Celebrate MerMay with these fantastic books featuring mermaids, mermen, and merpeople #mermay #mermaids #mermen #merpeople #fridayreads #mustread

Happy MerMay, readers! Did you know May is the month where readers all over the world read books featuring mermaids, mermen, and merpeople? I have had a love affair with stories about merpeople since I was a little girl. There’s something magical about living under the sea. So, I’ve gathered some great reads to check out this month featuring merpeople. Some are in Kindle Unlimited, some are on sale, and some available at all retailers. You’re going to want to binge-read these books.

I Summon the Sea: An Epic Fated Mates Romantasy (The Thorn and the Shadow Book 1) by Mona Archer

Don’t you know I’d defy death to bring you back?I loved a fair boy once, and he was taken from me. I’m back to avenge him, no matter the cost.

Every year, the fae king organizes deathly trials with human tributes to please the gods.

This year, I am taking part in them.

My goal? 

To enter the palace in the aftermath and take the king out once and for all.

My advantage? 

I’m no ordinary human. Not anymore.

I am a sea maiden. These trials, held in the sea, should be a piece of cake for me.

My mistake? 

I hadn’t counted on my magic failing me, or on Jai, the fae king’s arrogant dragon-summoner, volunteering in the trials to protect me.

I hadn’t counted on resurfacing feelings and memories.

On the people surrounding me not being who they seem.

On the tables turning on me.

I am a razor-sharp thorn, a blade honed to fight, and this is when it all comes together, when it all ends.

Yet I am foiled by prophecies and signs, illusions and lies.Who is Jai? What is the truth? And what price will I have to pay to find out?

The legend of Theseus meets the Little Mermaid, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, in this epic romance story set against a sky full of dragons.

The Mermaid's Wrath (The Laughter of the Sun Book 1) by Andie Holman

Kirkus review: “A lighthearted novel that simultaneously features heavy environmental themes, multifaceted characters, and lots of charm. Holman weaves elements of humor, magic, romance, and environmental activism in a quirky ocean-set romantasy.”

Editorial review: "The Mermaid's Wrath is a debut romantasy I couldn't read fast enough. This is not the little mermaid you grew up on. The world-building is intricate and makes this story come alive. A brilliant read from start to finish. 5 stars." - N.N. Light's Book Heaven

The ocean is dying. A mermaid vows to save it.

The Mers are barely surviving in a magical marine bubble, isolated from the rest of the world. Jelly, warrior mermaid and champion of sea life, battles against the choking, accelerating pollution, living beneath the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

When Jelly's mind opens to terrifying premonitions, she must leave the ocean, collaborating with estranged magical beings on land. She’s seen one of theirs in a vision, a woman abducted for the power in her veins, and Jelly is the key to this woman's freedom.

The black pearl at her throat holds a secret. When it wakes, it sends Jelly on a tumultuous journey, changing her life forever."

I've been talking nonstop about your book, pollution, and small efforts. I have switched my space to all aluminum instead of plastic, and am saving every teeny tiny piece of plastic film and taking it to recycle." - Suzi

"This debut book had so many layers of intrigue and mystery. I really enjoyed the book because it had so much action and suspense. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I highly recommend reading this book." - Linda

Book One of The Laughter of the Sun series.

Fathom: a mermaid urban fantasy (The Fathom Series Book 1) by L. L. Standage

All she wanted was to study the ocean.

Instead, she uncovered its greatest secret.

More than anything, eighteen-year-old Olivia Owens wants to win a marine biology scholarship, escape her broken home life, and enjoy a drama-free summer in La Jolla, California. But when she agrees to pose as a mermaid for her photographer best friend Samantha, she never dreamed what kind of trouble it would bring.

Why would a crazy red-headed lady give Olivia a clam that glows on the inside? And why does the ritzy CEO Doran Linnaeus think Olivia—and the clam in her possession—are the keys to turning his failing theme park into an earth-shattering phenomenon?

It takes some serious spy skills for Olivia and Samantha to discover the truth: mermaids aren’t just a fairytale. Dangerous, dark, and suspicious, the vengeful denizens of the deep will do anything to keep their secret safe—even accept help from humans.

In order to keep herself and Samantha alive, Olivia has to team up with the merpeople and a band of mysterious strangers. She must find the courage to do whatever it takes to stop Linnaeus from exposing and exploiting earth’s deepest secret, all while convincing Samantha that flirting with a merprince is a terrible idea…and protecting her own heart in the process.

Fathom is a modern fantasy adventure that takes place in San Diego, California. The story is filled with mystery, danger, friendship, mayhem, and merpeople. A fast-paced read for anyone who enjoys modern fairytale re-imaginings, suspense, action, and romance.

Entangled (Portals of Destiny Book 5) by Elizabeth Rose

Can magic and mortality survive once they become entangled?

The Sea Nymph:

When Merrow Havfine gets pulled through a portal along with two of her sisters, she finds herself entangled in the net of a fishing ship. As one of the eldest of her fifty sea nymph sisters, she is responsible for their safety. All she wants is to find them and go back through the portal before her father, Nereus, God of the Sea, discovers they've disobeyed his rules. But when a handsome mortal king decides to keep her as his prisoner instead of throwing her back into the sea, she must do whatever it takes to convince him to let her go.

The King:

Sebastian Ravenwolf has claimed the title of King of Macada Castle after the demise of his evil uncle. He struggles with his new position, listening to his advisor as to what is expected of him. When he catches a sea nymph in his nets, he is convinced this will give him an upper hand over the other two kings of Mura, the Blackseed brothers, who have magical powers. The nymph is beautiful and before long he realizes he wants her as more than just his prisoner. She stirs his heart and seems to understand him better than any of his loyal subjects. Having one sea nymph might make him powerful, but when he discovers there are three of them, his advisor convinces him he needs them all. Now, he just has to steal them away from his enemies - the other two kings.

Duty and emotion clash as the descendant of an evil king tries to please both his people and the mysterious magical woman who has stolen his heart. The only problem is, humans and sea nymphs don't belong together. However, sometimes destiny brings them together anyway. Now, the real question is, can magic and mortality survive once they become entangled?

Water Dreams (Love's Siren Song Book 1) by Katherine Eddinger Smits

Water Dreams is an award-winning finalist in the Fiction/Romance category of the Best Book Awards.

She’s human. He’s Nerei. What happens when they fall in love against his species’ laws?

In the small Florida town of Tarpon Springs, Nik Aronopulos avoids water like the plague. She never goes to the beach and shuns restaurants with views of the Gulf of Mexico. So, when a merman shows up at her doorstep, insisting they need to study her, she’s stunned. There’s nothing special about her……or so she thinks.

Bas is an arrogant, dark-haired merman tasked with obtaining Nik’s cooperation at all costs, even if means being untruthful about the extent of the ‘study’ they need to conduct on her. But he’s willing to do and say whatever he must. She’s the Nerei’s only hope at overcoming their greatest weakness. Although they can shapeshift to look like humans and have advantages over land dwellers, their dependence on water keeps them from freedom. There’s just one problem – the girl he’s meant to capture under false pretenses is hooking his heart.

When Bas is shot by a bullet meant for Nik, she must face her greatest fear to help him – the ocean. Her decision plunges her into a desperate journey where her desire for self-preservation, is weighed against her growing feelings for this merman who had once meant her harm…

…and what this might mean for all of them.

Happy Reading!

Nancy