Thank you Zoraida Córdova, Hyperion Avenue, and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

I love the Meant to Be series and Kiss the Girl is my favorite of the series so far. I really enjoyed this modern day retelling of The Little Mermaid. The author included so many fun easter eggs from Disney’s adoptions of the The Little Mermaid that fans will immediately pick up on. One of the small details I thought really helped tie everything together were the social media posts and media headlines that were included in between some of the chapters. It was a cute and quick way to add additional details to the story without having to draw it out. The friendships in Kiss the Girl were so sweet. I loved the found family aspect as well as the actual close family relationship between Ariel and her sisters.

While this book may be part of a series, it is a standalone book. The Meant to Be series is made up of standalone books by different authors that reimagine the Disney stories we already know. If you haven’t read them yet, I definitely recommend them! Kiss the Girl will be available August 1, 2023.

Rating: 4.5 stars

3.7
There's so, so much about this that works, overall...but the devil is in the details, as they say, and the details don't mesh well here. Further, I genuinely liked the story but it doesn't vibe little mermaid, which has to be at least something of the point?

You had me at “Little Mermaid,” my favorite of Hans Christian Andersen’s original poignant fairy tales. In this modern retelling, glam rock girl band sensation Siren Seven have just come off a two-year farewell tour under their music mogul father’s direction; the payoff is supposed to be a year’s hiatus to pursue other interests, but King Triton, I mean, Teodoro del Mar, intends to launch his youngest daughter’s solo career in just six months. Melody, who goes by the stage name Ariel, agrees–IF her sisters can have their full year off–but a disagreement forces her to walk away. She begins using her first name, and without her signature (red) wig, is no longer recognizable. She has a magical encounter with Eric, the gorgeous Colombian frontman to a band setting on on their first tour. Bumping into the right person at the right time enables her to join the Star Crossed tour selling merch–as long as she doesn’t reveal who she is or hook up with Eric, the lead singer. Melody’s musician expertise proves invaluable even as a it’s a challenge to hide her knowledge of venues and tour buses. The Ursula character is represented by the manager of Star Crossed, a woman who identifies Ariel, strikes a deal with her that renders her voiceless, in a sense, and has a history with her parents and their former band.

In true Disney fashion, everything is clean-cut, multicultural, diverse, and sanitized (there is sensual kissing but everything else is romantic longing or behind closed doors.) But: the author knows Disney, has a strong musical background, and hails from Ecuador, and Zoraida Córdova represents South American culture beautifully. In this fractured fairy tale, the princess is a pop princess and the setting is modern United States, but it all rings true and the allusions to the original, from premise to dialogue to costuming, provide great fan service. Aligning the novel’s characters with their animated counterparts was part of the ride. This is a fun read for adult fans of Disney and has young adult crossover potential.

I recieved a free advance reader’s review copy of #KissTheGirl from #NetGalley.

I love every book in this series. They are all SUCH clever retellings and give me so much nostalgia but keeping such a smart fresh version of them. Who knew you could retell The Little Mermaid in a way that didn’t seem like a stretch at all. Loved it and hope they make more and more. (Also, the little nod to “After Midnight” was adorable)

#KisstheGirl #NetGalley #meanttobe

I'm OBSESSED with the Meant to Be novels and Kiss the Girl is just another GREAT book to add to my I LOVE IT list. (Note to self, make a I LOVE LIST ASAP! haha). My patrons will love this just as much as I did!

4.5 stars

The Little Mermaid is one of my favorites and I absolutely LOVED this retelling. It only lost a half star because if they hadn't had said their age a few times it read and was hard to remember that they were not teens and this was not YA. Everytime I had to set it down I wanted to pick it right back up. I was laughing and smiling through the whole thing. I would honestly love a 2nd book or books on each of the sisters, I would pick them up in an instant.

Thank you to Netgalley, publishers and the author for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Little Mermaid was the first movie I saw in the theaters and since I was 4 years old, it's been my favorite. When I saw this book, I knew I had to read it! Since I've seen the movie countless times, and, as a reader, read many versions of the story, I am familiar. What I loved about this book is that the author tells the story in a new way. It's not about falling in love with the handsome prince, but falling in love with yourself. It's a story about stepping into your own power & greatness. While the writing does get cheesy at times, it's a light read and an enjoyable story. I loved it.

As a devout fan of The Little Mermaid, I was incredibly excited about this book and it did not disappoint. It is a beautiful modern retelling of the Disney tale while also managing to create an entirely new tale of self-discovery and fighting for the life you want.

I knew that I was going to love this book, but I didn't know how much!

**SPOILERS**

Most notable: I absolutely love the twist of who is the real villain of the Little Mermaid, pinning it on King Triton and his control issues, versus Ursula, who takes the shape of a nurturing manager.

I'm going to stop saying I love each time so here's a list of things I REALLY enjoyed:

-the writing is descriptive and witty, it keeps you turning the page (I read this in one night)
-the twist of the characters: Ursula, Vanessa, GRIMSBY!!!! (so awesome), Eric having an actual personality that I feel like is true to his character in the film, Ariel's character development and the depth of her character, Ariel's sisters also having actual personalities too!!
-the references were sprinkled in constantly in believable ways that didn't disrupt the story, so you get all the good stuff of the Little Mermaid without it being too in your face that it detracts from this new version
-the backstory of Ariel and her sisters, as well as Eric, their involvement in the music world, and the Latine of it all *swoon*

It is sooooooo worth the read. It brought me joy.

I will be sharing this review on social media; Insta: yenywrites

This modern retelling of the Little Mermaid has pop sensation Ariel wanting to figure out the next step in her life and her controlling father not letting go. Eric and his band are trying to get their big break and are heading out on tour when someone tries tries to steal his guitar. Ariel rescues it but without her 'work' look Eric thinks she is Melody and offers her a job on his tour. Ariel seizes the chance and becomes Melody and sets out to live in the real world. Eric is slow close to having all of his dreams come true but how does Melody fit in? A story of life and love and family and making the choices that make you happy.

Okay so I know this is meant to be a re-telling of the Little Mermaid. Now I normally enjoy these types of stories, but I just felt that the plot and characters were a bit too forced for me. I think it was creative and I liked the spin on how Arial (Melody) was a pop sensation with her sisters (Siren 7). However, I didn't feel that the story flowed naturally for me. Some of the plot points was also really forced/repetitive, and I felt myself skipping through to get closer to the ending. I honestly enjoyed the band characters (side characters) more than the main lead herself. Overall, it was a cute read, but I guess it just didn't hit the mark for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. These are my own honest thoughts and opinions.

Thank you to Disney-Hyperion and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
In this third installment of the Meant To Be series, we meet pop princess Ariel del Mar, formally of Sirens Seven, where she sang sold out concerts with her sisters. After their farewell concert, all the sisters were planning on taking a break but their father had other plans – he wanted Ariel to sign a new contract as a solo star. But when Ariel sneaks out with her sisters, incognito, to a local band concert, she meets the hot lead singer who invites her to join his band on tour. Eric has no idea who she is and they enjoy a romantic evening together. Ariel decides to take Eric up on his offer and ditches her father and his grand announcement and goes on tour with the band Star Crossed. Nobody knows her real identity other than the tour manager for reasons to be revealed later. Will Ariel be able to discover who she wants to be without ruining her new relationships?
Like the others, this is a fun, light-hearted romance. It is an adult book but would be good for older teens as well, especially Disney princess fans. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to see who the next Meant To Be installment is about. 5 stars!

I adored this book. Even if it had no relation to The Little Mermaid, and even if you don’t know that fairytale at all, you will enjoy this book on its own for its strong female protagonist, and really likable male love interest. Ariel Del Mar has been in a girl group with her sisters, the Siren Seven, ever since she can remember. She has grown up in the spotlight, and is looking for some time off. Just when the group retires, and Ariel thinks she is going to get the break she was promised, her father forces her to go solo. Before she sacrifices herself so that her sisters can have normal lives, Ariel meets Eric, the lead singer in an up and coming band called Star Crossed. They have an adorable meet cute where Ariel rescues Eric’s guitar, and end up spending the night eating and dancing and walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. Eric impulsively asks Ariel to join his tour as his merch salesperson. Ariel decides to do it, and disappears on her family. I just really loved the character development in this book. All of the supporting characters in Eric’s band, and Ariel’s sisters, are wonderful, warm, and funny. You really want the best for Ariel and Eric. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

I love the premise of the adult twist on the Little Mermaid tale with the modern setting. The bonds between sisters was especially interesting, considering how little that has been explored in any of the other retellings. I just wasn't invested in either lead or what would happen to them together the way I need to be. My guess, though, is that this is a lot less about the book than about whether the style of the book matches me, so I would still recommend to any adult who loves fairy tales, Little Mermaid, and retellings, as well as any Córdova fan.

I love this series so much and was excited to see Zoraida wrote one. All of the allusions and references to the original Little Mermaid are delightful. I thoroughly enjoyed this story! The only bit of qualm I had is that it's presented as an adult book, but read as if it was a YA - I had to keep reminding myself that the characters were supposed to be in their late 20s. I still enjoyed it, but it threw me off a little.

A charming and modern retelling--these are hard to do and I think the author brought some life, interest, and authenticity to characters who could have otherwise been predictable and rote.

4 Stars
Okay, I loved this retelling! A great, clever, and modern take on the classic Disney movie. As a Little Mermaid fan myself (I have the first and second movie on VHS), I appreciated how all the characters from the movies are integrated here. This take on Ursula was super refreshing and I loved the relationship with Ariel/Melody and her sisters. A super sweet, slow-burn romance with great tension, though not too steamy. A bit predictable but still a super fun story. I shipped Ariel/Melody and Eric from the beginning and adored this addition to the Meant To Be series.

Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the ARC!

Very cute slow burn romance. Fun read though I couldn't help comparing to the movie and wanting to know WHO WILL BE THE SEA WITCH? because you love to hate Ursula. LOL

A sweet and ever-so-slightly spicy take on The Little Mermaid. I found Cordova's twist to be a satisfying take on a fish out of water story with Ariel coming out of stardom and going undercover on Eric's tour bus as the merch girl. The characters of Ursula and King Tritan both got way more depth and I love that Vanessa had a part to play.

Sha la la la my oh my!
I have loved all of the Meant to Be novels so far so this one had a lot of hype to live up to and it did NOT disappoint. I loved the modern real life changes they made compared to the Little Mermaid, and I loved Ariel/Melody and Eric’s love. Such an easy read, and now it makes me want to rewatch the OG Little Mermaid!

{Read this if: you love The Little Mermaid, Disney, stories of finding yourself, original concepts, music}

Big thanks to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Group for this ARC!