copy of this book and I am voluntarily writing this review
I wanted to like this book, but it didn't live up to my expectations. I don't quite know what I think of it. In itself it is a nice story, but a bit meaningless, despite the intertwined political issues. The writing style is a bit childish, a lot is explained and conversations are very verbose. That takes the momentum out of the story a bit and makes the story a bit choppy, it's not a smooth-running story. Occasionally there are some humorous moments. The idea is nice, but I didn't think it was well executed. I found myself often bored while reading
I received a free copy of this book and I am voluntarily writing this review
March 10, 2023
3.5 stars ARC received from Library Thing
A spicy little mermaid read! It really enjoyed this. I would be down for more adult Disney stories!
The story: Muri is tasked with finding King Strombidae on land as she is begrudgingly chosen to be his 10th wife. If she is unable to find him in time, the merkingdom will be thrown into turmoil.
While on land, Muri befriends two kind fairies (Gray and Hyacinth) and a handsome human named Jack. The more Muri spends on land, the more she realizes the stories she's been told don't up to the truth and there is a dark history lurking in her home.
I feel like the story was split into two parts: the first being the romance between Muri and Jack on land and the second being the action to save the merkingdom. For the first part, I adored the story. Muri's experience of discovering the human world while falling in love with Jack was magical. I absolutely adored their interactions and their love story felt very authentic. And Jack was an absolute sweetheart. The action part of the story fell a bit flat for me. I enjoyed reading the female empowerment as the mermaids fought back against the old system, but it seemed everything happened so quickly. I would have appreciated more focus on these bad-ass ladies!
Overall, I can't wait to read more from this author. I would absolutely love the next story being on Gray or Hyacinth.
A spicy little mermaid read! It really enjoyed this. I would be down for more adult Disney stories!
The story: Muri is tasked with finding King Strombidae on land as she is begrudgingly chosen to be his 10th wife. If she is unable to find him in time, the merkingdom will be thrown into turmoil.
While on land, Muri befriends two kind fairies (Gray and Hyacinth) and a handsome human named Jack. The more Muri spends on land, the more she realizes the stories she's been told don't up to the truth and there is a dark history lurking in her home.
I feel like the story was split into two parts: the first being the romance between Muri and Jack on land and the second being the action to save the merkingdom. For the first part, I adored the story. Muri's experience of discovering the human world while falling in love with Jack was magical. I absolutely adored their interactions and their love story felt very authentic. And Jack was an absolute sweetheart. The action part of the story fell a bit flat for me. I enjoyed reading the female empowerment as the mermaids fought back against the old system, but it seemed everything happened so quickly. I would have appreciated more focus on these bad-ass ladies!
Overall, I can't wait to read more from this author. I would absolutely love the next story being on Gray or Hyacinth.
March 5, 2023
Thank you for the ARC of this book.
Muri, a mermaid, has to find King Strombidae on land or else the throne will be forfeited and someone else will take over the merkingdom. Why does she have to find him? Because she's to be his 10th wife.
I did not realize this book was part of a series. This is the 3rd book in the Sylvania series. But you don't necessarily have to read those to be able to read this one. There was a few characters who, I assume, were part of the other books since they were named a lot and seemed to be known by everyone in the book.
I, personally, would not have finished this book if it wasn't for receiving it to review. The style of writing wasn't for me. It was very hard to get into this story. The plot seemed to go off in different directions. And if any kind of drama popped up, it was all quickly handled within sentences. It just felt wrong to me. And I'm not a big fan of insta-love tropes, which this leans toward. The ending also felt very rushed and thrown together. But I did like the character of Gray and I see that his story is coming next in the series. I'd possibly check that out to make sure he gets his HEA.
Muri, a mermaid, has to find King Strombidae on land or else the throne will be forfeited and someone else will take over the merkingdom. Why does she have to find him? Because she's to be his 10th wife.
I did not realize this book was part of a series. This is the 3rd book in the Sylvania series. But you don't necessarily have to read those to be able to read this one. There was a few characters who, I assume, were part of the other books since they were named a lot and seemed to be known by everyone in the book.
I, personally, would not have finished this book if it wasn't for receiving it to review. The style of writing wasn't for me. It was very hard to get into this story. The plot seemed to go off in different directions. And if any kind of drama popped up, it was all quickly handled within sentences. It just felt wrong to me. And I'm not a big fan of insta-love tropes, which this leans toward. The ending also felt very rushed and thrown together. But I did like the character of Gray and I see that his story is coming next in the series. I'd possibly check that out to make sure he gets his HEA.
July 18, 2023
Continuing in the vein of The Forest Bride: A Fairy Tale with Benefits and The Village Maid: A Fairy Tale with Benefits, this is fairy-tale romance, this time featuring a mermaid who falls in love with a human. I liked the threads of the story: the misinformation Muri (our main character) had been fed all her life about what humans and fairies were like, the problematic mer-people society, the sweet falling-in-love. But, some of it felt a bit rushed to me, with sweeping changes happening too quickly for my suspension of disbelief. Still, I was cheering for our couple to get together, and that's the real point in a romance, so still a win.
Read
January 24, 2023I wrote a mermaid novel! The idea for The Ocean Girl came when a friend who read The Forest Bride (the first book in the series) said she felt sorry for the Prince Murkel character. I didn’t at all, but her comment made me wonder about his past and what the merpeople’s society must be like. They must be wondering why he never returned. This led to the idea of Muri coming to find him and discovering that life on land was not what she’d believed.
I describe my genre as cozy fantasy romance, and I imagine using it to explore everyday situations and people. But I had already drafted The Ocean Girl in all its patriarchy-overthrowing glory by the time I figured this out. (Muri’s story was my spring 2020 quarantimes novel.) I’m hoping that the Sylvania universe is now free of patriarchal monarchies and that I’ll be able to write road trip comedies and office romances—but with fairies and magic. Fingers crossed.
I describe my genre as cozy fantasy romance, and I imagine using it to explore everyday situations and people. But I had already drafted The Ocean Girl in all its patriarchy-overthrowing glory by the time I figured this out. (Muri’s story was my spring 2020 quarantimes novel.) I’m hoping that the Sylvania universe is now free of patriarchal monarchies and that I’ll be able to write road trip comedies and office romances—but with fairies and magic. Fingers crossed.
January 27, 2023
This was one of those books I could barely put down. It’s a really fun and addicting romance and I loved watching Muri learn how her world could be. I also loved the world-building through small details, and seeing how open and free the world was to love despite being set in a typical fantasy setting made me feel good. If we’re going to make a fictional past, it might as well be better than our world in some ways. The main characters were adorable, and I feel ruined after seeing such a thoughtful and accepting mmc. I wish I could reread this book for the first time. The only thing I didn’t like was that it seemed like the entire plot of the first book in the series was summarized in this book, so I don’t know if I’ll really feel like going back to read that one now. But I guess that’s what happens when you don’t read the first book first, so I can’t complain.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 5, 2023
If this is a cozy fantasy romance then this is a new favorite genre! This book is part of a series but can still be read as a standalone. Muri is a mermaid on a mission to find the missing Merking on land in the human world. Muri is then plunged into a world that is unexpected and much less hostile than she was lead to believe. When she meets Jake she is fascinated and her feelings only grow from there. Jake is kind, understanding and super hunky. Muri and Jake have great chemistry right away and the spice level is fairly hot (yet a somewhat slow burn). The plot is different from the Little Mermaid and original. I love the world building and the fantasy elements. The romance is sweet and spicy and Muri is a strong female character. This was a very quick yet exciting read. There were lots of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. A really great read. I will definitely read more in the series! I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.
March 21, 2023
This book was definitely rather odd. The beginning of the story was slow, and I didn’t feel very invested in the plot until at least about halfway through. The dynamics between the humans, fairies, and merpeople were rather convoluted and confusing. The merpeople, in particular, were a generally unlikable bunch, though Muri made some contradictory statements about them.
The relationship between Muri and Jack was sweet and pretty quick to develop, despite there not being a ton of chemistry between them. Muri seemed to be the driver of the relationship, and I wish Jack had been a bit more alpha. He was occasionally more of a pushover with Muri taking the main protector role. However, the book ended in a satisfying and appropriate way for their romance.
Overall, this was a weird but interesting fantasy romance. I recommend it to those who really enjoy mermaid stories.
*I received an ARC of this novel. This is my complete and honest review.*
The relationship between Muri and Jack was sweet and pretty quick to develop, despite there not being a ton of chemistry between them. Muri seemed to be the driver of the relationship, and I wish Jack had been a bit more alpha. He was occasionally more of a pushover with Muri taking the main protector role. However, the book ended in a satisfying and appropriate way for their romance.
Overall, this was a weird but interesting fantasy romance. I recommend it to those who really enjoy mermaid stories.
*I received an ARC of this novel. This is my complete and honest review.*
June 25, 2023
While book 3 in a series, this book is an excellent standalone. I think that the romance was fun and flirty, but sometimes it felt like a way to move the plot forward rather than an organic connection.
There are some very impactful moments, but it does kind of feel like they are few and far between. The book feet more in line with a character study rather than a plot-heavy book. I like how it is clearly influenced by The Little Mermaid without feeling like a copy/paste story. Muri’s change of heart and realizations about the human world was gratifying to see.
I think I’ll check out the previous two books and keep an eye out for book 4, because I did enjoy the characters. If you’re looking for character development-centric reads, I would recommend this one. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
There are some very impactful moments, but it does kind of feel like they are few and far between. The book feet more in line with a character study rather than a plot-heavy book. I like how it is clearly influenced by The Little Mermaid without feeling like a copy/paste story. Muri’s change of heart and realizations about the human world was gratifying to see.
I think I’ll check out the previous two books and keep an eye out for book 4, because I did enjoy the characters. If you’re looking for character development-centric reads, I would recommend this one. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 20, 2023
This was the first book I've read by this author but I'm intrigued enough to go back! I loved Muri from the beginning but the plot was a little confusing since it kept referring to incidents that happened in the previous book of the series. I enjoyed the way the story turned out.
I loved the little nods to the original Little Mermaid fairytale as well as the twists added by the author.
I'm planning on reading the other books in the series and then coming back to this one to see if I enjoyed it better.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I loved the little nods to the original Little Mermaid fairytale as well as the twists added by the author.
I'm planning on reading the other books in the series and then coming back to this one to see if I enjoyed it better.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 11, 2023
The Ocean Girl was a fun and lighthearted fantasy romance read, following a young mermaid as she discovers that there is so much more to the world than the small corner of the ocean that she grew up in. The story itself was intriguing, albeit predictable. The author markets it as a "cozy fantasy", but please read trigger warnings! Some of the topic eluded to make it feel a little less cozy to me. Overall it was a great read, and i was excited to find out at the end that this was part of small collection centered around the same area and people. very excited to see the other stories!
March 24, 2023
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A spicy little mermaid. This fairy tale story was pretty enjoyable in the beginning but started to drag a little and could not keep me interested at a steady pace. The writing was great, and our main character Muri was likeable, but I felt like there was a lot going on that did not keep me intrigued enough and felt like I was pushing myself towards the ending. I realized later that this is part of a series, and I am interested in checking out the other stand-alone stories.
A spicy little mermaid. This fairy tale story was pretty enjoyable in the beginning but started to drag a little and could not keep me interested at a steady pace. The writing was great, and our main character Muri was likeable, but I felt like there was a lot going on that did not keep me intrigued enough and felt like I was pushing myself towards the ending. I realized later that this is part of a series, and I am interested in checking out the other stand-alone stories.
March 20, 2023
Another fantastic installment in this series. I just love this world—it’s perfect for when I want to read about magic and fantasy stuff without lots and lots of conflict. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty that goes wrong/needs to be dealt with, but everything just feels like it’s going to be okay out of the gate.
I’m currently fangirling like no one’s business over the upcoming live-action Disney’s Little Mermaid, so this mermaid story was very helpful for holding me over. The merworld has a slight dystopian—women are oppressed (or is that a real-life feel?). Anyway, it was interesting to see where the merking from book 1 came from. I also really liked the exploration of how a small change somewhere affects other places. Without spoiling too much, the issue with the fairies from earlier on has a direct impact on the merpeople, and getting updated information to the merpeople changes their outlook. But first, the humans had to do their thing. It’s all connected in a very realistic way.
Again, highly recommend this series. I hear there are more in the works, and I’ll definitely be reading them.
I received this book free from the author. All opinions are my own.
I’m currently fangirling like no one’s business over the upcoming live-action Disney’s Little Mermaid, so this mermaid story was very helpful for holding me over. The merworld has a slight dystopian—women are oppressed (or is that a real-life feel?). Anyway, it was interesting to see where the merking from book 1 came from. I also really liked the exploration of how a small change somewhere affects other places. Without spoiling too much, the issue with the fairies from earlier on has a direct impact on the merpeople, and getting updated information to the merpeople changes their outlook. But first, the humans had to do their thing. It’s all connected in a very realistic way.
Again, highly recommend this series. I hear there are more in the works, and I’ll definitely be reading them.
I received this book free from the author. All opinions are my own.
May 24, 2023
What a cute addition to the Sylvania series. Overall I think this story might be my favorite of the three so far. That being said the end action scenes did feel a little clunky and not as well written as the cute romance parts. But the romance scenes (including the spicy ones) were where the book shined. I want to find my own Jack!
I really enjoyed it as a quick easy read that brought me to a fun fantasy world. Looking forward to the next in the series.
I really enjoyed it as a quick easy read that brought me to a fun fantasy world. Looking forward to the next in the series.
January 23, 2025
I've had the pleasure of meeting the author on more than one occasion. As I told her then, this book called to me from across the room. I did thoroughly enjoy it. I'm more of a dark romance reader, but I enjoyed this cozy, fairy tale romance. Thank you so much!
May 10, 2023
Muri the mermaid ventures to Woodglen, the human village to find out what happened to King Strombidae.
Buehler’s fantasy draws inspiration from: The Little Mermaid.
Buehler’s fantasy draws inspiration from: The Little Mermaid.
June 15, 2023
This book is perfect for people who's into Disney.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 1, 2023
this is my least favorite so far from this series, the first one being my favorite because it's so dreamlike. a lot of things felt rushed, specially the revolution part, which i expected since this a light reading and all and it felt rushed in the first book as well. i enjoyed reading it, but didn't loved it, i guess little mermaid type of fairytales are just not for me, i don't think i even like mermaids in general. however, i'm very excited for the next one with gray being the main character, he was my favorite character from this one.
April 2, 2023
An enjoyable mermaid read. It is not a retelling of the little mermaid. Story is witty and funny. There are some serious matters and they they are dealt with in an appropriate way. Muri is a strong character with normal insecurities. The supporting cast are lovable.
Muri is a mermaid who is sent to retrieve their king who went on land. What she finds is nothing what has been told to her.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Muri is a mermaid who is sent to retrieve their king who went on land. What she finds is nothing what has been told to her.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 20, 2023
3.25 ⭐️
*ARC Review* Thank you to Jane Buehler and BookSirens for this ARC.
It’s like “The Little Mermaid” but sexy.
I felt like so much happened in this book but also nothing at all? There were a lot of different sequential events occurring throughout the book, but they were all dealt with so quickly. I wish it had been pared down slightly to give greater emphasis to the really important storylines.
Overall it was cute, and a relatively quick read.
*ARC Review* Thank you to Jane Buehler and BookSirens for this ARC.
It’s like “The Little Mermaid” but sexy.
I felt like so much happened in this book but also nothing at all? There were a lot of different sequential events occurring throughout the book, but they were all dealt with so quickly. I wish it had been pared down slightly to give greater emphasis to the really important storylines.
Overall it was cute, and a relatively quick read.
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