A blending of the original Little Mermaid and borrowing from Cinderella and other Breton tales, this novel wove together a fantastical narrative of self-discovery, betrayal, romance, and more. After getting used to the denser writing style I began to really appreciate how it added to the character’s voice and lent credibility to the historical fantasy elements of the story. The main character felt so real and the unfolding of her mysteries left me coming back every time.

Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods is a fairy tale mashup of The Little Mermaid and Cinderella with a lead character full of spunk and adventure.

I'm not a big reader of fantasy. Sure, I read all of Game of Thrones, but that's it. Something about the combination of The Little Mermaid, Cinderella and 18th Century France pulled me into this story immediately. Lucinda aka Luce is the youngest daughter of one of the wealthiest ship-owners in the land. She's not wrapped up into beauty and future marriages as her sisters, she wants a life at sea. One that provides the opportunity to travel the world and experience things she's only heard about.

One morning, Luce's secret swimming is interrupted by debris from a nearby shipwreck. She rescues a handsome man, floating in the sea,. She's drawn to his beauty and when he briefly wakes and draws her into a deep, passionate kiss, she can't help but feel something. The young man, is Morgan de Chatelaine, the youngest son of another ship-owner. His family quickly throws a ball in his honor and Luce is desperate to attend.

All the while, the local fae are leaving, and the threat of war is constant. Luce is brought into a world shrouded in secrecy and lust, finding out who she truly is and finally being free.
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This historical fantasy novel is beautifully written, with vivid word choices and a plotline that surprised me with every page. Luce is the Ariel, the Cinderella, the Jo March. She's her own person and has her own wants and desires, a universal feeling with main characters. Woods has managed to create an original story with the hints of classic fairy tales.

yes, there's romance, but overall there is a plucky young woman who comes into her own and makes her own path into the world.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

In a land where the fae simultaneously bless and curse ships and sailors alike, a wealthy ship owner has three daughters. Lucinde Leon, the youngest of the three, longs for the sea. She often escapes her mother, sisters and tutors to roam the shores with her friends the smugglers Samuel and Bones, looking for the treasures of forgotten shipwrecks. After one terrible storm they witness one ship go to ground and Luce leaps into the waves to aid the only survivor, Morgan de Chatelaine, the son of a fellow ship owner. The young man thanks his saviour with a kiss then blacks out. Luce brings him to her home to recover. Luce and both her sisters are transfixed by Morgan's beauty and wealth. Luce wonders with he remembers the night she saved him from the sea. When the de Chatelaine's hold a ball Luce longs to go but her jealous sisters seem to have other ideas. As Luce and Morgan become closer Luce learns more of the sea, its mythical sea-maids and her own past.
Upon A Starlit Tide is a rich reimagining of The Little Mermaid and Cinderella.

I'm a sucker for a good fairytale mashup, and this one I completely adored--not the least because while it cleverly weaves in fairy tale motifs, it turns them into something that feels both timeless and new. Beautiful writing, lush imagery that made me feel like I was drinking the sea from the page, interesting historical details, and a sense of mystery and wonder abound. This is one to take your time with--and while, like all traditional fairy tales, it isn't afraid to get dark, it also left me with a hopeful ending.

I'll be looking up Kell Woods' other books for sure!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

So good! It's a Little Mermaid, Cinderella smash up but also so much better. Kell adds in the beautiful dress descriptions like we all love in our romance novels, a little bit of steamy romance action and all the family drama that we love to hate. The setting and characters were all wonderfully done and it all moved along at a nice pace.

A fantastically dark fairy tale and one I could not put down. Luce was a heroine I was happy to spend time with - strong and flawed and coming in to her own magically and mundanely. Plus a forbidden romance? Say less. Also, the reveal about *redacted* made me gasp in horror. And I would be remiss if I did not mention the gorgeous cover!

🛑 STOP SCROLLING 🛑

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Great!

I have a book you need to read! Mark your calendars for February 18th- preorder, put in your library requests for “Upon a Starlit Tide” by Kell Woods.

This book has SOMETHING that every single friend reading this will love. A vibrant historical setting. Fairytale retelling TIMES TWO. Fantasy vibes that are easy to digest but still build a wonderful world. Beautiful romance. Lines you want to underline to remember. Well-developed characters on every point of the love-hate spectrum.

Are you sold? I hope so. I won’t spoil anything further as this is a book that deserves to be discovered with every turn of the page. This is the kind of book that I created this account for. Happy reading, friends 🫶

This book was so beautifully written. It was lyrical and magical. I loved the romance and the way the Little Mermaid and Cinderella aspects were in the book. I had a really wonderful time reading this!

What a book. What a fantastic fantastic book. I'm always here for a re-written fairy tale, and this one was so perfectly done - I absolutely loved it. Fairytale, folklore, history, I was hooked from the beginning and proceeded to love absolutely every second. The book was just really really good. There was a lot going on in the book, and what a note to have started 2025 on.

ARC Review - This book was absolutely beautifully writtwn. I ate every second of this book up. At first I thought it was too much like The Little Mermaid and Cinderella but that went by so fast. I needed more of this book. I wanted it to go by slower. I just need more. And also this book has the best written most beautiful epilogue l've ever read.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! OMFG! I was going to do this the proper way and make it professional but I had to gush first. This book was SPECTACULAR! I loved every single second of it and I even tried to take a break to slow myself down but I couldn’t……. I’m obsessed!

I hope the publisher sees this cause I WANT A SIGNED COPY SO BAD! PLEASEEEEEEE! No really, I'm begging............. Please send me a copy......

Ok back to being professional….

Upon A Starlit Tide is a beautifully written Fantasy with a strong Romance overtone, one might even call it Romantasy, ack ack. It’s giving Little Mermaid and Cinderella, but evokes such a vivd range of emotions. My heart was in my throat when she saved Morgan from the shipwreck, during the ball, and the end!

Luce Leon is such a brilliant FMC! I love that her disability doesn’t define her or hinder her ability to go after what she wants. She’s soft and sweet but there is such an underlying steel that reveals itself throughout the book. I instantly became a fan of her courage and her ability to love her family despite the obvious jealous between the sisters because Luce was the favorite and you know, the drama. I actually felt for ALL the characters in this book, even the villain and the unexpected villain. The unexpected villain reveal literally about broke me.

The pacing was fantastic, slowing down in parts where it was necessary to flush out plot point and get the emotion across. I also loved the world building and how the author made this magical world fit perfectly into the reality we all know. I thought it all worked extremely well and felt new, knowing the inspiration behind this novel, it felt fresh and unlike anything out right now. The darker elements lend themselves to a true fairytales that felt much more Grimm’s than the Mouse.

Overall this was a success for me and I cannot wait to own a physical copy of it! GREAT story Kell Woods, you knocked it out of the park!!!

Wow! Kell Woods is so good at taking old familiar tales and turning them into something completely new and enchanting. This was such a unique and captivating blend of Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, and Woods's own mix of magic. I loved every moment of this book from start to finish. It ensorceled me and will live rent free in my brain for a long time. Having lived in France after college, I have a sweet spot for a story that takes place there and was particularly thrilled to read a book set in Saint Malo. Woods's writing is utterly absorbing, and I found myself transported to the beautiful seaside of Normandy. The plot is practically perfect in every way, and the characters are a delight. Nobody is perfect, everyone is flawed, yet there are good and evil characters to root for and hate. The magic permeates the story and builds as Luce finds her way in the world. Everything about this book was breathtaking. Do not miss it if you enjoy fantasy stories or retellings of classic tales.

Wow, I LOVED this!!! It was such a good mix of fairytale, folklore, and history! I cannot wait to own a physical copy of this on my shelves!

This fairytale hooked me from page one. I enjoyed the unique characters and world-building as well as the elements of The Little Mermaid and Cinderella.

Luce was strong and brave, longing for a life on the sea. Her relationships with her mother and sisters were complex, at times tinged with jealousy, yet also rooted in affection.

Her longstanding friendship with Samuel was genuine but strained by their separate class status and their growing attraction. Their chemistry was palpable, the romance a delicious slow burn. Morgan was charming with an undercurrent of danger, making it hard to trust his romantic advances and adding intensity.

The plot moved at a great pace through the climax to a wonderful conclusion.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for the ARC.

Kell Woods has solidified her place as an autobuy author for me. I loved After the Forest, but Upon a Starlit Tide took it to a whole different level. I was immediately invested in the Little Mermaid Cinderella mashup that it was advertised as, but it is so much more. Perfect blending of the historical and fantasy elements, the right amount of romance and adventure. The tension? The last 15% had me a nervous wreck. Seriously, I will read anything she writes. The only problem I had was that the book ended. It really shouldn’t have done that.

I wasn't really sure what to expect going into this book with the fairy tales influence but i was pleasantly surprised by how much i liked this book. Getting into the review, this book really gets your attention and sucks you in right off the bat which is always a good thing. As you get to know the characters you start to see where the fairy tale influences come in and the intertwining while still allowing this book its own originality is very well done. There was a chapter which took a classic fairy tale scene that we all know and love and essentially re-enacted it and it was so pleasing to read because you knew what the end would be but still enjoyed the journey to get there. The beginning-halfway point of the book had a love triangle occurring and for the first little bit I wasn't too sure who the FMC would choose but it becomes a very easy decision later on in the story. Overall I thought this was a well written book that kept me interested while reading and had a nice ending with all plots wrapped up nicely.

Absolutely loved this one. It took me a minute to get into the groove because it's more exposition-heavy than I've read in a while, but it felt like a fairy tale of old made into something new, and it had me hooked. If this year is the year of the seamaid, I am 100 percent all for it.

My only qualm is that I felt Morgan got off too easy for the absolute evil he put Luce, Samuel, and Bones through, plus his crew from the beginning of the book. He's a piece of shit, and I'm glad he didn't survive the book, but I'm also mad that he didn't, like, lose an eye or something in the process.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the preview! All opinions are my own.

OMG THIS WAS AMAZING! PERFECT! I loved every second. I didn't know I needed this exact mix of The Little Mermaid and Cinderella, but I was giddy about it. The characters were compelling, the nods to the fairytales were excellent, and the mix of real history was *chef's kiss.* And the writing was just stunningly beautiful.

I was gripped from the very opening chapter. If I had been able to, I would have binged this book in one sitting. I could not put it down. Luce is just a fantastic lead. She's headstrong, but smart and sweet too. I don't want to spoil any plot points, but her ability to see through another character and not let any unnecessary drama linger had me cheering. I loved her relationships and how they developed and evolved.

The ending had so much action, edge of your seat tension, heartbreak, and heartwarming conclusions. I screamed, I laughed, I sobbed, I raged, and I loved every single second. I had really enjoyed After the Forest, but this book is just transcendent. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!

This is a mixture of The Little Mermaid & Cinderella retelling but done in the best way possible. It takes aspects of both and intertwines them in an interesting way. Every single character is fully developed, even the side characters & all of them are needed to complete this story which is a welcome relief in today’s day & age. I loved the FMC & MMC and the ending was fabuloussss.

The only reason I didn’t give this five stars is because I felt the story was always building to something and then diverting right when it felt like we were going to get to it. I’d highly recommend this to anyone who loves historical romance/fantasy, it’s the best of all worlds.

I had never read this author’s work before but after this one I definitely will be.

Thank you Netgalley & Tor for my advanced eARC :)

Fairytale retellings are something I love in theory, but in practice… they rarely hit the mark. I crave that comforting familiarity, but I also need enough originality to keep me hooked. Upon a Starlit Tide is the first retelling in a while that truly nailed this balance.

A big reason it worked for me? It’s obvious how much time and care Woods poured into research and editing. The result is a beautifully crafted blend of history and fantasy, with a well-paced plot and complex characters.

If you’ve been feeling let down by the romantasy genre lately and don’t mind a lower (but still present!) spice level, I strongly recommend giving this one a shot. It delivers all the romance and magic you want, wrapped in a rich, layered story.

Thank you Kell Woods, Tor Publishing Group, and NetGalley for my advanced review digital copy. My opinions are my own. Get your copy on February 18th, 2025!!

Plot - 5
Writing and Editing - 5
Character Development - 5
Personal Bias - 5
Final Score - 5

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