Jennifer L. (JJL) -
Helpful Score: 6
I wanted to like this this book. I love all of Joey Hill's work generally and this book is yet another of her beautiful, epic romances with characters that are wonderfully written and prose that flows as seamlessly as the ocean waters.
HOWEVER..I have a bit of a love/hae affair going on with this novel. Yes it is a wonderful fantasy novel whose story and characters will stay with you long after you finish the last page. It inspires love, hope and reminds us that sometimes a little faith is the answer to everyhting.
Wih that said though, I did at times find the main characters, Anna and Jonah, characters to be a bit one dimensional. Anna is a kind hearted person who sacrifices everything for the man she loves. While thats noble and seems like something we all would do, it became a bit overbearing when she patiently forgave and took everything that was thrown at her without complaint. She moved from good soul to martyr quickly and long before the final stand.
There were times when Jonah, plagued by his own demons wallowed so deeply in his own despair that he lashed out at Anna with a force that was unforgiveable. Yet she forgave him. And forgave him. And forgave him... I understand forgiveness and I understand the path to redemption. I love those themes. However I wish Miss Hill would ahve remembered that she is a BRILLIANT writer and can get across her themes of forgiveness and redemption easily without knocking us over the head with the idea that Anna is a martyr and Jonah is a beast who needs love to be redeemed.
It reminded me less of a Beauty and the Beast story, than it did ironically, the idea of machismo and marianismo in Lationo culture; the man needing his women to pray for him and sacrifice for him or else he would never find his way into Heaven alone.
again, I think its defiently worth reading. Its a wonderfully crafted story and I am looking foward to the second one because I liked those characters in this story. but its definetly not a keeper for me.
HOWEVER..I have a bit of a love/hae affair going on with this novel. Yes it is a wonderful fantasy novel whose story and characters will stay with you long after you finish the last page. It inspires love, hope and reminds us that sometimes a little faith is the answer to everyhting.
Wih that said though, I did at times find the main characters, Anna and Jonah, characters to be a bit one dimensional. Anna is a kind hearted person who sacrifices everything for the man she loves. While thats noble and seems like something we all would do, it became a bit overbearing when she patiently forgave and took everything that was thrown at her without complaint. She moved from good soul to martyr quickly and long before the final stand.
There were times when Jonah, plagued by his own demons wallowed so deeply in his own despair that he lashed out at Anna with a force that was unforgiveable. Yet she forgave him. And forgave him. And forgave him... I understand forgiveness and I understand the path to redemption. I love those themes. However I wish Miss Hill would ahve remembered that she is a BRILLIANT writer and can get across her themes of forgiveness and redemption easily without knocking us over the head with the idea that Anna is a martyr and Jonah is a beast who needs love to be redeemed.
It reminded me less of a Beauty and the Beast story, than it did ironically, the idea of machismo and marianismo in Lationo culture; the man needing his women to pray for him and sacrifice for him or else he would never find his way into Heaven alone.
again, I think its defiently worth reading. Its a wonderfully crafted story and I am looking foward to the second one because I liked those characters in this story. but its definetly not a keeper for me.
Elisabeth P. (BetsyP) reviewed A Mermaid's Kiss (Daughters of Arianne, Bk 1) on + 566 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Paranormal erotic romance by Joey Hill. This author's stories tend to be "heavy," and this one is no exception. It you are looking for a light read, pass this one by. Jonah is a Warrior Angel who has been fighting evil for so long, that he's forgotten why he fights. He is saved by a young Mermaid whose destiny is already known. Both characters are tragic, in their own way. Even though the characters are supernatural, they have human failings, and weaknesses. This is an epic, deep story, with themes of Faith, Love, Friendship and Loyalty. The sex scenes are there, but they are secondary to the character's story. I enjoyed this book. Worth a credit.
Crystal W. (Greeneyedgoddess) - , reviewed A Mermaid's Kiss (Daughters of Arianne, Bk 1) on + 41 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is my first read by this author. I absolutely LOVED this book. It is now my favorite book! I don't normally read books twice but I think I am going to hold on to it a little longer. I teared up quite a few times. I loved the connection the main characters had and how I could feel the love between them. Soul mates. :) I didn't want to put the book down.
Tanya B. (booksaremycrack) reviewed A Mermaid's Kiss (Daughters of Arianne, Bk 1) on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
When I bought this book, I thought I would read a cool book about mermaid's. That is not what I got. I got an amazing book that I couldn't put down that played with The Little Mermaid tale. I highly recommend reading this book. If you go into it with an open mind, you will be caught up, not only in this story, but in the whole series.
