Amanda has a wonderful way of writing a high-stakes yet low-intensity world that is pure enjoyment. The characters are wonderful and in this case unintentionally humorous and genuinely sweet in their own ways. The portrayal of Tolly is especially brilliant, straddling a fine line between feeling quite real and quite fairy tale simultaneously. And it was impossible not to root for Leigh as well, given his circumstances. I also adored the mermaid specific rules for this world as well, so it's not a straight Little Mermaid retelling (though Ariel does get a mention which is brilliant too!).


Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time?
Yes.


 See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book



CHARACTERS: I've already mentioned the characters above and I think this is one of the biggest strengths in the book. Leigh and Tolly are impressively good for each other despite their unconventional meeting. We jump right in (literally) at the start with their meeting. Tolly's faith in their relationship and Leigh is somehow both beautiful and bittersweet at the same time. On one hand, as a reader I wanted to be super skeptical with Leigh, while on the other I wanted to fully dive into the wholehearted belief with Tolly. Although low intensity, I was definitely rooting for the two of them from the very beginning!



PLOT: When Tolly saves Leigh's life, he creates a magical bond between them that can only be unbroken if they fall in love before the next full moon. But Leigh is desperately wishing to get out of the life of crime that put him in danger in the first place while refusing to believe it's possible. The book follows their shenanigans as Leigh grapples with the fact that Tolly is a literal mermaid who steadfastly insists that Leigh is his one, and Tolly becomes Leigh's bodyguard, helping him to believe in himself and love again.



EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.

1:5/low. High stakes, but low intensity. A wonderful beach read if you're just wanting to get away from the world and enjoy a fairy tale love with some action.



CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled? 


95%. Near perfect. I did think that one of the other moments was more climactic than the climactic moment, in fact, but in terms of the relationship, everything came together so beautifully. I finished quite happy and smiling.