Rating: ⭐⭐
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

When I found this book, I had high hopes — I love pirate-based stories with enough action to keep me hooked. Unfortunately, this one didn’t deliver the satisfaction I was looking for.

It features an arranged marriage trope, which I usually enjoy, but the FMC’s character arc felt inconsistent. One moment she’s constantly complaining about not wanting to be with him and plotting her escape, and the next she does a complete 180 after a bit of fun together. The sudden shift was confusing for me, and I would have liked more build-up to make it believable.

That said, I did enjoy the romance after the MMC’s heartfelt confession of true love. I felt bad for him — he genuinely cared for her and wasn’t just using her for the success of his mission, which made him an easy character to root for.

Overall, though, the story just didn’t click with me the way I hoped, which is why I’m giving it 2 stars.

the POTENTIAL this book could've had is insane. If you know me, you know im a huge lover of pirate & mermaid stories. so when i found out i was approved for the arc, i got so excited. i'm not the biggest fan of arranged marriage, but if its good enough to keep me hooked, i love it. unfortunately, this one didn't hit for me. an issue i had was the fact that at the begining i could barely differentiate between the male lead's point of view, and the female leads point of view. they were just talking about the same thing, the curse. and i couldn't tell who's pov was who's until a side character showed up.

another issue i had was the fmc, she annoyed me and bored me to death. she was so inconsistent. as soon as she met the male lead, she hated him. but when he didn't sleep with her the night of their wedding because she didn't want to, she got angry at him. and she remained like this through out the book. one minute she would hate him and loathe him, the other she almost got on her knees for him.

the writing is mediocre at best. it wasn't anything special and it wasn't horrible either. sometimes it felt forced, and the writing wasn't flowy at all. it didn't feel natural which made reading this book feel like a chore.

the story didn't connect with me at all. through out the book, i failed to understand why all this was important. the male lead was ambitious, but for what reason?

again, thank you to netgalley and little book factory for this arc. i wish the author great success in her career.

⭐️ 3.75 – ARC Review

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of 'The Ocean Curse' in exchange for an honest review.

This novel follows Asherah and Leo through alternating perspectives, blending romance with high stakes adventure on the sea. While the story is relatively short, it perfectly conveys the trust and affection that bind the protagonists together.

The characters are compelling and easy to invest in, while the story moves at a brisk pace with plenty of action, twists, and sea-inspired intrigue. However, I feel the book leaves certain elements, such as the backstory of the curses underdeveloped. A longer format may have allowed the mysteries and lore to unfold with more depth.

Despite this, The Ocean Curse is an engaging and entertaining read, especially for fans of fast paced romantic adventures featuring pirates, mermaids, and other sea creatures. It’s a vibrant tale that balances romance and adventure in a way that will appeal to readers looking for a quick but captivating escape.

After getting through about half of the story, I’ve decided to DNF this title. While I found the summary and the cover to be very compelling, the actual content itself fell flat. The writing style was rather simplistic for my taste, and read more like something you’d find in a fanfiction. Additionally, the pacing for the book was all over the place, and other reviews seemed to agree with me on this point.

The plot itself could be very compelling. I personally love an adventure with dark/moody undertones, and the curses on the MCs seem interesting enough (though I agree with other that the MMC’s could be fleshed out). That is to say, I do think that there is an audience for this story, it just is not for me personally.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This story had SO much potential to be great.

It was a quick enjoyable read, with a good plot line. I would have appreciated significantly more detail to help the reader fully immerse themselves into the characters. At times I felt like I was experiencing two completely different writers- one which I loved. The narration felt vague and rushed- leaving me with a wanting feeling.

I kept reading because the storyline truly intrigued me I wanted to know the ending. It was a very cute forced proximity fated romance. Who doesn’t love a romance set on a pirate ship? Especially if you like morally grey, possessive MMCs.

All this book lacked was detail- but the bones of it was magical.

ARC copy received through NetGalley

Honest rating 3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

In ‘The Ocean Curse’, we have Asherah, a mermaid cursed with human legs during the day, and Captain Leo Smith, a pirate with his own curse of encroaching madness. Asherah wants to find her mermaid kin and escape her fathers clutches and considers her marriage to Leo her best chance. Leo is trying to turn his luck around and stave off his dreaded familial curse, believing Asherah might be the key to his salvation. Together they embark on a journey of finding the truth about each other and their curses. I saw the author took inspiration from the Little Mermaid and you could definitely see that influence the further we got in the story. This, for me, had a ‘regency on the high seas’ vibe from the get go based on the formal style of writing and conversation between characters.

Things I liked and tropes you’ll find:
🏴‍☠️ Pirates and mermaids
🧜‍♀️ Generational curses
✨ Star-crossed lovers
🏴‍☠️ Found family
🧜‍♀️ Mystery and secrets
✨Arranged Marriage

While I, for the most part, enjoyed the read, I do think there are certain plot elements that are a little confusing and need more explanation or fleshing out. It was also probably the most abrupt ending I’ve ever come across in a book, quite literally in the middle of a battle scene.

Overall an easy read for anyone who enjoys a semi-cosy pirate romance, with enough mystery and action to have a fun time. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys romantasy with ocean and pirate vibes.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

Honest review is 3.75 stars.

This was given to me as an ARC copy from NetGalley.

The story is told following the FMC, Asherah, and MMC, Leo, through a third person perspective. The spice level was round a 1 out of 5 for me personally. The majority of that was alluding to their attraction to each other or about actions that happened behind closed doors. There was on page scenes as well, but it was fairly minimal. The attraction and yearning between the two happened more than the actual acting on that attraction.

This was a very enjoyable read! The story centers around mermaids and curses, pirates, betrayals, and love. That's just about all you need for a good story! As enjoyable as this story was, there were moments sprinkled throughout that felt almost rushed, like they would have settled better with some expansion on the backstory or the current actions of our characters. There were important plot points that we heard second-hand, being told to the MCs instead of seeing the moment play out on page. The book was such a quick, fun read that some extra information and detailing wouldn't have pulled it down.

All in all, I love the storyline! I had been in a bit of a reading slump and this was a fun little ocean adventure that pulled me out! I will be looking out for the next book in this story!

Spoiler-Free Review

The Ocean Curse by Emily K. Suarez

Romantasy

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Ocean Curse was a short, enjoyable read, but it tried to accomplish a lot in a relatively small number of pages. Some of the mysteries felt a bit rushed, while other parts were better paced. I think the story would have benefited from either a longer format to fully explore its plotlines or trimming some of the extra storylines to focus more tightly.

The romance between the two leads was fine for a YA audience, but the enemies-to-lovers storyline felt somewhat childish at times. It works well for younger YA readers, but older might find it a bit tired. The “twist” of the two falling in love didn’t carry much weight for the overall story—it mainly functioned as a forced-proximity romance.

The ending felt rushed, and at times it seemed like pages were missing. Throughout the story, the narrative often told us what happened rather than showing it through unfolding events, which reduced some of the suspense and mystery that could have been more engaging.

Despite these issues, I did enjoy the book and would definitely be interested in reading the next instalment in the series.

Overall Takeaway: The Ocean Curse is a quick, readable YA romantasy with potential. While the pacing and some plotlines felt rushed, the romance is sweet, and the story kept me engaged enough to look forward to the next book.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5 stars)

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a simple, fun read. I feel like it could benefit from another editing pass, because some of the plot points were a little confusing. There was also a LOT that the book was trying to do in not enough time/pages, leaving some parts feeling well paced but the mystery feeling so rushed. I feel like either adding some overall length to the story or cutting/simplifying some of the plot drivers would have helped it all flow more smoothly and feel better paced.

I do like the romance between the two leads but they were never actually enemies? Even by the time the potential to be enemies was revealed they were already in love so it didn’t actually matter? I would rather have gotten more of the hesitation angst build up than trying to make them feel like enemies. His quick turn made sense based on the curse, but it never felt like he saw her as the enemy, just a means to an end. The romance is more “apathetic forced proximity to lovers”.

The whole curse was confusing and I had a hard time following what actually caused it and how to end it, because the story reveals everyone’s different perspective of what the curse is and how it started. The “true” reason we got in the end still doesn’t feel like it was well explained.

The book ends anbruptly and moves to the epilogue so fast I thought I missed a chapter. The story flashes forward and tells us what happened rather than lets it unfold on page which I found sort of disappointing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.75/5)

Pleasantly surprised by this story! I do love a fated mates / forced proximity romantasy, but this was my first time reading one with pirates and merpeople woven in—and while it wasn’t perfect, it was still a really enjoyable read.

It’s a good, easy read packed with action, secrets, and a really intriguing family history behind the curse. The story follows a handsome captain who pays to marry a woman he believes could be the key to breaking his generational curse—but his new wife has secrets of her own. Personally, I would have liked a little more tension between the FMC and MMC, as well as some extra description of the characters’ appearances (I found it a bit tricky to picture them at times). The ending also felt a little confusing and rushed for me since it picked up so quickly.

That said, I really enjoyed the overall concept and the way everything came together. A fun, unique read!

✨ What you’ll find inside:
• Fated mates
• Forced proximity
• Arranged marriage
• Pirates & merpeople
• Spice 🌶️🌶️

ARC courtesy of NetGalley.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such a fun read! I was pulled into the story right away and loved the whole pirate/curse/mermaid setup—it gave the book a really unique vibe. The banter between the main characters was definitely one of my favorite parts, and the enemies-to-lovers tension kept me turning the pages.

That said, I do wish the pacing had been a little slower in places. The romance came together pretty quickly, and I would’ve enjoyed seeing more of a gradual buildup. Some sections also felt a bit rushed, especially when it came to explaining the curse and the world around it. There was so much potential there, I just wanted a little more detail.

Overall though, I still had a good time with it. The atmosphere was fun, the characters were likable, and the story had enough action to keep me engaged. I’m glad I got the chance to read this ARC, and I think anyone who enjoys a fast-paced fantasy with pirates and sea magic will have a good time too.

The Ocean Curse is a tale of love, betrayal, and curses. It follows the story of Asherah Hall who is married off to someone who has paid for her. Captain Leo Smith has a curse which he hopes Asherah will help him break. Meanwhile, Asherah has her own secret that could be dangerous if discovered. I really enjoyed this story and seeing it unfold. I would have liked to know more about Leo's curse as it wasn't mentioned in much detail so it's unclear what the curse really was. I liked the plot - it would not normally be something I would read, but I am glad that I did. Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this.

Leo has been under a curse for as long as he can remember. With the chance meeting of a girl who is trying to unravel her own past, he may have found his answer.

This was a DNF for me. Insta-love without any redeeming character or plot elements to boost the rest of the story. The characters fell flat for me and seemed to lack much substance outside of "I'm a monster"... but sexy.

3.5⭐️
This book was cute! I really enjoyed the first half of this book and found myself not able to put it down. I was instantly drawn into the story and wanted to know what would happen next. I enjoyed the banter between the two main characters and the tension between them. I felt like the pacing of the romance was great in the beginning but I felt like they came together too quickly in the second half of the book. I would have loved to see more of a slow burn between the main characters. The second half of the book was also a little confusing at times as we learned more details and I was a bit bored at times. Overall, the vibes of this book were good!

this was a strong fantasy romance and worked well as a concept and from the storyline. It was everything that I was hoping for and enjoyed about a opening chapter to the Ripples of Magic series. I enjoyed the way the characters were written and how it was used in this plot. I thought the use of the mystery and the ocean's curse worked well to tell the story and was glad it was so well done. Emily K. Suarez has a strong writing style and am excited for more in this world as this was a strong introduction.

Rating: 3.75 stars!

This book has so much potential. A cursed mermaid, a cursed pirate captain, and a generational curse. The language feels elementary to me and the world building could have been more dramatic, but overall it was a super fun read.

Thank you NetGalley and Little Book Factory for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

i so wanted to like this more than i did. the plot sounded super interesting and i was really into the setting, the characters, the plot. all of it. for me, though, the whole thing felt a little bit too rushed. the fmc and the mmc were supposed to be enemies to lovers, and in a way they definitely were. but it didn’t feel like they were true enemies. the relationship between them felt very surface level throughout most of the story. i would’ve loved more time to see them truly be enemies, be forced to get to know each other, and then fall.

i also felt like the mmc’s curse was sort of brushed over? i didn’t really understand what exactly was wrong with him or how it was resolved. i would’ve liked to see more of that.

finally, im not sure if it was a formatting issue from me downloading or what, but every single page had enter sentences squished together with no spaces. theywerewrittenlikethis and it made it difficult to read.

overall, i finished this book for the characters - i really truly found them enjoyable and lovable and i wanted to see it to the end. thank you to netgalley and the author for providing this arc!

3.75 stars

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc :)This book was a fun and easy medium paced read. The writing was well done and very fluid. I loved the overall plot of the book, but I feel like it was slightly rushed. I would have loved more world building and character development. I thoroughly enjoyed the ending, but once again it felt wrapped up quick. It left me desiring more.

The sexual tension and banter between the main characters was on point. Who doesn’t love a good forced proximity and enemies to lovers trope?

Anything with pirates, mermaids, and sea creatures always has me sold though.

I liked this book. It was like a Next Gen Little Mermaid x Pirates of the Caribbean retelling (although if the little mermaid later regretted her decision) which was a really cool and unique concept.

I found some aspects of the book confusing because I felt that there were just some details that just weren’t expanded on (e.g women being bad omens and the crew not being trusted around them yet the MMC trusts them with his life) it just felt conflicting and didn’t make sense to me.

The romance was very insta-love especially for the MMC which I’m not too much of a fan as it just felt they didn’t have a bond especially in this case as he confessed his love within 5 days of meeting her (including the 2 days they hated each other and the one day she spent and see) which I did not enjoy.

The FMC was likeable and the romance did have some cute moments and I loved the FMC journey of self-acceptance of the things she previously hated and the found family aspect. This book did allow my to become invested and had great vibes this is why I rated it a 4-star.

Would recommend to anyone who enjoy fairytale retelling and pirates and likes a found family, cute romance and a few plot twist.

**I received this book from NetGalley thank you to the publisher (Little Book Factory) and the author (Emily K. Suarez) this has no impact on my review**