I didn't really connect with this book and found myself at points forcing myself to finish however I just might not be the target audience for the book. The premise of the story is really interesting as a retelling of the little mermaid in which we follow Aria on her grand adventure to find the lost city of Atlantea. and crosses paths with the (of course) stunningly handsome human prince, Bastian.
The story is beautifully written and the descriptions of the settings and the kingdom were fantastic. The story does touch on some really interesting themes such as coming to terms with your grief which I particularly enjoyed
The book does fall into the 'tell not show' what a strong FMC Aria is but there are lots of points where she makes some truly stupid decisions and is saved by the male characters. The description also bills this as 'enemies to lover dynamics' but the enemies aspect of the dynamics is lacking. Aria and Bastian fall in love fairly quickly.
I was completely drawn in by the cover and the title of the book and quickly skimmed the synopsis, so I missed the 'YA Christian' aspect of the description. The themes were there if you're aware of them but not overtly so. There are some good life lessons learned by the characters throughout the book which would be great for the younger audience.
Overall it was a decent story but I don't think I would read it again.
The book is not on goodreads at the moment but will add the review when it becomes available.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I'll be the first to admit, I must have jumped right over "Christian YA", however the elements were subtle enough for me to ignore and did not impact my reading experience.

This was a bit a ride and I wasn't always sure where we were supposed to be going. From my understanding, we follow Aria, a lonely princess from an underwater kingdom as she chases after the few pieces of her late mother. In an effort to feel connected with her mother and escape the gilded cage her father has set her in, Aria throws herself head first into an adventure across the sea to try and find the legendary kingdom of Atlantea. From there, we watch as she struggles with her feelings of loneliness and belonging.

Now, there were a few things that bothered me about this book. Aria being one of them. She is clearly struggling with her emotions and loss, however I don't think she makes one single good decision in the entire novel. Aria is headstrong, yes, but also equally brash which leaves her character feeling disjointed and more spoiled and overly dramatic. Bastian truly has the patience of a saint for putting up with her antics, because not once did I feel Aria made a decision that justified her reasoning. We don't see any growth in her character, as she continues to be saved again and again by the men in her life from every single bad situation she puts herself in. Not once did I feel like Aria stood up for herself or what she truly believe in, and instead felt quite content to allow others to speak for her.

The blurb marketed this as a slow burn enemies-to-lovers, and while her relationship to Bastian started off a bit rocky (which is to be expected), it's doesn't nearly fulfill any of the requirements to actually be considered enemies-to-lovers. When we met Atlas' darker side, I wrongly assumed that he would fulfill this trope. It felt as if I was missing entire passages of Aria and Bastian's relationship development, the slow burn element of their romance is a mystery to me. It felt almost as if a switch flipped about 30% through the novel and suddenly they were in love with each other.

All this being said, there was a lot of beautiful passages about the settings and the culture of the kingdom. While this novel was not for me, I could see why other readers would find merit in the overarching themes of love and acceptance discussed during the story. Aria is not typically the type of FMC I find myself connecting to, however I did find comfort in the forgiveness she allows herself when she makes mistakes.

The story is definitely a mix of the Disney movies Little Mermaid and Atlantis but the author did put her own unique flair on it. For someone wanting a good Christian read it is a solid book with many lessons peppered throughout as the main character sets out on a journey of self-discovery and maturity. It wasn't entirely my cup of tea but I highly recommend it for someone wanting a clean fantasy book. I do appreciate the themes of the unwavering love of family, always be yourself, and it's okay to make mistakes because they are something to learn from.

I did miss the Christian aspect to the book synopsis but I am honest in my review and rating for someone who's style of book this is. Four stars because it does have quite a bit of filler that I struggled to get through.

** the book doesn't appear to be in Goodreads. I will put this review there if it becomes available **

The plot felt a little muddy and lost in translation sometimes but it was interesting. I did lose focus quite often throughout the story and had to force myself to finish it. I personally did not enough the story. It felt too long and not in a good way. It was very hard to get into at first, it didn’t hold attention at all. I did love Sebastian though! He was a strong and honorable person, I loved his character!

What a new and refreshing take on the little mermaid story. It’s always good to revisit these classic tales with a new set of eyes, and that’s exactly what this is. This author shows much potential and I can’t wait to see how they grow in their writing and their art. Thanks so much for letting me read this!

I am guilty of not reading the blurb in full before downloading this one so the Christian elements of the story were a surprise to me, that said they are not particularly overt throughout the book though I would move this religious framing of the story upfront. The book was well written and an interesting take on some classic myths with a rich background.

I was looking for a light read and something fun, maybe with a hint of romance. This book delivered, straight up what I needed.

Unfortunately I don't live close to the sea, but I do have a river flowing not so far from my home, and since the sea was the home to many characters I could feel all the lovely memories I have resurface.

I loved many many things about this book, I loved the characters, I loved the plot, I loved the angst, the romance, I could not put it down, I have started this book last evening, stayed up until midnight to read and my first thing in the morning was to continue and I finished the book in basically one place.

Just downloaded this. so excited to devour this within the next few days and drop my review. The cover and description are already such pulling forces ☺️

Beyond excited for this one! With the recent huge box office succesd of The Little Mermaid the interest in mermaid inspired books always stays strong. I am so excited for this new series and the cover is absolutely gorgeous. I cannot wait to share more thoughts and a full review soon! I'm so happy this book is a Read Now option. I know so many readers are going to enjoy this one!