I have to admit, I was a little skeptical about this story at first. I haven't read any PNR with mermaids in it, though a few with celestial beings, so this was somewhat new territory for me. But I was pleasantly surprised, not just at the quality of the storytelling, but also at the quality of the writing. Hill's writing is skilled and is clearly a tool she's very comfortable with, and it's so NICE to not be distracted from the story by grammatical errors and poor style.As for the story itself, I found the intersection of mermaid and angel to be refreshing and plausible. My one quibble here is that in some places she refers to the "daughters of Arianne" and in others the "daughters of Ariel", though I think she means the same by both. I'd have preferred one or the other, but it was nice that she gave some background of the original fairytale and didn't "Disney" it up. As for Jonah and the rest of the angels, I found her spin on them to be a nice blend of ancient goddess worship with more modern Bible-based characters. I wasn't expecting that!Where Jonah and Anna are concerned, they don't stray too far from the typical romance characterizations of the sexes. Females are "feeling" where males are "structured," and they both follow those broad brush-strokes. But unlike other romances, where women and men are that way for no discernible reason, at least in this book it seems to be based on the Lady/Consort duality. While I personally prefer my characters to break out of that stereotype and have a little more depth, Jonah and Anna seemed to have reasons for behaving in that idiom, so it didn't rankle nearly so much.All in all, I don't feel like I wasted my $7 on this e-book, and would probably read it again someday. I think there are more books in this storyline, so I will likely read those as well (though I'm not sure about paying full price for them). A Mermaid’s Kiss (Daughters of Arianne #1) by Joey W. HillI received A Mermaid’s Kiss through a Goodreads Firstread Giveaway. In all honesty I don’t think I really knew what I was requesting when entering this giveaway. When I received the book in the mail and saw Erotic Romance on the spine, I was like OMG how the heck does that work out? An angel and a mermaid??? But I put my preconceived notions aside and read the book. And I am SOOO Glad I did!!! It is one of the more intriguing books I have read in a while. You have Anna, a mermaid that is isolated because of a family curse passed down from mother to daughter. None of the merpeople wants anything to do with her because of her shapeshifting abilities, and she does not feel at home with the humans, so her only companion for her twenty years alive is a seawitch, Mina, that at birth saved her from the more awful aspects of the curse, who is also an outcast. Though she puts up with Anna, Mina says it is only because she is bound by blood to keep her safe. Anna is resigned that she, like those before her, will die at the at age twenty-one and the only thing that she wants to do is die by making a difference, and not in the despairs of loneliness, heartache and self-worthlessness. So when she comes upon Jonah, an angel whose wing was cut off during battle against the Dark Ones and plummets into the ocean, she does everything in her power to help him. He is constantly telling her to let him die, leave him to his own devises etc., but Anna knows that he is worth saving and that the universe would be better off with him in it she ignores him and is persistent in helping him. Anna brings Mina to help him with her magic, but she does not have the power to clean the poison the Dark Ones have embedded into Jonah after him fighting them for all of creation. The darkness has seeped into his soul and only a human shaman may be able to help Jonah remove it. So Mina gives Jonah a potion that will turn him into a human during the day, which will conceal him from all those who seek him out. She informs Anna that she has two days and regardless of where they are in the journey she must return to the ocean and Jonah must continue on his own. She also recommends Joining Magic (sex) as much as possible because that will help heal Jonah’s wing. Anna doesn't mention the two days to Jonah when she explains to him the quest they must take to the Nevada desert, and to get there on fate alone. Since Jonah doesn't know why he is fighting anymore he agrees to go on the journey. Along the way Anna does her best in showing him the little things that matter, the joys that you can find in everyday life. She shows him love, kindness and a positive outlook on all things, despite the harsh events that encompasses her short life as well as being attacked by the Dark Ones while she is with Jonah. By getting to know Jonah, Anna knows deep down that she must take him all the way to the shaman otherwise he wouldn't make it, so after her two days she continues at her own peril. Throughout the entire journey Anna puts her life at risk to save Jonah, the angel she has come to love.The characters, though are otherworldly, their personalities are that of someone a person may come across in real life, they make a believable person. I extremely enjoyed the flowing transition between characters. As soon as I felt the need for a different perspective I realized that it had just changed POV. The story moved along seamlessly, I did not feel like I was sitting and reading for a long time even though the book is long. The story flew by so fast and was so captivating when it was over I was left on wanting more to read. The conclusion was great. I was not left with feeling that there were things unresolved and that I could read A Mermaid’s Kiss as a standalone book. I was left with a desire to know what else happens in the universe that I wished I had the next book in hand. I cannot wait to read the next book!!!
What do You think about A Mermaid's Kiss (2008)?
An angel hooks up with a mermaid...Unique, and deliciously hot like so many of her books.
—chelsea1
looks and sounds like crack, but has surprisingly good reviews. could be interesting.
—kenni
My first Joey Hill book & like one review I've read... "it's a total mind trip!"
—camillabelle
Still amazing on a second read. That's a mark of a great book!
—Zombiez
