There's a lot here that could be made into a great story but for me, it's just not there yet. It's marketed as new adult but the writing is definitely geared to a much younger audience. It's a bit choppy, and that makes me not care about the characters. It jumps right in and doesn't give much lead up or background information on the protagonist. I think you can do 'dropped into a crazy world that I know nothing about' really well and make it believable and make the reader invested (see: Legendborn), but I didn't feel that with this book. I might have a different rating if this was a true children's book.

n unsolved murder of a mermaid queen. A shattered stone pendant cursed and lost. A kingdom's existence in peril. All of it, dependent on a college student and gifted swimmer, Zoe Vaughn, who thinks her life is falling apart.

Pacific Tails was a magical read that was easy to follow, more than a little predictable but, lovely all the same.

This was a genuinely intriguing story, centred around our main character; Zoe Vaughn.
Zoe grows from a downtrodden, unconfident girl into an intelligent and strong individual.
We follow Zoe's journey across the world, chasing her destiny.

I thoroughly enjoyed Pacific Tails, yes it is marketed for a younger audience than myself and it is predictable and somewhat cliched in parts, but this doesn't detract from what, overall, is a cosy read which manages to hold your interest throughout.
I'm looking forward to seeing what the next instalment brings!

Thank you to Michelle Sauer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

~2.5 stars round up

The book follows Zoe, an ordinary student but something she doesn't know she is the reincarnation of the mermaid queen who mysteriously got murdered. Baxter, is Zoe's professor who teach mythology in her university, and also the previous mermaid queen's guardian. So he tells Zoe that she is the reincarnation of the queen. With the mermaid realm slowly losing its power, Zoe need to looking for who killed her in her previous life and defeating the killer and reunited the sacred five stones to save the realm.

As soon as I read the blurb, I think the premise is intriguing and I'm curious of this book! Mermaid? Murder mystery? Magic? Okay, I'm down for it. The story pace is fast and the chapters are short so it makes the book easy and fast to read, but the claim for New Adult book? I don't think so, I feel like this book really giving the teen novel vibes from the plot until the romance part, so feel a lil bit betrayed? disappointed?

The characters are lovely especially Lil, well she isn't the main character but I love her more than the main character itself, she's such a mood and she's probably my fave characters. But one thing for sure, the author didn't give us time to get to know the characters, like it goes straight into the plot. Meanwhile it's fascinating to know different kind of mermaids and its power, although it doesn't make sense that the almighty Purple-Tails who possessed many powers got killed easily. I think it'll more make sense if the Purple-Tails just possessed one specific power just like the other colored-Tails. Last, not really a fan for its romance sub-plot but still can enjoyed it.

Thank you Netgalley, Michelle Sauer, and BookGoSocial for providing me the e-ARC in exchange of my honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t finish this one.

The description of this book was brilliant, and I was really intrigued by the idea of a mermaid who didn’t know she was a mermaid being investigated for using PEDs. But given the description and the genre it was tagged as (new adult), I was completely unprepared for the very teen novel vibes I got from it.

Zoe’s predicament is described to us, and her plan for moving to east coast and going to law school - and the importance of that morning meeting is pressed on the reader. But then, after a brief flash of magic and a a quick squabble with some baddies of whose significance she and we are unaware, Zoe is calmly and happily giving up her future to run off on a scavenger hunt with her professor (who I believe from other reviews becomes the love interest?). There’s no real disbelief or consideration of how this will impact her life, and beyond a bit of name calling the PED thing is dropped.

To me, this could be a great start to a teen novel, assuming the rest of the book continues in this sort of vein. But this isn’t an impression of an adult facing the choice between throwing away her second chance at a meaningful career (considering the PED scandal) and her possible death, or one facing discovering magic is real and her whole understanding of reality is wrong, this is too one dimensional for that. And the lack of importance given to Zoe’s decision to go with Baxter gave a sort of flatness to the apparent emotions and motivations of the characters that I found within a hundred pages that I wasn’t invested in them. I struggled a bit further but it wasn’t overcoming that first impression.

Plus, and I admit I didn’t get this far, but if Baxter is the love interest… I can understand a teenager enjoying the professor-student romance but it’s not an attractive prospect to me as an adult woman. If I’m judging where this is going incorrectly I do apologise!

However, I’m very much not the target audience for a teen adventure novel, so this one wasn’t for me.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book early! I really enjoyed it. I thought the writing was very well done, and the story kept me interested. I believe my students/patrons would also love this book and will be acquiring it for the library!

I loved Zoe and Baxter but I felt like it was all rushed and could’ve shown us more of them as individuals before getting into the adventure. Wasn’t a bad read by any means though! I loved the mythology and mermaids, everything came to life and I wanted to be a part of their world.

Stars: 4

Dates read: 9/30-10/4

ARC provided by NetGalley

When starting the book, I found myself slightly confused and had found it to be fast-paced. Throughout reading, I found some highs of enjoying the book and then hit some lows that made me kinda have to push through reading it. Overall, it was a good read and I did enjoy it.

In general, I give this a straight 4 star review. Will I go get the book myself? Maybe. Will I recommend the book? Definitely if they are fans of different creatures and mermaids. If a second book came out, would I read it? We shall see when that point comes around.

I have always loved mermaids and this book really made my childhood me happy. It has so many genres I love, fantasy, mystery and romance. The start felt a tiny bit rushed as we went straight into the adventure which is not necessarily bad but I would have liked to get to know Zoe a bit more first. The book was fairly easy to read but one thing I felt was the romance was a little bit lacking, it felt awkward and a bit forced? I really wish there was a little more of it but I guess that might be a preference. But I loved the concept and all the ideas the writer had and I couldn’t stop reading it. Also the main focus is mermaids but it also has other mythical creatures which I enjoyed a lot.

I wish there was more romance shown in this book but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The world building was great and very well done. I love mermaids and this story was IT!!

While I was really excited about the mermaid mythology and world based on summary, I I longed for a more polished and compelling narrative to truly bring it to life.

You may find some enjoyment in “Pacific Tales” if you’re a die-hard mermaid fan and looking for simple a fantasy / romance read. However, if you value well-polished writing and pacing, you may find this novel lacking. It definitely felt like a missed opportunity to dive into an intriguing world of mermaids.

Zoe Vaughn has struggled with rumors but is on her way to a anew college with hopes that she can put that behind her, but her world is flipped upside-down by Baxter. Baxter, her college professor, is sure that Zoe is the reincarnation of Melantha. Melantha was the Mermaid Queen of the Pacific Oceans before being murdered. When she was dying she split her powers up into 5 stones to be found by her reincarnated self so her people can be saved. Joining forces Zoe and Baxter are determined to do just that.

“Pacific Tails” by Michelle Sauer was action packed. With romance, fighting, treasure hunting, and mermaids there is so much in the book to love. One of my favorite things about the book is that the distinct mermaid tribes, each representing different oceans and governed by their own royalty. Cannot wait to read more in this series to learn more about the other oceans mermaids. I wish there was a little more romance because the attraction between Zoe and Baxter is there and undeniable. I liked that the mermaids were almost skittish which connects to not only the story of being without their rightful queen but also with global warming. I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars and really would love to read more of this series.

Rating: ⭐️ DNF @ 13%
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Genre: Fantasy
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Main Concepts: Basically a mermaid novel where the queen dies and sends off a message to help keep her kingdom safe. The main quest is revealed very early one and the MC learns she is the mermaid queen far too quickly. The whole storyline just moved really fast without readers really having a chance to meet the characters and learn the world around the characters. The concept with the nine crystal shards or whatever spread about the lands is pretty cool. The novel does has some pretty cool aspects and I really wanted to keep reading it but I just couldn’t. It just felt like a chore because of how fast pace everything is and how not fleshed out the characters are. They felt really flat. I think this novel could be good if the author revamped it and really took the time to reveal the main story line, don’t just give it up right away.
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Random thoughts:
- The hand drawn map is beautiful. Really love the flower detailing.
- The preface is a pretty nice catch for the beginning. Lots of cool mermaid magical abilities happening that I was really intrigued to find out more details about.
- Dual pov
- I don’t like how the book just go straight into the plot. We don’t enough learn about the characters, just get thrown straight into the story line. It’s like you’re missing information.
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Thank you Netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An unsolved murder of a mermaid queen. A shattered stone pendant cursed and lost. A kingdom's existence in peril. All of it, is dependent on a college student and gifted swimmer, Zoe Vaughn, who thinks her life is falling apart.

This was really fun. I look forward to more from this author.

The mermaid queen of the Pacific Ocean is murdered.
Based on this books description I thought I was going to enjoy this book a lot more. It is with a heavy heart I admit I did not enjoy this novel.
From the start of this book the writing is choppy at best. The characters felt very flat and they had little or no development amongst the story. While reading I noticed a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes as well.
I can tell the author put a lot of time and love into the lore of the book, and theres flamboyantly a lot of love within that book. It makes me sad to say it missed its mark for me.
I do hope that this book finds its people, as this is set to be a duology.
as always thank you for the chance to arc read.
1.5/5 stars. rounded to two stars

I liked that while this story focused on mermaids, it did mention other mystical beings. I liked the way the story read as a scavenger hunt, and it took you on a journey. I liked Zoe's growth as the book progressed, but at times, I felt like she was throwing a tantrum instead of focusing on the looming deadline. I wish Baxter had embraced his role more because he seemed to lack confidence, and I at times wondered how he was helpful in the role. I did enjoy Zoe and Baxter's connection with themselves and with the other characters that were introduced. He seemed to be in the way at times. I also felt that at times, the story felt a little rushed. I guess it's because Zoe had such little time to find so many items. Overall, I enjoyed the story and hope that there is a sequel to tie up the rest of the story and perhaps give more of a backstory on Melantha.

This book hooked me in the beginning!
I held my breath as I watched a queen being attacked and making a last stand to save her kingdom!
Then the actual story began.
I enjoyed the characters and the slow burn but I found it dragged in places and the pacing just wasn't at all like in the beginning.
I felt like some of the story started to feel very Disney-familiar.
It was honestly a typical mermaid story and I did enjoy reading it, but I wasn't excited to pick it up each time.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the advanced copy!

The premise is good! Mermaids, murder, mystery, reincarnation, and with mermaid lore. I liked this book. I can tell a lot of thought went into it. The pacing could have been a bit better though.

Zoe is the reincarnated Mermaid queen who isn’t aware of this. Baxter, a professor, turns out to be her guardian. He has a little bit of time left to find the queen but one touch changes it all.

I appreciate the opportunity to have read this book. Thank you NetGalley and Michelle Sauer.

I liked this book. It was good. It did take me a while to get into. I loved reading when they were in the mermaid realm and seeing the world the author created. There was so much thought into every part of the book and I really loved that.

Zoe is a reincarnated Mermaid queen who is not aware of her background. Baxter is her professor who is actually a guardian in search of the lost queen. One touch and he knows that Zoe is the one he is searching for. She obviously doesn't believe him but after they are attacked, she has no choice but to. She finds herself on a mission and fighting for all mermaids.

I wanted so badly to enjoy this one, but ultimately chose to DNF (life’s too short, just do it). The premise had so much potential, but the characters and plot fell flat for me. I was quite bored and didn’t care enough about the characters to root for them.

The mermaid queen of the Pacific Ocean is murdered. With her last breath, she casts a spell to protect her underwater kingdom until the next successor can be found, but the spell has an expiration date. It's up to Zoe, a college student, and Baxter, her Humanities professor, to find the murderer and save the mermaid kingdom from ruin. Zoe struggles to understand that the stories and myths she has been studying weren't actually stories but real accounts in magical history. With the spell’s expiration date nearing, she cautiously accepts her fate. Together they embark on a journey around the world solving riddles and meeting other mythical creatures along the way.

The novel started out very curt and choppy. There was very little character or situational development. The reader starts by meeting the characters, and then moves right into the quest. I would’ve liked to learn a little bit more about Zoe and her experiences on the swim team. It’s alluded that she was a great swimmer and the scandal around that, and I think that was an attempt to introduce the mermaids but wasn’t clear. Once we get through those first few chapters, the story picks up and the writing is much more cohesive. It’s easy to follow and the reader learns more about the characters.

When I chose this novel, the genre was listed as NA/Sci-Fi fantasy. I didn’t feel that this was an adult fiction novel. While there are some non-graphic sexual situations between characters, It read more as a middle age fiction to me. The writing was simple and straight forward. It wasn’t deep or thought provoking. There was very little foreshadowing. The reader knew exactly what was happening and when. Unfortunately, there was also a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes throughout the entire novel. Sefarina’s name was misspelled in one place that I can recall, it was written as “Serafina.” The word “taunt” was used instead of “taut” when referring to the pendent’s chain. The word “past” was used instead of “passed” when referring to movement of the SUV. The word “titled” was used instead of “tilted” when Cavan tilted his head back. Those are a few of the mistakes I found.

The end a bit anticlimactic. In an effort to avoid spoilers, there was a part near the end when Ainslinn casts a spell that was almost exactly what occurred in a very well known mermaid story making it a complete let down for me. It was just too cliche. Otherwise, everything wrapped up nicely in the end. The reader knows if the kingdom gets saved, and it is left open for a sequel.

I really liked the premise of this story, and I am glad that I read it. The riddles were fun to read through and try to decipher. The author did a great job describing the underwater world. I could really see the images in my head from the see-sea, tail colors, swim speeds, and portal hopping. I could especially envision the oil spill in the Alaskan territory.

I would recommend this book as a middle age or fan-fiction novel after some more editing.