Thank you NetGalley, Ralynn Kimie, and Steely Co. Publishing for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I initially received a copy of this eARC in Spring of 2024. Unfortunately, the beginning of the book was very slow for me (lots of info dumping, writing style, etc) had me setting the book down. For a long time (over a year, in fact), I would periodically pick up this story in an attempt to finish it. Inevitably, I would set it back down for the same reasons each time.

I am proud to say that finally I have finished this book in April of 2025! 

I do feel like the story picks up around the halfway mark (which is only around 100 pages in the ARC). One of the biggest reasons I struggled to finish the book is the depictions of SA, which felt unnecessarily dark and graphic. The book itself was very dark, gives very thalassophobia vibes ft. a villain origin story.

That being said, I did like the Hawaiian mythology, a villain origin story for a fairytale retelling, and the aquatic atmosphere of this book.

2.5/5 stars (rounded to 3 for Goodreads & NetGalley).

Before going into this please check your triggers as there are some dark sensitive topics going on, having said that I felt the author did a really good job with them! This felt like reading a true adult fairytale! It was so well written, with beautiful world building and character development! Great read!

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish this book before it expired due to timing and life circumstances. I plan to pick it up on Kindle in the future and will leave a full review then. Thank you for the opportunity!

I was drawn to Curse of the Nautilus by its intriguing premise—a deep-sea adventure filled with magic, mystery, and an eerie atmosphere. The world-building was definitely a highlight, with vivid descriptions that made the oceanic setting feel immersive and unique. I also enjoyed the hints of folklore woven into the story, adding a layer of depth to the plot.

However, while the concept was strong, the execution felt uneven. The pacing was inconsistent, with some sections dragging while others rushed through key moments. The characters had potential, but I wished for more development, especially when it came to their relationships and motivations. The romance, in particular, felt a bit underdeveloped, making it hard to fully invest in.

Overall, Curse of the Nautilus had some great ideas and an atmospheric setting, but it didn’t fully deliver on its potential. If you love ocean-inspired fantasy and don’t mind a slower pace, it might still be worth a read.

Curse of the Nautilus has an interesting storyline, with a great villain origin story. This is a creative retelling of the Little Mermaid with a bit of Hawaiian mythology to it. The fantasy elements were amazingly complementing the story, making it an exciting read. I enjoyed this book but felt like the characters could use a bit more development.

This had in interesting storyline. The whole villain origin story? So interesting!

I wouldn’t really call this a romance though. Yes, there were feelings here and there, but the story was mostly focused on Anela.

There were so many things I wanted to know more about. Some characters had brief mentions, and it seemed like they had some sort of important backstory, but it was never really talked about.

And the characters, I hated them. But I guess I was supposed to. It was, after all, what made Anela become a villain.

While I didn’t particularly love this book, I didn’t hate it either.

Do not skip the trigger warnings. There are scenes of r*pe, SA, violence, and more.

DNF 88%
went in to this book thinking that the premise sounded good and I am always a sucker for an origin story. The first half really fell flat for me the pacing really seemed off and the story really bogged down for the majority of the book. At about 70% it starts to take off and I was excited to see the action and what was going to happen. Despite the trigger warnings I was not prepared for the very graphic SA scene at 88% unfortunately that was enough for me to be done.

⭐️: 2
DNF. I tried to get into it, but it didn’t hold my interest Maybe I’ll give it another chance at a later time.

I really enjoyed Curse of the Nautilus! This is such a creative and unique spin on The Little Mermaid, especially with the incorporation of Hawaiian mythology. The story of Triton and the twist on Ursula, the villain we love to hate, was so well done. This backstory of how the villain came to be is beautiful! It’s adventurous and had me gripping the pages, especially as the plot unfolded in such unexpected ways. The fantasy elements were wonderfully woven into the narrative, making this an exciting and fun read. Overall, it was a lovely and captivating story that kept me hooked from beginning to end.

This book took me a minute to get in to, but I'm SO glad I gave it a chance. The characters really developed along the way, and the story was so compelling by the end. I loved this book, and will be recommending it to everyone I know!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

It took me a while to get into this one, but it was a very cool story! I personally love anything ocean related, and the twist on this tale was very unique!

I had a hard time with this one. I did like that a spiced and spice free version exist. I really wish more books did that. As someone who doesn't read books for the spice I rather skip it some/most times.
Now for the characters... I have a hard time with books where the characters are unlikable. I'm not too sure that was the goal here but overall I couldn't stand anyone. That made it so hard for me to push through this. Honestly it took me so long to read this I should have DNFed it because I can't remember much else.
I did however remember that the romance plot was weird, like surer rushed to the point where it was uncomfortable.
Overall I was not a fan of this book.

This is the spicy version and I enjoyed it just as much as the YA version. It is a Hawaiian mythology inspired take that is a better version of the Little Mermaid. This follows Triton who is the prince of the ocean and a sea nymph Anela. The sibling rivalry was spot ion and perfect! I loved the hawaiian mythology woven into this story. A must read!

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and Ralph Kimie.

A most read story. I loved it so much! I love a villain origin story. I couldn't put it down.

So I'm not one to normally read books on the 'spicier' side and I thought I'd requested the lighter version of this book. That being said, this did not disappoint! An absolute beast of an origin tale. There were twists and turns and it was absolutely heart wrenching is place. If you don't read spice definitely check out the closed door version as the story is amazing! If you do like spice then definitely get this book - but it does have several dark themes so make sure to check the TWs!

I didn't realize this was a Villian Origin Story when I started it. Looking back now, I still stand by my rating. There were some phrases in the book that bothered me, whether it was obvious thoughts the reader should have but the author didn't need to say, or just the flow was sometimes confusing (a present action happening and then all of a sudden it was 3 days later in the same paragraph.) Also, there was a huge component of nonconsensual sex that I felt could have been tied into the story better than it was, to really illustrate why the FMC acted the way she did. The mythology was really neat being in Hawaii, but I missed out on how the legends within the story tied into what happened over all. Started as a slow burn, and then escalated way too quickly. I would have liked to see more character development from all the characters as well as relationship development from the FMC and MMC.

DNF @ 20%

Thank you Netgalley for the E-Arc exchange for an honest review.

I tried reading this one but I barely got to the 20% mark and realized this is not for me. The characters and the plot just didn't hold my interest at all. It started promising but for some reason the chapters felt too long and I wasn't connecting with the characters. I even skimmed through the last part of the book which made my decision clear. Even though I read the content warnings in the beginning of the book since I got the open version instead of the closed one, certain things that happen in this book don't fit right with me. Certain things that happened to the characters, the main character in particular felt like shock value more than anything.

Despite the trigger warnings the book it self was great and very well build.. We have Anela a sea nymph and Triton prince of the Atlantic Ocean.. One of the things I loved it was the fact it's more an adult fantasy has Hawaiian mythology elements... Also a sea witch and a prince? Humm little mermaid needs to be careful with that one

⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️ spice

What to Expect:
🐚 Siren x Sea Witch romance subplot
🐚 Hawaiian x Greek Mythology
🐚 Villain origin story
🐚 Forced proximity

A very interesting read that did surprise me in the end. The first half of this book wasn’t easy to get through, and for all of that half there wasn’t a whole lot of world building or character development to justify it. And why is no one talking about the dolphin sex?!

It was mainly the character’s internal monologues that made the pace feel very slow and added body to the story that could have already been implied instead of spelled out.

However, I was pleasantly surprised when the second half of the book really kicked it up a notch, which bumped it back up to a 3 star review for me. It was dark and twisted with an ending I suppose I should have expected, given the promise of a villain origin story, but still I’m left indignified for them (no spoilers).

This had so much potential, I was drawn in by the cover and the premise for sure! I think if the characters were more multi-faceted and generally likeable, I would have connected to them better and felt more emotionally invested in the story.