Devon’s review of A Mermaid’s Kiss (Mermaids Series, Book 1) by Joey W. Hill
Paranormal Romance released by Berkeley Sensation 4 Nov 08

Joey W. Hill was one of the first erotic romance writers I ever read, and she is definitely one of the best. Her writing is extremely sensual, but also very emotional. Her books emphasize the vulnerability of forming a sexual and romantic connection with another. It takes trust and a leap of faith to open oneself up completely to another. Hill’s books also celebrate the joy of being completely accepted by another. While A Mermaid’s Kiss was less sexually intense than some of her other works, it’s a fascinating and sensual romance about losing one’s faith and then having it restored through the love of another.

Jonah is a Prime Commander of the Angels. He has spent thousands of years fighting evil, usually in the form of the Dark Ones (demons). He has grown weary of his existence, and is starting to lose his faith in the Lady, the Highest Power whom he serves. No longer seeing the point of it all, Jonah allows himself to fall deep into the sea when one of his wings is severed during a battle with the Dark Ones. He knocks into Anna, an isolated half-human, half-mermaid, who is awed and intrigued and determined to help Jonah.

The first fifty or so pages were slow. The writing style felt very formal, almost like a fairy tale, and I found it hard to get into. The book really picks up with the introduction of Anna’s ally, the prickly seawitch Mina. I loved Mina and I’m so psyched she gets her own book (A Witch’s Beauty, January 2009). Mina’s visions set Anna and Jonah off on a road trip inland to a place where Jonah can be fully healed. The “road romance” is one of my favorites, because although they meet people and have adventures, the focus is on the hero and heroine and the relationship development.

Jonah was an intriguing, larger than life hero. He is so old and powerful, but he has lost his way. He feels an immediate connection to Anna, so much younger and less powerful than he, but who is full of passion and faith in the goodness of others. She makes him feel again. Anna annoyed me at times. She was almost Mary Sue-ish, and just so good. She seemed a bit weak at times too. What kept me from disliking Anna was the wicked sense of humor she exhibited, and the fact that she never took any crap from Jonah, Mina, or anybody. In fact, she always gets her way. It was very clear that Anna’s quiet strength was exactly what Jonah needed. Their romance was great.

The road trip part of the book really held my interest, but towards the end, it started to flag, during what should’ve been the big climactic battle. It got a bit confusing, and I wanted things to move along already. I also have to mention that one part squicked me out a bit. Don’t want to be spoilery, but it involves Anna’s shapeshifting abilities. Despite that, I loved A Mermaid’s Kiss. It had a well-realized fantasy world, great secondary characters as well as the hero and heroine, and a sexy, moving romance. I recommend it to fantasy/paranormal fans, and I’m really looking forward to the next one.

Grade: B+

The Summary:

The angelic Jonah has been battling the Dark Ones for centuries. But his noble spirit has begun to tire with the weight of war—allowing a Dark One to strike a blow that severs his wings and knocks him into the sea.

Anna is a Daughter of Arianne—a direct descendant of the mermaid of legend. Anna’s longing for love compels her to risk her very life to protect and hide the fallen Jonah. And the longer Jonah delays his return to the heavens, the more Anna’s secret passions are tempted.

But as she falls more in love with him, Anna wonders if she’s destined to lose her heart and her dreams to save Jonah’s soul…

Read an excerpt