A Mermaid's Kiss

Joey W. Hill proves herself to be a master storyteller in 'A Mermaid's Kiss'. Her lyrical prose is nothing short of magical in it's ability to be both superbly dark and richly erotic while retaining it's fairy tale essence. As a long time fan of the Disney version of 'The Little Mermaid', I've also been aware that the true tale foretells a much more tragic ending whereby the mermaid doesn't marry her prince but instead perishes cursed and broken-hearted. Ms. Hill expands upon this darker original with tragedy destined to fall upon all descendants of Arianne. Jonah, Angel and Prime Legion Commander of the Goddess, has lived a long life drenched in destruction, death, and blood. Having survived a war-torn millennia, Jonah's soul has slowly tarnished with the very darkness he's been fighting and thereby corrupting his faith and love in the Lady. After being mortally wounded in battle, Jonah plunges into the ocean with a sigh of relief; grateful that he can finally find some peace in death. His hopes are thwarted though by a brave and beautiful little mermaid. Anna, a Daughter of Arianne and therefore doomed to tragedy, is still a woman of hope and love. Cursed with the ability to shapeshift into a human, she's lived the life as a being with no true place in the world, an outcast, but one capable of compassionate love and fierce loyalty. Unlike the female ancestors before her, Anna accepts her fate in life to live without reciprocal love while at the same time yearning for it above all else. Given her self-sacrificing nature, it is no surprise that she risks her life from the very beginning for an angel bent on his own destruction. Despite having lived for a 1000 years, Jonah has never truly sought to understand his own soul. The consuming thoughts of war have blotted out the light of the Lady, leaving his heart to ponder and question his own existence and role in the universe. Humans, the Lady's to protect and therefore Jonah's to protect, cease to be nothing other then rats destroying everything in their path. The evil doings of humans call to the Dark Ones, thus rising the armies of angels; guarding them despite the fact that it's this very evil, festering within the human soul, that makes the Dark Ones very existence possible. Jonah is tired of fighting for those that continue to call to the Dark Ones and suffer the inevitable deaths of his sons for the guilt of their loss weighs heavily upon his conscience. He has lost all hope and all reason to fight and to exist. Recognizing the darkness within Jonah, Anna makes the decision to help him at any cost, even her own death. She enlists the help of the seawitch, Mina, and with her guiding visions, Anna convinces Jonah to embark on a journey that will lead her further and further away from her beloved ocean. Jonah decides to accompany Anna and her pursuit of the healing powers of a human shaman not because he wishes to eradicate the poison within him, but because he has found some measure of contentment with Anna. Jonah, though an angel, is not noble. Selfishly, he chooses to drift along on this journey with a self-sacrificing little mermaid because it relieves him of having to think beyond the now. Anna provides for him a route of escapism and monetary respite for his ugly thoughts. He truly feels that a shaman, a human no less, can not heal his rotted soul and there are several points throughout the journey where Jonah tries to drive Anna away from him and their mission.

I could not put this book down!!! It is one of my all time favorates! I know that I will be reading this book again in the future!!!

Loved this book. Really good series. Hill tops the charts with romance, sensuality and emotional issues in creative ways.

My first date with Joey Hill came after a chance meeting in the erotic section of the local Books-A-Million. The undead have populated my fiction selections of late, so it was her Vampire Queen Series that caught my eye. Ahhhh, the joy of young love. I closed that book like a schoolgirl closing the front door after her first kiss. Would our future encounters equal the initial thrill? Would my admiration grow? Perhaps disappointment would settle in as it does so often against my high expectations. Like any fantastic second date, A Mermaid's Kiss held everything I found appealing from the first, but didn't play like the same melody with different lyrics. Jonah and Anna were three dimensional characters with a genuine, grown-up romance. The plot and fantasy world were creative, but believable. The supporting characters actually supported the story and did not seem billboards for upcoming books. The love scenes were tender, rough, imaginative and unexpected. Sometimes idealism in fiction is like a rock in my shoe. Not Ms. Hill's. I find her voice unique in this genre. Kind of like a minty lotion. Soothing, yet stimulating at the same time. This book in particular managed some pretty deep concepts without feeling like a sermon or taking things too seriously. I sometimes have trouble accepting the fantasy world the writer intended. A Mermaid's Kiss encouraged me to just "go with it" and I felt immensely rewarded for the effort. If you like a romance with adventurous love scenes, a plot that assumes an intelligent reader, vivid landscapes, real emotion, believable dialogue and having a few things to think about even after you've finished the book, then I highly recommend A Mermaid's kiss and this author.

hey disappointed when you throw out the book throw it my way, I have several friends waiting to read my copy and your copy would be greatly appreaciated. As for the story - Joey has done it again....how this woman keeps all her stories fresh and new is amazing. She makes each character so real and the "locations" she writes about I wish I could take my vacations there! As for the erotic sex scenes - hello all her books are labled as such so if you like this genre you'll enjoy all her stuff!

Full of fantasy, sensuality, and a world made very believable. I don't think anyone who likes romances could NOT like this book. It's a step out of our world into a romantic adult fantasy for a brief time, and I adored it!

Reviewed by Nadene Review originally posted at Romancing the Book Book purchased by the reviewer After completing this book I was at a lost as to what I was going to write in my in my review.  A Mermaid’s Kiss is one of the most difficult books that I ever had to review.  This is not to say it was a bad book but for me it was one of my least favorite reads. When I first read the blurb I was intrigued by the concept of a romance between an angel and a mermaid and as such I jumped at the chance to read and review this book.  However, my enthusiasm was short lived.  I found it rather difficult to connect with story.  It failed to create any form of emotion within me in that I felt absolutely nothing while reading this book.  It started out on a good note, however after sometime it lost its momentum. The story began to drag and I couldn’t wait for it to come to an end. I just could not connect with the main characters. I found Jonah (who is an angel and a legion commander) to be rather overbearing and domineering.  He was also very temperamental. One moment he was this powerful heavenly being and the next he was sulking like a child when things does no go his way. Anna is very compassionate, and it was this trait that allowed her to aid Jonah at the point when he needed it most.  I did find her to be a bit weak at times.  While reading I discovered that not only was Anna a mermaid who could shift and become human she could also shift into a pixie.  I found that to be somewhat strange, especially when it came to the love scenes. I had a hard time coming to terms with Jonah having sex with Anna in her pixie form. Whoa! that was a bit too much.  It’s going to take awhile to get that image out of my mind. For me the best parts of the book are: 1. The interaction between Mina (half mermaid/ half dark one/witch) and David ( human turned angel) .  This interaction brought a little life to the story and as some what compelled me to continue with the series. 2. The ending which revealed that Jonah had finally matured and came to the realization that genuinely loving someone involves making sacrifices. He portrayed this when he gave up all to protect Anna. While this may have been one of my least favorite books, I would suggest that you read it for yourself as everyone’s taste differs and you may just more entertaining than I did.

I should know by now that anything Joey writes I will love. So why it took me so long to come to the Daughters of Arianne, I'll never know. It seems she can write about any species - human, vampire, witch,angel, mermaid - and I will connect with the characters. I LOVED this book. Maybe not as much as the knights or the vampire queen, but the story had me crying, cheering for the good guys (the angels, of course, but also Lucifer if you can believe that!) and sighing over the love story. Thanks,Joey, for another great read!!

A Lovely story. Mermaids and Angels. A novel of hope, courage, friendship, devotion and Love.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. A wonderful addition to any paranormal library.

Really Good!! Loved it

Can i join??...name is moonshine shine for short i have long dark slightly curly hair with strands of deep blue,gold,silver,and green that goes down to my waist i have see green/deep blue eyes with specks of silver and my tail is deep blue with swirls of green,gold,silver,and black with a tad of sparkles.age is 159

I like mermaids. This one good too.

this is a great story abut Faith and redemption infused with plenty of searing romance. A story that will make you more. After centuries of loss and heartache, Jonah has succumbed to a debilitating despair that threatens his very soul. Anna's innocent hopefulness stir feelings in him he thought long gone. But will her light be enough to save this war-weary angel? Jonah is just heart-breaking. His despair is so intense it makes one wonder just how he will be able to find his way out of the darkness that engulfs him. Yet along the way, we see glimpses of his heart that tell us he isn't completely lost, even if he himself doesn't realize it. Anna sees it, though. With her effervescent personality and her ability to find joy in the smallest of things, she is the perfect foil for his darkness, warming Jonah with a heart that is absolutely pure. Mistress Rose

Love Jonah and Anna, I thought the storyline was excellent. I loved the take on Ariel and her "curse". Very well written. (don't bother with the other two in this serious though they were awful!)

This was dark, erotic, romantic and fantastical. Extremely well written and captivating. Worth rereading many times.

:)

I did not like this book whatsoever what was it even about