The Merman’s Kiss series by Dee J. Stone:
Book Type: NA (new adult)
Author: Dee J. Stone
Pages: Each novel is around 250- 300 pages
Summary of Book 1 (goodreads.com):
He saved her. Now it's her turn to save him. When Cassie Price wipes out surfing, she's rescued by a mysterious stranger with ocean blue eyes and golden hair. Before she can thank him, he disappears with a splash. The next morning she finds him unconscious on the beach. After bringing him to her house, she manages to wake him up. But the last thing she expects is for him to grow fins and a tail. Merpeople. They exist. And this one is so captivating that Cassie is instantly drawn to him. Trusting guys has never been easy for her, but the more time she spends with the merman, the more her heart opens. With his inability to live on land for more than a few hours, Cassie questions whether they can ever have a future together. Being too invested, she can't bear to part with him. When his existence is threatened to be exposed, Cassie must decide if she's willing to let go of the only guy she's ever loved.
My Review:
With one touch, Damarian and Cassie have sealed their fate, filled with both love, turmoil, and dark secrets that threaten their new romance. The Merman’s Kiss series had some amazing moments, but there were also problems with both the end plot and characterization.
Fish Kisses and An Underwater Adventure:
Typical YA romance takes place in high school, but this series is classified as NA or new adult, since the characters are approaching their twenties. Cassie and her best friend Leah often discussed boys, but also more mature issues like their futures and college plans. The dialogue between these characters was well written and authentic.
Now, let’s get to Damarian. Can you imagine if a gorgeous hot blond merman rescued you after a surf accident? Damarian is the type who is shy and sweet, but doesn’t realize how attractive he is! I pictured him as a young Jesse McCartney.
Throughout the series, Damarian must come ashore to spend time with Cassie. With many mermaid YA novels, the transformation to human is magical and causes little to no harm. However, the merfolk- or children of the sea- go through an excruciating process to transform into a human. Even though this part was a bit graphic, I enjoyed the realistic detail.
The underwater setting detail was thriving with life and included abundant coral reefs, secret caves, and friendly sharks. My favorite was Fiske, a baby great white shark that protected Damarian. The series also included nagas, which are sea serpent creatures that live in the ocean. They enjoy destruction, pain, and death. A major war scene broke out between the merfolk and nagas that kept me in suspense!
However, I thought the clan names were a little cheesy: Emerald clan, Sapphire clan, violet clan: you get the point; all named after gemstones.
Even though there was a vast array of beauty in this series, there were some major character and plot flaws as well.
Sappy Romance and Strange Ending?
While I loved how Damarian and Cassie’s relationship started, this romance turned very sappy. Now, for those of you who read this blog often, you know I enjoy a sweet teen romance, but this went a little overboard! Damarian is constantly saying “my sweet Cassie, how I love you so.” If this was sporadically placed throughout the plot, I wouldn’t have a problem, but it’s in almost every dialogue tag. Also, I enjoy relationships that show some independence. Cassie and Damarian are never apart to explore their own interests. They are together in almost every scene. I wish Cassie showed some life outside of surfing or her relationship. Damarian tried to adapt to his life on land by becoming a whale trainer. I asked myself, how could he possibly enjoy this career when whales in captivity suffer?
Also, the ending of the series was very abrupt and depressing! While I won’t give too much away, a sea witch tangled her tentacles into the lives of Damarian, Cassie, and Queen Flora. Cassie remarked that she spoke like a human, but this is never explored further. Instead of everything working out in the end, Cassie and Damarian have more problems to conclude the series, which raises the question: will there eventually be another novel?
Because of the weak characterization and ending, I give this series *** 3 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie
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