A Mermaid's Kiss (Daughters of Arianne Book 1) by Joey W. Hill

I wanted to like this book. I really did.

I first discovered Joey W. Hill when I read her Nature of Desire series (my review). I loved those books. I've read some of them again and again.... Mac and Violet, Tyler and Marguerite, Marcus and Thomas. Mrs. Hill wrote those characters, and their stories, so well that I feel as if they are old friends. I feel as if I know them.

I was expecting something similar from this book, and I'm very sad to say I was disappointed.

I mean, I like Jonah and Anna, but I don't feel as if I know them. I wasn't drawn into the story, into their lives, as I was for Ms. Hills earlier works.

The story itself is kind of a remade fairy tale, and it was good in an Urban Fantasy sort of way. And the pacing was well done: action interspersed with talking, good stuff interspersed with bad stuff. So what was the problem? The inner dialogue and inner drama, I think, is what caused problems for me. It just didn't work for me, it seemed... I don't know.. forced? No, that isn't exactly the right word. Maybe... maybe it's that Mrs. Hill writes BDSM relationships so good, that a not-BDSM relationship is hard for her? There were elements of D/s in this book, but certainly no BDSM, and not really even D/s. I mean, sure, Anna considered herself as "belonging" to an angel, and she kind of gave herself over to Jonah, the complete trust in bed thing. But, most of the time Anna did whatever she wanted and went against what Jonah told her to do. She thought she knew better than him. And, most of the time, she really did know better than him. So, it wasn't a D/s relationship. Not really. Not even an "only in bed" D/s relationship, though it did skirt the edges of it.

I was pleased with the ending, and I'm curious about the next book, about Mina and David's story. I will likely read it, just not right now. Later, maybe.

I'm giving A Mermaid's Kiss a 6 of 10. Once again, I love Joey W. Hill's other writings, and it pains me to give one of her books a low rating. But this book just didn't work for me.

Book Rating: 6 of 10



1. A Mermaid's Kiss
2. A Witch's Beauty
3. A Mermaid's Ransom (Dec 2009)